Expérience de la bataille d'Angleterre, falaises blanches de Douvres et Canterbury
Description
Souhaitez-vous une petite visite privée de haute qualité des trois sites les plus emblématiques et les plus inspirants de Grande-Bretagne dans le Sud-Est avec un guide local expert? Le Dr Anthony Medhurst escortera jusqu'à 7 personnes à bord d'un confortable véhicule climatisé vers les falaises blanches de Douvres, la ville historique de Canterbury et sa cathédrale classée au patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO, et les sites de la bataille d'Angleterre de la Seconde Guerre mondiale qui racontent de manière convaincante comment le pays a été sauvé de l'invasion nazie par les pilotes Spitfire et Hurricane de la RAF. Ici, vous obtiendrez des vues inégalées des lieux où la bataille a eu lieu; revivez les sons et les images d'un poste de chasse original et d'un pub original, inchangé, fréquenté autrefois par le personnel navigant en 1940. Ici, vous pourrez prendre un verre et revivre les précieuses heures de répit pour ceux qui ont survécu aux combats de la journée. Enfin, vous obtiendrez un aperçu expert de la position périlleuse à laquelle la Grande-Bretagne et ses pilotes étaient confrontés alors que le pays se tenait seul à l'été 1940.
Options de l'excursion
Itinéraire
Votre guide vous attendra à l'entrée de la gare de Canterbury West. Vous serez conduit de Canterbury à travers la campagne pittoresque du Kent jusqu'aux falaises blanches des Western Heights de Douvres. Ce trajet ne devrait pas prendre plus de 30 minutes. Ce superbe point de vue offre une vue exceptionnelle sur le château et le port de Douvres, la Manche et, par temps clair, sur le littoral français voisin. C'est l'endroit idéal pour prendre des photos et découvrir ce monument emblématique, ainsi que pour apprécier la proximité et l'immédiateté de la menace d'invasion des forces nazies en 1940. Cet endroit discret, inaccessible aux grands groupes de touristes, permet également aux clients de Découvrez trois emplacements de canons et un poste de mitrailleuses d'origine construits en 1940 dans le cadre des défenses côtières britanniques.
Vous serez conduit pendant 15 minutes jusqu'à Capel-le-Ferne pour admirer l'emblématique mémorial de la bataille d'Angleterre, situé au sommet d'une falaise, avec sa vue imprenable sur la Manche. Ici, vous pourrez voir le mur commémoratif qui enregistre les noms de tous les membres d'équipage connus pour avoir effectué au moins une sortie avec un escadron ou une unité accréditée de la Royal Air Force pendant la bataille d'Angleterre, y compris ceux qui ont survécu à la guerre. Les noms sont classés par ordre alphabétique, sans rang ni décoration, soulignant le fait que chacun des rares a contribué à la victoire de la RAF. Vous verrez également le point central du site - la statue évocatrice d'un pilote de chasse surplombant la Manche - qui porte une veste Irvin pour dissimuler son grade, sa nationalité et savoir s'il était un as ou un pilote perdu lors de sa première sortie. Des répliques d'un Spitfire, d'un Hurricane et d'un Stuka sont exposées. Une impressionnante boutique est également disponible pour les livres et les souvenirs. Un café propose des rafraîchissements et une vue imprenable sur la mer.
Vous serez conduit pendant 15 minutes de Capel-le-Ferne au musée de la Bataille d'Angleterre à Hawkinge (ou Manston si vous visitez entre novembre et février) qui occupe le site de l'ancien aérodrome du Fighter Command. Plusieurs des bâtiments originaux subsistent et sont accessibles au public, y compris le Watch Office original. Le musée contient la plus grande collection privée d'objets de la bataille d'Angleterre au monde, dont une grande partie a été découverte par des archéologues de l'aviation dans les années 1970 et 80. Les visiteurs peuvent voir les restes d'innombrables Spitfires et Hurricanes, ainsi que des objets personnels des pilotes eux-mêmes, qui ont volé lors de la bataille d'Angleterre et ont été abattus ou écrasés dans le Kent. Votre Guide Expert expliquera l'expérience des pilotes de chasse en action - attendre d'être brouillés, être au combat, les compétences nécessaires pour survivre, comment ils ont essayé de faire face et de continuer - et racontera l'histoire d'un certain nombre de pilotes dont les effets peuvent être vus dans le musée.
Après avoir quitté le musée de Hawkinge, vous traverserez des zones de campagne exceptionnelles jusqu'au village pittoresque de Denton. Vous aurez l'occasion de voir le pub The Jackdaw, qui figurait dans le film classique de 1968, « La bataille d'Angleterre ». Ce pub a permis à l'acteur Christopher Plummer, qui jouait le chef d'escadron Harvey, de se rendre à The Jackdaw afin de rencontrer sa femme interprétée par Susannah York. Les invités pourront s’arrêter pendant 15 minutes pour prendre des photos.
Après avoir quitté Denton, les invités traverseront les routes de campagne pittoresques et les villages de Barham et Bridge (la durée du trajet ne dépasse pas 30 minutes) avant d'arriver dans la belle et historique ville de Canterbury. Vous aurez l'occasion de visiter des sites classés au patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO, comme la cathédrale de Canterbury (entrée 17 £ non incluse), qui retrace plus de 1 400 ans d'histoire britannique, notamment comment le christianisme a été introduit dans le pays par saint Augustin en 597 après JC. Vous pouvez également voir à proximité l'église Saint-Martin, la plus ancienne d'Angleterre (587 après JC) ; profitez d'une promenade ou d'une promenade en barque le long de la rivière Stour ; ainsi que visiter des endroits charmants et pleins de caractère pour manger et boire, y compris un pub médiéval à colombages enregistré dans les « Contes de Canterbury » de Chaucer. Ici, vous pourrez également déguster une gamme de bières et d'autres boissons de la plus ancienne brasserie de Grande-Bretagne fondée en 1698.
Points forts
Ce qui est inclus
Lieux et horaires de prise en charge
Vous serez accueillis dans n'importe quelle gare ou hôtel à ou autour de Folkestone, Ashford, Canterbury ou Douvres dans un rayon de 20 miles du port de Douvres, Kent (veuillez indiquer votre lieu de prise en charge ou de dépôt préféré au moment de la réservation).
Avis des voyageurs
Informations importantes
- Landau ou poussette possible pour les bébés et enfants en bas âge
- Transports en commun disponibles à proximité
- Convient à toutes les conditions physiques
- Le site de Dover Western Heights a un sol inégal, est envahi par la végétation par endroits et possède des structures en béton datant de la guerre. Des précautions doivent être prises lors des déplacements sur le site.
Avis(11)
Seeing where the enemy planes came from, seeing the pilots riding from the barracks to where they waited to scramble to their planes, how they fought, how some died, seeing where they went to drink and where some are buried is truly a Battle of Britain (BoB) Experience. As advertised, this tour totally delivers and is well worth the cost. I highly recommend this tour. This tour is a great way to learn about the BoB in a day and especially about the pilots who fought, their stories (for example, how one pilot developed a manoeuvre where he could dive in and attack 3 enemy planes during one pass, Roger whose character was in the movie "the Great Escape", etc), what they did and for some, how they were killed. This included the stories of the 7 pilots at the "Spirit of The Few" Monument and some of the pilots whose plane's wreckage pieces are on display in the museum and at the memorial. Hearing their stories saved having to do a lot of reading. In addition to the pilot stories, I really liked everywhere we stopped; the gun emplacement at St Martin's Battery, BoB Memorial, Hawkinge Fighter Station, BoB Museum and the Commonwealth Cemetery (here both RAF and Germain pilots are buried). I really enjoyed the stop for a drink at the Inn where pilots went for a drink. At the BoB Museum, Anthony highlighted some of the more interesting things and their stories. There was so much to see here that I could have spent a whole day here. As an added touch we passed by and saw places related to the 1969 movie "Battle of Britain". Photos at the BoB museum are not allowed but through Anthony, our guide, we got permission to take pictures with the outside exhibits. Photos are not allowed to respect the pilots whose pieces of their planes are on display. Anthony was willing to take our photos throughout the tour. During our tour, Anthony showed us other things along the way which included stopping at "The Pig" where Led Zeppelin once played and pointing out where "Ian Flemming" once lived and the place where a young Mozart once performed. Our day concluded with a walking tour of Canterbury which I thought was very well done and interesting. It was nice to have lunch at the oldest Inn in Canterbury and to see the Inn where the 4 knights had a drink before going to the Canterbury Cathedral and killing Tomas Beckett. Overall I felt that this tour was very "professional". It was delivered by a very knowledgeable guide who spoke clearly and whose narration was easy to understand. It included wearing good over the ear earsets (not earbuds) and being shown pictures from a binder to further explain things we were being told. Anthony made sure we saw everything we wanted before moving on. It was a nice paced tour where one didn't feel rushed. We rode in a very comfortable (cool) and roomy vehicle. Lastly, I felt that our guide Anthony was truly dedicated and extremely passionate about telling the stories of the lives of those "FEW" who fought in the Battle of Britain and Canterbury. Thank you Anthony for a "WONDERFUL", comprehensive, fact filled day and for the "Battle of Britain" experience. As advertised, this tour totally delivers and is well worth the cost. I highly recommend this tour. Those "FEW" live on. Mega Kudos.
This was a fantastic experience. Anthony absolutely made this day great, not only with his knowledge of the subject matter but also with how easy he made the day. As mentioned Anthony is very knowledgeable about the subject matter and brings a very human perspective to this with commentary about specific pilots and their lives and experiences. This allowed us to get a real sense of what it would have been like at the time for the people of Britain but particularly what it was like for the pilots and the support crews. The locations visited were well selected to provide a good insight into the nature of the Battle of Britain. We had plenty of time at each of the locations and never felt rushed. Anthony was very flexible with some of the places we visited including an amazing hotel that we had the opportunity to see (and hopefully stay in in the future!). The tour was tailored to our requirements and Anthony was very helpful picking us up from our hotel and dropping us to the train station. The conversation was very pleasant whilst enroute to the different locations and several excellent book recommendations were made. At the end of the tour Anthony provided us with a list of the places we had visited and was very helpful and provided some suggestions for places to visit in our future travels to the Cotswalds. Can’t thank Anthony enough for such a memorable day. Highly recommended!
Thank you for taking the time to write such a lovely review Joshua - that's really appreciated. It was a great pleasure to meet you and show you and Frances some of places in which the Battle took place, as well as share some of the stories of the young men who were defending our country from invasion just 85 years ago. It's a pretty powerful and emotive story isn't it? I am so glad that you enjoyed it and hope that you get the chance to return to England very soon. All best wishes, Anthony.
During our recent two plus week vacation to the British Isles, my wife and I booked seven different private tours. We enjoyed all of them, however, Dr. Anthony Medhurst’s, Battle of Britain – Hellfire Corner tour stands above all the other tours. I am well read on the Battle of Britain and was a bit worried that the tour would not meet my high expectations. I should NOT have been worried. Anthony is an EXPERT on the Battle and was able to tailor his presentation to suit a student of the Battle, like myself, and casual visitors, like my wife and our friends who toured with us. Anthony’s focus during the tour was not on a simple recounting of the events but on the human aspect of the Battle and the toll it took on the young pilots of RAF Fighter Command. The tour was rewarding and enlightening. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in the Battle of Britain.
We had the privilege of experiencing Kent in the most enjoyable way, thanks to the expertise of our charming tour guide, Anthony. Given his local upbringing and his unparalleled education on the subject matter, we felt like we won the tour guide lottery. This, in addition to his being the perfect English gentleman, and his peaceful and personable demeanor, left us feeling like we had the most quintessential Kent experience. The Battle of Britain experience, the white cliffs of Dover, Canterbury, and many hidden gems off the stereotypical tourist path left us feeling like we might want to unpack our bags and stay. Thank you for your expertise, and providing an exquisitely memorable day Anthony. Honored that you so eloquently shared your part of the world with us.
This tour was an amazing experience! For those interested in a smaller tour guided by someone who not only knows the area (he's a local) but by an EXPERT! As a history lover myself, I found this tour to be exceptional! I was fortunate to be the only person for a slow Sunday tour and Anthony was kind enough to alter the tour to my interests! Some places that were normally a drive by, Anthony would stop by the churches so i could take photos. This tour will take you through the small villages in Kent that you would never see with a large tour bus. I covered more ground with his half day tour that I would have on my own over several days, not to mention multiple places that only locals would know. As a constant traveler who regularly books tours, I can easily say that this was the best tour I've ever taken! I highly recommend Anthony and his tour company. His tour made me fall in love with Kent and I'm very excited to return again to see more of the garden of England! 5 star experience!
That's so incredibly kind of you Jennifer - I am incredibly touched by your review. I have to say, it was a pleasure to meet you and I was so pleased that we could explore such beautiful places in this part of Kent. I hope that I get the opportunity to show some other wonderful sites whilst you are in the UK. Happy and safe travels!
Awe inspiring tour with a very experienced guide in Anthony. He made history come alive as we walked the Cliffs of Dover, poked into bunkers, sat at the very pub the RAF pilots drank in.
Dr. Medhurst provided us not only with data and statistics, he gave us his invaluable perspectives of the human side of the RAF leadership and pilots who won the Battle of Britain. His enormous knowledge of the people, the advantages and disadvantages of both sides gave we fairly well-oriented people a far deeper understanding of the entire big picture of the challenges of 1940. The full day took us from Canterbury through the Kent countryside to Dover's White Cliffs overlooking the harbor where he showed us the fortifications and described the Dover Castle and Chain Home facilities and operations. On to Folkestone and the RAF Memorial, Dr. Medhurst spoke eloquently of the individual sacrifices made by several of the men whose profiles are highlighted at the memorial. We visited a local pub frequented by some of the pilots before moving on to the Hawkinge Museum. Anthony focused our attention on many key exhibits, including the Operations Building and the many artifacts located among the former warbirds and military hardware there. He also took us to the JACKDAW Tavern, made famous from the movie "The Battle of Britain". Overall, Anthony made our limited available time far more valuable with his boundless storehouse of facts and human interest, while allowing us not to be concerned with driving, searching for roadsigns and finding the most important sights to see. I strongly recommend Dr. Medhurst to anyone interested in that historical era of World History, including visitors who are already well versed in the subjects. Anthony's cordial, personable presentation and delivery allowed for numerous questions and thoughtful answers. I look forward to maintaining this relationship for future visits.
Thank you for your very kind and generous feedback Mickey. It was such a pleasure to meet you and Susan - I had a fantastic day too! I very much hope that we get the chance to meet again.
This was a great experience. Anthony was very knowledgeable and very passionate about the few young men that did so much for their country and the world. They left a great legacy of the importance of fighting hard when you are against great odds. Anthony took great care to explain the battles and ahowing where it all happened. I would high recommend this to anyone.
Thank you for your lovely review Mike, that's much appreciated. I have to say, it was a great pleasure to get to know you during the tour, as well as show you some evocative reminders of our country's plight in 1940. Enjoy the rest of your trip in the UK. All best wishes, Anthony
Anthony is a knowledgeable & interesting guide. We were a party of 6 & we all enjoyed all the interesting sites, information & stories of the war. Seeing the town & eating at at a local pub was lots of fun! Would recommend Anthony as a personable & knowledgeable tour guide.
Thank you very much for your lovely review Donna. It was a great pleasure to meet you all and show you something of this terrific place. I hope that our paths cross again when you are back in the UK!
What a beautiful day out! We visited the incredible sites of Canterbury and the White Cliffs of Dover. Mind you, we absolutely loved the countryside and the villages too which weren't on the usual tourist routes. These were gorgeous and SO cute. Thanks Anthony - you were brilliant and we were grateful to have your local knowledge. You know your stuff. We will definitely recommend this to all our friends!
Thank you. It was a pleasure to meet you and I really appreciate your recommendation to friends!
