Battle of Britain Experience, Scogliere bianche di Dover & Canterbury
Descrizione
Ti piacerebbe un piccolo tour privato di alta qualità dei tre siti più iconici e ispirazionali della Gran Bretagna nel sud-est con un'esperta guida locale? Il dottor Anthony Medhurst scorterà fino a 7 persone in un comodo veicolo con aria condizionata verso le suggestive White Cliffs di Dover; la storica città di Canterbury e la sua Cattedrale dichiarata Patrimonio dell'Umanità dall'UNESCO; e i siti della Battaglia della Gran Bretagna della Seconda Guerra Mondiale che raccontano l'avvincente storia di come il paese fu salvato dall'invasione nazista dai piloti Spitfire e Hurricane della RAF. Qui potrai ammirare panorami insuperabili dei luoghi in cui si combatté la Battaglia; rivivi le viste e i suoni di una postazione da caccia originale e di un pub originale, immutato, un tempo frequentato dagli equipaggi aerei nel 1940. Qui potrete gustare un drink e rivivere le preziose ore di tregua per chi è sopravvissuto ai combattimenti della giornata. Infine otterrai una visione esperta della pericolosa posizione affrontata dalla Gran Bretagna e dai suoi piloti mentre il paese si trovava da solo nell'estate del 1940.
Opzioni del tour
Itinerario
La tua guida ti incontrerà all'ingresso della stazione di Canterbury West. Verrai guidato da Canterbury attraverso la pittoresca campagna del Kent fino alle White Cliffs a Dover's Western Heights. Questo viaggio non dovrebbe durare più di 30 minuti. Questo superbo punto panoramico offre viste eccezionali sul castello e sul porto di Dover, sul Canale della Manica e, nelle giornate limpide, sulla vicina costa francese. Questo è il luogo ideale in cui scattare fotografie e sperimentare questo punto di riferimento iconico, oltre ad apprezzare la vicinanza e l'immediatezza della minaccia di invasione da parte delle forze naziste nel 1940. Questa posizione discreta, inaccessibile a grandi gruppi di turisti, consente inoltre agli ospiti di ammira tre postazioni di artiglieria originali e postazioni di mitragliatrici costruite nel 1940 come parte delle difese costiere della Gran Bretagna.
Verrai guidato per 15 minuti a Capel-le-Ferne per vedere l'iconico Memoriale della Battaglia d'Inghilterra in cima alla scogliera con la sua vista ininterrotta sul Canale della Manica. Qui potrai vedere il Memorial Wall che registra i nomi di tutti gli equipaggi noti per aver effettuato almeno una sortita con uno squadrone o un'unità accreditata della Royal Air Force durante la Battaglia d'Inghilterra, compresi quelli che sopravvissero alla guerra. I nomi sono elencati in ordine alfabetico, senza grado o decorazione, evidenziando il fatto che ognuno dei Pochi contribuì alla vittoria della RAF. Vedrai anche il punto focale del sito, la suggestiva statua di un pilota da caccia affacciato sul Canale della Manica, che indossa una giacca Irvin per mascherare il suo grado, la sua nazionalità e se fosse un asso o un pilota perso alla sua prima sortita. Sono esposte le repliche di uno Spitfire, di un Hurricane e di uno Stuka. È disponibile anche un impressionante negozio di libri e souvenir. Una caffetteria offre rinfreschi e viste spettacolari sul mare.
Sarete guidati per 15 minuti da Capel-le-Ferne al museo Battle of Britain di Hawkinge (o Manston se in visita tra novembre e febbraio) che occupa il sito dell'ex aerodromo Fighter Command. Molti degli edifici originali rimangono e sono accessibili al pubblico tra cui l'Ufficio di Guardia originale, Il museo contiene la più grande collezione privata di manufatti della Battaglia di Gran Bretagna nel mondo, molti dei quali sono stati scoperti dagli archeologi dell'aviazione negli anni '70 e '80. I visitatori possono vedere i resti di innumerevoli Spitfire e Hurricane, così come gli artefatti personali dei piloti stessi, che hanno volato nella Battaglia di Britannia e sono stati abbattuti o precipitati nel Kent. La tua Guida Esperta spiegherà l'esperienza dei piloti da caccia in azione - in attesa di essere strapazzati, in combattimento, le abilità necessarie per sopravvivere, come hanno cercato di far fronte e andare avanti - e racconterà le storie di un certo numero di piloti i cui effetti possono essere visualizzati all'interno del museo.
Dopo aver lasciato il museo di Hawkinge, verrai guidato attraverso alcune aree di campagna eccezionale fino al pittoresco villaggio di Denton. Avrai l'opportunità di vedere il pub The Jackdaw, apparso nel classico film del 1968, "La battaglia d'Inghilterra". Questo pub ha fornito il luogo all'attore, Christopher Plummer, che interpretava il capo dello squadrone Harvey, per recarsi a The Jackdaw per incontrare sua moglie interpretata da Susannah York. Gli ospiti potranno fermarsi per 15 minuti per scattare fotografie.
Dopo aver lasciato Denton, gli ospiti verranno guidati attraverso le pittoresche stradine di campagna e i villaggi di Barham e Bridge (il tempo di percorrenza non supera i 30 minuti) prima di arrivare alla bellissima e storica città di Canterbury. Avrai l'opportunità di visitare il sito Patrimonio dell'Umanità dell'UNESCO, come la Cattedrale di Canterbury (ingresso £ 17 non incluso) che documenta oltre 1400 anni di storia britannica, incluso il modo in cui il cristianesimo fu portato nel paese da Sant'Agostino nel 597 d.C. È inoltre possibile vedere la vicina chiesa di St Martin, la più antica d'Inghilterra (587 d.C.); godersi una passeggiata o fare un giro in barca lungo il fiume Stour; oltre a visitare luoghi affascinanti e caratteristici in cui mangiare e bere, incluso un pub medievale in legno menzionato nei "Racconti di Canterbury" di Chaucer. Qui puoi anche assaggiare una vasta gamma di birre e altre bevande del più antico birrificio della Gran Bretagna, fondato nel 1698.
Punti salienti
Cosa è incluso
Luoghi e orari di ritiro
Verrai accolto in qualsiasi stazione ferroviaria o hotel a Folkestone, Ashford, Canterbury o Dover o nei suoi dintorni entro 20 miglia dal porto di Dover, Kent (si prega di comunicare il luogo di ritiro o riconsegna preferito al momento della prenotazione).
Valutazioni dei viaggiatori
Informazioni importanti
- I neonati e i bambini piccoli possono essere portati in carrozzina o passeggino
- Sono disponibili trasporti pubblici nelle vicinanze
- Adatto a tutti i livelli di forma fisica
- Il sito di Dover Western Heights ha un terreno irregolare, in alcuni punti è ricoperto di vegetazione e presenta strutture in cemento in tempo di guerra. È necessario prestare attenzione quando si cammina nel sito.
Recensioni(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!
