England Originals launches exciting new tours aimed at US millennials

Quirky historic stories, fun facts and amazingly Instagrammable locations; for the very first time 15 of England’s top ranked historic cities, along with the City of London, have come together as England Originals from England’s Historic Cities, launching five new, hassle-free, easy to book itineraries aimed at US millennials. And there’s an exciting twist, new augmented reality shines a light on the cities, with tales of scandal and intrigue uncovered by British historian Jonathan Foyle.

Available as pre-built packages or as build-your-own-itineraries, the tours are aimed at American visitors and are simple and straight forward to book through England Originals’ new website, visitlondon.com. Customers will experience England close-up as they hop on and off the train straight into the heart of the cities, during each of the five multi-destination trips.

Easy to complete in three-to-four-days, each of the tours has an inspiring theme; the Thinkers and Writers Tour visits Oxford Worcester and Stratford Upon Avon; the Time Travellers Tourvisits Greenwich, Canterbury and Cambridge; the Treasure Trove Tour visits Durham, York and Lincoln; the Wall to Wall Tour visits Chester, Lancaster and Carlisle; and the Western Wonders Tour visits Truro, Bath and Salisbury.

Working with Jonathan Foyle, England Originals has uncovered stories from each location and brought the characters and events to life through technology. Via the England’s Historic Cities app, consumers can traverse the cities prior to their arrival with new table-top tours that project a 3D model of the city onto the table in-front of them. When in-destination there are also a range of nifty virtual portals that reveal certain locations in a new light.

Here’s a glimpse of what to expect:

Thinkers and Writers Tour – Discover the origins of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll during a tour of Christ Church College at Oxford University. Visit the tomb of one of England’s most hated kings, Bad King John, at Worcester Cathedral. Explore William Shakespeare’s birthplace and childhood home in Stratford and uncover the witches’ marks carved into the beam at the top of the staircase.

Time Travellers Tour – Traverse the home of Greenwich Mean Time and take a selfie on the historic Prime Meridian Line at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Stop off at one of the most famous Christian structures in England, Canterbury Cathedral, and visit its shrine to murdered archbishop Thomas Becket. Explore Trinity College at Cambridge University where Isaac Newton recorded his work on gravity, inspired by a falling apple. A cutting of this apple tree was planted at the college and the tree still stands today.

Treasure Trove Tour – Delve into history at Durham Cathedral and grasp hold of the sanctuary knocker– in the Medieval period it ensured criminals right of sanctuary or protection in the cathedral. Discover groundbreaking York visitor experience the Jorvik Viking Centre and journey through the reconstructed Viking streets of the city. Then head to Lincoln and its magnificent Gothic style cathedral home of a little charmer who became the symbol of the whole county, the Lincoln imp.

Wall to Wall Tour – Explore Chester’s historic city walls – the oldest, longest and most complete in Britain – and visit the 700-year-old Rows, the original medieval shopping mall. Visit Lancaster’s mini St Paul’s the Ashton Memorial built by millionaire industrialist Lord Ashton, also known as the Linoleum King. Find a turbulent history of siege, battle and royal captives at Carlisle Castle and discover its licking stones.

Western Wonders Tour – Discover the roots of the famous Cornish pasty at Truro’s Royal Cornwall Museum. Step back in time at Bath’s Roman Baths and see the cursed tablets that feature an array of gruesome messages. Finally, climb daredevil spire at Salisbury Cathedral for panoramic views of the city and the surrounding countryside.

Those beginning or ending their visit in London are being encouraged to explore the City of London. The area is steeped in history, dating back to the Romans, and is home to many iconic sights including St Paul’s Cathedral and its intriguing Whispering Gallery.

Whether its train travel, hotels or attractions, England Originals has partnered with tour operator Golden Tours and developed a seamless customer booking experience available through its new website. In addition, the handy one-stop-shop, features an array of hints, tips and ideas, ensuring consumers make the most of their visit. It’s also possible to combine the tours, allowing consumers to visit numerous cities. (All products and packages are commissionable for the travel trade.)

Melanie Sensicle, chair, England’s Historic Cities commented; “We’re delighted to launch these five new itineraries, aimed specifically at US customers. England has an incredibly diverse history and these new tours are sure to capture the imagination of visitors. Our use of story-telling and augmented reality gives a fresh, new perspective on our history, which we’re excited to share.”

Jonathan Folye, historian said; “England is studded with ancient and beautiful cities of castles, cathedrals, and myriad sites of historic events. Their variety and character can now be explored online and on foot through cutting-edge technology- for a historian, broadcaster and writer, this step-change in communication is a really exciting moment.”

*England Originals from England’s Historic Cities is one of a number of projects to benefit from funding from the UK Government’s £40 million Discover England Fund. The Fund is administered by VisitEngland and involves a programme of activity to ensure that England stays competitive in the rapidly growing global tourism industry, by offering world-class English tourism products to the right customers at the right time. The Fund is a central government funded programme of activity, supported by match funding by partners in the public and private sectors.

All tours are bookable on the www.visitlondon.com/englandoriginals website.

Table Top Tours and virtual portals will be available on the England’s Historic Cities app from Monday 5^th November 2018.

For general information about England’s Historic Cities visit www.heritagecities.com.