Wesleyan Heritage Tour – The following itinerary overview visits many sites of Wesleyan Methodist importance and other popular and historic sites.
Selected dates and custom itineraries available.
Itinerary overview:
Arriving in London, visit popular attractions such as Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and Buckingham Palace.
If in London on Sunday, you may attend services at the Wesley Chapel in the morning, then visit the Wesley House where you will see
mementos of the brothers, the statue of John Wesley, and his grave in Bunhill Fields. Enjoy a restful afternoon at our hotel or a Sunday stroll at your leisure. The day can end attending Evensong at Westminster Abbey.
Leaving London this morning, the first stop is Oxford where the Wesley brothers studied. You will tour the university buildings and your guide will speak on the origins of Methodism. Continue to your hotel in the town of Bath, a place known for its hot springs, Roman period baths, medieval heritage, and stately Georgian architecture.
Visit Stonehenge, the ancient stone circle, then proceed to Bristol, where you will see the oldest Methodist Church in England, as well as John Wesley’s rooms which served as his base while he lived in the city. A special tour will give you an in-depth visit to this unique place. Return to the town of Bath for overnight.
Our next morning drive takes you to Birmingham where Francis Asbury was born. Visit the cottage which was his home before he heard John Wesley’s call for preachers to America. On receiving this call, Asbury set sail for the New World, and eventually became the first Bishop of the American Methodist church. We continue to Coventry, whose Cathedral was heavily bombed during World War II. A tour of the inspiring new Cathedral will help you to understand the Christian forgiveness and reconciliation involved in the rebuilding.
The first stop this morning will be at the William Booth Birthplace Museum, dedicated to the founder of the Salvation Army. Your tour will explain about Booth and his mission. Leaving Nottingham, you travel to York where this afternoon’s guided walk through the Old Town will visit the Minster and the Shambles Medieval Street. There will be free time for you to shop or visit one of the city’s excellent museums. You may also choose to return to York Minster for Evensong.
After breakfast, drive to Epworth, the village where John and Charles Wesley lived during their early years. The faith-inspiring story of their itinerant preaching will be told as you see their boyhood home. At Frodingham Vicarage see mementos of their early lives and we may to take a walking tour of the village, led by the current Methodist Minister (depending on dates and the minister’s obligations). Time for Lunch before you join your motorcoach for the drive to London Airport this afternoon.
After our overnight near the London Airport, you will take the hotel shuttle to the airport to begin your homeward journey with unforgettable memories and a greatly expanded knowledge of the roots of our Faith.