Another Dream, Another Plan

I have been dreaming of taking a girls-only trip to England with my dear friend Jodie.  We've got to get our girls through school first and do a lot of talking about where we want to go and what we want to see.  Will we drive or take the train from place to place, or will we take a tour?  So many things to think about so it's just as well that we have lots of time to plan.

I was thinking about my post last week, Love to Read, and that brought to mind my favorite British authors and poet.  Where will we find their birthplaces, haunts, famous locations, final resting places?  And where are the nearest tearooms?  It's a good place to start to plan a tour.

Jane Austen

Our trip would not be complete without a few stops to honor Jane Austen.  The Jane Austen Society of North America has a tour in the works so I popped over to their itinerary and picked two spots - Bath (of course!) and Steventon, Jane Austen's birthplace.  I noticed that the 2014 tour also includes time in London, to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Library so, of course, London will be part of our itinerary.  Not sure if we'll start there or finish up there.  A West End performance will also be in the visit.

Beatrix Potter, Charlotte Mason, William Wordsworth

I've always wanted to visit Hill Top in Cumbria, as well as any Charlotte Mason and William Wordsworth sites we can manage and a few other stops in the Lake District.  That's going to take a couple of days.

William Shakespeare

Stratford-upon-Avon, of course, for a performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (must add The Globe to London as well) and a stroll through the town.  And since Stratford is the gateway to the Cotswolds, we'll pop over to take in some of the charming villages.

The Brontës

 A visit to Haworth would mean that we'd have to make time for a stop at Betty's in Harrogate.

Did I forget anyone?  What's on your short list for a literary tour of England?