Church History and Great Britain with the Interpreter Foundation

Depart for London, England. Overnight on the trans-Atlantic flight.

Arrive at the London airport and make your own way to our hotel. (B - served on flight)

We leave our London hotel and head to Canterbury where we visit St. Martin's Church. This church has the "longest continuous history as a parish church in the English-speaking world." We explore its graveyard and then we head to St. Augustine's Abbey. Here we learn about Christianity gaining its strongest foothold in England. Our explorations take us to Canterbury Cathedral where Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was martyred. We have some free time to show or wander the streets. Overnight in Cambridge. (B,D)

Cambridge is known for its role as the "cradle of the Reformation." We visit Cambridge University, (home to the Cambridge University Press, where the LDS version of the scriptures was printed), "Little Germany," and St. Edward's Church. We go punting (boating), on the River Cam and see Cambridge from a unique vantage point. We go punting along the Cam Backs and see the area from the River Cam. Tonight we attend Evensong or Holy Eurcharist in the beautiful Kings College Chapel. Overnight in Cambridge. (B,D)

We start the day in the footsteps of the Mayflower pilgrims. We visit the port of Boston and prison cells where many of the Mayflower Pilgrims, seeking religious freedom, were held before finally allowed to depart to Holland. We visit one of England's best preserved and impressive castles, Lincoln Castle, and see one of the original copies of the Magna Carta. Overnight in York. (B,D)

Today we enjoy three majestic church buildings. We stroll through medieval streets to worship in York Minster and experience a Church of England service. We visit Fountains Abbey, a ruin, a pile of stones...but, oh what a sublime ruin, what a pile of stones. This is the largest and best preserved monastic ruin. Our final church of the day is Whitby Abbey. Location, location, location. Perched on Whitby's cliffs the abbey surveys a charming port. Overnight in York. (B,D)

We wander the streets of the city of Preston to follow in the footsteps of the first LDS missionaries to Britain. We discover Joseph Smith's dentist, the cursed stone, the 1842 riot, the powerful Reverend Wilson, Heber C. Kimball's amazing prophecy and much more. We explore some of the delights of the Ribble Valley including the villages of Ribchester, Chatburn and Downham and relive some of the most touching encounters of their missionary labors. We visit the Preston Temple site and learn some of its history. Overnight in Preston. (B,D)

Our destination is Liverpool, the Gateway to the New World. Liverpool served as the arrival point for hundred of missionaries and the departure point for thousands of emigrants as they gathered to Zion. We journey from Liverpool to Wedgwood. In Wedgwood we tour the Wedgwood Factory (time permitting, we will drive to the potteries for a Middleport Factory Tour). Overnight in Stratford-upon-Avon. (B, D)

We head to Lutterworth to learn more about John Wycliffe, the Morning Star of the Reformation. We visit St. Mary's Church in Lutterworth, where he was Rector from 1374-1384, and likely created the first English translation of the Bible. From there we travel to Stratford-upon Avon, home of William Shakespeare; and if time permits, you will have the option to attend one of his plays. Overnight in Stratford-upon-Avon. (B,D)

We discover sites made famous by Wilford Woodruff and the United Brethren. We visit Benbow's farm in Castle Frome and learn of the faith and sacrifice of John and Jane Benbow and the lesser known Kington family. We ascend the Herfordshire Beacon, enjoy the charms of Ledbury and visit a small Norman church. We end with a visit to the restored Gadfield Elm Chapel, Britain's first LDS-owned meeting place. Overnight in Stratford-upon-Avon. (B,D)

This morning we visit Blenheim Palace. This home is the absolute pinnacle of an an English stately home - including an exhibition on Winston Churchill who was born here. In the afternoon we walk the splendid streets of Oxford and strip back centuries of history. We return to the beginnings of Oxford, to the time of the miraculous Frideswide, and then build layer upon layer of famous name after famous name including Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey, Lewis Caroll, C.S. Lewis, John Ruskin, Thomas More, Samuel Johnson and many more. We learn the history behind the iconic images of the Radcliffe Camera, the Divinity School, Bodleian Library, and the Ashmolean Museum and discover the influential John Wycliffe and his nemesis Richard Fleming, the tragic ending of the Oxford Martyrs, and the founding of Wesley’s Holy Club. Throw in some Hobbits and Orcs, Lions and Wardrobes, Green Eggs and Ham, Harry and Hogwarts, and tonnes of pilchard; mix in a plethora of Prime Ministers, a remarkable balloon flight, a penicillin breakthrough, a four minute mile, the King James Bible, Halley’s Comet, My Fair Lady and you have the beginnings of a splendid stroll through the city! A short drive takes us to "The Kilns," for a possible visit to the home of renowned Christian apologist, C. S. Lewis, and a visit to his burial spot in Holy Trinity Church. Overnight in London. (B)

We start in Southwark and follow in the footsteps of Wilford Woodruff, Heber C. Kimball and George A. Smith. We also uncover John Lathrop and the clink, Shakespeare and Globe, the Winchester geese, and how one of the Winchester Bishops still influences us today. We will lunch in Borough Market, a food lover's paradise, one of the city's oldest (over 1000 years) and largest food markets. (If time permits we may have the option of attending a matinee of a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theater.) A short walk then takes us to the majestic St. Paul's Cathedral where we have time to explore, and then attend a 5 p.m. Evensong. Overnight in London. (B)

We attend sacrament meeting at the Hyde Park Chapel. A short bus ride drops us off to meander past notorious Newgate Prison and creepy Smithfield Market where Heber Kimball, Wilford Woodruff, and George A. Smith preached with little success. We pass John and Charles Wesley's conversion spots, Postman's Park, and historic St. Giles (connected to the influential theologian John Foxe). We visit Bunhill Fields, the famous nonconformist burial ground and walk to John Wesley's home and tabernacle, the historical home for Methodism in the UK. After passing the location of George Whitefield's Tabernacle and Tabernacle Square we end our walk at Ironmonger Row where the first LDS convert in London lived. Overnight in London (B)

A short coach tour with commentary takes us past Buckingham Palace, the Royal Mews, Westminster Cathedral and drops us near the Houses of Parliament for a tour of Westminster Abbey, the revered home to all British coronations and burial site and commemoration site for many iconic British figures. ONLY if the Parliamentary schedule permits we may tour the Houses of Parliament. Our coach then deposits us at Trafalgar Square with access to the entertainment district allowing time for a final meal, or theater show, or return ride to our hotel. Overnight in London. (B)

Ride with the group to the Heathrow airport. Board your flight in London and arrive at home. (B)