London Excursions

One of the benefits of studying abroad is the ability to venture outside your host city and explore the surrounding area. Excursions are offered for all semester, year, and summer programs. Semester students are typically offered two to three excursions and summer students are typically offered one to two excursions. You will receive a calendar of the specific CEA excursions offered for your program during orientation. To give you an idea of the possibilities, we have collected typical experiences from some of the day trips and weekend tours offered to our students in the past.

Bath

Although famous for being the only place in England with hot springs and the 2,000 year old Roman baths for which the city is named, Bath has emerged as a hot spot for music, art, and culture in England. Students will tour this World Heritage city in their own private coach to see the other sights of Bath, including the Royal Crescent, Bath Abbey, and Pulteney Bridge.

Brighton

Known as “London by the Sea,” Brighton is as cosmopolitan as its larger counterpart with the advantage of an idyllic setting on the English Channel just at the edge of the South Downs. A typical English seaside resort with its historic waterfront, Brighton is also home to a diverse array of quirky shops, pubs and bars as well as excellent high street shopping. Brighton offers its visitors everything from a quaint and quiet afternoon in a rented beach chair to an array of stunning Regency architecture to an exciting evening out in a trendy club or bar. The excursion begins with a walking tour of the historic town center taking in 'The Lanes', a series of cobbled streets lined with shops, followed by a walk along the seafront, taking in the Palace Pier, one of the last seaside piers to be constructed in England. The Palace Pier was constructed during the Victorian era primarily as a center for amusement and entertainment; it is now a monument to the contemporary pleasures of roller coasters, arcades and souvenir shops. After lunch, students visit The Royal Pavilion, once used as a royal holiday home in the late-eighteenth century. The first transformation to the building took place in the early nineteenth century when a dining room, conservatory and Indian-style stable block were added. The Prince Regent, George IV, commissioned the architect John Nash to create a building even more fitting for a king. The result is the opulent, overdone oriental splendor inside and out that marks the Pavilion today.

Oxford

Oxford is famous the world over for its University. Home to some thirty-nine colleges, this is truly the home of academia. Although Oxford has been an established town since the 9th century, it has been the residence of both royalty and scholars for over 800 years, and people are known to have lived in the area for thousands of years. Today, the city is a bustling cosmopolitan town. The excursion to Oxford begins with a walking tour during which students will take in the delights of Carfax Tower, The Bodelian Library and the Ashmolean Museum. The tour will also include a visit to Christ Church, one of Oxford's largest colleges, originally founded by Cardinal Wolsey in 1524. When Wolsey fell from power in 1529 the College became property of King Henry VIII and he re-founded the College in 1546. In recent times the college has become more famous for its students: Lewis Caroll author of the Alice in Wonderland books found inspiration while at Christ Church, some thirteen Prime Ministers have been studies here and Albert Einstein studied briefly at Christ Church. It also gained additional fame through being featured in several scenes of the popular Harry Potter films. After this tour, there will be time to participate in a traditional Oxford past-time-- punting on the river. Similar to a Venetian gondolier, the art of punting will test one’s skills of strength and navigation.

Stonehenge

Prehistoric men had hauled these five-ton stones into place sometime before 1,500 BC, completing a three-phase building period which had begun over 5,000 years ago. During the return trip to London, students will stop at Salisbury Cathedral to marvel at its 123 meter spire and catch a glimpse of the best preserved copy of the Magna Carta.

Warwick Castle and Stratford

Jousting and archery competitions in the gardens of the medieval castle will thrill students, while the literary history of Stratford-upon-Avon will intrigue them as they visit William Shakespeare's childhood home and the church where he is buried. The day will conclude with a play at the Swan Theatre.

Windsor and Eton

The excursion begins with a walk to Windsor Castle, which is located in the middle of the town. Windsor, a compact and easy walking town of about 30,000 people, originally grew up around the royal residence. In 1070, William the Conqueror continued his habit of sacking Saxon settlements, taking over what the locals called “Windlesora,” meaning “river bank with a hoisting crane”. William built the first fortified castle on a chalk hill above the Thames; later kings added on to William’s early designs, rebuilding and expanding the castle and surrounding gardens. The official home of England’s royal family for 900 years, Windsor claims to be the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world. While touring the castle students will see immense grounds, lavish staterooms, a crowd-pleasing dollhouse, an art gallery, and the chapel. The state apartments range from the intimate chambers of Charles II to the enormous Waterloo Chamber, built to commemorate the victory over Napoleon in 1815. All are exquisitely furnished with important works of art from the Royal Collection. After the tour of the castle, there will be time for lunch before heading across the bridge from the castle toward the college of Eton, a “public” (our “private”) school that has educated some eighteen former British prime ministers and members of the royal family. Eton was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI to provide free education for poor scholars who would go on to study at King’s College, Cambridge.

Canterbury and Leeds Castle

This excursion takes in both Canterbury and Leeds Castle, which is located about 40 minutes away. Leeds Castle is billed as “The loveliest castle in the world,” and it is lovely indeed. Its extensive grounds are home to babbling brooks, well-tended gardens, an aviary, a vineyard mentioned in the Doomsday Book, and a grotto hidden at the end of a maze. Leeds Castle traces its origins to the days of William the Conqueror and became a royal home when Edward I, the founder of the British Parliament, acquired the estate around 1290. The castle remained in the hands of the monarchy for the next three centuries. Leeds Castle’s connection with America goes back to 1663, when Thomas, the second Lord Culpeper, purchased the castle; Lord Culpeper’s father had been granted more than 5 million acres in Virginia, and Culpeper later became governor of the colony. The tour continues to Canterbury, a city steeped in history-- occupation of the area can be traced back to many centuries before Christ. It is home to the famous Cathedral, the murder of Thomas A. Becket and to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Upon arriving at the city, a guided visit to the Cathedral is scheduled. Perhaps one of the main reasons why Canterbury is such a popular place for pilgrims to visit is the skeleton of St Thomas Becket. No fewer than 703 miracles were witnessed and reported within ten years of the establishment of Becket’s shrine and each pilgrim hoped that by visiting the shrine their prayers would be answered.