The Great Tours: England, Scotland, and Wales

Course Overview

Course No. 8006

Get an insider’s guide to Britain’s must-see sites and hidden gems with British-born Professor Patrick Allitt.

This 36-lecture virtual tour features:

• Iconic landmarks from Stonehenge to Buckingham Palace
• Off-the-beaten-path discoveries across all three nations
• Cultural deep dives into literature, art, and history
• Practical travel tips for planning your ideal itinerary
• Stunning visuals of cities and countryside alike

Video Lectures

01: Welcome to Britain (30 min)

Preview Britain’s diverse attractions from ancient ruins to modern art scenes.

02: Prehistoric Britain (30 min)

Explore Stonehenge alternatives like Avebury and Maiden Castle.

03: Roman Britain (29 min)

Trace Roman influence from Bath’s spas to Hadrian’s Wall.

04: Anglo-Saxon and Viking Britain (31 min)

Visit Offa’s Dyke and Lindisfarne’s monastic ruins.

05: Britain’s Medieval Castles (29 min)

Compare Tower of London, Caerphilly, and Dover Castle designs.

06: Britain’s Medieval Cathedrals (31 min)

Marvel at Durham’s Romanesque and Canterbury’s Gothic splendor.

07: Tudor Britain (30 min)

See Hampton Court Palace and Hardwick Hall’s architectural drama.

08: Magna Carta and Civil War (29 min)

Walk where Charles I was executed at Banqueting House.

09: Enlightenment Britain (30 min)

Admire Wren’s St. Paul’s Cathedral and Kedleston’s estates.

10: Industrial Britain (29 min)

Tour Quarry Bank Mill and ride historic canals/railways.

11: Victorian Britain (31 min)

See Gothic Revival gems like Manchester Town Hall.

12: Twentieth-Century Britain (30 min)

Contrast Arts & Crafts homes with Brutalist concrete.

13: Edinburgh and Glasgow (30 min)

Discover Scotland’s dual cities and their famous thinkers.

14: Wild Scotland (29 min)

Venture through Glencoe, Spey Valley, and remote islands.

15: North Wales (30 min)

Explore Conwy and Harlech’s UNESCO castle rings.

16: Cardiff and South Wales (29 min)

Admire Cardiff Castle’s fantasy rooms and Dylan Thomas’ Swansea.

17: The North of England (30 min)

Experience Wuthering Heights country and York’s Railway Museum.

18: The English Midlands (30 min)

Find Wedgwood pottery and Robin Hood’s Sherwood Forest.

19: East Anglia (29 min)

Tour Blickling Hall and Norwich’s quaint charm.

20: England’s West Country (30 min)

Discover St. Michael’s Mount and Tintagel’s Arthurian lore.

21: The Museums of London (29 min)

Compare British Museum treasures to Tate Modern’s avant-garde.

22: London’s Streets and Parks (30 min)

Master tube navigation and urban oases like Hyde Park.

23: Buckingham Palace and Parliament (30 min)

Understand Britain’s constitutional monarchy through its landmarks.

24: Oxford and Cambridge (28 min)

Stroll rival universities’ chapels, libraries, and gardens.

25: Literary Britain: Chaucer and Shakespeare (28 min)

Follow Canterbury Tales’ route and Shakespeare’s Globe.

26: Literary Britain: The Romantics (29 min)

Trace Wordsworth in the Lake District and Austen’s villages.

27: Literary Britain: Poets and Novelists (29 min)

Visit Brontë country and Dickensian London locales.

28: Literary Britain: The 20th Century (29 min)

Explore Sherlock’s Baker Street and Woolf’s Bloomsbury.

29: Artistic Britain (28 min)

Study Turner’s seascapes to Hepworth’s modern sculptures.

30: Britain’s Estates and Gardens (30 min)

Wander Kew Gardens and Oxford’s Botanic paradise.

31: Legacy of the British Empire (31 min)

See how global influences shaped modern British diversity.

32: Seafaring Britain (31 min)

Tour Portsmouth’s historic dockyard and coastal lighthouses.

33: Britain’s War Memorials (29 min)

Reflect at Trafalgar Square and the Unknown Warrior’s tomb.

34: Hiking Britain (29 min)

Trek the Pennine Way and Southwest Coast Path.

35: Britain’s Sporting Tradition (31 min)

Experience soccer, Wimbledon, and golf’s British roots.

36: How to Think about Visiting Britain (40 min)

Craft your perfect trip with practical planning insights.