Bridge, Shakespeare and Heritage Railway

10 July 2022

6 days from £695pp

Join us on this unique bridge and heritage rail holiday where we’ll stay at the characteristic Charlecote Pheasant Hotel in a rural hamlet surrounded by beautiful countryside and delightful walks. Visit Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and Shakespeare’s Birthplace plus take a trip on a heritage steam train from Broadway.

Visit Anne Hathaway’s pretty cottage where you can explore the history of the house and the gardens.
Walk in Shakespeare’s footsteps and explore the house where he was born.
Enjoy a roundtrip on the heritage Gloucester & Warwickshire Railway.
Varied bridge sessions with Masterpoints and prizes awarded

Bridge, Shakespeare, and the Heritage Railway

Join us on this unique bridge and heritage rail holiday where we’ll stay at the characteristic Charlecote Pheasant Hotel in a rural hamlet just four miles from Stratford Upon Avon. Directly opposite your hotel is the National Trust Charlecote Manor and Park where deer roam besides the River Avon, and you are surrounded by beautiful countryside and delightful walks. We include a guided excursion to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and Shakespeare’s Birthplace plus, a trip on a heritage steam train from Broadway.

Our Bridge programmes will vary according to the length of your break, and, in addition to playing Bridge, we try to include interesting Bridge seminars, hosted by your Bridge Director.

Your duplicate Bridge will be available every evening between 7.45pm and 11.15pm and we endeavour to vary these evening sessions, balancing between teams and pairs, with at least one Swiss style event during a two-week Bridge break.

Bridge will also be offered some afternoons between 2.30pm and 4.45pm. These sessions are normally given over to open pairs/teams.

During your Bridge holiday nothing is obligatory, and you can play in as many, or as few, Bridge sessions as you wish. We don’t forget you are on holiday and our Bridge programmes also allow time to relax and the opportunity for you to explore the surrounding area.

Day 1: Arrival & Evening Bridge
Make your own way to the Charlecote Pheasant Hotel and meet our bridge director and host before dining and evening bridge. There will also be a short afternoon session for those who arrive early and wish to play.
Day 2: Seminar & Evening Bridge
A day to relax in the hotel, explore Stratford-Upon-Avon or enjoy a full day of bridge with our director. There will be a morning seminar followed by afternoon bridge, dinner and evening bridge.
Day 3:  A Day of Shakespeare & Evening Bridge
This morning we will be joined by a local guide who will accompany us to visit two key properties in Shakespeare’s history. We’ll travel to Anne Hathaway’s pretty cottage where you can explore the history of the house and the gardens. Then we will go on to Shakespeare’s birthplace, a small cottage tucked away amongst the high street in Stratford. Here you can walk in Shakespeare’s footsteps and explore the house where he was born. He spent the first five years of his marriage to Anne Hathaway living in this house, surrounded by his parents and siblings.

We will have free time for lunch and sightseeing before we return to our hotel for dinner and evening bridge.
Day 4:  A Journey on the Gloucester & Warwickshire Railway & Evening Bridge
Today we enjoy a roundtrip on the Gloucester & Warwickshire Railway, a heritage railway operated by volunteers which runs along the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire border. It uses part of the route of the former Great Western Railway’s main line from Birmingham to Cheltenham and now operates steam and heritage diesel trains between Cheltenham Racecourse and Broadway, through some of the most spectacular scenery in the Cotswolds. We board our steam train at Broadway and travel along part of the route to Cheltenham. We return and alight back at Broadway where you’ll have some free time to explore this quaint picture postcard village. We return to our hotel for dinner and evening bridge.
Day 5:  A Full Day of Bridge
Another day of bridge - morning seminar and afternoon bridge followed by dinner and evening bridge.
Day 6: Departure
After breakfast you are free to check out of the hotel.

Five nights’ half board accommodation
Welcome drink on arrival
Varied bridge sessions with Masterpoints and prizes awarded
Services of our EBU qualified bridge director and friendly host

Included Excursions:

Steam train journey on the Gloucester & Warwickshire Railway
Explore Broadway with free time
Enjoy a tour of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and Shakespeare’s Birthplace

Chris and Linda Benneworth

Linda and Chris have been married since 1971, having met while they were teaching at the same high school.

Following successful careers in education they retired in the late nineties, when they started directing together, working at first in local and more recently in overseas congresses. They ran the North Eastern Bridge Association Congress for a number of years in Otterburn, Consett and Gateshead, an event with a deserved reputation for friendliness. Since 2019, they have worked as hosts and director at EBU overseas congresses in Athens, Sicily and Rome. They even play together occasionally to ensure there are full tables. Chris is an EBU national director who also teaches others the art of directing and Linda is a qualified County director.

They both believe that bridge is a great game which is meant to be enjoyed; a holiday is the perfect way of doing that.

Overview

This charming 3 star AA rated hotel is beautifully located in the heart of Shakespeare Country, in a small rural hamlet just 4 miles from Stratford Upon Avon. This former farmhouse is brimming with character and offers homely and comfortable bedrooms, a charming restaurant and relaxing bar and spacious bridge room. Take a stroll through the surrounding countryside to Charlecote Mill, where you can buy your own flour, and see the roaming deer along the banks of the River Avon in Charlecote Park. Please note: There is no lift at this hotel and rooms are situated on either the ground or first floor.

Room Facilities & Amenities

All 69 bedrooms are equipped with the following facilities: • complimentary WiFi access, • flatscreen TV • hair dryer • iron and board • tea and coffee making facilities • full bathroom with toiletries

Room Types

Choose our standard room type for an enjoyable stay in comfortable surroundings, or upgrade to add a little extra luxury to your holiday.

Standard rooms

Comfortable standard rooms are available as a twin or double to share, or for sole use. Rooms are available with some walk-in shower.

Executive rooms

Executive rooms are situated in the Garden Block and have their own parking area. These offer upgraded furnishings, coffee machines and are more spacious