TRIP PRICE: $5795.00 (double occupancy)

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Beautiful, centrally located accommodations with double occupancy; $1195.00 Single supplement fee (LIMITED AVAILABILITY)

• Most meals (8 Breakfast, 4 Dinners)

• Sudden Journeys Tour Director

• A small, friendly group of 12-14 people

• All ground transportation (pickup London Hotel/dropoff Exeter Rail)

• All sightseeing, events, and visits as noted in the itinerary

• All entrance fees, service charges, and standard taxes

• Coach Driver, local guides, and Restaurant gratuities

• Special dinner and welcome drinks

• Custom-designed gifts for your travels

• Fine print: You are responsible for the cost of your drinks and free-time sightseeing. See our Tour Conditions for important details regarding everything listed above.

Arrival/Depart Airport: London LHR

Note: The itinerary is descriptive, not definitive, and is subject to change. There also may be modifications due to weather, restoration works taking place are historic sites, and availability of local activities and guides.

TUESDAY NIGHT LONDON INDELIBLE GRACE HYMN SING

On the evening of Tuesday, June 2nd, you’re invited to join a special hymn sing in London.

Rev. Kevin Twit lectures widely on hymnology, faith and arts, and teaches courses at Covenant Theological Seminary and Reformed Theological Seminary, a multi-campus institution. He has taught hymnology as an adjunct professor at Belmont University since 2011. A member of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, he has served as a sectional presenter and hymn festival leader at the Society’s annual conferences. Kevin founded Indelible Grace Music in 2000 with some of his students from Belmont RUF and they have produced ten records of hymns set to new music, as well as a documentary film, “Roots And Wings: They Story Of Indelible Grace And The RUF Hymns"

He is an avid rare book collector, focusing on hymnology and Presbyterian history, and collects jazz vinyl records. He currently lives in Nashville with his wife, Wendy and they have three children, Cooper, Isaac, and Mei. 

Wendy Twin continues to serve along side Kevin with Belmont RUF and works with distressed couples as an Associate MFT part time.

Cooper Twit lives in Chattanooga, TN with his wife Ella. He is in several local bands and tours with Kevin co-leading the Indelible Grace Hymns and Stories shows. 

Kyle, a Nashville native, is also a seasoned travel guide with over two decades of industry experience, has dedicated her life to creating enriching and inspiring travel experiences for diverse groups. With a repertoire of leading thousands of travelers (yes thousands!), she possesses an intimate understanding of the transformative power of travel. Her journeys span across the picturesque locales of Europe and the US, underlining her vast travel experience and knowledge. Yet, with every tour, Kyle's heart for her guests remains the same: to ensure every individual returns home with a revitalized spirit, a broadened worldview, and cherished memories of newfound friendships.

“Let Us Love And Sing And Wonder” - John Newton

DAY ONE | Monday, June 1 | Arrival in London
Our journey begins in London, where sacred history and song intertwine. After checking in at the hotel, gather for a time of introductions. Later take a brief walking tour of East London. Later, we’ll gather for a welcome dinner, our first chance to share stories, raise a glass, and begin the fellowship that will shape the days ahead.

Highlights

• Afternoon walking tour of East London

• Visit Dennis Sever’s House

• Welcome dinner

Light walking: 2-4 miles throughout the afternooN. Sleep in LONDON.

“When I Survey The Wondrous Cross” - Isaac Watts

DAY TWO | TUESDAY, JUNE 2ND| LONDON

We begin where English hymnody took root. Explore Bunhill Fields, where Isaac Watts, John Bunyan, and other rest; step inside St Mary Woolnoth, once John Newton’s pulpit. Watts wrote poems, religious works, and psalms as well as hymns such as "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" and "O God, Our Help In Ages Past". Next, visit the Wesley House and Methodist Museum. The Museum of Methodism tells the history of Methodism from John and Charles Wesley to the present day and its contribution to shaping Britain’s political and social history. John Wesley’s House stands next to the Chapel. It was his home for over a decade and is one of the finest surviving small Georgian townhouses in London. Next, visit St Mary Church Woolnoth.  In 1780 Newton became Rector of St Mary Woolnoth a position he would hold for 27 years until 1807. It was during this period that his own story of personal redemption, God’s grace, and the beginnings of the abolitionist movement were drawn together.  Afternoon free to join Kevin for bookshop exploration or afternoon on your own. Dinner and evening on your own. This evening, voices unite in our first hymn sing, lifting the songs that have shaped centuries of faith.

Highlights

• Bunhill Fields Cemetery (Watts, Bunyan, Defoe and more)

• St. Mary Woolnoth (John Newton’s church)

• Museum of Methodism (tour led by Kevin Twit)

• Bookshopping with Kevin

• Free Time: late afternoon and dinner on your own.

• Evening Hymn Sing at London City Presbyterian Church

Light walking: 3 -5 miles throughout the day, light hills and stairs. Sleep in LONDON.

“Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul” - Anne Steele

DAY THREE | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3RD | LONDON TO OLNEY TO OXFORD

Depart London by private coach and journey to Olney, the market town where John Newton served as curate and collaborated with poet William Cowper. Visit the Cowper & Newton Museum, housed in their former home, where "Amazing Grace" and the Olney Hymns were born. Explore the rooms where these two friends wrestled with faith, doubt, and hope, producing some of the most beloved hymns in history. After free time in Olney, continue to Oxford and check into The Randolph Hotel. Gather for dinner together at the historic Turf Tavern, tucked away down a narrow alley in the heart of Oxford.

Highlights

• Private coach to Olney

• Cowper & Newton Museum

• Free time in Olney

• Transfer to Oxford

• Dinner at Turf Tavern

Moderate walking: 4-6 miles throughout the day, moderate hills and stairs. 2 hrs coach. Sleep in OXFORD.

“Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul” - Anne Steele

DAY FOUR | THURSDAY, JUNE 4TH | OXFORD

Oxford morning unfolds with a two-hour walking tour exploring the literary and spiritual landscape of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Oxford Movement. We'll also remember Anne Steele, the 18th-century Baptist hymn writer whose quiet faithfulness produced enduring songs of trust. The afternoon is yours for personal exploration; wander college quads, browse legendary bookshops, or sit in the chapels where these writers worshiped. Dinner on your own.

Highlights

• Morning walking tour: C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Oxford Movement, Anne Steele

• Free afternoon for exploration and book shopping

• Dinner on your own

Moderate walking: 2-4 miles throughout the day and stairs. nO BUS. Sleep in OXFRD.

“Arise My Soul Arise” -Charles Wesley

DAY FIVE | FRIDAY, JUNE 5TH | COTSWOLDS, BATH & BRISTOL Depart Oxford and travel to Bath. Along the way, travel through the southern tip of The Cotswolds. Make a stop in one or two villages along the way. Arrive in Bristol a city vital to the growth to Methodism and early Baptist hymn writers. Charles Wesley is widely regarded as the world’s greatest hymn writer. He worked in Bristol from 1739 to 1787 and had his family home in Charles Street from 1749 to 1771. At first, he lived at No 19 (a house that no longer exists) but then, in 1766, he moved to No 4, and, even after he had to move his family to London, he used this house on his visits to Bristol until at least 1782. Built in 1742, No 4 was possibly built by George Tully, the man responsible for rebuilding the New Room. Visitors today have the opportunity to see six rooms beautifully restored to how they might have been in Charles’ time: the parlor, the music room, the study, the kitchen, and two bedrooms. Within these rooms is told the story of Charles, his wife Sally, and their gifted children, one of whom was known as ‘the English Mozart’. Two rooms act as an extension to the museum at the New Room: the hymnody room explores the history of hymn-writing and in the basement cellar there are two short films to watch on Charles and his hymn-writing. Continue to the Georgian city of Bath. After checking into the hotel, enjoy downtime before gathering for dinner together.

• Visit The Cotswolds in the morning stopping in a village or two along the way

• The New Room (Methodist Chapel)

• Charles Wesley’s House tour

• Free Time: Lunch in Bristol

• Dinner together in Bath

  Moderate walking: 3-5 miles throughout the day. 1 1/2 hours BUS. Sleep in Bath.

"Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow" - Thomas Ken

DAY SIX | SATURDAY, JUNE 6TH | BATH

Bath reveals the hidden networks that spread hymns across Britain. On a morning walking tour, discover Thomas Ken (author of the Doxology), Martin Madan (William Cowper's cousin who used hymns to minister to those with mental health challenges), Thomas Haweis (who helped found the London Missionary Society and wrote "Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground"), and the Countess of Huntingdon, whose patronage helped bankroll the Great Awakening by building chapels for preachers like George Whitefield. Visit the Museum of Bath Architecture (once the Countess's home) and Bath Cathedral to see memorials to Haweis and Madan. The afternoon is free for visiting the Roman Baths, museums, or shopping. Dinner on your own.

Highlights

• Guided walking tour: Thomas Ken, Martin Madan, Thomas Haweis, Countess of Huntingdon

• Museum of Bath Architecture

• Free afternoon (baths, museums, shopping)

• Dinner on your own

• Morning walking tour of Bath

• Free time: Bath in the afternoon

Moderate walking: 4-6 miles throughout the day. Sleep in Bath.

“Rock of Ages” - Augustus Toplady

DAY SEVEN | SUNDAY, JUNE 7TH | SOMERSET, WELLS & DEVON Depart Bath and begin your drive south through Somerset. Make a stop in Mendip Hills near Cheddar Gorge. This area was the inspiration for the hymn Rock Of Ages by Augustus Toplady when he sought shelter in the cleft of a rock during a fierce storm. Continue to the stunning cathedral city of Wells for lunch. In the afternoon continue your drive to Devon. Make a stop at St Andrew’s Church  (Augustus Toplady’s church) in Broadhembury, a charming village of thatched cottages. By early evening, arrive at the coastal town of Brixham, where Henry Lyte lived and pastored. Check into your hotel and dinner on your own.

• Visit Cheddar Gorge (site tied to "Rock of Ages")

• Wells Cathedral

• Lunch in Wells

• Broadhembury (Augustus Toplady's church)

• Group dinner in Brixham

Moderate walking: 4-6 miles throughout the day. 3 1/2 HOUR Bus. Sleep in BRixham.

"Abide With Me" - Henry Francis Lyte

DAY EIGHT | MONDAY, JUNE 8TH | BRIXHAM

Visit All Saints Church, perched above the harbor, where Henry Francis Lyte served as vicar and wrote "Abide With Me" in his final weeks before departing for Italy in hopes of restoring his failing health. Stand where he stood, looking out over the same Devon coast, and reflect on his prayer for God's presence in life's fading light. The afternoon is yours: take a coastal walk, enjoy Devonshire cream tea, or simply rest by the sea. Gather for an unplugged hymn sing at All Saints Church and then share a final farewell feast together.

Highlights

• All Saints Church (Henry Lyte's church)

• Free time for coastal walk or Devon cream tea

• Unplugged Hymn Sing

• Final Dinner together

Moderate walking: 2-4 miles throughout the day. No bus. Sleep in Brixham.

DAY NINE | TUESDAY, JUNE 9TH | RETURN TO LONDON

Transfer to Exeter St. David's Station for the morning train to London, arriving by midday. Depart for home or continue with an optional extended stay in England.

Highlights

• Train to London

• Flights home or optional extended stay