This December, fans of ITV’s Victoria starring Jenna Coleman will get to walk in the footsteps of its stars
A luxury, all-inclusive, festive-themed break is being launched to one of Yorkshire’s most magnificent venues, Carlton Towers, that played Windsor Castle in the acclaimed TV series.
The short break to the 17th century, Grade I-listed home of the younger brother of the Duke of Norfolk, Lord Gerald Fitzalan Howard and his wife Lady Emma, runs exclusively from Monday December 4 to Thursday December 7 for a maximum of 30 people, and costs £899 per person. Guests will have the opportunity to stay in one of Carlton Towers’ 16 beautifully appointed guest rooms individually designed by Lady Emma herself. Rooms feature king-size beds (some of which are four-poster), original paintings, luxurious drapes and ornate antique furniture. On arrival, guests will be treated to a guided tour of the house, parts of which date back to the Domesday Book of 1086, before enjoying a festive evening of mulled wine and tapas in the beautifully restored Victorian kitchen which today houses the acclaimed Cooks – The Carlton School of Food.
On day two, guests are chauffeured by luxury transport to nearby Beverley and York for a day-long private tour led by registered Blue Badge Guide and Yorkshire historian Tim Barber. The tour will take in Beverley Minster – which played Westminster Cathedral in the TV series – as well as filming locations in the ancient city of York. Tim will end the day by hosting a three-course meal in a York restaurant, before guests are transported back to Carlton Towers.
The main feature of the break is a candle-lit gala dinner hosted by Lord and Lady Gerald in the Venetian Drawing Room on the second evening. The magnificent wood-panelled room was a key filming location for scenes in Victoria.
Further highlights include festive chocolate-making and bread-making in Cooks, and a day of country pursuits including clay pigeon shooting and a 4×4 off-road driving experience around the estate’s magnificent woodland.
Each morning, guests will be treated to a breakfast fit for Queen Victoria herself. It includes a Full English option, featuring home-grown bacon and sausage from Carlton Towers’ rare-breed pigs, eggs from the house hens and honey from the estate’s beehives.
Throughout their stay, guests are encouraged to wander the entire house and its gardens freely. Lord and Lady Gerald want visitors to treat the house as their home-away-from-home. Guests can relax by an open fire in one of the beautifully appointed sitting rooms furnished with antique pieces (including the Duke of Norfolk’s own chair from Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 Coronation), sample beers from the on-site Little Black Dog microbrewery, or indulge in a relaxing treatment in Lusso, the Carlton Towers spa.
Carlton Towers is popular for weddings and corporate getaways, as well as family parties and group events. It has recently been awarded with the Service Excellence Award in the Luxury Travel Guides European Awards 2018. A Seasonal Walk in the Footsteps of Queen Victoria is the first package of its kind for Carlton Towers, with more luxury themed leisure breaks planned for 2018.
- The three-night, all-inclusive A Seasonal Walk in the Footsteps of Queen Victoria package costs £899 per person (two sharing). Call 01405 861 662 or visit www.carltontowers.co.uk to book
