TRIP PRICE: $5495.00 (double occupancy)

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Beautiful, centrally located accommodations with double occupancy; $995.00 Single supplement fee (LIMITED AVAILABILTY)

• Most meals (8 Breakfast, 4 Dinners)

• Sudden Journeys Tour Director

• A small, friendly group of 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.

SUNDAY NIGHT LONDON INDELIBLE GRACE HYMN SING

On the Sunday evening of May 25th, prior to the tour, you’re invited to join a special hymn sing in London. Additional pricing if you’d like to reserve your room for this night.

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 work along side Kevin with Belmont RUF and is currently finishing her Marriage and Family Counseling degree. 

Cooper Twit ives 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 | MAY 26TH | LONDON (Arrival Day) Our journey together begins in London at your hotel for two nights. Check into the hotel and settle in. Gather for introductions and tea/coffee before setting out for a leisurely walking tour including a visit to 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.  Enjoy your first evening together gather for drinks in a local pub and late an intimate welcome dinner.

• Walking tour London

• Visit St Mary Church Woolnoth,

• Welcome drinks and dinner

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

“When I Survey The Wondrous Cross” - Isaac Watts

DAY TWO | MAY 27TH | LONDON Morning visit Bunhill Fields Cemetery where Isaac Watts, Jospeh Hart, and many others are buried. 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. Afternoon free to join Kevin for bookshop exploration or afternoon on your own. Dinner and evening on your own.

• Explore Bunhill Fields Cemetery

• Wesley House and Methodist Museum

• Bookshopping with Kevin

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

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 | MAY 28TH | OXFORD Depart London for Oxford. Today will be spent exploring the many hymn-related sights in Oxford, including John Wesley’s rooms in Lincoln College, Anne Steele’s papers in Magdalene College, and the Martyrs Memorial. We will learn about the Oxford Movement and its contribution to hymnody and have time for tea and bookshops as well. Dinner will be on your own and then we will take part in a hymn sing led by Kevin and Cooper Twit.

• Lincoln College - John Wesley’s Rooms

• Magdalene College

• Angus College - Anne Steele

• Martyrs Memorial

• St Mary Magdalen Church

Moderate walking: 4-6 miles throughout the day, moderate hills and stairs. NO BUS. Sleep in OXFORD.

“Amazing Grace” - John Newton

DAY FOUR | MAY 29TH | OXFORD & OLNEY Free morning in Oxford. Optional bookstore tour with Kevin. After lunch travel north to the market town of Olney. In the 1760s Olney was the setting for a friendship between former sailor and slave trader John Newton and poet William Cowper who suffered from frequent depression. Together they changed the atmosphere of the town. John Newton went on to work with William Wilberforce towards the abolition of slavery. They wrote hymns together, most notably "Amazing Grace" and "God Moves In A Mysterious Way". You’ll have the opportunity to visit the Cowper-Newton Museum in Cowper’s former house and see the garden shed where he wrote his hymns, as well as The Church of St Peter and St Paul where Newton pastored for 15 years. Dinner at a country pub on the drive back to Oxford.

• Free Time: Morning in Oxford

• Visit Olney’s Cowper-Newton Museum

• Sing Olney Hymns in Cowper’s former house

• Explore St Peter and St Paul Church in Olney

• Dinner: Country Pub

Moderate walking: 2-4 miles throughout the day and stairs. Bus 3 hrs. Sleep in OXFRD.

“Arise My Soul Arise” -Charles Wesley

DAY FIVE | MAY 30TH | COTSWOLDS, BATH & BRISTOL Depart Oxford and travel to Bristol. Along the way, travel through the southern tip of The Cotswolds. Make a stop at Castle Combe, considered one of the most beautiful villages in all of England. Arrive in Bath for time to enjoy lunch and wanderings before continuing to Bristol. Your first visit will be to John Wesley’s New Room Museum. The Museum at the New Room tells the story of John and Charles Wesley and eighteenth-century Methodism and its relevance today. We will also learn about the importance of the early English Baptists to the beginning of English hymnody, including the hymnal published by Ash and Evans (the first to include hymns by Anne Steele). Bristol was home to hymn writers like John Ryland (Newton’s dear friend), and Benjamin Beddome (who wrote over 800 hymns and once proposed to Anne Steele!) After checking into the hotel, enjoy downtime before gathering for dinner.

• Visit Castle Combe in The Cotswolds, named England’s most beautiful village

• Free Time: Lunch in Bath

• Charles Wesley’s home and the Methodist New Room Museum

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

“And Can It Be” - Charles Wesley

DAY SIX | MAY 31ST | BRISTOL 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. Enjoy free time later in the afternoon. Dinner on your own.

• Free time: Bristol in the afternoon

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

“Rock of Ages” - Augustus Toplady

DAY SEVEN | JUNE 1ST | SOMERSET, WELLS & DEVON Depart Bristol 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.

• View Cheddar Gorge

• Lunch in Wells

• Afternoon visiting Broadhembury

• Free Time: Evening in Brixham

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

“Abide With Me” - Henry Lyte

DAY EIGHT | JUNE 2ND | BRIXHAM After breakfast, visit Lyte’s church in Brixham, All Saints Brixham. Remaining day is for you to rest or explore. Possible excursion to Dartmoor or another nearby seaside village. Or choose to stay in Brixham. Come together in the evening for a farewell dinner and intimate hymn sing. 

• Free Time in Brixham

• Farewell Feast

• Intimate Hymn Sing

Moderate walking: 2-4 miles throughout the day. Sleep in Brixham.

DAY NINE | JUNE 3RD | DEPARTURE FROM EXETER

After 8 incredible days together, it’s time to leave. After breakfast, depart your hotel and travel to Exeter where you’ll take a return train to London.