London & The River Thames Cruise

"Serene yet strong, majestic yet sedate”, the Thames has for centuries borne witness to England’s rich history and that of its capital, London, one of the world’s great cities. Our voyage will trace a compelling story of politics, power and patronage.

We shall give special attention to Winston Churchill’s extraordinary life, with visits to his birthplace at Blenheim Palace, the Churchill Museum and the Cabinet War Rooms. We explore Havengore, the Port of London flagship which carried him on his last journey, and pay tribute to his final resting place at Bladon.

From magnificent Hampton Court to elegant Marble Hill, from royal Greenwich to imposing Tilbury Fort, our six day cruise will encompass some of the finest landmarks on the Thames. We will enjoy a luxury dinner cruise with Tower Bridge and the lights of London as our glittering backdrop and throughout there will be talks and interpretations by an accompanying historian.

There is no more appropriate place to arrive in London from the water than Greenwich. It is here that Viking raiders anchored their ships before harassing Ethelred the Unready and it is here, too, that the monarchs Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were born.

Like so many before us, we are drawn to the bright lights of the city. Mooring at Tower Bridge we explore Westminster, before sailing on to Canary Wharf, where the Dockland Museum traces the history of a once great port, from Roman settlement to post-industrial regeneration.

Only a short distance from the Thames lies Blenheim Palace, an extraordinary monumental house designed by Sir John Vanbrugh. Winston Churchill’s earliest days were spent at Blenheim and it was to the ancestral home he returned to propose to Clementine Hozier, his future wife.

At Tilbury, Good Queen Bess rallied her makeshift forces to defend England from the Spanish Armada. Construction of the current fort began in 1670 and the mighty bastion was charged with defence of London and the Thames, a role it maintained admirably until 1950.

On each departure one of the following guest speakers will join us one evening: Martin Bell, Christopher Andrew or Piers Brendon.

Thanks to the unique design of the Spirit of Chartwell we are able to journey, as in times past, out to sea and back through the mouth of the Medway to the cathedral city of Rochester. From the Norman castle, built astride the London Road in 1127, to its thousand year history of military shipbuilding, the city has been of strategic importance to the defence and growth of London. We shall also take time to visit Chartwell, Churchill’s beloved family home.