C.S. Lewis Christian Writers Tour

London, Oxford, Cambridge

Duration
11
Departure
09 May 2024
Price from
7,249

INFORMATION SESSIONS

Sorry you missed it! If you would like a copy of the recording please email [email protected]
City Location Date Time Booking Link
Online Zoom July 4, 2023 7:30 pm RSVP

OVERVIEW

A wonderful tour of England discovering the life and works of theologian and author C.S. Lewis as well as other well-known Christian authors including JRR Tolkien, GK Chesterton, John Bunyan and preacher Charles Spurgeon.
The tour commences in London where we will visit significant Christian sites including Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral. We continue to Oxford where Lewis, Tolkien and others worked and live. We will see Lewis’s home, local church and of course Oxford University where he taught. Lewis, Tolkien and others known as The Inklings met in Oxford pubs to critique each other’s work and enjoy fellowship together.
C.S. Lewis loved spending time in the Cotswolds and Selah is thrilled to include a 2 day Christian retreat in this tour at a beautiful centre for Christian healing. This will give you time to enjoy the English countryside and have ”Selah time” with God and your travelling companions as you go deeper in your faith.

Following on from our retreat in the Cotswolds we continue to Cambridge where Lewis was (finally) made a professor. This stunning university town is also considered the “seat of the English Reformation” and enjoys a rich Christian history.

 

Selah is thrilled to have Rev Dr Gordon Preece lead this tour.

Gordon has ministered at several Anglican churches in Sydney and at Yarraville Anglican Church in Melbourne. He has been Director of three tertiary ethics centres: the Centre for Applied Christian Ethics (CACE) at Ridley College, Macquarie Christian Studies Institute (MCSI) and Director of the University of Divinity Centre for Research in Religion & Social Policy (RASP). He is currently Director of the Ethos Centre for Christianity & Society and Chair & Executive of the Melbourne Anglican Social Responsibilities Committee.

Gordon has worked ecumenically at Morling Baptist College (Sydney), as Director at Urban Seed at Collins St. Baptist,  and as Senior Policy Officer for Catholic Social Services Victoria.

Gordon is an international leader in workplace theology. He is a prolific writer, as author/editor of 12 books. He has run conferences and written articles on C.S. Lewis, Dorothy L. Sayers, Charles Spurgeon among the subjects of this tour. He is commissioning editor of award-winning Zadok Perspectives. Gordon is married to Susan, a mental health educator, and has three children in their 30s and 40s and six grandchildren (five being boys). He loves playing and following the world game, supporting Spurs, and the Cats in Australian Rules

 

ITINERARY

On arrival in London, check in to the hotel. Meet at 6pm for a welcome gathering to meet your fellow travellers, followed by dinner.

Hotel: Copthorne Tara Hotel, London

Included Meals:

D
After breakfast we will start the day with a tour of “Christian London”. Met our local guide and start with a guided visit of St Pauls Cathedral. We will then visit the British Library where we can see letters from JR Tolkien to his grandson Michael, letters from CS Lewis as well as other Christian and biblical texts.
After lunch (own expense) we visit the Metropolitan Tabernacle, the church pastored by Charles Spurgeon for 38 years.
Explore the bookshop before a guided visit of Westminster Abbey followed by 5pm Evensong.
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

HOTEL: Copthorne Tara Hotel, London

Included Meals:

B
D
After breakfast and check out, we farewell London this morning and travel to Beaconsfield, the hometown of GK Chesterton.
GK Chesterton wrote a book called Everlasting Man which led the young atheist C.S. Lewis to becoming a Christian.
Pass by Chesterton’s homes and grave site at the Shepherd’s Lane Cemetery, as well as St Teresa’s church where Chesterton worshipped.
Enjoy lunch (own expense) in Beaconsfield before continuing to Oxford.
On arrival in Oxford for a 4 night stay we will check in to the hotel before attending Evensong at Christ Church Cathedral at 6pm, followed by dinner at the hotel.

HOTEL: Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel, Oxford

Included Meals:

B
D
Today is a free day of rest and relaxation (Sabbath).
You are free to explore the city at your leisure today. Perhaps a punt on the Cherwell River or time out in the library.
There are several church services available:
Christ Church Cathedral 7.30am BCP Matins; 8am Holy Communion - Book of Common Prayer; 9am College Communion; 11 am Choral Eucharist; 6pm Evensong
Trinity Church 10.30am St Barnabas Primary School (20 min walk) or 6pm at St Michaels at the North Gate on Cornmarket (10 min walk).
Dinner is available at the hotel.

HOTEL: Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel, Oxford

Included Meals:

B
D
Today we will have the entire day to explore Oxford as C.S. Lewis, Tolkien and friends knew it.
We will start the day with meeting a local guide in the hotel reception for a classic walking tour of Oxford, including a guided visit to the famous Bodleian library including the Divinity School and Duke Humfry's library.
Walk with your guide through the city of Oxford, passing by and with information on the many famous landmarks.
Arrive at a local pub for lunch and farewell our morning guide. Lunch (soup, fish n chips, dessert) will be at the King's Arms Hotel, the oldest pub in Oxford built in 1607 & still standing in its original position).
After lunch you have free time and can make your own way back to the hotel (a 10 minute walk). Dinner is at leisure/not included tonight.

HOTEL: Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel, Oxford

Included Meals:

B
L
After breakfast, meet your coach & driver for a transfer to the Kilns, the home of CS Lewis situated on the outskirts of Oxford. A private guided visit has been arranged.
At 11 am we will meet Prof Michael Ward for an exclusive Selah lecture in the library of the Kilns.

Next, visit the nearby Trinity Church where CS Lewis worshipped for over 30 years and is his final resting place.
Lunch at leisure in The Mason Arms (own expense) where CS Lewis and his brother Warnie often frequented after church.
Rejoin the coach & return to Oxford.

Dinner is at your own expense tonight.
This evening we have been invited to a meeting of the Oxford C.S. Lewis Society at Pusey House (15 min walk) at 8pm for 8.15pm start, done by 9.30pm

HOTEL: Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel, Oxford

Included Meals:

B
London is magnificent, but it can also be big, noisy and crowded with swarms of international tourists following guides holding up umbrellas. If you want to see the real England - or at least, the Harry Potter fantasy version of what Shakespeare called "this green and pleasant land," you need to get to the Cotswolds.

Both Lewis and Tolkien enjoyed regular getaways to the Cotswolds. We will check out of our Oxford hotel and travel to the Cotswolds for a 2-day retreat at the Harnhill Centre of Christian Healing. On the way we will stop at a lovely garden centre for lunch and arrive at Harnhill in the afternoon.
Our

HOTEL: Harnhill Centre, Cotswolds

Included Meals:

B
D
A full day on retreat.

HOTEL: Harnhill Centre, Cotswolds

Included Meals:

B
L
D
After breakfast at the hotel, we will farewell our country retreat and travel towards Cambridge.
Along the way we will stop at the town of Bedford, the hometown of John Bunyan who authored The Pilgrim’s Progress in 1678. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious, theological fiction in English literature. It has been translated into more than 200 languages and has never been out of print. We enjoy a 2 hour guided tour of Bedford and all things Bunyan including the John Bunyan Museum, Moot Hall and Elstow church including a talk about the life of John Bunyan. Continue to Cambridge.

HOTEL: Hilton Hotel, Cambridge

Included Meals:

B
D
Today we will enjoy a visit and lecture in the Senatus Room with a talk by Dr Ian Randall.

Free time for lunch before we meet our guide at the Round Church who will take us on a Oxford University Tour.
The Tour explores the role of Christianity in the history of the University of Cambridge, including the founding of institutions of higher education, the development of modern science, movements for the rule of law and religious freedom, and the campaign to abolish the slave trade. The tour also discusses Cambridge’s role in the Reformation and C.S. Lewis’s time in Cambridge. As our visit is during exam term (April-June) when colleges are generally closed to the public, it is probable that we won’t be able to enter any colleges, but will still be able to see some of their beauty and explore some of their history from outside their gates.
The remainder of the day is free before Evensong at Kings College at 5.30pm, then a farewell dinner at the hotel.

HOTEL: Hilton Hotel, Cambridge

Included Meals:

B
D
After breakfast, check out of our hotel. We will attend a Sunday service before we transfer back to London where the tour ends. If you are booking flights please don't book anything before 4pm. Selah can assist with booking you accommodation for the night in London.

Included Meals:

B

Highlights

  • ”Christian London”: St Paul’s Cathedral, British Library, Westminster Abbey, Metropolitan Tabernacle
  • Beaconsfield: hometown of GK Chesterton
  • Oxford: the Kilns, Trinity Church. Oxford university, pubs and hangouts
  • Guest lectures in Oxford & Cambridge (TBC)
  • 2 day retreat in the Cotswolds
  • Tour commences directly after the Alpha Leadership Conference at Royal Albert Hall

Map

Destinations

TOUR INCLUDES

LINE-ICONS-02-FINAL

Travel with
like-minded people

LINE-ICONS-01-FINAL

Christian
Tour Leaders

LINE-ICONS-03-FINAL

Option of land
only package

LINE-ICONS-04-FINAL

Option of upgrading
to single room

LINE-ICONS-05-FINAL

Meals

LINE-ICONS-07-FINAL

Sights and entry
fees listed

OUR PRICING

Pricing

Category Description Twin PP Single
Tour cost per person $7,249.00 $9,875.00

Only 1 single room left.

Inclusions
Exclusions
Departure Date Booking
09 May 2024 BOOK NOW

FAQ