Excursions

Excursions

We organise excursions which are educational and enjoyable. They are designed to enrich our students' knowledge of British history and culture, but we do not forget their need to go shopping and, quite simply, have fun. We are lucky in that Ampleforth College is situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty, and it is also conveniently located to several fascinating places to visit. 

Yorkshire is a very picturesque English county with a distinctive character of its own. From its lively cities to its pretty villages, from its beautiful hills and dales to its grand coastline, it is a county with much to offer.

Recently acclaimed as Europe’s top city destination, York is an extremely attractive city. No English city outside London has played such an important part in the history of the country. In the words of King George VI ‘‘The history of York is the history of England’.
The Romans, the Vikings and the Normans have all left their mark in a place that represents 2000 years of history yet manages to combine this with modern shopping and commercial facilities. It’s an exciting city and a popular university choice for young people in England. We visit the incomparable York Minster (the largest Gothic cathedral in Europe and an iconic landmark in the area), the Castle Museum, the Jorvik Viking Experience, and we leave plenty of free time to stroll through the medieval streets, to shop…… and to enjoy the atmosphere.

Whitby – a very popular seaside town with a fishing port and many attractions. As well as being the birthplace of Dracula and notorious for smuggling, Whitby was an early Christian settlement and those prepared to walk up the famous 199 steps will be able to explore the mysterious St Hilda’s Abbey. Others may be happy to seek out Whitby’s other claims to fame – fish and chips, Whitby jet and the magnificent coastline.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway – one of the region’s major tourist attractions. this preserved steam railway runs through beautiful countryside and leads to the small but famous country town of Goathland.

Famous for two reasons: firstly, it was the station that Harry Potter used (Hogsmeade) to go to Hogswart, and secondly, it was used for the very well known tv series ‘Heartbeat’. We take a short train ride and pretending to be Harry Potter is optional!

Fountains Abbey – the largest monastic ruins in the country, described as ‘the wonder of the North’ 

Harrogate - a much admired, elegant town that some people regard as a shoppers’ paradise.

'Shoppertunities'?

We have run language courses long enough to know that shopping is a very attractive activity for many young people, so all of our excursions have a shopping opportunity.

For those who want the ultimate shopping experience we recommend:
York Designer Outlet which boasts over 120 top designer and high street stores, including Ted Baker, LK Bennett, Hugo Boss and Armani Collections all sold with discounts of up to 50 per cent!

The Parkland London Special

For students who wish to visit London while they are in England with us, we offer an optional special day trip to our fascinating capital city. Travel is by high speed train from York.

 The Parkland Edinburgh Special

 We are pleased to offer an inexpensive excursion to Edinburgh as an alternative to our local excursion on certain Saturdays. We take an express train to Scotland’s magnificent capital, and explore the city, including a visit to the historic castle. We have an evening meal in Edinburgh before returning in the late evening to the college.