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Buxton Opera House

Buxton Opera House

Buxton Opera House

Buxton Opera House

Buxton Opera House

Buxton Opera House

Buxton Opera House

Buxton Opera House

Great British Heritage

Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Festival

Immerse yourself in the world of Gilbert & Sullivan at the international festival, centring on Buxton’s iconic Edwardian Opera House. Stroll Buxton’s heritage streets, and experience two evening performances from the Dress Circle at the Opera House.

Add visits to Chatsworth, Quarry Bank, and Lyme House, plus a wine reception before the curtain goes up and this is a tour to savour. 

From

£1,295

per person

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what’s included

At A Glance

  • The Travel Editions Experience
    Our tours are thoughtfully crafted and meticulously planned, with every destination, hotel, excursion and stop along the way having been selected to form a truly memorable experience.
  • Meals Included
    All breakfasts and two dinners.
  • Handpicked Accommodation
    Three nights at Shrigley Hall Hotel & Spa, based on shared occupancy of a twin/double room.
  • Discover the Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Festival
    Immerse yourself in the world of Gilbert & Sullivan, with two evening performances at the historic Buxton Opera House, a special festival talk.
  • Your Tour Manager
    A tour manager will accompany the group throughout.
  • Talks & Concerts
    All tours and concerts as shown     as well as a special talk by Bernard Lockett, Trustee of the Friends of the G&S Festival.
  • Transfers & Transport
    Coach touring as per the itinerary, coach transfers.
Meet Your guest speaker

Bernard Lockett

Bernard is a Trustee of the Friends of the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival and a longstanding specialist in the works of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. His talks introduce the partnership, performance history and enduring appeal of their celebrated comic operas.

Joining Travel Editions’ festival tours as a special speaker, Bernard adds valuable context before the curtain rises. His knowledge helps both devoted enthusiasts and first-time audiences appreciate the music, wit and theatrical tradition behind each performance, enriching the wider festival experience.

Meet Our Expert Guides
itinerary & excursions

Your Itinerary

Explore this incredible tour in detail and discover what makes each day so special. Below, you’ll find a full day-by-day breakdown of your journey, from the moment you arrive to your final farewell. Learn more about the highlights you’ll experience, the unforgettable places you’ll visit, and the unique moments that bring each destination to life. Whether you’re drawn by rich history, stunning landscapes or unforgettable cultural encounters, this itinerary gives you everything you need to picture your adventure and look forward to every step of the way.

Exact order of itinerary may vary depending on local conditions and tour manager’s discretion.

Day 1: Arrival and Gilbert & Sullivan Festival Talk

Arrive independently from 15:00. Evening welcome drink, dinner, and special talk by Bernard Lockett, Trustee of the Friends of the Gilbert & Sullivan Festival.

Day 2: Quarry Bank, Buxton Heritage Walk and an evening performance

Begin the day at Quarry Bank, one of Britain’s finest Industrial Revolution sites. Explore the historic cotton mill, and workers’ cottages, set amid beautiful gardens and woodland.

Free time for lunch (not included) followed by a guided heritage walk through Buxton’s Lower Town, a charming and historic area with elegant architecture including a stunning stained-glass canopy – the largest in Britain – at the Cavendish Arcade former site of Buxton Baths, and St Ann’s Well which has been providing Buxton’s famous thermal water for centuries. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure in Buxton.

Free time at leisure for dinner at own expense before a pre-show drinks reception in the Conservatory in the Pavilion Gardens followed by an evening festival performance by the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company at Buxton Opera House. Performance details to be advised once 2027 programme is released.

Buxton Opera House

Day 3: Lyme House and an evening performance

Visit Lyme House and Park, a magnificent country house surrounded with expansive parkland landscaped by Capability Brown. Home to the Legh family for over 500 years, it boasts richly furnished state rooms, beautiful formal gardens and sweeping views across the surrounding countryside.

Return to the hotel for an early dinner, then to the Buxton Opera House for an evening performance. Performance details to be advised once 2027 programme is released.

Chatsworth

Day 4: Chatsworth House and Bakewell

Morning visit to magnificent Chatsworth House for a guided tour and time to explore the house and gardens. The lavish stately home of Chatsworth is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, and has been passed down through 16 generations of the Cavendish family. 

Today Chatsworth contains works of art that span 4000 years, from ancient Roman and Egyptian sculpture, and masterpieces by Rembrandt, Reynolds and Veronese, to work by outstanding modern artists, including Lucian Freud, Edmund de Waal and David Nash.

We have free time for lunch and individual exploration in the beautiful old market town of Bakewell, surrounded by stunning countryside views. Bakewell is set on the banks of the Wye and the river meanders gently through the centre. Return to the hotel for approx. 17.00hrs. 

Post-tour nights at the hotel are available at a supplement.

Availability

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Date
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05/08/2027
Cheshire
£1,295
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Solo Traveller Supplement From: £100
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HOTELS

Tour Accommodation

Shrigley Hall Hotel & Spa
This four-star hotel occupies a handsome Regency country house set within acres of landscaped grounds on the edge of the Peak District. Facilities include a restaurant, bar, spa, indoor swimming pool, fitness centre and lift. Comfortable en-suite bedrooms are equipped with modern amenities including TV, Wi-Fi, hairdryer and tea and coffee-making facilities.

Complimentary car parking is available at the hotel on a first come, first served basis. The nearest railway station is Adlington station, approximately 3 miles away. Macclesfield station is also nearby, around 6 miles away.

Hotel Website

our regular tours

Mobility Information

This tour has a moderate fitness rating, reflecting a fuller itinerary with a good balance of visits, walking and time spent exploring on foot.
 
Some visits may involve cobbled streets, uneven paving, slopes, steps, stairs, limited seating, or walking from the coach drop-off point to the entrance of a site or attraction. The exact demands will vary from day to day, and we highlight specific practical details within the itinerary wherever possible.
 
You should feel comfortable walking at a steady group pace, standing during visits and enjoying a full day of sightseeing. If you are unsure whether this tour is right for you, please contact us before booking.

Mobility Information
Your questions answered

Tour FAQ

If you have a question, we are more than happy to answer it via email or phone, but you may find your answer below more quickly.

Simply complete our online booking form or give us a call on 020 7251 0045 between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday where you can speak to a real person. A 20% deposit per person is required at the time of booking, to book your place. Payments by debit card or credit card incur no charge. 

You must pay for the balance of your holiday at least 12 weeks before departure. A reminder will be sent to you approximately 10 days before the balance due date. If you book your holiday within 12 weeks of departure, full payment is required at time of booking. Please note that some tours may require final payment to be paid earlier than 12 weeks, due to financial commitment with suppliers. The exact date will be notified to you at the time of booking. Final joining instructions and documentation will be dispatched approximately 10 days before travel.

In almost all cases, the price includes your accommodation, meals as described in the itinerary, all excursions shown in the programme, and travel arrangements from the UK. Excursions are taken by private coach exclusively for Travel Editions guests. If anything is ever excluded from the price, it will be clearly marked as optional and payable locally, you won’t find any hidden extras on your final bill. Travel Editions operates a firm no-surcharge policy, so the price you are quoted is the price you pay.

The specifics vary by tour and are set out in your individual itinerary, but most of our tours depart from London, either by Eurostar from St Pancras International or by air. For rail tours, we advise allowing at least one hour before the Eurostar departure when planning your journey to London. For flights, all costs are based on economy class unless otherwise stated, and all times shown are local time. For tours in the UK, these often start at the hotel in question.

Flight upgrades and connections from regional airports are available on request and subject to availability, contact us on 020 7251 0045 or at tours@traveleditions.co.uk for details. We strongly recommend not booking non-refundable connecting travel until you have received your final joining instructions, which are sent around 10 days before departure and confirm all timings and meeting points.

Yes, and you’re very welcome. Single room supplements apply on most tours, reflecting the fact that single and double rooms are generally priced similarly by hotels. If you would prefer to share with another solo traveller of the same gender, we are happy to arrange this, simply let us know at the time of booking. Sharing is subject to another traveller in the same situation being booked on the same tour.

Each tour is accompanied by a dedicated tour manager, who in most cases will travel out from the UK with the group. On some tours, the tour manager will meet you at your destination station or airport, with full details being confirmed in your joining instructions 10 days before travel. Many of our tours are also led by expert lecturers or specialist guides whose knowledge brings each destination to life; details of who will be accompanying your particular tour are included in the individual tour pages and itineraries.

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