York: 25th - 27th January 2012 (with Martin and Warren)

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York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence. The city offers a wealth of historic attractions, of which York Minster is the most prominent, and a variety of cultural and sporting activities.

The city was founded by the Romans in 71 AD, under the name of Eboracum. It became in turn the capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior, and of the kingdoms of Northumbria and Jorvik. In the Middle Ages, York grew as a major wool trading centre and became the capital of the northern ecclesiastical province of the Church of England, a role it has retained

In the 19th century York became a hub of the railway network and a manufacturing centre. In recent decades, the economy of York has moved from being dominated by its confectionery and railway-related industries to one that provides services. The University of York and health services have become major employers, whilst tourism has become an important element of the local economy.

This trip will (probably) include the following:

• Two-hour train trip from Marylebone station
• Two nights' full board accommodation at YHA hostel
• Tour of York Minster
• Trip out of town to Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal
• The Jorvik Centre
• Visit to a local Quaker school
• Tour of a local brewery
• Yorkshire museum
• Plenty of free time to explore on your own

Oxford: 3rd February (with Carole Machin)

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Oxford is a city, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just fewer than 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre. For a distance of some 10 miles along the river, in the vicinity of Oxford, the Thames is known as the Isis.

Buildings in Oxford demonstrate an example of every English architectural period since the arrival of the Saxons, including the iconic, mid-18th century Radcliffe Camera. Oxford is known as the "city of dreaming spires", a term coined by poet Matthew Arnold in reference to the harmonious architecture of Oxford's university buildings. The University of Oxford is arguably the oldest university in the English-speaking world.

This trip will (probably) include the following:

• Travel to and from Oxford (using 'Oxford Tube' bus company from Hillingdon) - students must buy the tickets themselves on the day, retain the ticket/receipt, and hand-in to the office to receive reimbursement
• Christ Church College dining hall and cathedral
• Bodleian Library tour
• Various museums
• Sheldonian Theatre visit
• Plenty of free time to explore

Students will need to provide their own food, be it paid for on the day, or brought as a pre-arranged packed lunch from homestays.

Bath: 24th February (with Martin and Warren)

Bath is a city in the ceremonial county of Somerset in the south west of England.

The city was first established as a spa with the Latin name, Aquae Sulis ("the waters of Sulis") by the Romans in AD 43, although verbal tradition suggests that Bath was known before then. They built baths and a temple on the surrounding hills of Bath in the valley of the River Avon around hot springs. Edgar was crowned king of England at Bath Abbey in 973. Much later, it became popular as a spa town during the Georgian era, which led to a major expansion that left a heritage of exemplary Georgian architecture crafted from Bath Stone.

The City of Bath was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1987. The city has a variety of theatres, museums, and other cultural and sporting venues, which have helped to make it a major centre for tourism, with over one million staying visitors and 3.8 million day visitors to the city each year.

This trip will (probably) include the following:

• Train travel from Paddington to Bath Spa (day return ticket)
• Entry to Roman Baths
• Tour of Bath Abbey
• Walk of Georgian Bath
• Plenty of free time to explore

Students will need to provide their own food, be it paid for on the day, or brought as a pre-arranged packed lunch from homestays.

Canterbury: 9th March (with Warren)

Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour.

Originally a Brythonic settlement, it was renamed Durovernum Cantiacorum by the Roman conquerors in the 1st century AD. After it became the chief Jutish settlement, it gained its English name Canterbury, itself derived from the Old English Cantwareburh ("Kent people's stronghold"). After the Kingdom of Kent's conversion to Christianity in 597, St Augustine founded an episcopal see in the city and became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, a position that now heads the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion (though the modern-day Province of Canterbury covers the entire south of England). Thomas Becket's murder at Canterbury Cathedral in 1170 led to the cathedral becoming a place of pilgrimage for Christians worldwide. This pilgrimage provided the theme for Geoffery Chaucer's 14th-century literary classic The Canterbury Tales. The literary heritage continued with the birth of the playwright Christopher Marlowe in the city in the 16th century.

Many historical structures remain in the city, including a city wall founded in Roman times and rebuilt in the 14th century, the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey and a Norman castle, and perhaps the oldest school in England, The King's School. Modern additions include the University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University, the Marlowe Theatre, and the St Lawrence Ground, home to Kent County Cricket Club.

This trip will probably include the following:

• Train travel to Canterbury (day return ticket)
• Guided tour of Canterbury Cathedral
• Plenty of free time to explore

Students will need to provide their own food, be it paid for on the day, or brought as a pre-arranged packed lunch from homestays.