Fans of Steven Spielberg's Academy Award-nominated film War Horse have a chance to win a weeklong walking tour with The Wayfarers, experiencing the glorious English countryside where the movie was filmed. The six-night Pentillie Castle Walk in Devon and Cornwall has been organized and is led by The Wayfarers, the quintessential English walking company. The Wayfarers War Horse Giveaway is for two adults, based on double occupancy, and will be given away in conjunction with Everett Potter's Travel Report, cited by The Wall Street Journal as a travel website with "a terrific mix of profiles and interviews, all designed to make the best use of your travel budget." The giveaway runs through April 30, and readers are invited to enter daily.
Accommodations for the six-day walk are in the dramatic Pentillie Castle (built 1698), on the banks of the Tamar River, which forms the border between Devon and Cornwall. Participants will walk 3-9 miles per day over easy terrain.
Based on the novel "War Horse" by Michael Morpurgo, the film illustrates the true history of how horses were commandeered from the countryside across Britain and used in the World War I effort, focusing on the life on one particular war horse, Joey. The author lives in Devon, England, and his tale is grounded in the culture and countryside of the area.
It's that countryside that inspired Spielberg who said, "I have never before, in my long and eclectic career, been gifted with such an abundance of natural beauty as I experienced filming War Horse on Dartmoor ... And, with two-and-a-half weeks of extensive coverage of landscapes and skies, I hardly scratched the surface of the visual opportunities that were offered to me."
Led by Muff Dudgeon, walk leader, and Dr. Tom Greeves, Dartmoor cultural historian and environmentalist, the tour visits Ringmoor Down for beautiful views of the Burrator Reservoir and the hamlet of Sheepstor. Other stops include Ditsworthy Warren House, which served Spielberg as the Narracott family home as well as the scene of Joey's formative years and triumphant homecoming. Contest winners may, if they choose, take a horseback ride on the Moor to continue in the hoof prints of War Horse (an optional extra for other participants).
Visiting "War Horse" film sites on Dartmoor is just one day of a week-long itinerary that encompasses a tour of historic Plymouth (Pilgrim Fathers, Spanish Armada), coastal walking in Cornwall, and a visit to a former home of Sir Francis Drake. Other coastal estates visited include Tudor Cotehele with its own quay and stew pond, and Mount Edgcumbe with its Grade I Cornish gardens. Pentillie Castle is home for the entire week and The Wayfarers have exclusive use of the property.
The giveaway, which runs from April 1-30, 2012, is for one Pentillie Castle Walk trip for two adults, sharing one room, scheduled on either September 23-29, 2012 or October 7-13, 2013. Airfare is not included and alternate dates are not available. The prize is not transferable. The winner can use The Wayfarers' travel planning services to help organize their trip. Visit Everett Potter's Travel Report for full contest details at www.everettpotter.com/?p=6960 . The prize, inclusive of the walking tour for two, travel planning services, and horseback riding, is valued at $8500.
Everett Potter's Travel Report is a weekly, online website written by more than 30 seasoned contributors, aimed at smart travelers planning their next hotel stay, city visit or adventure vacation.
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