ROS Journeys
In cooperation with Body Mind Spirit Journeys
PRESENTS
A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY TO WALES & ENGLAND
Hosted by Nancy Auspelmyer
September 17-28, 2025
Wales is an ancient Celtic land where we immerse ourselves in this beguiling country’s culture, spirituality and lushness.
The theme for our journey this September is “Shadow & Light,” and the areas we will visit and explore are rich in both as well as natural beauty and echoes of the ancient past. While the retreat is based in Tywyn, Wales, our journey onward takes us to northern Wales, with a brief jaunt in Liverpool, and into the mystical Lake District in England where we will spend the remainder of our journey.
Itinerary
Day 1- Wednesday, September 17: To Manchester (D)
Arrival in Manchester and transfer on your own to your reserved accommodations at The Crowne Plaza airport hotel to rest up before meeting for our Welcome Dinner at the hotel.
Day 2-Thursday, September 18: To Tywyn (B)
After breakfast, we will be picked up at our hotel and transferred to Ty Chapel in Tywyn, Wales.
We will pick up lunch (on our own) along the way as we head to our retreat location where we will spend the next four days on our Shadow & Light RETREAT.
We will settle in and explore before gathering for dinner and the start of our retreat program.
Day 3 to 5 – Friday, September 19 through Sunday, September 21: In Tywyn
At our RETREAT arranged by Nancy.
Day 6-Monday, September 22: To Menai Bridge (B/L/D)
After breakfast, we will be met at Ty Chapel, Tywyn and start our Post-Retreat journey with our first stop at St. Cybi’s Well. Nestled amid trees in a secluded spot at the base of Garn Bentyrch in Eifionydd (Gwynedd), this ancient holy site possesses an unmistakable air of magic. Dedicated to Cybi, a 6th-century Cornish saint associated with mystery and magic in the druidic tradition, the well’s waters have long been believed to hold healing properties. After a lunch stop, we continue to the Fairy Glen at Betws y Coed. Located two miles from the pretty village Betws-y-Coed, the magic of this fairy glen is rumored to make visitors feel like they are entering another dimension. It is often associated with fairies and the afterlife. According to folklore, the glen is inhabited by fairies who guard the spot and bring good fortune to visitors who tread carefully and respect nature. The glen’s connection to Annwn, the Otherworld, adds a layer of mystique, making it a place of pilgrimage. Some believe it to have been Merlin’s hiding place! Dinner at the hotel.
Day 7- Tuesday, September 23: To Liverpool (B)
After breakfast and checking out of our hotel, we are off to Holyhead on Holy Island of Angelsey. Anglesey is rich in prehistoric remains with the first evidence of humans on the island in the Mesolithic period, about 7000 BC. Ynys Môn is the Welsh name for Anglesey Island. It is the largest island in Wales and the seventh largest in the British Isles and is known as the “Mother of Wales.” It is considered to be its center, though geographically, it is anything but. According to classical sources, the island of Anglesey was the center of the ancient Britons’ Druidic priesthood. Some have argued that it possibly might have been Avalon, a name well-known in Grail mythology.
Divided from Anglesey Isle by a narrow channel, Holy Isle is a place of magic and mystery steeped in Druidic history. Holy Island comes from the Welsh “Ynys Gybi,” which means the island of Saint Cybi named after the wizard of Cybi. The English call it Holyhead Island. It is called “Holy” because of the very high concentration of standing stones, burial chambers, and other religious sites on the tiny island.
The Bryn Celli Ddu Bach (the mound in the dark grove) and nearby Bryn Celli Dhu passage tomb is a renowned archeological site dated to the time of the Druids. It was initially built for rituals and to coincide with the summer solstice. On the longest day of the year, the sun’s rays shine down the passageway and illuminate all of the chamber with a mysterious glow.
Din Lligwy is an ancient site, also known for its druidic and archaic atmosphere. The site features structures such as a Neolithic burial chamber and an Iron Age village, indicating its historical significance as a settlement inhabited by the ancient Welsh people. Visitors often feel a connection to the spirit of the Welsh ancestors here, 
suggesting a deep cultural heritage tied to the area. While it is not specifically a druid site, its historical context and archaeological significance make it an important site for understanding ancient Druid mythology and the Welsh past.
Holyhead Mountain Prehistoric Village (Ty Mawr) features the remains of a group of Celtic Iron Age huts, the precise age of which is not known. Much of the site is thought to date from the Iron Age but the settlement may have been in existence over an extended period of time from the Neolithic to the Dark Ages, with different buildings being in use at different times.
At the end of our Anglesey exploring, we will continue to Liverpool for an overnight and dinner on our own at one of the delightful local restaurants.
Day 8- Wednesday, September 24: To Keswick (B/D)
We start our day in Liverpool with a City & Beatles Tour “Beatles Magical Mystery Tour.” We then leave for the Lake District, ultimately heading to our destination in Keswick, with a light lunch on our own along the way and a stop at the Beech Hill Hotel in Newby for afternoon tea. We will continue to Lake Windermere for a Lake Cruise before arriving in Keswick for dinner at our hotel where we will spend the next 3 nights.
Day 9- Thursday, September 25: In Keswick (B/L/D)
Following breakfast, we will board our coach for a full day of touring visiting stone circles and a waterfall today. Lunch is included. Long Meg & Her Daughters is a neolithic stone circle in Cumbria, noted for its unique legends. It is one of the largest stone circles in the British Isles, dating back to around 3200 – 2500 BC. Local legend claims that Long Meg was a witch who with her daughters, was turned to stone as they danced wildly on the moor. The circle is believed to be endowed with magic, so that it is impossible to count the same number of stones twice, but if you do, the magic is broken.
Mayburgh Henge & King Arthur’s Round Table are also in Cumbria. Despite being situated close to the motorway, the impressive prehistoric monument of Mayburgh Henge can be a remarkably peaceful place, residing within a few hundred yards of the neighboring monument of King Arthur’s Round Table. This mysterious monument has remained largely undisturbed. Mayburgh Henge probably dates to the end of the Neolithic period or the beginning of the Bronze Age, about 4,500 years ago. The Mayburgh Henge and King Arthur’s Round Table are not only significant archaeological sites but also hold spiritual and historical importance. The Henge is a ceremonial monument that symbolizes the connection between the natural world and the divine, while the Round Table represents the ideals of chivalry, equality, and the quest for justice. Together, they embody the spirit of the Arthurian legend, where the natural and the human are intertwined, and where the pursuit of truth and honor is valued as a most important quest.
Castlerigg Stone Circle is one of the most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain and is the most visited stone circle in Cumbria. Probably built around 3000 BC, the beginning of the later Neolithic Period. This prehistoric monument, shrouded in an aura of mystery and intrigue is comprised of a collection of rough-hewn stones arranged in a circular formation; it is a portal that transports us back in time to an era when humanity’s connection with the cosmos and the earth was deeply intertwined.
Aira Force is a waterfall in the English Lake District area of Cumbria. The name “Aira” is often associated with inner wisdom and intuition, reflecting our connection to our journey and relationship with the divine. The name itself encourages us to embrace change and explore new horizons, often leading to unconventional paths. Aira Force Loop is a one-mile walk that takes us to the base of a 20-metre waterfall and back to the car park. From here, we will head back to our Keswick Hotel late afternoon for a free evening and dinner on our own.
Day 10- Friday, September 26: In Keswick (B/L)
Today, after breakfast, we will head east for a full day’s outing that includes lunch. Our first stop will be to visit the mysterious Temple of Mithras and Coventina’s Well on Hadrian’s Wall. The Temple of Mithras is a shrine dedicated to the Roman God Mithras, a Persian warrior god who, according to legend, entered a cave and killed a bull that had been created at the dawn of time. The cult of Mithras placed great emphasis on valor, honor, and military prowess, and Temples of Mithras were fairly common in civilian settlements close to Roman forts. The significance for us is found in its Eastern origins and the mystery of protection it offers, reflecting a much older culture than its appearance in the second century. Excavation of the temple also uncovered a “nymphaeum,” a semi-circular stone seat partly surrounding a well, with an associated altar, close to the entrance of the temple. This is the location of Coventina’s Well or sacred spring, named after a Celtic spring goddess; goddesses of water, wells, and springs were revered in Celtic Britain as sites of healing.
The highlight of our day is Alnwick Castle, home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. But it is also the site of the filming of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and the first sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, as well as Downton Abbey, a British historical drama set in the early 20th century, exploring social change and family dynamics. Maybe we’ll even learn to fly a broomstick!
We will stop for a light dinner on the road on our return to our Keswick Hotel.
Day 11- Saturday, September 27: To Manchester Airport (B)
After breakfast, we will check out of our hotel and head for Manchester, but our journey is not yet over! Our first stop today will be to Dove Cottage in Grasmere, the home of William Wordsworth and his family some 200 years ago. Little moments taken from the Wordsworths’ poems, journals, and letters have been recreated, telling the story of their life here. When William Wordsworth arrived in Grasmere at 29, he was largely unknown and was writing innovative poetry that came as a shocking contrast to the fashionable verses of the time. His poetry centered on the ideals of love of Nature, the power of the imagination, and the importance of empathy for others. This was poetry for a new age, and his writing still has the power to speak to us today.
From Grasmere, we will visit the Swinside Stone Circle, one of the three most important stone circles in Cumbria, consisting of 55 stones set in a ninety-foot diameter circle. Like Castlerigg, it dates from the Neolithic period, and its entrance seems to line up with the midwinter sunset. Its other name, Sunkenkirk, comes from a legend that people tried to build a church here, but the Devil kept pulling it down. It’s about a half hour walk from the car park to the circle and back, making it rarely visited.
The last stop on our journey will be to the Conishead Priory in Ulverston – the modern Temple for World Peace. It provides a place for quiet reflection and spiritual inspiration. Idyllically situated in gardens and woodland on the shores of Morecambe Bay, many people come simply to relax in the beautiful surroundings and peaceful atmosphere. What better way to end our magical journey?
Day 12- Sunday, September 28: Tour Ends (B)
Our tour ends after breakfast.
Our Tour Includes:
- Accommodations for 7 nights
- Hotel taxes
- Breakfast every day
- 3 Lunches
- 2 dinners
- Transportation by Mini-Bus
- Sightseeing as per itinerary
- Sightseeing entrance fees
- PLUS: Workshops and Seminars with Nancy at the Retreat
Our Hotels:
- Manchester Airport (1 night): The Crowne Plaza
- Menai Bridge (1 night): Chateau Rhianfa
- Liverpool (1 night): Radisson Red Liverpool
- Keswick (3 nights): Keswick Country House Hotel
- Manchester Airport (1 night): The Radisson Blu Hotel
Please Read the Terms and Conditions for this Tour.
** Bonus! SAVE! You will receive a 5% discount if ALL payments are made by check or money order. This discounted price is noted below in red.
*Special No Interest + No Payments for 6 Months Plan Now Available!
RMC/BMSJ Travel now offers the “PayPal Credit” Plan (Click here for details)
PRICE
PRICING FOR POST RETREAT JOURNEY
(September 18 transfer & September 22-28 tour)
ALL INCLUSIVE PRICES (LAND ONLY)
Per Person Double Occupancy: $3,199 by check, $3,369 credit card
Per Person Single Occupancy: $3,699 by check, $3,899 credit card
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
FIRST NON-REFUNDABLE PAYMENT
(Due as soon as possible to ensure a place on the tour)
Per Person: $1,000 by check, $1,050 credit card
FINAL PAYMENT
BALANCE of payment due on or before August 11, 2025 as per your invoice.
There is a limited number of rooms and configurations available. If you are willing to share a room, please let us know and we will do our best to match you up with a roommate with advanced introductions.
After you register online you will automatically be re-directed for payment by mail-in check or securely online by credit, debit card or PayPal.
If you have already registered online and require access to the PayPal payment page, click here.
Travel Insurance
ROS Journeys and Body Mind Spirit Journeys highly recommends the purchase of Trip Cancellation/Interruption Travel Insurance, and we therefore provide you with an easy way to contact BMSJ’s preferred insurance provider, Allianz Global Assistance. If you need additional information or have questions, please call Allianz directly at 1-800-284-8300, and refer to code F025323.
*No Payments + No Interest if paid in full in 6 months. Click here for details.
Photo credits:
Long Meg & Her Daughters: Long Meg & Her Daughters by Andrew Curtis, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
St Cybi’s Well: Alan Fryer / Ffynnon Gybi Llangybi St Cybi’s Well
Holyhead hut circle: Hut Circle on Holyhead Mountain by Chris Heaton, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Bryn Celli Ddu Passage Tomb: Bryn Celli Ddu Passage Tomb by Chris Andrews, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Beatles Magical Mystery Tour bus: calflier001, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mayburgh henge: Tilman2007, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Castlerigg Stone Circle: Castlerigg Stone Circle by Bill Boaden, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Long Meg, Little Salkeld: Humphrey Bolton / Long Meg, Little Salkeld
Temple of Mithras: Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Alnwick Castle: Alnwick – Barbican, Alnwick Castle by Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Dove Cottage: Dove Cottage, Grasmere by Colin Kinnear, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Swinside Stone Circle: Andrew Hill / Swinside stone circle
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