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Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.

Morality is a mountain which we cannot climb by our own efforts; and if we could we should only perish in the ice and unbreathable air of the summit, lacking those wings with which the rest of the journey has to be accomplished. For it is from there that the real ascent begins. The ropes and axes are 'done away' and the rest is a matter of flying.

Growing maturity is marked by the increasing liberties we take with our travelling... we made the discovery (some people never make it) that real books can be taken on a journey and that hours of golden reading can so be added to its other delights.

Our Heavenly Father has provided many delightful inns for us along our journey, but he takes great care to see that we do not mistake any of them for home.

I was driven to Whipsnade one sunny morning. When we set out I did not believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, and when we reached the zoo I did. Yet I had not exactly spent the journey in thought. Nor in great emotion. “Emotional” is perhaps the last word we can apply to some of the most important events. It was more like when a man, after a long sleep, still lying motionless in bed, becomes aware that he is now awake.

Some journeys take us far from home. Some adventures lead us to our destiny.

cs lewis on travel

One flesh. Or if you prefer, one ship. The starboard engine has gone. I, the port engine, must chug along somehow till we make harbour. Or rather, till the journey ends.

You are guilty of no evil, Ransom of Thulcandra, except a little fearfulness. For that, the journey you go on is your pain, and perhaps your cure: for you must be either mad or brave before it is ended.

Puddleglum,' they've said, 'You're altogether too full of bobance and bounce and high spirits. You've got to learn that life isn't all fricasseed frogs and ell pie. You want something to sober you down a bit. We're only saying it for your own good, Puddleglum.' That's what they say. Now a job like this --a journey up north just as winter's beginning looking for a prince that probably isn't there, by way of ruined city nobody's ever seen-- will be just the thing. If that doesn't steady a chap, I don't know what will.

A perfect man would never act from a sense of duty; he’d always want the right thing more than the wrong one. Duty is only a substitute for love (of God and of other people) like a crutch which is a substitute for a leg. Most of us need the crutch at times; but of course it is idiotic to use the crutch when our own legs (our own loves, tastes, habits etc.) can do the journey on their own.

The whole journey was odd and dream-like -- the roaring stream, the wet grey grass, the glimmering cliffs which they were approaching, and always the glorious, silently pacing beast ahead.

And in truth (as I now see) I had the wish to put off my journey as long as I could. Not for any peril or labour it might cost; but because I could see nothing in the whole world for me to do once it was accomplished. AS long as this act lay before me, there was, as it were, some barrier between me and the dead desert which the rest of my life must be.

Most of us need the crutch at times; but of course it is idiotic to use the crutch when our own legs (our own loves, tastes, habits etc.) can do the journey on their own.

Every contact you make with everyone you meet will help them or hinder them on their journey to heaven.

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  • Born: November 29, 1898
  • Died: November 22, 1963
  • Occupation: Novelist
  • Cite this Page: Citation

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An aerial view of old stone buildings with Gothic spires at sunset.

Where the Lion and the Witch Met the Hobbit

Discovering the sites in Oxford where C.S. Lewis, the writer of over 30 books, including the “Chronicles of Narnia” series, found faith, inspiration and a life-changing friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien.

A mysterious door, a rambling home in the woods: There are clues throughout Oxford to what may have inspired C.S. Lewis’s widely loved stories. Credit...

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By Will Higginbotham

Photographs by Max Miechowski

  • Published Feb. 28, 2023 Updated March 5, 2023

When Clive Staples Lewis arrived in Oxford in 1916, he was enchanted by the city’s Gothic stone buildings and spires reaching skyward. “The place has surpassed my wildest dreams: I never saw anything so beautiful, especially on frosty moonlit nights,” he wrote in a letter to his father.

Lewis, an 18-year-old Irishman who went by Jack, was visiting Oxford University to take the entrance examination. The city that made an enchanting first impression maintained its effect on him for a lifetime. Oxford was the backdrop to his student days, and to his career as an academic and as the author known as C.S. Lewis, and it’s where he found Christian faith, friendships and domestic happiness. It is also where he, along with J.R.R. Tolkien — the future author of “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” — and others founded the Inklings, a literary group, 90 or so years ago, and where early notions of Narnia and Middle-earth would surface.

Lewis is perhaps most famous today for the “Chronicles of Narnia” series — though he found success in his satire, like “The Screwtape Letters,” and religious defenses, like “Mere Christianity.” As the 60th anniversary of his death nears, it felt timely to retrace Lewis’s steps around the city that so greatly affected his life and works. On a fall afternoon, I met Rob Walters, an author and a guide with Official Oxford Walking Tours , at the central Radcliffe Square, which is surrounded by majestic college buildings. Locals and tourists, speaking myriad languages, walked and biked along the cobbles.

A black-and-white portrait of a balding man looking at the camera. He is smiling slightly.

“I like it when people ask about Lewis,” said a buoyant Mr. Walters, who conducts a combined Tolkien and Lewis tour. “He has fans for many different reasons, some because of his Christian works, others for his fantasy,” he continued. “I discovered him through science fiction.”

I became a Lewis fan conventionally, through the “Chronicles of Narnia” series, which my grandmother gave me when I was a child. The seven children’s books about a mythical world, published between 1950 and 1956, catapulted Lewis to fame. They have sold over 100 million copies and been translated into 47 languages. I devoured the first three over one summer and was captivated by Lewis’s world, where children were powerful, where animals talked and where — a novel idea for a young Australian — it was perpetually snowy.

Mr. Walters and I stood in the narrow St. Mary’s Passage, between University Church of St. Mary the Virgin and Brasenose College. Before us: an ornate wooden door bearing a striking resemblance to a wardrobe — the portal through which the four Pevensie children gain access to Narnia in “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” the first book published in the series. In the center was a carving that could be a lion’s face, while above were two golden fauns (half-man, half-goat creatures). A tall lamppost stood nearby. The setting recalled the book’s scene in which a young Lucy lands in Narnia and meets the faun, Mr. Tumnus, under lamppost light. All that was missing was a coating of snow.

cs lewis on travel

Is this where Lewis found inspiration for Narnia? “No one knows for sure, but the timeline makes sense,” Mr. Walters said. In the early 1940s, Lewis was a lay theologian, and he occasionally gave sermons in St. Mary’s, just a few feet away. “Perhaps he left one evening through the side door and walked straight out onto this,” Mr. Walters said, gesturing to what’s become known as the Narnia Door.

Skirting a tourist with a camera poised at the door, we took a left onto High Street, a thoroughfare brimming with shops and eateries. Lewis studied literature and the classics here back in 1917 at University College , one of the university’s oldest, founded in 1249.

Today in Oxford, arguably the world’s best-known university town, a 15th-century building can house a grab-and-go food chain, Anglo-Saxon ruins are within miles of a shimmering Zaha Hadid building, and medieval stone grotesques watch from their perches as people of varying nationalities rush about below.

When Lewis arrived, there would have been fewer women — they were not allowed to seek degrees here until 1920 — and fewer students generally. “Most were either dead or at war,” Mr. Walters said. In 1917, there were only 12 men enrolled at University College — Lewis included.

Lewis volunteered for officer training within months of arriving at Oxford (as an Irishman born in Belfast, he was not automatically enlisted in the British army) and was shipped to the trenches of France — until he was wounded by an exploding shell in 1918 and returned to his studies.

Lewis’s postwar years led to major shifts in his worldview: When Lewis first arrived in the city, he aspired to be a poet. He was also an atheist. He changed his mind on both accounts at Oxford.

cs lewis on travel

A long walk and a late-night epiphany

Bidding Mr. Walters farewell, I strolled a few minutes down High Street to Magdalen College , easily spotted by its striking medieval bell tower. Here, in 1925, Lewis landed a coveted role as fellow and tutor in literature, a position he held for 29 years. The small fee ( 8 pounds, or nearly $10 ) for public access to the grounds is worth it. As I walked through the Great Quad with its gargoyles and manicured lawn, far from the crowds, I wondered how often Lewis passed through. His second-floor rooms in the New Building, where he lodged, are marked by red geraniums growing from a window box.

It was at a 1926 English department faculty meeting that he met another Oxford professor, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. The friendship propelled both toward realizing their literary worlds: Middle-earth and Narnia.

First impressions were not hot. “No harm in him,” Lewis wrote of Tolkien after their first meeting. “Only needs a smack or so.” The two soon bonded over a love of storytelling, myths and language. By 1929, Tolkien was sharing unpublished manuscripts with his new friend, and Lewis shared his poetry. “I was up till 2:30 on Monday,” Lewis wrote in a letter to a friend that December, recounting that he and Tolkien “sat discoursing of the gods and giants and Asgard for three hours,” referring to the Nordic mythological realm.

Tolkien, a Catholic, also nudged the atheist Lewis toward becoming a believer and a prolific defender of Christianity in his writing.

Lewis, raised Anglican, by his midteens “maintained that God did not exist,” according to his 1955 semi-autobiographical work “Surprised by Joy.” His mother’s death from cancer when he was 9 was his first disillusionment. He wrote in the book that “all settled happiness, and all that was tranquil and reliable, disappeared from my life.”

Influenced partly by his Oxford friends, Lewis gradually came to believe in God by the end of the 1920s, but did not yet consider himself Christian. The shift was catalyzed by a now-fabled after-dinner walk on Sept. 19, 1931, with Tolkien and the English academic Hugo Dyson, where talk of poetry, myth and religion bled into the early hours. Lewis declared a change of heart: “I have passed on from believing in God to definitely believing in Christ,” he wrote in a letter on Oct. 1, “a long night talk with Dyson and Tolkien had a lot to do with it.”

Christian themes underpinned Lewis’s fiction that followed. Aslan the Lion, a main character in the Narnia series, is widely interpreted as a Jesus figure: He sacrifices himself and is ridiculed, but is later resurrected to save the realm.

Lewis’s epiphany-inducing night stroll was around Addison’s Walk , a leafy mile-long track within Magdalen College. I retraced their steps for 40 minutes, taking in peaceful scenes of the River Cherwell, of trees turning russet, of people boating on the water and of a herd of deer in a nearby field. If ever there was a setting for lofty conversations, I thought, Addison’s Walk felt right.

cs lewis on travel

Two pubs where two worlds took shape

Late mornings on Tuesdays from 1933 (although some reports say it could have been earlier) until 1949, Lewis could be found on the other side of Oxford, usually at the Eagle and Child pub, holding court with the Inklings, the informal literary society, most likely over a pint or three. Lewis was a founder of the small tribe, which included Tolkien and the writers Charles Williams and Owen Barfield.

Works in progress, including drafts from “The Lord of the Rings” and the first Narnia proofs, were presented here.

Members did not shy away from disagreement. Lewis struggled at times with Tolkien’s books for all their “Hobbit talk,” and Tolkien thought Narnia was a haphazard attempt at mythology, regretting that Narnia and Lewis’s work “should remain outside the range of my sympathy as much of my work was outside his,” Tolkien wrote in a 1964 letter.

But without Tolkien and the Inklings, there might never have been Lewis the fantasy novelist. While lamenting the state of popular fiction one day in 1936, Lewis said to Tolkien, “Tollers, we need more stories like your Hobbit — we’ll just have to write them ourselves,” according to “The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien,” a collection of his correspondence. Soon after, Lewis — who had previously written poetry and Christian defenses — completed “Out of the Silent Planet,” the first book of what would become a popular science fiction trilogy.

Lewis wrote of the Inklings to a friend in 1941 that “what I owe them all is incalculable.” Tolkien, too, was grateful for their meetings and Lewis’s friendship. Only by Lewis’s “support and friendship did I ever struggle to the end,” Tolkien wrote in a 1954 letter, shortly after “The Fellowship of the Ring” was published.

The Eagle and Child, which has become a pilgrimage site for lovers of Narnia and Middle-earth, was shuttered during the pandemic and is now for rent . When I visited in 2019, it was the quintessential Oxford pub — low-slung roof, dimly lit, ales as plentiful as the conversation and laughter.

The Lamb and Flag, a watering hole across the road that has operated since 1613, hosted the Inklings in the society’s twilight years. The pub also closed during the pandemic, but a community group — called the Inklings — rescued it and reopened its doors in October after a renovation, ensuring that Oxford visitors can still clink pints and think of the Inklings’ legacy.

cs lewis on travel

A refuge in the woods

The next morning, under gray skies, I set out to the final sites on my tour. A 15-minute taxi ride to the suburb of Risinghurst deposited me before a rambling, two-story brick house known as the Kilns . This was Lewis’s home from 1930 until his death from kidney failure on Nov. 22, 1963, at 64.

Today, the Kilns is a study center operated by the C.S. Lewis Foundation and offers tours by appointment. “Each year we get hundreds of people wanting to visit his home,” said Tyson Rallens, the center’s director, who met me at the front gate.

“Lewis found a lot of inspiration here,” Mr. Rallens said as we stood in the kitchen, a radiant Aga stove heating the house as it would have done during Lewis’s life. He showed me a black-and-white photo of Lewis’s gardener, Fred Paxford, the inspiration for Puddleglum, a loyal yet pessimistic character in the Narnia series book “The Silver Chair.”

In “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ,” the children are sent to the country home of a professor to escape the bombing of London, and in real life, Lewis opened the Kilns to several children seeking refuge from the Blitz.

After the house tour, Mr. Rallens suggested I visit Lewis’s garden, across the cul-de-sac from the main house. Today, it is the C.S. Lewis Nature Reserve , a sprawling wooded area with a large pond. I was amazed by how the reserve swallowed me up with its quiet; I’d have had no idea a freeway was close.

A woman, bundled up and with a battered copy of “Surprised by Joy,” sat on a brick bench overlooking the pond — a seat once a favorite of Lewis’s. When she was gone, I sat there and looked at the woods and water. I thought, once more, that had there been snow, the scene before me could easily be Narnia.

The final stop was Lewis’s resting place in the graveyard of Holy Trinity Church , where Lewis frequently worshiped, near the Kilns. The church honors him with a stained-glass window depicting Narnia. Visitors are welcome inside and on the cemetery grounds. At Lewis’s gravestone, among auburn leaves, I found dry flowers and a few handwritten notes tucked underneath pebbles.

One read, “Thank you for being my guide during this strange, wandering time.” I imagined it was from an admirer of Lewis’s Christian writings. In another, which was more weathered, I could just make out the end: “And thank you for the stories.” It was exactly what I’d come to tell Lewis myself.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2023 .

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Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

Italy :  Spend 36 hours in Florence , seeking out its lesser-known pockets.

Southern California :  Skip the freeways to explore the back roads between Los Angeles and Los Olivos , a 100-mile route that meanders through mountains, canyons and star-studded enclaves.

Mongolia : Some young people, searching for less curated travel experiences, are flocking to the open spaces of this East Asian nation .

Romania :  Timisoara  may be the most noteworthy city you’ve probably never heard of , offering just enough for visitors to fill two or three days.

India: A writer fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting Darjeeling, in the Himalayan foothills , taking in the tea gardens and riding a train through the hills.

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

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Eternal Perspective Ministries

His Final Interview: C.S. Lewis on the Future and Space Travel

cs lewis on travel

Shortly before he died November 22, 1963 (yes, the same day as John F. Kennedy), C. S. Lewis granted his final interview to Sherwood Elliot Wirt, of Decision Magazine . It’s a fascinating interview . I found the final two questions and answers interesting:

Wirt:  What do you think is going to happen in the next few years of history, Mr. Lewis? Lewis:  I have no way of knowing. My primary field is the past. I travel with my back to the engine, and that makes it difficult when you try to steer. The world might stop in ten minutes; meanwhile, we are to go on doing our duty. The great thing is to be found at one’s post as a child of God, living each day as though it were our last, but planning as though our world might last a hundred years. We have, of course, the assurance of the New Testament regarding events to come. I find it difficult to keep from laughing when I find people worrying about future destruction of some kind or other. Didn’t they know they were going to die anyway? Apparently not. My wife once asked a young woman friend whether she had ever thought of death, and she replied, “By the time I reach that age science will have done something about it!” Wirt:  Do you think there will be widespread travel in space? Lewis:  I look forward with horror to contact with the other inhabited planets, if there are such. We would only transport to them all of our sin and our acquisitiveness, and establish a new colonialism. I can’t bear to think of it. But if we on earth were to get right with God, of course, all would be changed. Once we find ourselves spiritually awakened, we can go to outer space and take the good things with us. That is quite a different matter.

Space

The stars of the heavens declare God’s glory (Psalm 19:1), yet how vast and distant they are. God made countless billions of galaxies containing perhaps trillions of nebulae, planets, and moons. Not many in human history have seen more than a few thousand stars, and then only as dots in the sky. If the heavens declare God’s glory now, and if we will spend eternity proclaiming God’s glory, don’t you think exploring the new heavens, and exercising dominion over them, will likely be part of God’s plan?

As a twelve-year-old, I first viewed through a telescope the great galaxy of Andromeda, consisting of hundreds of billions of stars and untold numbers of planets, nearly three million light years from Earth. I was mesmerized. I also wept, not knowing why. I was overwhelmed by greatness on a cosmic scale and felt terribly small and alone. Years later I first heard the gospel. After I became a Christian, I found that gazing through the telescope became an act of delighted worship.

Space

It’s hard for me to believe God made countless cosmic wonders intending that no human eye would ever behold them and that no human should ever set foot on them. The biblical accounts link mankind so closely with the physical universe and link God’s celestial heavens so closely with the manifestation of his glory that I believe he intends us to explore the new universe. The universe will be our backyard, a playground and university always beckoning us to come explore the wealth of our Lord—as one song puts it, the God of wonders beyond our galaxy.

Main photo: by NASA on Unsplash

Randy Alcorn ( @randyalcorn ) is the author of over sixty  books and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries . 

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Sunshine In September: The Story of C.S. Lewis' Conversion

That unremarkable trip to the zoo on September 28, 1931, was the last in a long line of experiences that brought C.S. Lewis (Jack) back to the faith.

It was just another typical fall day at the Kilns outside Oxford, England. The day began at 8 am with a full English breakfast and plenty of tea, of course. There was talk of a trip to the zoo, but fog began rolling in, so a bit of disagreement ensued over the day’s activities. Jack and his brother Warnie decided to go on ahead using the motorcycle and sidecar, while the ladies would follow later in the car. As they set out on the way to the park, the fog slowly lifted, and the sun began to shine.

That unremarkable trip to the zoo on September 28, 1931, was the last in a long line of experiences that brought C.S. Lewis (Jack) back to the faith. Some people call it a conversion, but I see it more as a return home after a long and difficult journey. “The longest way round is the shortest way home.”

Lewis was brought up in the church as a boy in Belfast, Ireland. He had a happy and carefree childhood until his mother’s death to cancer when he was nine years old. His loss was traumatic and compounded by his father’s own despair and melancholy. Unable to function after his wife’s death, Jack’s father shipped both of his sons off to boarding school.

Those were difficult years for the Lewis boys. After boarding school came college, and soon after, they joined the fight in World War One. The harshness of life and the horrors of war led them away from God and the church. Jack would later say that he was “very angry with God for not existing.”* Fortunately, during this time, Jack was also introduced to George MacDonald and GK Chesterton, whose Christian worldviews influenced him sometimes without knowing it. “A young man who wishes to remain an atheist cannot be too careful of his reading.”

Back at Oxford after the war, one of the most important friendships of the century began when C.S. Lewis met JRR Tolkien. “Jack and Tollers,” as they were known, had a lot in common. They were both English professors who had a love for Norse mythology. They both lost their mothers at an early age. And they were both veterans who had fought in the Great War. These shared experiences would bring them together and strengthen their bonds of friendship and fellowship. They quickly became friends and enjoyed walking, talking, smoking, and drinking together. They would later establish the writers’ group known as the “Inklings,” which met at the Eagle and Child Pub in Oxford each week to read and discuss each other’s literary work.

Around this time, one of the fiercest atheists that Jack knew admitted that the evidence for the Gospels was surprisingly good, and that it seemed God had indeed entered into human history after all. “Rum thing. All that stuff about the Dying God. It almost looks as if it really happened once,” Lewis said. The core of Jack’s atheism began to crumble as friends, acquaintances, and even authors of the books he was reading were all ganging up on him regarding the truth about the existence of God.

That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. I finally gave in and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.

As he considered all of this, he finally let go of the reins and gave in. “That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. I finally gave in and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.”

Jack now believed in God, but he was not a Christian yet. That would come two years later, in September of 1931. It began with a stroll along Addison’s Walk in Oxford and continued in conversation late into the night at Jack’s place. Tolkien, Lewis, and another friend, Hugo Dyson, were discussing all the old myths that they loved, and how Christianity was the one true myth of history, the one that actually happened.

Eight days later, after breakfast on September 28, 1931, Jack and Warnie headed out by motorcycle and sidecar on the way to the zoo. He would later write,

When we set out I did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, but when we reached the zoo I did. I had not exactly spent the journey in thought, nor in great emotion. ‘Emotional’ is perhaps the last word we can apply to some of the most important events. It was more like when a man, after a long sleep, still lying motionless on the bed, becomes aware that he is now awake.

From death to life. From darkness to light. The fog had lifted, and the Son was now shining bright.

*Quotations from Surprised By Joy , by C.S. Lewis

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Out of the Silent Planet: Cosmic Voyage as Spiritual Pilgrimage

Having already earned a reputation as a formidable literary scholar, C. S. Lewis scandalized his fellow Oxford dons in 1938 when he published a fantasy novel, Out of the Silent Planet . They would have been even more alarmed if they had noticed that he was writing what he called “theologized science fiction,” a fast-paced adventure story with profound spiritual overtones.

Out of the Silent Planet  sprung from a conversation between C. S. Lewis and his great friend J. R. R. Tolkien. As Tolkien explained it, Lewis said to him one day, “Tollers, there is too little of what we really like in stories. I am afraid we shall have to write some ourselves.” The two went on to agree that Lewis would try his hand at a space-travel tale and Tolkien would do something with time-travel. Tolkien’s effort, “The Lost Road,” was never finished, but Lewis’s half of the bargain resulted in Out of the Silent Planet, the first book of the Ransom trilogy.

Despite these similarities of plot, however, Lewis’s tale is emphatically anti-Wellsian in theme.  Out of the Silent Planet  offers a withering critique of what Lewis called “Evolutionism,” the notion, popularized by H. G. Wells, that humans needed to take control of the evolutionary process, to reach for divinity, soaring from planet to planet and star to star. Such visions may seem grandiose and quixotic to contemporary readers. But Lewis saw a real danger in this line of thought, a new version of the serpent’s temptation to Eve: “Ye shall become as gods.” Writing in 1938, Lewis correctly predicted that this master race mentality could easily justify all manner of atrocities against other species or against “inferior” members of the human species.

Apart from debunking Evolutionism, Lewis hoped that taking his readers on a voyage to another world would give them another perspective on this one. In the opening pages of the story, we meet Elwin Ransom, a Cambridge philologist on a solitary walking tour. He is a tall, round-shouldered man, thirty-five to forty, with a certain shabbiness of dress that marks a university professor on holiday. One cannot help but notice how much this description fits Lewis himself, and the opening scene resembles an incident that happened to Lewis himself in his twenties. But the real adventure begins when Ransom stops in at an isolated country house being rented by Edward Weston, a noted scientist, and Dick Devine, a former schoolmate. Sensing something vaguely sinister about their intentions toward a simpleminded boy who works for them, Ransom nevertheless accepts a drink, discovering too late that he has been drugged. When he starts to come to, Ransom makes a feeble attempt to escape, but he is soon knocked unconscious again.

Awakening the next time in an eerie metal chamber, he realizes he is traveling in space and fears for his own sanity as he contemplates the idea of traveling so far from earth into the dark vastness that separates the worlds. But when he looks out the window, Ransom is not appalled but rather awed by the splendid scene spread before his eyes. He comes to realize that the modern concept of “Space,” suggesting a vast, cold, dead abyss between the planets, seems an almost blasphemous term to describe the “empyrean ocean of radiance in which they swam.” Ransom concludes that “older thinkers had been wiser when they named it simply the heavens–the heavens which declared the glory,” thus choosing the words of the Psalmist (Ps 19:1) over those of the scientist.

Having awakened to a whole new set of realities, Ransom begins a long pilgrimage that will continue in the next two books of the trilogy, Perelandra and That Hideous Strength . Once Ransom and his abductors land on Mars, his first surprise is to find a landscape of surpassing beauty. Later on, he will learn that the inhabitants of Mars, who call their world Malacandra, are not at all like the nightmarish visions of his imagination. There are three rational species on the planet, very different from each other but all benign and living in harmony.

Escaping from Weston and Devine, Ransom wanders on his own for awhile and then befriends human-sized otter-like creatures called hrossa , learning some of their speech. A pious man, he begins to wonder if he should undertake to instruct them in his faith. But they have their own well-defined convictions, and it is they who marvel at his ignorance. They explain that the Field of Arbol (the solar system) is ruled by Maleldil and that each world has its own Oyarsa, or planetary sovereign. However, on the third planet, the Oyarsa and some of his eldils rose up in rebellion against Maleldil, recognizing no authority but themselves. Led by the Bent Oyarsa, this world was now cut off from the others and thus called Thulcandra, “the Silent Planet.” It remains a battleground, though there are rumors in Deep Heaven of wondrous deeds performed by Maleldil to reclaim his lost world.

This is certainly the stuff of science fiction. But it is also a rough outline of the Christian creed, especially as it was embodied in the medieval picture of the cosmos. For Ransom, it is a revelation to discover that what he thought of as his “religion” is simply Reality. Lewis was quite amused that hardly any reviewers noticed any spiritual dimension to his fanciful tale. He wrote to a friend that “any amount of theology can be smuggled into people’s minds under cover of romance [popular fiction] without their knowing it.”

Readers have complained, correctly, that Lewis’s villains tend to be stick figures, embodiments of traits or philosophies that Lewis detested. But Lewis the critic would argue that this need not be considered a literary flaw. In an essay on Spenser, Lewis conceded that “the novel calls for characters with insides.” But he went on to list many other genres which do not require highly-psychologized characters, including several of his favorite forms—myths, folk tales and adventure stories. Lewis insisted that the highest purpose of such stories was to explore regions of “beauty, awe, or terror such as the actual world does not supply.” In another essay, “On Stories,” he concluded that “to construct plausible and moving ‘other worlds,’ you must draw on the only real ‘other world’ we know, that of the spirit.”

Critics will continue to argue the literary merits of  Out of the Silent Planet , especially the improbabilities of its plot and the simplicity of its villains. But this book, like Perelandra and That Hideous Strength , is best understood as a glimpse into the Otherworld of Lewis’s own spirit–a fascinating blend of cosmic voyage, theological homage, and spiritual pilgrimage.

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Mourne Mountains

If you didn't find Narnia in your own wardrobe ...

When Disney scoured the world looking for a location to play Narnia's mythical landscape, they chose New Zealand's fantastical soaring mountains and sun-scorched grassy plains. It would have pleased CS Lewis , Narnia's creator, but it wouldn't have resonated with his love of 'Northernness'. For Lewis the portal into Narnia was far closer to home - Ulster.

'I have seen landscapes, notably in the Mourne Mountains and southwards which under a particular light made me feel that at any moment a giant might raise his head over the next ridge,' he wrote in his essay On Stories. While living in England he spoke of the magic of Northern Ireland: 'I yearn to see County Down in the snow, one almost expects to see a march of dwarfs dashing past. How I long to break into a world where such things were true.'

And in a letter to his brother, he confided explicitly: 'That part of Rostrevor which overlooks Carlingford Lough is my idea of Narnia.'

While he loved the countryside, in a letter to his best friend Arthur Greeves, Lewis confessed that he was less fond of the people. 'The country is very beautiful and if only I could deport the Ulstermen and fill their land with a populace of my own choosing, I should ask for no better place to live in.' This, argue some experts, is what he did when creating Narnia.

Clive Staples Lewis grew up in Ulster, honeymooned there and continued to return throughout his life, and yet you will find no mention of the bestselling author in most guidebooks to Ireland. Only now, with the release of the Disney film, the area is waking up to this major aspect of its heritage.

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board has produced a lustrous, full-colour booklet detailing Lewis's local links. Harper Taxi Tours, which usually takes tourists round the Shankill and Falls Roads to see the murals and sites of Belfast's political history, has branched out into a more magical subject area and created a CS Lewis tour. Queen's University is dedicating a reading room, and there is even a CS Lewis Festival that started on Friday and runs until 11 December. It is all thanks to lottery and EU funding of 'Celebrate Belfast', aimed at shaking off the city's troubled image and revitalising its tourism.

I have been obsessed with the Narnia books since reading them and, like many children, trying to reach Narnia by climbing into my wardrobe. Perhaps it appealed all the more because I too grew up in Ulster, and I too left (me aged seven, CS Lewis aged 10). I have happy childhood memories of playing with my brother in the barley fields during holidays in Northern Ireland, and perhaps Narnia appealed because it reminded me of all the best parts of Ulster that I knew and missed. So I set off to revisit my old haunts to see if they would remind me of Narnia.

On our first day in Ulster, tour guide Ken Harper loaded my eccentric family into his (burgundy) Black Taxi. There was my two-year-old son Leo, beaming in his buggy, along with Olga, his Russian nanny, and Roslyn, my grown-up Irish cousin.

First stop was St Mark's, Holywood Road, Belfast, the church Lewis attended. 'You can see the door knob with a lion on it on the rectory where Lewis's grandfather lived,' said Ken enthusiastically.

We were sceptical about how worthwhile a journey to see a doorknob would be, but there was something surprisingly mystical about that lion. Jack, as CS Lewis liked to be called, would have looked up to the doorknob just as Leo was doing now, and seen this majestic lion transporting him to corridors of magic.

In fact my family and the Lewises came from the same social circle. Perhaps that's why Little Lea, Lewis's childhood home, seemed familiar; it was almost exactly like my grandmother's house. It had the same sense of abundance - solid door frames of ample size, generous, mysterious wardrobes, spacious rooms; nothing skimped. In Northern Ireland there is an unspoken understanding that things are done to the full. This is very much what the 'happy land of Narnia' is about - it is a land of butter and cream, of plenty, made even more poignant because it was written during postwar hardship, when even potatoes (to Lewis's consternation) were rationed.

Little Lea is now privately owned and the new owners prefer not to have tourists visiting, so Ken gave us the house's history from the gates. I tiptoed up to the front door of the house, in whose 'Little End Room' Lewis spent hours of his childhood inventing stories about other worlds and talking to animals and looking out across Co Down to the Mourne Mountains beyond. It is a mysteriously complex piece of Victorian architecture with rambling outhouses and a pleasant garden. Beyond would have been rolling countryside. This is where Jack spent the happiest years of his childhood before his mother died in 1908 when he was nine. The Chronicles of Narnia may have been his attempt to evoke that lost sense of childhood happiness.

Ken drove us through the housing estates of East Belfast, where a CS Lewis mural rises like a beacon of goodness amid the menacing slogans of conflict. Protestant CS Lewis had virtually no interest in politics. 'I believe that ... those who are at the heart of each division [of religion] are all closer to one another than to those who are at the fringes,' he wrote to one Catholic correspondent.

When we climbed the Holywood hills and saw the vivid green fields and glinting sea I began to feel that this really was the brink of Narnia. Lewis would have walked these hills and looked out across Belfast, 'ringing with the sound of the hammers that built the Titanic', to the countryside lapping into the distance. And beyond, the portentous and dominating Mourne Mountains.

Lewis was longing for, as his brother puts it, 'the lost simplicity of country pleasures, the empty sky, the unspoilt hills, the white silent roads on which you could hear the rattle of a farm cart half a mile away'. To get a sense of that world, head for the extraordinary, if melancholy, Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. This 175-acre site, in the Holywood hills where Lewis grew up, is a town and surrounding rural area frozen exactly as it would have been in 1901.

The northern coast of Antrim was much loved by Lewis. Ronald Bresland, author of The Backward Glance: CS Lewis and Ireland, argues that 'among the romantic ruins of Dunluce Castle and the windswept beaches of the Causeway Coast, we can detect something of the origins of Cair Paravel [Narnia's fairytale castle].'

In The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Lewis describes the castle 'towering up above them; before them were the sands, with rocks and little pools of salt water, and seaweed, and the smell of the sea, and long lines of bluish green waves breaking forever and ever on the beach. And oh, the cry of the sea-gulls!' For the real Narnia as Lewis intended it, 'Narnia of the heathery mountains and the thymy downs, Narnia of the many rivers, the plashing glens, the mossy caverns and the deep forests' (The Horse and His Boy), you need to see Down. 'The green hills ... The soft low hills of Down,' as Lewis wrote in a poem.

On your way stop at Rowallane Gardens. They have a quiet, almost forgotten feeling a little like the garden beyond the hills in The Magician's Nephew. Enter by the Golden Gates (OK, wrought iron, but still...) and enjoy roaming among the profuse flowers.

Then head to Rostrevor, or stay at The Old Inn in Crawfordsburn where CS Lewis and Joy Gresham enjoyed an 'almost perfect' belated honeymoon. At night settle down by the fire and read the Irish myths Lewis's nurse, Lizzie Endicott, delighted her young charge with, or have spirited debates about whether myth is truth, or the existence of God, as Lewis loved to do.

By day you can enjoy Tollymore Forest Park and visit the Mourne Heritage Trust in Newcastle who will guide you on walks through the Mournes and Silent Valley.

Despite a shocking amount of recent development in the form of boxy uPVC-windowed houses, Northern Ireland is a great destination for a family holiday. Leo exulted in the child-friendly attractions, including the world-class W5 Museum, with more than 140 interactive exhibits. The renowned warmth of the Northern Irish welcome doubles when you have young children in tow, and Leo left thinking he was royalty.

For many, the area's appeal as a family tourist destination has been long overshadowed by the conflict, but as you look out over Co Down from the Mournes, you may feel Ulster coming back to life, like a stone giant breathed on by Aslan.

'Northern Ireland and CS Lewis', a booklet giving details of the places that inspired the author, and how to get there, is available from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (028 9023 1221; www.discovernorthernireland.com ). Details of Ken Harper's CS Lewis Black Taxi Tour are at www.harpertaxitours.co.nr or call 028 9074 2711.

Double rooms at the Malone Lodge Hotel (028 9038 8000; www.malonelodgehotel.com ) in Belfast start from £89, bed and breakfast.

In County Down, try the Kilmorey Arms Hotel in Kilkeel (028 4176 2220; www.kilmoreyarmshotel.co.uk ) or The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn (028 9185 3255; www.theoldinn.com ) where CS Lewis spent his honeymoon with Joy Gresham.

Easyjet (0905 821 0905; www.easyjet.com flies from eight English and Scottish cities to Belfast from £26 return.

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Walking the English Countryside with CS Lewis

Set out on a walking tour of England’s Narnia-like woods, streams and gentle hills with the medievalist fantasy writer

By Mark Jones   6 July 2018

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It is Oxford, sometime between the two World Wars. We are about to set out on a walking tour with two friends: both dons, one a medievalist, the other an expert on Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic languages. On the journey west through the heart of England they will drink beer, smoke their pipes, debate theology – both are muscular Christians – and tell stories about elves and goblins, dragons and giants.

Those walking holidays will sow the seeds for two of the greatest 20th century works of modern fantasy. One of the dons, JRR Tolkien, will write  The Hobbit  and  The Lord of the Rings . The other, the medievalist CS Lewis, will write  The Chronicles of Narnia .

But we can’t accompany both. When you’re a young reader, you must choose between Tolkien and Lewis. I was always a son of Narnia, not a subject of Middle Earth. So let’s set off with its creator and find that magical land of witches, princes and talking animals.

If you see the adjective ‘Narnian’ these days, it’ll probably be next to a picture of snow, pine trees and an old-fashioned lamppost. That’s because the scene at the start of Lewis’ first Narnia novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , sees a little girl, Lucy, walk through the back of a wardrobe into a land of eternal winter.

No wonder. It’s one of the most memorable scenes in children’s literature. But the enchantment doesn’t last the course of that novel and you have six and a half more books where there’s hardly a flake of snow at all (apart from a rambunctious scene at the end of The Silver Chair ).

Don’t bother looking at the locations of the recent Narnia films. They were shot in places like New Zealand and the Czech Republic, and if you ask this writer, for all their filmic gimmickry, they managed to lose the essential magic of the original stories.

Pauline Bayes' illustrated map of Narnia

Instead, step out on a fine English day and explore these places with the original stories tucked in your backpack.

Let’s start with the fabled castle of Cair Paravel, where the Narnian kings and queens reside, best encountered at the end of  TLTWATW  and (in ruins) at the beginning of  Prince Caspian . The Old English spelling is a clue: head to the far west, to the ruins of Tintagel Castle near Padstow in Cornwall.

Narnia is a place of woods and streams, cottages and gentle hills. We are in the land of those walking tours. I would choose a route that takes in the mellow West Midland counties of Worcestershire, Shropshire and Herefordshire. Further west, you cross into the wilder mountain kingdom of Wales. In Lewis’ prose (and the wonderful illustrations of Pauline Baynes), Wales is recognisable as the little kingdom of Archenland on Narnia’s border, which you’ll discover at the end of  The Horse and His Boy .

In that book, the hero and his horse cross into Archenland over a desert from a city very like ancient Baghdad or Babylon. It’s the kind of geographic liberty you can take when you’re writing a children’s story. Lewis – who rarely ventured overseas – did his travelling through reading. But what a reader he was. When I first got to experience the great Islamic capitals for myself, it was Tashbaan, Lewis’ city of viziers and gardens, street-sellers and palaces, that was in my mind.

In  The Voyage of the Dawn Treader , Lewis’ reimagining of  The Odyssey , we first land in The Lone Islands, sunny, quasi-independent islands beyond Narnia. They’re easy to find in the tiny group of Channel Islands between England and France. Start at St Peter Port, the capital of Guernsey.

The filmmakers will give New Zealand another tourism boost when they get around to making  The Silver Chair . Lewis, of course, knew nothing of a land so far from his own experience. This tale of a journey through marshlands and mountains where giants dwell is best experienced in the Scottish Highlands – especially the western region of Assynt. As there is nowhere else like it on Earth, it stands in very well for a fantasy world so many children, like me, dreamt of one day exploring.

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Travel with C S Lewis: The creator of Narnia and most quoted Christian of the 20th Century (Day One Travel Guides)

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Travel with C S Lewis: The creator of Narnia and most quoted Christian of the 20th Century (Day One Travel Guides) Paperback – May 29, 2007

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  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Day One Publications (May 29, 2007)
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Travel with CS Lewis: The Creator of Narnia and the Most Quoted Christian of the 20th Century

cs lewis on travel

When C.S. Lewis’ grandfather hand-carved a wardrobe out of black oak to adorn his family home, he had little idea that it would provide his grandson with the inspiration for one of the world’s best-loved stories. The wardrobe stood for a time in the family home in Belfast, exerting a curious attraction for the children in the house. Two of Lewis’ cousins remember sitting inside it, the door ajar, while the young boy held them spellbound with his stories. This young storyteller would become the author of one of the most famous books in the history of children’s literature, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In this guide, the author describes how the atheistic Clive Staples Lewis became the most widely-quoted Christian writer of the twentieth century, and explores the places that inspired Lewis’ stories.

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  • Title : Travel with CS Lewis: The Creator of Narnia and the Most Quoted Christian of the 20th Century
  • Author : Ronald Bresland
  • Publisher : Day One
  • Print Publication Date: 2006
  • Logos Release Date: 2017
  • Language : English
  • Resources: 1
  • Format : Digital › Logos Research Edition
  • Subject : Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples), 1898-1963 › Homes and haunts
  • ISBNs : 9781846250569 , 1846250560
  • Resource ID: LLS:DYNTRVLGDCSL
  • Resource Type: Monograph
  • Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T23:27:20Z

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Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast  in 1898. A prolific writer and academic, he produced an immense body of work during his lifetime as well as holding positions in English literature at both Oxford University and Cambridge University. But it's The Chronicles of Narnia for which he will be remembered forever. A series of seven fantasy novels, published between 1950 and 1956, they captured the public's imagination and have become part of our culture, having been adapted for radio, television, the stage, film and even video games.

But from where did Lewis draw inspiration for his magical tales such as The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe? Why, from the epic landscapes of Northern Ireland , of course!

The Lamppost Cafe CS Lewis Guided Walking Tour  Worlds Within Wardrobes A Literary Odyssey Belfast C

The Lamppost Café, Belfast

Belfast bred

For fans of CS Lewis, the first stop has to be the great writer's home city of Belfast. Here, you can visit CS Lewis Square , a public space that features seven Narnia-inspired bronze sculptures by Irish artist Maurice Harron – Mr Tumnus, Maugrim, the White Witch, Mr and Mrs Beaver, the Stone Table, the Robin, and Aslan!

Pop next door to the EastSide Visitor Centre for a coffee and a treat in the JACK Coffee Bar , which was named after CS Lewis, who was affectionately known as "Jack" to family and friends.

You can also embark on a guided CS Lewis Tour of the city. There are a number of both walking and driving tours available, on which you'll see key sites such as where Lewis was born and christened, his early family home, and the CS Lewis Reading Room at Queen's University.

Following in the footsteps of the author and picking up on clues to his inspiration – such as the lion-shaped doorknob on the rectory where he was baptised – is truly a treat for Narnia lovers!

Mourne Mountains Co Downwebsize2500x1200px

Mourne Mountains, County Down

The magical Mourne Mountains

South of Belfast, the epic Mourne Mountains  of County Down bewitched CS Lewis with their majestic peaks and endless views. This granite mountain range includes the highest peaks in Northern Ireland and there are lots of trails to suit all levels of walkers and hikers.

In his essay, On Stories, Lewis famously noted that a giant wouldn't be out of place amid this vast and stunning landscape. Wandering across the slopes of this magical region, you can't help but feel like Lucy in the novels, exploring a mythical new world. Just watch out for the White Witch!

I have seen landscapes, notably in the Mourne Mountains and southwards which under a particular light made me feel that at any moment a giant might raise his head over the next ridge. CS Lewis

Narnia Sculpture at Kilbroney Forest Park_web-size

The Narnia Trail, Kilbroney Forest Park, County Down

Enchanting forests

On the southern slopes of the Mourne Mountains, Tollymore Forest Park feels like it has been lifted straight out of Narnia and placed in Northern Ireland. As well as being an area of outstanding natural beauty, Tollymore is full of gothic-style gate arches, bridges, grottos and caves. They're just the kind of spots from which Mr and Mrs Beaver might pop out!

Don't miss the almost life-sized stone head of a lion on the classical water fountain along the Azalea Walk. According to local legend, this is Aslan.

Just a short hop away you have The Narnia Trail in Kilbroney Forest Park . CS Lewis spent much time in this area on his holidays as a young boy, no doubt dreaming up magical creatures and fantastic lands which would eventually become the Narnia we all know and love. The looped walk takes you through a pretty woodland, complete with a number of intriguing features along the way, including The Lamp Post, The Beaver's House and Aslan's Table.

Stop awhile, take some selfies and soak up the special atmosphere in this enchanting place.

That part of Rostrevor which overlooks Carlingford Lough is my idea of Narnia. CS Lewis

CS Lewis Tourwebsize2500x1200px

CS Lewis Square, Belfast

The real-world Narnia

So, from buzzing Belfast city and the mighty Mournes to spellbinding forest trails, Northern Ireland is well and truly the real-world Narnia. With his classic literary creation, CS Lewis has ensured that his home place will forever be sprinkled with a little bit of magic. If you want to step through the wardrobe and experience the magical land for yourself, you know where to go.

The adventure of a lifetime awaits...

Where do you want to go?

Do you feel like tasting wild Atlantic sea spray on your lips? Strolling through vibrant city streets? Exploring ancient ruins? Right this way…

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CS Lewis Attractions in Ireland and Where You’ll Find Them

  • Post author: colette
  • Post published: March 8, 2021
  • Post category: Irish Writers / Northern Ireland Attractions
  • Post comments: 0 Comments

Are you a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia, the series of fantasy novels by C.S. Lewis, who was born in Belfast? Perhaps you didn’t know that there are specific CS Lewis attractions in Ireland that inspired the prolific writer to create his large body of work.

irelandonabudget.com

Here are some of the places that inspired this talented novelist, whose writings are loved throughout the world.

Table of Contents

Belfast, the Birthplace of C.S. Lewis

While it’s not possible to visit his childhood home on 76 Circular Road in the Strandtown section of Belfast, there is a sign outside the house that says, “Little Lea” and over the fence, you can see this description, “C.S. Lewis – author and critic – lived here 1905-1917.”

This was not the first Belfast home that Lewis lived in, however.

The semi-detached home where he was born on Nov. 29, 1898, was located on Dundela Avenue in a densely populated part of the city.

irelandonabudget.com

It no longer exists because the house and others nearby were demolished in the 1950s to accommodate social housing.

His father, a solicitor, was firmly planted in Belfast’s early 20 th -century middle class.

That meant Lewis and his brother were not exposed to the overcrowded neighborhoods that existed in other parts of this growing industrial city.

The family’s move to the suburbs avoided the smog that was prevalent in Belfast at the time due to its abundance of factories.

Belfast was the most successful city on the island of Ireland in terms of industry, with linen mills, ropemaking factories, tobacco production, and of course shipbuilding being its claim to fame in the late 1800s/early 1900s.

Read More: Belfast and the Titanic: An Epic Journey

“Little Lea,” Where Lewis’s Imaginings First Emerged

“Little Lea,” his new home, would prove to be the ideal place for Lewis’s incredible imagination.

He is quoted as saying, “I am a product of long corridors, empty sunlit rooms, upstairs indoor silences, attics explored in solitude, distant noises of gurgling cisterns and pipes, and the noise of the wind.”

By clicking on the Amazon links below, I may earn a small commission from the Amazon Associates Program. However, you will not incur any additional costs by doing so. 

irelandonabudget.com

Perhaps it is out of this environment that Lewis’s character, Lucy, finds the wardrobe that leads to Narnia while exploring a large country house, as detailed in the novel, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.”

The house that Lewis and his brother, Warren, grew up in had a library and as a result, Lewis devoured many books from his father’s extensive collection.

Lewis had a happy childhood in this home, but the death of his mother would shatter him and his brother.

Two weeks after her death, Lewis was sent to a boarding school in England and that is where he would spend most of his adult life.

Dunluce Castle

Lewis first saw the impressive ruins of Dunluce Castle on the County Antrim coast when he was a little boy vacationing with his family.

In fact, Lewis himself has said that the castle was the inspiration for Cair Paravel, the capital of the Kingdom of Narnia.

Readers are first introduced to it in “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.”

It also served as inspiration for the book following that, which was called, “Prince Caspian.”

In that novel, the castle is a ruin on an island, the location where the Narnia river meets the ocean.

irelandonabudget.com

Dunluce was the former home of the MacQuillen family who controlled much of Northern Ireland during the 16 th century.

It was later seized by the powerful MacDonnell clan under the leadership of Sorley Boy MacDonnell.

A small town actually grew up around the castle during the 17 th century.

In recent years, archaeologists discovered medieval pottery that points to an earlier community of people living outside the castle’s main gates.

Discover Belfast’s Top Walking Tours

The Mourne Mountains

Lewis also vacationed in the Mourne Mountains with his family. They were drawn to an area of the Mournes near the village of Rostrevor.

Today, this is where you will discover the Narnia Trail, a looped walk that will take you through the woodlands of Kilbroney Park in County Down.

irelandonabudget.com

There are a number of interesting features along the way that will delight Narnia fans.

Walkers enter the trail through a “Wardrobe Door.” Beyond that lies a land that is filled with strange and intriguing creatures.

Expect to encounter “The Lamp Post,” “The Beaver’s House” and “Aslan’s Table.” The park also includes a number of Narnia sculptures and a maze.

The trail is especially fun for young children but really, all Narnia fans will enjoy this attraction.

The Cloughmore Trail has also been associated with the tales of Narnia. No doubt Lewis also visited the Cloughmore Stone as it is close to Kilbroney Park.

a large boulder in a field CS Lewis attractions in Ireland

The Cloughmore Stone, locally known as “The Big Stone,” is a huge granite boulder that is located about 1,000 feet (300 meters) above Rostrevor.

The views of the countryside are breathtaking from here.

While the stone is thought to have been deposited in the area 10,000 years ago during the last Ice Age, Lewis would have been much more interested in the folklore associated with it.

Local legend says that the stone was thrown from the Cooley Mountains on the other side of Carlingford Lough by the Irish mythical giant Finn McCool and that it landed in this very spot.

Legananny Dolmen

The Legananny Dolmen in County Down, which dates to the Neolithic period, also served as inspiration for Lewis’s writings.

large stones in a field CS Lewis Attractions in Ireland

The 5,000-year-old monument was likely used as a burial place since some urns have been found nearby.

The portal tomb contains a large capstone over 3 meters (9 feet) long and about 1.8 meters (5 feet) off the ground.

The monument is similar to the Stone Table that Susan and Lucy travel to.

When they arrive, Aslan tells them to turn back, but they remain anyway and witness Aslan’s death at the hands of the White Witch.

Read More: Northern Ireland and US Presidents: Discovering their Roots

Tollymore Forest Park

Lewis also drew much inspiration from his visits to Tollymore Forest Park, also in Co. Down.

a stone arch CS Lewis attractions in Ireland

The park, which was also the setting for several scenes in HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” contains a number of ornamental follies that include Gothic gate arches and Clanbrassil Barn, which was designed to look like a church complete with a steeple and bell, a clock and a sundial.

The Shimna river cuts through the park and there are many curiosities to see here, all of which must have fueled Lewis’s imagination.

They include 16 bridges, as well as grottos and caves.

You’ll also find The King’s Grave in the Tollymore Forest Park. The megalithic cairn is located at the western end of it and dates from about 1,500 B.C.

irelandonabudget.com

Mussenden Temple

Another one of those places that inspired Lewis was Mussenden Temple.

Besides the ruin that is situated high on a cliff above the ocean, the surrounding Downhill Demesne, which once belonged to Frederick Augustus Hervey, bishop of Derry, has many interesting features.

They include a lion’s gate, a mausoleum, and a walled garden, memories that Lewis must have relied on to create his fantastical tales.

a temple overlooking the ocean CS Lewis attractions in Ireland

The temple, which is perhaps the most popular attraction of the grand country estate, served as a summer library for the bishop’s cousin, Frideswide Mussenden.

It was inspired by the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli.

In the early 1900s, when Lewis and his brother were exploring the surrounding area, the estate would have been occupied.

After the 1920s, it fell into disrepair and during World War II it was used as a Royal Air Force site.

Today, only the ruins of it remain.

a sculpture outside a building CS Lewis Attractions in Ireland

Other attractions that are connected to Lewis include a walk through CS Lewis Square in Belfast, which features seven sculptures from Lewis’s most popular book.

They include statues of Aslan, The White Witch, Mr. Tumnus, The Beavers, The Robin, and the Stone Table.

Let me know in the comments below if you’ve been to any of these CS Lewis attractions in Ireland that are mentioned above.

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The 2022 C.S. Lewis Summer Institute

Travel tips.

We have compiled the following list of travel tips for our registrants who are traveling to the U.K. to join us at the C.S. Lewis Summer Institute 202 2 .

This information is offered for your convenience, and the C.S. Lewis Foundation assumes no liability for errors or omissions. Hopefully this will help in your planning. Please note that the information is subject to change.

Before the Summer Institute

General travel tips.

Rick Steves has an expansive website full of travel tips, specially geared towards international travel . The various categories here will give you plenty of helpful information and suggestions for traveling overseas.

The TSA provides this page about what you can and cannot bring in your luggage. They also have a very helpful page about the “Liquids Rule.”  

Make sure your passport is current. Your passport cannot expire within six months of your return date. In the U.S. and other countries, passport renewals are taking longer than usual, up to 11 weeks in the busiest areas (shorter with expedited service).

COVID-19 Pandemic Policies

As of February of 2022, there are no pandemic restrictions or mandates in place in the UK . However, there is no guarantee we can offer regarding what the situation may be at the time of the conference. We will comply with all U.K. and local guidelines in effect at the time of the conference.

For travel requirements, please check your country of origin and the U.K. Border Control website for the most current information:   https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control

For American travelers, please visit the CDC’s page for International Travel for U.S. Citizens/Nationals, Lawful Permanent Residents, and Immigrants: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html .

As of Sunday, June 12, COVID-19 testing is no longer required for U.S. citizens returning to the United States. Please see this article for more information and what this will mean for your travel if you are coming to the conference from the United States.

Please note that there may still be a degree of uncertainty about any travel in 2022. If you are concerned, we recommend that you purchase travel insurance that matches with your degree of comfort with risk.

The C.S. Lewis Foundation assumes no liability for changes in personal, individual travel plans or additional travel costs due to travel complications that might arise (please see our refund policy above). In case of the event being cancelled, we are able to convert the amount to a donation, apply it to a future event(s), or refund attendees in installments and based on our Board of Trustees’ guidance.

Alert your ATM and/or credit card issuers of your travel plans (at least a week) before departure in order to avoid blockage due to suspicion of fraudulent charges being made overseas.

NOTE: You may need to change your pin number at your bank in order to access funds from overseas ATMs. ATM, Visa, MasterCard, or American Express cards yield the best exchange rates and are widely accepted at most hotels and shops throughout the U.K. Note: some places do not take American Express or Discover card. Check with your credit card company concerning fees for international use. Your bank may have a “partner bank” in the U.K. which might not charge extra for withdrawals.

There are some credit cards and bank accounts that waive fees for international purchases.

You may wish to convert dollars to Pound Sterling prior to leaving the States or you may do so upon your arrival in England. If you wish to do so ahead of time, you’ll want to check with your bank whether it does this (most smaller, local banks do not, but bigger, international banks sometimes do).  

We recommend that you access needed cash in pounds via an ATM machine immediately upon clearing customs in order to pay the bus and taxi fares as the exchange rates tend to be much better than what you’d get at a currency exchange store.  

PLEASE NOTE: Uber now operates in Oxford through local taxis (ridesharing is banned in Oxford, but Uber has arranged services with taxi companies). It’s possible and likely that you can pay for a taxi upon arrival in Oxford, using your credit card through the Uber app. However, we have not tested it ourselves yet and it’s best to be safe and have some cash on hand.

Be sure to know how your health care service works should you need medical treatment while overseas. If you are taking prescription drugs, make sure you have an adequate supply for your entire trip. It is also advisable to carry a copy of your prescriptions described by their generic names.

Travel Insurance

The C.S. Lewis Foundation is not responsible for any costs you may incur if you have to cancel your trip. We strongly encourage you to obtain travel and trip cancellation insurance. One potential company used by past Oxbridge registrants is Travelex Insurance at 1-800-228-9792.

England is beautiful in the summertime; however, it can often be cool, damp, and overcast. Plan for daytime temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Layering is recommended due to variations in climate. Casual, neat casual, and business casual dress, as well as comfortable footwear, will serve most occasions. A raincoat and/or umbrella are a must.

This is not a comprehensive list, but here are several important items that are easily forgotten:

  • Airline ticket – good to print even if you have it on your phone; customs in the UK also needs to see this and it’s easier to show on paper
  • Printouts/receipts of everywhere you are staying while in the UK for customs
  • ATM card/credit cards
  • Passport and driver’s license
  • England ended all covid restrictions
  • Alarm clock (or use your phone for this)
  • A good, broken in, pair of shoes. There will be a decent amount of walking to do, often on pavement that can be a bit uneven (or cobblestones). While we have a shuttle for those who have mobility issues, most of our attendees will be walking to/from lunch and our evening venues.
  • Voltage converter. Check your various electronic device plugs to see whether they have 220V listed as voltage. If you have anything that doesn’t take 220V, then you will either need to leave it at home or bring a voltage converter. Devices that use a lot of power and heat like heaters, curling irons, and blow dryers generally are risky to bring and could burn out/explode given their high energy use. Do so at your own risk. Also, don’t forget to double check the chargers for anything that has a rechargeable battery (toothbrushes, razors, etc.).
  • A three-prong plug/outlet adapter designed for the UK (UK is 220V)
  • Washcloth(s)—(towels are provided at St. Catherine’s)
  • Toiletries; both accommodations consist of dorm rooms. They provide tea and coffee-making facilities, linen, and towels. Hair dryers, ethernet cables and adaptors can be hired/purchased from their Lodge.  
  • Bible, journal, and notebook
  • Extra hangers.
  • Chargers for your cell phone and other devices

Cell Phone 

Check with your provider to see if your cell phone will work internationally. If not, you may want to purchase a pre-paid phone or sim card in England. You may be able to order these ahead of time; on Amazon they have these cards at a cost around $29.99.

  • Check with your airline regarding the number and weight limit of luggage allowed each passenger.
  • Before you go, itemize the contents of your luggage as this will assist you in the event you need to file an insurance claim.
  • Put your home address and destination address on the outside and inside of each piece of luggage, including carry-on bags.

See above for a shoe recommendation under the packing section. Past registrant tip: you might also want to prepare for the conference by getting some walks in ahead of time, especially if you have a new pair of shoes to break in.

While there is no set dress code, per se, most guests dress in casual, neat casual, or business casual attire. Some of us do dress up a bit more during the church services, particularly the closing service at the end of the conference (shirt/tie or suit, a dress, etc.).

Flight and Arrival

We are hearing that international travelers should arrive at the airport 3-4 hours before LOADING (not departure). These two videos offer helpful, current information for flyers: “Flights, Cancelled and Delayed – How to Survive Flying This Summer” and “How to Avoid Travel Chaos This Summer.”

Have a valid passport, driver’s license, and your airline ticket. You may wish to keep a copy of your passport separate in a safe place with you in case the original is misplaced or stolen.  

Make sure you’re fully prepared to go through customs. This article provides 14 helpful tips for getting through the process quickly and safely.

Make sure you have print-outs of all your tickets, plus printed confirmation of your lodging (with addresses and phone numbers).

Passport Control/Customs

  • During your flight you will be given a Visitor Card and instructed on how to fill it out.
  • After claiming your luggage, proceed through Customs check (allow up to one hour for this entire process).
  • You will need to present the Passport Control Officer with both your Visitor Card and a valid passport. The officer will ask you a few basic questions concerning your destination and the length and purpose of the visit.

You may be arriving at either London’s Heathrow or Gatwick airports. While Heathrow is a half hour closer to our conference sites, access to the university cities is fairly convenient from either airport. Your destination airport will depend largely on the airline you have chosen to fly.

Transportation to Oxford

In most cases we recommend taking the bus instead of the train—it’s inexpensive and direct.

Bus or Train from Heathrow to Oxford

Follow the airport directions/signs/maps to go to the Central Bus Station. Look for The Airline (Oxford Bus Company). More detailed information may be found here: https://www.oxfordbus.co.uk. A one-way bus ticket to Oxford currently costs about £23; it may be cheaper to purchase online in advance. No reservations are needed, and tickets may also be purchased on the coach (cash only). You may get more information about The Airline bus at www.oxfordbus.co.uk or by calling 01865 785 400 for details.

Bus or Train from Gatwick to Oxford

You can buy bus or train tickets in advance at https://www.thetrainline.com/train-times/gatwick-airport-to-oxford

Starting on July 17, Oxford Bus Company is offering an hourly Gatwick-to-Oxford service .

Upon Arrival in Oxford

If you are arriving in Oxford via The Airline bus, it will make several stops. However, you will want to get off at its final destination: Gloucester Green Station. Proceed to the taxi stand in the center of Gloucester Green Square and simply tell the taxi driver the name of the college to which you need to go (probably St. Catherine’s College, but it depends on your accommodations). The approximate fare is £5-£8.

Go directly to the Porters’ Lodge of the college to pick up your room key and drop off your luggage; luggage storage will be provided and rooms will be available after 2 p.m.

Walking directions to St. Catherine’s College from Gloucester Green Station (approximately an 18-minute walk) are as follows:  

  • From the bus station, head toward St. George Pl. and turn right.  
  • Turn left onto George St. Stay on George St. as it becomes Broad St.  
  • Before Broad St. becomes Holywell, turn left onto Cattle St./National Cycle Rte 57.  
  • Turn right onto Holywell St./National Cycle Rte 57.  
  • Turn left onto St. Cross Rd.  
  • Take a light right towards Manor Rd and continue onto Manor Rd.  
  • St. Catherine’s College is on Manor Rd.

Conference Check In

Proceed to the CSLF Registration Office (signs and volunteers will direct you) at St. Catherine’s College for registration and check-in. Volunteers will be on hand during registration time to point you in the right direction. ( See schedule for more information ).

Please take a look at “Saint Catherine’s College: Information & Important Points for Residential Guests”: https://www.catzconferences.com/site-resources/uploads/2017/08/Useful-Information-for-Residential-Guests-Factsheet.pdf

“Bed & Breakfast at Saint Catherine’s College”: https://www.catzconferences.com/site-resources/uploads/2016/11/Bed-and-Breakfast-Factsheet.pdf

Conference Check Out

Oxbridge 2022 official programming ends Thursday, August 4th after a closing service of dedication. However, breakfast is provided Friday, August 5th for those lodging at Saint Catherine’s College, and check-out is scheduled for that morning.

Transportation back from Oxford to Heathrow or Gatwick:

https://www.oxfordbus.co.uk

https://www.thetrainline.com/train-times/gatwick-airport-to-oxford

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C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Christian Writers of England Tour

cs lewis on travel

Windsor Castle

cs lewis on travel

Blenheim Palace

cs lewis on travel

We will tour Oxford where Lewis, Tolkien and their friends worked, and developed their distinctive literary works, learned and taught. There is a long tradition of English writers who explored their faith through their writings, and passed on their experience to us in later generations. We will move to Salisbury, Bath, and the surrounding area, as well as the home of Jane Austen.  And we will visit a few of the literary sites of London where G. K. Chesterton and T. S. Eliot worked in the early 20th century, and where Samuel Johnson, John Donne, Richard Baxter, John Bunyan, and John Wesley, along with others wrote and served in previous centuries.

Join us as we see sites from which they drew inspiration and where they found resources for their imaginations.  We will explore, enjoy, and reflect on the gifts they offer. Of course there is much more to see, and we will take in some of the other famous sites in these areas as well. Join us for a journey through these parts of the Christian literary landscape of England.

Dr. Steve and Teri Varvis

Key: IF = In Flight Meals, B= Breakfast, AT = Afternoon Tea, D = Dinner 

Day 1: Thursday, June 14, 2018: Departure We will depart the USA for our flights to London. Pre-tour accommodation and touring assistance is available.  (IF)

Day 2: Friday, June 15, 2018: Windsor Welcome to England! Transfers will be arranged from Heathrow Airport to nearby Windsor, and the tour director will greet arrivals at the hotel.  In the early afternoon we will tour Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. It has been the family home of British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years. We will dine in the hotel this evening and get to know the rest of the group. (IF/D)

Day 3: Saturday, June 16, 2018: Beaconsfield, Oxford On the way to Oxford, we will stop in Beaconsfield to see G. K. Chesterton’s grave and the outside of his house. We will visit the Kiln’s today (subject to availability) and see the rooms where C. S. Lewis spent so much time.  We will have a pub lunch today, a favorite activity of the Inklings. Our afternoon walking tour will focus on C. S Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Reformers and include Christ Church, St. Mary’s Church, Merton and Magdalen, and the Martyr’s monuments. The evening is at leisure.  (B/L)

Day 4: Sunday, June 17, 2018: Oxford We will visit one of England’s most impressive stately homes today, which was also the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Blenheim Palace houses a large art collection and has magnificent gardens designed by “Capability” Brown, including scenic walking trails. We will have lunch in the Cotswolds, followed by a stop in Blockley to see the church where they filmed the Father Brown series. We will return to Oxford in time for Evensong. (B/L)

Day 5: Monday, June 18, 2018: Birmingham, Oxford This morning we will take a half-day excursion to Birmingham to visit sites associated with J.R.R. Tolkien. The afternoon is at leisure with options to do a walk focusing on Masterpiece Theater filming locations, tour the Bodleian, Radcliffe Camera or do a more detailed C. S. Lewis walk. We will meet up again in the evening for dinner. (B/D)

Day 6: Tuesday, June 19, 2018: Stonehenge, Salisbury We will visit one of England’s most fascinating sites today, Europe’s most famous prehistoric monument. The tour includes a visit to the brand-new interpretive center and a trip to the stones. We will continue on to Salisbury and check-in to our hotel.  After attending Evensong in Salisbury Cathedral, we will dine in our hotel (B/D)

Day 7: Wednesday, June 20, 2018: Bath, Lacock, Salisbury Today’s day trip to Bath will include a visit to the Roman Baths, the Jane Austen Centre, and an outside visit of the Royal Crescent. Bath was a favorite setting for many of Jane Austen’s novels and is one of the most attractive towns in England. In the afternoon, we will stop in Lacock, a village almost entirely owned by the National Trust. It’s been the setting for many movies and PBS productions, such as ‘Cranford’, ‘Pride and Prejudice’, and ‘Downton Abbey’. We will return to Salisbury and the evening is at leisure. (B)

Day 8: Thursday, June 21, 2018: Winchester, Chawton, London The morning tour of Winchester will include the Cathedral and Jane Austen’s grave. We will be able to view the Winchester Bible, one of England’s greatest treasures. In the afternoon we will visit Jane Austen’s home in Chawton, and the church where her father was the pastor. We will check-in to our London hotel and the evening is at leisure to explore London.  (B)

Day 9: Friday, June 22, 2018: London This morning we  will meet outside St. Paul’s after lunch for a walking tour including Temple Church, sites related to T.S. Eliot’s poem, The Waste Land , Southwark Cathedral, and the Globe Theater. We will dine on the Southbank and see a live production at the Globe. (B/D)

Day 10: Saturday, June 23, 2018: London Today’s tour has a literary focus, as we visit Dr. Williams’s Library, the private library with a collection of books by Protestant desenters (not part of the Church of England).  We will then travel to the Wesley House and Bunhill Fields Cemetery. We will also visit the British Library, Westminster Abbey, and the Churchill War Rooms.  We will end the tour with a ride on the London Eye, followed by our farewell meal. (B/D)

Day 11: Sunday, June 24, 2018: London We will transfer to Heathrow Airport for our return flights to the States (B)

Please note this itinerary is copyrighted.

Our hotels are chosen for their  quality ,  amenities  and  proximity to areas of interest . Whenever possible, we choose hotels in town centers, so that you are able to go off and explore in your free time. It may be necessary for us to substitute hotels for others of equal quality. You will be fully informed of any changes that affect you. Enjoy your stay!

Windsor, England June 15-16, 2018 Harte & Garter Hotel 31 High St Windsor SL4 1PQ

Oxford, England June 16-19, 2018 Spires Hotel Oxford Abingdon Road Oxford OX1 4PS

Salisbury, England June 19-21, 2018 White Hart 1 St John’s Street Salisbury, SP1 2SD

London, England June 21-24, 2018 The Meliá White House Albany Street Regent´s Park London, NW1 3UP

We can either assist you with flights, or you are welcome to book your own. We do ask that you wait until the tour is a guaranteed departure before booking non-refundable airfare. Please ensure we have a copy of your flight itinerary for our records as soon as you have booked it.

What’s included in the price of $3,499?

Price based on a minimum of 20 participants

Your Tour Includes

•  Transportation: via private, deluxe air-conditioned motor coach •  Oyster card for public transport in London •   Accommodations (double-occupancy) in centrally located 3-star or 4-star hotels •   Meals as indicated in the itinerary •   Professional Blue Badge tour director •   Local step-on guides for city tours and major attractions •   Entrance fees included as per itinerary •   All transfers, as a group •   Baggage handling (1 piece of baggage per guest) •   All taxes and tips except as indicated below

Your Tour Does Not Include

•   Round-trip air transportation (assistance available) •   Meals and beverages not identified in itinerary •   Single supplement ($800) •   Items of a personal nature, such as passports and visas. Passports must be valid for 6 months beyond return date. •   Optional Insurance (group insurance available) •   Gratuities for tour director, and driver

Payment Schedule

•   Deposit of $350 will secure your place on the tour. Please send all payments to Reformation Tours, P.O Box 854, Belleville, IL 62222. •   Final invoices will be sent in February 2018 •   Final payment is due by March 31, 2018 •   Reservations will be accepted after March 31, 2018, subject to availability

We recommend the Professional Plan offered by Roam Right Insurance, a division of Arch Insurance Company. We include $500 coverage in your tour price and you are welcome to upgrade to cover the full tour premium. The cost of the tour insurance is the tour cost (minus $500) x 6.14%. This will be automatically added to your invoice.

Cancellations

Regardless of reason, cancellations are costly. To offset these costs the following fees will apply, plus any non-recoverable expenses to our suppliers: From time of deposit to until 100 days before departure: $100 From 99-15 days prior to departure: $350 plus any non refundable deposits 14 days or less prior to departure: No refund– Cancellation charges also apply to additional accommodation reserved prior to and after the tour. – Cancellations must be received in writing by 5:00 p.m. central time on the last business day of the applicable time period. – For flight changes or cancellations, revision fees and/or airline cancellation charges will apply. – Roommates canceling can result in a single supplement charge for the roommate. The Participant who cancels will be responsible for that charge if a substitute roommate cannot be found. – Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is strongly recommended. Reformation Tours cannot assume responsibility for any additional costs or fees relating to the issuance and/or cancellation of air tickets or other arrangements not made through Reformation Tours.

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Welcome to the Tour!

We look forward to welcoming you on the tour. Click on the image to download a copy of the brochure.

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Sign up for the tour

You can fill out your reservations online by clicking the “Book Now” tab or click here to download the form.

Pay the tour deposit

You can either send a check made payable to “Reformation Tours” to P.O. Box 854, Belleville, IL 62222 or click here to pay by credit card.

Each traveler receives basic insurance coverage with the Professional Plan offered by Roam Right Insurance, a division of Arch Insurance Company. We include $500 coverage in your tour price and you are welcome to upgrade to cover the full tour premium. The cost of the tour insurance is the tour cost (minus $500) x 6.14%. This will be automatically added to your invoice..

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Map of the tour

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Click on the map to see a larger version. The numbers refer to overnights in these locations.

Prepare for the tour

Fact sheets.

Click here to download fact sheets on currency, flying, etc.

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Click here to order currency, which will be delivered to your home via ground shipping ($10), 2 day ($15) or next-day ($25).

Reformation Tours, Ltd

Head Office: Hall Gate House, 29cCranfield Road, Kilkeel, Co. Down, N. Ireland BT34 4LJ US Office: 12316 244th St. Chisago City, MN 55013 Toll Free: (800) 303-5534

Email: [email protected]

2024 Study Tour of C.S. Lewis’s Belfast & Oxford

C.s. lewis institute presents, study tour of c.s. lewis’s belfast & oxford, june 22 - june 30, 2024, registration is closed.

Complete  this form  to be added to our waitlist! We will contact you if space becomes available.

Purpose:   To explore on-site the land, culture, and faith of C.S. Lewis, a disciple of Jesus Christ, and one of the greatest Christian writers and apologists of the 20 th  century, with an aim toward personal spiritual growth in the areas of discipleship and apologetics.

Tour Package:   Includes hotels; 2 Meals/Day; Guided Tour of C.S. Lewis’s Belfast, Northern Ireland and Oxford; Teaching on C.S. Lewis – his life and thought - by C.S. Lewis scholars Dr. Michael Ward, Dr. John Gillespie and C.S. Lewis Institute Staff; Transportation from Belfast to Oxford.

(Participants will arrange their own flights to Belfast and travel from airport to  Leonardo Hotel Belfast, formerly Jurys Inn Hotel.  Tour ends in Oxford where participants are free to return home, or travel elsewhere.)

Dates:   Saturday, June 22 – Sunday, June 30, 2024

Pricing:  $3,499– Double Occupancy (2 people per room) |  $4,499 – Single Occupancy (1 person per room)

Payment Deadline :  Final balance due by March 1, 2024

FLIGHT INFORMATION:

Flights to Belfast:  Choose flight from place of your choosing with the goal to arrive in Belfast by early afternoon of Saturday, June 22, 2024.

Belfast City Airport to Leonardo Hotel Belfast (Formerly Jurys Inn) - Starting Location of Tour 

Eastgate Hotel to Heathrow Airport - End Location of Tour

ITINERARY SUMMARY*:

Saturday, June 22: Start of Program, Afternoon Tea at Leonardo Hotel Belfast – Orientation/ Dinner

Sunday, June 23: Belfast – Tour of Lewis’s Belfast/ Lunch

Monday, June 24: North Coast, NI – Tour of “Narnia” North Coast including Dunluce Castle & Giant's Causeway/ Dinner

Tuesday, June 25: Belfast – Titanic Museum/Free Afternoon/Dinner at Crawfordsburn Inn

Wednesday, June 26: Belfast to Oxford – Flight to London/Coach to Oxford/Lunch at Eastgate Hotel, Orientation to Oxford

Thursday, June 27: Oxford– Tour of The Kilns, Picnic Lunch at Kilns, Lecture by Dr. Michael Ward /Holy Trinity Church & Cemetery

Friday, June 28: Oxford – Lecture by C.S. Lewis scholar/River Walk/Dinner

Saturday, June 29:  Oxford – Magdalen College Tour/ Final River Cruise & Dinner

Sunday, June 30:  Departure Home/Other

* Itinerary is subject to change depending on British holidays, opening, and closing of sites, weather, and unknown circumstances. This itinerary is planned to make the best use of our time and to provide an enjoyable and enriching tour experience.

cs lewis on travel

C.S. Lewis Institute

Team members.

cs lewis on travel

C.S. Lewis Institute, In the legacy of C. S. Lewis, we develop wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ who will articulate, defend, share, and live their faith in personal and public life.

cs lewis on travel

Contact Event Manager

Print your tickets.

March 27, 2024

Starts 6:17 pm

cs lewis on travel

Finding Friendship: How to make friends as an adult in the DC area

W ith “loneliness epidemic” splashed across headlines and a steady stream of social media posts asking people how to find connection in the D.C. area, we decided to dive into a stubborn issue that many of us have struggled with.

How do you make friends as an adult?

It’s not an easy task, but know this: you are not alone. When we asked our viewers about finding new friends since the pandemic, nearly 40% said they’re looking but struggling.

We asked experts and neighbors who’ve built meaningful connections to share their best advice for finding friendship.

Build yourself up

Marisa G. Franco, author of “Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make and Keep Friends,” shared some of her best advice for making new friends. Taking care of yourself is an important step.

It’s okay if you feel scared or afraid, Franco said.

To combat nerves, remind yourself of your strengths. People will probably like you more than you think, she said.

“That’s all part of the process of connection,” she said.

It’s normal to feel some worry when branching out. Before you send that text message or head to an event, give yourself a pep talk to calm your nerves and boost your confidence.

“Take a moment before you’re about to go into an interaction,” Franco said.

Jessica Lewis, who founded PlayPlay DC, a community of LGBTQIA+ people who come together to find friends through play, says you can take inspiration from kids, who often seem to have an easier time making friends.

“What are they doing right? They are not in their head. They are being themselves,” Lewis said.

You can treat making friends like dating

We often feel that strong attraction to new friends (we like to call it a friend crush!).

“Romantic attraction can crop up without sexual attraction,” Franco said. “Romantic attraction as in, I’m thrilled by you, I’m excited by you. I’m passionate about you. I want to spend all my time with you!”

Many people compartmentalize friendships and relationships – but that could stop you from flexing social skills that are useful in both kinds of interactions.

So, why not think of making new friends like dating? You can get to know people and see who you click with.

Dr. Imani Cheers, an associate professor at George Washington University, shared a pro tip for a friendly pick-up line.

“Go in with a compliment,” Cheers said. “Just make sure it’s genuine. Be open to the person either saying thank you and walking away, or pause and have a conversation.”

And just like with dating, you can look for new friends online! Online friendships can be very meaningful, and there are a lot of active communities in D.C. Local Dischord servers, Reddit channels and Facebook groups like Welcome2DC can yield in-person meetups (take the same safety precations you would with an online date).

Rekindle relationships

Rekindling old friendships could be a good way to boost your social life.

“The first thing that I say is reconnect with people. Because those are people you already have trust with. The relationship will move a lot more quickly.”

Her “low-stakes baby step”?

Pick up your phone, go through your messages and see who you haven’t spoken to since this time last year.

“Say, ‘Oh, I was just thinking about you, just remembered this memory we had together and I wanted to check in,’” Franco said.

If they seem responsive, ask if they’re open to reconnecting sometime.

Worried you’ll come off as clingy or weird? According to Franco, the research suggests you won't – in fact, if things just fizzled out without a good reason, showing your interest will likely spark good feelings.

“The research finds there’s this theory called the theory of inferred attraction,” Franco said. “People like people that they think like them. The secret to being likable is to like people.”

Finding your tribe

Franco’s next piece of advice is to join a group that has repeated meetings. Regular encounters make finding your tribe easier.

“You capitalize on something called the mere exposure effect, our unconscious tendency to like people when they are familiar,” Franco said.

City Girls Who Walk DC is the kind of group that offers a step-by-step path to friendship. They host weekly walks, happy hours and events, and even have subgroups including book clubs and a grief group.

Do you like sports, gaming, music or animals? Here are some specific ideas:

  • Club sports are a super popular option. District Fray , Team DC and your local department of parks and recreation all offer programs.
  • Play Play DC “is committed to curating refreshing, creative, fun, healing, and playful experiences for grown and queer adults.” Events range from concerts to basketball tournaments.
  • Sober or sober-curious? BoozeFreeinDC is a great resource. (By the way, we spoke to the group's founder Laura Silverman for Dry January ).
  • Volunteer at a local animal shelter or other nonprofit. The Animal Welfare League of Arlington is just one example.
  • Hit up your local game store. Fantom Comics in Dupont hosts beginner-friendly events regularly. Labyrinth DC hosts general board game nights and events for more advanced players. Curio Cavern is another option.
  • Try a book club! The D.C. Public Library has tons of options. Many bookstores offer them, as well.
  • Meetup is THE website for finding activities with others who are open to friendships, whether you want to craft, find other couples, learn a language, drink coffee, talk a walk in the park…
Want to know what's up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene , our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.

Finding Friendship: How to make friends as an adult in the DC area

IMAGES

  1. 166 C.S. Lewis Quotes on Life, People and God

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  2. cs lewis. #cslewis #wanderlust #quote #quotes #travel #mountains #trees

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  3. Pin by Ava Montes on Travel

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  4. C. S Lewis

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  5. CS Lewis Statue

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  6. C.S. Lewis

    cs lewis on travel

COMMENTS

  1. C. S. Lewis Quotes About Journey

    C. S. Lewis. Pain, Fear, Journey. Puddleglum,' they've said, 'You're altogether too full of bobance and bounce and high spirits. You've got to learn that life isn't all fricasseed frogs and ell pie. You want something to sober you down a bit. We're only saying it for your own good, Puddleglum.'. That's what they say.

  2. C.S. Lewis's Oxford: Where the Lion and the Witch Met the Hobbit

    Discovering the sites in Oxford where C.S. Lewis, the writer of over 30 books, including the "Chronicles of Narnia" series, found faith, inspiration and a life-changing friendship with J.R.R ...

  3. What C.S. Lewis thought about space exploration and aliens

    Lewis concluded by thanking God that "we are still very far from travel to other worlds." The second instance where Lewis discusses these matters is in his final interview with journalist ...

  4. His Final Interview: C.S. Lewis on the Future and Space Travel

    Shortly before he died November 22, 1963 (yes, the same day as John F. Kennedy), C. S. Lewis granted his final interview to Sherwood Elliot Wirt, of Decision Magazine. It's a fascinating interview. I found the final two questions and answers interesting: Wirt: What do you think is going to happen in the next few years of history, Mr. Lewis?

  5. Sunshine In September: The Story of C.S. Lewis' Conversion

    As they set out on the way to the park, the fog slowly lifted, and the sun began to shine. That unremarkable trip to the zoo on September 28, 1931, was the last in a long line of experiences that brought C.S. Lewis (Jack) back to the faith. Some people call it a conversion, but I see it more as a return home after a long and difficult journey.

  6. C.S. Lewis Quotes (Author of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)

    Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.". "Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.".

  7. Out of the Silent Planet: Cosmic Voyage as Spiritual Pilgrimage

    Having already earned a reputation as a formidable literary scholar, C. S. Lewis scandalized his fellow Oxford dons in 1938 when he published a fantasy novel, Out of the Silent Planet.They would have been even more alarmed if they had noticed that he was writing what he called "theologized science fiction," a fast-paced adventure story with profound spiritual overtones.

  8. "The Eternal C.S. Lewis: Now More Than Ever"

    Here's an excerpt of "The Eternal C.S. Lewis: Now More Than Ever": Lewis' change of heart was so dramatic as to suggest (to me at least) a providential hand — that God had a plan for C.S. Lewis that until the midpoint of his life had not yet been revealed. Simply put, this may have been the plan: "I will put your considerable ...

  9. If you didn't find Narnia in your own wardrobe ...

    Details of Ken Harper's CS Lewis Black Taxi Tour are at www.harpertaxitours.co.nr or call 028 9074 2711. Double rooms at the Malone Lodge Hotel (028 9038 8000; www.malonelodgehotel.com ) in ...

  10. I Was Decided On: Interview with C.S. Lewis

    I drove to Cambridge, England, on May 7 [1963] to interview Mr. Clive Staples Lewis, author of The Screwtape Letters and one of the world's most brilliant and widely read Christian authors. I hoped to learn from him how young men and women could be encouraged to take up the defense of the faith through the written word.

  11. Find Educational & Adventure Tours

    See the world through the eyes of C. S. Lewis as you join experts to view and discuss rare materials, hear a broadcast form his Oxford days and have a virtual visit of his England home. ... the not-for-profit world leader in educational travel since 1975. The Federal Tax Identification number (EIN) for Elderhostel, Inc DBA Road Scholar is 04 ...

  12. Walking the English Countryside with CS Lewis

    Walking the English Countryside with CS Lewis. Set out on a walking tour of England's Narnia-like woods, streams and gentle hills with the medievalist fantasy writer. It is Oxford, sometime between the two World Wars. We are about to set out on a walking tour with two friends: both dons, one a medievalist, the other an expert on Anglo-Saxon ...

  13. Travel with C S Lewis: The creator of Narnia and most quoted Christian

    "Travel with CS Lewis" is a good guide book of C.S.Lewis and his Irish landscape, visible and invisible. It is full of colorful photoes and infomative accounts of Irish impact on Lewis and his literature. I travelled around Ulster this summer (2007) with this book in my hands.

  14. www.cslewis.org

    www.cslewis.org

  15. Travel with CS Lewis: The Creator of Narnia and the Most Quoted

    When C.S. Lewis' grandfather hand-carved a wardrobe out of black oak to adorn his family home, he had little idea that it would provide his grandson with the inspiration for one of the world's best-loved stories. The wardrobe stood for a time in the family home in Belfast, exerting a curious attraction for the children in the house. Two of Lewis' cousins remember sitting inside it, the ...

  16. CS Lewis and Northern Ireland

    Belfast bred. For fans of CS Lewis, the first stop has to be the great writer's home city of Belfast. Here, you can visit CS Lewis Square, a public space that features seven Narnia-inspired bronze sculptures by Irish artist Maurice Harron - Mr Tumnus, Maugrim, the White Witch, Mr and Mrs Beaver, the Stone Table, the Robin, and Aslan!. Pop next door to the EastSide Visitor Centre for a coffee ...

  17. C. S. Lewis

    C. S. Lewis. Clive Staples Lewis FBA (29 November 1898 - 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar, and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925-1954), and Magdalene College, Cambridge (1954-1963). He is best known as the author of The Chronicles of ...

  18. CS Lewis Attractions in Ireland and Where You'll Find Them

    CS Lewis attractions in Ireland include Belfast, where Lewis was born, Mussenden Temple and Dunluce Castle on the County Antrim coast. ... The monument is similar to the Stone Table that Susan and Lucy travel to. When they arrive, Aslan tells them to turn back, but they remain anyway and witness Aslan's death at the hands of the White Witch.

  19. Travel Tips » The 2022 C.S. Lewis Summer Institute

    Travel Insurance. The C.S. Lewis Foundation is not responsible for any costs you may incur if you have to cancel your trip. We strongly encourage you to obtain travel and trip cancellation insurance. One potential company used by past Oxbridge registrants is Travelex Insurance at 1-800-228-9792. Packing

  20. C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Christian Writers of England Tour

    Day 3: Saturday, June 16, 2018: Beaconsfield, Oxford. On the way to Oxford, we will stop in Beaconsfield to see G. K. Chesterton's grave and the outside of his house. We will visit the Kiln's today (subject to availability) and see the rooms where C. S. Lewis spent so much time. We will have a pub lunch today, a favorite activity of the ...

  21. 2024 Study Tour of C.S. Lewis's Belfast & Oxford

    C.S. Lewis Institute presents Study Tour of C.S. Lewis's Belfast & Oxford June 22 - June 30, 2023 *Itinerary is subject to change depending on British holidays, opening, and closing of sites, weather, and unknown circumstances.This itinerary is planned to make the best use of our time and to provide an enjoyable and enriching tour experience.

  22. 2024 Study Tour of C.S. Lewis's Belfast & Oxford

    Tour ends in Oxford where participants are free to return home, or travel elsewhere.) Dates: Saturday, June 22 - Sunday, June 30, 2024. Pricing: $3,499- Double Occupancy (2 people per room) | $4,499 - Single Occupancy (1 person per room) Payment Deadline : Final balance due by March 1, 2024.

  23. C.S. Lewis

    C.S. Lewis (born November 29, 1898, Belfast, Ireland [now in Northern Ireland]—died November 22, 1963, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England) was an Irish-born scholar, novelist, and author of about 40 books, many of them on Christian apologetics, including The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity.His works of greatest lasting fame may be The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven children's ...

  24. Finding Friendship: How to make friends as an adult in the DC area

    Jessica Lewis, who founded PlayPlay DC, a community of LGBTQIA+ people who come together to find friends through play, says you can take inspiration from kids, who often seem to have an easier ...

  25. It's all in your mind. Shot on @sonyalpha @djiglobal #cinematic #

    stefanlewisfilms on March 8, 2024: "It's all in your mind. Shot on @sonyalpha @djiglobal #cinematic #videography #travelfilmmaker #cinematography #travel"