England Trip

For many Cornell students, a block-long immersion into the theatre, arts, and architecture of England becomes the gateway to a richer understanding of the written word and a highlight of their college experience. 

Every other year Cornell English professors lead 20-30 students on an eighteen-day excursion to England.  They tour London and the English countryside, stopping to explore iconic sites such as Westminster Abbey, Dover Castle, the cathedrals of Canterbury, and Stonehenge.

Along the way, the groups view and reflect on numerous live theatre and musical performances in London and at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Amanda Pyfferoen '99 remembers the trip as "one of the most memorable months of my life."

"It was great being submerged in English culture," says Davidson Wissing who completed the course as a junior in 2006.  "The professors not only selected performances that would have broad international appeal, such as Aladdin [with Sir Ian McKellen], but we were also pushed to broaden our horizons with difficult performances such as Coram Boy and History Boys."

Wissing says the trip helped inspire him to return to England for an eight-week internship in marketing and advertising in the summer of 2007.

The 2006 class created a collaborative on-line journal that records daily images and impressions of their journey.