Report by Laurence Jones
The Tour – Friday 12th to Monday 21st September 2026
In September 2026 our GM JEC Club member Tony Doherty embarked on another chance to explore France in the company of fellow Jaguar enthusiasts — in his fully restored Daimler 250 V8, that he’d only just finished.
“My annual Jaguar tour in France in 2026 with P and J Tours followed the theme of last year ( the Trail of Richard the Lionheart) with a Knights of the Templar theme.”
The tour took place the 12th to 21st September 2026, and the nine night tour followed a route south from the Loire Valley, via Angoulême, to the Dordogne, before returning north to Tours. The theme was the history and legacy of the Knights Templar, with historic sites and scenic drives woven into the programme.
“This year I completed the tour in my recently rebuild Daimler V8 and had only completed 700 miles before commencement.”
After spending four years restoring his Daimler 250 V8, Tony was certainly determined to give it a proper road test!
Starting out in the Loire Valley
This year’s tour had 14 cars, and all the tour participants were from many different countries. They all gathered on Saturday 12th September at the Domaine des Thomeaux, where the touring party all met for a welcome dinner.
“The weather was so nice we were able to enjoy pre dinner drinks sat outside our hotel.”
On Sunday the 13th, the tour’s itinerary took them to Chinon and its Royal Fortress, a site connected with the questioning of members of the Knights Templar in 1308. Lunch and an opportunity to explore the town were also on the itinerary.
“An expertly organised 5 star accompanied tour covered 2000 miles round trip from Tours in Northern France, via Angualemme to our base accommodation at Domaine de Monrecour Hotel near Domme.”
“Chinon is a town mid-way between North West Kingdom of Richard the Lionheart and the South West Region controlled by Ellenor of Aquitaine. When they married they built a castle and basically the result was England extended to include the West of France.”
Via Angoulême to the Dordogne
On Monday 14th September, the tour continued south to Angoulême, stopping on the way for lunch, and then evening meal at the Mercure Hôtel de France.
Tuesday’s itinerary included a visit to a remarkable monolithic underground church.
From there was a drive to the group’s main base, the Domaine de Monrecour which was near Domme.
With the hotel as a base, the following days were devoted to drives through the countryside and visits to towns and historic attractions connected with the tour’s Medieval Theme.
“From there we radiated on days out via beautiful French countryside to local towns and attractions associated with the Knights Templar, including Monolithic churches and historic dwellings.”
The Balloons took off from a field next to the hotel.
Rocamadour and the Cliffside Settlements
Wednesday 16th September was a rest day.
On Thursday 17th September, the itinerary restarted with a guided visit to Rocamadour, the famous village whose buildings rise up the cliffside above the Alzou gorge. Its historic religious buildings provided another connection with the medieval pilgrimage theme.
Friday’s planned attractions were just as striking: Maison Forte de Reignac, a fortified dwelling built into a limestone cliff, and La Roque Saint-Christophe, a vast series of natural rock shelters and terraces inhabited and adapted over many centuries.
Medieval Domme and the End of the Excursions
On Saturday 19th September, the visits out centred on Domme, the fortified hilltop town above the Dordogne River. Its Porte des Tours is traditionally associated with imprisoned Knights Templar and the mysterious graffiti attributed to them.
All the group’s cars were able to park together in the town’s main square.
It was a fitting conclusion to the themed visits, bringing together the scenery, architecture and history that had shaped the tour.
What on paper was an itinerary of places to visit each day, is not the reality of actually touring around between places marked a map discovering new places and learning new things. This whole tour has was well organised from beginning to end, with a wide variety of places to visit, scenic drives between them, all with the routes, lunches out and evening meals and accommodations all organised for you.
“Each day punctuated by an organised French street cafe lunch and finished with a first-class meal in the hotel.”
“As we have now completed three tours with P and J (Pete and Joules) Tours we are now part of a sixteen strong family of Jaguar driving friends who enjoy each others company, and cars, each year.”
A Mechanical Problem for the Daimler
This tour was a major test of Tony’s Daimler, given that it had covered so few miles after it’s major rebuild, and unfortunately Tony did encounter a mechanical problem along the way.
“I did unfortunately have a slight problem with tappets on cylinder L1 but with the help of a French classic car enthusiast we received fantastic support from a ‘local’ classic car specialist garage.”
“I limped home and now have to resolve the problem, but I have all winter to do so before the 2027 classic season.”
Tony
The Tour Finishes
The itinerary finished with the return journey north on Sunday 20th September with an overnight stop at Mercure Tours Nord, and the formal end of the tour after breakfast on Monday 21st September.
The tour was for 9 nights and covered over 2,000 miles (not including getting there and back), visits to multiple historic sites, travelling through beautiful French countryside and an enjoyable time in good company of fellow Jaguar owners. I’m sure Tony is already looking ahead to the next adventure.
“Roll on 2027.”
Thanks to Tony Doherty for sharing his account and photographs of the tour, organised by P and J Tours.
