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TOUR OPTION 1 & 2
DAY 1 (Saturday 22 May)Wisley RHS and Chartwell
Our 2010 tour begins with two of the most popular and iconic of England’s homes and gardens. Leaving London we head first to Wisley, the world-renowned home of the Royal Horticultural Society, where you will have plenty of time to stroll through the spectacular and varied gardens. Does Winston Churchill's home of Chartwell require an introduction? What makes it such a memorable visit is not only the view from the garden which inspired his painting, but the fact that the interior is almost as he left it. You can almost smell the cigars! (D) Overnight: Kent
Day 2 (Sunday 23 May) Ightham Mote and Scotney Castle
Ightham Mote is deservedly one of the most popular small gardens in the region. Here you can explore 650 years of history in one of the most complete examples of a medieval moated manor house. Those of you interested in historical novels might remember it as the setting for Anya Seton’s “Green Darkness”. Then on to Scotney Castle which has been termed England's most romantic garden with Victorian terraces covered in a riot of coloured shrubs overlooking a 14th century moated castle. (B) Overnight: Kent
Day 3 (Monday 24 May) Hever Castle and Sissinghurst
We travel a short distance to the fabulous Sissinghurst Castle and Vita Sackville-West's world famous garden, which requires no introduction to garden enthusiasts. You'll have plenty of time to explore this intimate and intricate garden and to visit those parts of her home open to the public. Hever Castle is the jewel in our day. Hever is many people's idea of what a 'real' castle should be, from its gateway and courtyard to its surrounding moat. Though dating back to 1270, and being the family home of one of Henry VIII's ill-fated wives (Anne Boleyn), it also has a relatively contemporary feel provided by the Astors, who took over and restored the castle in the early part of the last century. With a 30-acre garden, including a unique Italian garden filled with roses and statues, there's plenty to admire here. If time permits, we will visit Groombridge Place , an unusual combination of a traditional heritage garden and ancient woodland. (B, D) Overnight: Kent
Day 4 (Tuesday 25 May) Merriments, Great Dixter and Bodiam
This region is blessed with homes and gardens. Merriments Gardens is, in the words of the RHS Garden Finder, “one of the best show gardens in England”. It is a stunningly beautiful four acres of densely-planted borders, where the plants grown in the nursery can be seen in an imaginative garden context. Another icon is Great Dixter, the largest half-timbered house in England. But it is the garden that really grabs the attention with its topiary, wild meadows and famed Long Border. It is one that cannot be missed. Our final visit of the day will be the magnificently preserved 15th century Bodiam Castle with its medieval battlements, ramparts and moat. (B) Overnight: London area
Day 5 (Wednesday 26 May) Kew Gardens and Ham House
TOUR OPTIONS 1 & 2 CONTINUE, OPTION 3 COMMENCES TODAY
Our London day concentrates on some of the gardens and stately homes that run along the banks of the Thames to the west of the city like a string of pearls. We'll begin our day in the famed Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew, which is responsible for the world’s largest collection of living plants. These living collections include more than 30,000 different kinds of plant. A short distance away, under the watchful eye of Richmond Hill, sits Ham House. This magnificent Stuart mansion, with its lavish 17th century interiors, boasts one of the last-remaining formal Dutch gardens. (B + D) Overnight: London area
Day 6 (Thursday 27 May) Chelsea Flower Show
The world famous CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW is our central feature of the day. (B) Overnight: London
Day 7 (Friday 28 May) Savill Garden and Cliveden
Today we visit the Chilterns, a region of the UK that can truly be described as a hidden secret. The Savill Garden near Windsor is one of Britain’s greatest ornamental gardens, enjoyed by horticulturalists and enthusiasts alike, who come to explore its 35 acres of contemporary and classically-designed gardens and exotic woodland. Then on to Cliveden, known particularly for its links with the Astors, with its magnificent series of formal gardens overlooking the River Thames, each with its own style and character. (B) Option 1 & 3: Overnight London
TOUR OPTION 2 ENDS LATE AFTERNOON TODAY IN LONDON AFTER THE DAY'S SIGHTSEEING
Day 8 (Saturday 29 May) Painshill Park and Hinton Ampner
Our first visit of the day is to Painshill Park. Created in the 18th century by the Hon Charles Hamilton, a painter, plants-man and brilliantly gifted and imaginative designer, it is a unique award winning restoration of England's Georgian heritage. Within its 160 acres its landscapes are a work of art that influenced the future of England's countryside and culture. Next on to Hinton Ampner, one of the great gardens of the 20th-century. It is a masterpiece of design by Ralph Dutton, 8th and last Lord Sherborne, uniting a formal layout with varied and informal plantings in pastel shades. (B + D) Overnight: Hampshire
Day 9 (Sunday 30 May) Queen Victoria’s Osborne House and Ventnor Botanic Gardens
The Isle of Wight sits a short ferry crossing from the Hampshire mainland and offers us a unique day out with some fabulous sightseeing opportunities. The jewel in today's crown is Osborne House, where Queen Victoria chose to spend her summers. The house and gardens are national treasures. Inside you'll see how Queen Victoria lived (and also sneak a look 'beneath stairs' to see how her staff worked and lived). In the wonderful 50 acre gardens that sweep to the Swiss Cottage, you'll walk amongst magnolias, Lebanon cedar, azaleas and other in-season blooms. There is also a perfect Victorian walled kitchen garden. Our second visit of the day takes us to Ventnor Botanic Garden which is devoted to exotic plants many, if not most of which, are from the southern hemisphere. (B) Overnight: Hampshire
Day 10 (Monday 31 May) Heale and Mottisfont
Our first visit today is to Heale House and its eight acres of beautiful gardens which lie beside the river Avon just north of Salisbury. Much of the house is unchanged since King Charles II hid here in 1651. On a sunny day Heale's formal gardens display spectacular colour while shade can be found in the walled garden and tranquility in the Japanese water garden. Mottisfont, our final stop of the day, is a garden noted for its colourful herbaceous borders, grassy terraces planted with fruit trees and its sea views. The 16th and 17th century manor house lies at the heart of the Mottistone Estate, which offers delightful walks between the Downs and the coast. (B + D) Overnight: Hampshire
Day 11 (Tuesday 1 June) Wilton House and Exbury
Wilton House is truly one of the country's treasure houses. Here, amidst nearly 500 years of history, you will experience living history at its very best as you wander through its magnificent rooms, marvel at its architecture, soak in its fine paintings and be swept off your feet by its spectacular gardens.Then on to Exbury Garden, a spectacular 200-acre site world-famous for the Rothschild Collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias and rare trees and shrubs. The tour ends back in London late afternoon at one of our tour hotels. (B)
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