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Gardens in the Heart of England
Castle Gardens, Country Gardens and the Cotswolds Villages
3 days, Thursday-Friday-Saturday
The region of England known as the “Heart of England” is known for many things - quaint, thatched roof cottage villages, a wonderous literary heritage as the birthplace of Shakespeare, among them - but it is often under appreciated that this area is also home to many of the loveliest gardens. From formal castle masterpieces to local arboretums, this tour features a wide ranging highlight. Along the way, we will get to see some of those honey thatch villages and, interest permitting, we’ll certainly find time to wander a bit in the antique and tea shops. Come and enjoy a lovely few days in the countryside!
Available at any date for private groups of 2 – 15 people, subject to availability. Rates are based upon vehicle and guide hire per day; groups of 7 - 15 would have a per person rate same/similar to one of our scheduled tours of the same length.
Price: dependent upon how many are in your party; please contact us for a quote. Contact us for availability and rate quote: specialgrouptours@yahoo.com
Please note, this is a suggested itinerary. It may be revised to suit your individual group needs.
TENTATIVE ITINERARY
Day 1, Thursday
Departing London, we will make our way through the Chiltern Hills, an area that is a supreme delight. In this smallish area of gentle hills and sudden valleys, there are some impossibly pretty villages which may be recognizable from popular films and BBC TV shows. Our first stop can be the Astor's magnificent country gardens at Cliveden.
Our main visit today, Sudley Castle, is a place with connections running through the Tudor Dynasty and court circle. It was the home of three queens; houses the marble tomb of Katherine Parr, the wife of Henry VIII who survived and a place where scandal left its impression on the young mind of the future Queen Elizabeth I. This lovely place offers seven enchanting gardens, amongst these, a Tudor Knot garden with water features and a delightful mosaic.
During our time in the Cotswolds, we will find some time to meander through the honey-thatch cottage villages famous in this region. Each is unique and pretty in its own right and there are many opportunities for a stop in a tea shop or wandering the antique shops, as you wish. With our small vehicle, we'll get where larger coaches can't and avoid the commercialized 'honey-pots,' discovering the best.
NIGHT STOP: Cotswolds
Day 2, Friday
A selection of local gardens today - small but definitely lovely and noteworthy! Mill Dene is a Romantic garden planned around an old mill, thought to be from Norman times. Wendy Dare, the former organizer of the National Gardens Scheme for Charity and judge at the famed Chelsea Flower Show is the designer.
We may find time for a visit to Snowshill Manor, a Cotswolds stone manor house, former home to an eccentric collector. The many roomed garden is founded on completely organic principles.
Seizencote is one of the most English of parks with a distinct feel of Repton influence. Highlights include an orangery and an exotic oriental water garden – a lovely choice for another lovely day!
NIGHT STOP: as above, Cotswolds
Day 3, Saturday
Our first main visit today is Hidecote Manor Gardens. Created by horticulturist Lawrence Johnston, this garden consists of a series of small gardens within the whole, separated by walls and hedges of different species. It's famed for rare shrubs, trees, herbaceous borders, and interesting plant species. Dependent upon time, there is Kiftsgate Court Gardens across the road too.
Our garden grand finale is your choice – you can choose to spend time at Blenheim Palace or the group can select one of the fantastic local Oxfordshire farm or cottage gardens to round off your holiday!
This afternoon, we will make our way back into London where you will be dropped off at your hotel.
Please note: All garden opening times are correct at time of printing this website.
To comply with the opening hours at the mentioned popular gardens, we recommend to stay with the described days of operation. Gardens can be substituted for travel on different operating days, as appropriate. While we will do our utmost to include all of the properties mentioned as central visits, we reserve the right to change an attraction should it become impossible to deliver a planned visit due to changes in opening days or times that we could not have been aware of at the time of loading this tour to our website.
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