England: Highgrove and the Cotswolds17th May 2024
From:£745
Summary
Our tour of the Cotswolds features an exclusive visit to Highgrove Gardens, the country home of His Majesty The King. This will be a rare opportunity to see these fascinating gardens which of course are cultivated using wholly organic methods.
Some of the finest gardens in England are to be found nestled among the green and rolling hills of Gloucestershire. Our tour begins at the ‘Arts and Crafts’ house of Rodmarton Manor, whose fine garden comprises a series of ‘outdoor rooms’, each with its own distinctive character. Hidcote Manor’s contrasting garden rooms and Kiftsgate’s splendid views are justly famous. We also visit Painswick Rococo Garden, a recreation of a pleasure ground from the early 18th century and finally Westonbirt, the National Arboretum.
What to Expect
- Weaving through the magical meadows of Highgrove
- Exclusive Lunch at Highgrove in June & August 2024
- Arts and Crafts style at Rodmarton Manor
- Discovering the secret gardens at Hidcote
- Rococo buildings and woodland walks at Painswick
- World renowned gardens of Kiftsgate Court
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Departure Routes
| Location | Pickup Time | Dropoff Time |
|---|---|---|
| To be advised | 00:00 | 00:00 |
| London - Coach Bays on Tothill Street, Westminster | 08:00 | 19:00 |
| Reading - Outside Sainsbury’s, Jcn 12, M4 | 09:15 | 17:45 |
| Swindon - Holiday Inn Express, Frankland Rd | 10:30 | 16:30 |
| Bristol - Bus stop outside DoubleTree Hilton, Redcliffe Way | 12:00 | 15:00 |
** Please note that all timings are approximate and subject to change. Final timings and pick-up points will be confirmed with your joining instructions approximately 10 days prior to departure. **
Day by Day Itinerary
We depart from our designated pick-ups points in London, Reading, Swindon and Bristol and head for our first visit, the house and gardens of Rodmarton Manor, between Tetbury and Cirencester. This is an ‘Arts and Crafts’ house with a fine eight-acre garden comprising a series of ‘outdoor rooms’ each with its own distinctive character. The architect Ernest Barnsley started Rodmarton in 1909 and it became a shrine to the Cotswolds crafts movement. The grey gabled house has an intricate garden of lively atmosphere, formal in spirit but with a cottage-garden feel to it. The eight-acre Cotswold garden was originally designed as a series of outdoor rooms and is still the same today, which each part of the garden having different characters ranging from alpines in troughs, bigger plants in the rockery, lawns, a large kitchen garden and white borders, to the magnificent herbaceous borders which are constantly being re-planted and improved. There are superb vistas throughout and plenty of places to sit and admire the surroundings.
Meals includedDinner
