England: Highgrove and the Cotswolds
29th May 2026
Key Highlights
- Weaving through the magical meadows of Highgrove
- 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
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.
Please note, by the very nature of this holiday, the running order of the tour and the tour dates are subject to change as we are beholden to a successful application for admittance to Highgrove which will be confirmed in February 2026.
What's included
- Accommodation
- Services of a professional tour manager
- Comfortable coach travel throughout
- Meals - as per the itinerary
- All visits as outlined in the itinerary
Meet your tour manager
Mary Moxham
Mary has been leading tours of Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds since 1997. She has undertaken promotional work for Gloucestershire Tourism and has appeared on Central News "Out and About" featuring Cheltenham. Formerly a college lecturer, she now enjoys communicating enthusiasm for these regions and beyond and has been one Brightwater’s leading tour managers for English gardens for a number of years.
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Day by Day Itinerary
We depart from our designated pick-ups points 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
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. **
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