England: The RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Classic English Gardens - Tour B23rd May 2024
From:£1,745
Summary
This tour combines the colour, prestige and excitement of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show with some of the south of England’s finest gardens, affording the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of horticultural excellence.
Our two centre holiday includes visits to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and the unmissable gardens of RHS Garden Wisley, Sissinghurst in Kent and Great Dixter. We then head west, breaking our journey at the beautiful gardens of Wilton House near Salisbury and Henry Hoare's famous landscape garden of Stourhead.
From our hotel in the West Country we visit the ancient Bishop’s Palace in Wells, the Harold Peto designed garden at Iford Manor and Hestercombe, one of Gertrude Jekyll and Sir Edwin Lutyens’ greatest masterpieces. We also have some time in the town of Bath, famous for its Roman baths and elegant Georgian terraces. We also explore The Courts Garden a delightful English country garden.
What to Expect
- The Great British gardening event of the year, The Chelsea Flower Show
- The ornamental and experimental gardens of RHS Wisley
- The world-renowned courtyard gardens of Sissinghurst Castle
- Temples, urns and grottos in the timeless landscape of Stourhead
- Hestercombe Gardens – a horticultural masterpiece from Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens
Departure Routes
| Location | Pickup Time | Dropoff Time |
|---|---|---|
| To be advised | 00:00 | 00:00 |
| London, Coach bays on Tothill Street, Westminster | 09:00 | 16:00 |
** 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 pick-up points in London and head for the manicured gardens of Sissinghurst. This famous garden was created by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson from 1930 onwards and became the most admired English Garden of its time. Few great gardens live up to their reputations so effortlessly as this. Sissinghurst is a large connoisseurs’ garden consisting of a series of small romantic areas enclosed by the surviving parts of an Elizabethan mansion. It never disappoints its visitors, it has the power of enchantment, but it is also an unending source of inspiration for all gardeners. Sissinghurst is surely as close to gardening perfection as you can get, and it continues to be one of the most copies flower gardens in the world.
We continue to another classic English Country Garden – Great Dixter. The distinguished garden writer Christopher Lloyd (who died in January 2006 at the aged of 84) was the genius behind Great Dixter, with its timbered 15th century house. Restored by Sir Edwin Lutyens who also planned the garden, Mr Lloyd has firmly put his lively stamp on it. A recent experiment involved installing a summer tropical garden rich in bold shapes and brilliant colours. No gardener could come to Great Dixter without making discoveries and rekindling a zest for gardening. A guided tour is included.
Meals IncludedDinner
