RUDDICK TOURS   'Great Tours of Britain'                                                           

Gardens of England Tour - (3 nights/4 days) - 2005

A Superb opportunity to see many of the finest gardens in Europe, in only 4 days! This special tour is designed for genuine garden lovers and if you know your gardens, or are just an enthusiastic amateur who likes nothing better than to wander through a beautiful one, with others who share your interest, this is the tour for you! We give you Factsheets on every garden visited, and where possible arrange for you to meet some of the owners and their staff. You'll also have an opportunity to shop for all manner of garden-related products and literature at most of the gardens visited.

Day 2: Slowing down our pace now, we'll enjoy a leisurely breakfast, before taking a scenic drive to Hampshire and Mottisfont Abbey Garden. Originally a 12th century Augustinian priory, it became a private house after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the C16th. The magnificent trees, walled gardens and the National Collection of Old-fashioned Roses assure you a most satisfying visit. The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and Arboretum claim the greatest collection of wild and cultivated woody plants in the world. This 180 acre garden provides a wonderful range of seasonal colour and holds 11 National Plant Collections, Champion Trees, plus the largest Winter Garden in Europe. Lunch will be taken here.

We spend the remainder of the day at Hinton Ampner Garden or Houghton Lodge, (subject to the day of the week). Hinton Ampner is a fine example of a formal design combined with an informal planting scheme which produces charming walks and some 'surprise' vistas. Colourful through most of the season, highlights include a dell and sunken garden.

Houghton Lodge is aptly described by its owners as, 'a garden of the future in a garden of the past'. Fine topiary, a traditional walled kitchen garden and ancient fruit trees contrast with the Hydroponicum where you can learn how to garden at home without soil and how to control insect pests without chemicals. (Hydroponic kits are sold here). It's late afternoon now, so time to head off for our accommodation for tonight, across the county boundary in Sussex. It's rather special, and so is the setting! (Inclusive tour - DB&B).

Day 3: Petworth Park makes a splendid starting point today. This 700 acre park was landscaped by 'Capability' Brown, and is particularly beautiful in Spring and Autumn (Fall). A pause to admire the fine views before we head on to Leonardslee Gardens. If you're making this trip in the spring you're in for a real treat; the 240 acre valley is famed for its display of azaleas and rhododendrons around 7 lakes, giving some beautiful views and reflections. Your Factsheet will also point you to the other highlights: the Rock Garden, Bonsai exhibition, Alpine House, wallaby and deer park and Victorian motor-car collection.

Nymans Garden is our afternoon treat. One of the great gardens of Sussex, it houses rare and beautiful plants and trees from all over the world. There's a walled garden, hidden sunken garden, pinetum, laurel walk and some romantic ruins. By now we should all have an appetite, so its time for afternoon tea - in a lovely setting! Our 'home' for tonight is going to please, too; as will the fine table d'hote dinner. (Inclusive tour - DB&B).

Day 4: It may be our final day, but there's plenty of life left in this tour, and we intend to finish on a real 'high', beginning with Sheffield Park Garden. Truly a garden for all seasons, Sheffield's 120 tranquil acres contain 4 lakes linked by cascades. There are snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells in Spring; spectacular azaleas and rhododendrons in early summer; cool pathways through the trees in summer time make for a perfect stroll, and in autumn the trees and shrubs put on a wonderful show of colour. By contrast, at Great Dixter House and Gardens, the scale is much smaller and more intimate. The birthplace and home of gardening writer Christopher Lloyd, Gt. Dixter was built in 1460 and boasts one of the largest surviving timber-framed halls in the country. The house and gardens were restored in the early 20th century and are now very much stamped with Christopher's authority. There's an exciting combination of meadows, ponds, borders and topiary, plus a lovely exotic garden; all within a few acres.

A pleasant drive through the Kent countryside brings us to Scotney Castle Garden, our penultimate choice for your tour. Scotney's idyllic location surrounding the ruins of a 14th century castle, justify its' claim to being one of the most romantic gardens in the country. Rhododendrons, azaleas, water-lilies and wisteria flower in profusion. Especially renowned for its autumn colour, you're sure to enjoy this place. If you have the energy, the estate which surrounds the garden has many country walks to tempt you.

The final visit of our tour is coming up, but first let's take a good farewell lunch together, where we can discuss the group's choice of venue. Either, Hever Castle or (when open) Chartwell. Hever dates back to 1270, and simply breathes history. In 1903 William Waldorf Astor bought the somewhat derelict estate, and invested an immense amount of time, money and imagination on the castle's restoration. Between 1904-8, over 30 acres of formal gardens were laid out and planted and they have now matured into one of England's finest gardens. Highlights are the Italian, Rose and Tudor gardens. Alternatively, Chartwell, purchased a little later in the 1920's by Sir Winston Churchill, was another man's dream realised. It was his family home up to the end of his life and he would say, 'I love the place - a day away from Chartwell is a day wasted.' The garden studio contains his easel and paintbox together with many of his paintings, but he excelled equally in his laying out, wall-building and planting schemes for the garden. Whichever property is chosen, you won't be diappointed. Our return journey to London takes just one and a half hours from here.

PRICES:

EITHER: You pay just £440 per day, to cover the cost of your Minivan, carrying up to 8 persons, your driver-guide's services and all miles driven. The fee also includes the driver-guide's hotel/subsistence expenses, but not your own. We can arrange guest house/inn/hotel accommodations from £60 per twin or double room, £80 a family room per night including breakfast. Eentry fees to the sites visited are not included. Gratuities are discretionary.

OR: A fully-inclusive option:

Prices include quality accommodation with private bath and full English breakfast, entrance fees & taxes, individual Factsheets, lunch on 2 days, dinner on 2 nights and high tea on 1 day, your own driver/guide and minivan for 4 days. Total luggage handling throughout.

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