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Gardens of Wiltshire
5-8 June 2011

The county of Wiltshire is steeped in history with many famous attractions, and within its sweeping landscapes there are a myriad of horticultural gems.

We stay in the 3* Grasmere Riverside Hotel, Salisbury, set in 1½ acres of mature gardens and rolling lawns, which back on to the banks of the Rivers Avon and Nadder, with views across the rivers and watermeadows to Salisbury Cathedral.

From here we visit Iford Manor (pictured left), a formal Italianate garden on the steeply wooded slopes of the Frome Valley. Captivated by the great gardens of the Italian Renaissance, Edwardian architect Harold Peto created an evocative garden of colonnaded walks and loggias, terraces and staircases, all within an English landscape setting.

Our next garden, The Courts, had an industrial background as a woollen mill with ponds that were used for dyeing the wool. Now owned by the National Trust, this charming garden shows the English country style at its best, with peaceful water gardens, herbaceous borders and an imaginative use of colour and planting.

Ridleys Cheer, best described as a free flowing and informal plantsman's garden, lies in the heart of rural Wiltshire and brings our choice of gardens up to date. Travelling across the Salisbury Plains, we visit a selection of Wiltshire's private Monastic gardens. Starting with Chisenbury Priory, this traditional English garden consists of herbaceous borders, roses and many unusual plants, all surrounding the medieval Priory.

The Abbey House Gardens, made famous by’The Naked Gardeners’, are set beside Malmesbury Abbey and these remarkable gardens, created 14 years ago, compliment the late Tudor house beautifully. Our final garden, The Priory at Kingston St Michael, is a magical 2 acre site centred around the buildings of an ancient priory. An elegant garden, with many delightful separate areas flowing effortlessly into each other, with no jarring of colours or features.

En route to Salisbury we will break the journey with a visit to Broadleas, a plantsman's paradise with a fine collection of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. On our journey home we will call in to Heale House & Nursery, an idyllic formal garden, much of it designed by Harold Peto, with a tributary of the Avon meandering through it and then finally on to Bowood House. From the natural beauty of the "Capability" Brown grounds to the private viewing of the walled garden, this beautiful house and grounds is considered to be one of Wiltshire's greatest hidden treasures.

Cost per person: £425
Single room supplement: £39

Departure points: Saxilby, Lincoln, Newark, Leicester, Lutterworth.

We may pick-up from a limited number of other points if en route and easy for coach access.