Holidays for the garden enthusiast

Garden holidays in Somerset

Somerset Spring Gardens
14-17 May 2012

At the heart of the West Country, Somerset is a county of captivating contrasts with its protected landscapes, rolling hills, wild moorlands – and gardens.

We will be staying in the Best Western Swan Hotel, a 15th century coaching inn sited opposite the Cathedral in the centre of Wells, England’s smallest Cathedral city.

Our tour starts with a visit to Holt Farm (pictured top left), a 5-acre contemporary garden in the Yeo Valley and one of only a handful of organically certified ornamental gardens in the country. We then travel on to our lunch stop which will be at the historical Kilver Court gardens in Shepton Mallet. The gardens are spread out beneath a vast Grade II listed viaduct, a stunning backdrop to this immaculately tended site. From here we return to Wells for the afternoon to join the Head Gardener for a tour of the Bishop’s Palace Gardens, along with some free time to visit the Palace and Cathedral.

Travelling south we will spend time at the magical Cothay Manor, a 15th century medieval manor surrounded by 12 acres of romantic gardens. We will have lunch in these beautiful surroundings before calling into Watcombe, a ¾-acre mature Edwardian garden with colour-themed, informally planted mixed borders within an Italianate framework.

En route to Wells we will break the journey with a visit to Camers, a 4-acre private garden surrounding an Elizabethan farmhouse, with spectacular views over the Severn Vale. On our way home, we will spend the morning with the Head Gardener of Ston Easton Park, the only surviving Humphry Repton landscape in Somerset. Surrounded by a 36-acre park, the Palladian mansion that is now a luxury hotel will be a wonderful setting for a mid-morning coffee. There will be sufficient free time in Bath to have lunch and take in some of the local sights before returning home.

Cost per person: £480
Single room supplement: £45

Note: There is no lift at the hotel, but there are plenty of ground floor rooms.

Departure points: Saxilby, Lincoln, Newark, Leicester, Lutterworth
We may pick-up from a limited number of other points if they are en route and easy for coach access.

Your holiday includes:

Comfortable executive coach throughout the holiday
Quality 3* hotel with ensuite rooms, 3-course dinner and choice of cooked or continental breakfast
Two lunches and refreshments at all private gardens
All garden admissions
Garden visits on both outward and homeward journeys
Services of Tour Director on every holiday

Holiday Terms and Conditions