Exclusive Gardens & Magnificent Roses in the heart of England
This tour is now FULLY BOOKED. If you would like to join the wait list, please register here.
Sunday 9th – Friday 14th June 2024 (5 nights)
Join us on our new, exclusive tour to the heart of England and explore fascinating hidden gardens. We visit superlative country estates, picturesque villages, rolling countryside and beautiful gardens, and a highlight will be exploring the glorious rose garden at David Austin Roses’ headquarters.
- Tour of David Austin’s famous rose garden.
- Exclusive visit to Kelmscott Manor, the former country retreat of Arts & Crafts specialist, William Morris.
- Private talk by one of the UK’s most renowned rose growers and specialists.
- Visit to Blenheim Palace – one of England’s finest stately homes with its own rose garden.
- Superlative Cotswolds scenery.
- Exclusive visit to Daylesford House.
- Time to explore the quaint town of Stow-on-the-Wold.
- Explore Shakespeare’s roots in Stratford-upon-Avon and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage.
- Exclusive garden visits to four stunning private gardens.
Photo credits: Images copyright David Austin Roses; Broughton Grange, Cottesbrook Manor, Coton Manor and Kelmscott Manor.
After our morning pick up at the Sheraton Heathrow Hotel, Heathrow Airport, we head north to our base for this 5-night tour, the historic 4-star Ettington Park Hotel.
En-route we stop for lunch (independent) and exploration at the World Heritage Site of Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. It is a monumental and historic palace with fabulous formal gardens including the scented rose garden and ‘Capability Brown’ landscaped grounds stretching over 2,000 acres.
This evening join your tour director and the rest of the group for dinner in the hotel (included).
Monday 10th June
Today we visit David Austin Roses − the lavish rose garden of David Austin, one of the world’s leading rose breeders. The nursery features five themed gardens filled with over 700 rose varieties including shrub, old fashioned, climbing and species roses. The National Collection of English Roses is held in these gardens. It is a sensory delight.
In the afternoon we continue onto the private garden of Preen Manor for lunch (included) and a tour of the garden with the owner. Created following the ‘arts & crafts’ aesthetic on the site of a 12th century monastery with beautifully planted garden rooms, the gardens give fine views over the surrounding countryside. We return to the hotel for dinner (included).
Tuesday 11th June
This morning we enjoy a private tour of Kelmscott Manor, the country retreat of William Morris, Victorian textile designer, poet, novelist and father of the Arts & Crafts Movement. He described it as ‘heaven on earth’. The Grade-I listed house dating from 1570 and garden have recently undergone extensive conservation and refurbishment. We have lunch at Kelmscott Manor (included).
Afterwards we visit Broughton Grange Gardens. These private gardens are beautifully set in 350 acres of parkland, farmland and open meadow, with planting that owes its origins to the Victorian era. However, it is in the past 20 years that the beautiful garden rooms, designed by Tom Stuart-Smith, have been created, and now represent one of the most significant private contemporary gardens in Britain. We enjoy an exclusive tour with the Head Gardener before returning to the hotel for dinner (included).
Wednesday 12th June
This morning we are treated to an exclusive visit to gardens at Daylesford House which are exquisitely designed and maintained but rarely open to visitors. The magnificent 18th century landscape estate, created in 1790 for Warren Hastings, has been greatly restored and enhanced by the present owners, Lord and Lady Bamford. After, there is time in the delightful Cotswolds market town of Stow-on-the-Wold for lunch (independent) and shopping.
In the afternoon we make at stop at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, a typical English cottage garden surrounding the original thatched farm cottage − family home of the wife of playwright, William Shakespeare. We continue into Stratford-upon-Avon for a walk through the town with its many literary connections, and have dinner (included) at the rooftop restaurant of the Royal Shakespeare Company Theatre.
Please note: If you wish to attend a performance at the RSC, tickets go on sale in early 2024 and can be purchased online. The hotel is a 6-mile taxi journey from the theatre.
Thursday 13th June
A private pre-opening visit to Cottesbrooke Hall is our first stop of the day. This is a wonderful, privately owned Queen Anne-style house with immaculate, award-winning gardens. We will enjoy a tour of the gardens with the Head Gardener. A number of distinguished designers have been involved in the development of the gardens − more recently James Alexander Sinclair and Arne Maynard.
In the afternoon, we continue on to Coton Manor – a beautiful garden that occupies a hillside position extending down from the 17th century manor house. We have lunch (included) and meet the owner for an introduction to the 10-acre garden which has luxuriant borders that will delight the plant enthusiast. We return to the hotel for dinner (included).
Friday 14th June
After check-out, our final visit is to a fabulous private garden, surrounded by Cotswolds stone barns, which has been developed over the last 20 years. We will meet our host and enjoy lunch in the garden (included). In the afternoon, we drop off at the Sheraton Heathrow Hotel and Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 for inter-terminal transport links and the Heathrow Express train train travel into London.
Note: This tour can easily be combined with our Garden Lover’s Tour of Chester, Chatsworth House & the Peak District or our Classic Cotswolds with the Royal Gardens at Highgrove tour.
Please read our Tour Joining and Departure Arrangements information sheet here. To download a printable version of the itinerary, click here.
Our Hotel
Our hotel is 4-star and selected for its high standards of comfort and service. All rooms are ensuite and offer free wifi access.
Ettington Park, near Stratford-upon-Avon (5 nights)
Ettington Park is a luxury, 4-star Victorian mansion, dating from the 1850s with fantastic Gothic details. It is set within 40 acres of lush parkland with the River Stour running through. Ettington was the historic home of the Shirley family, whose ownership dates from the time of the Domesday Book but the house, as we see it today, was remodelled between 1858 and 1862 for Evelyn Shirley.
The hotel now offers stylishly furnished rooms, award-winning dining, a steam room and an indoor swimming pool. The grounds are lovely to wander through and guests can visit the ruins of the former Church of Holy Trinity which is situated overlooking the hotel.
| Tour cost per person (sharing twin or double room) | Single Supplement (for single occupancy of a double room) |
| £4,100 (GBP) | £510 (GBP) |
PRICES INCLUDE:
- 5 nights’ accommodation at a 4-star country house hotel with en-suite facilities.
- Breakfast daily, 3 lunches and 5 dinners.
- Assistance with luggage at the hotel.
- All garden visits including tours with garden owners and head gardeners.
- Deluxe coach travel with professional driver.
- Transfers to and from the hotel and Heathrow Airport at the start and end of the tour.
- An information pack with detailed booklet about the gardens we will be visiting.
- Services of your Sisley tour director throughout.
- All tour gratuities (driver, tour director and hotels).
PRICES EXCLUDE:
- Airfares.
- Passport and/or visa fees if applicable.
- Meals not included in the tour, drinks, laundry, and telephone calls.
TOUR PAYMENT:A 10% non-refundable deposit is required to secure your place(s) on the tour. Your balance payment is due 120 days prior to the tour departure.
EXCHANGE RATE INFORMATION:You can get an idea of the cost of the tour in your local currency by using a currency converter. Conversion rates are based on institutional or inter-bank daily rates. Retail conversion rates include fees and will generally differ from these rates.
To book your place(s) please complete our online booking form at www.sisley.co.uk/booking-form/ or click the BOOK NOW button below. As soon as we receive your booking form, we will confirm availability on the tour of your choice and arrange collection of your deposit which secures your booking.
BOOK NOWHOW TO PAY
There are three ways to pay for your tour and you will be asked on the booking form which you prefer:
With our travel partner in North America: You can book your tour in USD$ or CAD$ by credit card or check with our partners at DHTour – a London and UK specialist travel agent who can assist with all aspects of your trip. Find out more about DHTour here.
With Sisley Garden Tours: All clients are welcome to book a tour directly with us. We can accept payment in GBP£ by bank transfer or by credit/debit card.
With your own travel agent: We are happy to work with your preferred travel agent. Just provide us with their contact details on the booking form and we will take care of the rest.
BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Full details of our booking terms & conditions can be found at www.sisley.co.uk/terms-and-conditions.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Please see the Frequently Asked Questions section on our website for further information www.sisley.co.uk/frequently-asked-questions/
We very much look forward to welcoming you, but please email tours@sisley.co.uk if you have any queries.
