Glorious Gardens and Castles of Wales 2023 – this tour is now FULLY BOOKED. If you would like to join a waiting list for this tour please email us on tours@sisley.co.uk
Sunday 9th – Saturday 15th July 2023 (6 nights)
This delightful, high season tour travels the length of Wales and incorporates some superb scenery including Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons National Parks. We visit castles, famous gardens, private estates and stay in two lovely hotels.
- Visit to the famous Bodnant Gardens .
- Majestic Powis Castle with its stunning parterres and views.
- A tour of the Italianate-style village of Portmeirion with lunch over looking the estuary.
- Private lunch at the Arts & Crafts High Glanau Manor.
- Superlative scenery of Snowdonia National Park and the Black Mountains.
- Four stunning private gardens with the opportunity to meet the owners.
- Visit to the island of Anglesey to see Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens.
Photo credits: Images courtesy of Brockhampton Cottage. Other images copyright Sisley Garden Tours.
We meet at London Euston Train Station for our mid-morning departure. We take a relaxing train journey to Crewe where the coach will meet us for our transfer to the hotel.
We arrive, mid-afternoon at the 4-star Bodysgallen Hall. This lovely country house hotel is situated in 200 acres of parkland with a unique 17th century parterre garden. We have time to look around the delightful gardens with drinks before dinner in the hotel (included).
Monday 10th July
We begin our day with a visit to Bodnant Gardens – often described as one of the most spectacular gardens in Britain with their formal terraces giving far reaching views to Snowdonia. We have an introductory talk on arrival followed by free time to explore the gardens and have lunch (independent).
In the afternoon, we journey across North Wales, passing Conwy Castle to the island of Anglesey. Here we visit Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens. This large estate has been restored since 1996 and the historic gardens have undergone a spectacular transformation. They are now considered a plantsmans paradise with three distinct areas: the walled garden, valley gardens and upper woodland garden. We have dinner in a local restaurant (included).
Tuesday 11th July
Today we take a scenic drive through Snowdonia National Park to the fascinating and quirky village of Portmeirion. We will enjoy a guided tour through the Italianate village, which was developed by Welsh architect, Sir Clough William-Ellis over 50 years from the 1920’s. His vision was to show how a naturally beautiful site could be developed without spoiling it. We then have lunch (included) in the Art Deco restaurant overlooking the estuary.
In the afternoon we head back to our hotel, stopping en-route at Caernarfon where there is free time and to view it’s majestic castle. Dinner in the hotel (included).
Wednesday 12th July
After checking out of our hotel, we travel south and visit Powis Castle. We enjoy a guided gardens tour and free time for lunch (independent). This impressive medieval castle houses the treasures collected by the Clive family and the terraced garden boasts spectacular yew hedges, lavish herbaceous borders and Italianate terraces.
We then continue to Abergavenny, a very attractive market town to check into the 4-star Angel Hotel. We have dinner in the hotel (included).
Thursday 13th July
After a leisurely start, we visit Llanover Gardens. This wonderful estate sits in the Usk Valley at the foot of the Black Mountains. The 18-acre, Grade II-listed garden, features a walled ‘round garden’, two arboreta and extensive herbaceous borders and lawns. The Rhyd-y-Meirch (Ford of the Stallions) stream flows the entire length of the garden, tumbling into ponds, over cascades and beneath flagstone bridges. We pause, nearby, for a light lunch (included).
In the afternoon we stop at the home of two self-confessed ‘plantaholics’ whose knowledge of botany and plant breeding is unsurpassed. We’ll see many exotic gems in their private garden because there are more than 1000 cultivars, with many rarities, densely planted across 2 acres to generate an exuberant display through the seasons. Your evening is at leisure in Abergavenny.
Friday 14th July
Today we visit two gardens that have flourished under the creative eye of landscape designer Tom Stuart-Smith. We begin with a visit to Brockhampton Cottage that sits on a rise in the south Herefordshire countryside and gives wonderful views of the landscape beyond. The owner has created the garden during the last 21 years to maximise its setting. He has been helped by his friend Tom Stuart-Smith to develop certain areas. The result is a harmonious mixed palette of flowering perennials and grasses that flows through the gardens and blends with the landscape beyond.
We continue to a nearby 18th-century manor house, surrounded by a delightful garden. We have lunch (included) on arrival then stroll through the garden which is planted on two levels. This contemporary two-acre garden features mixed planting of perennials and grasses and was also designed by Tom Stuart-Smith, so expect drama, texture and colour. We return to the hotel for dinner (included).
Saturday 15th July
We check-out in the morning and head back towards London. En-route we make a stop at a true Arts & Crafts gem – High Glanau Manor. This beautiful house was the home of Avrey Tipping, editor of Country Life Magazine in the 1920’s. The current owners have restored the gardens to their 1920’s glory and we are invited to have lunch with them in the house (included) before strolling through the gardens.
In the late afternoon we drop off at the Sheraton Heathrow Hotel and Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 for inter-terminal transport links and the Heathrow Express train for travel into London.
Please read our Tour Joining and Departure Arrangements information sheet here. To download a printable version of this itinerary, click here.
Our Hotels
Our hotels are 4-star and selected for their high standards of comfort and service. All rooms are en-suite and offer free wi-fi access.
Bodysgallen Hall, Llandudno (3 nights)
Secluded in over 200 acres of parkland with spectacular views of Snowdonia and Conwy Castle, Grade I listed Bodysgallen Hall provides all that is best in country house hospitality. Beautiful gardens include a rare 17th century parterre of box hedges and a walled rose garden and several follies. All 31 rooms are individually designed in a traditional country house style and thoughtfully furnished with antiques and fine prints and paintings.
Established in 1829 as a posting inn, The Angel is a smart, lively hotel in the middle of picturesque Abergavenny. The elegant former coaching inn, has 32 comfortable rooms, a stylish restaurant and a separate cosy bar. The interiors have been finished with a subtle country feel, elegant chandeliers, big ferns in vases and works by local artists.
| Tour cost per person (sharing twin or double room) | Single supplement (for single occupancy of a double room) |
| £4,150 | £330 |
PRICES INCLUDE:
- 6 nights’ accommodation at 4-star hotels with en-suite facilities.
- Breakfast daily, 4 lunches and 5 dinners.
- All garden visits including tours with garden owners and head gardeners.
- All tour gratuities (driver, tour director and hotels).
- Deluxe coach travel with professional driver.
- Gift information pack with detailed information about the gardens we will be visiting.
- Services of your Sisley tour director throughout
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 requested at the time of booking to secure your place on the tour. Your tour balance payment is due 90 days prior to 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.
You can book and pay for your tour in three ways:
With your own travel agent: You can book a Sisley Garden Tour in your local currency through your own travel agent. Just provide us with their contact details in your booking form and we will take care of the rest.
With our travel partner in the USA: After 20 happy years of partnership, Worldwide Traveler has retired as our US travel partner. We are currently seeking to appoint a new representative to work with in the US. Please contact us for details.
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.
Book nowFull details of our booking Terms & Conditions can be found at here. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions section for further information.
We very much look forward to welcoming you, but please email tours@sisley.co.uk if you have any queries.
