Iconic Late Summer Gardens and Houses
Sunday 8th September – Friday 13th September 2019 (5 nights)
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- Pre opening garden tour of Great Dixter at the peak of its late summer glory
- Visit Sir Winston Churchill’s home at Chartwell
- Floral extravaganza at RHS Wisley Flower Show
- Private gardens tour at Vann Garden, a Gertrude Jekyll garden
- Exclusive visits to Bury Court Barn, Bramdean House and Sussex Prairie Garden
- Pre-opening visits to the historic houses of Parham House and Polesden Lacey
- Exquisite gardens at Woolbeding and Nymans Gardens and the Savill Garden
- Lunch and private tour at Gravetye Manor – home of William Robinson, ‘Father of the English flower garden’
- 5 nights in the beautiful 4-star Barnett Hill Hotel
After our morning pick-up at Heathrow Airport, we head to Wisley Garden, the home of the Royal Horticultural Society. We will enjoy the floral extravaganza that is the Wisley Flower Show featuring the National Dahlia Society Show. Full of ideas and information, the garden delights and inspires in any season of the year. We stay for lunch (independent) at Wisley.
Then we check into the lovely 4-star Barnett Hill Hotel, our base for the duration of the tour. This evening join your tour director and travel companions for dinner in the hotel (included).
Monday 9th September
Our morning is spent at Polesden Lacey, a fabulous Edwardian country retreat and former home of the socialite Mrs Greville. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother spent their honeymoon here – grandeur indeed! We’ll be taken on a private pre-opening tour of the house followed by time to see the gardens and have lunch in the granary cafe (independent).
In the afternoon, we are treated to a visit to the privately owned Bramdean Gardens where we meet the owners and have a tour of their enchanting gardens.
Our final visit of the day is to Bury Court Barn. The courtyard garden was created by owner John Coke in collaboration with Piet Oudolf, Dutch garden designer and a pioneer of the New Perennial movement. Dinner is included at Bury Court Barn overlooking the gardens.
Tuesday 10th September
We start the day with a private ‘pre-opening’ guided tour of Great Dixter House and Garden, a cottage garden on a grand scale. In 1910 the English architect Edwin Lutyens restored the house and designed the gardens. The well-known gardening writer and lecturer Christopher Lloyd who further developed the garden until his passing in 2006, liked to tease the followers of garden fashion with bold experimentation. The gardens are now superbly curated by the internationally renowned gardener, Fergus Garrett. After our garden tour we will have the opportunity to see inside the manor house, then enjoy free time to further explore the gardens and have some lunch (independent).
In the afternoon we visit Chartwell House, home of Sir Winston Churchill, wartime British Prime Minister. Chartwell is much more than a house, it boasts an extensive garden with far-reaching views, a studio which is home to the largest collection of Churchill paintings and an estate comprising of over 80 acres to explore. Before returning to the hotel, we stop in a traditional English pub for dinner (included).
Wednesday 11th September
Today we begin with a private pre-opening visit to the Sussex Prairie Garden. This stunning 8-acre garden consists of a series of interlocking arcs of large planted borders in a naturalistic style. The garden will be at its peak when we visit and we’ll enjoy an introductory talk from the owner and garden creator over a morning coffee.
Afterwards, we head to Nymans Garden, one of the most fashionable and romantic gardens of the Edwardian and interwar years, and the creation of the Messel family. The house was devastated by fire, leaving just a romantic ruin to dominate the garden. There will be free time for refreshments and exploration.
Then to Gravetye Manor, the enchanting home of William Robinson, author, botanist and gardener. Gravetye is considered to be amongst the most influential in English gardening history. Robinson’s ideas about naturalised plantings, allowing nature to flow into the garden were groundbreaking. The house is now an independently owned hotel. We are treated to lunch in the hotel restaurant (included), followed by a guided tour of the gardens with the Head Gardener. We return to the hotel for an evening at leisure (dinner independent).
Thursday 12th September
Today we begin with a visit to Parham House. Idyllically set in the heart of an ancient deer park, below the South Downs, the Elizabethan house contains an important collection of needlework, paintings and furniture. The gardens include a four-acre walled garden with stunning herbaceous borders. Only three families have lived here since its foundation stone was laid in 1577 and we are treated to a pre-opening private tour of the house followed by free time to stroll around the gardens.
After we make a stop at the beautiful town of Petworth, known for its excellent independent shops, eateries and antique centres. There is free time for lunch (independent).
In the afternoon we stop at the horticultural haven of Woolbeding Gardens. Development of the gardens commenced in 1973 when American garden designer Lanning Roper was appointed. Roper’s distinctive design features are evident throughout, with clear structures, elegance and restraint being the principal elements used within the layout. From 2000, Julian and Isabel Bannerman were employed to develop the Pleasure Ground area. We return to our hotel for our final night dinner together (included).
Friday 13th September
After checking out of the Barnett Hill Hotel, we begin our day with an exclusive visit to the delightful Vann Garden, a beautiful private garden, that was designed, in part, by Gertrude Jekyll in the 1920’s. This quiet haven offers 5 acres of garden rooms, that surround the 16th century house. We meet the owner who will introduce us to her garden, then have time to wander and discover all its secret corners and vistas before enjoying lunch (included) in the ancient barn.
Our final visit of the tour is to the Savill Garden within the Royal Parks of the Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. There are 35-acres of gardens to discover, but we will be ably guided by the royal ‘Keeper of the Gardens’. The Savill Garden is considered to be England’s finest ornamental garden and super in the late summer. A fitting end to our tour.
In the late afternoon, we make two coach drop-offs: the first at Heathrow Airport and the second in central London. We can also drop clients off in central Windsor if required. We can advise on departure planning.
Please read our Tour Joining and Departure Arrangements information sheet here
Our Hotel
Our country house hotel is 4-star and selected for its high standards of comfort and service. All rooms are en-suite and offer free wi-fi access.
Barnett Hill Hotel, near Guildford
The history of this fabulous Queen Anne-style country house dates back to 1905, when it was constructed by Frank Cook, grandson of renowned travel agent Thomas Cook as a family home. Many of Barnett Hill’s original features still remain, including the summer house, tea house and greenhouse. Today the newly refurbished hotel offers sumptuous accommodation, excellent dining and stunning grounds with the recent addition of relaxing beauty treatment rooms.
| Tour cost per person (sharing twin or double room) | Single Supplement (for single occupancy of a double room) |
| £2,750 (GBP) | £350 (GBP) |
PRICES INCLUDE: Accommodation at a 4-star hotel with en-suite facilities based on twin/double room share; buffet breakfast daily; 2 lunches and 4 dinners; admissions to gardens; deluxe coach travel with professional driver; guided tours as described in an information pack provided at the start of the tour; services of your Sisley tour director throughout; arrival transfers are included only if you are joining the tour at Heathrow Airport on the first morning of the tour.
PRICES EXCLUDE: Airfares; passport and/or visa fees; beverages; laundry; telephone calls; lunches and dinners (except where included in the itinerary); gratuities; souvenirs and items of a personal nature.
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 conversation rates include fees and will generally differ from these rates.
We are delighted you’ve decided to join a Sisley Garden Tour. There are several ways to book:
- You can book directly through Sisley Garden Tours
- You can book through our appointed agents in the USA, Worldwide Traveler and pay in $USD
- You can ask your local travel agent to contact us and book on your behalf
- We can also offer Bespoke Tours for small groups (minimum 12). Please contact us with your requirements.
We very much look forward to welcoming you.
