Itinerary Details
1 Arrive London, England
From vast, immaculately manicured estates to the cozy, contoured hills of the Cotswolds, no country rewards garden and landscape enthusiasts like England, and the work of its pioneering landscape architects still inspires today. Upon arrival, settle into your luxury hotel in rural West Sussex, where pretty villages dot rolling countryside. Then gather for a private welcome dinner at this historic manor house.
Ockenden Manor
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2 West Sussex – Heritage GardensVisit Storrington for a private tour of the 16th-century Parham House and its landscaped Pleasure Grounds. Stroll Veronica's Maze and The Walled Garden, learning how they are organically maintained. After lunch at Parham House, visit nearby Borde Hill Garden, set on 200 acres of traditional English landscape.
Ockenden Manor
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3 Sissinghurst & Great Dixter – Arts & Crafts GemsToday, enjoy a private tour of the late Christopher Lloyd's garden at Great Dixter, conducted before opening hours. Built in the Arts and Crafts style, it mingles vegetables and flowers, a large orchard with pockets of wildflowers and a magnificent herbaceous border. Later, drive to Sissinghurst Castle and stroll its garden. Learn how Sir Harold Nicolson, a diplomat and author, laid down its main lines while his wife, Vita Sackville-West, a poet and gardening writer, handled the planting. View the influential White Garden, which exemplifies the use of color themes by early 20th-century garden designer Gertrude Jekyll.
Ockenden Manor
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4 Hampshire – West Green HouseDrive to the quaint and charming Cotswolds area, beloved for its rolling hills and picturesque villages and market towns, where many houses are built of a uniquely appealing honey-hued limestone. Pause in a wooded corner of North Hampshire for a visit to the gardens of West Green House. Learn how acclaimed designer Marylyn Abbott fused neoclassical and contemporary influences as you tour the grounds with the senior gardener. Then, stay on site for lunch. Later, toast your day with a drink before dining at your hotel.
Dormy House Hotel & Spa
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5 The Cotswolds – Kiftsgate and Hidcote ManorDrive to the lovely town of Chipping Campden to visit its High Street, Jacobean Market Hall and impressive Church of St. James. Afterward, enjoy a private visit to Kiftsgate Court Gardens and stroll the harmonious, color-schemed upper gardens. Continue to nearby Hidcote Manor — one of England's greatest gardens and a true Arts and Crafts masterpiece — to explore its series of unique outdoor "rooms.” Nestled in the Cotswolds, a range of hills known for their beauty, the garden offers stunning panoramas across the Vale of Evesham.
Dormy House Hotel & Spa
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6 The Cotswolds – A Glimpse Into the Sport of KingsVisit Jackdaws Castle, a renowned facility for British jump racing. Follow horses from their indoor school outdoors to watch them work on their various gallops under the watchful eye of the owner-trainer and his team, all the while taking in the stunning scenery of this magical setting. Return to the yard to watch a horse swim in an equine pool and then join a guide who introduces you to some of the amazing thoroughbreds. Finish with a cordial visit to the owners' suite. This afternoon, explore Sudeley Castle, resting place of Katherine Parr, the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII.
Dormy House Hotel & Spa
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7 Blenheim Palace – Birthplace of Sir Winston ChurchillDrive to Blenheim Palace, a magnificent edifice set among 2,100 acres of beautiful parkland landscaped by Lancelot "Capability” Brown. Enjoy a special talk and tour focused on the life of Sir Winston Churchill, who was born here in 1874. Examine the breadth of his talent and achievement, from bricklayer to the "Greatest Briton.” After lunch at leisure, continue to London. From Shakespeare to Sherlock Holmes, Buckingham Palace to the Battle of Britain, London occupies a sizable niche in the western psyche. It has served as the seat of a global empire and an unflappable bastion of liberty in the face of the Blitz. Today, London swings on, a lively metropolis with a richly diverse appeal.
Brown's Hotel, A Rocco Forte Hotel
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8 The Chelsea Flower Show – A World of InspirationToday, in Chelsea, a darling neighborhood set along the Thames in West London, attend the world-renowned Chelsea Flower Show on an exclusive Royal Horticultural Society Members' Day. Enjoy a four-course luncheon and an open bar, as well as morning and afternoon tea, in an exclusive Royal Horticultural Society hospitality area. Walk countless exhibits showcasing the finest examples of English gardening and some of the most avant-garde show-garden designs in the world. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon, gathering in the evening for a farewell dinner.
Brown's Hotel, A Rocco Forte Hotel
Meals:
9 Depart LondonAfter breakfast, take your private transfer to the airport for your departing flight.
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