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Late Summer Gardens of the Welsh Borders

A special tour based at Gliffaes Hotel visiting the Gardens of Herefordshire & Monmouthshire

5th - 9th October 2008

This tour has been tailor-made for those of you who know Gliffaes well and those of you who have always wanted to travel to this special area. It provides a wonderful opportunity to explore an array of exceptional gardens on either side of the Welsh Border, catching the last of the summer flowers and the first hints of Autumn colour with the rolling landscape at its most alluring. Historic market towns & picturesque villages punctuate open moorland and wooded river valleys. You will visit a colourful mix of well-established and contemporary designs, even one subterranean garden accompanied by Dr. Sophie Piebenga, garden historian and well-regarded garden tour guide. The tour is also a chance to meet many of the garden owners, including Sir Roy Strong.

Day 1: Sunday 5th October

The tour will start at Bristol Parkway Railway station where parking is available at 12.00 Noon.  A special invitation to lunch at High Glanau Manor, one of the finest and best-preserved Arts & Crafts houses and gardens in Wales, designed by H. Avery Tipping in 1922 with wonderful views over the Brecon Beacons. Our next stop is the Gliffaes Country House Hotel near Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons.   On arrival, a special tour of the gardens has been arranged with time to settle in.

Day 2: Monday 6th October

In the morning, Mrs Boyle will show us the gardens of Penpergwm Lodge. Next we will visit Veddw House, created by garden writer Anne Wareham and her husband Charles Hawes who is a garden photographer. On a sheltered slope of the Wye Valley, this contemporary flower & meadow garden is a delight.  Free time to find your own lunch and to explore Tintern Abbey.  

Day 3: Tuesday 7th October

Travel into Herefordshire to visit the superb, 4-acre garden of Stockton Bury, for a stroll around a large collection of rare and unusual plants set among medieval buildings. Following lunch at Stockton Bury, we drive to Hampton Court where the Victorian walled vegetable garden now encloses a stunning new garden divided by canals, island pavilions and pleached avenues.  

Day4: Wednesday 8th October

Today we are lucky enough to have a special invitation to The Laskett, a fascinating formal garden created by Sir Roy Strong and his late wife Julia Oman, and encoded with the story of their lives. Sir Roy will lead us around the garden himself, explaining the significance of the design. Return to Gliffaes for a free afternoon.

Day5: Thursday 9th October

Journey back to Chepstow via Dewstow Grotto Garden, an atmospheric subterranean experience created from the most extensive and best preserved examples of Pulhamite rockwork in the country. Above ground there are rock gardens, ponds, water features and ornamental areas. Buffet lunch is included at the Dewstow Golf Club before returning to Bristol Parkway for 15.00.  

The tour price per person is £998.00 and includes bed, breakfast and evening meals at the Gliffaes Country House Hotel plus 3 light lunches. There is no single supplement but rooms for single occupancy are limited.  This price does not include wine with meals, any extras at the hotel or travel insurance.