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Chelsea Flower Show + Garden & Literary Highlights of Southern England
May 20 - June 04, 2007

We begin in London, enjoy the sights, the theatre, have time for personal exploring and take in the fabulous Chelsea Flower Show. Considered a 'global gardening extravaganza' the Chelsea Flower Show is sponsored by the Royal Horticultural Society. It covers 11 acres and includes a series of gardens created by some of the world's leading designers, a pavilion filled with thousands of flowers (and vegetables) including new varieties and educational exhibits. We enjoy 3 nights in this wonderful city with private sightseeing, a evening show and time to allow for your own exploring and shopping.

We then travel down to Kent to enjoy sightseeing and gardens during a six-night stay in the Victorian Spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells, then move over to the Cotswolds for a five-night stay to take in more gardens and wonderful visits such as Bath, Stratford and Blenheim.

May 20 - overnight flight to London

May 21 - transfer from Heathrow airport to London We will check into our hotel and have the afternoon at leisure.

May 22 - Morning half day sightseeing of the major sights of this vibrant city.

The afternoon will be free for personal time and exploration. There are so many options - the British Museum, the Tower of London, the shops - Harrods maybe? Our Travel Broker escort will be available to accompany those interested in an afternoon excursion. This evening we are going out to the theatre. We will be establishing which show we will see about 2 months prior to arrival.

May 23 - The Big Day - today we go to the Chelsea Flower Show ! This is truly the Holy Grail of flower shows and we are delighted to return.

May 24 - Now it's off to Kent (the Garden of England) - our passengers always love Kent and we extend our program every year to spend more time here to fit more in. On route we will have a visit at Churchill's home 'Chartwell'. The family home of Sir Winston Churchill from 1924 until the end of his life. The rooms and gardens remain much as they were when he and Clementine lived there. The beautiful terraced gardens contain the lakes Sir Winston created and Lady Churchill's rose garden. Many of Churchill's paintings can be seen in his garden studio.

"Garden of England" - Kent. We stay 6 nights in the Victorian Spa town Royal Tunbridge Wells. This is our favourite base for such highlights as Canterbury, Dover Castle with its secret war tunnels, the Castles and gardens of Leeds, Hever, and Sissinghurst From here we will also visit Hastings where William of Normandy landed then carry on to Battle where he fought King Harold. On our way back to our hotel we will stop into Bateman's, the home of Rudyard Kipling.

Literary highlights: Winston Churchill, Geoffrey Chaucer, Christopher Marlowe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling

May 25 - This morning we set off to Canterbury (the birthplace of Christianity in Britain). We will have time for the wonderful Canterbury Cathedral and will also take in the delightful "Canterbury Tales" - this exhibit takes you right into one of Chaucer's works "Canterbury Tales" as we travel along with the Innkeeper, the Miller, the Knight and the Wife of Bath on their pilgrimage from the Tabard Inn to St. Thomas Becket's shrine. After lunch we continue on to Dover Castle. No other castle in Britain has such a long history, from the Romans, through the Saxons, William the Conqueror and right up to World War II We plan to visit its secret wartime tunnels - a must for any history buff.

May 26 - This is a fun day as we take a steam train from the centre of Royal Tunbridge Wells to Groombridge Garden, a delightful mix of formal and wild garden scapes offering up the sights and scents created by centuries of dedicated gardeners in a Kentish garden for all seasons. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (the creator of Sherlock Holmes) lived 4 miles from here, made frequent visits here in the 19th century and it became the setting for one of his works, "The Valley of Fear". There is a wonderful little museum dedicated to Doyle on the grounds that replicates his study and houses an exhibition of photographs and memorabilia connected with his life and work. By the way, the 2005 version of "Pride & Prejudice" was filmed at Groombridge Place Garden

May 27 - Today we visit another favourite Castle and Garden. First it's off to Leeds Castle, once the private home of Henry VIII, then on the way back to Royal Tunbridge Wells we will visit Sissinghurst Garden, one of the world's most celebrated gardens created by Vita Sackvillle-West and her husband, Sir Harold Nicolson. Planted in the ruins of a large Elizabethan house set in the unspoiled Wealden countryside, it is famous for its garden rooms.

May 28 - Today's adventure takes us first to Hastings, where in the first few days of October 1066, William of Normandy was set up camp to prepare for battle against King Harold. We then travel to the town of Battle (6 miles to the north) where William's forces met and conquered King Harold on Senlac Hill. The battlefield is still there. Then to Bateman's (Home of Rudyard Kipling from 1902 until his death in 1936). Kipling wrote some of his finest works here including "If", "The Glory of the Garden", and "Puck of Pook's Hill". Kipling was born in India and the house reflects his strong links with the Indian subcontinent. There are oriental rugs in many rooms and the parlour displays Kipling's collection of Indian works of art and artifacts. Kipling made his mark in the garden too where he planted yew hedges and created a rose garden. Kipling's sundial is engraved with the words "It is later than you think".

May 29 - Another castle but this one is different - it is relatively small, very quaint and very homey (as castles go) Hever Castle dates from the year 1270 and was the home of Anne Boleyn. It is appropriately furnished to allow us to go back in time and capture those moments of romance, conspiracy, danger and intrigue complete with costumed figures of Henry VIII's six wives. The gardens are a delight with interactive yew and water mazes.

May 30 - We will now leave Kent for another famously beautiful area the Cotswolds. Our transfer trip takes about 3 hours and we will have a stop in the quaint old town of Newbury. It has a river and canal running through it so it will make a lovely place to stop for lunch with time for a stroll. We will make the market town of Nailsworth in the heart of the Cotswolds our base for the next 5 nights.

The "Cotswolds". This is a stunningly beautiful area world famous for villages and towns of honey coloured Cotswold stone. The Cotswold escarpment was given the designation of AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) in 1966 and we are so happy to know that it will always wear its lovely charm. From this base we will visit famous towns and sites such as Bath, Stratford, Blenheim Palace several gardens including an arboretum and visit villages with names like Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water.

Literary highlights: William Shakespeare & Jane Austen

May 31 - Today is dedicated to the villages, hills and dales of the Cotswolds. We will drive north through villages like Stow-on-the-Wold and visit 2 fascinating gardens.

Batsford Arboretum - during the 1860s Algernon Freeman-Milford travelled widely in oriental Asia. He was deeply influenced by the landscapes in China and Japan and was fascinated by those plants he found there. Upon inheriting the estate (existing as Batsford Park from the 17th century) he demolished the existing Georgian house and rebuilt a new mansion and by 1890 he turned his attention to the gardens. He created a "wild" garden of near natural plantings inspired by his observations of plant groupings in the Japanese landscape.

Bourton House Garden - Since Saxon times, the stone built village of "Bourton-on-the-Hill" has hugged the Cotswold escarpment. Built on monastic lands, Bourton house, its Brew house stables and coach house have created a courtyard since the late 16th century. This is our 'Arts and Crafts' Garden - the Gardens of Paradise with contemporary tribal rugs and hangings from Iran form a theme for landscape and gardens.

Jun. 01 - Today we visit Stratford upon Avon. Stratford is one of England's most historic and vibrant towns. Aside from the famous Roman Baths (from which the city is named) it has been a market town from medieval times and today most famous as the birthplace of the Elizabethan playwright, William Shakespeare. Because Shakespeare's time coincided with Elizabethan England this combination gives us a wonderful time capsule. During Shakespeare's time England was emerging as the leading naval and commercial power of the Western World - It was the time of Elizabeth I. Although London rampaged ahead, through the connection of Shakespeare, Stratford blossomed during the Elizabethan age and in fact capsulized and still shows this cultural and artistic epoch. We'll visit the Shakespeare Centre and Ann Hathaway's cottage and garden.

June 02 - Today we visit Bath. The Roman Baths, the Royal Crescent and the Jane Austin Centre makes this a wonderful place to spend a day. Jane Austen is perhaps the best known and best loved of Bath's many famous residents and visitors. Her intimate knowledge of the city is reflected in two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, which are largely set in Bath.

June 03 - Today's excursion takes us to Blenheim Palace and Gardens A magnificent English Baroque Palace and birthplace to Sir Winston Churchill with its priceless collections holds a unique place in the hearts of garden enthusiasts around the world. From the ornate fountains in the Water Terraces to the seclusion of the Secret Garden. Most of the gardens tell a story, and the Arboretum is no exception. This beautiful spot is where Sir Winston Churchill proposed to Clementine Hozier in the Temple of Diana. We will have plenty of time for the palace and the gardens.

Jun. 04 - After breakfast we set off for Heathrow for our flight home.

Cost :
Land portion from meeting on arrival to delivery at Heathrow for return flight : CAD $3990.00 Rate is per person based on sharing twin/double accommodation

RATE INCLUDES :

  • All transportation as mentioned in the program
  • 3 nights accommodation in London with private facilities
  • 6 nights in Royal Tunbridge Wells with private facilities
  • 5 nights in Nailsworth (Cotswolds) with private facilities
  • Breakfast daily
  • Theatre ticket for May 22
  • City sightseeing tour of London
  • Chelsea Flower Show
  • Membership to Royal Horticultural Society allowing us to go to the show on 'Members days'
  • Entrance to Chartwell - house and garden
  • Canterbury Cathedral
  • Canterbury Tales Experience
  • Dover Castle (plus secret war tunnels)
  • Steam train to Groombridge from Royal Tunbridge Wells & return
  • Groombridge Place Gardens
  • Leeds Castle
  • Sissinghurst Garden
  • Visit of Hastings and Battle
  • Bateman's (Rudyard Kipling's House & Garden)
  • Hever Castle & Garden
  • Batsford Arboretum
  • Bourton House Garden
  • Stratford Upon Avon - Anne Hathaway's House & Garden
  • Bath sightseeing + Jane Austen Centre
  • Blenheim Palace & Gardens
  • All taxes

As a fully licensed Travel Agency we are happy to assist you in arranging flights from anywhere to meet up with this tour program. We can also assist with custom arrangements either before or after the program.

Deposit required : $500.00 per person
Balance due by March 15, 2007