Majestic mansions, imposing castles and an enviable list of England's most magnificent gardens make this opulent Kent tour an unforgettable experience for anyone with a fondness for fine design. This tour is the ultimate opportunity to indulge your passion for architecture or landscaping compiling some of the world's most elegant abodes into a single showcase. Take time to stop and smell the roses.

Tour Inclusions
• 2 nights in unique, traditional accommodation
• Driver/Guide companion
• All mini-coach transportation
• Full English cooked breakfast daily
• Three-course evening meal x 1

Entrance fees as listed:

• Royal Horticultural Society Gardens at Wisley
• Hever Castle, Kent
• 1066 Battle of Hastings Abbey & Battlefield
• Bodiam Castle, Kent
• Sissinghurst Castle, Kent
• Scotney Castle, Kent
• Knole, Kent
• Chartwell, Kent

Fri 10 Sep, 2010 - Sun 12 Sep, 2010 (2 nights) GFri 24 Sep, 2010 - Sun 26 Sep, 2010 (2 nights) GFri 8 Oct, 2010 - Sun 10 Oct, 2010 (2 nights) G - Guaranteed Departure

Itinerary:

Day 1 Kent
Departing London we discover the magnificent Royal Horticultural Society Gardens at Wisley. Here you can enjoy a garden that will inspire every aspiring botanist and a well-stocked bookshop, meaning you have no excuse for not taking home a few ideas for remodelling your own backyard! Hever Castle is the jewel of our day. Hever is many people's idea of what a 'real' castle should look like, from its gateway and courtyard to its surrounding moat. Though dating back to 1270, and being the family home of one of Henry VIII's ill-fated wives (Anne Boleyn), it also has a relatively contemporary feel provided by the Astors who took over and restored the castle in the early part of the last century. With a 30-acre garden including a unique Italian garden filled with roses and statues, there's plenty to admire here. 
(D)

Day 2 Kent
This morning we discover the story of the fateful 1066 Battle of Hastings at this 100-acre battlefield. Stand on the very spot where King Harold was slain and explore the ruins of the atmospheric abbey, built by William the Conqueror to commemorate the thousands who died at this site. We enjoy a slight change of pace and period for today's next visit, the magnificently preserved 14th century Bodiam Castle, one of Britain's most evocative castles. With its wide moat, round towers and majestic gatehouse, Bodiam looks like something out of a fairytale. Built by an ambitious knight called Sir Edward Dallingridge, its purpose was as both a defence and a comfortable home. Enough of the interior survives today to offer a good experience of castle life. The final destination today, and arguably the highlight, is the fabulous Sissinghurst Castle. Vita Sackville-West's world famous garden requires no introduction to garden enthusiasts. We have plenty of time to explore this intimate and intricate garden and to visit those parts of her home open to the public.
(B)

Day 3 Kent
We enjoy a relaxing morning start, where it will be possible to explore the local area before a fascinating day ahead. We make our way to Scotney Castle, which has been termed ‘England's most romantic garden.' Its Victorian terraces, covered in a riot of coloured shrubs overlook the 14th century moated castle and its 311 hectares of beautiful estate parkland, which feature a superb display of rhododendrons and azaleas. We then travel to Knole, one of England's great 'treasure houses'. Home of the Lords Sackville since 1603, the property has much to offer including Royal Stuart furnishings and an impressive art collection. Knole was the birthplace of Vita Sackville-West (whose own garden creation we saw yesterday) and was used by Virginia Woolfe as the setting for her novel Orlando. A visit here is like stepping back in time. Winston Churchill's home of Chartwell does not require an introduction! What makes it such a memorable visit is not only the view from the garden (that inspired his painting) but the fact that the interior is just about as he left it. You can almost smell the cigars! We return to London, fulfilled, after a wonderful exploration through these magnificent homes and gardens.
(B)

Price

Pick-up/Drop-off Information:
Tour departs and returns (approx) at 5.30pm from:

 

0830am pickup:

The Park Inn Hotel Hyde Park

66 Lancaster Gate

London