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A rare opportunity to visit the rarely opened Frogmore House, Gardens and Mausoleum while based at the Macdonald Savill Court hotel. Also visit the glorious Savill Gardens, and enjoy the antiquity of Dorney Court.

Sunday 26 August
Arrive at the Savill Court Hotel (upgrade to executive rooms) for a welcome reception, when Mark Flanagan, Keeper of the Gardens in Windsor Great Park, will tell of the varied history of the landscape and gardens, with particular reference to Frogmore and the Savill Garden. Hear about Queen Charlotte’s wonderful garden parties, Queen Victoria’s tree planting exploits, and how Sir Eric Savill turned an area of wilderness into England’s finest woodland garden. Dinner follows.

Monday 27 August
After breakfast, depart by executive coach for the short drive to Frogmore, set amidst the extensive Home Park of Windsor Castle. The Frogmore estate first came into royal ownership in the mid-sixteenth century and was held by a succession of Crown tenants for the following 250 years. In May 1841, Queen Victoria invited her widowed mother, the Duchess of Kent, to use Frogmore House and it’s pleasure grounds as her country home. The Duchess of Kent resided at Frogmore for much of the next twenty years and is buried in a small mausoleum in the grounds. Queen Victoria visited Frogmore regularly during her long widowhood, and cherished the peace and quiet of the house and gardens. You will be free to wander in the gardens and visit the Mausoleum.

The site for the Royal Mausoleum was chosen by Queen Victoria in the days following the death of Prince Albert in December 1861, but was not completed until 10 years later. The Queen directed that as much as possible of the painting and sculpture inside should be in the style of Raphael, regarded by Prince Albert as the greatest artist of all time. Queen Victoria regularly visited the Mausoleum and a service was held there each year on 14 December, the anniversary of Prince Albert's death. When Queen Victoria died in January 1901, her body was placed alongside that of her husband.

Lunch can be found at the Royal Savill Garden, where you will have a private guided tour. The garden was started by Eric Savill, Deputy Ranger of Windsor Great Park, with the support of King George V and Queen Mary. With the intervention of the war, however, the garden could not be completed until the early 1950s. It is said that immediately following the war Eric Savill used bricks from bombed houses in the East End of London to create the Walled Garden. The area is ideally suited to the cultivation of rhododendrons and azaleas and so is at its best at this time. The garden is now considered one of the finest woodland gardens anywhere in the world, containing a great number of rare specimens. In addition, large herbaceous borders, a rose garden, peat beds, a wall garden and bog garden combine to offer a wealth of interest to the visitor. Back to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Tuesday 28 August
Depart this morning for Dorney Court, which has been the home of the Palmer family for more than 450 years, passing from father to son through thirteen generations. It is a many gabled, Grade 1 listed building, further designated as being of outstanding architectural and historical interest. Dorney Court has always been the manor house of Dorney village, first recorded in the Doomsday Book. There is a galleried hall, and panelled rooms full of furniture, tapestries, paintings and artefacts. Your Connoisseur Tour begins with a cup of coffee and homemade biscuits and ends with a warming glass of madeira in the Great Hall.
Back to your hotel at lunchtime for departure.

Price per person £349: Single Supplement £40: Non refundable deposit £50:
Includes

• 2 nights dinner bed and breakfast.
• Upgrade to Executive rooms
• Introductory talk by Mark Flanagan
• Welcome reception
• Private Connoisseur tour of Dorney Court
• All entries

Professional guide and executive coaching