Hampshire Gardens

Enjoy a stunning selection of gardens in and around Hampshire.  The county is spoilt for choice with an enormous collection of quite exceptional gardens.  This is a new tour of private gardens in this area with many opening exclusively for us.

The Audleys Wood Hotel (4*) part of the Hand Picked hotel collection, once a beloved country mansion constructed in the 1880s as the private residence of auctioneer Thomas Pain.  This luxury hotel with award winning restaurant is set within seven acres of gardens and grounds surrounded by tranquil Hampshire countryside yet just a mile from Basingstoke.
Check into the hotel on Monday 16 June.

Tuesday 17 June:  The first garden is Spitfire House near Stockbridge.  A country garden situated high on chalk downland on a site that was once the WW11 Spitfire assembly factory. Beautifully laid out with formal beds and large areas of wildflower meadows, small orchard and wildlife pond.  Then dropping down to the River Test, Houghton Lodge a Grade II* listed 18C cottage orné.  Formal and informal gardens surrounded by mature trees and lawns sweeping down to the banks of this famous river.  One of the most beautiful settings for a privately owned garden in Hampshire.  Walled garden, herb garden and a new oriental garden - lunch provided in the Glass House tearoom.  In the afternoon a visit to Heale House.  Eight acres of beautiful gardens running beside the River Avon, a magical paradise of streams and exuberant planting.  Magnolia and acers surround the Japanese Tea House and the garden originally created in the 1900’s with the assistance of one of Britain’s great designers Harold Peto.

Wednesday 18 June: Morning visit to Colemore House. A plantsman’s paradise constantly evolving in lovely unspoilt countryside, featuring rooms containing many unusual plants and different aspects with a spectacular arched rose walk, water rill, mirror pond, herbaceous and shrub borders. A newly designed octagonal rose garden with numerous varieties of David Austin roses. Continuing to Hambledon House a traditional country garden with lawns shaded by mature trees and paths leading along borders partly walled and transformed by an assortment of gorgeous and unusual plants creating interest year-round with lovely colour combinations.  Late light lunch in a local inn Hambledon.  On the return journey to the hotel a visit to Spring Pond at Laverstoke.  A romantic and classic English country garden, full of roses, clematis and colour co-ordinated flower beds. Created around a three sided cluster of farm buildings, it has been transformed over the years into a glorious garden and arboretum.

Thursday 19 June:  Finally, two superb gardens near Newbury - Stockcross House and The Old Rectory East Woodhay.  The former a romantic two acre garden set around a former listed rectory and designed to create differing vistas of the impressive Victorian church tower. A brilliant garden featured recently in Country Life, the English Garden and Gardener’s World (mid-morning refreshments). Also featured in the similar magazines The Old Rectory is another lovely garden. A large walled garden with topiary and roses, full of interesting herbaceous plants and climbers for successional interest. Mediterranean pool garden, orchard, wildflower meadow and fruit garden.

Check out of the hotel before the Thursday morning garden visits and after the coach will drop at Basingstoke Station around 1.30 pm (tbc) before returning to the hotel for departure.