Gardens in Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the Herefordshire Border

The garden tour is an opportunity to discover some historic and private gardens around Worcester.  Dating back to the early 16th century, Stanbrook Abbey part of the Handpicked hotel group is now a four star luxury hotel near Worcester and the Malvern Hills.  It was a former Grade II listed monastery with beautifully preserved heritage through its original Gothic architecture, dramatic stone cloisters, gothic stained-glass windows and a 40-meter bell tower.

Garden visits will include:
Coughton Court.  Since 1989 the gardens have been returned to the Throckmorton family and they have restored, revitalised and replanted the 25 acres.  You can now enjoy formal gardens, rose gardens, herbaceous borders, pool garden and a bog garden.  The gardens at Morton Hall are located on the crest of a steep embankment. The eight acres of garden and park combine historic and new features in a highly aesthetic fashion and provide the backdrop for a collection of nearly a thousand plant varieties. The gardens feature a unique fritillary meadow, superb herbaceous borders, a striking potager, a majestic woodland rockery and an elegant Japanese Stroll Garden. Around the house there are a series of garden rooms.  Spetchley Park has a rather more relaxed planting - not quite so formal but a wondrous display of plants, shrubs and trees woven into a garden of many rooms and vistas.

The private well established three acre garden at Netherwood Manor is centred on a medieval dovecote and an historic parkland backdrop. Walled garden with herbaceous borders, 'wilderness' garden, gravel garden, ponds and a wide variety of unusual shrubs and trees.  The Picton Garden with adjoining Old Court Nurseries is a 1 ½ acre plantsman’s garden in the Malvern Hills with interesting woodland planting and herbaceous borders – later renowned for its Michaelmas daisies but equally an all season specialist nursery with unusual plants.

Birtsmorton Court a beautiful medieval moated manor house has a fascinating history within its 10 acre garden. A white garden, topiary, potager, vegetable garden and working greenhouses all beautifully maintained. Rare double working moat and waterways including the Westminster Pool laid down in Henry VII's reign to mark the consecration of the nave of Westminster Abbey.

Stone House Cottage.  A beautiful and romantic ¾ acre walled garden adorned with unusual brick follies. This acclaimed garden is exuberantly planted and holds one of the largest collections of rare plants in the country. The nursery that lies beside the garden is filled with plants to be found in the garden. Near the hotel a visit to the gardens at Madresfield Court. These were mainly laid out in 1865 around the moated house, based on three avenues of oak, cedar and Lombardy poplar, within and around which are specimen trees and flowering shrubs. A holly hedge enclosure with 100m walk of peonies and irises and a crescent tunnel of limes.

Monday 14 June:  Check into the Stanbrook Abbey Hotel from 3 pm before evening dining.
Tuesday 15 June:  Herefordshire border garden visits – Picton Garden, Netherwood Manor where a light lunch will be served and Birtsmorton Court with afternoon refreshments.
Wednesday 16 June: Early start to enjoy a short visit to Spetchley Park and then to Coughton Court where a light lunch will be provided. Afternoon visit and guided tour of Morton Hall garden.
Thursday 17 June: Having checked out of the hotel a morning visit to Madresfield (10 minutes down the road) and up to Stone House Cottage near Kidderminster.   Returning to the hotel via Worcester Parkway Rail Station (numerous trains) and the hotel for 2 pm.