Herefordshire and the Welsh Marches
1 – 5 July 2019 from £695.00
Itinerary
Monday 1 July 2019 We depart by coach from York and head for Herefordshire, stopping en route for lunch (not included) at Pengethley Garden Centre, near Ross-on-Wye. We will then continue to our first visit - Sir Roy Strong’s Garden The Laskett. The garden was created not long after Sir Roy and his late wife Julia Trevelyan Oman married in 1973. They created a garden of sentiment; memories of people, places and events. There is a rosemary bush that belonged to Julia’s nanny and an area dedicated to their cats. The garden was very much divided into "his" and "hers" areas with Julia taking care of the kitchen garden and Roy with the architectural elements and the formal enclosures.
Following our visit we continue our journey into Herefordshire and our base for the next four nights, the comfortable Three Counties Hotel, Hereford. Situated in over three acres of garden the hotel provides a peaceful haven. All rooms are en-suite with TV, hairdryers, safe, free Wi-fi and tea and coffee making facilities.
A welcome drink followed by dinner is served in the evening.
Tuesday 2 July 2019 Today following breakfast we begin by travelling to the Hampton Court Castle, a 15th century castle surrounded by 1000 acres of stunning parkland, pasture and woodlands with the River Lugg running alongside. The Hampton Court Estate has a fascinating and chequered history dating back to the 15th Century. Henry IV began building on the site before giving it to Sir Rowland Lenthall at the time of his marriage to Margaret Fitzalan, daughter of the Earl of Arundel and a cousin of the King. Lenthall built a quadrangular manor house in 1427, twelve years after his knighthood at the battle of Agincourt. In 1434 he was granted a licence to crenellate the house by Henry VI. Sir Rowland was succeeded by his daughter who married the Baron of Burford and it was their grandson who sold Hampton Court to Sir Humphrey Coningsby in 1510. Hampton Court remained in the Coningsby family, a prominent noble Herefordshire family, until the early 19th Century when the estate was purchased by Richard Arkwright, the son of the famous inventor. Richard Arkwright's son, John, then commissioned the remodelling of the house in the 1830s and 40s, the work being designed and carried out by Charles Hanbury Tracy, later Lord Sudeley. In the 20th Century it passed through various hands and much of the original furniture was sold. It was rescued in the 1990s by the American millionaire, Robert Van Kampen, who refurnished the interior according to his interpretation of how an English castle should look.
The gardens were only recently completed and are one of the most ambitious garden creations of our time. Original Victorian garden walls enclose stunning new flower gardens divided by canals, island pavilions and pleached avenues. The kitchen garden is an ornamental garden of fruit and vegetables, supplying produce to the Orangery Restaurant for its seasonal menu. There is a maze of a thousand yews with a Gothic tower at its centre - climb to the top for a panoramic view of the gardens or descend underground to a tunnel that leads to a waterfall in the sunken garden. Beautiful herbaceous borders stretch out from a one hundred and fifty year old wisteria tunnel that leads to vast lawns and ancient trees beside the castle. Beyond the lawns are riverside and woodland walks.
Tuesday 2 July 2019 (continued) We continue to Berrington Hall (NT), a fine Georgian mansion that sits within 'Capability' Brown’s final garden and landscape. Though it has a slightly austere exterior, the house has delicate interiors and a homely, welcoming feel. The interiors include Biaggio Rebecca ceilings, fine period furniture and there are some pieces on display from the Wade Collection. We can also experience some of the extremes of the 18th century in the wig and bum shop and discover the hidden ‘below stairs’. Lunch is available here on arrival (not included).
In the afternoon we visit Croft Castle (NT), which sits deep in the heart of Herefordshire countryside surrounded by 1500 acres of historic woodland, farm and parkland. This intimate house became the Croft family home before the Domesday Book. In the castle we will find out how the family bought back their home in 1923, explore the family photographs or sit and read through the auction catalogues. Look out for the 1950s photographs and memorabilia which detail how Croft was at risk of demolition before 1957 and what it was like here then. Outside we can explore the working walled garden complete with historic orchards, vineyard and take a peek inside the 1908 glasshouse restoration project. Look out for the Georgian stable block and uncover some of the stories of how horses were cared for during the war years.
Dinner is served back at our hotel in the evening.
Wednesday 3 July 2019 After breakfast we depart for Kinnersley Castle, a family-owned, Grade 2* listed historic house located approximately 10 miles from Hay-on-Wye. It was one of the many Marches castles sited by the Normans along the Welsh border, though as seen today it is predominantly the remodelled Elizabethan manor house of the Vaughan family. Kinnersley Castle features various fine oak-panelled rooms and the original 1588 plasterwork ceiling of the Solar.
We continue to Hay-on-Wye which lies on the border with Wales, marked here by the River Wye. There will be some free time to have lunch (not included) and explore this pleasant little town which is famous for its second-hand bookshops.
In the afternoon we drive through the rolling hills of the Black Mountains to Llanfihangel Court, an historic 15th century Tudor Manor with landscaped gardens. The house contains fine 17th century panelling and plaster ceilings, with an important oak staircase, stables and large barn. Among other historic associations, it is one of the many reputed hideaways for Charles I during the Civil War. Period features include fine moulded plaster ceilings, oak panelling and impressive yew staircase, with interesting family pictures and artefacts.
We return to our hotel where dinner is served in the evening.
Thursday 4 July 2019 Following breakfast we travel into Hereford to visit Hereford Cathedral and Gardens. Here we see the Mappa Mundi - an outstanding treasure of the medieval age which reveals how 13th century scholars interpreted the world in spiritual and geographical terms. The map is undated but bears the name of "Richard de Haldingham e de Lafford", whom some historians have identified as Richard de Bello, Prebendary of Lafford in the diocese of Lincoln during the late 13th century. Together with evidence interpreted from the content of the map, a date of around 1290 is considered reliable. As part of this exhibition you can also see the world’s largest surviving Chained Library, with over 1500 books dating from the 8th to the 19th centuries. The more adventurous may also wish to climb the 218 steps to the roof of the tower where you are rewarded with panoramic views of the city and the surrounding hills.
Thursday 4 July 2019 (continued) After an opportunity for lunch in Hereford (not included), in the afternoon we travel to Brockhampton Estate (NT). At the heart of this 1,700-acre farmed estate lies Lower Brockhampton Manor House, a romantic timber-framed house dating back to the late 14th century. Steeped in history, Brockhampton has witnessed many changes. Until 2014 the rear rooms in the manor house were being lived in and not open to the public. The overriding aims of the Brockhampton Revealed project focused on peeling back the layers of history to show visitors how seven centuries of occupation have shaped the building we see today. For example, the original medieval great hall had an upper floor inserted into it by the family, in order to accommodate their many children.
We return to our hotel where dinner is served in the evening.
Friday 5 July 2019 This morning following breakfast we check-out of our hotel. Our final visit will be to Hanbury Hall (NT), a country retreat in the heart of Worcestershire. The house and garden, originally a stage-set for summer parties, offer a glimpse into life at the turn of the 18th century. Don't miss the original wall paintings by Sir James Thornhill: full of drama and politics, they show the birth of Georgian society. The original formal gardens, designed by George London, have been faithfully re-created and complement the relaxed later gardens, with orangery, orchards and walled garden. Lunch is available here (not included).
Following our visit we will return to our original departure point in York.
Included in the price Four nights’ dinner, bed and breakfast at the Three Counties Hotel, Hereford Comfortable coaching throughout Visits to The Laskett, Hampton Court Castle, Berrington Hall, Croft Castle, Kinnersley Castle, Hay-on-Wye, Llanfihangel Court, Hereford Cathedral, Brockhampton Estate and Hanbury Hall Services of a Brightwater Holidays tour manager
Not included (per person) Single room supplement £100.00 Insurance TBA