The Gardens of Devon and Cornwall
April 18 – 28, 2010

SOLD OUT. To be placed on the waiting list, please email us.

Itinerary - Land Arrangements
Flight Arrangements - Responsibility Clause

To download the reservation forms, click here.

Itinerary
(B= Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)

Day 1:  Sunday, April 18                                                                        
A mid-afternoon shuttle will take us from PHS headquarters in Philadelphia to Newark International Airport, where we will fly to Bristol International Airport on Continental #76.

Day 2:  Monday, April 19      The Idle Rocks Hotel, St Mawes        
L, D                                  
Ann and Colin Senior, our tour organizers, will meet us at the airport, where we will board our coach and drive to Trewithen, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Galsworthy. We will have lunch in the Tea Shop before seeing their spectacular rhododendrons and azaleas, which should be at their peak during our trip. A short drive will take us to The Idle Rocks Hotel, charmingly situated on the harbor of St Mawes, a busy sailing and fishing village. Dinner in the hotel.

Day 3:  Tuesday, April 20      The Idle Rocks Hotel, St Mawes      
B, L, D
We will first visit Poppy Cottage, where Tina Pritchard and David Primmer have created a small, densely planted garden that is so skillfully planned it appears spacious. We will then spend most of the day, including lunch, at one of Cornwall’s greatest gardens, Caerhays Castle, home to a National Magnolia Collection and famous for its rhododendrons and camellias.

J C Williams cultivated the first plants and seeds imported from Asia to Caerhays starting in 1905, and his family has continued to develop the garden ever since. We return to St Mawes where, only yards from our hotel, we visit Lamorran House, which faces south over the Atlantic and whose balmy microclimate has enabled Mr. and Mrs. Dudley-Cooke to lay out the garden with subtropical and temperate plants from the southern hemisphere. Dinner in the hotel.

Day 4:  Wednesday, April 21   The Idle Rocks Hotel, St Mawes    
B, L, D
We will spend the entire day visiting the gardens of Tresco Abbey in the Scilly Isles (28 miles off Land’s End and in the middle of the warm Gulf Stream), where since 1835 the Dorrien-Smith family has created a unique subtropical garden of the highest quality. The garden is situated in and above the old abbey ruins on a rocky eminence, and is laid out imaginatively with a huge variety of plant species, many of which cannot be grown elsewhere in the UK.  We will be travelling to and from Tresco by helicopter from Penzance. Dinner in the hotel.

Day 5: Thursday, April 22     The Idle Rocks Hotel, St Mawes      
B, L, D
After a drive to the old fishing port of  Fowey (pronounced ‘Foy’), we take the passenger ferry across to Polruan and climb up to Headland, where Jean Hill has a spectacular cliff-top garden with maritime views on three sides.  An amazing number of plant varieties – including alpine, subtropical, and antipodean (originating from New Zealand or Australia) – grow at Headland in spite of salt spray and sea gales. We then go to Boconnoc, home of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Fortescue, where we will have lunch. Their superb parkland garden was originally laid out in the 18th century, with a pinetum added in the mid-19th century. The garden has recently been restored and extended, with a Golden Jubilee walk around the lake. Tonight we entertain our Cornish garden owners at dinner. 

Day 6:  Friday, April 23      The Idle Rocks Hotel, St Mawes            
B, D
In the morning we will take the passenger ferry for the 20-minute ride to Falmouth, where we will meet the coach and drive to Bonython Manor. Over the past 20 years, Sue and Richard Nathan have developed a magnificent garden, full of color with a sweeping drive up to the Georgian house and an herbaceous walled garden. From there we will return to the old port of Falmouth, where after lunch on your own in one of the many restaurants, you will have time to explore the town’s shops, church, or Cornwall National Maritime Museum. After taking the ferry back to St Mawes, we will have dinner in the hotel.

Day 7:  Saturday, April 24     The Idle Rocks Hotel, St Mawes     
 B, L, D
Home to the Boscawen family since the 14th century, Tregothnan is the largest historic garden in Cornwall – and one of the finest. Since Humphry Repton, the renowned English landscape designer, drew up plans for the estate more than 200 years ago, there has been a succession of horticultural Boscawens who have extended and modified the garden. The present owner, Evelyn Boscawen, is no exception, and he has created a water parterre, a Himalayan garden and, most recently, a South American garden. After lunch we go on to Creed House, where Lally and William Croggon, both plantaholics, have devotedly restored and developed the five-acre garden around their Georgian rectory.  Dinner in the hotel.

Day 8:  Sunday, April 25    ABode Royal Clarence Hotel, Exeter  
B, L, D
Today we move from Cornwall to Devon. After a leisurely start, we will drive over Bodmin Moor to Taikoo, where Richard and Rosamund Bernays have restored the house, originally built by an English entrepreneur returning from his time in the Orient (known as aTaipan). They have made a stunning hillside moorland garden (moorland, or moor, is a type of habitat found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils), which commands magnificent views over Dartmoor. After lunching at Taikoo, we will proceed to Exeter in time for Choral Evensong in the ancient cathedral. Our hotel in Devon is the ABode Royal Clarence, situated in the Cathedral Close with views across to the magnificent west façade. Dinner in the hotel

Day 9:  Monday, April 26   ABode Royal Clarence Hotel, Exeter  
B, L, D
We will spend the day in north Devon, starting with a visit to the wonderful garden at Castle Hill, home to the Earl and Countess of Arran. The original landscape garden, leading away from the Palladian house, was created in 1730 with temples, follies, ponds and, across the valley, a triumphal arch. Most recently, they have created the Millennium Garden, which has herbaceous borders planted with lilies, agapanthus, phlox and penstemon, edged with box and lavender. After lunch at Castle Hill, we will go up to the coast to visit Cliffe, a steep terraced garden that lives up to its name, with superb sea views. Dr. and Mrs. Humphreys have used the habitats cleverly to make a colorful all-season garden. We will dine at Powderham Castle, with our Devon garden owners as guests.

Day 10:  Tuesday, April 27  ABode Royal Clarence Hotel, Exeter 
B, L, D
We start the day with a visit to Sherwood, a garden that combines formality with the wild, and has been for more than 40 years the home of Sir John and Lady Quicke. Sir John at 87 continues to show an encyclopedic knowledge of plants. With Lady Quicke’s excellent eye for form and color, they have transformed two steep valleys into a superb landscape.  We will have lunch at Bickham House with Julia and John Tremlett, and in the afternoon we will enjoy their multifaceted garden that incorporates a walled garden with roses and vegetables as well as cleverly planted mixed borders. Our farewell dinner is in the hotel.

Day 11: 
Wednesday, April 28  ABode Royal Clarence Hotel, Exeter  B
We depart very early in the morning for Bristol International Airport, where we will fly to Newark on Continental #77. The shuttle will meet us in Newark for our return to PHS headquarters in Philadelphia.

For more information on this trip, click here or call 215-988-8818.

Land Arrangements

Per-person tour price:
Double (twin-bedded room) $ 7,385
Single $ 7,925
Contribution to PHS (tax deductible) $ 300

Financial Schedule and Refund Policy:
Registration: To hold a reservation, please mail signed reservation and waiver forms and deposit of $600 per person to Betsie Blodgett at PHS (contact information on the next page).

Single Supplement: A limited number of single rooms is available.

Cancellation After paying registration fees: Refund of $500 per person will be made if cancellation is received in writing by December 15, 2009. After this date, no refund will be made unless a substitute participant is obtained. There is no refund for any unused portion of the trip. Trip cancellation insurance is recommended and may be purchased through Travel Answers.

Final Payment: Balance due no later than January 15, 2010. A final invoice will be sent. The trip price is based on a minimum of 15 participants. Price has been determined in accordance with currency calculations as of September 2009.

Donation: A tax-deductible donation of $300 per person (made payable to PHS) is requested. A reminder will be included with your final payment notice.

Cost Includes: Private coach from Philadelphia to Newark International Airport and return; hotel accommodations based on two people sharing a room with private bath, hotel service charges, taxes and porterage as per itinerary; ground transportation by private motor coach in England; all meals per itinerary (9 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 9 dinners); wine with dinner; local guides; and all gratuities including coach driver.

Cost Excludes: Airfare; items of a personal nature; telephone; drinks; any extras or meals not shown on itinerary.

Flight Arrangements

Round Trip Non-Refundable Advance Purchase Airfare (electronic/etickets):
$798

April 18, Continental #76, Newark - Bristol
April 28, Continental #77, Bristol - Newark

Fares are current as of September 8, 2009; those in effect at time of issue may be different.

Tickets should be purchased within two days of booking the reservation. No fares are guaranteed until tickets are issued. Please note there is a service fee for issuing each airline ticket; electronic tickets (etickets) will be issued.

All flight arrangements should be made immediately and directly with Travel Answers.

Air / Trip Cancellation / Interruption Insurance Policies:

Tickets are non-refundable, but can be exchanged, for a fee, for up to one year with restrictions. We strongly urge you to purchase trip cancellation/interruption insurance. This and baggage insurance can be obtained through Travel Answers.

 

FOR INFORMATION

Tour Betsie Blodgett PHS 100 N. 20th Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 215-988-8818 Fax: 215-988-8810 Email: bblodgett@pennhort.org

Flight Arrangements Kathy Reed Travel Answers 828 Lancaster Avenue Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 610-525-2801 Fax: 610-525-7662 Email: kathyreed@travelans.com

 

Responsibility Clause

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Heritage Garden Tours act only as agents for the passenger with respect to all transportation, hotels, and all matters of reservations and tour operation. We and our agents accept no responsibility for loss, damage, injury, accident, delay or irregularity, expense or liability caused by the defect of any vehicle or negligence or default of any independent contractors, their employees, agents, or representatives. Nor do we accept responsibility for losses or delays arising from sickness, pilferage, labor disputes, machinery breakdown, quarantine, government restraints, war, acts of terrorism, weather conditions, or acts of God. All such losses or expenses shall be borne by the tour participant. Tour rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated and as described in this brochure. We reserve the right to substitute services, features, and hotels of similar quality without notice. We reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure in which case the entire payment will be refunded without further obligation on our part. We likewise reserve the right to decline to accept or retain any tour participant at any time without being under any obligation to assign any reason therefore. In the event of the exercise of this right, we shall be under no liability to such person(s) except to refund such amount as our absolute discretion deems reasonable to attribute to the uncompleted portion of the tour. No refund will be made for the unused portion of any tour unless arrangements are made in sufficient time to avoid penalties. Baggage is carried at the owner’s risk entirely. It is understood that air, ship, or train tickets when issued shall constitute the sole contract between the passenger and carrier concerned. The airlines and all other transportation companies involved in this tour are not to be held responsible for any act, omission, or event during the time the passengers are not on board their planes or conveyances. All services are subject to the laws of the country in which they are rendered. The tour participant agrees, on behalf of himself, his dependants, heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, to abide by the above conditions and to release and hold harmless, PHS, and any of their representatives from any and all liability for any delays, damage, loss, injury, or death occurring in relation to this tour. Any payment constitutes agreement by the individual tour participant with the terms and conditions contained in this brochure.