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Samantha’s Boudoir run by Julia Mc Kenzie’s
screen daughter-in-law
, folk visiting
unspoiled
Painswick complained to the Parish Council!
From Painswick we steer course for the Elizabethan
market town of Tetbury. Well heeled Tetbury is
famous for its royal connections. The three-feathered
crest adorns the windows of stores patronised by the
Prince of Wales whose Highbury estate we will have
glimpsed a mile or so out of town. When Prince
Charles and Princess Diana made this their country
home tourism came to the sleepy town of Tetbury.
There’s a good choice of pubs, cafés and restaurants
for lunch and interesting shops to browse. By the way
you can book direct to visit the gardens at Highgrove
for a maximum of 26 people at £22.50 each or for up
to 52 people if you include lunch bringing the half
day visit to £37.45. Booking for group visits for May
to August 2015 opened on 23 February. You have
to pay for tickets in full six weeks out and yup,
there are no refunds!
Back to the Cotswolds Gold tour. In the afternoon
we come full circle and return to Malmesbury.
Here, in England’s oldest borough where the
Cotswolds meet the West Country we visit Abbey
House Gardens. A compact and flat four acres set
against the dramatic backdrop of the town’s ruined
Benedictine Abbey this splendid garden has what
Alan Titchmarsh called
the wow factor
. You don’t
have to walk too far to enjoy the garden and there is
something special for every season. In spring huge
number of bulbs take the breath away – 70,000 tulips
alone plus the fruit tree blossom, wisteria and a
delightful laburnum walk. A feast of colour for
summer includes double herbaceous borders (often
compared to a Monet scene) and more than 2000
different roses. In autumn the roses are still flowering
alongside maples, fruit on the cordon and much
much more. It’s a dreamy garden is Abbey House.
To round off an enjoyable day out tea and homemade
cake, included in the tour price, is served in the
garden before we make tracks for home at 4.45pm.
There is only gentle walking on this day which is
available daily from now to the end of October 2015.
The full day tour including a top notch Blue Badge
guide entrance to Abbey House Gardens and tea
and cake is:
Adults & Seniors: £22.95
Coach Mileage is 45 miles.
