Artists and Martyrs + Sissinghurst Castle Gardens
In the company of an entertaining Blue Badge guide enjoy a day in ‘Darling Buds of May’ country with a country coach tour and a visit to Pluckley, the most haunted village in England. We travel on to Tenterden, the Jewel of the Weald and spend a late afternoon in the glorious gardens of Sissinghurst Castle, the most famous 20th century gardens in England. Their White Garden will be at its best in June. Lunch is included.
Date
06/06/2018
Location
Sissinghurst Castle Gardens
About this excursion
£ 107 (National Trust Members £95)
We’ll meet our Blue Badge Guide near Ashford, the part of Kent where the ‘Darling Buds of May’ author, H E Bates came to live in the 1930s. Bates’ great achievement as a writer was his ability to ‘put the English countryside down on paper’. His best known creation was Pop Larkin – the Cockney-Kent farmer come wheeler dealer who loves his big family and flips the class system on its head with his benevolent kindness to the gentry who find themselves down on their luck after a war that has served Pa very well.
Nearly all the action is based in and around the untouched gem of a village – Pluckley through whose tiny heart we take a gentle stroll to find the homes of Miss Pilchester and the Brigadier and ponder why this village of barely 1000 living souls should be the most haunted village in England. A scenic drive takes us to Tenterden – the Jewel of the Weald. There’s time to explore this charming and affluent town arranged around a broad High Street lined with houses that span many centuries.
Sissinghurst Castle Gardens
Later we visit Sissinghurst Castle Gardens – the most famous 20th century gardens in England created in the Arts and Crafts style by the poly-amorous couple Nigel Nicholson and daughter of Knole Park, Vita Sackville-West. Here we shall see the famous White Garden is at its peak and we’re visiting later in the day when the garden will not be so busy. Historic, poetic, iconic; a refuge dedicated to beauty. Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson fell in love with Sissinghurst Castle and a created a world renowned garden. They’ll be time for a cup of tea before we leave for home.
The cost of this event will include luxury coach transport, your tour with an experienced blue badge guide, entry to Sissinghurst Castle Gardens, lunch and, of course, treats.
Book on this excursion
Bookings are closed for this event.
