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Study
Holidays  English
Garden Tours
Programmes
EGT4
ENGLISH GARDEN TOURS (EGT4)
Norfolk: Fine gardens in the East of England showing many modern interventions
Saturday 27 June - Saturday 4 July 2009
The historic region of East Anglia gave England its name. This cradle of a nation is full of gardens many connected to great names and designers in gardening past and present. Most have modern interventions. This is an elemental, artist's landscape of horizontal planes locking reflected skies into broad sheets of water. Pictures of a floating world where trees, church towers and windmills are the verticals and watercolour artists founded the Norwich School. It is no surprise that its gardens are creations of great artistry and visiting them on this garden tour is to receive a welcome to a special experience of another gardeners' world.
No warmer welcome could be found than that extended by Diana and David at White House Farm. This comfortable, charming and well appointed farmhouse B&B with its own gardens will be our base. A major attraction is David's culinary expertise which won him East Anglia's first Michelin star for his restaurant in Norwich. After our days in the gardens we return home to epicurean delights from a stellar kitchen. Local ingredients from land and sea are of legendary quality. Also included in the programme is a morning's watercolour painting workshop. This is a fantastic chance to learn how to express our responses to landscape and gardens in another medium encouraged by Jan Blanch, a true artist and teacher. The guiding hand of someone who works with colour, light and composition may inspire us to take up painting and most certainly will improve the quality of our visual responses, especially photography.
| Saturday 27/6 |
Evening |
Stansted Airport / Norwich Railway Station transfers.
Welcome reception and dinner at the renowned White House Farm in the Norfolk Broads |
| Sunday 28/6 |
NORWICH |
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Morning |
English conversation class and garden briefing before exploring the medieval city of Norwich with its glorious cathedral and castle with watercolour and topographical paintings by local and national artists. |
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Afternoon |
The Plantation - a community restoration project in an early 19thc garden of architectural reclamation. Gothic, romantic and theatrical on the edge of the city. To complete the day we have a private visit to Hoveton Hall. |
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Evening |
Dinner White House Farm |
| Monday 29/6 |
THE FAIRHAVEN GARDEN & EAST RUSTON VICARAGE |
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Morning |
The Fairhaven Garden. A wonderful evocation of the spirit of Norfolk's landscape in this woodland and wetland naturalistic garden. Planted after WWII |
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Afternoon |
After a drive across the Norfolk Broadland, East Ruston Vicarage is a modern creation using the tricks of climate change and borrowed landscape to create a unique series of stunningly contrasted experiences from Dry Garden to formal vistas. |
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Evening |
Dinner White House Farm |
| Tuesday 30/6 |
SOMERLEYTON HALL & WATERCOLOUR WORKSHOP |
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Morning |
English conversation and watercolour workshop led by Jan Blanch(www.janblanch.co.uk/) |
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Afternoon |
Visit to Harold Peto’s family home of Somerleyton Hall. Grandly Victorian with amazing maze.walled gardens, borders and an opulent and exuberant Italianate style. |
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Evening |
Dinner White House Farm |
| Wednesday 1/7 |
BRESSINGHAM GARDENS & HELMINGHAM HALL |
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Morning |
Adrian Bloom’s Bressingam Gardens and nursery tell the story of the revived interest in herbaceous perennials and inventive uses of them in modern gardens. |
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Afternoon |
Helmingham Hall. The English love affair with Venice began in moated manor houses where water and architecture were a natural unity. Here the definitive example is the home of top designer Xa Tollemache and even the kitchen garden is moated. |
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Evening |
Dinner White House Farm |
| Thursday 2/7 |
SANDRINGHAM & HOUGHTON |
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Morning |
Sandringham is a much loved retreat of Her Majesty the Queen. This royal residence with Edwardian gardens was madeover by Geoffrey Jellicoe for the late Queen Mother to create formal herbaceous beds for them and in the time of Queen Alexandra lakes and rock gardens were added. |
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Afernoon |
Houghton Hall. Splendid baroque architecture in graceful parkland with contemporary potager of inspirational planting. |
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Evening |
Dinner White House Farm |
| Friday 3/7 |
BLICKLING HALL & SHERINGHAM PARK |
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Morning |
Blickling Hall is the very first National Trust property with house and garden of equal merit. High maintenance and period planting confirm its popularity. This is a jewel in an exquisite setting. |
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Afternoon |
Sheringham Park where Humphry Repton's most famous Red Book comes to life in this undulating park by the sea. |
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Evening |
Final Dinner to be arranged |
| Saturday 4/7 |
DEPARTURES |
Manchester Language School reserves the right to alter this itinerary subject to the availability of the venues / gardens etc. listed.
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