Single person supplement £99
There are some lovely gardens in this much neglected area of the UK and these combine with some very interesting Victorian and industrial history, this area being the cradle of the Industrial Revolution.
Includes unique access to David Austin Roses.
We generally try to depart between 8am and 9am, and exact times will be confirmed in the final timings itinerary which arrives about a week before travel.
We send this close to travel so we can plan for any major traffic issues which sometimes arise due to road works etc.
Monday 9th June 2025
Our aim at Pennywood Tours is to give you a relaxing and carefree time where we do all the work so you can sit back and enjoy the trip.
To this end, all tours are escorted by a group leader who will check you on board and make sure you can find your allocated seat. We’ll seat you with the person/people you are booked with but if you know of anyone else on the trip who has booked separately please let us know in advance and we’ll try to seat you all together. The coach will be a super deluxe vehicle with a toilet and is incredibly comfortable.
Our Group Leader will advise you of all the details of travel times, stops, when to return to the coach etc. so you will be in no doubt about what and when. He or she will be available for any additional questions you may have.
We will do our best to stick to our itinerary but you will understand that when there are traffic jams or adverse weather conditions, we may struggle to do everything as planned but we will let you know what information we have in these situations when we have it.
We look forward to seeing you and welcome any questions you may have by contacting us at info@pennywoodtours.com or on 01622 434 981.
Just a stone’s throw from Oxford nestles Waterperry Gardens. Made famous by Beatrix Havergal, who established her School of Horticulture for Ladies here from 1932 to 1971, it’s now home to twenty acres of beautifully landscaped ornamental gardens, the Formal Garden, Mary Rose Garden, Waterlily Canal, Long Colour Border and a recently planted Arboretum. There’s also a quality plant centre and garden shop, gallery and gift shop, museum and tea shop.
In the late afternoon we’ll arrive at our hotel for the duration on the holiday, the classic Park House Hotel in Shifnal on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
On our second day we start with the modest journey to Wollerton Old Hall Gardens. Set around a 16th Century Hall (not open to the public), is a formal, 4-acre modern garden on an old site. Located near Market Drayton in North Shropshire, its garden rooms are richly planted with perennials and bursting with design ideas. The garden is renowned for its salvias, clematis and roses, growing in controlled exuberance, and the clever use of colour, form and scale.
Moving along from this award-winning garden we travel onwards to the Dorothy Clive Garden, which is a charitable garden trust, set up by Colonel Harry Clive as a place of rest and continued horticultural education for the general public. Located in 12 acres of glorious countryside on the North Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire borders, the garden is both formal and informal, hosting a network of paths that invite the visitor to explore and discover the intimacy and tranquillity of the garden.
Today we are going to travel back in time to experience the sights, sounds and scents of Blists Hill Victorian Town, which is part of the Ironbridge Gorge UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Industrial Revolution started in the 18th century. We’ll see a pharmacy with its unusual remedies, a candlemaker, traditional printing press and the Blists Hill Mine. There are shops and houses, craftspeople demonstrating their skills and authentic food choices to enjoy. An incredible day out!
We will, of course, see the world-famous Ironbridge itself as part of our day.
Today we have arranged a visit David Austin Roses which is quite unique for a group, who are not normally allowed at in June. The Rose Garden featuring hundreds of their varieties will be in full bloom, sights and scents will abound! Visit the tea room and, being the last day you can buy your favourites directly on this last day in the knowledge you’re going home that day.
Please note that all destinations will require walking, with steps and slopes, which may be slippery. Sensible shoes are a requirement and you should dress for the weather.