Single person supplement £125
This area has long been on our radar and we finally we have the opportunity to visit and attend the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show! We’ll stay in the lovely 4* Crowne Plaza hotel in the heart of Harrogate, allowing you time in the evenings to wander the streets of this beautiful town.
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.
Tuesday 16th September 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.
Heading north, we break our journey for a short visit and lunch (not included) at Belton House. It was briefly once embroiled in a minor scandal which is alleged to have caused the retirement of the County’s Lord Lieutenant – a story to be retained for the holiday!
We start the day at RHS Harlow Carr. The RHS’s garden in Harrogate is 58 acres of beauty, history, character and discovery.
Wander around the Queen Mother’s Lake with soft plantings, wildflower meadow and majestic trees. Then meander along the lush banks of Streamside through the heart of the Garden and venture into the historic Bath House. Then there’s the Alpine House, Main Borders, Kitchen Garden and Sandstone Rock Garden. The vibrant Sub-Tropicana Garden will transport you to exotic climes.
And, of course, a visit to Harrogate wouldn’t be complete without sampling refreshments in the Garden’s own branch of Bettys Café Tea Rooms!
In the afternoon, well adjourn to the hotel early to spend time in Harrogate itself, which is a lovely town.
Today, after a later start, we head inland to visit Harewood House near Leeds, one of the Treasure Houses of England, which has been home to the Lascelles family since it was built in the mid to late 18th century. The architect was John Carr, with interiors by Robert Adam and furniture by Thomas Chippendale. The 1,000 acres of landscape were designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. There’s plenty to see both above and below stairs (always the most fascinating bit!).
The gardens will not disappoint either with a classic terrace, long border, walled garden, Himalayan and Lakeside Gardens to enjoy. We are sure you will have seen this in many TV and film productions.
In the afternoon, we head to York Gate near Leeds. This is a magical one-acre garden created by the Spencer family between 1951 and 1994. Frederick and Sybil Spencer along with their son Robin, laid out and nurtured what is now one of the finest small gardens in the country. The design of ‘rooms’ interlinked through a succession of vistas and executed with meticulous attention to detail owed much to the Arts and Crafts movement, complemented by Sybil’s skills as a plantswoman. In accordance with Sybil’s wishes, on her death in 1994, York Gate was given to Perennial*.
York Gate has been granted Grade II national heritage status in a list of post-war gardens and landscapes for England.
* Perennial is the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping everyone who works in horticulture, and their families, when times get tough.
Newby Hall is one of Britain’s finest Adam Houses, though it was actually built in the 1690s by Sir Christopher Wren, adapted and enlarged by John Carr and subsequently by Robert Adam. It is now an exceptional example of 18th century interior decoration. Highlights include a splendid Entrance Hall, Dining Room, Tapestry Room, Library, Statue Gallery, Billiards Room and Circular Room.
The gardens, mostly created in the 1920s have evolved over the years to include Herbaceous Borders and Sylvia’s Garden; then there’s the Autumn, Rose, Water, Rock and East Rock, White, Woodland, Tropical, Orchard and Beacon Gardens. Not forgetting Robin’s Walk and the Curving Pergola. Phew!
The Harrogate Autumn Flower Show will feature floral displays galore, live demonstration theatres, food and drink, garden and home and gift shopping, garden advice and live entertainment. This promises to be a fun-filled day with masses of opportunity to flex those credit cards!
Easton has been owned and managed by the Cholmeley family since 1561. The gardens evolved over the centuries but, after the ravages and impact of two world wars, wild had its way. Sycamore, elder, blackberry bushes and ragwort took over and grew in abundance – the whole site was enveloped, and any traces of the gardens hidden from view.
In the early 2000s, Ursula Cholmeley and her team of gardeners recognised the opportunity to restore the gardens and, two decades later, the Walled Gardens have been nurtured back to life and are a joy to behold.
On leaving Easton, we should return to our start points in time for a late tea.
Please note, all venues will require walking, possibly with steps and steep slopes, which may be slippery and uneven. You should be prepared to dress appropriately for the weather.