Plan-It travel

 

wed 2nd july

Sussex Coastal Curios

We begin our day in Bramber for morning coffee. This is one of the prettiest villages in West Sussex, a frequent winner of the South East in bloom competition. Many of the old cottages are built with flint pilfered from the Norman Castle. A real treat this morning is the quite astonishing ceiling of an otherwise architecturally plain Catholic Church at genteel Goring. Here a local artist and parishioner, has created a unique reproduction of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. This must be one of the most unusual churches you’ll ever visit. Whilst the decadent Prince Regent established his seaside court at racy Brighton his delicate younger sister Amelia came to peaceful Worthing with her mother and aunts to enjoy the sheltered climate provided by the South Downs. With an excellent Shopping centre, cafes and gardens to keep you entertained.
TCM £13.00 NM £16.00 Depart Code G

sat 5th july

St Albans on Market Day & Garden of the Rose

St Albans offers something for everyone, the large colourful street market and picturesque streets and lanes around the Cathedral & Abbey Church of Saint Alban. There are also the famous Verulamium and City Museums celebrating Roman to modern times as well as the colourful Organ Museum. After lunch we visit the garden of the rose. The gardens cover more than five acres.
They include some 8000 roses in approximately 2000 different varieties – a veritable ‘living dictionary of roses’. Visitors arrive along the curved Presidents Walk, which leads from the entrance circle towards the central pergola and ponds, the roses on either side are grouped by colour, ranging from whites to strong reds. Most are popular cultivars and readily available.
(Includes Admission)
TCM £17.00 NM £20.00 Depart Code C

Sun 6th July

Isle of Purbeck Explorer

A super scenic tour exploring the hidden delights & charms of the fascinating and distinctive Isle of Purbeck. We travel via Bournemouth and Canford Cliffs to make our way across the entrance to Poole Harbour on the sandbanks ferry. Continuing through the pretty lanes of Purbeck we head for the lovely traditional seaside town of Swanage for an extended lunch stop. Our afternoon drive takes us high over Purbeck Hills with their extensive views and via historic Corfe Castle and on to a welcome Dorset cream tea.
TCM £22.00 NM £25.00 Depart Code B

Sat 12th July

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Your chance to have a great day out at the annual horticultural extravaganza at Hampton Court. You will enjoy hundreds of exhibits, thousands of displays, millions of flowers at this unmissible gardening event. Please book early, as places on this Plan-It Travel day are limited.
(Includes Admission)
TCM £38.00 NM £41.00 Depart Code E

Sun 13th July

Kent County Show, Detling

Ring displays including a Marching Band, falconry, motorcycles, steam engines and vintage vehicles, forestry skills, pony clubs, your bets on the Shetland Pony Grand National! See the farm animals, cattle, sheep, pigs and goats and many types of horses competing in show jumping classes, rare breed’s displays, ferret racing, rabbit show, caged owls in the forestry area, archery and much more! Over 2 miles of shopping avenues selling everything from jewellery to a new Mercedes sports car!
(Includes Admission)
NM £21.00 Adults/Snrs £18.00 Depart Code F
Children under 14 £14.00

Tue 15th July

Norfolk Lavender

Morning drive to Hunstanton where we stop for lunch and sightseeing after lunch we head for the Lavender farm for a guided tour of the area and lavender fields, returning to the farm for a cream tea. (Includes cream tea)
TCM £23.00 NM £26.00 Depart Code B

Wed 16th July

Luncheon Club Venue

TCM ONLY £20.00 per person Depart Code G

Sat 19th July

Winchester & Mottisfont Abbey

An unspoilt cathedral city on the edge of the South Downs. We spend the morning in Winchester and the afternoon at Mottisfont Abbey, set amidst glorious countryside along the River Test, this 12th Century Augustinian priory is now a handsome house with an interesting collection of modern art. The abbey contains a drawing room decorated by Rex Whistler but the key attraction is the grounds with magnificent trees, walled gardens and National Collection of Old-fashioned Roses.
(National Trust Members Deduct £6.50)
TCM £20.00 NM £23.00 Depart Code C

Sun 20th July

Aylesbury & Claydon House

Aylesbury for our coffee/lunch stop before our afternoon visit to Claydon House. The extraordinary interiors of Claydon House, built 1759-69, represent a veritable 3D pattern book of 18th century styles. Outstanding features of the house include the astonishingly lavish wood carving in the Chinese Room and the fine parquetry Grand Staircase. Claydon also has strong associations with Florence Nightingale who was sister-in-law to Sir Harry Verney.
She was once a regular visitor to the house, which contains many of her personal belongings. Claydon House is set within 52 acres of unspoilt parkland offering open access all year round with far reaching views and lakeside walks.
(National Trust Members Deduct £7.45)
TCM £22.00 NM £25.00 Depart Code D

Wed 23rd July

Gardeners Delight, Merriments Gardens & Pashley Manor Gardens

Our first visit today is Merriments Gardens, created during the early 1990’s the beautiful gardens at Merriments have quickly developed into a stunningly beautiful 4 acres of densely planted borders where the plants grown in the nursery can be seen in a garden context with a truly remarkable depth of imagination. We then travel to Battle for you to enjoy some free time and lunch before our afternoon visit to Pashley Manor, whose beautiful gardens were first opened in 1992 and cover 11 acres. It is Lily time here at Pashley, with over 40 varieties of lilies on show, supplied by Blom Bulbs who were awarded their 56th Gold Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show last year.
(Includes Entrances)
TCM £23.00 NM £26.00 Depart Code E

Sat 26th July

River Orwell Cruise & Ipswich

A rather special tour featuring, an extended cruise on one of the most scenic and historic rivers in England. Enjoy the sights of the river Orwell from the busy Port of Ipswich, under the dramatic Orwell Bridge to the picturesque little community of Pin Mill. The two and a half hour cruise is aboard the custom built Orwell Lady – a fine all weather vessel with open and enclosed decks – and a licensed bar and refreshment service. After lunch in Ipswich, we will escort you on a short tour of the Shotley Peninsula. (Includes Cruise)
TCM £24.00 NM £27.00 Depart Code C

Sun 27th July

The Suffolk Market Towns & Helmingham Hall Gardens

Our coffee stop is in Woodbridge, once a busy seaport on the Deben Estuary this attractive little town with Market Square, fine houses, cottages and quays complete with a working Tide Mill is a popular sailing centre. Our scenic country drive exploring the Suffolk heartlands includes pretty as a picture Debenham. Our lunch stop today is at Framlingham, a fascinating jumble of streets below the massive walls and spindly chimneys of the Castle. Framlingham is a joyful place for dedicated browsers.
The backdrop to our visit is The Tudor hall (not open) surrounded by a wide moat and set in 400 acres of deer park, home to the Tollemache family for eighteen generations. A classic parterre is flanked by hybrid musk roses; the exquisite herbaceous borders have been admired by Alan Titchmarsh and in the walled kitchen garden immaculate beds of vegetables are interspersed by tunnels of sweet peas, runner beans and gourds. On the other side lie’s an herb and knot garden and a rose garden on unsurpassable beauty. Home made cream teas are sold in the old Coach House to which we retire before heading home. (Includes Admission)
TCM £18.00 NM £21.00