Win two nights luxury B&B,

including dinner on both

nights, for two people at one

of our top hotels – The

Mercure Shakespeare Hotel.

With its beautiful black and white gabled façade, this 17th century hotel is one of Stratford’s most famous. It is the ideal base for exploring the Gardens of Shakespeare Country. If you would like to be included in our prize draw, please enter your details below:

Name:

Address:

Postcode:

Country:

Email:Please provide an email address if you are happy to be contacted by email

Please tick this box if you would like to remain on Shakespeare Country’s database so that we may contact you with information and offers we think may interest you. Please note that we will not pass on your details to third parties.

Please tick this box if you would like to receive further information from The Mercure Shakespeare Hotel.

Please send this coupon to:Gardens Competition, Shakespeare Country, E12 Holly Court, Holly Farm Business Park, Honiley, Kenilworth CV8 1NP England

The draw will be held on 1st October 2008. The offer is based on two persons sharing a double or twin room and is subject to availability.

EXPLORE THE GARDENS OF ENGLAND’S ENGLAND

www.shakespeare-country.co.uk0870 160 7930

A PDF AND LARGE PRINT VERSION OF THIS LEAFLET ARE AVAILABLE. PLEASE CALL 0870 160 7930.

Published by Shakespeare Country 2008. The information contained in this leaflet is for guidance only. Please contact the relevant establishments direct to confirm all details. No responsibility can be accepted or liability undertaken by either Shakespeare Country or its agents or employees for any error or omission in respect of any information contained in this leaflet. ©South Warwickshire Tourism, E12 Holly Court, Holly Farm Business Park, Honiley, Kenilworth CV8 1NP. Leaflet designed by PHWT 01926 452525. Photography with kind permission from Britainonview / Rod Edwards.

THE GARDENS OF SHAKESPEARE COUNTRY

Visit www.chilternrailways.co.uk/daysout

or call 08456 005 165

See where Chiltern Railways

can take you.

Isn’t it time you treated yourself

to a trip away by train?

Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon

Royal Leamington Spa Warwick Castle

With so many places on our network you’ll

be spoilt for choice! Why not download

our useful guide to Shakespeare country

at www.chilternrailways.co.uk/daysout

or pick it up at any of our staffed stations.

It’s fi lled with money off vouchers to save

you more. Our fares are great value too.

For example, our GroupSave deal means 4

people can travel for the price of 2. So go

on, leave the car at home and enjoy a trip

away by train.

Birmingham Moor Street Solihull Warwick Leamington Spa

Stratford-upon-Avon Bicester North London Marylebone

09The Shakespeare Houses

Shakespeare’s Birth Place, Stratford Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shottery

Mary Arden’s House, WilmcoteHall’s Croft, Stratford

Nash’s House and New Place, Stratford

Warwick Castle

Jephson Gardens & Mill Gardens Hill Close

GardensThe Master’s

Garden

Coombe Country Park

Coughton Court

The Shakespeare

Houses

Stratford Butterfly

Farm

Hidcote Manor Garden

Upton House & Gardens

Mill Dene Garden

Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens

WIN ASHORTBREAK

GARDENS OF

SHAKESPEARE

COUNTRY2008/09

Find a quiet bench to rest and reflect. Stroll along herbaceous borders bursting with colour. Learn about planting schemes, organic techniques and garden design. Whether you are a keen gardener looking for inspiration or simply appreciate the beauty of English gardens, make sure you take time to explore the gardens of Shakespeare Country.

From early spring to late autumn, discover a profusion of scents, colour and creation as the gardens of Shakespeare Country flourish with trees, shrubs and flowers. Even the winter months are exciting and you’ll often come across gardeners working hard to prepare their gardens for the following seasons.

Explore the gardens of England’s England, enjoy the colour and the quiet, and remember where they are as you will almost certainly want to return.

04

01

11

05

02

09

12

06

10

0803

07

p Parking

" Groups welcome

Z Café/restaurant

V Plant shop/plants for sale

~ Guided tours available

8Coach parking

L Credit cards accepted

Q Gift shop

0 Toilets

) Audio tapes available

I Fishing National Trust

All gardens and attractions featured in this leaflet welcome visitors with disabilities. Please note that some areas are more difficult for wheelchair users to access.

Attractions accessible to: Someone with limited mobility but able to walk a few steps Someone using a wheelchair with an accompanying person Someone using a wheelchair travelling independently

For more information about accessibility, accommodation, special offers, discounted rates or to order your Shakespeare Country Holiday & Accommodation guide please call:

0870 160 7930 or visit:

www.shakespeare-country.co.uk

ACCESSIBILITY

Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Services (VAQAS).Only those attractions which have been assessed by VisitBritain and meet the standard, receive the quality marque.

From luxurious hotels offering state-of-the-art fitness facilities and luxury spas, cosy B&Bs and friendly working farms to comfortable, well-equipped camping and caravanning parks and self catering cottages, a huge variety of memorable accommodation is available. Staying in Shakespeare Country is an experience like no other.

KEY TO SYMBOLS

WHERE TO STAYIN SHAKESPEARE COUNTRY

Mill Dene Garden

School Lane, Blockley, Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 9HUTel: 01386 700457 Fax: 01386 700526Email: wendy@milldene.co.ukwww.milldenegarden.co.uk

This very personal and private garden, sitting in a steep-sided valley, surrounds a serene old Cotswold water-mill. Romantic, fun and surprising!

PricE£5 Adult£1 Child (5-15)£4.50 Concessions

MAP

01

Suggested visit time: 1.5 hours

OPEn18 Mar-31 Oct Tue-Fri 10am-5pmBank Holidays 2pm-5pmClosed 22-25 July

Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm

Swans Nest Lane, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 7LSTel: 01789 299899 Fax: 01789 415878Email: sales@butterflyfarm.co.ukwww.butterflyfarm.co.uk

Wander through a lush tropical paradise where over a thousand multi-coloured butterflies sip nectar from exotic blossoms.

Group discounts are available.

PriCE£5.50 Adult£4.50 Child (under 3’s free)

£16 Family (2+2)

£4.45 Concessions

MAP

02

Suggested visit time: 1.5 hours

OPENSummer: Daily 10am-6pmWinter: Closed 25 DecDaily 10am-Dusk

Hill Close Gardens

Bread and Meat Close, Warwick CV34 6HFTel: 01926 493339Email: centremanager@hcgt.org.ukwww.hillclosegardens.com

Hill Close Gardens are rare survivals of Victorian pleasure gardens with brick summerhouses and unusual flowers, fruit and vegetables.

PriCE£3 AdultUnder 12s FREE

MAP

08

Suggested visit time: 1 hour

OPEn21 Mar-26 Oct Fri & Sun 2pm-5pmSat & Bank Holidays11am-5pm

Coombe Country Park

Brinklow Road, Coventry CV3 2ABTel: 024 7645 3720Fax: 024 7663 5350Email: coombe.countrypark@coventry.gov.uk www.coventry.gov.uk

Visit a fantastic country park with acres of gardens, woodlands and lake-side walks all in a magnificent historical setting.

PRiCEAdmission FreeParking fees apply£3 car, £7.50 minibus. £15 coach

MAP

07

Suggested visit time: 3 hours summer months and weekends

OPEnDaily:7.30am-Dusk

The Throckmorton Family Gardens at Coughton Court

Alcester, Warwickshire B49 5JATel: 01789 762542Email: secretary@throckmortons.co.ukwww.coughtoncourt.co.uk

Enjoy the breathtaking walled garden featuring the award-winning Rose Labyrinth with all its concentration on roses and magnificent herbaceous borders, sunken gardens, early summer garden, bog garden, extensively planted orchard, Elizabethan knot garden and red/purple and white gardens. Don’t miss the moving Tsunami Noni sculpture or the Rose Festival (20 June-6 July), details of these and other events available at www.coughtoncourt.co.uk Gardens and Plant Sales Centre: 15 Mar-29 Jun, Wed-Sun 11am-5.30pm. 1 Jul-31 Aug, Tues-Sun 11am-5.30pm. 3 Sep-28 Sept, Wed-Sun 11am-5.30pm. 4 Oct-2 Nov, Sat-Sun11am-5.30pm. House/shop/restaurant: As gardens, 11am-5pm. Walled Garden: As gardens, 11.30am-4.45pm. Open Bank Holiday Mons & Tues, Closed Good Friday, Closed 14 June and 6 September. Free admission to National Trust, HHA & RHS members and friends.

PriCEHouse and Garden: £9.20 Adult£4.60 Child (5-16)£23 Family£7.30 Groups (15+)Gardens Only: £6.40 Adult£3.20 Child (5-16)£16 Family£5 Groups (15+)Walled Garden: £2.50 NT Members(included in admission price for non-members)

MAP

12

Suggested visit time: 2 hours (gardens only)

Jephson Gardens and Mill Gardens

The Parade and Newbold Terrace, Royal Leamington SpaTel: 01926 456226 Fax: 01926 456210Email: parks@warwickdc.gov.uk www.warwickdc.gov.uk/parks

Both gardens are a model example of sensitive restoration combined with well-designed new facilities, enhancing the historic context of the town and its riverside Spa Gardens. Home to such treasures as the Jephson Temple, the ornate 1899 tearooms, fountains, memorials and unusual trees. Enjoy the traditional floral bedding, or have a bite to eat at the contemporary restaurant. Awarded a Green Flag Award, the national standard for parks.

PRicEFree

MAP

06

Suggested visit time: 1-2 hours

OPENDaily:8am-dusk.Plant Shop: occasional

Warwick Castle

Warwick CV34 4QUTel: 0870 442 2000Email: customer.information@warwick-castle.com www.warwick-castle.com

Warwick Castle is home to over 60 acres of glorious grounds and gardens landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown. See the splendour of a Victorian Rose Garden in full bloom, and wander through the Peacock Garden.

PriCEAdmission prices vary throughout the year, please visit www.warwick-castle.com for further information.

MAP

10

Suggested visit time: 3.5 hours

OPEnApr-Sep: 10am-6pmOct-Mar: 10am-5pmClosed Christmas Day

Upton House and Gardens

Upton, nr Banbury OX15 6HTTel: 01295 670266 Fax: 01295 671144Email: uptonhouse@nationaltrust.org.ukwww.nationaltrust.org.uk

Enjoy variety and surprise among the glorious terraces, herbaceous borders, rose garden, orchard, rare kitchen display garden and the National Collection of Asters which provide sumptuous colour in early autumn.

PricE£8.50 Adult£4.20 Child£21 FamilyUnder 5s and National Trust members FREE

MAP

11

Suggested visit time: 1.5 – 2hours

OPEn1 Mar-2 nov: Sat-Wed (Aug: Daily) 11am-5pm3 nov-21 Dec: Sat-Wed 12am-4pm(Winter Garden Route)

Hidcote Manor Garden

Hidcote Bartrim, Chipping Campden GL55 6LRTel: 01386 438333 Fax: 01386 438817Email: hidcote@nationaltrust.org.ukwww.nationaltrust.org.uk Internationally renowned Arts and Crafts garden, famous for its rare trees and shrubs, herbaceous borders and unusual plants from all over the world.

OpEn15 Mar- 2 Nov, 10am-5pm, Mon, Tues, Wed, Sat & SunAlso open Fridays in Jul & Aug. From Oct, last admission 4pm

pRiCE£8.50 Adult£4.25 Child£21.20 Family£8.50 Concessions

MAP

05

Suggested visit time: 2 hours

Price includes voluntary 10% Gift Aid donation

Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens

Burford, Oxfordshire OX18 4JWTel: 01993 823006Fax: 01993 823807Email: feedback@cotswoldwildlifepark.co.ukwww.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk

160 acres of landscaped parkland, interest through-out the year. Spring bulbs and flowering shrubs, summer exotic planting, herbaceous borders, many grasses, parterres, container planting, tropical house and water garden.

PricE£10 Adult£7.50 Child (3-16yrs)£7.50 Concessions (over 65’s)

MAP

04

Suggested visit time: 2 hours

OPEnDaily from 10amLast admission Mar-Sept 4.30pm, Oct-Feb 3.30pm

The Master’s Garden at Lord Leycester Hospital

High Street, Warwick CV34 4BHTel: 01926 491422Email: lordleycester@btinternet.comwww.lordleycester.com

Historic walled garden including Norman Arch, Nilometer and Millennium knot garden behind mediaeval timber-framed buildings. Featured on TV and in many magazines.

PriCE£2 Adult£2 ConcessionsChildren FREE

MAP

03

Suggested visit time: 30 minutes

OPEn18 Mar-30 Sept Tue-Sun and Bank Holidays 10am-4.30pm

The Shakespeare Gardens

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, The Shakespeare Centre, Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6QW

Tel: 01789 204016Fax: 01789 263138Email: info@shakespeare.org.ukwww.shakespeare.org.uk

The Shakespeare Gardens contain many of the plants and herbs mentioned in Shakespeare’s writing and are immaculately maintained by a dedicated team of gardeners.

Each garden has its own unique character and reflects traditional gardening styles and practices from the 16th Century to the present day. Features include the cottage garden, orchard, sculpture garden, maze, history of gardening exhibition and romantic willow cabin at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Elizabethan style knot garden and historic Great Garden at Nash’s House & New Place and herbal bed and ancient mulberry tree at Hall’s Croft.

Pre-booked garden tours of the grounds of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Nash’s House & New Place and Hall’s Croft are available. Min group size 10. Tours duration, 3 hours. Call Group Bookings on: 01789 201806

MAP

09

Suggested visit time: 1.5-2 hours

PriCETickets are available for all 5 houses, 3 in-town houses or individually, and can be purchased online. Please see website for further information or call 01789 204016.

OPEnOpening times vary, please see website for further information.