Boxwood brochure 2022

Programme
Day 1
Depart Bristol Parkway at 10:30 and travel to Cornwall by coach,
or take the train to St Austell Rail Station to join the coach at 14:15.
Alternatively, if you wish to take your own car to the hotel we will
arrange for you to join the group at the first garden. Tregrehan has
been the home to the Carlyon family since 1565. Jovey Carlyon’s
passion for trees during the late nineteenth century is evident today.
Tom Hudson, the latest family member to take on the gardens, is an
equally gifted planstman: his collection of high-altitude Asian trees,
including some very special magnolias, brought back from recent
plant hunting expeditions, complement his cousin, Gillian Carlyon’s
camellia collection and Jovey’s superb pinetum. Drive on to Tresanton
Hotel with time to settle before dinner together, with wine included.
Day 2
Nothing quite prepares you for the loveliness of that springtime view
of Caerhays Castle, comfortably enthroned between lakeside pasture
in the foreground and a rising backcloth of a thousand trees, the
canopy splashed with clouds of pink and cream magnolia blooms. We
start the day at Caerhays Castle viewing one of the finest collections
of magnolias in the country for a special walk with the highly skilled
gardener Jaimie Parsons. J. C. Williams (great-grandfather of the
present owner) and successive members of the family, assisted by
their dedicated head gardeners, have had success at hybridising
as well as collecting magnolias; Caerhays now holds a National
Collection comprising more than eighty species and five-hundred
named cultivars. A light lunch is included at nearby Bodrugan Barton
Farm before we visit Burncoose Nurseries that offers a vast array of
magnolias, several of which have been home bred. Return to Hotel
Tresanton for a pre-dinner talk by Charles Fox before dining together
in the hotel.
Day 3
The Fox family started a successful shipping agency in Falmouth in
the eighteenth century and established many important gardens in
the region. We are delighted to have Charles Fox of Glendurgan to
show us two of these outstanding gardens - to relate how they were
initiated and developed by his family and to showcase their important
collections of magnolias. Trebah has one of the most beautiful vistas
of all Cornish gardens, down through the valley gardens to the Helford
estuary. At Glendurgan we are invited to lunch at home with Charles
and Caroline Fox before being shown their remarkable garden, first
developed by Alfred Fox. Return to Hotel Tresanton where we dine
together in the hotel.
Day 4
Our final morning includes a special visit to Trewithen, where head
gardener Gary Long will take us to the main lawn with its celebrated,
intricately planted vista. We can then enjoy some free time to explore
the garden by ourselves before journeying northwards for lunch at the
Polgooth Inn. The coach then returns to St Austell (14:30) and Bristol
Parkway (18.30) and we arrange for transfers back to the hotel for
those who need to pick up cars.
An early-spring tour focusing on magnolias
led by HORTUS contributor Kirsty Fergusson,
hosted by Charles Fox
Tour Dates
21 – 24 March 2022
4 days
Tour Prices
£2,399 per person
Double room for sole use supplement £450
Deposit £350 per person
What’s Included
• Transfer from Bristol Parkway or St Austell Railway Stations
• Three nights’ dinner, bed and breakfast in the four-star
Tresanton Hotel, Truro
• Three evening meals at the hotel plus three lunches
with wine, including a special invitation to lunch at
Glendurgan House with Charles and Caroline Fox
• Private coach transfers and excursions
• Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
• Services of the Tour Leader and Hosts
• Detailed programme and garden notes
• All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers
and waiters
Your Accommodation
Tresanton Hotel
Comprised of a cluster of white-washed cottages, this
former yachting club enjoys spectacular sea views, which
are matched by tastefully eclectic interiors decorated in
soothing coastal tones. Situated on the edge of charming
St Mawes, facilities include a cosy bar and games room,
elegant beach club and a celebrated restaurant. Room
facilities include an en-suite bathroom with REN bath
products, TV and DVD player, Wi-Fi and complimentary
fresh fruit.
Trebah
To book call 01341 241717 or visit boxwoodtours.co.uk
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