| Hampton Court Palace |
Set beside the River Thames, this Tudor Palace has a magnificent display of bedding plants in the pond gardens. There is also
a Tudor Knot garden with interlocking bands of thyme, lavender and cotton lavender with other plants of the period.
Also renowned for its famous maze and fountain garden.
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| Claremont Landscape Garden |
The Oxford Companion describes this as one of the most significant historic landscapes in the country. The great landscape designers of the 18th century each adapted it for the owner, who became the Duke of Newcastle. First he retained Vanbrugh, then Bridgeman, then Kent. Later when the estate was purchased by Clive of India, he bought in ‘Capability Brown’ who also designed the house which is now a school. In the 19th century it was a favourite retreat of Queen Victoria and her younger son.
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| The Walled Garden |
This is a pleasant open space, developed since 1985 and is designed to include styles from past centuries, as well as four large areas of island beds which display collections of plants from around the world. The rose garden is composed entirely of species roses and varieties which were introduced or widely planted during the reign of
Queen Victoria.
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| Painshill Park |
Painshill was developed by Charles Hamilton between 1704 – 1786. The garden was nearly lost until it was rescued in 1981. There are now 158 acres of which 14 are taken up by the lake. There are about 100 trees surviving which were planted between 1738 – 1773 including the great cedar of Lebanon, the largest in England (120 x 32 feet) and the Pencil Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) approx. 60 x 7 feet – the tallest in England with a mountain ash growing from the trunk.
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| The Savill Garden |
A woodland garden which covers 35 acres and contains a range of Rhododendrons, Camellias, Magnolias, Hydrangeas and a variety of other shrubs and trees producing a wealth of colour, particularly in spring and summer. A fantastic collection of Hostas and Ferns flourishes in the shadier areas. A more formal area is dedicated to modern Roses, Herbaceous Borders, a range of Alpines and an attractive dry garden.
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| Royal Horticultural Gardens |
Impeccably tended and planted, the gardens contain one of the finest alpine rock gardens in Europe, as well as a fine range of plants in the glasshouse range and yards of quintessentially English, deep and richly appealing herbaceous border.
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| The Valley Gardens |
The Valley Gardens are a tract of undulating grassland which is divided by several shallow valleys. It was started by Sir Eric Savill, the Royal Gardener, when he ran out of room at The Savill Garden. One valley is filled with deciduous Azaleas, another ‘The Punchbowl’ evergreen Azaleas rise in tiers below a canopy of Maples. Other notable points are a collection of flowering Cherries, a Heather garden and one of the world’s most extensive collections of Hollies.
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| Windsor Castle |
Windsor Castle, a favourite home of the Royal Family, is the largest castle in England, covering 13 acres. The site was chosen by William the Conqueror but the oldest parts of the existing castle, including The Round Tower, date from the 12th century. The restoration of a major section of the castle, severely damaged by fire in 1992, is now complete. This project, which cost over £35m is the largest restoration project completed this century
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| Royal Botanic Gardens |
The world’s most famous botanic gardens – Kew Gardens has more than 300 acres. The Water-lily House, The Herbaceous Garden and The Rose Garden are some of the impressive features. The huge glasshouses, some of which are kept at tropical temperatures, house unique collections of exotic and unusual plants ranging from banana trees to giant water lilies. |
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