Gardens of the Welsh Borders: Arts & Crafts gardens and beyond

4 days | £2550 per person | 15 - 18 June 2026

Arts & Crafts gardens and beyond

The mountains and moorlands straddling the borders of England and Wales are carved up by wooded river valleys, verdant farmlands, and a surprisingly rich vein of outstanding private gardens. This tour is a wonderful opportunity to view the work of some key designers and garden writers on their home patch, and to explore an array of exceptional gardens. The tour is based at The Angel Hotel, a welcoming, luxurious, 4 Silver Star hotel, located in the centre of Abergavenny, the vibrant market town in Monmouthshire, overlooked by mountains like Blorenge and Sugar Loaf.

Day to day Itinerary

Day 1

This tour starts at Bristol Parkway Railway Station. We journey together to Wyndcliffe Court for lunch, followed by a tour of the garden. Described as an Italianate garden in the Arts & Crafts Style, it was created by Eric Francis and H. Avray Tipping in 1922. More recently the garden designer Sarah Price laid out the new, scented rose garden. In the afternoon we visit a very special private house to explore the lush grounds. Travel on to The Angel Hotel for a warm welcome with time to settle in before an evening meal together.

Day 2

We start the day with Brockhampton Cottage, a memorable private garden made by innovative designer Tom Stuart Smith for Peter Clay, owner of the online garden nursery, Crocus. Following lunch in a local inn we visit The Laskett, a fascinating formal garden created by Sir Roy Strong and his late wife Julia Oman, and encoded with the story of their lives. Return to The Angel Hotel to dine together.

Day 3

Today we visit two private gardens laid out by Henry Avray Tipping (1855 – 1933), the French-born British writer on country houses and gardens, garden designer, and Architectural Editor of Country Life magazine for 17 years. Our guide for the day is Helena Gerrish, author of two books on Tipping. First up is Helena’s own house, High Glanau, one of the finest and best-preserved Arts & Crafts houses and gardens in Wales. Helena and her husband Hilary will welcome us into their home and garden with a special invitation to a delicious lunch. In the afternoon we visit Mounton House, one time home of Avray Tipping. Mounton House has recently undergone a transformation aided by the garden designer Arne Maynard, to reinstate the garden as envisaged by Tipping.

Day 4

For our final day, Stephen Anderton will take us to his home in the Black Mountains for a private view of the fabulous garden he has laid out over the past 20 years at New Inn Farm. The planting, as you would expect, is exuberant and exquisite – but in places also very restrained, when the far-reaching views take over. We venture on to Llanover House, home of Elizabeth Murray, where we are invited to lunch on the terrace before discovering the garden she is passionately developing. In the afternoon we travel on to Highfield Farm, the childhood home of owner and professional horticulturalist Jenny Cook and her husband Roger. Together they have been gardening Highfield Farm on a ‘plants-first’ basis. After a cup of tea, we will return to Bristol Parkway Railway Station to pick up cars or continue your journey by train.

The Angel Hotel

The Angel Hotel in Abergavenny is a beautifully resorted Georgian coaching inn, now a grade II listed, AA 4-Silver-Star hotel located in the centre of the town. The hotel offers a range of individually styled rooms, guests can enjoy the award-winning dining in the Oak Room restaurant or indulge in the hotel's special Afternoon Tea. Located just a few steps away from Abergavenny Castle and on the edge of the Brecon Beacons, it truly is the ideal place to explore the history of Abergavenny and its stunning surrounding countryside and gardens.

Price: £2550

Single Supp: £350

Deposit: £350

Departure Dates:

15 - 18 June 2026

Duration:

3 nights / 4 days

Your Holiday Includes:

Three nights' bed and breakfast at The Angel Hotel
Private coach transfers and excursions
Three evening meals and four lunches
Guided visits to sites listed in the programme
Services of the Tour Host and Tour Leader
Detailed programme and garden notes
All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and serving staff

Tour Host & Leader

Stephen Anderton

Stephen is the long-standing garden writer for the Times, as well as a lecturer and author. Trained originally in Drama and then Landscape Design, he worked in historic gardens where, latterly as National Gardens Manager for English Heritage, he was responsible for several major restoration projects. Discovering Welsh Gardens was published in 2009; his official biography Christopher Lloyd, His Life at Great Dixter appeared in March 2010 and Lives of the Great Gardeners in 2018. He now lives in the Black Mountains where he is making a large woodland garden.

Sophie Piebenga

Born in The Netherlands and based in the Cotswolds, our expert Sophie Piebenga has lived most of her life in the UK. Trained with the National Trust and qualified at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, all whilst working as head gardener of a private estate, Sophie quickly developed a particular interest in the conservation of historic gardens. This eventually led to a doctoral study at the University of York, researching the work of the early Victorian landscape gardener, William Sawrey Gilpin. Sophie has since worked freelance, mostly in the field of historic landscape conservation, and, for the last 25 years, has regularly led Boxwood tours around the UK and to Ireland, France, Spain and The Netherlands.