************* Garden Owners, Please copy this information and paste it into an email to: wb [at] armchair-travel [dot] com Please make any changes in BRIGHT RED in your email back to us. Regards, Armchair Travel Co Ltd http://www.armchair-travel.com ************* Garden Name: Sudeley Castle and Gardens Last Modified: 12/01/2011 Garden ID: 0363 pic: 0363_Sudeley castle.jpg Owner: The Lord & Lady Ashcombe Address: Winchcombe Cheltenham Postcode: GL54 5JD County: Gloucestershire tel: 01242-602308 fax: 01242-602959 website: www.sudeleycastle.co.uk email: enquiries {at} sudeley.org.uk Features: Topiary, including Tudor Knot Garden. Queen's Garden, renowned for its roses. HDRA library seed garden. Secret Garden, semi-tender Mediterranean plants. Ruined Tithe barn planted with climbers. Emma Dent Exhibition. English Heritage Grade: II* Opening Times: Gardens. 26th Mar - 6th Nov; Daily; 10.30am - 5pm. Garden Tours are available on Mondays and Fridays at 11am, 1pm and 3pm Best Times of Year to Visit: April June Sept/Oct To see: Spring bulbs Roses Secret Garden National Collection: National Garden Scheme days: No Comments: Parties / Coaches: Yes Comments: Group rates available for groups of 20 or more Viewing by Appointment: Yes Comments: House Open for Viewing: No Comments: Seasonal exhibitions showcasing Castle Collection. House tours Tues, Wed & Thurs; 11am, 1pm & 3pm Admission Prices: Castle & Gardens. Adult £7.20; Child £4.20; Over 60s £6.20; Family ticket £20.80 (2 adults & 2 children); Group rates (min 20). Adult £6.20; Child £4.20; Over 60s £5.20pp. Garden Tours £11 (no concessions). Includes entrance to gardens & exhibitions. Members & Friends of HHA free. Connoisseur Tours of Castle Apartments available on Tues, Wed and Thurs at a cost of £12 (including general admission). Children under 12 are not allowed on the Connoisseur Tours. Parking: Yes Lavatories: Yes Disabled Access: No Shop: Yes Plants for Sale: Yes Lunches: Yes Teas: Yes Refreshments: Yes Picnics: Yes Dogs allowed: No Only on Lead: No Events: Yes Other Facilities: Disabled access is limited to the gardens only. Disabled toilets available. Dogs, except Guide, allowed in car park only. Many special events, not least for children. See own website for details. Grand Spring sale 1st, 2nd May, the Rose Week 20 - 26th June and the Lace Ladies demonstration from the 25thJ une-7th July Designer: Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall. Charles Cheshire Description of Garden: Designed almost as a continuation of the House they surround, the inspiration for the gardens draws on and reflects Sudeley's rich history and has used the experience and expertise of landscape designers such as Lanning Roper, Rosemary Verey, Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall and, more recently, Charles Cheshire. Ten smaller gardens, each one distinct in its own right, blend seamlessly together. Bold areas of planting such as those surrounding the ruins of the spectacular 15th Century Tithe Barn and reflectory pond, contrast with intricate detail as seen in the Knot Garden. Topiary features strongly throughout and the famous Queen's Garden, full of old fashioned roses and herbs, is furnished on two sides by magnificent double yew hedges planted by Emma Dent. Sudeley's gardens delight visitors throughout the seasons. Spring highlights include the myriad of tulips which transform the White Garden, while the Secret Garden uses the protection of the walls and yew hedges to create a semi-tender Mediterranean style planting, with verbena, heliotrope and argyranthemum providing a profusion of colour well into the Autumn months. All fourteen acres of gardens are managed using organic principles. Dedicated areas of wild planting complement the formal gardens and a Heritage Seed Library Garden, laid out as a Victorian Kitchen Garden, works in conjunction with the Henry Doubleday Research Association to help preserve rare and traditional varieties of vegetable. The Gardens won the HHA Christies Garden of the Year award in 1996. History: The Castle was once home to Queen Katherine Parr, following her marriage to Sir Thomas Seymour, and Lady Jane Grey. Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth I all visited Sudeley. King Charles I stayed here and his nephew, Prince Rupert, established his headquarters at the Castle, during the Civil War. Following its destruction by Cromwell's troops, Sudeley lay neglected and derelict for two hundred years. However, its romantic situation and ruins attracted many visitors, including King George III. In 1837, Sudeley was bought by John and William Dent, of the Worcestershire glove making company of that name. They began an ambitious restoration programme which was continued by their nephew John Coucher Dent, who inherited the Castle in 1855, and his wife Emma, who threw herself enthusiastically into Sudeley's restoration, at the same time forging strong links with the town of Winchcombe. Today, Sudeley is the home of Lord and Lady Ashcombe and the Dent-Brocklehurst family. They are dedicated to its continued restoration and the regeneration of the gardens, with particular emphasis on conservation and sustainability. Local Inns: White Hart, Winchcombe The Plaisterers, Winchcombe White Hart, Ford Accomodation: Sudeley Castle cottages to rent. Wesley House, Winchcombe White Hart, Winchcombe Hotel De la Bere, Prestbury Restaurants: Wesley House, Winchcombe Poachers' Restaurant, Winchcombe Village/Town/Sightseeing: Winchcombe - Saxon town.