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Great British Heritage

Gardens of Norfolk: Gardeners’ World Exclusive

We explore Norfolk through gardens with distinct histories and planting styles, from East Ruston Old Vicarage to Holkham Hall, Stow Hall and the Plantation Garden. David Hurrion accompanies the tour, with private and specialist-led visits adding depth to the experience.

This five-day tour brings together gardens with very different purposes, settings and planting traditions, from formal design to more intimate and personal spaces.

The strength of the itinerary lies in the variety of visits and the context provided along the way. Private and specialist-led elements help us understand not just how each garden looks, but how it developed and what gives it its individual character.

From

£1,875

per person

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what’s included

At A Glance

  • The Travel Editions Experience
    Our tours are thoughtfully crafted and meticulously planned, with every destination, hotel, excursion and stop along the way having been selected to form a truly memorable experience.
  • Meals Included
    All breakfasts, three lunches and four dinners.
  • Handpicked Accommodation
    Four nights at the Barnham Broom Hotel, based on shared occupancy of a twin/double room.
  • Discover the Gardens of Norfolk
    Discover a private tour with Alan Gray of his unique East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden, alongside the exotic and tropical planting at 33 Waldemar Avenue, tours with the Head Gardeners at Stow Hall and Holkham Hall, a tour and talk on the restoration of the Plantation Garden, all accompanied by accomplished plantsman David Hurrion.
  • Your Expert Guide
    Accompanied by David Hurrion throughout.
  • Visits & Tours
    All guided tours, visits and entrance fees as per the itinerary.
  • Transport
    Comfortable coach touring as per the itinerary.
Meet Your Expert Guide

David Hurrion

David is an accomplished plantsman, gardener, writer and broadcaster who has been growing plants for more than forty years. His extensive practical experience is underpinned by botanical and scientific training, together with a deep understanding of garden design, wildlife, geology and climate.

David has worked in gardens and nurseries, taught horticulture and spent more than twenty years writing and editing gardening publications, including BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine. A genial and highly knowledgeable host, he has travelled widely in search of plants and gardens and brings both practical insight and infectious enthusiasm to every visit.

Meet Our Expert Guides
itinerary & excursions

Your Itinerary

Explore this incredible tour in detail and discover what makes each day so special. Below, you’ll find a full day-by-day breakdown of your journey, from the moment you arrive to your final farewell. Learn more about the highlights you’ll experience, the unforgettable places you’ll visit, and the unique moments that bring each destination to life. Whether you’re drawn by rich history, stunning landscapes or unforgettable cultural encounters, this itinerary gives you everything you need to picture your adventure and look forward to every step of the way.

Day 1: Arrival

Arrive independently and check-in from 3pm. Evening welcome drink, and talk from David Hurrion. Dinner with wine at the hotel.

Day 2: The Plantation Garden, Norwich, & Stow Hall Gardens

We start our tour by heading to Norwich for a guided visit to The Plantation Garden, known locally as “The Secret Garden”. Offering a peaceful escape in the heart of the city, this Victorian garden features a Gothic fountain, Italianate terrace, woodland walkways and lush plantings.

Following the tour, we enjoy some free time in Norwich, a modern, yet one of the most complete medieval cities in the UK with the spire of the majestic Norman Cathedral dominating its skyline. 

This afternoon we enjoy a private guided tour of Stow Hall Gardens led by the Head Gardener. This 20-acre private garden was inherited by Lady Rose Hare who transformed it from a garden that had fallen into neglect to a space with over 200 rose varieties, ancient trees, a walled orchard with rare local apple species, herbaceous borders, and woodland paths.

Day 3: Holkham Hall & Houghton Hall

This morning we visit the 18th century Holkham Hall, a masterpiece of the Palladian revival style, built by Sir Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester.

David Hurrion will lead a tour of the gardens, where he started his career, which feature a six-acre Walled Garden with seasonal blooms, shrubs, and trees, Victorian greenhouses, a working kitchen garden, ornamental borders, and a vineyard.

After lunch we visit Houghton Hall which boasts an award-winning walled garden, sculpture park, and deer park.

Day 4: Pensthorpe Gardens & Blickling Hall

Our visits today start at Pensthorpe Gardens which features five beautiful gardens, each with its own character and design philosophy. We enjoy a guided tour with the gardener followed by a light lunch.

We then continue to the Jacobean mansion of Blickling Hall, to look around the principal rooms, including the long gallery, often described as the grandest of its period in England. The gardens include a Walled Garden, a lake, huge yew hedges and lush 1930s herbaceous planting.

Day 5: East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden & 33 Waldemar Avenue

Today we coach to the 32-acre East Ruston Old Vicarage garden, created by gardeners Alan Gray and Graham Robeson from 1973. Despite its coastal location, exotic and diverse plants thrive here, thanks to clever planting and sheltered beds. Alan Gray will lead us on a private guided tour of this unique space which features themed garden rooms including a Mediterranean Garden with terraces, Desert Wash inspired by Arizona and featuring cacti and aloes, and a Sunken Rose Garden. Enjoy the heritage apple orchard, woodland garden, sculptures and water features.

After lunch, we visit the large suburban gardens at 33 Waldemar Avenue for a guided tour with the owners. The exotic and tropical planting here includes a succulent and cactus collection, dahlias and tropical perennials, a treehouse draped in plants, and a centrepiece palm-thatched Tiki Hut surrounded by plants.

Arrival back to the hotel for approx. 16.30hrs.

Availability

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Date
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01/09/2026
Norfolk
£1,875
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Solo Traveller Supplement From: £240
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HOTELS

Tour Accommodation

Barnham Broom Hotel
A four-star country retreat nestled in the heart of the Norfolk countryside, west of Norwich. The hotel offers a fitness centre, spa, golf, bar and award-winning restaurant. The stylish bedrooms offer modern luxury combined with traditional charm, including private bathroom with bath/shower, TV, telephone, hairdryer and tea/coffee making facilities. Please note that there is no lift at this hotel. Parking is complimentary.

Hotel Website 

our regular tours

Mobility Information

This tour has a moderate fitness rating, reflecting a fuller itinerary with a good balance of visits, walking and time spent exploring on foot.
 
Some visits may involve cobbled streets, uneven paving, slopes, steps, stairs, limited seating, or walking from the coach drop-off point to the entrance of a site or attraction. The exact demands will vary from day to day, and we highlight specific practical details within the itinerary wherever possible.
 
You should feel comfortable walking at a steady group pace, standing during visits and enjoying a full day of sightseeing. If you are unsure whether this tour is right for you, please contact us before booking.

Mobility Information
Your questions answered

Tour FAQ

If you have a question, we are more than happy to answer it via email or phone, but you may find your answer below more quickly.

Simply complete our online booking form or give us a call on 020 7251 0045 between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday where you can speak to a real person. A 20% deposit per person is required at the time of booking, to book your place. Payments by debit card or credit card incur no charge. 

You must pay for the balance of your holiday at least 12 weeks before departure. Please note: no reminder for balance payments is sent to you and are not receipted unless requested. If you book your holiday within 12 weeks of departure, full payment is required at time of booking. Please note that some tours may require final payment to be paid earlier than 12 weeks, due to financial commitment with suppliers. The exact date will be notified to you at the time of booking. Final joining instructions and documentation will be dispatched approximately 10 days before travel.

In almost all cases, the price includes your accommodation, meals as described in the itinerary, all excursions shown in the programme, and travel arrangements from the UK. Excursions are taken by private coach exclusively for Travel Editions guests. If anything is ever excluded from the price, it will be clearly marked as optional and payable locally, you won’t find any hidden extras on your final bill. Travel Editions operates a firm no-surcharge policy, so the price you are quoted is the price you pay.

The specifics vary by tour and are set out in your individual itinerary, but most of our tours depart from London, either by Eurostar from St Pancras International or by air. For rail tours, we advise allowing at least one hour before the Eurostar departure when planning your journey to London. For flights, all costs are based on economy class unless otherwise stated, and all times shown are local time. For tours in the UK, these often start at the hotel in question.

Flight upgrades and connections from regional airports are available on request and subject to availability, contact us on 020 7251 0045 or at tours@traveleditions.co.uk for details. We strongly recommend not booking non-refundable connecting travel until you have received your final joining instructions, which are sent around 10 days before departure and confirm all timings and meeting points.

Yes, and you’re very welcome. Single room supplements apply on most tours, reflecting the fact that single and double rooms are generally priced similarly by hotels. If you would prefer to share with another solo traveller of the same gender, we are happy to arrange this, simply let us know at the time of booking. Sharing is subject to another traveller in the same situation being booked on the same tour.

Each tour is accompanied by a dedicated tour manager, who in most cases will travel out from the UK with the group. On some tours, the tour manager will meet you at your destination station or airport, with full details being confirmed in your joining instructions 10 days before travel. Many of our tours are also led by expert lecturers or specialist guides whose knowledge brings each destination to life; details of who will be accompanying your particular tour are included in the individual tour pages and itineraries.

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