Spring coach trip for members and non-members – all are welcome
OUTING TO TWO GARDENS ON THURSDAY 12 MAY
KATHY BROWN’S MANOR HOUSE GARDEN, STEVINGTON, BEDFORDSHIRE &
JORDAN’S MILL, RIVERSIDE CAFÉ & GARDEN, NR BIGGLESWADE
A coach trip will leave Hatch End at 9:00 from outside Morrisons, and is due to arrive at Stevington at about 10:15am. Quoting from Kathy Brown’s letter….“I would be delighted to welcome Hatch End Horticultural to my garden on Thursday 12th May. Allow 10 minutes to be met, offload and walk the 350yards up the road to the garden.” [Note: Kathy has offered to give a car lift to up to 3 people if they are unable to do the walk.]
“The garden is 4.5acres with many different areas to enjoy. This should be a glorious time with cherry blossoms, lilacs, alliums, perennial honesty, aquilegias, tulips and tree peonies in flower; the herbaceous borders, art gardens, containers, cottage garden and wild flower meadow will each be full of interest. It will be a pleasure to share it with you all.” [Entrance to the garden is included in the basic cost of the trip.] Following our arrival there will be a brief general introduction and some free time to explore.
11am Refreshments on the lawn (or in the dining room/conservatory if weather is inclement). If requested, there will be gluten free alternatives. There will be a choice of tea or coffee plus Kathy’s home-made cakes. [The cost of refreshments is included in the basic cost of the trip.]
11.30 am Tour of the Garden lasting about 45-60 minutes, showing you the highlights, explaining the background to the ideas etc. With a larger group we would split the tour. The guided tour is an extra £2 and promises to be informative and fun. For those wanting to opt out of the guided tour, they can wander at their own pace or sit and chat.
Free time: chat, take photos and/or visit the small shop. (For further information, see www/kathybrownsgarden.com.) We will leave Kathy Brown’s at around 12:30pm and travel to Jordan’s.
Jordan’s Mill and Riverside Café, Broom, near Biggleswade
We plan to arrive at Jordan’s at about 1pm where we will split into two groups with “A” going straight to the Mill while “B” divides their time between the Riverside Café, the gardens and other features. A tour of the historic Victorian Mill allows you to admire the ingenious milling machinery and takes you on a fascinating journey through time. Entrance to the historic mill (now a museum, since the mill stopped operating in 2000), a souvenir Guide Book and a self-guided tour are included in the basic cost of the trip, together with free entry to the gardens, allotment, Mill Meadow and Woodland. You can also opt for a more extensive guided tour of the mill for an extra £2 and/or for a guided tour of the garden add £5 per person.
Explore the beautiful Mill Gardens with their crops of cereals, fruits and vegetables growing alongside ornamental flowers and plants, and enjoy the wildlife and tranquillity of the meadow and woodland, or relax in the Riverside Café where you can enjoy freshly prepared food and drink overlooking the stunning views of the River Ivel. Pick up Jordan’s cereals and essential baking ingredients from the Mill store. A range of refreshment options will be available (at your own cost) at the Riverside Café. (For further information, see www/jordansmill.com.)
The Cost: The basic cost, including coach travel, entrance to both Kathy Brown’s and Jordan’s Mill, tea or coffee and cake at Kathy’s, a Souvenir Guide Book and self-guided tour of Jordan’s Mill, costs £37.50 per person for HEHS members (£39.50 for non-members). At these prices we need around 40 passengers to break even, so please book the coach!
Optional Extras:
Guided tour of Kathy Brown’s Garden £2
To upgrade to a Guided Tour of Jordan’s Mill £2
Guided tour of the garden at Jordan’s £5
How to Book: If you are interested in joining us, choose any optional extras to add to the basic cost, then please contact John Barton on 020 8428 5756, 07980 970663 or j.notrab70@gmail.com, or Dick Wootten on 020 8421 0391, email wootten897@btinternet.com.