Kent’s Most Exclusive Castles & Houses
What's Included
4 nights at the Marriott Tudor Park Hotel & Country Club, Maidstone with dinner & breakfast
Porterage where available Welcome drink
After-dinner tea & coffee at the hotel Coach transfers to & from your excursions Visits to Hole Park, Allington Castle, Godinton House, Provender House, Camden Place & Belmont House Exclusive meeting with the owner, refreshments, lunch & guided tour of Hole Park Exclusive guided tour of Allington Castle Private out-of-hours guided tour of Godinton House Guided tour with Princess Olga Romanoff* at Provender House Guided tour & refreshments at Belmont House Themed evening talk from a guest speaker Accompanied by a friendly tour manager throughout *Subject to availability. If the Princess is not available, the tour will be led by another family member. Please inform us at the time of booking of any special dietary requirements.
Itinerary
Day 1 to day 5
Kent Castles & Gardens To Visit In Kent Sissinghurst Castle Garden & Rochester (full day)
We begin the day at the beautiful Sissinghurst Castle Garden, looked after by the National Trust. Created in the 1930s by novelist Vita Sackville-West and Sir Harold Nicolson around the picturesque ruins of an Elizabethan manor house, the garden is laid out as a series of individually-planted ‘rooms’ including a fragrant Herb Garden and Rose Garden. From here we travel to Rochester, known for its connections to Charles Dickens and its cathedral, the second oldest foundation in England.
Leeds Castle (full day)
We pay a visit to the magnificent Leeds Castle, protected by a moat within its fairy-tale setting of beautiful parkland and formal gardens. Amongst other things, the castle has been a Norman stronghold, the royal residence of six medieval queens as well as being used as a palace by Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. We have the chance to explore the castle interiors and Gatehouse Exhibition while outside there’s plenty to discover including the Wood Garden and maze.
Optional Excursion Canterbury – £12pp (full day) Join us on our optional excursion to the beautiful city of Canterbury, with its quaint cobbled lanes, timber-framed buildings and medieval city walls. It is also home to the oldest cathedral in England, dating back to Norman times. It features awe-inspiring architecture and contains one of England’s largest collections of early medieval stained glass.