Autumn Gardens of Devon 10061

We depart from our pick-up points (London, Reading, Swindon, Bristol) and head for our first visit to the house and gardens of Killerton. The house displays a magnificent collection of
18th – 20th century costumes in period rooms (originally known as the Paulise de Bush collection). The estate is set on a steep wooded hillside with the remains of an Iron Age Hill fort on top of it. Countless trees and shrubs thrive in the gardens including rhododendrons, magnolias, stewartias and maples. An impressive rock garden formed in an old quarry sparkles with hellebores, hostas and geraniums among mossy rocks under a canopy of old camellias and maples.

This morning, we make our way to the edge of the Dartmoor National Park where we find Stone Lane, an enchanting woodland and water garden famous for national collections of birch and alder trees.  We have some time to wander the woodland pathways through the foliage as it fades from vibrant greens to golden hues. The autumn is also a time when lots of fungi start to fruit, so colourful toadstools start to peek through the rust coloured leaves.
This afternoon is at your leisure to explore Torquay with its lively waterfront, bustling harbour and palm lined promenade which frames its marina with colourful boats bobbing on the sparkling waters. The town has been popular with holidaymakers since Victorian times, evidence of which can be seen in the villas perched on the hills surrounding the town and the classic Victorian facades of the main streets. Meander through the town centre for a spot of shopping, stop for a spot of lunch in one of the seafront restaurants or perhaps visit Potent Plants Garden which is a fascinating collection of plants inspired by the writings of Agatha Christie – that may kill or cure depending on one’s motive. This compilation of flora is just a small corner of the wider award-winning gardens at Torre Abbey.

After breakfast, we head for Lukesland Gardens, said to be one of the finest gardens in the Southwest that stretches across 24 acres. The crystal waters of the stream cascade over waterfalls into calm ponds around which the garden is split into numerous islands accessed by bridges. In the Autumn the huge variety of trees and shrubs make the garden visually stunning. The shelterbelts of beech trees turn glorious shades of gold while the more exotic acers, azaleas and gingko trees turn fiery shades of red.
This afternoon we visit The Garden House, near the village of Buckland Monachorum. Here, around some romantically decaying 16th century ruins, Lionel Fortescue created a suitably romantic garden, built on precipitous terraces from which there are lovely views over the garden and surrounding countryside. Clematis and roses scale the old walls that surround the garden and there is a wonderful richness of plants. There is also, of course, another very good nursery selling marvellous plants, an opportunity to stock up on some new additions to your own garden.

Today, after breakfast we depart Torquay and head for our final visit to Bicton Botanical Gardens where we spend some time enjoying the 60 acres of beautiful gardens. Home to many rare and endangered species from around the world and one of the finest tree collections in Britain the gardens are carefully looked after by a team of dedicated gardeners. Some areas of interest include the Italian Garden laid out to designs of André Le Nôtre in 1735. The Pinetum and Arboretum which feature over 1200 trees represent 300 species with many of them endangered. Bicton gardens is also home to 25 champion trees, signifying the tallest, largest or best of their kind within Britain. The feather in their cap is the Grecian fir at 46 metres being the tallest of its kind ever recorded. The Palm House is one of the most charming buildings in the garden and dates back to c1825 comprising 18,000 overlapping glass panes. Here you can see one of the garden’s rarest species, the Madagascan triangle palm.
Before we head for home we enjoy an early afternoon cream tea and then we board the coach to make our way back to our original pick up points.