Monday 14 June 2010
We depart on our direct flight from London Gatwick to Jersey - many other regional flights are available at a supplement including Bristol, Exeter, Birmingham, Manchester, Southampton and Edinburgh. On arrival at the airport we will be met by our local coach and transfer to our comfortable accommodation at the 3-star Royal Hotel, St Helier, a well established hotel which since being purchased by the Morvan family 3 years ago has benefitted from extensive refurbishment and now offers excellent standards of comfort and service. The Seasons Restaurant has been awarded AA 2 rosettes. All rooms are equipped with TV, radio, telephone, tea/coffee hospitality tray, hairdryers and there is WiFi facility throughout. There is a large lounge bar, an additional separate lounge and a conservatory with a bar facility. There is a lift to all floors.
The evening is at leisure.
Tuesday 15 June 2010
After breakfast this morning we will be joined by our local guide, Beth Lloyd, and depart for our first visit, the garden of le Clos du Chemin, in St Peter. This medium sized garden is situated on a windswept hillside overlooking St Aubin’s Bay. The lawns, which sweep down from the terrace in front of the house, are surrounded by wide herbaceous borders which are home to a variety of shrubs and trees, including some twenty magnolias. A small memorial garden can be found towards the bottom of the garden and adjacent are several beehives situated in the middle of a small wildflower patch. A dramatic end to any tour is the formal Italian garden with its pond, a cunningly-positioned mirror and a recently-acquired and quite beautiful statue ‘Angels’.
After an opportunity for lunch (not included) at a beach café on the south coast we visit Radier Manor. This stunning garden at the residence of the 10th Earl and Countess of Jersey, with views across the estate to the sea, includes a Camellia walk and a walled garden filled with roses and flowers. There is also a water garden, with a large lake populated with huge carp and around 40 wild ducks, and a well garden, all of which are connected by pathways and beautifully manicured lawns. An exotic plant border on the top lawn as well as luxuriant woodland complete a fine garden, which was created from scratch by the late 9th Earl in a reflection of the gardens at both Osterley House and Middleton Stoney, former seats of the Earls of Jersey.
We return to the hotel where the evening is at leisure.
Wednesday 16 June 2010
Following breakfast this morning we will visit Creux Baillot Cottage Garden at St Ouen. Set in a tranquil valley and accessed only by a narrow country lane this is a garden created with a diverse collection of over 2000 mainly herbaceous perennials from all over the world. Full of interesting features such as a bog garden viewed from an elevated wooden walkway and the old granite cottage built into the side of the valley, the garden has been featured on a number of television programmes including BBC Gardeners World.
After leaving Creux Baillot Cottage there will be a visit to Le Noir Pré, where hopefully the wild orchids to be found there for several weeks from mid-May will still be in bloom. The rare Jersey wild orchid, the Spotted Orchid and the Southern Marsh Orchid are to be found in this particular field at St Ouen, which is owned by the National Trust for Jersey.
Wednesday 16 June 2010 (continued)
After a stop for lunch (not included) in St Ouen’s Bay, we will visit our final garden, Les Vaux at Rozel. This beautiful property was purchased by its present owner, Lady Guthrie in 1966. It was in a very neglected state at the time and after clearing the grounds, planting began in 1968, the water garden was created in 1971 and the pinetum a year later. Apart from two small weeping copper beeches, a mature copper beech and a swamp cypress all that can be seen today dates from 1968 or later. Two ponds have been built and 800 native trees planted to create a small nature reserve. Red squirrels and peacocks have established themselves in the garden.
Evening is at leisure.
Thursday 17 June 2010
After breakfast we have the day free to enjoy the island. A frequent bus service connects the various attractions on island and among the places you may consider visiting are the Jersey War Tunnels, an award-winning exhibition based in a former underground hospital which tells the story of Jersey’s occupation by the Nazis in World War Two; Mont Orgueil Castle, one of the best preserved castles in Britain, which stood as the first line of defence against French invasion after the fall of Rouen in 1204; and the Maritime Museum, which tells of Jersey’s close association with the sea. The principal town of St Helier has a good range of shops and there are further high quality retail outlets out of town such as Jersey Pottery and Jersey Pearl. A variety of boat trips can be arranged locally, including a day trip by high-speed ferry to the historic walled city of St Malo on the French mainland, which has many fine restaurants and attractive shops.
Evening is at leisure.
Friday 18 June 2010
Following breakfast we transfer from our hotel to the airport in time for our return flights.