The coach will leave the “Old London Road Car Park, Hertford, SG13 7LA” at 8:30am for travel to Benton End House & Garden, Hadleigh, Suffolk, IP7 5JR.

https://bentonend.co.uk/

The house and garden are in the process of revival following its heyday during Morris’s lifetime, so this visit will provide the opportunity to view work in progress. This is an ambitious project and it is anticipated the first phase will be the re-opening of the walled garden in 2026. The visit will be split in two parts with half the group taking a tour around the house by Matthew Hodges, Manager of the Trust, focussing on some history of the 16C building, with the main focus on Cedric and his partner’s Arthur Lett-Haine’s time here 1940-1982. Benton End is a Grade II* listed 16th century, half-timbered house, situated on the edge of the historic market town of Hadleigh, Suffolk, overlooking the Brett Valley. The garden portion of the tour will focus on the history of Cedric’s garden and the ongoing revival. There is a break halfway through for a cuppa and a biscuit and then the groups swap over. House tours take approximately 50 mins as do the garden tours

The coach will then take us to Beth Chatto Gardens, Elmstead Market, Essex, CO7 7DB.

https://www.bethchatto.co.uk/

Here we will be able to get refreshments at the café and have time to visit her famous garden and plant nursery. Beth Chatto OBE was an award-winning plantswoman, author and lecturer. Her work here at the Gardens began in 1960. She took an overgrown wasteland of brambles, parched gravel and boggy ditches, transforming it using plants adapted by nature to thrive in different conditions: right plant, right place. An inspirational, informal garden has developed.

We will leave Beth Chatto late afternoon and should be back in Hertford about 6:00pm

The cost is £75 per person to include travel, morning coffee, garden entrance at Benton End and Beth Chatto’s Garden.

Special “Early Birds” offer, from the 1^st to the 17^th March this trip can be booked for £70.00 per person. Booking is via the Eventbrite link below.