Guided Tour of Warwick. BOOKING ESSENTIAL, ENTRY FEES EXTRA

WALK DESCRIPTION: From Warwick station we stroll through Priory park - a splendid public open space containing some magnificent trees. We then walk down Barrack Street and through the market square before arriving at Hill Close Gardens, where we will receive refreshments and a guided tour from 10.30 am. These are a series of sixteen hedged pleasure gardens created in 1845, and originally tended by local Victorian townsfolk as a means of escaping crowded town life. Situated beside Warwick racecourse and now grade II listed, the gardens have been lovingly restored and are nationally recognised. After our tour we follow Castle Lane, past the main entrance into the castle and into picturesque Mill Street. At the end of the street is the Mill Garden, a small but perfectly formed half-acre plot on the banks of the Avon, dramatically situated beneath the walls of Warwick Castle. We then arrive at St. Nicholas Park, where if time permits, we will take a loop around the park beside the River Avon before pausing for our lunch break at approximately 1.00 pm. It is advisable to bring a packed lunch with you, although tea rooms and public conveniences are available here. After lunch we pass under the main gateway into the town and along the high street until we arrive at the Quaker Garden for a brief visit. Opposite the Quaker Garden are the famous medieval timber-framed buildings of the Lord Leycester; formerly a hospital, where we will receive our second guided tour. At the rear of the site is the 600-year-old Masters Garden which has been respectfully restored. The tour begins at 2.30 pm. and lasts approximately 90 minutes. After our visit we skirt the racecourse and golf course, passing through Saltisford Canal Trust Gardens before reaching the Grand Union Canal. Finally we follow the towpath to Warwick Parkway station for our journey home at approximately 5.00pm. PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING FEES APPLY:-Admission to Hill Close Gardens; including tour guide/tea/coffee is £10.00. Entrance to the Mill Garden is £3.00 (cash only). Admission to the Lord Leycester including guided tour is £11.00 (all prices correct at time of writing). Total fees for the whole day are estimated to be £24.00 (this does not include the cost of your train fare).