England
Learning in Bloom: The Gardens of England’s Lake District
Program No. 25327RJ
Explore the quieter side of England and enjoy the castles, gardens and scenic landscapes of the English Lake District and North Yorkshire.
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14 days
13 nights
34 meals
12B 10L 12D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
3
Lakeland Horticultural Gardens, Wordsworth
Windermere
4
Levens Hall, Cartmel, Holker Hall
Windermere
5
Lowther Castle Gardens
Windermere
6
Furness Peninsula, Brantwood
Windermere
7
Hill Top, Troutbeck
Windermere
8
Free Time
Windermere
9
Transfer to Harrogate, Sizergh Castle
Harrogate
10
RHS Harlow Carr Gardens
Harrogate
12
Yorkshire Dales National Park
Harrogate
At a Glance
Step into a wild world of flowers, gardens and sweeping landscapes in the English Lake District and discover both public and private gardens while learning more about their plants and the people who tend them. Learn from gardeners at Levens Hall and Garden and hear what it takes to maintain this garden that dates back to the 17th century. Enjoy views of Lake Windermere and explore Hill Top Farmhouse Gardens and Holehird Garden, home of the Lakeland Horticultural Society. Throughout your journey, delve into local history by stepping back in time at sites like Fountains Abbey, a Cistercian monastery founded in the 12th century that is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to 3 miles and 3 hours per day with periods of standing, many times in crowded areas. Getting on and off public transportation/motorcoach. Terrain includes cobblestones and some stairs.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Experience the Ripon Cathedral, which dates back to the seventh century and is known for its stonework, woodwork and historical manuscripts.
- Immerse yourself in the life of Romantic poet William Wordsworth through a visit to his home and gardens, kept as they would have been in the 1770s.
- Embark on a boat journey to get a new perspective on the waters of the Lake District.
Suggested Reading List
(8 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Learning in Bloom: The Gardens of England’s Lake District
Program Number: 25327
Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales
This complete and unabridged collection contains all 23 of Beatrix Potter's Tales in one deluxe volume with all their original illustrations. A perfect gift to introduce children to the world of Beatrix Potter, the Complete Tales is also an ideal christening present; traditional and timeless, it's a classic for any nursery shelf.
The Abbeys and Priories of England
"The Abbeys and Priories of England" is a celebration of the history and architecture of some of the finest religious buildings in England. Two hundred specially commissioned, full-color photographs capture the personality of these magnificent buildings, once home to closed communities and now focal points for the surrounding populace and heritage lovers. Together with the lively and informative text, written by one of England's foremost experts on religious buildings' history and design, this is a comprehensive and absorbing guide. Packed with little-known facts and stories of the people who lived in and worked on these buildings, and with an array of stunning images, this book is the perfect souvenir for overseas or UK visitors, or anyone with an interest in English history and architecture.
Beatrix Potter: Her Lakeland Years
This is the compelling story of the real Beatrix Potter, based on interviews with those who knew her. Spread over the 40 years that the author edited "Cumbria Magazine", these interviews recall memories stretching back to the time when Beatrix bought the now famous Hill Top farm at Sawrey in the heart of Lakeland. She was already internationally acclaimed for her series of 'Peter Rabbit' books and her local status was increased when she married William Heelis, a Hawkshead solicitor. The books gave her the means to purchase over 4,000 acres of land, which on her death in 1943 was bequeathed to the National Trust as her personal legacy to the Lake District. The many archive and present-day photographs in this fully illustrated book place a new light on the Lakeland years of Beatrix Potter. Pride of place is given to the breed of sheep that she did so much to foster - her beloved Herdwicks.
Voices of Barrow and Furness
Barrow-in-Furness grew from a tiny hamlet into the largest iron and steel centre on the world, as well as a major shipbuilding centre, in just forty years. Still home to the busiest shipyard in England, Barrow retains many of the spacious streets and fine buildings that were part of the nineteenth-century planned town, and despite changing economic factors over the years it still has much to offer resident and visitor alike. "Voices from Barrow and Furness" draws together memories of life on the Furness peninsula - in Barrow itself, and Dalton and Askham, as well as the villages - from a wide range of people who have fascinating tales to tell. Among their number are shopkeepers, an MP, a vicar, an undertaker, a zookeeper, a councillor, and entrepreneur and a midwife, to name just a few. The stories they recall, collected by members of the Barrow Oral History Group, will rekindle memories for anyone who has lived in this area for more than a few years, and will be an eye-opener for any new arrivals who want to find out more about the history of Furness. "Voices from Barrow and Furness" is illustrated with a wonderful selection of photographs that capture the spirit of this unique area over the past hundred years or so.
Historic Parks and Gardens in and Around South Yorkshire
This pioneering volume contains general chapters on the development of deer parks, landscaped parks and public parks, ornamental and kitchen gardens and short histories and visitor guides to nearly 30 historic parks and gardens open to the public. Meticulously researched and beautifully illustrated, Historic Parks & Gardens in and around South Yorkshire is essential reading for all South Yorkshire residents and the many visitors to the region with an interest in local and garden history and those who care about the preservation and conservation of the region's park and garden heritage. Joan and Mel Jones have co-authored a dozen books on the local and landscape history of South Yorkshire. Their most recent publications are The Remarkable Gatty Family of Ecclesfield (2003) and Picturing the Past (2004). Joan is Secretary of the Chapeltown and High Green Archive. Mel is Visiting Professor in landscape history at Sheffield Hallam University and a regular broadcaster on local history on BBC Radio Sheffield.
Mist over Pendle
Seventeenth century England is a place of superstition and fear.
Deep in the Forest of Pendle, people have been dying in mysterious circumstances. The locals whisper of witchcraft, but Squire Roger Nowell, in charge of investigating the deaths, dismisses the claims as ridiculous. Until a series of hideous desecrations forces Roger and his cousin Margery to look further into the rumors. And what they discover brings them face to face with the horrifying possibility that a coven of witches is assembling, preparing to unleash a campaign of evil and destruction...
Robert Neill's novel is a classic tale of witchcraft set in a wild inaccessible corner of Lancashire and in a time when the ancient fear of demons and witches was still a part of life... and death.
Gardens of the Lake District
Thanks to its dramatic landscape and unique conditions, the Lake District has a long history of distinguished gardens in many different styles. While the lakes and mountains make unbeatable backdrops, the reliable moisture and peaty soil are ideal for a large range of plants. This book features over 40 gardens, all open to the public, that exemplify this heritage.
Among the gardens are 17th-century Levens Hall, renowned for its topiary; picturesque gardens such as Rydal Hall; woodland and parkland gardens; gardens made by Wordsworth and Ruskin; grand 19th-century rhododendron gardens; elaborate gardens designed by or in the style of Thomas Mawson; and contemporary plantsman's gardens. On the western coastline there are gardens in Mediterranean or subtropical styles.
The garden descriptions include each owner's choice of favorite plants, with explanations of the plants' virtues and the purposes and situations for which they are suited. Taking readers beyond the lakes and fells to some less well-known treasures, this book is for gardeners and visitors to the area alike.
Beatrix Potter's Lakeland
Reissued with Beatrix Potter illustrations and previously unpublished materials, this book combines authoritative text with colour photographs taken during the course of a complete year to show the Lake District in all its seasons and moods.
