We left York and travelled to Herefordshire to begin our holiday with a visit to The Laskett Gardens near Ross-on-Wye. They are a 40-year creation from 1974, of Sir Roy Strong and his wife Julia Trevelyan Oman. The gardens are constructed in ‘rooms’ in the formal garden tradition with Italian, Tudor and Stuart influences, as well as Victorian and Edwardian additions. The walk through was delightful and inspiring with grottos, statues, a belvedere with stunning views of the distant hills, an orchard, fountains and a wealth of flowers and shrubs.

On our second day we first visited Hampton Court Castle, originally a site built by Henry IV, but passing through several families including the Arkwrights in 1830/40. After much change and neglect an American millionaire Robert van Kampen rescued it in the 1990s. He refurbished it with an American view of how a medieval castle would look with many new suits of armour, tapestries etc. The old walled gardens have been remodelled into stunning new flower gardens divided by canals, island pavilions and pleached avenues. A maze of 1000 yews centering on a Gothic tower provided much fun! There was a passage to a sunken garden with lilies and a waterfall, a wisteria tunnel and vast lawns and with many ancient trees.

Later we continued to Berrington Court (NT), a Georgian mansion with Capability Brown’s last landscape and a curved walled garden, one of only two in the UK. There was some fine period furniture and period costumes from the Wade collection. A special exhibition showed how a gown, discovered in pieces, was researched and found to be a late 18thC court mantua gown that was worn by Ann Bangham, wife of the owner Thomas Harley. It was restored by NT and on display. We could also see the restoration being done on the glass dome in the roof of the central hall.

In the afternoon we went to Croft Castle (NT) near Yarpole, a large Elizabethan manor house with Georgian alterations and a chapel. It was in the Croft family for 1,000 years from before the Doomsday Book. The family sold the castle in 1756 after the South Sea Bubble crash but it was finally bought back into the Croft family in 1923. There is a working walled garden containing vineyard, orchard and a 1908 glasshouse is being restored. We returned to Hereford via the beautiful old village of Eardisland with its typical local black and white cottages.

On our third day we went to Kinnersley Castle, a Grade 2 listed historic house, near to Hay-on Wye, rescued from imminent demolition in 1935 by the current family. Originally a Norman sited Marches castle but now restored as an Elizabethan manor, once owned by the Vaughan family. Predominantly a family home with oak panelling in the rooms and a fine 1588 plaster ceiling in the solar. A beautiful flowering tulip tree was admired in the garden together with the ancient church next to the house.

We continued to Hay-on-Wye where we spent lunchtime enjoying the many bookshops. Our final visit was to Tretower Court Castle near Crickhowell in Wales. Originally a motte and bailey built around 1150, with a later tower, standing away from medieval buildings from the 15thC. There has been major restoration of the house with the kitchen, buttery, pantry and Sir Roger Vaughan’s Great Hall equipped as in the 1460s. A medieval banquet is set out with a painted cloth behind the high table depicting scenes from notable 15thC events in the Vaughan family. There is an attractive medieval garden with latticework fences around flowerbeds of flowers of the time, and a tunnel arbour of clematis, honeysuckle and roses. Our fourth day began in Hereford itself, with a visit to the Cathedral to see the Mappa Mundi exhibition and the world famous chained library of 1500 books. There were individual visits to museums or a climb up the 218 steps of the cathedral tower for the wonderful views.

We then travelled to Lower Brockhampton Manor (NT), a delightful timber framed house dating back to the late 14thC with a similar timber gatehouse. In 2014 the NT set up a project focussed on revealing the 7-generation history of the manor in the rooms themselves. The Barneby family lived in the manor for 400 years, until 1731, when Bartholemew built a grand mansion on the estate for his large family. In keeping with it’s historic origins the manor was tenanted by farmers until 1946. There are many trails and walks around the huge estate. Our last morning was spent at Hanbury Hall (NT) near Droitwich, an early 18thC house built for the summer entertainment of the family. There are original Sir James Thornhill wall paintings and lovely restored formal gardens, orangery, orchards and walled garden. After lunch we travelled home to York.