2025 Touring Holiday With West Down Gardening Club

We are so often asked whether we do holidays, and although we do not run a traditional tour programme we are frequently off on trips with private groups around the UK. In 2025, we have a wonderful opportunity for you to join us on our annual coach holiday with West Down Gardening Club. If you have always wanted to holiday with Streets, then now is your chance!

West Down Gardening Club have been travelling with Streets for over 12 years, and have perfected the art of itinerary planning, although centred around their interest in gardening, there is something for everyone in this 4 night break to Dorset, running from 2nd – 6th June 2025.

Departing from West Down, Braunton and Barnstaple on the Monday morning, travel in style in one of our executive coaches with friendly and accommodating driver to your first stop, The Old Rectory in Litton Cheney; Discover 4 acres of natural woodland with many springs, steams, 2 pools including a natural swimming pool planted with native plants. Formal front garden designed by Arne Maynard with pleached crabtree boarder, topiary and soft plantings. A walled garden with informal planting, orchard and over 350 rose bushes for a    cut flower business. Continue on your journey to the historic market town of Dorchester  for a look around and an opportunity for lunch before travelling on    to The Hotel Collingwood, Bournemouth where you will enjoy 4 nights bed, breakfast and evening meal with en-suite facilities. Hotel Collingwood   has a leisure centre with indoor heated swimming pool and jacuzzi to be enjoyed at your leisure, along   with a games room, tea lounge and bar area with free Wi-Fi throughout.

On Day 2 of the holiday, you can enjoy a free morning in Bournemouth, with the hotel only being an 8 minute walk from the seafront, you could take a leisurely stroll along the sand and walk on the pier or perhaps shop in the town centre. After lunch, the coach will take you to Poole where half of the group will have a behind the scenes tour of the RNLI College, finding out how the lifeguards and lifeboat crews are trained. The other half will have free time to explore the harbour town of Poole, visit the historic quays to see all kinds of boats, from   fishing vessels, to tall ships to luxury motor yachts.

On Wednesday morning the two groups from yesterday afternoon will swap for a morning tour  of the RNLI college and free time in Poole, before travelling to Bennetts Water Garden in time for some homemade cakes and freshly prepared lunches at their Café Monet. Explore the 8 acres of garden and you will find the National Plant Collection of water lilies, a Claude Monet style bridge, Tropical House, Woodland Walks and Museum.

On Thursday morning, The Blue Pool Nature reserve awaits you. Just a short coach journey away this Site of Special Scientific Interest is a sanctuary for a rich variety of flora and fauna. Once a clay pit, the site has been transformed by nature and is now home to diverse wildlife. Take a walk through the lush trees and if you’re brave enough, traverse the UK’s longest rope bridge! The Art Deco tearooms will be perfect for refreshments before travelling on to your next exciting visit, the Swanage Steam Railway. Timetable dependent, we hope to catch the steam train to Corfe Castle, a thousand year old royal castle shaped by warfare, the journey takes approximately 20 minutes on a full size passenger steam train. Corfe Castle is a national trust property, entry fees would be payable if you wish to enter the castle and look around (free for national trust members). The coach will then return you to the Hotel Collingswood, for your final evening with your fellow travellers.

On Friday morning you will depart Bournemouth for your homeward journey, stopping off at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens; This 30 acre garden, established in 1765 and known as the ‘Plantsman’s Garden’ is a world renowned paradise home to almost 6’000 rare and exotic species from across the world. Continue home, returning to North Devon in the early evening.

The cost of this 5 day, 4 night trip is £485.00 per person, based on 2 people sharing a double room. The price includes all travel on one of our executive coaches with friendly, knowledgeable and experienced driver, 4 nights accommodation at the Hotel Collingswood, bed, breakfast evening meal in an en-suite room and entrance fees. It is recommended that you take out travel insurance to cover this holiday.  If you, or someone you know may be interested in joining us then please give one of our friendly team a call in the office on 01271 321 343.