PHS-PTA Minibreaks Group†
Organiser: Elaine Roe
| Meeting |
SEPTEMBER MINI BREAK - Thursday 4th - Monday 8th September 2025 Itinerary: We will leave Poynton at 7.45am and travel to the historic market town of Warwick, where the attractions include the medieval Warwick Castle, founded by William the Conqueror, the Market Hall Museum, picturesque streets, St Mary's and St Nicholas churches, the Racecourse, Mill Gardens, Hill Close Gardens and the timber-framed buildings of the 14th-century Lord Leycester Hospital by the city's West Gate. Mid afternoon we will continue our journey to our hotel in Woking. After breakfast on Friday we will set off to spend the day at the Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley, a large and spectacular garden covering over 240 acres. The site contains many formal and informal gardens, several glasshouses, orchards and arboretums. In addition, there are a number of small-scale "model gardens" which are intended to show visitors what they can achieve in their own gardens, and a trials field where new cultivars are assessed. There is an on-site cafe, restaurant and large garden centre featuring both indoor and outdoor plants and gardening products. As an added bonus our visit falls in the week of the annual flower show, a late-summer floral celebration with spectacular displays, specialist nurseries, inspirational expert talks and the chance to buy from a fantastic range of trade stands selling garden and homeware from pruning tools to garden art and outdoor ovens. On Saturday morning we will travel the short distance to Guildford, the historic riverside county town of Surrey. In the centre are the ruins of Guildford's Norman castle with its award-winning landscaped gardens and the intact Medieval Great Tower which offers panoramic views of the whole town from the top. There is an attractive cobbled High Street with several listed buildings including the medieval Guildhall with its iconic 17th century gold clock, Guildford House, a 17th-century town home which houses a gallery with rotating exhibitions and Guildford Museum where you can discover the town's rich history from Saxon times to the present day. Other attractions include; the red brick 20th century Cathedral, High Street stores and independent shops, quirky alleyways, old churches, famous coaching inns and the historic Dapdune Wharf on the river Wey. We will have time to explore the town and have lunch before moving on to the Denbies Wine Estate, one of England's largest vineyards, situated on the outskirts of Dorking in the Surrey Hills. Denbies produces internationally award-winning, cool climate sparkling wines using the traditional grape varieties, grown on chalky soil and in a micro-climate along the North Downs and also has an excellent reputation for producing world-class premium still wines. Here we will take a 50-minute vineyard tour by land train with a recorded, informative commentary, to experience the magnificent panoramic views of the Denbies Estate and the North Downs. (The train is covered in case of rain) On the tour we will enjoy a glass of Denbies specially selected Award winning Sparkling Cuvee. On Sunday we will set off early to the popular cosmopolitan resort of Brighton to enjoy a day at the seaside. We will first visit the iconic Royal Pavilion, King George IV's seaside fantasy palace with its Indian domes and oriental interiors, one of Europe's most extraordinary royal palaces.The rest of the day is yours to do with as you wish. You could take a stroll along the seafront; admire the elegant Regency architecture; visit the Victorian Pier; take a trip on the world's oldest working electric railway; visit the 17th Century Lanes, a maze of narrow alleyways crammed full of independent shops selling antiques, jewellery, and designer clothes; take in the exhibitions at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery or if you have a head for heights take to the sky and glide up 450ft in a glass pod on the Brighton i360 for the best views in Brighton. After breakfast on Monday we will check out of the hotel and journey to the National Trust property, Cliveden with its magnificent gardens and woodlands overlooking the Thames. There are a series of gardens including the formal Parterre with vibrant floral displays, the Long Garden with quirky statuary and topiary, the Rose Garden with around 850 roses, an Oriental-inspired Water Garden, the War Memorial Garden and the Round Garden. The formal gardens give way to secluded glades, tree-lined avenues and picturesque riverside with miles of woodland walks to discover. The garden also contains an ornate chapel, an amazing maze and impressive sculptures, many collected by former owner, Lord Astor. If you fancy boating on the Thames there are skippered cruises and self-hire vessels available at the Cliveden boat house, subject to favourable river and weather conditions. Cliveden House has been home to Royalty, noble families and famously the Astor family. It is now a luxury hotel and is not open to the public. However it is sometimes possible to have a short guided tour of a few rooms in the house if there is a volunteer available to lead it. We will leave Cliveden mid-afternoon and set off for home, making a comfort stop along the way, aiming to be back in Poynton around 7.30pm. Price: £559 per person based on two people sharing a room (single room supplement £128) The price includes:
PLEASE NOTE: Once the monies have been paid over to the coach company and the hotel, they would be non-refundable, this is a condition of the booking. Obviously if someone is unable to go for any reason, we will do our best to find a replacement however this is not always possible, particularly at short notice, so you may wish to take out travel insurance to cover any unexpected cancellations. This is your responsibility. Many people have insurance which covers them for travel for the whole year. If you only want to take out insurance for this one trip there are many companies that you can use. Bullock's Coaches have said that whilst they don't offer insurance themselves or promote particular companies many of their passengers seem to use Age UK or the Post Office. SPRING MINI BREAK - Thursday 30th April - Monday 4th May 2026 Itinerary: We will leave Poynton at 7.45am on Thursday 30th April and travel to the historic Shropshire market town of Bridgnorth known for its unique split level layout with the High Town and the Low Town being connected by the Cliff Railway, the oldest and steepest inland funicular railway in England. The town has a history dating back to the 9th century, there are remnants of a castle, beautiful churches, a timber framed Town Hall and stunning views over the Severn Valley from the High Town. In the afternoon we will move on to Hereford, county town of Herefordshire, with its iconic Cathedral, home to two important treasures, the Mappa Mundi, the largest surviving medieval map of the world, and the world's largest surviving Chained Library. Other attractions include half timbered houses, the Black and White House museum, several other museums, interesting churches, High Street stores around the Marketplace and lovely independent shops along Church Street. Late afternoon we will continue our journey to the Swansea Mercure Hotel. After breakfast on Friday we will set off to the charming seaside village of Mumbles on the Gower Peninsula, the UK's first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Here you will find a castle, a pier, an iconic lighthouse, scenic views across Swansea Bay and independent shops and cafes. In the afternoon we will visit the Gower Heritage centre where we will be greeted with a vintage tea - tea/coffee, Welsh cake and bara brith. A guide will accompany us on the coach for a tour of the peninsula then we will return to the centre to finish our visit with a tour of the working 12th century water powered mill which grinds the flour for the cakes eaten earlier. On Saturday morning we will travel to Aberglasney Gardens, considered one of Wales' finest gardens, made famous by the BBC programme 'A Garden Lost in Time' which followed its restoration. At its heart, the fully restored Elizabethan Cloister Garden is the only surviving example of its kind in the UK today. There are 10 acres of over 20 different garden styles from formal to woodland, right through to exotic and modern along with the fully restored ground floor of Aberglasney's grade II* listed mansion where you will find an award winning sub-tropical indoor garden. In the afternoon we will return to Swansea. Unfortunately the city was heavily bombed in the Second World War so there is no historic centre. However there is an attractive waterfront area and marina and several interesting free museums including the National Waterfront Museum which tells the story of industry and innovation in Wales, Swansea Museum, a treasure trove of Swansea's past and the Dylan Thomas Centre which celebrates the world famous poet's life and work. Other attractions include the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Plantasia Tropical Zoo and the largest indoor market in Wales. On Sunday we will head to Pembroke to visit the impressive and formidable Castle, established in 1093 and the scene of pivotal historical events, from the birth of the first Tudor King, Henry VII, right through to the huge battle that changed the course of the English Civil War. There are free guided tours or you can wander around at your own pace. You may also have time to look around the town, which has a number of historic buildings, before we set off for an afternoon in the picturesque seaside resort of Tenby. Here you will find pretty cobbled streets in the old town, beautiful beaches, an attractive harbour area and fantastic views of Caldey Island. After breakfast on Monday we will check out of the hotel and journey to the attractive market town of Hay-on-Wye renowned as the "Book Capital of the World," due to its collection of over 20 bookshops. This small town on the border between Wales and England also has other independent shops, scenic views, a castle and a craft centre. We will then continue our journey home, making our last stop at the National Trust property Croft Castle, a picturesque country house with surrounding parkland. The estate was founded by Bernard de Croft in 1085, buildings on the site evolved over the centuries, the shell of the present castle was built in the 1660's. There are fine Georgian interiors in the house, a three acre walled garden, Georgian stable block, a church dating from the 14th century and extensive parkland to explore. There is a cafe and a shop and a second hand bookshop in the stables. We will leave Croft Castle late afternoon and set off for home aiming to be back in Poynton around 7.30pm. Price: £564 per person based on two people sharing a room (single room supplement £136) The price includes:
PLEASE NOTE: Once the monies have been paid over to the coach company and the hotel, they would be non-refundable, this is a condition of the booking. Obviously if someone is unable to go for any reason, we will do our best to find a replacement however this is not always possible, particularly at short notice, so you may wish to take out travel insurance to cover any unexpected cancellations. This is your responsibility. Many people have insurance which covers them for travel for the whole year. If you only want to take out insurance for this one trip there are many companies that you can use. Bullock's Coaches have said that whilst they don't offer insurance themselves or promote particular companies many of their passengers seem to use Age UK or the Post Office. Elaine There are Minibreaks pictures in the Photo Gallery - Click here †Organised on behalf of Poynton High School PTA but open to Poynton u3a members. |
Contact |
|