The Quintessential English Countryside Experience
With the Thames River running through it, Surrey County is a better alternative to enjoying your stay in London.
Only seven miles from Heathrow Airport and an hour by train from Hyde Park, Surrey County opens up the quintessential English countryside experience.
Experience the gracious service of historic hotels right on the banks of the Thames river at close to half of central London’s prices; watch a horse race at the world’s premiere Ascot Racecourse, enjoy sweeping views from England’s largest winery, walk the grounds of revered Eton College and Runnymede where the Magna Carta was signed, and enjoy miniature model passenger trains chugging along a mile of track, shopping, theater, comedy, and of course castles and gardens, including Windsor Castle.
And if you’re taking your kids, there is so much more to enjoy. There’s Legoland, Thorpe Park, Truss’ Island, the Brooklands Museum, and more.
Great Fosters Hotel and Garden
Great Fosters Hotel and Garden is a historic building set among 50 acres of stunning gardens and parkland. Built in 1550, it retains its historic charm while offering gracious ambiance, modern amenities and discrete service. Follow in the footsteps of generations of British nobles as you climb the 17th century oak staircase to the Tower. Relax in a magnificent suite formerly graced by the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles or wander across landscaped gardens where swans drift on a Saxon moat. Originally designed by W H Romaine Walker and Gilbert Jenkins, the landscaped gardens are among the finest Arts and Crafts gardens in Europe. At the heart of it all is the Drake sundial, which historians suggest may have been donated by Sir Francis Drake and is believed to date back to 1585. The hotel has two restaurants. The Estate Grill uses fresh, locally sourced ingredients, whilst being surrounded by the best of British art in a contemporary and informal setting. The Tudor Room is an intimate and decadent room offering a more sophisticated dining experience. It was awarded a Michelin Star in October 2016. The Cocktail Bar, Drawing Room and Terraces, which overlook the gardens, serve some of the most delicious light lunches and afternoon tea. And to top it all, the price is right.
Brooklands Museum
With a range of fun, interactive activities for families, Brooklands Museum is a fantastic place for a family outing. On display are cars, buses, motorcycles, bicycles and aircraft, including the Concorde. The 4D theater is a dynamic simulation ride. It provides the closest experience any living person will have of racing around the Brooklands Race Track, flying with the Red Arrows or driving with Mike Hawthorne around Le Mans. The London Bus Museum which is part of Brooklands, houses a remarkable collection of 35 buses and coaches, the largest collection of working historic London buses in the world. The vehicles date from 1875 to 1979, from the early horse bus to more modern buses similar to those on London’s streets today. Items of street furniture and other artifacts and memorabilia related to bus operations in London are also on display, from uniforms to ticket machines, medals, signs and examples of works of art for which London Transport received many awards.
Denbies Wine Estate
Denbies Wine Estate is the UK’s largest vineyard at 265 acres. Family-owned and run since 1984, Denbies wine competes on an international level, and has won multiple gold awards for sparkling wine production, the first ever gold for an English rose wine and most recently an international gold for Denbies Noble Harvest Dessert wine. Located on the vineyard, Denbies Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast offers a uniquely peaceful setting amidst sweeping vineyard views. Denbies is walking distance to the historic market town of Dorking, well known for antique shops, boutiques and a variety of restaurants and traditional Surrey country pubs.
The Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley
The Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley is the flagship garden of the Royal Horticultural Society and one of the great gardens of the world. Things to see include the Laboratory from where you can see the beautiful Jellicoe Canal, which houses the second largest collection of water lily cultivars in the UK. The Mixed Borders are the most iconic and celebrated area of the garden. They break with traditional formal English borders by being only partially symmetrical. The color theme starts cool at the Top Terrace end, gets hotter towards the middle and then returns to a more pastel palette on the approach to Battleston Hill. Battleston Hill is a showcase for rhododendrons, camellias, magnolias and hydrangeas. Bowes-Lyon Rose Garden contains a contemporary mixture of 4,000 roses with 5,000 shrubs and herbaceous perennials. The pavilion is a great viewpoint to look out over the garden. Oakwood is the most historic part of Wisley, originally created in 1878 within an existing wood. Here you will find the giant Himalayan lily, which towers at 2.5 meters high, producing striking, fragrant white lily flowers in summer. The Rock Garden is home to the larch, one of the oldest trees at Wisley, which is about 200 years old. The Glasshouse is home to plants that grow in moist temperate, dry temperate and tropical weather. There’s even a waterfall. A favorite with visitors is the array of orchids delicately dotted throughout.
More Information
Karnak Travel is located in Egham in Surrey County. For the same or lower cost as doing it yourself, you can outsource the headache of planning your trip.
Contact: Meher Oliaji
meher@karnaktravel.co.uk
178-443-6441 (UK)