Gardens Illustrated Reader Day
Dan Pearson at Hillside
Thursday 17 July 2025
NOW SOLD OUT
Join our special reader day to enjoy rare access to the celebrated designer’s own personal garden in Somerset
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This unique event offers an exciting opportunity to visit Hillside in Somerset and learn all about its creation and development from Dan Pearson with a personal guided tour for a small group of readers. Discover spaces including the Kitchen and Herb gardens, the Flower Garden, the ‘ditch’, pond, Milking Barn Yard and new Sand Garden as well as the meadows surrounding the garden. Take advantage of the ability to ask Dan questions directly, explore the garden at your leisure and enjoy a delicious picnic lunch and home-made cake. There are limited places available, and this event is sure to sell out fast, so book now.
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EVENT DETAILS
THURSDAY 17 July 2025 - *sold out*
Tickets: £140 per person, including picnic
lunch and refreshments
Programme
10.30am All attendees meet at Bath Spa railway station to take minibus to Hillside
11am Arrival with refreshments and welcome from Gardens Illustrated editor Stephanie Mahon
11.15am Tour of the top garden and meadow with Dan
12.30pm Picnic lunch
1.15pm Tour of the lower garden with Dan
2.30pm Tea/coffee, cake and Q&A
3pm Time to explore
3.30pm Depart in minibus for Bath Spa station
Photo © Andrew Montgomery
Terms and conditions
- Gardens Illustrated reserves the right to change any element of any event due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control.
- Please note: there is no parking available on site, so all attendees will be asked to meet at Bath Spa station, where a transfer has been arranged to bring everyone to the garden together; and at the end of the event there will be a return transfer back to the station. There will be no exceptions to this arrangement to ensure the smooth running of the event for all. These transfers are included within the cost of the event ticket. The garden features steps, slopes, level changes and uneven ground and therefore is not suitable at present for those with accessibility and mobility needs.
Details for our Benton End Reader Day
THURSDAY 5 JUNE 2025
THIS EVENT HAS SOLD OUT
Programme
10am Arrival; coffee and tea
10.30am Welcome and presentation with
garden maker James Horner
11am Tour of the garden with James
12.30pm Picnic lunch
1.15pm Tour of the house with Matthew Hodges,Benton End house and gardens manager
2.30pm Q&A
3pm Time to explore
3.30pm Depart
Booking for this event has now closed
Tcs and Cs: Gardens Illustrated reserves the right to change any element of any event due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control. Please note that the garden is a work in progress, in the process of being renewed. It features steps, level changes and uneven ground and is not suitable at present for those with accessibility and mobility needs. The event will take place at peak iris flowering time but we cannot guarantee they will be in flower for the visit.
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