West Dorset is a region of spectacular beauty, a manmade landscape gently shaped by thousands of years of human endeavour, by the demands of husbandry, community, travel, and worship.
From 2026 onwards, we are offering bespoke ‘garden pilgrimages’, specifically curated for guests.
In a series of short walking ‘pilgrimages’, our aim is to seek full immersion in the landscape, following tracks and paths laid down in prehistoric time to explore Dorset’s woods, fields, hillforts and neolithic barrows, before reaching the day’s goal: a ravishing garden.
Eden was the first garden, imbuing all gardens ever since with an idea of paradise: safety, reflection, beauty. Our chosen gardens in West Dorset emerge from – and merge into – the land that surrounds them, sharing the same soil, the same benign climate, and reflecting a particularly English garden tradition, of harmony and respect for nature.
Whether it’s following an ancient pilgrim path across the Marshwood Vale to the exquisite church of St Candida and Holy Cross, with its unique saintly shrine to St Candida; or climbing to the summit of one of the prehistoric hillforts that run across chalk and greensand from Maiden Castle outside Dorchester to Coney’s Castle and Lambert’s Castle; exploring the Valley of the Stones, neolithic round barrows, standing stones, quoits and long barrows like The Grey Mare and her Colts; plunging into ancient woodland, or visiting remote and haunting sacred sites, holy wells, springs and churches, we aim to recover a sense of the sacred in this ancient place.
We can seek to restore ourselves in history and mystery. Guests of any faith, or none, are invited to join Simon and Jason, and to step through the garden and beyond the gate to explore the palimpsest of Dorset’s past. All you need is a respect for beauty and an open mind.
Please contact G&T to begin organising your bespoke pilgrimage.
Bespoke garden tours:
Sample 4 day itinerary for guests in May
We can create a unique itinerary for small groups, staying at a country house or hotel in the county.
Below is a private tour we created for two guests, accompanied by us both. As ever, we wanted to show off this unique region of England, widening our brief to bring in not just some wonderful gardens and restaurants but also country walks, a private view, and a lively Saturday antiques market.
Please get in touch below to discuss your plans.
Day One
Collect from the station (eg., Dorchester or Sherborne) and go to your hotel for lunch.
Created by the artist John Hubbard and his wife Caryl, and justly compared to Sissinghurst and Hidcote, the garden at Chilcombe is a paradise in every sense, composed of linked enclosures all hidden away in the hills behind Chesil Beach. The main walled garden is divided into a series of rooms by pleached apple trees and sculpted yew hedges. Each of these intimate spaces invites you to stop and admire the plantsmanship and love that went in to its creation.
Return to the hotel for drinks and dinner.
Day Two
In the morning we visit the village of Stoke Abbott, one of the most magical and secluded villages in Dorset. We’ll see the gardens at Manor Farm, Simon Tiffin’s own home, and picnic in the magnificent orchard, enjoying a talk by James Crowden, the poet and author of Cider Country: How an Ancient Craft Became a Way of Life.
In the afternoon we can explore further this wonderful corner of west Dorset with a walk through beech woods to the summit of Lewesdon Hill, an Iron Age hillfort above the village that acted as a waymark for sailors out in Lyme Bay.
Later we’ll take the opportunity to attend a private view, organised by one of England’s leading flower painters.
Day Three
Bridport is one of England’s liveliest (and loveliest) little Georgian towns and the weekly morning market is always a draw, combined with exploring the antique and junk shops in The Alleyways.
We will have lunch overlooking the sea, on the clifftops at the Seaside Boarding House, and then go on to Mapperton, home to the Earl and Countess of Sandwich.
Mapperton has been described as the nation’s finest manor house and its grounds are equally remarkable. Caroline, Countess of Sandwich, has kindly agreed to show us the gardens, which feature stunning topiary, a magnificent orangery and a recently restored eighteenth century swimming pool. The planting in the borders is varied and elegant and the arboretum features a stunning collection of trees and shrubs.
Day Four
Check-out at 10am, after breakfast.
Jim Bartos is a native New Yorker and noted garden historian, former Chairman of the Board of the Gardens Trust. His exquisite gardens at the Old Rectory in Corscombe, unfolding with a magnificent interplay of exuberance and restraint, overlook three counties, and Glastonbury Tor.
Lunch is at the award-winning Brassica in the peaceful little town of Beaminster.
In the afternoon, by request, we head north to Hauser and Wirth, Bruton, to visit the garden designed by Dutchman Piet Oudolf, a leading exponent of the “New Perennial” movement. The Oudolf Field is a large perennial meadow that flows organically from the gallery buildings. Known for his use of plants with spectacular seed heads, Oudolf has created a garden that has interest all year round, in a celebrated Somerset setting.
Return by train to London.
