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South-East England

Castles & Croquet

$9,950
Duration
6 days
Max People
8
Min Age
18+*
Tour Type
Reviews
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Description

Six days, five nights and seven croquet matches at English country homes, castles, and gardens.

Experience six days of croquet, afternoon teas, fine dining, and luxurious accommodations. Enjoy tours of historic English country homes, castles, and glorious gardens.

Stay in the Elizabethan splendour of the Relais & Châteaux Gravetye Manor and the outrageous, palatial elegance of Cliveden House, with door-to-door transport by Range Rover. Visit and play croquet at Chartwell, Hever Castle, Penshurst Place, Cliveden House, Downton Abbey, The Royal Tunbridge Wells Croquet Club and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saison. Tour Sir Winston and Baroness Spencer-Churchill’s country home and garden, and then play on their croquet lawn!

Invite your travel companions, choose your dates (June 3-8, 2024 / Jul 22-27, 2024) or set your own start date, and we arrange your trip. Offered May - September 2024. Limited 6-8 guests only. *Minimum age is generally 18, but we can certainly make exceptions for family parties. Please enquire at info@jiminywicket.org

$9,950 per person includes all meals, rooms, activities, admissions, gratuities & taxes. 100% of proceeds support our croquet programs with Special Olympics.


About Cliveden House: For over 350 years Cliveden House has been a place of intrigue and glamour, frequented by politicians, musicians, artists and socialites who shaped British history. Cliveden House has played host to powerful personalities, iconic parties and scandalous affairs. Built in 1666 by the 2nd Duke of Buckingham as a gift to his mistress, Cliveden House has remained a pinnacle of intrigue and glamour for the elite.

Cliveden has been the home to a Prince of Wales, two Dukes, an Earl, and finally the Viscounts Astor. Nancy Astor often gathered eclectic groups of guests -- imagine a dinner table with George Bernard Shaw, Amy Johnson, Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill, Henry Ford, Teddy Roosevelt and Mahatma Gandhi, among others. Set on 376 acres of beautiful National Trust grounds, this luxurious five-star Relais & Châteaux hotel and spa is waiting to welcome you to create your own moment in history.

About Gravetye Manor: This two-story Elizabethan manor-house was built in 1598 by Richard Infield, an ironmaster, for his new bride Katherine Compton. Their initials, R and K, can be seen in stone over the main entrance from the formal garden, and their portraits are carved in oak over the fireplace in one of the bedrooms. The manor remained in the Infield family until the late 17th Century.

It later became the home of William Robinson, author of The English Flower Garden, from 1884 until his death in 1935. Robinson developed his garden into one of the most influential in England, employing the techniques and ideas he promoted in his many writings. In the process he ushered in the era of the English cottage garden and created what we now know as modern gardening. He particularly espoused a return to natural, wild gardening creating landscapes that celebrate nature.

There are just 17 guest rooms at this 5 star Relais & Châteaux property. Their Michelin Star restaurant is the playground for executive chef George Blogg who creates food and flavour that is at once delicate and bold, and restrained and smart, with ingredients from their bounteous kitchen garden and local artisanal producers.

Click here for more location videos.

Highlights
  • Tour of Hever Castle - Ann Boleyn's childhood home.
  • Tour of Chartwell House - Sir Winston Churhill's country house.
  • Dinner at Gravetye Manor's Michelin Star Restaurant.
  • Croquet Match at Downton Abbey.
  • Roaring 20's Croquet at Cliveden House.

Tour Plan

Expand All
Day 1 Let the Games Begin!

11:00 - Meet under the clock at Charing Cross Station and board train to Royal Tunbridge Wells.

12:00 - Welcome lunch at The Ivy restaurant.

14:00 - "Tell 'em that the Yanks are Coming!" A match with RTW Croquet Club (whites please).

16:30 - Arrive Gravetye Manor, settle into rooms, enjoy a stroll in the glorious gardens.

18:30 - Cocktails and dinner (jacket and tie) with an entertaining romp through croquet history.

Day 2 Chartwell

8:00 - Breakfast at Gravetye.

9:30 - Drive to Chartwell. Tour Sir Winston Churchill's country house and gardens.

12:00 - Lunch at a lovely country pub - The Wheatsheaf.

14:00 - Croquet Match 1 on Winston Churchill's croquet lawn (whites please).

16:30 - Arrive Gravetye Manor, relax, enjoy the gardens, etc.

18:00 - Cocktails and dinner in Gravetye Manor's Michelin Star restaurant (jacket and tie).

Day 3 Hever Castle and Penshurst Place

08:00 - Breakfast at Gravetye

09:30 - Drive to Hever Castle. Tour and Croquet Match 2 (whites please)

12:00 - Lunch at The Little Brown Jug

14:00 - Tour of Penshurst Place and Croquet Match 3

17:00 - Arrive Cliveden House, settle in and enjoy the grounds etc.

18:00 - Cocktails followed by dinner in their Michelin Star restaurant (jacket and tie)

Day 4 Downton Abbey (Highclere Castle) and Cliveden House

08:00 - Breakfast at Cliveden

09:30 - Drive to Downton Abbey, house tour and croquet Match 4 (whites please)

12:30 - Lunch at the Jack Russell in Faccombe

14:00 - Depart for Cliveden House

18:00 - Cocktails and dinner in their Michelin Star Cliveden dining room (jacket and tie)

Day 5 Cliveden House

08:00 - Breakfast at Cliveden

09:30 - Drive to Le Manoir aux Qua'Saison

10:30 - Croquet Match 5 (whites please)

12:00 - Pimms Cup and lunch at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saison

14:30 - Return to Cliveden Manor for spa time or a short cruise aboard a 1930s classic launch

18:30 - Cocktails and dinner (jacket and tie)

Day 6 Finals, Awards and Farewells

08:00 - Breakfast at Cliveden

10:00 - Roaring ’20s Croquet - Match 6 at Cliveden House (striped blazers, bow ties & flapper dresses)

12:00 - Lunch at the Astor Grill and award ceremony for best player, best team, best dressed for Roaring 20s, best shot, and of course, the best croquet joke!

14:00 - Farewells at Taplow train station for express trains to London (whites optional!)

14:01 - Dream of your next English croquet tour with Jiminy Wicket!

Customer Reviews

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These trips are curated by James Creasey, Founder & CEO of Jiminy Wicket, (USCA GC Eights National Champion, 2022 and USCA GC Mid-Western Regional Champion, 2022).Trip details are subject to change. Substitutions will be equivalent or better. To secure your place on this tour, a 25% non-refundable deposit is due upon reservation. There is a 20% surcharge for single occupancy. Balance due 60 days prior to start date. PFC Hoop Maker mallets and all croquet equipment will be provided. No prior experience necessary.

Price is all-inclusive of rooms, meals, house wines, gratuities, activities, admissions, taxes, etc.

For more information, contact info@jiminywicket.org

Castles & Croquet, Codebreakers, Colleges & Croquet, Mansions & Mallets, Whisky & Wickets, Wine & Wickets, and Jiminy Wicket are service marks and/or trademarks of Jiminy Wicket LLC. Copyright © 2023, Jiminy Wicket LLC

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No Flamingos.
Just Mallets.
5 Star ratings. 5 star character.
The Hotels

Luxurious. Delicious. Relaxing.

Written by your host, James Creasey.

7 Skills to Play like a Champion

Competitive. Vitamin D compliant. Non-fattening.

No Hedgehogs.
Just Balls.

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