The perfect destination for groups
02 April 2012
The Trentham Estate: a perfect group destination…
For 2012, groups are being offered an even warmer welcome to what TV favourite Alan Titchmarsh called one of the ‘UK’s must-see gardens’.
Centuries after Capability Brown designed the parkland and Sir Charles Barry laid out the famous gardens, The Trentham Estate in Staffordshire is now one of Europe’s leading 21st century visitor destinations. Thanks to its prestigious designers the estate became a playground in the early 20th century, during which time the name ‘Trentham Gardens’ became so famous.
Today - after an ongoing £100m renovation and investment programme - The Trentham Estate has become a perfect destination for groups of all ages and interests.
So, it’s no surprise that groups visits to Trentham were up by 10% last year - and that 70% of group organisers who returned feedback forms rated their booking experience, visit experience and level of enjoyment as excellent. And when asked it they would recommend a visit to the Estate to another group, 97% said they would be highly likely to do just that.
Groups can tailor their visit and enjoy everything from a stroll through the award-winning Trentham Gardens, a ramble around the lake and woodlands, an up-close and personal monkey experience, and retail therapy in the attractive shopping village and massive garden centre.
The new-look gardens have matured into some of the finest in Britain - and recognised as a major European destination too winning one of the most prestigious European gardening awards for the ‘Restoration, Enhancement or Development of a Historic Park or Garden’.
And Trentham is centrally located, just 5 minutes from junction 15 M6 near Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
Gardens galore…
Pride of Trentham must be the amazing Italian Garden.
The contemporary revival of this famous garden was led by renowned designer and multi-Chelsea gold-medal winner Tom Stuart-Smith who - along with Trentham’s own in-house team - revitalised the derelict 10-acre Victorian garden by imposing on its Italianate outlines what is now one of the world’s largest planting of herbaceous perennials.
Among the historic elements are the evocative fountains, trellis walk - with David Austin Rose Border - and the backdrop of the remains of the once magnificent Trentham Hall. And no visit here is complete without taking time out to relax in the Italian Garden Tearoom with its panoramic views of the lake and gardens.
But don’t miss the Rivers of Grass - beautiful swathes of grass punctuated by select perennials and divided by turf paths and picnic areas.
In contrast, the adjacent Floral Labyrinth provides bold colour, scent and height as paths create a maze through the perennial planting - making it the perfect place to get lost! Eminent Dutch plantsman, and Chelsea gold-medal winner, Piet Oudolf, designed both schemes.
The expanding Show Gardens offer inspiration to gardeners on a more domestic scale and also include special creations put together for some of the UK’s top flower and garden shows.
Whether spring, summer, autumn or winter, the gardens take on a new look and feel, offering a different experience, whatever the season.
Group special activities
Enjoy a Garden Tour, join the ‘Forest School’ for schools and youth groups or explore a little more with a boat trip on our 42-seater electric catamaran or train ride on the narrow-gauge miniature railway. You can personalise your group visit with a bespoke garden workshop or even experience the wild woodland with woodland survival skills.
Events
There are regular special events right throughout the year, among them a very popular programme of summertime entertainment, Hot Summer Saturday Dates, which offer outdoor live music tributes and film showings at the scenic lakeside amphitheatre.
Shop ‘til you drop
Indulge in a little retail therapy in Trentham Shopping Village. With over 50 individual shops, plus 14 cafes and restaurants the Shopping Village is a unique shopping experience, offering a collection of carefully selected shops ranging from fine furniture to contemporary art, accessories to ice cream and clothing to cookware.
Stay a little longer
There’s also a 119-bedroom Premier Inn on site!
Accessibility
There are wheelchair and pushchair routes highlighted within Trentham Gardens, the majority of the gardens are shingle gravel, some areas have slight inclines. In general the Gardens and all major areas are accessible.
Your Visit
The Trentham Estate is a 725 acre site! The Italian Gardens alone cover 10 acres of land. To appreciate them we suggest you allow at least two hours for a garden visit. Comfortable shoes and clothing are also advised.
Tickets
Group tickets can be pre-booked and pre-paid and are available for collection from the Management Suite, Mon-Fri, and the Gardens Entrance, Sat-Sun. Group rates apply for groups over 12 persons.
There’s even more value for money thanks to special joint tickets offering discount prices when combining a visit to Trentham Gardens and Trentham Monkey Forest with adult tickets £12.50 and children £9.50 available from 1st April until 27th October 2012. And at just £10 per person, joint attraction tickets with Shugborough Hall & Estate, Wedgwood Visitor Centre or Wollerton Old Hall Garden offer exceptional value for money for groups.
Coach drivers facilities
Free coach parking and free entry to Trentham Gardens for Coach Drivers when bringing a group of 12 or more paying guests to the attraction. A new Coach Driver Incentive offers a £5 meal voucher for every coach driver on site.
In addition, Trentham participates in the Stoke-on-Trent Coach Driver Passport scheme, an incentive scheme that offers £10 gift vouchers that can be redeemed at participating venues, including Trentham Garden Centre, Group travel organisers visiting Stoke can also obtain “10% Discount Cards” for each member of their group, valid for all purchases over £30, which can be used at Blue Diamond’s flagship store - Trentham Garden Centre.
A taste of Trentham
Coach operators and group organisers can also be supplied with DVDs of beautifully filmed promotional videos “An August Day Out” and “Christmas at Trentham” which can be used as marketing tools or for playing on board coaches. Trentham can also provide posters, leaflets and pictures to help operators promote a group visit to Trentham.
Contact:
Call: 01782 645215; Email: enquiry@trentham.co.uk web: www.trentham.co.uk
