coach trip – Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society

Members coach trip to RHS Hyde Hall

Clematis arch in the Cottage Garden. Hyde Hall July 2026

[This post contains lots of photographs, just click on the photos to see a larger version. There are so many plants that we haven’t named them all (we don’t necessarily know every cultivar), but feel free to ask about them in the comments and we’ll do our best to answer!]

On the first day of July more than 50 CABAHS members and a few guests set off from Charlton House bright and early for a trip to RHS Hyde Hall in Essex.

As we arrived, a staff member advised us not to miss the Cottage Garden near the entrance. They were not wrong – the garden was as exuberant as I’ve ever seen it, with bursts of height and colour expressed in some beautifully grown species such as Clematis, hollyhocks, Dierama and Zinnia.

The Cottage Garden. Hyde Hall July 2026 — Views of the Cottage Garden

Pashley Manor Trip

A lovely day was had by all, despite the rain, for our visit to Pashley Manor Gardens, on Wednesday 14 September. The first wow factor was the magnificent and absolutely huge 500-year-old spreading oak tree that is the same age as the frontage of the Manor House. The second wow factor are the gardens: exquisitely beautiful, divided into several colour-co-ordinated garden ‘rooms’ which lead to the fabulous terrace, with sweeping views of the long borders, lawns, lake (once a moat) and surrounding trees to the countryside beyond. After a refreshing coffee, many joined a half-hour gardener’s dahlia ‘talk and walk’ around sections of the garden’s long borders. I loved the gardens so much that I am aiming to visit again on a sunny day so that I can relax on the terrace and absorb the spirit of the place.

Anna

Coach trip to RHS Wisley

On Wednesday 11 May, a coachload of CABAHS members went on a much anticipated trip to RHS Wisley. This was my first experience of a CABAHS coach trip and it was brilliantly organised by Anna (thank you Anna!).

Just before the rain started… RHS Wisley May 2022

After experiencing dry weather for weeks, the forecast was for rain mid-afternoon, so it felt important to pack as much in as possible before the rain started. Several members had signed up for a tour with a Wisley volunteer, but as the tours started, so did the rain – several hours earlier than forecast! We were, however, undeterred.