In 1907, American horticulturist Major Lawrence Johnstone created Hidcote Manor Garden, 6.5km (4 miles) northeast of Chipping Campden and 14km (9 miles) south of Stratford-upon-Avon (tel. 01386/438333; www.nationaltrust.org.uk). Set on 4 hectares (10 acres), this masterpiece is composed of small gardens, or rooms, that are separated by a variety of hedges, old roses, rare shrubs, trees, and herbaceous borders. March to September, the garden is open Saturday to Wednesday from 10am to 6pm (also open Fri July-Aug); it closes at 5pm in October. Last admission is 1 hour before closing. Admission is £8.50 for adults, £4.25 for children, and £21 family ticket.
At the studio of D. I. Hart Silversmiths, the Guild, the Silk Mill, Sheep Street (tel. 01386/841100; www.hartsilversmiths.co.uk), silver is expertly smithed by descendants of George Hart (born in the 1890s), an original member of the Guild of Handicraft, in the original Ashbee workshop. Robert Welch Studio Shop, Lower High Street (tel. 01386/840522; www.welch.co.uk), is where William and Rupert Welch have been crafting silverware, stainless steel, and cutlery within an organization established more than 50 years ago. Martin Gotrel, the Square (tel. 01386/841360; www.martingotrel.co.uk), designs fine contemporary and traditional jewelry.
If antiques and antiques hunting are your passion, visit School House Antiques, High Street (tel. 01386/841474; www.schoolhouseantiques.co.uk), or the Barn Antiques Centre, Long Marston, on the Stratford-upon-Avon Road (tel. 01789/721399; www.barnantique.co.uk). For new, secondhand, and antiquarian books, look up Campden Bookshop, High Street (tel. 01386/840944), or Draycott Books, 2 Sheep St. (tel. 01386/841392).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
