Details of the garden visit are as follows:

Robert Myers - Behind the Façade of Chelsea Re-developments

Join us for an exclusive visit to parts of Chelsea not normally accessible to the public. We will go to the Duke of York’s shopping and cultural development (home of the Saatchi Gallery) just off the Kings Road. Our guide will be Robert Myers of Robert Myers Associates and winner of numerous Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medals. Robert will show us parts of the Cadogan Estate’s development not normally open to the public and will explain the thoughts and processes involved in taking this historic site into the successful and beautiful 21st century landscape that we can enjoy today. We will also get an opportunity to meet a member of the senior management team at Cadogan Estate.

We will visit the private Cavalry Square and Duke of York’s Mews with associated hidden courtyards and streets and finally Duke of York’s Square itself.  Robert’s work at this site spans from 1999 to 2008 - so this is a unique opportunity to view the individual phases within the context of the overall completed master-plan and to view the exquisite landscape detailing for which the practice is renowned.

Robert will also guide us around the compact but beautifully formed garden of Whitelands House, an adjacent private residential development.

A short stroll after lunch will take us to the Cadogan Estate’s private square of Cadogan Place Gardens where we will be given a tour of how this historic site has adapted to the 21st century by Head Gardener, Nicholas Barwick. The south side of the gardens, originally called the London Botanic Garden, was laid out in the late 18th century to a design by William Salisbury, who had been a pupil of  the botanist, Mr. Curtis, at the Chelsea Physic Garden. The garden now has a fine collection of plants and also the 2003 Robert Myers Associates Sir Hans Sloane Chelsea show garden. The north side was originally laid out by 1806 by Humphrey Repton but numerous changes have since taken place including the development of an underground car park, which effectively makes it a surprising and very large roof garden.

Arrangements for the day

Meet at Duke of York Square, Kings Road SW3 at 10.30am.  Sloane Square tube station is a few minutes walk and there are numerous buses that travel along the Kings road. We will take a delicious lunch at the modern Italian restaurant Manicomio at Duke of York’s Square. Afternoon tea will be taken in the vicinity of Cadogan Place Gardens. The day will end by 4pm giving an opportunity to avail of the excellent local shopping facilities!  Travel between gardens will be by foot.

The price for all garden visits includes lunch with a glass of wine, refreshments and travel between the gardens (where appropriate).

We would like to know if you have any special dietary or access requirements.