Group Visits & Admission Charges: The Facts
Marchants Hardy Plants has gained recognition as one of the country's leading small nurseries. Together with its well designed garden Marchants has appeared in virtually every major periodical and paper over the past few years and also on television in the BBC’s ‘The Flying Gardener’ series. We believe it makes an ideal venue for group visits.
Location
We are located 7 miles East of Lewes and 5 miles West of the Market town of Hailsham in the small village of Laughton. The A23/A27 junction is 13 miles distant.
The Nursery is situated 300m south off the B2124 in Mill Lane which is approximately a 1/2 mile East of the Roebuck Inn located in Laughton village centre.
The Nursery is kept well stocked through the season with a choice range of herbaceous plants and grasses propagated from plants grown in the garden. Virtually all plants are grown on site.
The Nursery is open from 17th March to 23rd October 2010. Wednesday - Saturday inclusive, 9.30am - 5.30pm. The Garden with its spectacular views of the Southdowns is at its best between June and October. From late August to Early October many of the grasses (for which we are renowned) are at their best..
The garden is open on the same days as the nursery opening times from 5th May - 23rd October 2010 and on other days, by arrangement (see below).
Group visits
Visits from Horticultural Societies, Gardening Clubs, Private Parties, etc. are warmly welcomed. We have parking for cars and large/small coaches.
A visit can also be combined with other interesting gardens nearby making for a rewarding day excursion. Larger gardens such as Great Dixter, Merriments Gardens and Pashley Manor Gardens are all within striking distance, being an hour or so distant by car.
Group visits are welcomed on any day of the week, but our preference is to receive groups on days the Nursery is closed to the general public. ie, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday.
Garden/Group Admission Charges
Our standard individual entrance fee for the garden is £2.75. However, the majority of groups prefer the option of a personal introduction to Marchants by proprietor Graham Gough. Graham will also make himself available to answer visitors questions for the duration of a visit.
The following scale of charges applies if this option is chosen. (please note: the minimum group size for this option is 15 persons).
| Group Size | Inclusive Price Per Head |
|---|---|
| 15-24 | £5.50 |
| 25+ | £5.00 |
Children under 16: entrance is free.
Facilities
Important! Our toilet facilities are limited and we can cater for emergency needs only!
Visitors arriving by coach from a distance are therefore requested to use service station facilities on Motorways, etc. before arriving. Coach drivers are invariably familiar with this procedure and capable of finding the nearest facilities.
Likewise, our facilities for refreshments are also limited. For small groups (up to 25) cold refreshments can be provided for an extra charge. We are also happy to provide small groups with a power point and our potting shed for do it yourself teas/coffees. Visitors are requested to provide their own provisions and equipment in these circumstances.
Duration of a visit
The duration of a visit is largely dependent on the interests of the visitors. Marchants is not a big garden but we believe there is much for visitors to see and enjoy. In general, for a relaxed visit 1 1/2 hours should be allowed. This also gives visitors time to purchase plants in the Nursery should they wish.
Access
The garden and Nursery are situated on a gentle, south facing slope. Paths are gravel or laid to grass so access is relatively easy. There are some steps which can be bypassed if necessary. There are also a number of seats in the garden on which to rest weary legs! On our heavy clay soil we occasionally have to limit access in the garden, particularly in the early part of the year and in very wet weather.
Wheelchairs
We welcome wheelchairs but should point out that our soft gravel paths can make the going a little difficult.
We trust the above information answers your questions. If you wish to book a group visit or require further information please phone Graham Gough on 01323 811 737 or alternatively write to the address below.
We very much look forward to offering you a warm welcome at Marchants!