GROOMBRIDGE, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT TN3 9QG

    Tel: 01892 861444 Fax: 01892 863996

    Website: www.groombridge.co.uk Email: office@groombridge.co.uk

    PRESS RELEASE

    GROOMBRIDGE PLACE GARDENS AND ENCHANTED FOREST

    SOUTH EAST ENGLAND TOURIST BOARD WINNERS

    BEST TOURISM EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR 2005

    Groombridge Place Gardens & Enchanted Forest wins 2 awards at the Tourism South East’s 2005 Tourism Excellence Awards. The judges received over 100 entries and they said, “All entries were outstandingly good”. Teams of experts from Tourism South East traveled across the area to judge the competition.

Delighted staff were thrilled to hear that “Best Tourism Experience of the Year 2005” winner award went

    to Groombridge Place Gardens & Enchanted Forest. In particular the judges were very impressed with the quality of experience on offer at the 17th Century formal gardens and enchanted forest and said “ A day isn’t long enough to see everything at this wonderful attraction. It’s excellent and highly recommended for

    people of all ages. The management have gone to a lot of effort on behalf of people with disabilities including provision of special toilets and a map designed to help disabled people get as much pleasure from the gardens as the able bodied. Marketing is fresh, attractive and creative and the brochure is changed every year”.

    Angela Rippon OBE presented the awards at a gala dinner on Thu 13 Oct where Groombridge Place was represented by Marilyn Wright (Office Manager), Jill Todd (Senior Manager) and Roly Rickcord, (Managing Director). Roly Rickcord said “It was very exciting to receive such a prestigious award and I am delighted for my staff who have all worked so hard and it is a great credit to them that we have been judged Best Tourism Experience of the Year”.

    As a winner, Groombridge Place Gardens and Enchanted Forest will go forward to the national competition the “Enjoy England Excellence Awards”. The results of these will be announced on St Georges Day, 23

    Apr 2006.

    Groombridge Place Gardens was also awarded with Highly Commended in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year competition.

About Groombridge Place Gardens and Enchanted Forest

    Voted the best garden attraction in the UK and the best family attraction in Kent, Groombridge Place Gardens and the Enchanted Forest near Tunbridge Wells, Kent, has already planned a packed programme of special events for 2006. These events are in addition to the usual attractions, which include 17th century walled formal gardens designed by John Evelyn and still laid out in the same style today; the Enchanted Forest with fantasy woodland gardens designed by land artist Ivan Hicks; Adam the Zeedonk, who is half zebra and half donkey; a raised obstacle walkway through the trees; castle; giant swings; dinosaurs and Jurassic plants; play areas; birds of prey demonstrations; canal boat rides; giant rabbits and a Romany Camp.

    The recently released big screen film Pride and Prejudice is faithful to Jane Austen and has been filmed entirely on location in UK. Groombridge Place was chosen to represent the Bennet family home. Production designer Sarah Greenwood and her art department were able to transform the house’s interior to late 18th Century “shabby chic”. Exteriors were also transformed as Lizzie’s duckboard bridge

    was built across the moat; windows changed and a tidy courtyard became a manure-rich refuge for the various farmyard creatures that would eventually find their way to the Bennet family dining table. An exhibition captures the period and records some of the filming activity and is free to all visitors.

    GROOMBRIDGE ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Co. REGISTRATION No. 04147379 REGISTERED OFFICE: SIXTY SIX NORTH QUAY, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK NR30 1HE

    GROOMBRIDGE, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT TN3 9QG

    Tel: 01892 861444 Fax: 01892 863996

    Website: www.groombridge.co.uk Email: office@groombridge.co.uk

    PRESS RELEASE

    Entry to daytime events is included in the normal entrance ticket, which is priced adults ?8.50; seniors ?7.20; child (3-12) ?7.00 and a family ticket to admit two adults and two children is ?29.50. There is also a special Groombridge Club pass which allows two adults and three children unlimited access to the gardens and to daytime special events. The cost of this is ?89.

    Groombridge Place Gardens and the Enchanted Forest is four miles from Tunbridge Wells. The gardens are open daily from 9.30am to dusk until November 5th. For more information, please call 01892 861444 or visit www.groombridge.co.uk

    For further press information please contact: Jill Todd

    Groombridge Place Gardens & Enchanted Forest

    Tel: 01892 861 444

    E-mail: jill.jtc@talk.21.com

    GROOMBRIDGE ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Co. REGISTRATION No. 04147379 REGISTERED OFFICE: SIXTY SIX NORTH QUAY, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK NR30 1HE