OUR UK TRAINING CENTRES

At GDS we offer two, identical 34-week UK Diploma Courses. One is taught at our training centre at Painshill Park in Cobham, Surrey, the other at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden.

Painshill Park

Our training centre at Painshill Park is bright, modern, spacious and fully equipped: the perfect place to study garden design. It is situated in the heart of Painshill Park, a beautiful 160-acre 18th century garden located just 15 miles (24km) from London. Near to our lecture studio is a restaurant with excellent views.

GDS's training centre is situated in the heart of beautiful Painshill Park in Cobham, Surrey.		Every student has the use of their own parallel-motion A1 drawing board.
An excellent self-service restaurant, with outside terrace, is just down the corridor from our lecture studio.		Parking at Painshill is plentiful and FREE!

To find out more about Painshill Park, please click here.

A map showing the location of Painshill appears below.

University of Bristol Botanic Garden

Our training centre at the University of Bristol’s Botanic Garden is situated in a quiet, leafy suburb to the north of the city, close to good transport links. The Botanic Garden occupies a 1.77 hectare site in the grounds of a beautiful, historic ‘arts and crafts’ building – The Holmes – which was built in 1879.

Our Bristol training centre is at The Holmes, a beautiful nineteenth century building in Stoke Bishop.		The Botanic Garden is relatively new – planting began in 2005 – but already it offers a stunning training environment.

To find out more about Bristol Botanic Garden, please click here.

A map showing the location of the Botanic Garden appears below.

Travel by Road from Bristol City Centre (the theatre and Watershed area): Take the A4018, College Green to Queens Road, then Whiteladies Road (all are along the A4018). At the top of Whiteladies Road, follow Black Boy Hill and head straight across Durdham Down (Stoke Hill Road, landmark – water tower on right hand side) to the traffic lights. Go straight ahead at the lights and Stoke Park Road is the first turning on the right side. The Botanic Garden entrance is approximately 200 yards ahead, opposite Churchill Hall (students’ residents hall).

Travel by Road from the M5: Leave the motorway at Junction 18, Avonmouth, and take the A4 (Portway) towards Bristol City Centre. Just ahead of Clifton Suspension Bridge, at the lights turn sharp left back up Bridge Valley Road (A4176). At the top of the hill turn left into Fountain Hill and straight ahead into Ladies Mile. At the end turn left into Stoke Road and across the lights into Stoke Hill. Limited parking is available in the walled garden Car Park, or alternatively, in Stoke Park Road.

Travel by Rail and Bus: From Bristol City Centre catch a City Line bus No. 40 going to Stoke Bishop. Get off at the top of Stoke Hill (press the stop button when you reach the water tower by the traffic lights). Walk down Stoke Hill and take first turning right off Stoke Hill. From Temple Meads railway station catch Numbers 1 or 54 and get off at the Whitetree Roundabout on Westbury Road. Walk 50 yards down Parry's Lane then left into Saville Road. At the traffic lights turn right into Stoke Hill and right again into Stoke Park Road.

Please note that all Garden Design School lectures/studio sessions take place in the Linnaeus Room at the Bristol Botanic Garden.

Please contact us if you require any further guidance on travel arrangements.