Our holiday in 2026 will be to Derbyshire, from Sunday 31 May to Friday 5 June. We will stay at the 3* Old Hall Hotel in Buxton, reputed to be the oldest hotel in England, for five nights on a bed & breakfast basis with two dinners.

Over the five days we will visit Peterborough Cathedral, Calke Abbey near Bakewell, Hardwick Hall, Haddon Hall and of course Chatsworth. We will also enjoy a boat cruise on the Cromford Canal at Matlock.  On our return journey we will stop for a tour of Elton Hall.

The cost is £850 per person, with a single person supplement of £175. There will also be additional charges for non-National Trust or Historic Houses Association members.

Full details can be found in the brochure, and the booking form can be found here.  Brochures and booking forms will also be available at lectures.  Please note the booking form and deposit of £60 per person should be sent to Kings Coaches, 364 London Road, Stanway, Colchester CO3 8LT

Image by Alan Murray-Rust 2023 Wikimedia Commons

This visit is now fully booked

We have organised an exclusive, private visit to Columbine Hall, a charming timber-framed medieval manor house surrounded by a spectacular moat, formal gardens, woods and orchards. Bought in 1993 by the newspaper proprietor Hew Stevenson and his late wife, the Country Life and Sunday Times writer Leslie Geddes-Brown, the house and gardens have been painstakingly restored and maintained with the steadfast support of head gardener, Kate Elliott. The house contains an eclectic and quirky collection of objects and ancestral portraits.  

Hew and Kate will show us around the house and gardens.  Afterwards, we are invited to have refreshments in the West Barn, a large timber-framed outbuilding that overlooks the moat, now used as a function room.  The cost of afternoon tea and cakes is included in the price of the visit.

This tour will cost £26 per person. Please note this visit does not include travel costs to/from Columbine Hall. The booking form can be downloaded here.

Accessibility: there are thresholds to step over and gravel paths. There is no access for wheelchairs but walking aids are permitted on the ground floor.

Please also note space on this visit is limited — the maximum group size is twenty

We have organised a visit to Love & Landscape: Stanley Spencer in Suffolk, an important exhibition dedicated to the celebrated British artist, Sir Stanley Spencer. The exhibition explores how Suffolk forms the backdrop to pivotal moments in Spencer’s unconventional personal life and his development as a major artist.

The visit will be a counterpoint to our March 2026 lecture A Village in Heaven: Stanley Spencer’s Cookham by Dr Amy Lim, who is also the lead curator to the Love & Landscape exhibition.  

Our visit will be led by curatorial staff at Gainsborough’s House and will include a guided tour of the Stanley Spencer exhibition. They have also agreed to provide a tour of the Thomas Gainsborough portraits in an adjacent gallery.

Cost £25, (£11 for Friends of Gainsborough's House, £16 for National Art Pass holders). This does not include travel to and from Sudbury.

The booking form can be downloaded here

Image credit:  Detail from Southwold, 1937, by Stanley Spencer (1891-1959), Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen City Council  Gallery & Museums Collection

NOW FULLY BOOKED
We have organised an exclusive guided tour of the Art Collection at the Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London. The Grade One listed building is renowned for its architecture and sumptuous interiors in the Palladian style, but it also houses a distinguished collection of seventeenth century Dutch and Flemish landscapes, still lifes and genre scenes, bequeathed by the property magnate, Harold Samuel.  

Highlights in the collection include The Merry Lute Player (1624-1628) by Frans Hals and numerous works by Flemish and Dutch masters, including Nicolaes Maes, Pieter de Hooch, Jacob van Ruisdael and Aelbert Cuyp. It is considered one of the finest art collections assembled in the UK during the twentieth century.

This tour will cost £25 per person. Please note this does not include travel costs to/from London.  The meeting point is at 10.40am outside the Walbrook Entrance on the west side of the Mansion House for security screening, and the tour will run from 11.00am to 12.30pm.  The booking form can be downloaded here and will be available at the October lecture.

Please note space on this visit is limited — the maximum group size is twenty.  

The building is equipped with lift access to all floors.  However, part of the art collection hangs on staircase galleries, which may make it challenging for some visitors to view the entire collection.

The Egyptian Hall, Mansion House. Image Credit: Mansion House, City Corporation of London

NOW FULLY BOOKED

A five-night, six-day visit to Sicily with a tailor-made itinerary that shows off the huge historic, scenic and cultural diversity of some of the most appealing sights of the Mediterranean’s largest island. From Roman remains and towering volcanoes to Baroque architecture and stunning coastal scenery, this tour offers a wonderful variety, with experienced local tour guide Aureliano Garozzo. 

Cost £1,999 per person, based on shared occupancy of a twin/double room, in the four-star Hotel Domus Mariae Benessere on the island of Ortigia.

Single room supplement £195.

One dinner and two lunches with wine are included.

The full brochure can be downloaded here and the booking form with Travel Editions' terms & conditions is available here. The booking form and deposit should be returned to Travel Editions.

In the 1930s Stephen and Virginia Courtauld restored and modernised the medieval royal palace and nineteen acres of gardens at Eltham, adding a splendid Art Deco showpiece extension next to the magnificent medieval Great Hall (1470s) with its impressive hammerbeam roof.  The well-kept gardens are a charming mix of medieval and 1930s design features, including a sunken scented-rose garden, an ancient moat bridge and rock gardens. 

The return journey will feature a brief stop at St Andrew's Church, Greensted-juxta-Ongar, the only church in the UK that has ancient oak-timbered walls of palisade construction. The current structure dates from the eleventh century, with later restorations and alterations. 

Cost: £52 per person for English Heritage members (also eligible members of CADW and Historic Scotland). £65 per person for other participants. Cost includes entry to the sites, guided tours and travel by executive coach. 

The booking form can be downloaded here. 

ESCALA, at the University of Essex, is the most complete resource for contemporary Latin American art in the UK and is the largest of its kind in Europe. It is housed in the Constable Building, next to the Wivenhoe House Hotel, Wivenhoe Park, Park Road, Colchester, CO4 3FA.  

The visit will be led by ESCALA’s curator, Dr Sarah Demolo, and will consist of an introductory talk and viewing of selected artworks from the largest collection of contemporary Latin American art in Europe, housed at the University of Essex. The objects in the collection embrace Latin American iconography and indigenous art, often symbolising human rights and environmental themes. 

The visit costs £18 per person, which does not include transport.  Please be at the entrance to the Constable Building at 1.45 pm for a 2 pm start.

The booking form can be downloaded here.

Image: Raúl Piña: Doble Eclipse de Luna, depicting the ‘Jaguar Man’, 1998, ESCALA at the University of Essex

We have secured the services of Dr David Hibberd for a bespoke  tour of his favourite treasures at the Victoria & Albert Museum. The visit will consist of a morning and afternoon session of approximately one hour each.  

David has been an official guide at the V&A for over twenty years. He has a scientific background with a special interest in the materials and design techniques of objects and works of art in the collections.

Please note that the morning and afternoon sessions of this visit will involve a fair amount of walking between objects in different galleries, sometimes using stairs for the shortest route.

The visit costs £25 per person. Please note that travel to and from London is not included.  The booking form can be downloaded here.

The Arts Society Blackwater is running a visit to Cheshire and the Welsh Borders, focussing on the historic houses, art and heritage, for five days from 24 June 2024. For more information please click here.

URGENT APPEAL

No future day trips for 2023/24 nor annual 5-night/6-day tours beyond 'Northumbria' (April 2024) have been planned. We are urgently seeking volunteers to join the Committee to organise days trips for 2024 and onwards, and the annual tours for 2025 onwards. Enthusiasm is the only requirement! Full assistance will be given in all aspects of the role. Please contact Clive Stephen, 01206 864277, clive.stephen@hotmail.com, for further information.

A five-night, six-day visit to Northumbria.  Amongst the highlights - Bamburgh and Alnwick castles, a full day exploring Holy Island and a boat tour of the Farne Islands to view the amazing wildlife!

Cost - £1,240.00 per person (based on two sharing a standard double/twin room).  Single Room Supplements £285 or £385.  Sea-view rooms available at an additional supplement of £75 pp.  Two dinners (with wine or soft drinks) on the first and last nights are included, as are three lunches. 

We will stay at the wonderfully located Bamburgh Castle Inn, on the coast at Seahouses. (In your free time, boat trips leave from the nearby harbour - these are not included!). We will have our own Tour Manager with us throughout our stay.

Full brochure with Booking Form is available to download here.

Sunday 28 April - Our private coach will take us from Colchester to Seahouses. Our en route stop is at Shibden Hall, Halifax, the former home of Anne Lister – the true-life character who inspired the recent BBC drama ‘Gentleman Jack’. We will also visit the iconic ‘Angel of The North’ for a close-up visit.  Dinner at our hotel is included this evening (includes wine or soft drinks).

Monday - From the Lindisfarne Gospels, Viking raids, Lindisfarne Castle, the Gertrude Jekyll Garden, the Exhibition Centre and Priory, our full day on Holy Island will immerse us in the history of this amazing island. Lunch is included on the island today.

Tuesday – Visit to Cragside. Amongst many other innovative features, Cragside was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectric power. The House sits at the heart of beautiful gardens, which form part of our visit. After lunch (not included) we continue to Alnmouth, with its colourful houses and tranquil beach. You will be free to explore this delightful village at your own pace, before we return to Seahouses.

Wednesday - Alnwick Castle, the second largest inhabited castle in Britain, and still home to the Dukes of Northumberland. We will have free time, a State Room tour and lunch (included) at the castle. The State Rooms include beautifully carved, gilded ceilings, silk wall coverings and an outstanding collection of Old Master paintings. Later we will visit the Alnwick Garden, with its Rose, Serpent and Ornamental Gardens .

Thursday – We start our last full day (including guided tour) at the magnificent Bamburgh Castle, which dates back to the 11th century. After this morning visit, we have a boat trip to the Inner Farne Bird Sanctuary. Cruising around the islands, we will see nesting seabirds and visit the Grey Seal Colony. In the evening we have dinner at our hotel, with wine (or soft drinks) included.

Friday 3 May - Depart Seahouses. We will break our journey at the magnificent Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire. (Lunch and a guided tour are included). The Hall, built in 1625, remains the family home of the legendary Sitwell family.  After lunch, you will have time to enjoy the house and gardens at your leisure until our departure.

        Bespoke tour of Lord’s Cricket Ground

           Tuesday 18 July.  £40.00 per person.  Maximum 30 people

             N.B. No transport to London is provided

Join us for this unique, bespoke tour of the most famous cricket ground in the world.  Our expert led tour will include viewing Lord’s impressive cricket-based art collection and visits to the MCC Museum (Trophy Room) – permanent home of The Ashes trophy, the Long Room and either the Home or Away Dressing Room.

Lord’s Ground is widely considered to be the Home of Cricket and is, arguably, the most famous cricket ground in the world. Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), founded in 1787 by Thomas Lord, has owned and played at the current Ground since 1814. As well as accommodating MCC, Lord’s is also home to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Middlesex Cricket. Lord’s is home to a collection of the finest cricket-related art in the world. Our bespoke tour will highlight the links between cricket and art, offering a unique insight into the artists and their subjects as well as reflecting the changes in society over the last 250 years. The ground itself comprises buildings ranging from the Verity Stand (opened in 1890 it is the oldest stand at Lord’s), to the ultra modern Media Stand (known as the J.P. Morgan Media Centre). Built to celebrate the new millennium, the Media Stand was awarded the RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture in 1999. The Pavilion, containing the Long Room, was designed by Frank Verity in 1889-90, an architect famous for designing London theatres !

We will visit the MCC Museum (the world’s oldest sports museum), which, along with an array of impressive glittering trophies, is the permanent home of the historic, tiny, Ashes Urn. The expert-guided tours will also visit the Long Room (193 feet in length), from whence players enter the field of play (and return at the end of their innings). The visit to a Dressing Room will allow you to see (and, hopefully, experience) the small balcony where players sit, watching matches, waiting for their turn to bat.

This is a great day out for all, no matter what you consider your level of interest in cricket to be!  As their website proclaims, “Lord’s has an extraordinary history, dramatic architecture, and an unrivalled collection of cricket-related art and memorabilia. A tour of Lord's is not only a must for all cricket lovers, but for anyone looking for the quintessentially English experience. Come to Lord’s and enjoy a real tradition”.

Please click here for full information and to access a Booking Form

The Arts Society Stour Valley based in Long Melford is running a 6 day visit to Cornwall from June 12 - 17.  There are a few vacancies left which they would like to fill.  For a full itinerary click here, and for a Booking Form click here.

Or you can go to their website at www.tasstourvalley.org.uk.

National Trust members £45.00. All other visitors £60.00

Includes return coach travel and expert led Garden visit

At the end of May, when the roses should be at their best, we will visit the former home of the eccentric couple, Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West. When they bought the property in 1930, the buildings had been the run-down homes to farm workers who used what cultivated land existed to grow vegetables – the rest of the grounds were largely just used as a rubbish tip.

However, with Harold’s architectural planning of the garden “rooms”, and Vita’s exuberant planting, the garden slowly evolved. The most striking rooms are the White Garden and the Rose Garden, whilst the Purple Border, the Herb Garden, the Cottage Garden and the Lime Walk all contribute to the magnificent grounds.

When Sackville-West and Nicolson bought the “Castle” there was no running water, electricity or heating, but it was the ruins of Elizabethan tower and the Jacobean house that truly captivated them. The buildings that Sackville-West and Nicolson restored (rebuilt !) and lived in still remain. The Tower, South Cottage and the Long Library are the main attractions. Vita had her Writing Room in the Tower, whilst Harold worked in the Cottage, where the couple had their separate bedrooms. (Due to ongoing restoration work at the Tower, Vita’s Writing Room – still with its almost 4000 books and heavy oak desk - can only be viewed from the staircase). Whilst the Cottage was the main hub of family life, the Long Library was used to entertain visitors (who included Virginia Woolf and Sir Winston Churchill).

Click here for a Booking Form.

For any other information please contact our

Visits Organiser, Clive Stephen, on

01206 864277 or via clive.stephen@hotmail.com

A five-night, six-day visit to Porto, focussing on the city’s arts and culture, as well as its historic links to Britain.

Cost £1,345.00 per person (based on two sharing a Classic double/twin room).

Single Room Supplement £150.00.

Two dinners with wine are included in the price. 

Staying at the centrally located iconic Grande Hotel do Porto, our trip will feature Music, Theatre, Art and the centuries old trade links between the UK and this historic city.  We also include an afternoon at the vibrant waterside town of Aveiro – the 'Venice of Portugal' !

We will have a Tour Manager and two English speaking guides who will accompany us throughout our stay.

Highlights include special access to two sites rarely available to tour groups. On Day 5 we visit St James’ Anglican Church and the British Factory House. The church has been the spiritual home to the English speaking community in Porto for more than 300 years. Over tea and biscuits we learn about the events and characters that shaped the ongoing relationship between the city of Porto and the British. The Factory House was founded around 1654 as a commercial association between merchants living in Porto who traded goods with Britain. This historic building still continues as the major hub for the city’s port companies. 

We also have guided tours of the fabulous Casa da Musica, the São João National Theatre, the Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, as well as the the Serralves Villa, a unique example of 1930s Art Deco architecture. On our last evening we will visit Taylor’s Port Lodge for a guided tour, port tasting and our farewell dinner (included). 

On Tuesday, you have the choice of getting some sea air on our visit to the colourful estuary town of Aviero, with its Art Nouveau buildings and gondola like moliceiros, or having a free afternoon in Porto.

Also included are a boat trip on the River Douro, and two relaxed walking tours of Porto, taking in sights as diverse as the bookshop that inspired JK Rowling, a 1920s café and a railway station!

We have private coach transfers between Colchester and Stansted Airport, with an executive coach for our Porto airport transfers and for the rest of our stay in Porto.

Our direct flights between Stansted and Porto include 20kg of hold luggage.

For more information, or to request a brochure, please call Clive Stephen on 01206 864277

Cost £45 : Includes coach travel to Wymondham, guided tour of the Abbey with tea/coffee afterwards (included), visit to Wymondham Heritage Museum and a   guided tour of the town’s historic buildings.

You will be able to join this trip at (and return to) either:- Marks Tey Hotel,  or  Ipswich Road bus stop/lay-by opposite St. John’s Church.

Our visit to Wymondham commences with a guided tour of the town’s ancient abbey. Built in 1107 it has led a very chequered existence. On our guided tour we will learn of the many unusual events which have resulted in the much smaller building we see today (but still with its two, distinctively different, towers!).

We will also be able to see the ruins which previously formed part of the original, much larger structure.

The remaining building has a wealth of attractive features, including a magnificent Norman nave, a truly beautiful angel roof, an historic Georgian organ, and a gilded screen designed by Sir Ninian Comper.

After our abbey visit, you will have time for lunch (not included) and to wander through the fascinating town centre before visiting  the Wymondham Heritage Museum. Here we will split into 2 groups. One group will first have a guided walking tour of the town’s most interesting buildings before returning to the Heritage Museum to view its extensive collection and to learn of the industries which caused Wymondham to become a hugely important town in Norfolk. Growing up around the monastic buildings during the medieval period, the wool trade, in particular, brought great wealth to the town. 

The second group will visit the Heritage Museum first, and then have their own tour of the town, before our return journey to Colchester. 

Due to limitations on numbers at sites to be visited, we can only accommodate 30 members on this trip.    

Please click here to access a Booking Form. For further information, please contact our Visits Organiser, Clive Stephen on 01206 864277 or by e-mail at  clive.stephen@hotmail.com 

Cost £35.00.  Includes entry and a guided tour at both sites.

An intriguing visit to 2 lesser known sites situated in the very centre of London.

Due to group size limitations at both venues, we will need to split into two groups:-

One group will start in the morning at the Guildhall Art Gallery, with a specialist guide who will take the group round the Art Collection, featuring paintings from 1670 to the present time, including a fine collection of pre-Raphaelite works. The tour will also include the ruins of the Roman Amphitheatre, rediscovered by archaeologists working on the site in 1988.

The other group will first visit the Charterhouse, opened to public visits in 2017 for the first time in 400 years, with a special tour, focussing on its “Historic Interiors”. It houses an impressive collection of artworks, antiques and tapestries. The Carthusian monastery was established in 1371 and after the dissolution became a private mansion and later, a school and alms-house. The buildings reflect its rich, fascinating and, at times, brutal history.

You will need to get to either the Charterhouse or the Guildhall Art Gallery yourselves – no transport is provided for this trip – on practical and economic grounds, as well as offering you greater scope to enjoy a full day out in London.

You will have approximately 2 hours between each visit for lunch and to transfer between the 2 sites – the walking time between the 2 sites is approximately 15 - 20 minutes. 

Full information and a map and instructions for getting between sites will be provided near the time of the trip.  Once your afternoon visit has concluded (approximately 16:00), you will have ample free time to enjoy an evening meal, visit the theatre etc. before returning home. 

Please click here to access a Booking Form. For further information, please contact out Visits Organiser, Clive Stephen on 01206 864277 or by email at  clive.stephen@hotmail.com 

Image: The Charterhouse

An Early Winter Treat! Cinema and Lunch in Harwich.

Friday 9 December, 2022

Cost : £45.00

Please note that this visit is now closed to new bookings.  Waiting list only.

Visit the wonderful Electric Palace Cinema in Harwich. Beautifully restored to its former glory, we will learn of the Cinema’s history, enjoy a guided tour of the building and then settle down to watch 3 short, classic, black and white comedy films.

Afterwards, we will have lunch at the renowned  Milsoms Pier restaurant.

Lunch is included, and you will be able to choose from a short menu, which will, as we are at the sea-side, include fish and chips ! 

At the end of our meal, you will be free to enjoy the rest of your day in historic Harwich  at your leisure, before making your way home

Please note that transport to and from Harwich is not included.

Details of car parks and public transport can be found on our Booking Form. Booking Forms are available from the Visits table on lecture days or click here to access a print at home Booking Form and lunch menu! 

For any other information, or to request a paper Booking Form,please contact our Visits Organiser, Clive Stephen, on 01206 864277 or via clive.stephen@hotmail.com

Join us on a tour of the newly built Gainsborough's House extension in Sudbury. There you will be welcomed with coffee and biscuits on arrival, followed by a private tour of the building and of the first international exhibition at the House "Painting Flanders 1880-1914", with a curator. For the booking form click here  or call Evelyne Bell on 01206 241 916 or email her at evelynecbell@gmail.com.

Guided tours of King’s College Chapel and Cambridge Central Mosque

**PLEASE NOTE THAT THE VISIT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY 1 JUNE 2022**

Cost £55.00pp : Includes coach, entrance fees, our own exclusive guided tours of King's College Chapel (Blue Badge guides) and Cambridge Central Mosque.

Ample free time in the heart of Cambridge. Lunch not included.

Due to tour group limitations at both sites, there will be a maximum of 30 places for this trip.

To download a booking form please click here.

Although less than 2 miles distant, but about 500 years apart - built in different ages, using different materials, these two iconic religious buildings may seem as different as they could be. Join us to see if this is the case, or is there more that unites them than we at first realise?

We start our day at the Cambridge Central Mosque. Opened in 2019, it is Europe's first eco-friendly mosque and the first purpose-built mosque in Cambridge. It was built to meet the needs of the Muslim community, by facilitating "good practice in faith, community development, social cohesion & interfaith dialogue". Marks Barfield Architects (known for works such as the London Eye and Kew Gardens Treetop Walk) designed the new mosque, along with experts in sacred architecture and the UK's leading Islamic garden designer, Emma Clark. The architects’ website says, "The defining feature of the mosque is its timber structure. The columns, or ‘trees’, reach up to support the roof in an interlaced octagonal lattice vault structure evocative of English gothic fan vaulting, famously used at the nearby King’s College Chapel".

In the afternoon, led throughout by Blue Badge guides, we visit the Chapel. It is one of the finest examples of late Perpendicular Gothic English architecture and features the world's largest fan vault. The Chapel was built from 1446 to 1515, and its large stained glass windows were completed by 1531. The early Renaissance rood screen was erected between 1532-36. Built without modern technology or materials, the chapel is a stunning creation, and remains home to the world famous King's College Choir.

This is your opportunity to learn about, and experience in situ, the multi-faceted world of religious architecture - from the early western world to that of the very recent eastern world.

Truly, from the ancient to the modern.

To download a booking form, please click here.

Your money is safe. No cheques are encashed prior to the visit. If any trip is cancelled, we will return to you any monies paid.

Image: Cambridge Central Mosque

"From Fairy Tale Moated Castles, Turner's Petworth and Regency Brighton to the realm of the Surrealists"

Sunday 24 April to Friday 29 April 2022

Cost - £820.00 per person.     No Single Room Supplement.

Sea-view rooms may be requested, at a supplement of £60.00 per person. 

Additional entry fees of approx. £10.00 - £60.00 pp will apply, depending on memberships of National Trust etc. We will be based at the traditional, 4-star, Hydro Hotel in Eastbourne (www.hydrohotel.com) A welcome drink and 2 three course dinners (with wine or soft drinks) are included.

To request a copy of the brochure and Booking Form please contact Clive Stephen, 01206864277, or clive.stephen@hotmail.com

Some important information, before giving you a brief precis of our trip.

• Your deposit cheque / other payment details will be held securely by us, before being submitted to  Travel Editions in November. No payments will be taken until then.
• We have a limited allocation of 9 single rooms. We have 8 double rooms and 7 twin rooms reserved. Please book early to reserve the room of your choice and / or if you wish a sea view.
• We only have 40 places for this trip and will be using a 53 seater coach for the duration of our tour.
• Additional entrance fees will be calculated per person once membership of various societies is known. Extra fees will be advised before the tour and collected prior to or on the trip.

Our tour will focus on 6 main areas of interest:

Castles - All historic, some moated, all fabulous!

Homes - From the stately, to the gracious, to the eccentrically sublime ……

Art Galleries - Eastbourne's award-winning modern collection, and the idiosyncratic Watts Gallery

Brighton - the incredible Pavilion and the lesser known Brighton Museum - plus ample free time.

Avant Garde - "Out-of-town" retreats of the Bloomsbury set (Charleston) and the Surrealists (Farleys).

Gardens - from open parklands, to the formal, to the home of the father of modern gardening.

Our brochure has full details of each day's visits, summarised below.

Our visits will include historic castles - Hever Castle, the historic family home of Anne Boleyn; the iconic 14th century Bodiam Castle and the incredible brick-built Herstmonceux Castle.

We will visit several renowned homes in the area, including the palatial Petworth House, with its collection of works by Turner and Grinling Gibbons (amongst others). Batemans, the country house of Rudyard Kipling is also on our list, as is Great Dixter, the home of Christopher Lloyd, the inspirational gardener of the mid 20th century. The oldest of the buildings dates from the mid 1500s, whilst Lloyd had another 16th century building transported from Kent and rebuilt at Great Dixter!

We have specific visits to art galleries. These include Eastbourne's Towner Gallery, which was a joint winner of the 2020 Art Fund "Museum of the Year". We stop off at the stunning Watts Gallery in Guildford on our return to Colchester.

No trip to Sussex would be complete without an outing to Brighton. We have a guided tour of the Pavilion in the morning, and you will be able to visit the nearby hidden gem that is Brighton Museum, in the afternoon. With added time afterwards, you may indulge in further sightseeing, shopping or an early dinner before we return to Eastbourne.

On the Thursday of our tour, we will step off the beaten track, with two visits to the homes of some of the leading figures in 20th century artistic circles. The homes of these avant garde couples belonged to, firstly, the Surrealist artist Roland Penrose and the photographer Lee Miller. Visitors to their extravagantly decorated home included Picasso and Miro. The earlier, bohemian, world is represented by the home of artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, who hosted members of the Bloomsbury group at their Charleston Farmhouse.

Finally, we will visit different gardens on our tour. From the more formal gardens at Herstmonceux and Hever Castles, we encounter the vibrant informal planting at Great Dixter and the impressive grounds at Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens, where the gardens are famed for their Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Camellias, Magnolias. The parkland is also home to a rare colony of wallabies and several species of deer. We hope to find time to watch the lunchtime feeding of the youngest of the wallabies!

Cost :  National Trust members £45,  non-NT members £55. 

Includes coach, entrance fees, and guided tours at both sites. Lunch not included.   

Due to visitor number limitations at both sites, this trip is limited to a maximum of 30 attendees.

For a Booking Form for this visit, please click here

CLOSED TO NEW BOOKINGS

If you would like to go on a waiting list, please contact Clive Stephen - clive.stephen@hotmail.com

On this trip we will visit two of London's most important and historic, but often overlooked, sites. Both were major design accomplishments - one a brave step into the future, the other a desire to return to a more gracious and aesthetic era. One thing they both had in common was a reliance on the humble brick - in the case of Marc Brunel's Thames Tunnel, over seven and a half million of them! Morris's Red House was content to use locally made red brick as its final, unadorned finish, which gave it both an unpretentious appearance and its name. 

The Brunel Museum celebrates the Thames Tunnel, the first tunnel ever built for public traffic beneath a navigable river. Constructed between 1825 and 1843 by Marc and his son Isambard, using a new tunnelling shield invented by the elder Brunel, the tunnel was  designed for horse-drawn carriages, but was mainly used by pedestrians and became a tourist attraction. Despite many financial and construction setbacks (a flood in 1828 almost led to the death of Isambard), the tunnel was finally officially opened on 25 March 1843. Within 15 weeks of opening, 1,000,000 people visited the tunnel. In 1869 it was converted into a railway tunnel for the East London line which, in 2010, became part of London's Overground railway network.  We will visit the original shaft (approximately 50 feet deep, and 50 feet wide) as well as the engine house, a Scheduled Monument housing a collection of prints, watercolours, statues, peepshows and models depicting the construction and subsequent history of this (literally) ground-breaking enterprise.   

In 1859, William Morris commissioned his friend, the architect Phillip Webb, to build him a house. Morris wished to have a place where he and his friends could live and work in an environment fashioned by their admiration of medieval literature and art. Morris and his wife Jane moved into the Red House in June 1860, furnishing and decorating the interiors with designs of their own. Unable to find furniture to his taste in the shops of the time, Morris commissioned Webb to design dressers, settles, beds and table glass, all in an Arts and Crafts Gothic style that fitted the romantic style of the house. Morris's friends Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti also contributed to the house decoration, and some of Burne-Jones wall murals still exist. 

Your money is safe. No cheques are encashed prior to the visit. If any trip is cancelled, we will return to you any monies paid.

Warner Textile Archive, History of Courtaulds and "Friendship and Fabric" Exhibition at Braintree Museum

Tuesday 15 March 2022

Cost  £47 :  Includes coach, coffee / tea / biscuits, private guided tours of the Archive, hear the history of Courtaulds and visit the Braintree Museum  "Friendship and Fabric" exhibition (the work of Marianne Straub and Denise Hoyle).       

Lunch is not included.  Due to space constraints at both sites, this visit is limited to 30 attendees.

 Booking Form available here

The Warner Textile Archive is the largest collection of  luxury textiles (apart from the V & A), in the UK. It comprises over 100,000 items, including designs on paper, hand woven textiles, printed textiles, business records, photographs and manufacturing equipment. At its height, Warner & Sons were producing fabric for royal weddings and funerals, and decorating palaces. We will hear of this royal connection, along with the history of the company, and learn of their talented designers (we will see many of their glorious creations). The Archive is now housed in the original Warner & Sons mill which was refurbished in 2004. 

Courtaulds was formed as a textile production company, specialising in silks, in 1794. By 1850 it employed over 2000 people in the Braintree area. As well as learning of the textile history of the company, we will hear stories of  members of this idiosyncratic family, and what inspired them to produce decent working conditions and practices for their employees.(They also endowed Braintree with its town hall, hospital and school - as well as providing housing for their workers). Through the great wealth they amassed, they purchased many Impressionist works which were donated to the University of London (now in the newly refurbished Courtauld Gallery), and they also founded the world renowned Courtauld Institute  

 At the Braintree Museum we will visit the exhibition "Friendship and Fabric", featuring the Warner textile designer Marianne Straub and the painter / potter Denise Hoyle.

Swiss born, Straub studied at Bradford Technical college, and became one of the leading commercial textile designers in Britain from the 1940s to the 1960s. She worked for Warners for many years, producing fabric designs used on public transport, in work places, theatres and even luxury liners ! Of her work for use in the home, she said her overriding aim was  "to design things which people could afford".

Denise Hoyle was born in Paris and moved to England in 1954. She received no formal art training, but has used her natural creative ability to make collages, ceramics and watercolour paintings. Her ceramics have been sold in the V&A shop and her watercolours of flowers and fruit form part of the Fry Art Gallery collection.

This fascinating day out will be a real treat for those with a passion for textiles, design and simply sumptuous fabrics !

To access our Booking Form for this visit, please click  here

Your money is safe. No cheques are encashed prior to the visit. If any trip is cancelled, we will return to you any monies paid.

Image reproduced by permission of the Warner Textile Archive, Braintree District Museum Trust

Cost £60 : Includes coach, light lunch and exclusive tours of Ranworth, Barton Turf and Cawston churches.

The booking form is available here

This unique, bespoke tour is led by Dr Lucy Wrapson, Senior Conservator and Deputy Director of the Hamilton Kerr Institute (part of Cambridge University). Fans of the BBC’s “Fake or Fortune?” programme will know the Institute through its expert technical analysis of paintings presented for authentication. We approached the Institute after reading of Lucy’s pivotal work in leading the East Anglian Rood Screen Project. As Lucy herself says –

“Despite a generally held perception that all pre-Reformation art was indiscriminately destroyed, East Anglia has Europe-wide pre-eminence in the quality and quantity of its surviving fourteenth- to sixteenth-century painted wooden church screens. This mainly takes the form of rood-screens sited between the nave and chancel.”

Our tour starts in Ranworth, before moving on to Barton Turf (where we will have lunch after exploring the church) and finally visiting Cawston. Visits to each church will last approximately an hour, with Lucy tracing the history of the screens, their donors and the particular importance of each screen and their conservation requirements.

As well as a hugely important rood screen, each church offers a wealth of other artefacts and decoration – please search the amazing website www.norfolkchurches.co.uk for further information on the individual churches.

This promises to be one of the most insightful visits we have undertaken, particularly as it is to be guided by such an acknowledged expert in rood screen research and conservation.

One not to miss!!

Joining the trip on the day. For this trip, we have arranged an extra joining point for members travelling from the north and east of Colchester. This is the bus-stop opposite St John's Chuch on Ipswich Road in Colchester. Those wishing to join the trip here will have to make their own parking arrangements - there is no designated parking. and Tesco will prosecute if you use their car park! Generally there are no parking restrictions in the nearby residential areas.

To download a Booking Form, please click here.

Your money is safe. No cheques are encashed prior to the visit. If any trip is cancelled, we will return to you, or destroy, any cheques paid.

All members / guests on this trip MUST have been vaccinated against Covid 19

All travel to the venues and on-site visits will comply with any prevailing Covid 19 protocols, Social distancing and facemask wearing may be required (exemptions permitted)

Visit now fully booked 

Cost : £45

Includes coach, entrance fees, tea / coffee on arrival, guided tour of exhibition, Aisled Barn, studios and garden.

We start our day at The Gardens of Easton Lodge, which are the only example in East Anglia of the work of the Edwardian garden designer, Harold Peto. Peto originally trained as an architect and brought to Easton Lodge his passion for Italianate, French and Japanese designs, including many architectural features. Peto’s 1902 designs for the Countess of Warwick included formal lawns, a sunken Italian garden, a yew walk, a treehouse, a glade and a Japanese garden. Today, they form the outline of the Gardens, which the Trust is restoring as funds allow. We will have a guided tour, to learn more of the history of the gardens and Warwick House itself (House visit not included).

We arrive at the Henry Moore Studios and Gardens in time for tea / coffee. There will also be free time for lunch (not included) before we commence our guided tours, including the Edmund de Waal curated exhibition, This Living Hand, which explores the role of touch and the iconography of the hand in Henry Moore’s art. During the tour with our guides, we will have the chance to discover more about Moore’s life and work, whilst surrounded by over 20 of his iconic sculptures. We also visit his fascinating studios, where the origins of his monumental bronzes are evident in the hundreds of small models (maquettes) that line the shelves. The Aisled Barn, a 16th century building that Moore had moved from a nearby farm and reconstructed in 1981, houses a set of unique tapestries which Moore commissioned from West Dean College in Sussex.

Due to coach size limitations, we have only 30 places available for this visit.

To download a Booking Form, please click here.

Your money is safe. No cheques are encashed prior to the visit. If any trip is cancelled, we will return to you, or destroy, any cheques paid.

All members / guests on this trip MUST have been vaccinated against Covid 19

All travel to the venues and on-site visits will comply with prevailing Covid 19 protocols. Social distancing and the wearing of facemasks may be required (exemptions permitted).

Photograph Jonty Wilde. Reproduced by permission of The Henry Moore Foundation

Cost : £30 for National Trust members / £45 for non-NT members :

Includes coach, entrance fees, free-flow visits to the house, Lode Mill and gardens.

A chance to step back in time to a more gracious era, our trip to this wonderful, atmospheric building and its beautiful gardens form our mid-summer visit.

Anglesey Abbey dates back to the days of Henry I, when it started life as a hospital. In the early 13th Century it was converted into an Augustinian priory and it continued as such until it was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1536. The remains of the priory formed the core of the present house, which was built in the 17th century. In the following three centuries, the estate went through many different hands, with little appearing to have been done to the property in this time.

The house was purchased by Lord Fairhaven in 1926, and he greatly updated and added to the property. As well as remodelling the house, Lord Fairhaven redesigned the garden, allowing him to showcase changing seasonal varieties to the many guests he entertained. Today, the gardens still follow the same seasonal pattern, with different areas coming to the fore, before making way for the next. We should be visiting around the time when the roses are still at their best!

Time and weather permitting, it will be possible to visit the working Lode Mill, which is believed to have been built in the late 18th century on the site of a much earlier watermill.

Lord Fairhaven’s amassed an impressive collection of paintings, micro-mosaics, sculptures, porcelain, clocks, and much more which we will see in their original surroundings. The house’s furnishings and fittings are untouched, and the bathrooms and kitchen have been persevered perfectly. In 1966 Lord Fairhaven bequeathed the abbey to the National Trust, requiring it to maintain the building and gardens in the state they were in when he died. He wrote that “My thought and hope is that, in a changing world, the house, its furniture and its arrangement, and the gardens and their lay-out, should be preserved and kept representative of an age and way of life that is quickly passing”. Hopefully we will see that this remains the case!

Your money is safe. No cheques are encashed prior to the visit.

If any trip is cancelled, we will return to you, or destroy, any cheques paid.

All members / guests on this trip MUST have been vaccinated against Covid 19

All travel to the venues and on-site visits will comply with any prevailing Covid 19 protocols. Social distancing and facemask wearing may be required (exemptions permitted).

A five-night, six-day visit to Porto, focussing on the city’s arts and culture, as well as its historic links to Britain.

Cost £1,130.00 per person (based on two sharing a Standard double/twin room). Single Room Supplement £120.00.

Two dinners with wine are included in the price.

Staying at the centrally located iconic Grande Hotel do Porto, our trip will feature Music, Theatre, Art and the centuries old trade links between the UK and this historic city.  We also include an afternoon at the vibrant waterside town of Aveiro – the 'Venice of Portugal'!

Our English speaking guide will meet us at Porto airport, and will accompany us throughout our stay.

Highlights include special access to two sites rarely available to tour groups. On Day 5 we visit St James’ Anglican Church and the British Factory House. The church has been the spiritual home to the English speaking community in Porto for more than 300 years. Over tea and biscuits we learn about the events and characters that shaped the ongoing relationship between the city of Porto and the British. The Factory House was founded around 1654 as a commercial association between merchants living in Porto who traded goods with Britain. Now closed to tourists, The Arts Society Colchester has been granted a private guided tour of this historic building, which still continues as the major hub for the city’s port companies. 

We also have guided tours of the fabulous Casa da Musica, the São João National Theatre, the Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, as well as the the Serralves Villa, a unique example of 1930s Art Deco architecture. On our last evening we will visit Taylor’s Port Lodge for a guided tour, port tasting and our farewell dinner (included). 

On Tuesday, you have the choice of getting some sea air on our visit to the colourful estuary town of Veiro, with its Art Nouveau buildings and gondola like moliceiros, or having a free afternoon in Porto.

Also included are a boat trip on the River Douro, and two relaxed walking tours of Porto, taking in sights as diverse as the bookshop that inspired JK Rowling, a 1920s café and a railway station!

We have private coach transfers between Colchester and Stansted Airport, with an executive coach for our Porto airport transfers and for the rest of our stay in Porto.

Our direct flights between Stansted and Porto include 20kg of hold luggage.

Medieval Rood Screens of Norfolk Monday 6 April 2020
Cost £55 
Includes coach and private guided tours of St Helen’s Church, Ranworth,
St Michael and All Angels Church, Barton Turf and St Agnes’ Church, Cawston
A lunch of filled rolls, homemade cake and fruit, plus tea or coffee, is included

 
This unique, bespoke tour is led by Dr Lucy Wrapson, Senior Conservator and Deputy Director of the Hamilton Kerr Institute (part of Cambridge University).  Fans of the BBC’s “Fake or Fortune?”  programme will know the Institute through its expert technical analysis of paintings presented for authentication.  We approached the Institute after reading of Lucy’s pivotal work, leading the “East Anglian Rood Screen Project”. As Lucy herself says –
 
“Despite a generally held perception that all pre-Reformation art was indiscriminately destroyed, East Anglia has Europe-wide preeminence in the quality and quantity of its surviving fourteenth- to sixteenth-century painted wooden church screens. This mainly takes the form of rood-screens sited between the nave and chancel.”
Our tour starts in Ranworth, before moving on to Barton Turf (where we will have lunch after exploring the church) and finally visiting Cawston. Visits to each church will last approximately an hour, with Lucy tracing the history of the screens, their donors and the particular importance of each screen and their conservation requirements.

Image “Copyright © 2019 Barton Turf PCC”

Cost £35 (National Trust members) or £45 (non-NT members)

Includes coach and private guided tours of Theatre Royal and St Edmundsbury Cathedral

Refreshments and lunch are not included

Our first day visit of 2020 takes us to Bury St Edmunds, where we visit two of the area’s most historic buildings.

We begin at the 200-year-old Theatre Royal. Originally built in 1819, it was designed by the architect William Wilkins – who also planned The National Gallery and University College London. A Grade 1 listed building, it was restored to its Regency design in 2007 and is the only theatre in the National Trust portfolio. It is the last working Regency playhouse in the country. With many of its original features still intact, it is one of the most beautiful, intimate and historic theatres in the world. During our private tours we will discover why the Theatre Royal is one of the most significant theatre buildings in the country and our visit is sure to provide a fascinating and lively insight to the theatre’s history.

After ample time for lunch (not included) we re-assemble at the nearby St Edmundsbury Cathedral. Originally founded by King Canute in 1020 as a Benedictine abbey, the building celebrates its 1000th anniversary in 2020. It has evolved over the intervening centuries into the structure we see today. A new chancel, designed by Sir Gilbert Scott, was added between 1860 - 70 and in 1914 the then St James’ Parish Church became a cathedral with the creation of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. More recently the Millennium Project has seen the completion of the building with the addition of a tower, new cloisters and chapels. Our private tours will allow us to discover the past, present and future of this spectacular and historic East Anglian icon.

Please note there are two alternative dates for this visit:

 Monday 2 and Wednesday 11 September 2019

Cost £40, which includes hosting by an Officer of The College of Arms, guided tour, gratuities and buffet supper with wine. 

N.B. No transport to or from The College of Arms is included in the price.

This exceptional visit is one where members will find their own way to and from the London venue, thus reducing costs for all involved, and allowing members flexibility in what they wish to do prior to, and after, the visit. We are strictly limited to 20 people visiting The College at any one time, and for this reason we have procured two dates for members to choose to attend.

The College of Arms was founded by a Royal Charter granted by Richard III in 1484 and has since then created and maintained official registers of coats of arms and pedigrees. The heralds who make up the College are members of the Royal Household and act under Crown Authority. Central activities include: the granting of new coats of arms; the registration of family trees; genealogical and heraldic research; advising central and local government, corporate bodies and private individuals on all aspects of heraldry. The College is also the authority for matters relating to the flying of flags, and holds the only official registers of flags for the UK and much of the Commonwealth. At the core of the College of Arms is a vast manuscript archive of heraldic and genealogical material which has been gathered and preserved over the centuries.

On each visit we will be met by one of the Officers of Arms, who will then speak about the history of heraldry and the rôle of the Heralds, and how they run their practices. After this we spend about an hour in the Record Room where we will be shown a selection of Records dating back to 1484. We then have a chance to relax with a glass of wine as the Officer talks about the architecture of the building. Our buffet supper is next, and we depart the College of Arms at approx. 9:45 p.m.

The current building was erected in the 1670s, to replace the original building (built in 1555) which was destroyed in The Great Fire of London in 1666. For this reason facilities are not fully accessible for those with limited mobility (toilets on third floor, stair access only). We will also be venturing from room to room, across the various floors of the building, and opportunities to sit down will be limited during the tour.

 Due to limitations on numbers, we can only accommodate 20 members on each evening.

Please note that once a place on a tour is confirmed, no refunds will be available in this instance.

Cost £45 includes coach, guided tour of the Temple and Haveli, entrance to the permanent exhibition, full Indian vegetarian buffet lunch and a visit to the surrounding award-winning gardens.   Completed in 1995 the Temple, also known as BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, is a masterpiece of traditional Hindu design and exquisite workmanship. 5,000 tonnes of marble and limestone were shipped to Gujarat, where the carving was completed by 1,500 craftsmen. Over 26,300 individually numbered stone pieces were shipped back to London, and the building was assembled like a giant three-dimensional jigsaw. Built entirely using traditional methods and materials, the Mandir has been described as being Britain's first authentic Hindu temple.  

Adjoining the Mandir is BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Haveli, a multi-function cultural centre. Whereas the Mandir is carved from stone, the Haveli uses wood. English oak and Burmese teak have been fashioned into panels, arches and screens.  Carved by more than 150 craftsmen from all over India, it took three years to carve the 17,000 square feet of wood into a cornucopia of geometric patterns, stylised animal heads and flower garlands. 

The garden has been awarded many prizes, and also featured prominently on Monty Don’s BBC Gardeners’ World in 2018. It takes the form of two distinct styles. At the front and sides of the Mandir lies a parterre garden, featuring five lotus-shaped beds framed in light green box hedges and filled with a variety of colourful tulips and roses. Also surrounding the Mandir is a small moat featuring foam jets incessantly splashing into the granite pools. Towards the back of the Mandir lies what is termed a formal garden. It creates three interconnecting star-shaped walkways, representing the sun, the earth, and the moon. At the centre of the sun-star lies an ornamental lotus pond with a small fountain, while beeches, begonias, and azaleas surround the other areas.

On the lower floor beneath the Mandir is the permanent exhibition 'Understanding Hinduism'. Through 3-D dioramas, paintings, tableaux and traditional craftwork, it provides an insight into the history and values of Hinduism.

Please note that a strict dress code operates within the complex. Specifically, tops must cover the shoulders, chest, navel, and upper arms. Leg-wear must be at least below knee-length.

Cost £50: including coach, refreshments on arrival, entry to Gibberd Gallery, accompanied tour of Harlow ‘Sculpture Town’ and Water Garden, buffet lunch, visit of house and free time to tour Gibberd Garden. 

 We are following up our October 2018 lecture by Mary Yule, Sculpture and the Landscape, with this visit to one of the towns she featured in her talk. Sir Frederick Gibberd prepared the master plan for Harlow New Town in 1946, and a year later was appointed its Consultant Architectural Planner. In 1957 he bought the Marsh Lane property on the edge of Harlow and from then on, until his death in 1984, he created his highly acclaimed garden. The Gibberd Garden Trust has since realised Sir Frederick’s wish that his house and garden should be open to the public for education and recreation.

On arrival at the Gibberd Gallery we have time for refreshments (included) before a tour of the gallery, which houses watercolours by Piper, Bawden and Nash. We then head off on a walking tour of the Water Gardens. Built between 1958 and 1963, they are designed as a series of three parallel terraces, into which are set two canals, each 250 yards long, with multiple pools, fountains and ponds on all the terrace levels. Rejoining our coach we depart on our guided Sculpture Tour of Harlow, including works by Moore and Rodin. At the end of 2010 Harlow became the world’s first ‘Sculpture Town’. The sculptures are sited throughout the town. Henry Moore's Family Group looks out from the foyer of the Civic Centre onto the Water Gardens where Elisabeth Frink's Boar stands. The tour is followed by a buffet lunch (included) at Sir Frederick's home. In the afternoon we have a tour of the house  and free time to explore the intriguing garden and the eclectic collection of objects contained within it. 

Due to limitations on numbers for the guided tours, we can only accommodate 30 people on this trip.

Cost £42: including coach, entrance fees to Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery, guided tour of Manor and exhibition entrance. Refreshments and lunch are not included.

From 1800 to 1804 Sir John Soane, one of Britain’s most influential architects, designed and built Pitzhanger Manor as his dream country retreat in what was then rural Ealing, now west London. The grounds surrounding the Manor were beautifully landscaped in 1800, and became Walpole Park in 1901. In 2013 its historic features and landscapes were restored to how they had been in Soane’s time. The Manor itself stands as a testament to Soane’s creative genius. Newly conserved and returned to Soane’s original design for the first time in over 175 years, following a £12m renovation programme, Pitzhanger is a rare example in London of a spectacular Soane building largely intact.

In 1939 Ealing’s public lending library was built on the site of Soane’s kitchen block. This has now been upgraded to create Pitzhanger Gallery, a beautiful display space flooded with natural light. In the first exhibition to be held here, Anish Kapoorwill present a series of sculptures that echo Soane’s complex use of mirrors and light to double and dissolve space. Kapoor (born1954 in Mumbai) has lived and worked in London since the early 1970s.  His large-scale commissions include Marsyas (2002), for the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern, Cloud Gate (2004) in Chicago’s Millennium Park, Leviathan at the Grand Palais, as part of Monumenta (2011) and Orbit (2012) at the Queen Elizabeth Park London.

Due to limitations on numbers for the guided tours, we can only accommodate 30 people on this trip.

Pitzhanger Manor, 2018. Photo © Andy Stagg.

A five-night, six-day visit to Cornwall, focussing on the art, gardens and historic houses.

Cost: from £695 per person (single supplement £130, £70 supplement for Courtyard or Garden View rooms – limited availability. See below for more details) plus entrance fees if non-NT/ HHA member), and cost of meals. Two dinners with wine are included in the price.

Based in the 4* Alverton Hotel in central Truro, the trip will include a special morning lecture by Catherine Wallace, an Arts Society lecturer. On the way to Cornwall there will be a visit to Forde Abbey in Somerset, an elegant former Cistercian convent, home to the Mortlake Tapestries, with 30 acres of award-winning gardens, before proceeding to the hotel. A three-course evening meal with win or soft drinks is included that evening.  The second day includes tours of Tate St Ives, the 2018 Art Fund Museum of the Year, and the Barbara Hepworth Museum, and a guided tour of St Michael’s Mount, whilst on the third day there are visits to two historic houses, both with extraordinary gardens. Trerice is a delightful Elizabethan manor house, while Trewithen House has been in the same family for 300 years, and has a breeding colony of red squirrels as well as an International Camellia Garden of Excellence.

The focus of the fourth day is Cornish Art, with a lecture by Catherine Wallace as well as a visit to Falmouth Art Gallery, and in the afternoon there is a guided tour of Penlee House in Penzance, showcasing works of the Newlyn School including Sir Alfred Munnings, Laura Knight and Harold Knight. Our last day in Cornwall is spent first at Caerhays Castle & Garden, one of the few Nash-built castles still left standing, followed by a guided tour of the world famous Lost Gardens of Heligan, and later a farewell 3-course dinner at the hotel with wine or soft drinks.

On the way home there is a visit to Wilton House near Salisbury, home of the Earl of Pembroke, with its magnificent Palladian south front and state rooms.

The pick-up and drop-off point is Bullbanks Farm, Halstead Road, Aldham CO6 3PT (cars left at owners’ risk).  Members of the National Trust and Historic Houses Association should carry their membership cards and indicate their membership on the booking form. It is anticipated that entrance fees to all visited sites for non-members will total in the region of £115 per person, subject to negotiation of group rates. 

Cost - £55.00 per person, which includes coach travel, morning coffee & biscuits on arrival at Syon House, entrance fees to both properties, lunch & private house tour at Syon House. 

In the morning we visit Syon House & Gardens, the London home of the Dukes of Northumberland. Originally built in the 1540s, the house was extensively remodelled in the mid 18th century, when Hugh Percy, the 1st Duke of Northumberland, commissioned Robert Adam and Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown to redesign the house and estate. The house includes a great hall, whose design was based on a Roman basilica, and a bedroom used by Queen Victoria. The Gardens border the Thames, looking across the river to Kew Gardens. They contain more than 200 species of rare trees. The park, with the house in the background, was painted from across the Thames by Turner in the painting ‘Zion House, Isleworth’. Our lunch is served in the refectory, adjacent to the Great Conservatory. Designed by Charles Fowler in the 1820s, this was the first conservatory to be built from metal and glass on a grand scale.

Leaving London, we travel to Dorney Court, one of England’s finest Tudor manor houses. Little changed in 600 years, the house remains in the possession of the Palmer family, thirteen generations of whom who have lived there since 1624. On first appearances the building appears to be entirely medieval, but some of the exterior is a Victorian reconstruction. Remodelling of the house was undertaken at the end of the 19th century and original bricks were restored to the front facade of the house. The oldest part of the house is the panelled parlour, which contains some very fine examples of antique furniture. The great hall has numerous family portraits and contains linenfold panelling brought from Faversham Abbey. Amongst the house’s claims to fame, along with being a location in TV programmes such as ‘Midsomer Murders’, ‘Poirot’ & ‘Pride & Prejudice’, is that the very first pineapple to be grown in England was produced at the estate, and was presented to Charles II in 1661!

This visit is now waiting list only

Restoration House is a unique survival of an ancient city mansion deriving its name from the stay of Charles II on the eve of the Restoration. A private gem. Beautiful interiors with exceptional early paintwork related to the visit of Charles II. The House also inspired Charles Dickens to situate ‘Miss Haversham’ here. It houses fine English furniture and an excellent collection of English portraits, including examples by Lely, Kneller, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Dahl, Mytens and the earliest Gainsborough landscapes. You can also spend time in the charming interlinked walled gardens. There will also be free time to explore Rochester before the guided tour of the Cathedral.

Rochester Cathedral is England’s second oldest, having been founded in AD 604 by Bishop Justus. The present building dates back to the work of the French monk, Gundulf, in 1080. The glorious Norman architecture of the nave, parts of the crypt, as well as one of the finest Romanesque facades in England make this an inspirational place to visit.  A fresco painted by Sergei Fyodorov, the Russian iconographer, can be seen in the north nave transept.

Cost £39 including coach, gratuities, refreshments on arrival, Private Guided Tour of Restoration House and a 40-page guide book. Price also includes a guided tour of Rochester Cathedral. Lunch is not included in the cost of visit.

This visit is now fully booked

In the morning we visit The Fry Art Gallery, originally built in 1856 by the Quaker banker, Francis Gibson, to house his art collection. It is now held in trust and is devoted to the works of artists, past and present, who have lived and worked in NW Essex, particularly The Great Bardfield Artists. In 2018 The Fry will unusually be dedicating its entire exhibition space to one important artist, namely Edward Bawden CBE RA, who was educated at the Friends' School in Saffron Walden and spent his last 19 years living in the town.  There will also be free time to explore the delightful medieval town of Saffron Walden, visiting some of its other attractions (Bridge End Gardens, Museum, St. Mary’s Church).

At mid-day we continue on to Audley End where various lunch options are available in the Servants’ Hall Tea Room (not included). You could take a picnic to enjoy in the grounds or even pre-order a hamper from Audley End (see their website). The impressive House, which is now only about a third of the size of the vast mansion created in about 1605–14 by Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, retains much of its original character and contains fine Robert Adam and Jacobean revival interiors. A guided tour is not included but stewards are located in the principal rooms to answer any questions. The gardens and landscape, shaped by various owners to complement the House, reflect the many changes in English garden fashion. You can also visit the Stable Block, housing a museum on the landscaping and development of the Estate, the Service Wing and gift shop. Refreshments are available in The Servants’ Hall Tea Room.

Cost £37 including coach, morning coffee at The Fry Art Gallery, and entrance fee to Audley End House & Gardens. Admission to Audley End is free for English Heritage and Art Fund Members (please indicate on booking form if you are a member and remember to bring your membership card on the day), thereby reducing the cost of the visit for you to £24. 

PLEASE NOTE THIS TOUR IS GOING AHEAD AND THE BALANCE  IS DUE TO TRAVEL EDITIONS BY 3 MARCH 2018.

£1295.00 per person (based on two sharing a Standard double/twin room)
Supplements: £199.00 Single room supplement, £485.00 Single supplement based on Standard double room for sole use, £70.00 per person based on two sharing a Superior double/twin room.

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ITINERARY

Day 1: Depart Colchester by coach and transfer to London Heathrow for flight to Munich. Please note departure is now 12.40 from Heathrow. On arrival meet Tom Abbott and transfer to Schleissheim Palace. Free time for lunch at the Schlosswirtschaft (Palace restaurant). Guided tour of Schleissheim Palace and Lustheim Palace, before transfer to Hotel Torbräu. Welcome drink and 3-course dinner.

Day 2: Morning visit to the Alte Pinakothek followed by the Neue Pinakothek including guided tours. Free time for lunch. Afternoon visit to the Pinakothek der Moderne and the Glyptothek (optional) including guided tours. Evening at leisure.

Day 3: Morning visit to Linderhof Palace including guided tour. Free time for lunch in Oberammergau. Afternoon visit to Neuschwanstein Castle including guided tour, followed by a visit to the Wieskirche. Evening at leisure.

Day 4: Morning walking tour of Munich taking in the Frauenkirche, Michaelskirche, Asamkirche, the Synagogue and Viktualienmarkt. Free time for lunch, followed by afternoon visit to the Residenz Munich, Treasury, and Cuvilliés Theatre. Evening at leisure.

Day 5: Day excursion to Chiemsee including morning boat ride from Prien/Stock to Herrenchiemsee. Visit King Ludwig II Museum in Herrenchiemsee Palace. Free time for lunch followed by afternoon boat ride to the island of Frauenchiemsee. Return boat trip from Frauenchiemsee to Prien/Stock. Return to hotel and 3-course dinner included.

Day 6: Check out of hotel. Morning visit to Lenbachhaus including guided tour. Free time for lunch followed by guided tour of Nymphenburg Palace and its Pavilions. Transfer to Munich Airport for flight back to the UK. On arrival coach transfer back to Colchester.

Hotel: 4* Hotel Torbräu, Munich – family-run hotel situated at the gateway of the old town. Full details: https://www.torbraeu.de/

Included: Coach transfers to/from London Heathrow airport, return economy flights with British Airways, 5 nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation, dinner at hotel on Days 1 & 5, full touring itinerary as specified with entrances fees and guided tours as detailed, accompanied by Thomas Abbott, gratuities for Thomas Abbott, porterage.

Not included: Holiday insurance: £39 per person if aged under 70 or £69 per person if aged over 70, Single Supplements and Superior room supplements as specified, meals other than in the hotel as indicated, gratuities not specified, personal expenses e.g. meals (other than those indicated), drinks, laundry, telephone calls, etc. 

Image (c) theculturetrip.com

In the morning we visit Christchurch Mansion on the edge of Ipswich town centre, a Grade I listed Tudor brick building housing a collection of pottery, glass and paintings. We will have a guided tour of the house, where the rooms are preserved as past inhabitants would have known them, complete with original items of fine clothing. We will also visit the Wolsey Art Gallery located within the mansion, which is the home of the largest collections of paintings by John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough outside London. The house sits within a 70-acre public park which features many beautiful trees, rolling lawns and ponds. After our visit the coach will drop us off at Ipswich Waterfront, where there are a variety of cafes and restaurants for lunch (not included). Please note that there is no lift in the mansion, so anyone with mobility problems is confined to the ground floor.  However, there is disabled access to the Wolsey Art Gallery.

We will then continue on to Crowe Hall, Stutton, to visit the semi-formal gardens where there has been a notable use of trees. The owner will give us a guided tour of the formal garden and there will also be an opportunity to wander through the Woodland Garden and Arboretum. One of the contributors to part of the garden was designer Tom Stuart-Smith, winner of eight gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show as well as three Best in Show awards. His approach to garden design will be referred to during our July lecture by James Bolton. Another section of the garden was created by Lady Xa Tollemache, who has been designing gardens since 1996, including her own garden at Helminghall Hall in Suffolk.

Cost £34 including coach, entrance fees, morning coffee at Christchurch Mansion, and afternoon tea at Crowe Hall, Stutton. 

Holkham Hall is set in 3,000 acres of deer park. It is an 18th century Palladian style mansion based on designs by William Kent and was built by Thomas Coke, 1st Lord Leicester. It reflects Thomas Coke's natural appreciation of classical art developed during his Grand Tour. Built from local yellow brick with its pedimented portico, square corner towers and side wings it has been little altered over the years.

Inside the house can be seen an imposing 50ft pressed plaster dome ceiling and walls of English alabaster. The magnificent state rooms with superb collections of ancient statuary, original furniture, tapestries and paintings by Rubens, Van Dyke, Claude, Gasper, Poussin and Gainsborough can be seen.

In the adjacent courtyard there is a gift shop and cafe. The Bygones Museum occupies the historical stable block, displaying over 4,000 items, ranging from toys, steam engines, vintage cars and kitchenware. There are also the impressive glass houses and 6.5-acre walled gardens originally laid out by Samuel Wyatt in the late 1700s.

The cost of £46.50 includes coach travel, refreshments on arrival and a Private Guided Tour of the house. The Hall is not open to the public on Tuesdays. The price also includes entrance to all other facilities. Lunch is not included in the cost of the visit. Departure from Marks Tey Hotel is at 8.15 am promptly, returning to Colchester by 6.30 pm.

Image © Holkham Estate

DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL THIS VISIT HAS HAD TO BE CANCELLED. PLEASE CONTACT OUR VISITS TEAM FOR MORE INFORMATION.

In the morning we visit The Fry Art Gallery, originally built in 1856 by the Quaker banker, Francis Gibson, to house his art collection. It is now held in trust and is devoted to the works of artists, past and present, who have lived and worked in NW Essex, particularly The Great Bardfield Artists, but also including Grayson Perry. This year’s special exhibition features works by Michael Rothenstein RA, after The Fry Art Gallery recently became the holder of the largest collection of his work. There will also be free time to explore the delightful medieval town of Saffron Walden, visiting some of its other attractions (Bridge End Gardens, Museum, St. Mary’s Church).

At mid-day we continue on to Audley End where various lunch options are available in the Servants’ Hall Tea Room (not included). You could take a picnic to enjoy in the grounds or even pre-order a hamper from Audley End (see their website). The impressive House, which is now only about a third of the size of the vast mansion created in about 1605–14 by Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, retains much of its original character and contains fine Robert Adam and Jacobean revival interiors. A guided tour is not included but stewards are located in the principal rooms to answer any questions. The gardens and landscape, shaped by various owners to complement the House, reflect the many changes in English garden fashion. You can also visit the Stable Block, housing a museum on the landscaping and development of the Estate, the Service Wing and gift shop. Refreshments are available in The Servants’ Hall Tea Room.

Cost £37 including coach, morning coffee at The Fry Art Gallery, and entrance fee to Audley End House & Gardens. Admission to Audley End is free for English Heritage and Art Fund Members (please indicate on booking form and remember to bring your membership cards on the day), thereby reducing the cost of the visit for you to £24. The booking form is available here.

A 5 nights/6 days tour of Birmingham and the Heart of England from 14 - 19 May 2017.

THIS TRIP IS NOW FULLY BOOKED. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE PUT ON THE WAITING LIST FOR ANY CANCELLATIONS PLEASE CONTACT CAROL PEARSON OR MARY WHITELEY.

 The cost is £649 per person (single supplement £65). 

This trip will include visits to Compton Verney, a restored Grade I listed 18th century mansion with its 'Capability' Brown grounds; Arbury Hall, the home of the Newdegate family since the 16th century; a guided tour of Coventry Cathedral, which is regarded as the UK’s favourite 20th century building; Stoneleigh Abbey, which was converted at the Dissolution into a comfortable family home from its humble beginnings as a Cistercian monastic house; Aston Hall, a Grade I listed Jacobean house; Ragley Hall, one of England’s earliest and finest Palladian mansions and home to a wonderful collection of art, porcelain and furniture; and Hanbury Hall, a Grade I listed Queen Anne style house built in the early 18th century. Birmingham will be visited on two days, to see Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, which is famous for its excellent collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings; the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, which tells the story of the Jewellery Quarter as it is today and Birmingham’s renowned jewellery and metalworking heritage; the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, which has one of the most outstanding collections of art assembled in Britain in the 20th century; and Soho House, a Grade II* listed 18th century house which was the home of entrepreneur Matthew Boulton and a regular meeting place of the Lunar Society of Birmingham. On the return journey to Colchester there will also be a visit to Charlecote Park, home of the Lucy family since the 15th century.

The 5-nights accommodation is at the Mercure Brandon Hotel & Spa outside Coventry, in beautiful countryside and surrounded by 17 acres of tranquil grounds.

Sandringham House, the Norfolk retreat of Her Majesty the Queen, is set in 60 acres of beautiful gardens. All the main ground floor rooms used by the Royal Family are open to the public and are full of their treasured ornaments, portraits and furniture. They are still maintained in the style of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. A short walk from the House is the church of St. Mary Magdalene where the Royal Family attend services. The present church dates back to the Tudor period. Highlights include the gilded woodwork and richly panelled walls as well as the much admired, glittering silver altar and reredos.

The day is free for you to enjoy all that Sandringham offers - House, gardens, church and museum. The visitor centre has a restaurant, coffee shop, gift shop and plant centre. If you prefer there is space to bring a picnic and take a stroll in the park. 

Cost £32.50 including coach and entrance fee to the House, gardens and museum. Lunch and morning coffee are not included in the cost of visit.  

Cost £32 Includes coach, with tea/coffee and guided tour. Lunch is not included in cost of visit.  

The Wallace Collection is a national museum displayed in Hertford House, a historic London town house. In 25 galleries are to be found unsurpassed displays of French 18th century painting, furniture and porcelain with superb Old Master paintings and a world class armoury. These were collected in the 18th century and 19th century  by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th Marquess It was bequeathed to the British nation by Sir Richard’s widow Lady Wallace in 1897.

After the visit the rest of the time is at leisure.

Illustration: Francois Boucher, 'Daphnis and Chloe', (c) The Wallace Collection

This tour is now waiting list only

An opportunity to visit Kent, 4 - 6 September 2016, with two nights accommodation in 4 Star Hotel and all meals included, from £349 per person (based on two sharing a twin or double room. Single supplement £46). Organised in association with Kings Coaches.   Please note the balance needs to be paid by 24 July, direct to Kings Coaches.

The itinerary includes a visit to Penshurst Place & Gardens, the historic home of the Sidney family; All Saints' Church, Tudeley, with its wonderful stained glass windows by Marc Chagall; a guided tour of Leeds Castle; a visit to Provender House, home of Princess Olga Romanoff; Belmont House & Gardens, with stunning views over the North Downs; and Godinton House, an ancient estate surrounded by magnificent parkland with a beautifully restored house and gardens.

Spaces will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

The price of the holiday includes all meals and snacks as described in the prospectus, all entrance fees and gratuities.
Additional snacks, beverages and personal expenses are not included.

Please note that all bookings must be received by Saturday 4 June 2016.

We have secured a private late-afternoon tour of Clarence House with an expert guide. 

Clarence House is the official London residence of The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry.  By the time of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s death in April 2002, more than 50 years had passed since the last major refurbishment of the house, and much work needed to be done. The refurbishment team worked with organisations such as the Forest Stewardship Council to specify and buy sustainable materials and timber from responsibly managed forests. The internal decoration was carried out under the direction of the interior designer, Robert Kime. Robert Kime introduced new colour schemes and furnishings, while maintaining the familiar atmosphere of a much-loved family house. The arrangement of the rooms and the grouping of their contents remain recognisably as they were in Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s time, with much of her collection of works of art and furniture in their former positions. 

The tour begins in the garden, where we can see the formal planting added in 2004-5 by The Prince of Wales in memory of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

In addition to the standard visit, our guided tour includes the Cornwall Room. The room is hung with 22 of The Prince of Wales’s watercolours painted between 1998 and 2006.

Because there are so many divergent things that members might wish to do (shop, visit the Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace or the Queen’s Gallery – not to mention London’s many other attractions) we shall make our own way to and from Clarence House.

Cost (including guide book and champagne, excluding travel)  £36

Cost £44 Includes coach and entrance fee to the house and gardens with tea/coffee and guided tour.

The Manor of Hampton Court was acquired in 1236 by the Knights Hospitallers of St. John. They were followed by Giles Daubeney, who leased and modernised the medieval manor of Hampton. Henry Vlll is most associated with this majestic palace, which he extended and developed in grand style after acquiring it from Cardinal Wolsey in 1528. The Tudor buildings are among the most important in existence. The elegance and romance of the palace owes much to the Baroque buildings commissioned by William and Mary at the end of the 17thcentury. Inside, Grinling Gibbons carved elegant fireplaces and Verrio painted triumphant and colourful ceilings. The gardens were dug up and re-landscaped at this time.

1737 marked the final year in which the Royal family used the entire palace and from 1760 it was divided up into “grace and favour” apartments. Victoria, in 1838, ordered that Hampton Court be thrown open to all her subjects. During this period, a great deal of restoration was carried out; the last major works were completed in 1995.

There are 60 acres of beautiful gardens that run down to the river Thames. These include the rose garden, the privy garden and the great vine planted in 1786 by “Capability” Brown.

The society has secured a rare visit to Helmingham Hall.  The garden is well known and much visited; entry to the house is only occasionally granted and is limited to 25 people on any one occasion. As there have already been strong indications of interest the Committee has decided that the only equitable way of allocating tickets is to ballot in the event of oversubscription.   The final date for applications is April 22nd and this visit is for members only.  

Helmingham Hall was built as a moated courtyard house between 1480 and 1510 by the first of the Tollemache family to live there.  The two drawbridges are still raised every night and lowered every morning and the current Lord Tollemache is the 18th generation of his family to live at Helmingham.  The house was ‘Georgianised’ in around 1760 and benefitted from sympathetic restoration in the 1840s and 1950s.

Cost £26 including lunch.

Travel arrangements: Because of the short distance and small numbers we shall be driving.  Full details are on the application form.

UPDATE:  Waiting list only

The Colchester DFAS 5-night tour 18-23 May 2016 will give members the opportunity to experience the many cultural attractions in Madrid, with its narrow atmospheric streets flanked with medieval buildings with beautiful architecture, together with world class art galleries, fascinating museums and fantastic restaurants.  The tour also includes visits to Toledo, El Escorial, Segovia and Avila, plus an optional 2-day extension to Salamanca. 

The tour costs £995 per person based on two sharing a twin room (single supplement £125), plus £275 per person based on two sharing a twin room (single supplement £55) for the additional visit to Salamanca.  

In 1535, Henry VIII ordered Thomas Cromwell to begin the Dissolution of the Monasteries.  Cromwell's Proctor or assistant, a young lawyer from Devon called William Petre, visited the monastic houses of Southern England to persuade them to surrender to the King.   In 1539, the lands of Barking Abbey having been surrendered to the Crown, Petre purchased the manor of Ynge-atte-Stone for its full market price of £849 12s 6d.

Ingatestone Hall stands in open countryside, one mile from Ingatestone, and retains its original Tudor form and appearance with its mullioned windows, high chimneys, crow-step gables and oak-panelled rooms.  It is surrounded by ten acres of enclosed gardens comprising extensive lawns, walled garden and stew pond. The Hall remains primarily a private family residence.

Braxted Park was built in 1680 on property acquired from the Countess of Pembroke by the Darcy family. During their ownership the property was enlarged and landscaped.  It was acquired by the Du Cane family in 1745 and improved to its present state by Peter De Cane (ll) in the first quarter of the 19th century.  The Plessey Company bought the estate in 1947 and its Chairman, Sir Alan George Clark, and his descendants have been its occupants to the present day and are responsible for the impeccable maintenance of this classic Queen Anne House.

Cost £42 (excludes cost of lunch, includes tea)  

Woburn Abbey has been the home of the Russell Family for nearly 400 years and is now occupied by the 15th Earl of Bedford and his family. It first opened its doors to the general public in 1955. Woburn has one of the world’s finest private collections of art with famous paintings by Cuyp, Gainsborough, Reynolds and Van Dyck. The Abbey houses the largest private collection in the world of Venetian views painted by Canaletto in one room.

The tour of the Abbey covers three floors, including the vaults with 18th century furniture, silver and gold collections, a wide range of porcelain and many items treasured by the Russell family throughout the centuries on display. Amongst the highlights are a selection of pieces of the Sèvres dinner service presented to the 4th Duke by King Louis XV.

There will be time to explore some of the 28 acres of gardens inspired by the designs of landscape gardener Humphrey Repton – the subject of our lecture on 2nd July. Booking opens at the May lecture.

This visit has been cancelled because our numbers were insufficient