NOW FULL - BOOKING CLOSED

Join us for a fascinating day exploring the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum in Bournemouth.  It is a historic house and art gallery on Bournemouth’s East Cliff, overlooking the sea. Completed in 1901, this dream house was given by Sir Merton Russell-Cotes to his wife Annie for her 66th birthday. Called East Cliff Hall, the house was an extraordinary, extravagant birthday present, and Annie and Merton filled their exotic seaside villa with beautiful objects from their travels across the world, and lined the walls with a remarkable collection of British art, creating a unique atmosphere in a most dramatic setting. 

We will have guided tours so we can enjoy visiting Annie and Merton’s house as if we had stepped back in time, without barriers and bars. As well as exploring this wonderful Victorian home, there are temporary exhibitions and an art gallery to explore.

Don’t miss this opportunity to discover one of Bournemouth's unique art venues.  Click here to Book

Date 14th May – depart Poundbury 09.15am    Top O Town  09.30am  .  Leave Bournemouth 4pm

Cost – £38 –  Includes coach fare and entrance, coffee/tea, tours, sandwich lunch, gratuities.

Cost - £30.50  if a member of HHA, Art Fund, Museum Assoc,. SW Federation of Museum & Art Galleries, Friends of RC

Please be aware of the following:-

There are lifts but unfortunately the upper floor of the Museum is only accessible by stairs. There will be available a video tour of the Upper Floor for those who feel they cannot access it.  Russell-Cotes have a number of folding stools that we will be able to use on the day.

We expect this to be a very special evening for our members – and one for which we were on the waiting list for three years because it is so popular!  On only ten Saturday evenings each year, the Purcell Club lead a musical tour of Westminster Abbey.

The plan  is to leave about 9/10 am and drive up to the National Gallery.  We will then spend a few hours at the Gallery on a free flow visit.  The coach will then collect us and take us  to Westminster Abbey where we will have supper at 5.15 pm at the Cellarium Restaurant before the concert.  The evening tour/concert begins at 6.45 pm and we will return to Dorchester afterwards - leaving London about 9.30pm.    It makes it a long day but you are not driving, and from other Arts Societies I have heard that it is a very special evening and one not to be missed.

The costs are

• £50 pp for the evening
• £25 (excl gratuity) for dinner.
• £38 (incl gratuity) return coach trip   £113 per person

 We will arrange pickups in Poundbury (free parking!), Top o Town and if requested Bere Regis. For a fuller description please click here and here

To register an interest for this visit please click here

As only 45 members can attend the concert, and because some people want to meet the group in London, I imagine there will be some spare coach seats.  If anyone just wants to take advantage of us going to London then I would be happy to sell you any spare capacity at £38 return.

5 nights - 4 days  £649 .  We are using Success Tours for this visit so please read the booking form carefully.  They do not provide insurance, it is your responsibility to get this if you want peace of mind.

Youthful, diverse, energetic and bursting with character, Manchester is a vibrant place to visit. Birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, the city has a proud heritage of science, politics, music, arts, and sport which combines with a progressive vision. Jam-packed with unique and eclectic museums, galleries, restaurants, bars, and shops. Our tour experiences a variety of the best that the city and Greater Manchester has to offer. 

Click here to read more about the tour 

CLICK HERE for the booking form     remember this gets sent to Susie Pearson - details on the form

This visit is full but if you want to be added to a waiting list please email:

dorsetcountyvisits@gmail.com

Members Visit to Melbury House, Evershot

by kind permission of Hon Mrs Charlotte Townshend

on Thursday 12th June 2025 at 10 am

This is a self-drive visit (about 18 miles).

£15 per person

This is a repeat of the visit we did last year as so many more people wanted to come.  This is a visit for members of the Arts Society Dorset County

Melbury House, a Grade I listed mansion, is the home of the Hon Mrs Charlotte Townshend through her mother Theresa Fox-Strangways (Viscountess Galway). The house is in Melbury Sampford near Evershot, Dorset, it  has been the seat of the Strangways family of Dorset since the estate was sold in 1500 by William Bruning to Henry Strangways. The present house was rebuilt after 1546 by his son, Sir Giles Strangways (1528-1562). The hexagonal tower rises near the intersection of three ranges of buildings, with banks of tall arched windows of many leaded panes that offer views over the rolling parkland. Inside the elaborate 17th century fireplace was preserved, as were several spectacular painted ceilings.  There are many noteworthy paintings, including family portraits.

We will divide into two groups of up to 20 people, one will be taken on a tour of the house, whilst the other will explore the Grade II listed garden and the notable church. If possible, Mrs Charlotte Townshend will take us on the tour of the house or arrange for another to do so. 

There will be tea or coffee and biscuits.

 If you are interested in having lunch at The Acorn Pub in Evershot after the tour, please tick the box on the booking form.  We will know the menu and price in May.  We will also try to help with car-sharing.

To book by cheque or cash please click for the booking form

If paying by BACS please click on the booking form for details and send us an email with the REF: MELBURY 

Image: own image Melbury House 

Smedmore House,  Kimmeridge   13TH MAY 2025  2pm  £25 PP - MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS ONLY

£25 per person to include a  tour of the house and gardens, tea and cake.  NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Smedmore House is one of Dorset’s finest Georgian manor houses, and has been in the same family for 600 years.  It is situated on the Jurassic coast, surrounded by extensive gardens and spectacular views of the sea and rolling hills. The charm of the house lies in its age and character. It’s a very mellow and comfortable country house, moulded by many generations of the same family.

There are panelled rooms, a beautiful staircase and an elegant drawing room with views to the sea. The dining room has 18th-century plaster work and is decorated with over 100 blue Furstenburg plates. The furniture and portraits have been handed down through the generations and all add to the friendly, warm atmosphere of this beautiful manor house.

The house is near Kimmeridge Bay which is about 25 miles from Dorchester and takes about 45 minutes.

We will divide into two groups of up to 20 people, one will be taken on a tour of the house, whilst the other will explore the garden.  Dr Philip Mansel, the owner of the house , and who is an author, historian and expert in the Ottoman era and the French royalty, will lead the tour.  There will be tea or coffee and cake.

If you are interested in having lunch at The Clavell Restaurant BEFORE the tour, please tick the box on the booking form or let us know when booking.  We will know the menu and price nearer the time.

To make a day of it you may also want to visit the Etches Museum in the morning.

 Click here for more information about the house

Click here for booking form

7th October 2024 we have planned a 4 night, 5 day visit to Dublin.

Dublin is a beautiful city with a wealth of superb art galleries and historic buildings,  Trinity College and the Book of Kells.

CLICK HERE for more information on the itinerary and to download a booking form or email Susie Pearson and I will send you a Brochure.

Dublin is a very popular destination so to make sure you get your place please fill in your form and return to Susie as soon as possible.  We only have an allocation of so many double/single rooms.  Your deposit will not be forwarded to Tailored Travel before February/March next year 

At long last here is the trip to Madrid we hve been promising you! It is a 4 night 5 day stay and we have added some extra dinners to the trip as it worked so well in Norfolk.  More information to follow

Please CLICK HERE for more information or send Sue an email and she can send you the brochure

THIS TRIP IS NOW FULL

Coach departing Poundbury 08.45 to go to Longford Castle and then on to Salisbury.  This is a very special visit to Longford Castle - the tours are run by the National Gallery .

Longford Castle, near Salisbury, has been the residence of one family for almost 300 years. The Huguenot, Laurens Des Bouverie, having fled from religious persecution during the Reformation, settled in London and became a prosperous silk merchant. His enterprising descendants became wealthy landowners in England. The family was ennobled in 1747 with Sir Jacob Des Bouverie becoming First Viscount Folkestone while his son, William, was created an Earl in 1765. Longford has continued to be home to the Earls of Radnor ever since.

The castle - Longford was originally built in the late 16th century to an unusual triangular plan. Then, in the 18th century, the second Earl of Radnor, employed the architect James Wyatt to transform it into a hexagonal palace. Abandoned part way through this project, it was left to the fourth Earl of Radnor and Victorian architect Anthony Salvin to complete Longford.

The collection - The Longford Castle collection, formed by successive generations of the family, is one of the finest in the United Kingdom. It includes paintings by van Dyck, Claude, Teniers and Hals, together with British pictures by Reynolds and Gainsborough, as well as oriental porcelain, Brussels tapestries, and exceptional 18th century English and continental furniture. For more information.https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/about-longford-castle.

The group will be divided into 2 so one group will do the gardens first and then we will swop.  I would suggest you bring a thermos of coffee or something to drink as there are no refreshment facilities at the Castle as it is a private home.  There are toilet facilities.

Afterwards we will travel on to Salisbury where you have free time to have lunch.  After lunch we have arranged for a guided tour around the Cathedral with a guide for 15/30 people or for 10 people there is a special Works Yard Tour.  If you want to go off for the afternoon on your own and maybe visit Mompesson House or Arundells they are all very close to the Cathedral.

Costings are:

1.     Longford Castle and Salisbury Cathedral Tour  £49.00 per person

2.     Longford Castle and Stonemasonary Works Yard Tour at Salisbury Cathedral (10 people only)  £57.00 per person **

3.     Longford Castle and Salisbury without tour (i.e. free time in Salisbury)  £42.00 per person

Please send an email to dorsetcountyvisits@gmail.com if you are interested in joining this visit.  This visit is full at this time but there is a waiting list if you want to be added.

**  Take a backstage tour with an expert guide around our Works Yard, one of only nine English Cathedral works yards in the country. Learn how 150 million-year-old blocks of upper Jurassic Limestone weighing up to 5 tonnes are transformed and shaped to conserve and restore this remarkable building. Visit the Drawing Office where conservation is planned and templates for replacement stones are drawn up by our masons.

Wynford Eagle:  THE 10.30AM VISIT IS FULL BUT  DUE TO HIGH DEMAND WE HAVE KINDLY BEEN OFFERED A FURTHER VISIT AT 2.30PM ON THE SAME DAY - please use email to register interest in this visit.

We have been invited for a visit to Wynford Eagle by Lord and Lady Wynford. This hamlet is mentioned in the Doomsday Book and has a fascinating history. The Manor was home to the Sydenham family in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and later acquired by Sir William Draper Best who was elevated to the peerage in 1829. The Manor and estate have remained in the Wynford family ever since. We will be able to visit the church and the house where we will be given a brief history and the chance to look at some of the rooms which contain original features and a wonderful collection of early English oak furniture, some fine paintings and Spode china.

This is a quote from Ben Pentreath who is well-known in this area:  " Possibly my dream Dorset house.... Wynford Eagle Manor "

This will be a self-drive visit as it is not far from Dorchester.  We will have coffee on our arrival and there is parking close to the Manor.

The cost will be £ 10 some of it will go to the up-keep of the Church. The visit is for 20 and will start at 10.30. We recommend Beaminster or Cattistock for lunch!  More details when you book.  Please email:  dorsetcountyvisits@gmail.com to book a place.

If you don't have a car please do let us know as I am sure there will be some members who will be willing to car share.

We had an amazing afternoon with Katharine Butler.

The Butler Collection is recognised to be the finest collection of 17th century Chinese porcelain in the world. It was put together by the British Diplomat, Sir Michael Butler, G.C.M.G. (1927–2013). The collection started with the acquisition, in 1961, of a greenglazed, bamboo–shaped winepot for a couple of pounds, but gradually grew in size and repute until it was over 850 pieces, and had travelled around the world in many solo exhibitions.  It is an important study collection unrivalled in its breadth and rarity. The sheer number of pieces illustrates the extraordinary variety and innovations of this unique period when potters and painters experimented with new shapes, decorations, narrative scenes and glazes.

Unfortunately following his death in 2013 and a court ruling in 2016, 250 pieces were removed from the museum and it was closed for 5 years. Katharine and Charles Butler have moved the porcelain from Sir Michael’s house and have been gradually buying pieces from the market as well as pieces from their siblings’ collection and in November 2022, reopened the museum with around 650 pieces on display. Katharine spent the Covid years, together with art historian, Dr Teresa Canepa, writing a book on the history of 17th century Chinese porcelain as exemplified in the pieces from the Butler Collection, called Leaping the Dragon Gate, the Sir Michael Butler Collection of Chinese Porcelain.

Housed in the museum, the collection makes a truly a spectacular display and visiting groups have been astonished by the beauty of the porcelain and its setting.

9 - 13th September 2022  £714.00 per person (Half-board)

This is a 4 night 5 day visit to Norfolk.

We leave Dorchester early and stop at Ely. We will have a guided tour of Ely Cathedral -"The Ship of the Fens" and then travel on to Norwich.  We are going to stay at The George Hotel, Norwich on a half board basis. Places that we plan to visit, accompanied by a Blue Badge guide, are Norwich Cathedral, the Sainsbury Centre, Sandringham Estate and Gardens, Houghton Hall and Gardens, Bickling Hall and Layer Marney Tower.  We are going to have guided tours at most of the places we visit  and we have asked for headsets to make it easy for everyone to hear. We have also arranged a trip, with cream tea, on the heritage "Poppy Line" - we can view the beautiful countryside of Norfolk from the comfort of our steam train!

Fuller details and booking forms CLICK HERE or email Sue Walker

Picture:  Own picture of central octagonal tower of Ely Cathedral

Annette Ratuszniak, former curator of the Elisabeth Frink estate, will guide this tour around the new Frink displays at Dorset Museum. This will include artworks shown in the Museum’s new Artists’ Dorset gallery as well as in other areas such as the Museum Library.  We will discover more about the works on display and Frink’s work process, as well as the transfer of the collection to the Museum in 2020, following the death of Frink’s son Lin Jammet, a process which was overseen by Annette.

Limited numbers but if popular the Museum will be holding further tours led by members of the Museum Curating staff and we will let you know when they are available.

10.30   Meet in the Community Space inside the Museum for coffee before the tour starts.  Afterwards depending on weather we could walk to the Frink Martyrs Sculptures in South Walks or we could stop for lunch in the cafe! 

Click here to book tickets via TicketSource

Click here if you want to send an email  to pay by cheque or cash

or ring Sue :01305 751815

Price   £10.00  (if you are a member or a Volunteer of the Museum)

Price   £20.00  (to include day entry to the Museum)

Photo copyright of Dorset Museum

This is a self-drive tour - please share where possible.

We are going to visit The Church of Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs, and St Ignatius and the pilgrimage shrine of the Chideock Martyrs.  360 men and women are known to have died in England for their Catholic Faith between 1535 and 1681. Of these, eight are associated with Chideock. Seven were put to death and are known as the Chideock Martyrs. The eighth, John Jessop, died in prison. 

The church is one of the gems of English Catholicism.  It was built by Charles Weld in the grounds of Chideock Manor and finished in 1872.  Weld designed the church in the Italian Romanesque style and did much of the work himself.  We will be given coffee and an introductory talk before we look round at our leisure.  Attached to the Church is a small museum which gives more information about Chideock and the Martyrs.  There are facilities at the Church.

Lunch: There are 2 good pubs close by The George at Chideock or the Anchor in Seatown (I suggest you book) or you can bring picnics.

After lunch we have arranged a special visit to the gardens of Chideock Manor by kind permission of Mrs Deirdre Coates the current owner of the Manor.  The gardens are spread over 12 acres and are divided into different garden areas - there is even a 100 year old Acer palmatium. The gardens are open at certain times of the year as part of the NGS scheme.  After our visit we will have tea and cake at the Manor before going home.

Click here to  book your ticket via TicketSource.  Price £22 per person.

Click here if you want to send an email  to pay by cheque or cash and/or need transport.

or ring Sue: 01305 751815

We will be giving a donation to the Church but if you wish to give extra or buy the little guide book I am sure they would be very pleased.

Click for more information on the Church

St Peter’s Basilica - 2000 years of Christianity in Rome Join professional Rome tourist guide Stuart Harvey for a journey through 2000 years of Christianity as we explore the art and history of the spectacular St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The origins take us back to the tradition that St Peter was crucified upside-down by the Emperor Nero and buried in the nearby necropolis. The original basilica built by Constantine was rebuilt in the 1500s to designs by Michelangelo, and decorated in the 1600s under the great baroque master Gianlorenzo Bernini, who also designed the sweeping colonnades of St Peter’s Square, where the Pope gives a weekly audience to the faithful. Among the many treasures inside St Peter’s we can admire the beauty of one of Michelangelo’s most famous sculptures, the Pièta, and Bernini’s magnificent bronze baldachin towering over the high altar, as well as the tombs and shrines of Popes and saints in this most sacred place.

Stuart has worked in educational tourism for almost 30 years, and is a London Blue Badge Tourist Guide, a qualified Rome Tourist Guide and now also an accredited Arts Society Guide. Using video and photos to showcase Rome, his relaxed style of communication will give you an entertaining tour that is easy on the ear, but also informative and historically accurate.

Please email Heather Leach to confirm payment - heather.leach@leachuk.co.uk

Cost per screen is £5, payable by BACS to KLDFAS (giving your surname, initial, and Code ‘PET 01’ as reference)

Sort Code:20-84-58 Acc number: 10553093 Any surplus accrued will be used to fund TASKL Young Arts Projects

The Colosseum is arguably the most famous ruin of Roman times, yet so much is misunderstood about its purpose and the games that took place there. Professional Rome tourist guide Stuart Harvey will reveal the true history of the Colosseum, or as it was originally named, the Flavian Amphitheatre, cutting away the urban myths and Hollywood fantasy to get at the reality of the games that entertained the Ancient Romans. We will discover the origins of gladiator fights, and how they changed to become such a popular entertainment for the masses, along with the spectacular animal hunts that were also staged in the amphitheatre. We will learn how the roman architects and engineers were able to build such a huge structure in just 8 years, and equally importantly the political reasons why it was built. Today only half the Colosseum remains and we will trace its decline after the fall of Rome to discover why half of it is missing, and finally bringing us to the surprising reason why it was finally preserved, and why the Pope himself uses it for a religious service once a year.

Please email Heather Leach to confirm payment - heather.leach@leachuk.co.uk

Cost per screen is £5, payable by BACS to KLDFAS (giving your surname, initial, and Code ‘COL 01’ as reference)

Sort Code:20-84-58 Acc number: 10553093

Any surplus accrued will be used to fund TASKL Young Arts Projects

THIS VISIT IS FULL BUT IF YOU WISH TO GO ON A WAITING LIST PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL.  dorsetcountyvisits@gmail.com

In these uncertain times we have not been able to offer any visits but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go to Devizes to see this exhibition.  We have a talk coming up next year on Eric Ravilious and it would be nice to have seen the exhibition beforehand.  Devizes is slightly too far to ask you all to drive so I have booked a large coach so that we can socially distance, but if anyone wants to come on the visit, but really doesn’t want to come on the coach, please let me know and I will let you know the cost.  We are limiting numbers for this visit to keep the group safe. The exhibition is not large so we will then go round in 2 smaller groups and while one group is being taking on a guided tour the remaining group can either explore the museum on their own or I have arranged a 1hr walking tour of historical Devizes, with John Girvan a local tour guide and blacksmith.

Eric Ravilious

An exhibition exploring for the first time, Eric Ravilious’s fascination for the chalk downlands of Wiltshire and Sussex.

From his student days until the last year of his life, Eric Ravilious returned again and again to the Downs, inspired particularly by the relationship between landscape and people.  Watercolours and wood engravings included in the exhibition show dew ponds and farmyards, a cement works and a field roller, modern military fortifications and ancient monuments.  Iconic watercolours such as The Westbury Horse and The Wilmington Giant, are displayed alongside other rarely-seen works.  The exhibition offers a new view of the artist as a chronicler of the landscape he knew better than any other.  

DEVIZES

Devizes has more than 500 listed buildings – a very large number for such a small town. It has a castle dating back from the 12c (now in private hands). The 18thc brought prosperity to the town which was known for its fine cloth because of this there are many fine buildings such as the Corn Exchange and many old churches. It was also a coaching stop for Mail coaches and stagecoaches on the road from London to Bristol hence the number of pubs that are still there today.

Devizes is a market town with many independent shops, cafes and restaurants and of course the Wadworth Brewery which can be visited, and ale tasted, (but no brewery tours I am sorry to say!).  If we have time, and the coach can get there, we will try and see the “flight of locks” – 29 in all which is just outside the town.

Please click on this link for further information and an application form :  CLICK HERE

SEPTEMBER 2021

LIVERPOOL

This is a 5-day tour, stopping 4 nights in the centre of this magnificent city, boasting UNESCO World Heritage status. The culture of Liverpool incorporates a wide range of activities within the city, and with the help of Blue Badge guides we will be exploring some of these. We will visit the two magnificent cathedrals, the Victoria Gallery and the Walker Art Gallery.  We will also visit Port Sunlight Village which was built by the Lever family for their workers and has over 900 listed and preserved buildings, wide streets and gardens. We shall go to Crosby Beach to see the artist Antony Gormley’s work ‘Another Place’ and then on to the Albert Docks and the Tate Gallery, home of the national collection of Modern Art in the north of England.  On the way home we will stop at the National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield.

Fuller details and booking form can be found by clicking HERE.  Please print and bring your completed application form to the next meeting, or send to the address on the booking form. Some spaces still available.

You can also click on this link www.tailored-travel.co.uk and quote docd211 in the yellow box at the top right of the page - view your tour.

NEW DATE FOR YOUR CALENDAR:  May 4th 5pm (UK time)  Free to members.  
Joint Zoom Visit to the Forum in Rome with members of the Pewsey Vale Arts Society.

Professional Rome tourist guide Stuart Harvey leads you via Zoom on a voyage of discovery through the ruins of the ancient Roman Forum, the social, political, commercial, legal and political heart of the old city and its empire. Learn about the temples, Roman arches and basilicas; visit the Senate House and see where Julius Caesar was cremated, and much much more along the way.

You are welcome to invite guests to join us for £5.00 which can now be booked through TICKET SOURCE on the HOME PAGE

For enquiries email dorsetcountyvisits@gmail.com
 

Virtual Royal Palace Tour: To Kill a King.  5pm Zoom Visit, free to members

The 30th of January is the anniversary of the execution of King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 outside the Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace. Join HRP Guide Lecturer, Siobhan Clarke, as we step inside this fascinating building. Through a range of visual images, we will explore its architecture, art, the magnificent Rubens ceiling and how Parliament dared to kill a king!

Siobhan Clarke BA (Hons) is not an Art Society lecturer but has worked for Historic Royal Palaces for 20 years, delivering tours and lectures on the palaces of Hampton Court, Tower of London, Kensington and the Banqueting House. She is an author and historian. Her latest book, ‘King and Collector: Henry VIII and the Art of Kingship’, will be published by The History Press in March 2021.

This zoom event is being brought to you by the Visits team and The Arts Society Sherborne.  We hope maybe the last virtual event from us before we can start going out to places again.

Guests are very welcome for a contribution of £5. 

FORM FOR DETAILS 

YOU WILL BE SENT A LINK A FEW DAYS BEFORE AND THEN THE DAY PRIOR TO THE LECTURE.

Our Society, in collaboration with TAS Kington Langley, have organised an hour’s live, virtual guided tour of the museum.

Ca’ Rezzonico, in the Dorsoduro district, is one of the grandest palaces on the Grand Canal, dating in part from the seventeenth and eighteenth century. Since 1934 it has belonged to the City of Venice, and it houses the Museo del Settecento Veneziano, the Museum of Eighteenth-Century Venice. We will explore the museum with  running commentary given by Luisella Romeo and any questions you ask, will be answered by Siân Walters, as we go along.

Remember we met Luisella when we did a walking tour of  the Dorsoduro district?  Siân Walters is also well known to our Society.  She is an art historian and lectures for the National Gallery, The Arts Society, The Wallace Collection, Friends of the Royal Academy, The London Art History Society, The Art Fund and many other art societies and colleges in the UK and Europe. As the director of Art History in Focus Siân spends much of the year lecturing abroad, particularly in Italy and Spain.

Cost per household is £15. Part of this payment is the entrance fee to the museum. In these difficult times, when we can’t travel, and when arts institutions have been so badly affected, we are lucky to be able to have this inaugural zoom visit. So, by contributing to the museum we are doing our best to support it until better days come again. Please send an email to Sue Walker confirming payment so we can send you the link before the event.

Payment to be made via BACS to The Arts Society Dorset County (giving your surname, initial, and the Code ‘Ca’ as reference)

Sort Code: 30-65-22    Account no 80665268    (Visits Account)

or send a cheque made out to The Arts Society Dorset County and send to Sue Walker at 13 Peverell Avenue West, Dorchester DT1 3SU.

Pictures courtesy of Luisella Romeo

HIGHLIGHTS OF LIVERPOOL  Tuesday 8th September 5pm  Webinar
The 5-day visit to Liverpool planned for this September has had to be postponed until September 2021.  But as we can’t go to Liverpool we are bringing Liverpool to you!  Julie Kershaw, a Liverpool blue badge guide, will take us on a digital tour of Liverpool.  She will introduce us to the sights of Liverpool and some of the stories behind the sights.  She is one of the first accredited guides to have passed the virtual tours programme and Liverpool is her home city. We hope you will enjoy “this walk around Liverpool” and we will send out the link a few days before, but please mark your diaries.
 

If after watching this Webinar it has sparked your interest in seeing the City "in the flesh" why not join us in 2021. Please click here and send an email and we can send you more information on the trip.

Visit to Langham’s Wine Estate Thursday 27th August 2.30pm.  £22.50
Crawthorne, Dorchester DT2 7NG
 

We will meet at the Vineyard about 2.15pm for a 2.30pm start. The Vineyard and winery tour takes around 1 hour. It involves an easy walk with one of the team around the vineyard and then into the winery followed by a tutored tasting of  3 of their award winning wines.  Afterwards we will have a cream tea in a socially distanced way – there are lots of tables and chairs to feel comfortable about sitting down and enjoying someone else’s company.  You may even want to buy a bottle to drink with your tea or to bring home to enjoy!
£22.50 per person.  To reserve a space please click here and send an email. The group will be no larger than 16.
 

If this visit has to be cancelled due to Covid 19 regulation changes, your money will be returned.

It is with regret that this visit has had to be cancelled.  The organisers hope to rebook it at a later date.

HOUGHTON LODGE near Stockbridge Hampshire is an estate with extensive gardens and grounds, described as 'the jewel of the Test valley’.  The lodge, believed to have been built in 1793 and probably intended to be a fishing lodge,  is one of the finest and earliest surviving examples of a Cottage Ornée (meaning “decorated cottage” - an architectural style that embraces a building and the landscape around it).  The style relates back to the 18th and 19th century Romantic Movement and reflects a more natural style of living.  However, it retains its gothic characteristics with ornate and exaggerated detailing around the windows demonstrating similar features to Horace Walpole’s extravagant Gothic ‘Strawberry Hill House’ located in Twickenham. Some people visit Houghton for its architecture, some for its literary connections and some for its gardens, so there is something for everyone.  It has been the home of the Busk family for more than a century, and we are delighted that the owners will lead the house tours during our visit. 

After the visit we will travel to Winchester for lunch.  After lunch we have arranged to visit Winchester Cathedral but we are doing something different from the usual cathedral tours.  We have arranged to have some smaller specialised tours the titles of which are :  

Art in the Cathedral; Stained Glass; Chantry tour; Pestilence penitence and Putrefaction; From Vision to Reality (Architecture).

24th JANUARY 2020:  THIS VISIT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED.  If you wish to be put on a waiting list please send an email to: suswalker@btinternet.com

Please click HERE to go to the booking form

This is a highly cultural tour based in Bologna with daily visits to some of the most beautiful and significant examples of Byzantine and Renaissance art and architecture in the area.  Bologna is one of the great food capitals of Italy and the home of the earliest university in Europe. In conjunction with Tailored Travel we have prepared a very exciting itinerary which will include visits to the superb Art Gallery, Duomo and arcaded streets of Bologna, the remarkable Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna, the exceptional Giotto chapel in Padua, as well as palaces and castles in Mantua and Ferrara. Departing on Sunday, 29 September 2019, the tour will involve six days and five nights away and cost from £1074.

This Visit is now closed as regards any new applications.

Corsham Court is notable for its fine collection of Old Master paintings and 18th century furniture. The original  Elizabethan House of 1582 was redesigned and extended by Capability Brown in the 1760’s and it is generally less well known that he was an architect as well as a landscape gardener. Subsequent improvements were made by John Nash and Hugh Repton. The Picture Gallery is exceptional with many masterpieces including an Annunciation by Fra Filippo Lippi (1406-1469) which is worth the visit in itself!! A famous allegorical portrait of Elizabeth 1 is also in the collection. The furniture includes fine examples of the work of Robert and James Adam and a large suite of seat furniture attributed to Thomas Chippendale. The gardens have many features inspired by Brown. 

The house has been home to eight generations of the Methuen family and we shall receive an introductory talk from James Methuen-Campbell, the current incumbent, on the Picture Collection and brief family history. We shall then have sole access to the State Rooms as the public will not be admitted until after 2pm. Room guides will be in place to answer questions.

We shall leave Tesco Dorchester at 8:15am for arrival at Corsham at 10am when coffee, tea and biscuits will be provided in St Barthomolew’s Church, by the gates of the House. (cost included). Access to facilities will be provided. The introductory talk will be given in the Picture Gallery at 11am and we then have free time to explore the remainder of the State Rooms and the gardens. Corsham Town has many opportunities for lunch/light snacks.  

We shall leave at 2:30pm for The Courts Garden at Holt, arriving at 3pm. This National Trust garden offers a rewarding visit at this time of year, having a series of yew-hedged “rooms” with a neo-Georgian temple and conservatory. One section features ponds and rills, another has more formal gardens, and there is an arboretum. There is a small tearoom facility. (Tea is not included in ticket price). We shall leave at 4:30pm for arrival in Dorchester at about 6:15pm.

Please note that this Visit is now fully booked. If you wish to be placed on a waiting list in case of cancellations please contact David Norris as below.

Please click here for an application form

Please contact David Norris on 01300 342126 or preferably at norridjo@hotmail.com if you have any queries.

For Route to The Old Rectory, see bottom of page...

This year the Summer Party will be held at the fabulous home and garden of Mr and Mrs Richard Cave at The Old Rectory, Litton Cheney DT2 9AH on Wednesday 12 June.  While there is much to see for the intrepid who would like to explore, the formal garden is a joy for those who would prefer a more sedate party near the front of the house and then exploring along to the vegetable garden.

Mr and Mrs Cave have totally redesigned the garden, renowned for its roses, which should be in full bloom. For this they invited Arne Maynard, the garden designer, to create a scheme.  There is a formal grass terrace in front of the house, but to gain the full glory of the garden it is recommended to walk down through the beautiful woods to the two pools, one a natural swimming pool.  It is suggested that ladies wear flat shoes and perhaps bring a stick, if needed, because it would be a shame to miss this treat.  Above the house beyond the drive there is a Tythe Barn, in case of inclement weather.  Further on is a formal vegetable garden and beyond a gate there is a slope with terraces of roses, which are easy to visit.  For the energetic, a climb up this hill brings one to the tennis court and a fabulous view.

Janet Stone the photographer and her husband Reynold Stone, Engraver, lived their a century ago.  Their many friends included Iris Murdoch, Benjamin Britain, Alduous Huxley and many more.  It will not be difficult to imagine oneself there on one of those occasions in the 1930's, especially in the woods and by the pools.

Parking will be in a field kindly lent by members of our society, Robin and Lavinia Barbour,  opposite Baglake Farm DT2 9AD, which is a short, mainly level walk to The Old Rectory. 

For an application form, please click here.

For those who are disabled, please contact Susie Pearson for instructions on access.

The Old Rectory, Litton Cheney, Dorchester DT2 9AH

Grid Ref. SY 551908

From Dorchester Bypass on A35 going WEST go 8 miles to the start of the dual carriageway.

Turn left signed LITTON CHENEY down a very steep corner.  At T-Junction at bottom of hill turn RIGHT.

Wind along the road, until a pedestrian warning sign, followed by a stone wall.

The field for parking is on the left, just beyond a gravel layby and opposite a farm entrance

There is then about an 8 minutes walk to the Old Rectory through a pretty village.

As you pass a road coming in from the right, you will see ahead a narrow road forking right which leads to the gate of The Old Rectory.

Route from West  From Bridport take the A35 and turn right at the end of the second stretch of dual carriageway, which is the third turning to Litton Cheney, the same turning as used from Dorchester and continue as above. 

By taking the same route as those coming from Dorchester, it avoids meeting members walking from the carpark.

We are delighted to be able to offer a trip to Mells Manor, residence of the Earl of Oxford and Asquith.
Built on the site of the monastic medieval manor house, the earliest part of the house dates to around 1460. Rebuilt by John Horner in the 16th Century, the family substantially restored the Manor House again in the 20th century with the work of Sir Edwin Lutyens.
Lutyens’s work can also be seen in Mells Village with a shelter for the village taps in 1909 and the War Memorial in 1920. 
St Andrew’s Church with its connections to the Asquith and Horner families dates predominantly from the late 15th century and houses an excellent ring of eight bells. There are many notable things to see: the Sanctus bell hung in the roof of the chancel dates from around 1325; and the building includes many important decorative features by William Nicholson, Edward Burne-Jones, Edwin Lutyens, Eric Gill and an equestrian statue of Edward Horner by Sir Alfred Munnings.
This is an excellent opportunity to visit a fascinating house that is not usually open to the public.
 

Please contact Amanda Ross for an application form by email or telephone:

amandajross@btinternet.com or 07824443233

The visit for 3 June is now fully booked. Please feel free to contact Amanda to go on the waiting list or to register your interest should a further trip be considered.

Please note that the date has been changed from 10 July 2018 to 18 July 2018.We are pleased to advise that we have had an excellent response and that the visit is definitely going ahead on 18 July 2018.

As we have sufficient numbers from the original attendees and short-list, we shall not be re-marketing it to the remainder of the membership. However, we shall be happy to place names on a new short-list in case of cancellations. 

This information is valid as at 17 June 2018

TRIP DETAILS

Wells Cathedral is justly famous for its magnificent West Front, the scissor arches, stained glass, Chapter House and Vicars’ Close. It is one of the most beautiful and best-loved cathedrals in England and presents a harmonious whole which is entirely Gothic.  

We shall arrive in time for coffee (not included) then have a guided tour (one hour) of the Cathedral and Vicars’ Close starting at 11am.There will then be time to explore further and have lunch (not included).

At 2pm we shall meet at the Bishops’ Palace and split into two groups for a guided tour of the Palace and the splendid gardens. The Palace dates back to 1210 and is noted for its attractive setting within a moat and extensive gardens. The gardens were granted RHS “Partner Garden” status in 2016 for their “outstanding and exceptionally high standards of planting and design”

At 4pm the two groups will reconvene in the Undercroft at the Bishops’ Palace for a cream tea (included) which will be reserved only for our group.

The coach will leave Tesco fountain at 8:15am and leave Wells at 5:30pm, returning to Dorchester before 7pm.

The ticket price of £35 includes the guided tour of the Cathedral and Vicars’ Close, Bishops’ Palace and gardens, and the cream tea in the Undercroft. There are many opportunities for lunch in the Cathedral Café or Wells town.

Please click here for an application form. (We have not replaced the original document so please feel free to change the date at the top to Wednesday, 18 July 2018)

As expected, this visit has sold out immediately and preference has been given to existing members. All applications received by Friday 2 February 2018 have been accepted and will be acknowledged very soon if not already done. We shall place any further applications from members on a standby list but please note that non-member guests are unlikely to obtain a place.

Sandham has the remarkable Stanley Spencer paintings of WW1 which link into our 20 Sept 2018 lecture. Highclere needs no introduction as “Downton Abbey” and has impressive rooms and grounds as well as Lord Carnarvon’s Egyptian treasures. It is only open for a few months per year and we are fortunate to have obtained a booking. We have obtained tickets for the house, grounds and the Egyptian Exhibition.

This will be an extremely popular trip and we stress that you will need to book early!!

 More details and an application form appear here .

This trip is now fully booked but we are willing to place any further applications on a waiting list in case of cancellations.

This will be a three day trip with two nights half-board departing on 22 April 2018. Price is from £334 per person.

Day 1 We depart by executive coach from Dorchester to visit Blenheim Palace for the day. We shall explore the home of the 12th Duke of Marlborough and birth place of Sir Winston Churchill. The imposing scale of the Palace is beautifully balanced within by the intricate detail and delicacy of the carvings, the hand painted ceilings and the amazing porcelain collections, tapestries and paintings displayed in each room. Set in beautiful parkland of 2100 acres, which was landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown in the 1760’s, the Palace is surrounded by sweeping lawns and formal gardens. We continue to the 4* Oxford Belfry Hotel on the outskirts of Oxford for a two night stay on half board basis.

Day 2 Our morning guided tour of Oxford, the City of Dreaming Spires, takes in the architecture and traditions of the city’s most famous buildings and institutions. During our guided tour we visit three colleges. This afternoon we visit the Pitt Rivers Museum, home to the University of Oxford’s collection of anthropology and world archaeology. Founded in 1884 by General Augustus Pitt Rivers, who donated his collection to the University of Oxford, the museum is today home to 500,000 exhibits which have mainly been donated by travellers, scholars and missionaries.

Day 3 We enjoy a guided tour at the Ashmolean Museum this morning. Founded in 1683, the Ashmolean is Britain’s first public museum and home to the University of Oxford’s world class collection of art and archaeology. We continue to the National Trust’s Hughenden Manor, home of Victorian Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli from 1848 until his death in 1881. Most of his furniture, books and pictures remain in this, his private retreat from the rigours of parliamentary life in London. We expect to return to Dorchester by about 7pm.

NB:- Please note we reserve the right to alter the above itinerary if required for operational reasons. Given the historic nature of the places visited, a certain degree of walking will be involved, and this holiday may not be suitable for those with mobility problems.

For brochure and application form please click here

Please note that this visit is now fully booked.

We first visit Buckfast Abbey, founded almost 1000 years ago by the Benedictines and then sadly destroyed during the Dissolution. In 1882 it was re-established as a monastic community and rebuilding commenced. In 1884 Lord Clifford of Chudleigh (Ugbrooke) largely paid for the rebuilding of the South Wing with its kitchen, refectory and cloister. It is a place of calm and we shall receive a short presentation by one of the monks before having time to view the Abbey and its lovely gardens. We shall take lunch there (not included in price) then proceed to Ugbrooke House.

 Ugbrooke is set in a tranquil Devon valley near Newton Abbot with a history covering over 900 years and features in the Domesday Book of 1086.   Robert Adam and Capability Brown were commissioned to remodel the house and gardens in the 18th century.  The house contains many fine paintings, furniture and needlework and a rare family military uniform collection while the grounds have a wealth of interest including formal gardens and lakeside walks.   Ugbrooke has been in the Clifford family since 1604  and the present Lord and Lady Clifford now open the house for private tours for only three months each year.

This should be an interesting day and we will have a guided tour of the house followed by ample time to explore the lake walks and gardens. Cream teas, snacks and other refreshments will be available in the Orangery (not included in price)

The coach will leave Dorchester at 8:15 a.m. and return by 7:30 p.m. The price will be £35 per person.

Please click for application form here.

Please note that this visit is now fully booked but we shall be happy to place any further applications on a waiting list in case of cancellations. See application form below for contact details.

Our second trip of the year is to Hestercombe and then Cothelstone Manor and church in Somerset. 

We first visit Hestercombe where the gardens have been undergoing restoration for over twenty years. Set in fifty acres we are to have a talk on the formal part of the gardens, the Jekyll garden. Hestercombe House was recovered from institutional use only two years ago. Transforming this property to its former glory is certainly a work in progress but with many of its original features already starting to shine through, it is a worthy project for the interest of NADFAS members. A charming second hand bookshop and a gallery of local modern art are current uses of the house. This is a rare chance to see first-hand the challenges faced when taking on such a property and will be fascinating to re-visit in ten years’ time. Coffee on arrival and lunch at Hestercombe are included in the ticket price.

Next we visit Cothelstone Manor and church, open to us by invitation and home to the Muers-Raby family. We will learn the history of its beginnings from before 1066 through the turbulence of the English Civil War to its renaissance in the nineteenth century.

The Manor dates back before the Norman Conquest of 1066 and a Saxon King and Queen are said to be its founders: there has almost certainly been a settlement at Cothelstone from around 600 AD through to the present day.

 The present house dates from the early 1600’s with its fine Gatehouse dating from the early 1500’s and a gazebo built for the wedding of Sir John Stowell in 1619. The Manor also houses a major part of the Hilda Inge Collection of paintings, an English collection featuring family portraits, horses and hounds and is typical of the English Country House in the 17th,18th and 19th centuries. A short walk from the Manor is the Church, recently the subject of a NADFAS church trail where we will be met and learn its history. At the end of our tour guests are invited to relax in the Galleried Hall and Drawing Room or the Gardens and enjoy tea with homemade sandwiches and cake. Afternoon tea is included in the ticket price.

We travel by coach from Tesco Dorchester, leaving at 8.15am and returning late afternoon. 

For an application form please click here

Please note that this tour is now full.

In the Spring of 2017 our Visits Organisers have arranged an exciting trip to Derbyshire, for four nights and five days, which will include many highlights such as visits to Chatsworth, Bolsover Castle, Hardwick Hall, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Royal Crown Derby and much more. We will be led by mainly Blue Badge Guides. The visit has been timed to coincide with the period when many villages have a traditional custom of 'Well Dressing'. 

The price of £669 (single supplement £60) includes half board accommodation (dinner, bed and breakfast) at the 4 star Best Western Lee Wood Hotel in Buxton (www.leewoodhotel.co.uk).  Insurance is £19.

Please note that the scheduled visit to Royal Crown Derby has been replaced by a self-guided visit to the Wedgewood Factory.

Please note that this visit was originally scheduled for Tuesday 4 April which is the date shown in the Newsletter and in the Programme Card

Our first trip of the year is to Saltram House. Home to the Parker family for several generations, Saltram is a Georgian jewel, rich with original collection and architecture. Acquired by George Parker in 1712 it remained in the Parker family until it was transferred to the National Trust in 1957. The elegant Georgian facade is built around a much earlier house. With its ornate interiors, sumptuous original furnishings and significant collections, we can see the lifestyle enjoyed by such a family.

There is so much to see, from the beautiful neo – classical saloon by Robert Adams and the original Chinese wallpaper; the extensive library, the opulent Boulle desks and clocks, to the functional simplicity of the copper pots and pans below stairs. The grounds are planted with many impressive specimens of rare and ancient exotic trees and plants; Saltram has it all!!

For further details and a link to an application form click here.