POSTPONED - update to follow

The 2026 Awayday will combine a visit to the village of Cookham and the Stanley Spencer Gallery with a lecture by Amy Lim about the artist.  Amy is an Arts Society lecturer and Curator of the Stanley Spencer Gallery.

Few artists are as rooted in a place as Stanley Spencer and his beloved home village of Cookham. The Thames-side village was not only his birthplace and home for most of his life, but it dominated his imagination and was the inspiration and location for many of his paintings. 

The lecture will look at Cookham’s place in Spencer’s art, and how it was central to his unique vision of English domestic and spiritual life.

BOOKING IS NOW OPEN (see email of 20 March 2026)

Cost £63 per person.

Places are now open to non-members of TAS SW London.

Please contact Kate Kirkland (tasswl.treasurer@gmail.com) to reserve a place.

Provisional Schedule for the Day (times are approximate) :

08:30: Coach departs from Dealtry Road (opposite Putney Leisure Centre) for Cookham Library. (Tea/coffee and biscuits to be providedon arrival)

10:45 - 11:45: Lecture by Amy Lim. “A Village in Heaven: Stanley Spencer’s Cookham”.

12:00: Lunch. Since there are no cafes nearby, PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN.

13:00: Coach from the Library to the gallery where the group will be split into two.

            Group A - will tour the gallery (1hr) and Group B will tour the village (1hr)

            Group B - will tour the gallery (1hr) and Group A will tour the village (1hr)

16:00: Departure from Cookham

18:30: Arrive back at Dealtry Road, Putney

IMAGE:  View from Cookham Bridge by Stanley Spencer (courtesy of the lecturer).

Sunday, 17th - Friday, 22nd May 2026.

This will be a 5-night (6 day trip) to Ljubljana and will include a day trip across the border into Italy to visit Trieste.

Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and is known for its old town and Art Nouveau buildings. The tour will include walking tours and a river trip in the city plus a day trip to Lake Bled to see the countryside outside the capital. Since Ljubljana is close to the border with Italy, a day trip to Trieste has been included. The history of this part of Europe is complex but a Study Half-Day, early in 2026, is being arranged for those who would like to know more about the region.

For the tour, we will be based in the Eurostars uHotel within easy walking distance of the centre of town. It is adjacent to the iconic art nouveau Grand Union Eurostars Hotel with which it shares some facilities such as the spa and the swimming pool. Click HERE to access the website for the hotel

NB: BOOKING IS ONLY OPEN TO MEMBERS OF THE ARTS SOCIETY SW LONDON (who must be members at the time of booking and when the tour takes place.) If places are available nearer the time, it may be possible to open the tour to others.

The cost will be £1,785 per person with a supplement of £355 for single occupancy. (Please note that the price is based on standard rooms.) Click below to access the brochure giving a full itinerary, and the Booking Form.

Brochure for Ljubljana

Booking Form for Ljubljana

Booking should be direct with Travel Editions. To reserve a place on the trip, please phone them on 020 7251 0045. A completed booking form (with a deposit of £350 per person) should then be sent to Travel Editions by WEDNESDAY 1 OCTOBER 2025.

We have requested a number of single rooms for the tour but they are in short supply; if you would like one, please book early.

Please note that, since some of the days involve walking, we respectfully ask that you only book if you are fairly sure that you can keep up with the rest of the group.

We would be grateful if you could let our Tours Secretary, Serrie Meakins, know if you are going to book this trip. It allows us to keep track of how many places are left. Serrie may also be able to help with any specific questions about the tour. Serrie's email address is serrie.meakins@gmail.com

We aim to make our trips inclusive and always gather up those who would like company for a meal or for a stroll during the day.

IMAGE: Ljubljana Castle and Old Town (courtesy of Travel Editions)

DUE TO THE POPULARITY OF THE VISIT ON 2 MARCH, A SECOND GROUP BOOKING HAS BEEN MADE FOR 16 MARCH.

Priority will be given to those on the Waiting list for the 2 March but if you would like to add your name for this visit, please contact Kate Kirkland.

Hand & Lock was founded in the mid 18 century by M Hand, a Huguenot refugee. It is located in the area to the NE of Oxford Circus and specialises in embroidery and bespoke embellisments. In particular, they provide the finishing touches to officers dress uniforms and more recently to the clothes designed for Penny Mordaunt (Leader of the House of Commons) at the Coronation of King Charles III.

This visit comes soon after the February lecture about Ceremonial Music and the military uniforms on display at such occasions form an integral part of the spectacle.

Click HERE to visit their website.

Since the premises at Hand & Lock are small, only a small number of places are available. We have made a booking for a morning visit.

Booking is open to TAS SWLondon members only.

Price: £23 per person.

If you would like a place, please contact our Treasurer, Kate Kirkland, using the email address tasswl.treasurer@gmail.com. If a place is available, please make a payment by BACS to the Society's bank account (using Hand and Lock as the reference).

You can find the bank details on your membership card.

Meet at 10:45 am for a start at 11am.

86 Margaret Street, London W1W 8TE

(The visit will last for about 90 minutes)

Image: Embroidery by Hand & Lock

Hand & Lock was founded in the mid 18 century by M Hand, a Huguenot refugee. It is located in the area to the NE of Oxford Circus and specialises in embroidery and bespoke embellisments. In particular, they provide the finishing touches to officers dress uniforms and more recently to the clothes designed for Penny Mordaunt (Leader of the House of Commons) at the Coronation of King Charles III.

This visit comes soon after the February lecture about Ceremonial Music and the military uniforms on display at such occasions form an integral part of the spectacle.

Click HERE to visit their website.

Since the premises at Hand & Lock are small, only a small number of places are available. We have made a booking for a morning visit.

Booking is open to TAS SWLondon members only.

Price: £23 per person.

If you would like a place, please contact our Treasurer, Kate Kirkland, using the email address tasswl.treasurer@gmail.com. If a place is available, please make a payment by BACS to the Society's bank account (using Hand and Lock as the reference).

You can find the bank details on your membership card.

Meet at 10:45 am for a start at 11am.

86 Margaret Street, London W1W 8TE

(The visit will last for about 90 minutes)

Image: The Duke of Wellington's dress uniforms on display at Apsley House (January 2025).

HAMPTON COURT PALACE

A Guided Visit

The year in which we visited Hatfield House (for our Awayday) and Burghley House (on our trip to Lincoln), seems a good one to choose for a tour of our local Tudor palace.  And, if that were no enough, we know from the September lecture that Hampton Court was Nikolaus Pevsner's favourite building.

You may also recall (from October 2024) that some of what remains of the Royal Collection amassed by King Charles I is on display there in the Cumberland Gallery. There will be an opportunity to visit it at the end of the tour. The works there include some by Caravaggio, Canaletto, Rembrandt, Van Dyke and Reynolds.

Our guide will be Christine Jarvis (an experienced London Blue Badge, City of London and Historic Royal Palaces Guide Lecturer) and she will tailor the tour to our group.

Wednesday 8 October:
Meet at 10:40 am for the tour at 11:00

The cost depends on whether you are a member of Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) and covers entry to Hampton Court as well as our own private guide.

     £5 pp for HRP members (entry is free)
     £5 pp for non HRP members with a negotiated (reduced) entry fee of £20.79.

Please email Jane Crang (tasswl.visits@gmail.com) or message her on 07947 003600 to reserve a place.

Travel to Hampton Court Palace

Trains

Hampton Court train station is a five-minute walk from the palace. National Rail train services run from London Waterloo every 30 minutes, calling at Vauxhall, Clapham Junction, Earlsfield, Wimbledon, Raynes Park, New Maldon, Berrylands, Surbiton, Thames Ditton and Hampton Court.

Hampton Court station is in zone 6. Oyster cards are accepted on this route.

Bus

From Kingston - 111*, 216*, 411*, 461, 513
From Richmond - R68*

*These services accept Oyster cards, LT cards, bus passes, Travelcards, Freedom Passes and Saver Tickets.

London Underground

There is no London Underground station at Hampton Court. The nearest Underground stations are in Wimbledon and Richmond, where connecting bus routes are available.

By car

There is a car park at Hampton Court Palace and also one on Hampton Court Green. At both you need to pay to park using a card.

Please contact Jane Crang if you would like to go on the visit but would like a lift. A number of members are going by car and are happy to take others.

Image Courtesy of Royal Historic Palaces

NEW START TIME: Arrive by 10:45 for an 11:00 start

Alexandra Epps, The Arts Society Lecturer and City of London Guide, will lead this stroll through the square mile of the City to explore the wealth of inspiring, and often intriguing, modern and contemporary public art on its historic streets and in hidden corners.  Discover creations ranging from the hand crafted to the high tech; the artists and their techniques, lives and influences plus the history of the fascinating places where they can be found. 

Headsets will be provided so that Alexandra's commentary can be easily heard.

Meeting point: 

Outside the west front of St Paul’s Cathedral beside the statue to Queen Anne.  
(The nearest underground station is St Paul's)
 

The walk is now open to TASSWL Members and Non-Members.

The cost is £25 per person. 

The walk will last for 1.5 to 2 hrs (depending on pace) and will finish in the Guildhall Yard

Image: Queen Anne Statue - meeting point (courtesy of the lecturer)

To reserve a place, please contact Jane Crang by texting her on 07947 003600 or by emailing her at tasswl.visits@gmail.com.

This will be a guided tour of the official residence of The Speaker of the House of Commons. Tours are only available when Parliament is not sitting and we have been lucky enough to gain tickets for two groups to go on a tour.

One group will start at 2:45pm and the other at 3:30pm.

The cost is £21 per person.

Booking is open and there is currently a waiting list. Please contact Jane Crang if you would like to add your name to the list. If it is not possible to find places for everyone, we will try to book another tour for next year.

Image: The dining room at The Speakers House (courtesy of the Houses of Parliament website)

Hatfield House was built in 1611 for Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, and is a Grade 1 listed building. An earlier building, the Royal Palace of Hatfield, once stood on the site. This was the childhood home of Elizabeth I and part of the building still remains. The estate has many royal associations but, after being gifted to Robert Cecil, by James I, ownership has remained with descendants of the Cecil family.

The house, a fine example of Jacobean architecture, was designed for entertaining on a grand scale. It houses many works of art from that period. The day will include time to look round the gardens and have lunch before a guided tour of the house in the afternoon.

The gardens were laid out in the early 17th century by John Tradescant, the Elder, who travelled widely and brought back many new plants and ideas. An inveterate explorer, his personal collection of non-botanical items was ultimately acquired by Elias Ashmole and formed the basis for the collection at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

Booking is now open. The price is £72 per person. Please contact Jane Crang (tasswl.visits@gmail.com) to reserve a place.

Outline Schedule as follows (exact times tbc):
Depart, by coach, from Dealtry Road opposite Putney Leisure Centre (at about 9am)

• On arrival at Hatfield House - Tea/coffee and biscuits in the Coach House Restaurant
• A guided tour of the House in one of two groups (11:30 and 11:45)
• Lunch at the Coach House Restaurant - finger sandwiches and cake. (Drinks at own expense)

AFTERNOON OPTIONS (self-guided)

• Explore the gardens
• Take a short walk to St Etheldreda's Church to see the Cecil family tombs
• POSSIBLY (if it is not closed on the day) a chance to go inside the Old Palace (Entry costs £8 pp)

Depart from Hatfield House for the return journey (at about 4:30 pm)
Arrive back at Dealtry Road (at about 6:30 pm)

Image: Hatfield House (Pete Seaward - courtesy of Hatfield House)

Our tour in 2025 will be to LINCOLN, taking in the new Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester on the journey north and Burghley House on the return journey.

The tour will cover 4 days from Tuesday 6th to Friday 9th May 2025.

Please note that places are only open to members of The Arts Society SW London. If spaces are available nearer the date of departure, it may be possible for non-members to book a place.

BOOKING IS NOW OPEN.

The 4 day / 3 night trip has been arranged by Travel Editions and will be by coach to Lincoln with a reception and a lecture on the history of Lincoln on the first night. The first full day in Lincoln, will include tours of the Cathedral and Castle plus an afternoon visit to the Walled Gardens at Baumber, to the east of the city. On day two, there will be visits to Doddington Hall, an Elizabethan manor house, and to the Victorian Workhouse and Infirmary in Southwell.

We will stay at the Hilton Hotel in Lincoln, down the hill, on the waterfront where there are a number of restaurants along the riverside walkway. Click HERE to access the website for the hotel

To make the most of the travel days, the journey north will be broken at Leicester for a visit to the newly built Richard III Centre and Leicester Cathedral (where Richard III's tomb is located) and on the return journey, we will stop at Burghley House for a guided tour.

Burghley House is a magnificent Jacobean House built by Robert Cecil, Lord Burghley, (Secretary of State both to Elizabeth I and to James I). The house was designed to impress and is thought to have been modelled on Richmond Palace. Images of the latter are rare and since little of it remains a visit to Burghley house is a good way to get an idea of what it must have looked like.

Click HERE for the Brochure and booking form. (Please note that there is a small typo on page 2 of the brochure. Where it says 'Included in the price are 4 nights accommodation', it should say '3 nights accommodation'. Apologies for this error.)

Booking should be direct with Travel Editions. To reserve a place on the trip, a completed booking form (with a deposit of £100 per person) should be sent to them once a place has been confirmed. Their phone number is 020 7251 0045. 

The deadline for booking was TUESDAY, 31 DECEMBER 2024. Although the tour is now fully booked, Travel Editions have a Waiting List that you could join and it is not unusual for people to drop out at the last minute.

The cost per person is £779 
We have requested a number of single occupancy rooms for the tour but they are in short supply; if you would like one, PLEASE BOOK EARLY. (The single occupancy supplement is £155.)

Since some of the days involve walking, we respectfully ask that you only book if you are fairly sure that you can keep up with the rest of the group.

We would be grateful if you could let our Tours Secretary, Serrie Meakins (serrie.meakins@gmail.com) know if you are going to book this trip. It allows us to keep track of how many places are left. Serrie may also be able to help with any specific questions about the tour. 

Image: courtesy of Travel Editions: Lincoln Cathedral and old city centre.

Founded in 1673 by The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London for its apprentices, Chelsea Physic Garden became one of the most important centres of botany and plant exchange in the world. Its plant collection is unique in being the only botanic garden collection focused on medicinal, herbal and useful plants.

This will be a guided tour by Valerie Ferguson (one of our members)

The cost is £15 per person

Currently the tour is open to TAS SW LONDON MEMBERS ONLY

To reserve a place, please contact Jane Crang either by text to 07947 003600 or by emailing her at tasswl.visits@gmail.com 

AN ERROR: Sincere apologies for an error in the email to members about this visit. The Chelsea Physic Garden is not connected to, or on the same site as, the annual Chelsea Flower Show.

Image: Panoramic view of the Chelsea Physic Garden (CC SA 2 Int) Robert Rimell (geograph.org.uk - 2390038)

In the side streets between Covent Garden and Holborn is the Freemasons Hall; its monolithic size is in stark contrast to the neighbouring buildings. Its exterior conceals an Art Deco masterpiece.

It is Grade II* listed, marking it out as of particular importance amongst building of special architectural interest and it has been used extensively as a film location. It contains some stunning stained glass windows.

The guided tour will start at 11 am and will include a history of Freemasonry and access to the Grand Temple with its mosaic ceiling and imposing bronze doors.

BOOKING IS NOW OPEN

The cost is £14 per person. 

To reserve a place, please contact Jane Crang either by text to 07947 003600 or by emailing her at tasswl.visits@gmail.com 

Once a place has been confirmed, payment shoud be made to the Society's bank account (details of which are on the Membership Card). Please use 'Freemason's Hall' as the payment reference.

Meeting time will be 10:45 am for the tour at 11 am.

IMAGE: The Grand Temple (courtesy of the venue)

Apsley House sits in splendid isolation at Hyde Park Corner. Originally created by Robert Adam, it was redesigned by Benjamin Wyatt, from 1819, for the Duke of Wellington and is still the London residence of the present day Duke. The spectacular Waterloo Gallery was finished in 1829 and was used for the annual Waterloo banquets.

The art collection at Apsley House contains Spanish, Dutch and Flemish paintings, porcelain and silver, much of it acquired following the Duke of Wellington campaigns, in recognition of his role in defeating Napoleon.  Included in the collection is the Portuguese silver-gilt centrepiece, part of a 1,000 piece service gifted to the Duke in 1816 from the Portuguese nation, in honour of the Duke's victory in the Peninsular wars of 1808-1814.

This will be a guided tour, with the price depending on whether you are a member of English Heritage or not.

The cost is £20 per person, or £8 for members of English Heritage.

Places, at this stage, are open to members of TAS SW London only

To reserve a place, please contact Jane Crang by emailing her at tasswl.visits@gmail.com or by texting her on 07947 003600

Once a place is confirmed, please make payment by BACS using 'Apsley' as the reference. The bank details can be found on your TAS SW London Membership Card

MEETING INSTRUCTIONS 

Wednesday, 22 January 2025

Meet at 10:45 am outside Apsley House, 149 Piccadilly, Hyde Park Corner, London, W1J 7NT
The guided tour will begin at 11:00 am and will last for approximately 1 hour. 

(NB Please remember to bring your English Heritage membership card with you, or you will be charged the full price.)

Image courtesy of English Heritage: Apsley House exterior

The Guildhall in London stands in Guildhall Yard opposite the church of St Stephen Jewry and its Great Hall has witnessed its share of drama. During the turmoil of the Reformation, peers, an archbishop and a queen were tried here for treason. It has been the setting for the pomp and circumstance of state and mayoral occasions since 1502.

Guildhall Great Hall is the third largest civic hall in England, where royalty and state visitors have been entertained throughout the centuries. It has been the setting for famous state trials, including that of Lady Jane Grey in 1553. The imposing medieval hall has stained glass windows and several monuments to national heroes including Admiral Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill.

Today, Guildhall still plays an important role in the City. It provides a venue for state and civic banquets, meetings of the City of London's elected assembly, the Court of Common Council, and for the Honorary Freedom of the City ceremony .

The word 'guildhall' is said to derive from the Anglo-Saxon 'gild' meaning payment, so it was probably a place where citizens would pay their taxes. The present Guildhall was built in 1411 and, having survived both the Great Fire of London and the Blitz, it is the only secular stone structure dating from before 1666 still standing in the City.

It is likely that at least one earlier guildhall existed on or near the current site. References to a London guildhall are made in a document dating back to 1128 and the current hall's west crypt is thought to be part of a late-13th century building.

Remains of a long-lost Roman amphitheatre discovered in 1987 underneath what is now Guildhall Yard indicate that the site of Guildhall was significant as far back as Roman times.

The guided tour will begin at 11 am and attendees should aim to meet in Guildhall Yard by 10:45 am.
THE COST IS: £14 per person

Please note that only 20 places are available on the tour.

The tour takes about an hour and will include a view of the remains of the Roman Amphitheatre. The discovery of the amphitheatre solved an age-old mystery about the Roman settlement in London

(Please note that a tour of the Guildhall Art Gallery is NOT included but, since entry to it is free, you could plan to have lunch and then look around the Gallery yourselves in the afternoon. The Gallery is open until 5 pm and houses a wide-ranging collection of 4,500 works, including over 1,300 oil paintings, dating from 1670 to the present day. It is particularly strong on Victorian material, with a number of choice Pre-Raphaelite items. The collection also houses important ceremonial and topographical paintings.)

Image credit: The Great Hall (courtesy of the Guildhall)

To reserve a place, please contact Jane Crang by emailing her at tasswl.visits@gmail.com or by texting her on 07947 003600
 

The 2024 Tour is to Thessaloniki in Northern Greece.  (5 Nights from 19 - 24 September 2024)

Thessaloniki was a major centre during the Byzantine era (a period that ran from 5th to 15th century). However, the city also lies in the region of ancient Macedon and in the late 20th century excavations uncovered royal tombs that date back to Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great.

The tour will visit the site of the tombs as well as Thessaloniki itself to look at the traces of these historical periods and the art and architecture associated with them. There will also be a day when we visit the neighbouring region of Halkidiki.

We will be based in Perea, across the bay from Thessaloniki, in a small waterfront hotel that faces west towards Mount Olympus. Click HERE to look at the website of The Golden Star Hotel.

(Please be aware that the price of the tour is based on standard rooms, not those with a jacuzzi, and a room with a sea view cannot be guaranteed.)

We are grateful to Travel Editions for creating the tour for us. Please note that booking is direct with them (not with us). The cost per person is £1,275 with an extra £220 for single occupancy of a double room. You can access full details of the itinerary and a booking form by clicking below:

Brochure for Thessaloniki

Booking Form for Thessaloniki

The deadline for booking is 26 January 2024 but please book early if you would like a single room. We have reserved as many as we can but numbers are limited.

On some days, there will be walking tours so we respectfully suggest that you only book on the tour if you are reasonably sure that you will be able to keep up with the group.

Please let Serrie Meakins, our Tours Secretary (serrie.meakins@gmail.com) know when you book. This helps us keep track of how many places are left. Serrie may also be able to answer any questions that you have about the trip.

Our tours aim to be friendly and inclusive and a number of group meals have been included in the trip. If you are a member, do consider joining us.

Places are only open to non-members if spaces are still available nearer the deadline.

IMAGE: The White Tower, Thessaloniki (courtesy of Travel Editions)

This is a repeat of the visit to All Saints Church in May 2024. The visit will again be lead by Liz Hamilton a former Chairman of the Society.

Click HERE for more information from the first visit.

The visit will be on Wednesday, 24 July starting from the porch on the north side of the building at 11am.

The visit is open to MEMBERS  and NON-MEMBERS. The cost is £13 per person.

To enquire about a place on the visit, please contact Gill Grunwald at the following email address (gill.grunwald@gmail.com) or by text to 07801 554760

Once a place is confirmed, please make a payment to the Society's bank account using 'All Saints' as the reference.

Image: All Saints Church, Putney (Wikipedia)

This will be a whole day outing by coach from Putney Leisure Centre to Longford Castle, near Salisbury, and then to Breamore House, a short ride away. 

(Breamore House should be an interesting contrast to Longford Castle. Both were built in the 16th century, but to very different specifications, and both have remained in private ownership.)

Please note that, for this trip, we are asking you to bring your own lunch. (We will break the outward journey at the Fleet Service Station, on the M3, where it should be possible to buy something to eat later in the day. You may, of course, prefer to bring something to eat from home instead.)

LONGFORD CASTLE

Longford Castle, SE of Salisbury, was built in the late 16th century with an unusual triangular floorplan. In the 18th century, the second Earl of Radnor, employed architect, James Wyatt, to transform it into a hexagonal palace but the project was never finished and it was left to the fourth Earl and the Victorian architect, Anthony Salvin, to complete it. One of the grandest stately homes in Britain, it has been the residence of one family - the Huguenot, des Bouverie family (later Earls of Radnor),  for almost 300 years.
The Castle houses part of the National Gallery‘s art collection and the special interest tour will include both the collection and the Castle. 

BREAMORE HOUSE

Breamore House is an Elizabethan manor house noted for its fine collection of paintings and furniture and situated NW of Breamore village, near Fordingbridge. The House was completed in 1583 by the Dodington family, and was built on the site of Breamore Priory. The building underwent minor changes in the 18th century and then considerable restoration after a major fire in 1856. Purchased in the 18th century by Sir Edward Hulse, M.D., Baronet, and physician to Queen Anne and Kings George I and George II, the home is still inhabited by the Hulse family.

THE COST FOR THE AWAYDAY IS £63 per person (but does NOT include the cost of your lunch)
Currently bookings are open to TASSWL members only, though guests may be able to come if places are available nearer the time.

DEADLINE FOR BOOKING: 10am on Friday 17th May

To reserve a place, please contact Jane Crang by email to tasswl.visits@gmail.com (or by text to 07947 003600) 

In our search to find interesting places to visit, it is easy to overlook some of the hidden gems that are to be found nearby. All Saints Church on Putney Common is one such place and it is particularly appropriate to visit it this month because it marks its 150 th anniversary.

Outwardly unexceptional, it is only when you are inside that you can see the glorious stained glass windows that were created by William Morris and his associate, Edward Burne-Jones. There is much to admire and the church itself was designed by the architect, George E Street, who is possibly better known for the Victorian Gothic splendour of the Royal Courts of Justice in The Strand.

One of our former Chairmen, Liz Hamilton*, has very kindly offered to lead a tour to mark the anniversary and she will be able to tell us more about the architect as well as about the Arts and Crafts windows to be found in the church. After the tour, there will be an opportunity to have tea/coffee and biscuits in the church or to go back and look at the windows at your own pace.

*Liz is an experienced guide at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

(Please note that the topic for the May lecture, entitled 'The Stained Glass Windows of William Morris & Friends', was chosen specifically to complement this visit.)

The visit will start at 11:00 am from the porch on the northern side of the church.  THE COST IS: £13 per person (to include a donation to the church and tea or coffee and biscuits afterwards)

To reserve a place, please contact Gill Grunwald by email to gill.grunwald@gmail.com (or by text to 07801 554760).

This visit is now fully booked but do contact Gill if you would like to add your name to the waiting list.

Please note that the church is open from 10:00 - 14:00 on the FIST SATURDAY of each month (but NOT in July). Helpers and information sheets are usually available to help answer any questions.

About 10 years ago, the Society produced a Trail of Discovery for the church. It is aimed at children, and accomanying adults, but it (and the answers to the questions) may be of interest if you are visiting the church without a guide. Click HERE for the Trail and HERE for the answers. The latter has a good section on how to identify the different Saints in the stained-glass windows!

Photo credit: Details from Angel with Two Pipes (William Morris) All Saints Church, Putney ©Rex Harris

This will be a day trip with members making their own way to Rochester. Trains from London Victoria take 40 minutes. 

There will be a guided tour of the Cathedral followed by time for lunch before an Owner’s Tour of Restoration House (the inspiration for Satis House - Miss Haversham’s home, in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations).

Restoration House dates back to the 15th century and has been lovingly restored by its current owners. Its name arose after Charles II slept there on the night before his return to London.

Photo credit: Restoration House interior, courtesy of the owners.

This will be a guided walk around some of the fine City churches created by Christopher Wren’s Office after the Great Fire of 1666. We will consider Wren’s ideas, as well as the wishes of parishioners - men and women who, like Wren, lived and worked in the City.

We will see a church which remains largely as envisaged in the late 17th century and others that have been altered over the years or have been restored after the ravages of the Second World War. Feats of engineering, charming furnishings and beautiful designs abound- with controversy surrounding some modern adaptations.

The walk will begin promptly at 10.35 outside Cannon Street mainline station - in front of the steps; this is adjacent to the underground station and there are toilets in the mainline station.

The walk should take between one hour and 45 minutes and two hours, and will end near Mansion House Underground Station. There will be uneven surfaces and stairs enroute. 

The cost (TBC)  will include donations to the various churches that are visited. These are living, working churches - so expect to come across choir and organ practices- a bonus for us!

Our guide will be Amanda McKerracher, City of London guide and member of the Institute of Tourist guiding.

Image: St Mary le Bow (courtesy of our guide)

This will be a guided walk around some of the fine City churches created by Christopher Wren’s Office after the Great Fire of 1666. We will consider Wren’s ideas, as well as the wishes of parishioners - men and women who, like Wren, lived and worked in the City.

We will see a church which remains largely as envisaged in the late 17th century and others that have been altered over the years or have been restored after the ravages of the Second World War. Feats of engineering, charming furnishings and beautiful designs abound- with controversy surrounding some modern adaptations.

The walk will begin promptly at 10.35 outside Cannon Street mainline station - in front of the steps; this is adjacent to the underground station and there are toilets in the mainline station.

The walk should take between one hour and 45 minutes and two hours, and will end near Mansion House Underground Station. There will be uneven surfaces and stairs enroute. 

The cost (TBC)  will include donations to the various churches that are visited. These are living, working churches - so expect to come across choir and organ practices- a bonus for us!

Our guide will be Amanda McKerracher, City of London guide and member of the Institute of Tourist guiding.

Image: St Mary le Bow (courtesy of our guide)

GUIDED TOUR OF HAM HOUSE

10:30 to 12:30

Originally built in 1610, the interiors of Ham House, as seen today, are the creation of William Murray, a courtier, and his daughter Elizabeth, later Duchess of Lauderdale.

Having leased the house from King Charles I in 1626, William and his daughter  transformed it into one of the great Stuart Houses and, having survived the English Civil War and Parliamentary rule, it remained the home of Elizabeth and her descendants for almost three centuries. In 1948, the house was passed to the National Trust.

With only a few decorative alterations made during the 1740s and 1890s, it is a rare example of 17th-century luxury and taste.

The cost will be £15* per person (including tea and coffee on arrival).
* Please note that, if you are NOT a member of the National Trust, The Art Fund or the main member of the Royal Horticultural Society, you will be asked to pay an ENTRY FEE (of £14) to get into Ham House for the Tour.

For the tour, we will be guided by Serrie Meakins (one of our Trustees). Serrie has a degree in History from Cambridge University and a keen interest in Oliver Cromwell and the period of the English Civil War. 

Provisional programme:

10:20: Entry via the Ticket Office (FREE with the appropriate membership card)
10:30: Meet in the cafe for tea / coffee and an introduction by Serrie followed by a guided tour of the house, including the areas below stairs.
12:30: Tour ends. (NB The cafe will be open for lunch if you wish to spend the rest of the day at the house or in the gardens.
 

To reserve a place, please contact Jane Crang by emailing tasswl.visits@gmail.com (or texting her on 07947 003600) 

IMAGE: Ham House from the Gardens. Wikimedia Commons © Lilly, CC BY 2.0 Licence

CURATOR'S TOUR OF THE DE MORGAN EXHIBITION
9:30 - 11:00 am
 

Sarah Hardy, Director of the De Morgan Foundation, will lead a guided tour of the exhibition 'A Marriage of Arts & Crafts' at Cromwell Place.

The De Morgan Foundation is an unusual cultural organisation in that it is a charity that owns the world's largest collection of artworks by Victorian spouses, William and Evelyn De Morgan.

In this exhibition, the Foundation presents masterpieces from the collection that has just returned from a blockbuster tour of the USA. The tour will include examples of William De Morgan's sparkling lustreware and Evelyn De Morgan's iconic Pre-Raphaelite paintings as well as background information on some of the social, political and artistic interests of the De Morgans. (These ranged from Renaissance Italy to the First World War).

(Cromwell Place is a 3 minute walk from South Kensington Underground Station)

The cost will be £15* per person (refreshments NOT included).

Only a limited number of places are available.

Provisional Programme:

• Meet outside Cromwell Place for entry at 9:30 am
• Tour of the exhibition 9:30 to 11:00 am

(There is a cafe at Cromwell Place if you wish to stay on afterwards for a coffee or lunch)

To reserve a place, please contact Alison Breathnach by emailing her at alisonbreathnach@gmail.com. 

IMAGE: Detail from Flora (1894) by Evelyn De Morgan. Courtesy of the de Morgan Foundation

Cosmic House is an architectural wonder set in a residential road near Holland Park.

Beginning in 1978, owners Charles and Maggie Jencks slowly transformed the interior of an early Victorian Villa in Post-Modern style with the help of many of the top architects of the day, incorporating into their designs ideas on cosmology, philosophy and art.

The rooms inside are small, but exquisitely designed, and no more that 15 visitors can go round at a time. We have provisionally booked for 2 groups: one starting at 1:00 pm and the other at 3:00 pm.

The provisional programme will be:

• Arrival - introduction to the history of the house and its owners by a member of staff
• Tour - freeflow, self-guided tour of the house and gardens.

NB The visit is planned for a day when the house is closed to the public. Staff will be available to answer questions as you move through the house.

COST: tbc

Please contact Jane Crang (tasswl.visits@gmail.com) to reserve a place.

Image:  G Grunwald

A sewage pumping station may seem an unlikely destination for an Arts Society trip but the building at Crossness is Grade 1 listed and is considered a masterpiece of Victorian architecture, engineering and design.

Built in 1865 by Sir Joseph Bazelgette, it was a crucial part of Victorian London's sewerage system. When it opened, it was deep in the countryside in Kent but due to 21 century engineering it now finds itself close to the final stop on the recently opened Elizabeth Line.

A provisional schedule for the visit is as follows:

From 10:45 - Arrive at Abbey Wood Station (a member of the committee will allocate people to shared taxis / minibuses for the short ride to Crossness Pumping Station).

11:00 - Tea / coffee & biscuits at Crossness

11:30 - Illustrated talk on the historical context and the build up to the Great Stink of 1858

BREAK TO EAT A PACKED LUNCH (please bring your own)

13:30 - Guided tour of the Crossness site and engines

14:30 - Opportunity for a freeflow visit around the Great Stink exhibition and its collection of toilets!

15:30 - (tbc) Taxi shuttles back to Abbey Wood Station

NB: Please bring a packed lunch and a drink for yourself. Limited parking is available on site but travel by train may be quicker and less stressful.

COST: tbc

Please contact Jane Crang (tasswl.visits@gmail.com) to reserve a place.

c Crossness Pumping Station, Belvedere, Kent by Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0

SAVE THE DATE

We had hoped to go to Longford Castle for this year's Awayday but we were unable to find a suitable date that avoided the school summer holidays. Instead, we have booked a morning tour of Kelmscott Manor followed by lunch and then a trip to nearby Buscot Park.

The two properties are linked by the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Kelmscott Manor was origianlly co-leased by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Morris (and later became the country home of the Morris family) while Buscott Park is home to works by Burne-Jones. The latter is also known for gardens that were designed by Harold Peto.

Some members may have visited Kelmscott Manor before, but the house underwent a 30-month renovation during the Covid lockdown period during which the wallpaper was restored using the original printing blocks still held in the Morris & Co archives.

Image: Kelmscott Manor (courtesy of The Society of Antiquaries)

Our next away trip is to Northumbria from Tuesday 16th May to Saturday 20th May 2023. We will be based in Newcastle at the 4* Hotel Indigo. Our visit will include Harewood House and gardens, Laing Art Gallery, Durham Cathedral, Barnard Castle (Bowes Museum) and Escomb. 

We will also go to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne with a garden designed by Gertrude Jekyll and a Gospel Garden. The Castle on the Island was built in 1550 and converted into a private house by Edward Lutyens in 1903. 

And we will visit Alnwick Castle surrounded by 'Capability' Brown landscape, and Nostell Priory. 

For more information please contact Gill Grunwald on 07801 554760

Photo: Newcastle upon Tyne at night

MORNING VISIT (Start time 10:45am)

Our visit in 2020 had to be postponed due to the Covid pandemic, so we were delighted to discover that Behind-the-Scenes tours have now recommenced at the Royal Opera House.

The tour will take about 1¼ hours and will cover the history of the theatre, details about how productions are staged and include access to spaces that are normally off-limits to the public.

As you will know, the Royal Opera House is a fully working theatre. Each tour is unique and may vary according to what is available on the day.

The price is £15 per person

Please contact Jane Crang as soon as you can if you would like to go on the tour. This can be done by emailing her at tasswl.visits@gmail.com.

Once a place has been confirmed by Jane, we would be grateful for payment by bank transfer using 'ROH' as the reference.

Bank Details are as follows:

The Arts Society SW London (TAS SW London)
Sort Code: 40-02-35
Account No.: 5113 2032

If the tour proves very popular, we may split the party so that one group sets off at 10:45 am and another at 11:15 am. We will be able to advise once numbers are known.

The address of The Royal Opera House is Bow Street, London, WC2E 9DD. See below for travel options and details about accessibility

Travel to the Royal Opera House:

The nearest underground station is Covent Garden, the alternatives (involving walks of about 10 minutes) being Leicester Square, Charing Cross, Embankment, Temple, Holborn and Tottenham Court Road.

The nearest mainline train stations are Charing Cross (0.5 miles) and London Waterloo (just under1 mile).

The bus stops closest to the Royal Opera House are Aldwych, Drury Lane and Leicester Square Station.

Information about Accessibility:

The Royal Opera House is a large building with long corridors and many stairs. You are required to walk distances and stand for the duration of the tour. Where possible, the guide will try to include stops where you can sit down, but this cannot be guaranteed.

The guide may provide headsets so that you don’t miss any important information. All equipment is fully sanitised after each tour, but you can bring your own headphones if you wish. (They will need to have a standard jack connection to be used with the ROH devices.)

Image: Wikimedia Creative Commons Share Alike Licence 2.0 Generic (Norio Yakayama)

Evening Visit from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm

The visit will include a guided tour followed by a buffet supper and wine.

The tour will be led by John Petrie (Windsor Herald), one of the College’s Officers of Arms, and will reveal the fascinating history of how coats of arms came to be used and the medieval role of heralds who, originally, were in charge of organising the tournaments between knights, introducing contestants and keeping the score.

Today, the heralds are involved in the granting of new coats of arms and the registration of family trees.

The evening will begin with a glass of wine while we hear about the architecture of the building. This will be followed by a visit to the Record Room where we plan to stay for an hour hearing about heraldry and examining some of the documents stored there. A number of them date back to the early 14th century. The evening will end with a buffet supper at which there will be more time for informal discussions on heraldry.

Accessibility: The College was built in the 17th century and access is via a steep flight of stairs. All the lavatories are on the Third Floor except for one on the Ground Floor within the Archive Room. Anyone needing to use the latter will need to be escorted there by our guide. Please note that we plan to spend 1 hour in the Record Room  and there are only 2 bar stools available for use there.

We are limited to 20 places for this visit.

If you are interested in going on the trip, please contact Jane Crang (tasswl.visits@gmail.com) as soon as possible.

The cost per person (to include wine and supper) is £45

Once a place has been confirmed by Jane, please make payment by bank transfer to the Society's bank account using 'RCA' as the reference. The Society's Bank Details are as follows:

The Arts Society SW London (TAS SW London)
Sort Code: 40-02-35
Account No.: 5113 2032

Those on the tour should aim to arrive at the front gate by 18:00.

The address of the College is 130 Queen Victoria Street EC4V 4BT. A car park, located opposite the College, is open 24 hours per day.

Photo: Merlin UK, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

2pm

Tours are led by Chelsea Pensioners, who tell the story of the 330-year history of the Hospital, taking in the splendour of the Grade I and II listed buildings and their artistic masterpieces. The guides bring to life the long-standing ambassadorial role of the Chelsea Pensioners, along with personal stories of their time at the Hospital.

Photo: Camster2, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

11 am

We have arranged a group visit to the Royal School of Needlework based at Hampton Court Palace for Thursday 17 November at 11 am. Places on the visit are limited to 20.

This visit will last for about 90 minutes and will begin with an illustrated talk from a member of staff. The guided tour of the exhibition ('A Girl's Education in Stitch') will follow the talk. 

The Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court is world-renowned, with a reputation for excellence in hand embroidery. They made Queen Victoria's funeral pall (in 48 hours), and embroidered cloth for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation robes. More recently, they embroidered the lace for Kate Middleton's wedding gown, veil and shoes when she married Prince William.

They have a skilled Conservation Department, and also teach online and in-person courses in hand embroidery up to degree level, for both professionals and amateurs.

For security reasons, we need to give Hampton Court a list of our members names by 27th/28th October. Please contact Jane Crang as soon as possible if you are interested. You can do this by emailing her at tasswl.visits@gmail.com.

Please note that your pass will not include entry to Hampton Court Palace or the gardens and you will need to purchase a separate ticket if you wish to tour the Palace before or after your visit with us.

Photo: c Royal School of Needlework:  GOLD THREAD STITCHING

The tour will be starting at 11.00, but it will be necessary to be there promptly at 10.45 or earlier for security checks.

Mansion House is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London. It is a Grade I listed building. Mansion House is home to a magnificent plate collection and an art collection including sculptures and the 84 Dutch paintings of the Harold Samuel Art Collection.

Photo: Mansion House. Arpingstone at English Wikipedia / Public domainAw

All day trip. Cost £65 to be paid by BACS. For more information or to book, use the contact email top right.

Lecturer: Sarah Burles

Kettle’s Yard is the University of Cambridge’s modern and contemporary art gallery. Set in a beautiful house, in a quiet corner of Cambridge, Kettle’s Yard has been newly refurbished to better host its remarkable collection of modern art and contemporary art exhibitions. The collection was built up by the previous owners, Jim and Helen Ede, and includes paintings by Ben and Winifred Nicholson, Alfred Wallis, Christopher Wood, David Jones and Joan Miro, as well as sculptures by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, Constantin Brancusi, Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. The visit will include two lectures on the house and its contents and tours of the house and the current exhibition.

Sarah Burles studied History of Art at Cambridge University, before completing a master’s degree at the University of London. She has worked in museums and galleries for over 25 years, including at the Fitzwilliam Museum for 12 years. Sarah also works as a Tour Director for Ace Cultural Tours and is an accredited lecturer for the Arts Society.

Photo: Kettle’s Yard exterior/Andrew Dunn, 4 November 2004/Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

This visit, originally planned for last year, has now been rescheduled. 

All day coach trip from Dryburgh Hall, Putney Leisure Centre. Cost £55 to be paid by BACS. For more information or to book a place, use the contact email top right.

Dorney Court is a Tudor Manor House dating from around 1440, with some Victorian reconstruction. The oldest part of the house is the panelled parlour with fine examples of antique furniture. The great hall contains linenfold panelling from Faversham Abbey. Dorneywood was originally a Georgian farmhouse with Victorian additions, and was remodelled in 1919 by Sir Robert Lorimer. It is now a country home for a senior member of the Government, usually a Secretary of State or Minister of the Crown.

Photo: Dorney Court/Jo Turner/Dorney Court, Dorney, Windsor

ST MARY'S CHURCH, BARNES
TICKETS NOT YET ON SALE

We are delighted that Dr Florian Schweizer, Chief Executive of The Arts Society, will  join us for a lecture by Arts Society lecturer, Patrick Craig, entitled

La Serenissima – The Golden Era of Music in Venice’

The evening will include champagne and nibbles

Photo: Youflavio, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

2pm  £7 per person

This charming museum, founded by two cinema enthusiasts in 1986,is devoted to keeping alive the spirit of cinema from the days before the multiplex.  It houses a unique collection of artefacts, memorabilia and equipment that preserves the history and spirit of cinema from the 1890s to the present day. These include valuable posters and parts of cinema interiors.  The museum is housed in a building which was once a workhouse where Charlie Chaplin lived as a child

To book a place, email the Visits Secretary, Jane Crang, or use the contact facility top right

Photo: Edwardx / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

11am Cost £12

The Museum of Brands in London examines the history of consumer culture from Victorian times to the present day.
The museum puts our favourite brands into their historical context, along with royal coronations, two world wars, man landing on the moon and right up to the digital age.
Our visit starts with an introductory talk, lasting approximately 25 minutes, followed by a self-guided tour around the museum.

Click here for more information and booking form

Photo: Museum of Brands/Ann Lee/CC BY-SA 4.2, via Wikimedia Commons

A five day, four night, tour is being specially arranged by the Arts Society SW London from Tuesday 18th – Saturday 22nd May 2021

The County of Derbyshire is home to a number of Britain’s finest stately homes. Our visits range from the medieval charms of Haddon Hall to the Palladian grace of Chatsworth. We will be based in the spa town of Buxton. One of the highlights of the tour will be a visit to the recently restored Grade I listed country house of Wentworth Woodhouse which has a very interesting past.

En route we will visit Compton Verney, and next day we will visit Chatsworth Hall to see the painted ceilings, furniture by Kent and Boule, and tapestries from Mortlake and Brussels. On day three we go to Haddon Hall, a medieval and Tudor manor house dating back to William the Conqueror, and then to Hardwick Hall designed by Robert Smythson for Beth of Hardwick. The highlight of day four is Wentworth Woodhouse, one of the most impressive houses in England. There has been major restoration since 2017 and there is a magnificent pillared hall and marble saloon. We will also go to the David Mellor Design Museum in Hathersage. On the return journey we will visit Renishaw Hall, the home of the Sitwell family, set in spectacular parkland which includes an Italianate Renaissance garden.

Booking closed at end of December

The Study Day linked to the tour - “Opening Doors”a brief history of the houses we will be visiting - will be on April 13th and David Winpenny will wet our appetite for the forthcoming trip.
For more information please contact:
Caroline Walker.
07776135745.

Photo: Haddon Hall. Tom Parnell from Scottish Borders, Scotland / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

Guided tour with Pepe Martinez

It is hard to imagine that only 250 years ago this area was all just farmland. Today it is one of London's most glittering and vibrant districts. This one hour virtual tour will introduce you to some of its highlights, including a world famous museum and a world famous broadcaster. We will meet a world famous nurse, see a world famous concert hall and see some of the most spectactular homes ever built in London.

Photo: Marylebone High Street. CVB, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Alnwick Castle is the seat of the Dukes of Northumberland, Alnwick Castle started life as a fortress.  It was comprehensively restored first by Robert Adam and later by Salvin during the Victorian medieval revival.  The state rooms are described by Simon Jenkins as among the finest Victorian rooms in England.  Daniel Watkins, keeper of these rooms will introduce you to these, describing their architectural detail, fine furniture, pictures and porcelain.
We usually charge for visits, but the committee decided that we would offer this as a free tour to members to make up in part for our reduced number of visits over the last year. 

Photo: Alnwick Castle by gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

11.00 am on Zoom

Details about how to register for this virtual visit have already been emailed to members, but if anyone wants more information you can contact us by using the contact facility above right.

Pepe Martinez is an award-winning blue badge guide who has lived in the east end all his life. He says:

'The East End is one of London’s most fascinating and dynamic districts.  It is essentially the story of immigration, wave after wave of people coming to London to seek refuge, looking for a better life. 

'The Old East End Virtual tour tells their story using powerful images, video and Google street view. Our journey takes us from the arrival of French Huguenots in the 1680s through to the more than 10,000 Jewish Kindertransport children who arrived at Liverpool Street station in 1939.'

We ask you to pay £5 to join this visit.

Photo: Statue of Jewish Kindertransport children at the entrance to Liverpool Street Station by Loco Steve from Bromley, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

General information about booking visits

11am and 2pm

A guided Heritage Tour of Orleans House Gallery, home to the Richmond Borough Art Collection, including the Study Gallery which explores local history and the beautiful Grade I listed Octagon Room. A ‘Connoiseurs’ Tour’ of Sandycombe Lodge, the recently restored house and garden of the artist JMW Turner, who designed it as his ‘own house in the country’, a retreat, where he could live with his father, away from the pressures of the art world.

Prior booking is required and a charge is made.

Photo: Orleans House

This visit has now been cancelled

Information and booking form for visit to the Royal Pavilion, Brighton

Trains to Brighton

General information about booking visits

Booking for this visit opened at the lecture on Monday March 9th and places are still available. Payment by cheque will be needed at time of booking to secure a place

The Royal Pavilion started as a modest 18th century lodging house. Architect Henry Holland helped George, Prince of Wales, transform his humble seaside retreat into a handsome neoclassical villa – known as the Marine Pavilion. John Nash redesigned the building in the Indian style. We will have an extensive guided tour lasting 90 minutes. In addition, you can also visit the Brighton museum and art gallery in the Royal Pavilion gardens in your own time.

Prior booking is required and a charge is made.

Photo: Royal Pavilion, Brighton/Txllxt TxllxT [CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This visit has now been cancelled

General information about booking visits

Information and booking form for walking tour of King's Cross and guided tour of St Pancras Renaissance Hotel

Booking for this visit will opened at the lecture on Monday March 9th. Numbers are limited to 25 for the King's Cross walking tour, and to 15 for the tour of the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. Payment by cheque at the time of booking is required to secure places

A tour of the area around St Pancras and King’s Cross stations will include: Heatherwick’s ‘Kissing Roofs’ Shopping Mall; the Gasholder Apartments; Aga Khan Centre; University of the Arts.

St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, was designed by George Gilbert Scott in 1873. Following use as railway offices, it received Grade I listed status and re-opened as a luxury hotel in 2011. Its interior is as spectacular as the exterior with many original features, and its showpiece, the Grand Staircase.

Booking is required and a charge is made

Photo: St Pancras Renaissance Hotel: Dhowes9/CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This away trip has been cancelled

A six day, 5 night, tour is being specially arranged by the Arts Society SW London from Wednesday May 13 - Monday May 18 2020

On the day after arrival, we will have a guided walking tour of Naples, visiting the Convent of Santa Chiara which has been sympathetically restored after its destruction during World War II and whose cloister is one of the most photographed corners of Naples. We also visit  the Cappella Sansevero, the burial chapel of the di Sangro family which is full of sculptural monuments, including the renowned “Cristo Velato” by Giuseppe Sammartino. Then we continue to the Palazzo Reale to view its halls filled with furniture, tapestries, paintings and porcelain. In the afternoon we visit the recently excavated Greek-Roman remains under the church of San Lorenzo Maggiore.

Our second day will include visits to see Caravaggio’s “Seven Acts of Mercy” and “The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula” before going to the Duomo with its wonderful Capella di San Gennaro, filled with silver busts of saints. We continue to the Museo di Capodimonte, with its magnificent collection of Italian paintings, including Titian, Botticelli, Perugino and Raphael.

 The third day involves a hydrofoil crossing to the island of Ischia, and a guided tour of the old town. In the afternoon we visit the Giardini la Mortella, Lady Walton’s spectacular garden.

 On the following day, we have a guided tour of Herculaneum, followed by a visit to Oplontis to visit the well-preserved Villa Poppea, which was the home of Nero’s wife.

 The last day has a guided tour of the world-acclaimed Museo Nazionale  Archaeologico.

Photo: Evening view of Naples from Camaldoli by Massimo Finizio

Please contact Isobel Hewens on 020 8789 0047

General information about booking visits

This visit has now been cancelled as the Opera House is closed until further notice. Anyone who booked should have heard directly from Elizabeth Hamilton that their cheques will be shredded unless they advise otherwise

Information and booking form for the backstage tour of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

10.30 am

A visit to one of the world’s leading opera houses as it prepares to open its doors for the evening performance. The Backstage Tour includes an introduction to its colourful history, an insight into the re-development of the Royal Opera House and a look at aspects of current productions. Tours may include opportunities to see The Royal Ballet in class, or the magnificent backstage technology in operation.

Prior booking is required and a charge of £15 will be made

Photo: Royal Opera House interior/Norio Nakayama from Saitama, Japan/CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This visit is now fully booked. 

General information about booking visits

Information and booking form for the visit to The Charterhouse and St Bartholomew's Hospital 

11AM AND 2PM

A guided tour of The Charterhouse, originally a Carthusian Monastery founded in 1348, then a private mansion after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, now a complex of alms houses.

A visit to St Bartholomew’s Hospital Museum and a tour of St Bartholomew the Great and St Bartholomew the Less churches, the Hospital Square, North Wing and Great Hall, all designed by James Gibbs, finishes in the Hospital’s Museum and Archive, where Hogarth’s famous Biblical paintings can be seen.

Prior booking is required and a charge is made

Information about booking visits

Booking opens for this visit at the lecture on July 8th

Information about the Goldsmiths' Hall visit and booking form

12 NOON

The Goldsmiths' Livery Company received its Royal Charter in 1327. One of London’s hidden architectural treasures, the present Hall was designed by Philip Hardwick after 1922. It narrowly escaped complete destruction by a bomb in 1941. It was faithfully restored after 1945 and internally modified and retains much of the charm of an urban palazzo. It regulates the craft of the goldsmith, and exhibitions and events promote contemporary jewellers and silversmiths.

Prior booking is required and a charge is made.

Photo: Goldsmiths’ Hall engraving By Unknown colourist. From an engraving by Thomas Shepherd (1792–1864) or alternatively Henry Albert Payne (dates unknown) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Information about booking visits

Booking for this visit opens at the leture on Monday June 10th

11 AM

Information about the visit to the Stanley Picker House

The Stanley Picker House was designed in 1968 by the British Modernist architect, Kenneth Wood, for the businessman Stanley H Picker (1913 -1982). Built on steeply sloping ground, the house is split-level and open plan, designed to show off Picker’s art collection, which includes work by Marc Chagall, Barbara Hepworth and LS Lowry. A private gallery in the garden displays Picker’s collection of artworks, all purchased for their aesthetic appeal rather than as investments.

Prior booking is required and a charge is made.

A five day tour specially arranged by The Arts Society South West London

A specially planned and stimulating five day tour of the City of Liverpool and surrounding area has been arranged.  The wealth of history and cultural heritage to explore in Liverpool is astonishing.  It is a city brimming with impressive art and architecture.  The City and the surrounding region has something to offer to everyone.

We will travel to Liverpool by coach stopping part-way for a visit to the beautiful manor of Little Moreton Hall with its lovely wall paintings and Knot Garden

In Liverpool we will have a local specialist guide and the tour encompasses the best that Liverpool has to offer.   Highlights include a private visit to St George’s Hall, one of the best assembly halls in England and visits to both magnificent Cathedrals as well as other delights such as the Sefton Palm House and the wonderful Walker Art Gallery housing paintings from Rubens and Rembrandt through to Degas, Turner and Gainsborough.

On day two we explore the surrounding area with a visit to Antony Gormley’s haunting modern sculpture ‘Another Place’ combined with a trip to the picturesque garden village of Port Sunlight and the Lady Lever Art Gallery.

Day three focuses on Liverpool’s famous docks with time spent exploring Albert Dock, including a small cruise.  We will also visit the Tate Gallery, followed in the afternoon with a visit to Speke Hall. 

The trip home includes a private guided visit to Boughton House with its notable works of art and beautiful gardens.

Please contact Isobel Hewens on 020 8789 0047

Photo: Liverpool cathedral at dusk by Chowells/CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY 2.5  via Wikimedia Commons

Information about booking visits

Booking for this visit opens at the lecture on July 8th

Information and booking form for visit to the Cast Courts at the V&A

Opened in 1873, the newly refurbished Cast Courts at the Victoria and Albert Museum display copies of some of the world's most significant works of art reproduced in plaster, electrotype, photography, and digital media. The cast collection is famous for including reproductions of Michelangelo's David, Trajan's Column, and Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise, amongst many others.

Elizabeth Hamilton, our own Arts Society member and V&A Guide, will explain the origins of  the collection of casts with its surprising relevance today and then discuss the development from cast to contemporary 3-D laser printing.

 Photo: Ethan Doyle White at English Wikipedia [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

Coach trip from Dryburgh Hall – all day visit

One place is still available for this visit. If more than one person applies, they will be put on a waiting list in case of last minute cancellations.

Information about booking visits

Information about the visit to Lullingstone Castle and Lulllngstone Roman Villa and booking form

Booking opened at the lecture on March 11th

Lullingstone Castle dates back to the Domesday. The present manor house and gatehouse overlook a stunning 15-acre lake and are home to Tom Hart Dyke’s World Garden of botanical plants from around the globe. The parish church of St Botolph’s has some of the oldest stained-glass windows in England.

Nearby Lullingstone Roman Villa has spectacular mosaics, a heated bath suite, early evidence of Christianity in a ‘house church’, with pagan worship rooms below.

Prior booking is required and a charge is made.

Information about booking visits

Booking opened at the lecture on March 11th

Information and booking form for Eltham Palace visit

11 AM

Guided tour of house and free visit to gardens

Eltham is an unique marriage between a medieval and Tudor palace and a 1930s millionaire’s mansion. From the 14th to the 16th centuries it was an important royal palace, where monarchs often stayed and hunted in the surrounding parks. After centuries of neglect, Eltham was leased to Stephen and Virginia Courtauld in 1933, who built an up-to-the minute house that incorporated the great hall, creating a masterpiece of 20th century art deco design.

Prior booking is required and a charge is made.

Photo: Eltham Palace with moat in foreground by Poliphilo [CC0], from Wikimedia Commons

Information about booking visits

Information about visit to Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery and booking form

This visit is now fully booked

The house  was owned from 1800 to 1810 by the architect John Soane, who radically rebuilt it. Soane intended it as a country villa for entertaining and eventually for passing to his elder son.

In March 2019, following a major £12m conservation and revitalization project, Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery will be reopening to the public returning Pitzhanger to Soane’s original design, visible for the first time in over 175 years. Visitors will be able to explore Soane’s architecture up close, giving an insight into the mind of one of Britain’s most influential and idiosyncratic architects.

Pitzhanger Gallery is housed in the 1939 Ealing public lending library, built on the site of Soane’s kitchen block.  The central gallery has its own domed skylights, inspired by Soane and an additional gallery space has been built, equipped with environmental controls. The Gallery will present  Anish Kapoor sculptures that echo Soanes complex use of mirrors and light to double and dissolve space.

Photo: Mark Percy / Pitzhanger Manor / CC BY-SA 2.0

Information about booking visits

Information about visit to Marlborough House and booking form for the afternoon visit

Both the morning visit and the additional afternoon visit are now fully booked

Designed by Christopher Wren and built in 1709-11, Marlborough House served as the town house of the Dukes of Marlborough until it reverted to the Crown in 1817. Today it is the seat of the Commonwealth Secretariat. The Fine Rooms are decorated with exquisite murals, tapestries, paintings and sculptures, which tell the history of the building and its occupants. The gardens retain their 18th century layout of gravel paths and lawns.

Photo: Marlborough House/David Purchase  

Information about booking visits

Booking is now open. Click here to download a booking form

Thomas Coram, a shipbuilder and philanthropist established the foundling hospital which opened in 1739 in Bloomsbury thanks in part to the support of William Hogarth and George Frederic Handel. It was the first public art gallery and we will have a guided tour lasting approximately one hour. The museum explores the history of the Foundling Hospital, the first children’s charity, and includes an exhibition about remarkable women.

Prior booking is required and a charge is made.

Photo: Foundling Museum/Tony Hisgett/CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Information about booking visits

Information about the visit to the Heath Robinson Museum

Booking opened at the lecture on Monday July 9th. One place is still available

11 AM

Heath Robinson was a leading illustrator at the start of the 20th century. Though he saw himself as a serious artist and painted landscapes and imagined scenes for his own enjoyment, he turned to humorous drawing to maintain his income and this eventually dominated.   There will be a curator’s tour of the museum, with its original artwork and books, and a temporary exhibition on Surrealist furniture.   

Heath Robinson illustration @ William Heath Robinson Trust

Prior booking is required and a charge is made.

General information about booking visits

Information about visit to the Royal College of Physicians

Booking for this visit opened at the lecture on Monday June 11th

10.30 am

The Royal College of Physicians is a Grade 1 listed ‘modern masterpiece’ designed by the architect, Denys Lascun, and opened in 1964. There will be a guided tour of the building, visiting the collections of the Royal College of Physicians, gathered over five centuries since its foundation by Royal Charter of Henry VII in 1518, learning about the architecture of the building and history of the collections.

In the afternoon, there will be an optional visit to the Fitzrovia Chapel, which is about 15 minutes’ walk away from the Royal College of Physicians, in Pearson Square. It will, quite unusually, be open to the public and we have permission for members to visit individually for a self-guided tour and to see the art exhbition.

Photo: The Royal College of Physicians by Paul the Archivist [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

Information about booking visits

Information about the visit to Emery Walker's House and Kelmscott House

Booking for these visits opened at the lecture on May 14th

11 AM

Emery Walker’s house, an Arts and Crafts gem which still retains the feeling of a family home, contains Morris and Company textiles, wallpaper and furniture and other items designed by Philip Webb.  Kelmscott House has a number of Kelmscott Press titles and working proofs, a comprehensive collection of Morris and Compnay wallpapers, watercolour designs and a selection of textiles.

Prior booking is required and a charge is made.

Coach trip from Dryburgh Hall

Booking for this visit opened at the lecture on March 13th. 

​Full details about the all-day visit

​General information about booking visits

Rodmarton Manor was built and all its furniture made for the Biddulph family according to Arts and Crafts ideals by Sidney and Ernest Barnsley and the Cotswold group of Craftsmen.  The Arts and Crafts garden of outdoor rooms, topiary, high brick walls and interesting planting is renowned.

Chavenage House, where we will have lunch, is a beautiful 16th century house. Notable features are two tapestry rooms, stained glass windows in the Great Hall and elaborate 1590 panelling in the Oak Room.

This visit is now fully booked

​Information about the visit to Sir John Soane's Museum

Information about booking visits

The historic house, museum and library of Sir John Soane has been left untouched since his death. The museum contains an eclectic mix of objects displayed in a creative way and each room is a work of art in its own right.  A recently completed £7 million project has restored previously unseen parts of the building.  The visit will include an introductory talk by one of the expert staff, followed by a self guided tour.

Photo: Sir John Soane’s Museum/Acroterion (Own work)/CC BY-SA 3.0/GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons

A six day tour specially arranged by The Arts Society South West London

On our first day we will have a guided walking tour of the city and visit the reconstructed Frauenkirche.  We will visit the Royal Palace and have an audio guide tour of the historic Green Vaults.

We will journey to Colditz Castle, notorious as a prisoner of war camp in World War II.  Later, in Dresden, we visit the Zwinger Palace, the old fortress of Dresden.  In a tour of the Old Masters’ Gallery we will see work by Rubens, Rembrandt and other famous artists and a wonderful Meissen porcelain gallery. 

Next day we go to Pillnitz Castle and its gardens.  With its flying buttresses and chimneys ornamented with crowns, this is the only Chinese castle of its size in Europe.  From Koenigstein we enjoy a paddle steamer cruise along the River Elbe to view the splendour of the Saxony Alps.

Having had a tour next morning of the Meissen Porcelain Museum, we take a panoramic lift to see the town of Meissen.  After visiting the Cathedral, we will go to the nearby 15th century Albrechtsburg Castle, towering majestically over the picturesque Elbe River valley.

On our final day we travel on a narrow gauge steam train to Moritzburg where our last visit is to Moritzburg Castle, the famous Baroque hunting and pleasure castle of Augustus the Strong.

Please contact Isobel Hewens on 020 8789 0047

​Photo: Pillnitz Castle by Nikater (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Booking for this visit opened at the lecture on January 8th. Places are still available.

​Information about the visit to the Fashion and Textile Museum

​Information about booking visits

The Museum, founded by iconic British designer Zandra Rhodes, is a cutting edge centre for contemporary fashion, textiles and jewellery.  The centre runs a programme of changing exhibitions in a fantastic building designed by Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta. It does not have a permanent display, but offers an exciting programme of focused temporary exhibitions, allowing the Museum to showcase a rich variety of contemporary fashion and textile items.  

Photo: The Fashion and Textile Museum/Ewan Munro from London, UK/CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Prior booking is required and a charge is made.

Booking for this visit opened at the lecture on December 11th. Places are still available.

Information about booking visits

Full details about the visit

The Musical Museum at Brentford contains one of the world’s foremost collections of self-playing musical instruments.  From the tiniest of clockwork music boxes to the Mighty Wurlitzer, the collection embraces an impressive and comprehensive array of sophisticated reproducing pianos, orchestrions, orchestrelles, residence organs and violin players.  The tour includes live demonstrations of self-playing instruments and the Mighty Wurlitzer.

​The visit starts at 11am. A charge is made and prior booking is required

Booking for this visit opened at the lecture on September 11th. Places are still available

Information about booking visits

Full details about the visit

This collection of Modern Art is housed in a Grade II listed Georgian building. It brings together important works by Italian artists from the first half of the 20th century and is known internationally for its Futurist works, and for figurative art and sculpture dating from 1890 to the 1950s. A private curator’s tour has been arranged which will include the permanent collection and any temporary exhibition. 

The visit starts at 11 am. A charge is made and prior booking is required

​Picture: Modern Idol by Umberto Boccioni [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons

Booking for this visit opened at the lecture on July 10th

Information about booking visits

Full details of the visit to the Acton art and poster store

The store contains one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of transport posters and art which are rarely seen by the public. Over one hundred years ago Frank Pick commissioned the first graphic poster for London Underground. Under his guidance London Transport went on to commission works from some of the world’s best known artists, including Man Ray, Abraham Games and Edward McKnight Kauffer.

The visit starts at 11.30 am. A charge is made and prior booking is required

​Picture: Poster/The Open Road – Fresh Air and Sunshine, by Walter E Spradbery, 1914/London Transport Museum © Transport for London.

Booking for this visit opened at the lecture on June 12th

Information about booking visits

Full details about visit to 2 Willow Road and Hampstead Village

This unique Modernist home was designed by architect Erno Goldfinger in 1939 for himself and his family. With surprising design details that were groundbreaking at the time and still feel fresh today, the house also contains the Goldfingers’ impressive collection of modern art, innovative furniture and intriguing personal possessions. The guided tour will be followed by lunch in one of Hampstead’s pubs and a walking tour round Hampstead village.  

The visit starts at 11 am. A charge is made and prior booking is required

​Picture: 1-2-3 Willow Road/Timffl~commonswiki (Own work) [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons

Booking for this visit opened at the lecture on March 13th

Information about booking visits

Full details about visit to Firle Place and Ditchling

​Lunch options at White Horse Inn Ditchling. A choice needs to be made on booking

Coach trip from Dryburgh Hall – all day visit  

Firle Place has been in the Gage family, which has been part of the major history of both this country and America, for over 500 years. It shelters in the South Downs and is part of the South Downs National Park. It contains 15th to 19th century paintings and porcelain and is a house of hidden treasures. After a pub lunch we will visit Ditchling. This beautiful Downland village is internationally recognised as one of the major sites for the British Applied Arts movement in the 20th century. On a guided museum tour and guided village walk, we will hear inspiring stories about the artists and craftspeople who lived and worked here, including Eric Gill (sculptor and typeface designer), Sir Frank Brangwyn, (artistic jack-of-all-trades) Ethel Mairet (weaver) and Edward Johnston (calligrapher).

Picture: Firle Place/Martin John Bishop/CC BY-SA 2.0.

A five day tour specially arranged by SW London DFAS 

 Based in the historic city of York, we will visit the Minster, Fairfax House, which is a fine Georgian town house, and the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, one of the finest medieval guildhalls in Europe.

We will travel to Beverley Minster, noted for its Gothic exterior, Norman nave and medieval stained glass. At Burton Agnes Hall, the work of the Tudor architect Robert Smythson, we will see fine carving and complex plaster work. The day finishes with a visit to Sledmere House and Gardens. The house contains a fine collection of Chippendale furniture and the gardens were planned by ‘Capability’ Brown.

Next day we will have a private tour of Castle Howard, one of Vanbrugh’s masterpieces, before going to Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Gardens, which have World Heritage status. Our final visit of the day will be to Markenfield Hall, a beautiful 14th century moated farmstead, described as one of Yorkshire’s ‘best kept secrets’.

On our last day we will go to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where work by eminent artists such as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth is displayed in a stunning natural setting. Our final visit will be to Nostell Priory, a James Paine house, with Robert Adam interiors and Chippendale furniture.  

Please contact Isobel Hewens on 020 8789 0047

Picture: Beverley Minster Ceiling/Mattana (Own work) [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons.

Booking for this visit opened at the lecture on February 13th

Information about booking visits

Full details about the Benjamin Franklin house visit

The house, built circa 1730, is architecturally significant. It holds a Grade I listing and retains the majority of its original features. The guided architectural tour will cover the Georgian features of the house, together with its fascinating history, encompassing Franklin’s long residence and the comprehensive conservation project that saved it from dereliction. 

It is also hoped, once booking for 2017 is open, to arrange a visit in the morning to the Royal Opera House.  

Picture: Benjamin Franklin House/Elliott Brown from Birmingham, UK/CC BY-SA 2.0.

The visit starts at 2pm. A charge is made and prior booking is required

This visit is now fully booked

Information about booking visits

Full details about the visit

The Queen’s House has been newly refurbished and a guided tour from an expert will describe its stunning art, architecture and royal heritage. This will be followed by a visit to the ‘Emma Hamilton: Seduction and Celebrity’ exhibition at the National Maritime Museum. The exhibition tells her compelling story through exceptional art, antiquities, costumes, prints and caricatures.

The visit starts at 10.30 am. A charge is made and prior booking is required

Picture: Tulip stairs, Queen’s House/Mcginnly/CC BY-SA 3.0

This visit is now fully booked

Information about booking visits

Full details about the Faringdon Collection visit

The Faringdon Collection includes paintings by Rembrandt, Reynolds, Rubens, van Dyck and Murillo. British art, especially of the 19th and 20th centuries, is particularly well represented, with some outstanding works by the Pre-Raphaelite artists Burne-Jones and Rossetti. The London-based part of the collection is only open by appointment and a private tour and guidebook is included. 

The visit starts at 2pm. A charge is made and prior booking is required

Picture: Faringdon Collection interior/Faringdon Collection

Booking for this visit is now open

Information about booking visits

The Charterhouse in the City is a former Carthusian monastery which, since the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century, has served as a private mansion, a boys’ school and an almshouse, which it remains to this day. The Medieval monastery and Tudor Mansion House have been described as one of London’s best kept secrets.

The visit starts at 2.15pm. A charge is made and prior booking is required

Photo © credit: The Charterhouse: Wikimedia/Wellcome Images

Booking for this visit is now open

Information about booking visits

Dorich House, Kingston, is the former home of the internationally acclaimed Estonian sculptor Dora Gordine and it houses the major collection of her bronzes, paintings and drawings and also a superb collection of Russian imperial art gathered by her husband, the Hon. Richard Hare. The two studios, gallery and top floor apartment were all designed by Gordine herself in 1935/36 and have often been used as sets for films and TV programmes.

The visit starts at 2pm. A charge is made and prior booking is required

Photo © credit: Russian Merchant, Dorich House: Wikimedia/Anon

Booking for this visit is now open

Information about booking visits

This magnificent 18th century town house, with State Rooms designed by Vardy and James ‘Athenian’ Stuart, has recently regained full splendour after a ten year renovation. The tour will include the spectacular Palm Room, with its gilded palm trees and arched fronds, and the elegant mural decorations of the Painted Room. There is also a fine collection of 18th century paintings and furniture.

The visit starts at 11 am. A charge is made and prior booking is required

Photo © credit: Spencer House: Wikimedia/Bluedog423

Click here for full details of the visit

11am

A new visit has been arranged because the Globe and the Tate have launched a unique opportunity, available for this year only.

It will begin with a guided tour of the Globe Theatre.  Following a break for lunch (not provided but there are many venues locally) we can view the Globe’s exhibition about Shakespeare and the London of the period and there will be a demonstration of Elizabethan dressing.  After this there will be a guided tour of Tate Modern.

Price £25.

To book a place contact Gwen Hewitt on 020 8788 8066.  We will also be taking bookings at the Summer Party on July 11th

Photo: Wikimedia/Sourav Niyogi

Booking for this visit opens at the lecture on March 14th

Information about booking visits

Coach trip from

Dryburgh Hall

In the morning we will visit Pallant House Gallery, which houses one of the best 20th century art collections in the world. There will be a guided tour, after which there will be time for lunch, either in the Gallery cafe or in Chichester. During the afternoon we will visit Parham House, which is one of the finest Elizabethan houses in the country, complete with a Great Hall and Long Gallery. After the tour of the house there will be time to explore the beautiful garden for which Parham is renowned and which should be at its best in June.

A charge is made and prior booking is required

Photo © credit: Parham House: Wikimedia/Margaret Anne Clarke

This tour is now fully booked with a waiting list

14–19 June 2016 

A six day tour specially arranged by SW London DFAS

Our next trip abroad will be to Italy to the Veneto. We will be based in Vicenza, the great city of Palladio. Here we will see the Teatro Olympico, Europe’s oldest surviving indoor theatre, and the Villa Capra, ‘La Rotunda’, overlooking the town, built as a belvedere. We will visit Padua, one of Italy’s oldest university towns, to see the beautiful frescoes in the Cappella Scrovegni. On our day in Verona we will go to the famous Roman amphitheatre and to the ancient Sant’Anastasia church, home to several important works of art, including medieval masterpieces. This was built in the 14th and 15th centuries over an existing church. We will see paintings by Mantegna and by great Renaissance Veronese artists in the Museo di Castelvecchio. Other villas designed by Palladio that we will visit during the trip are the Villa Foscari, ‘La Malcontenta’ and the Villa Barbaro.

We will stay in a centrally located four star hotel, with time to explore Vicenza.

Please contact Isobel Hewens on 020 8789 0047

Photo: Villa Capra “La Rotunda”

Booking for this visit opens at at the lecture on March 14th

Information about booking visits

Lambeth Palace has been the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury for nearly 800 years and this tour will include the state rooms, the chapel, atrium, crypt and the Great Hall. After the tour there will be time to explore the garden, which has been in existence since the 12th century and comprises 10 acres of curved walkways, belts of trees and informal landscaping.

The visit starts at 2pm. A charge is made and prior booking is required.

Photo © credit: Lambeth Palace (exterior): Wikimedia/Fae

Booking for this visit opened at the January 11th lecture

Information about booking visits

The museum has collections on British Jewish life, history and identity. Situated near Regent’s Park, the museum contains silver and gold ceremonial objects and a beautiful Ark from 15th century Italy. There will be a short talk before a self-guided tour of the gallery, which will be displaying two exhibitions. This should be a wonderful opportunity to find out more about the history of the Jews in England.

The visit starts at 11 am. A charge is made and prior booking is required

 Photo © credit: Vanitas Painting, Jewish Museum: Wikimedia/Godines, Benjamin Senior

This visit is now fully booked

Information about booking visits

To coincide with its 150th anniversary, the Guildhall Art Gallery has undergone a radical re-hang of its collection, with greatly improved illumination of the art works, thanks to a state of the art lighting scheme. The gallery is one of London’s hidden gems with a remarkable collection of Victorian and Pre-Raphaelite paintings. There will be a guided tour of the gallery and a chance to see the ruins of the Roman amphitheatre.

The visit starts at 11 am. A charge is made and prior booking is required.

Photo © credit: Guildhall Gallery: Wikimedia/Secretlondon