2022 Bulletin - UK and Ireland | March 2022 by ACE Cultural Tours

ACE CULTURAL TOURS

2022 BULLETIN UK & Ireland

York Minster – York Early Music Festival

Cover: The Abbey House Gardens (LR JESTER / CC BY 2.0)

8–9 Welcome

Contents

Welcome to ACE’s new publication showcasing selected departures from our collection of 2022 tours taking place across the UK and Ireland.

Derbyshire Halls & Houses

4–5

Art Collections & Stately Homes of the West Country

6–7

Great Scottish Houses of the Enlightenment

8–9

We are delighted to present some new releases, including a captivating itinerary exploring Great Scottish Houses of the Enlightenment in and around Edinburgh, and a return to the West Country to explore some of its finest stately homes, including the remarkable Longford Castle, containing a world-class art collection. For music lovers, we are pleased to feature tours to a number of the UK’s best classical music festivals, including Aldeburgh Festival, York Early Music Festival and the Three Choirs Festival, which this year will take place in Hereford.

Country Houses of North Norfolk

10–11

Isle of Wight

12–13

Gardens of the Republic of Ireland

14–15

Ireland’s Ancient Heartland

16–17

York Early Music Festival

18–19

Constable & Gainsborough in Suffolk

20–21

Buxton International Festival

22–23

Hereford Three Choirs Festival

24–27

Dorset Country Houses

28–29

International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in Harrogate

30–31

Artists’ Houses in Sussex

32–33

As ever, each tour is led by a specialist in the field, such as architectural historian Charles Hind, Chief Curator at the Royal Institute of British Architects, who will take us inside Dorset’s splendid country houses and director and lecturer Donald Maxwell, who will introduce us to the delights of the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Harrogate. Read on to discover more, and we hope to welcome you on tour in the UK and Ireland this year.

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4–5 1

What’s new at Stapleford Granary?

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Stapleford Granary

This is the first step towards a permanent café at Stapleford Granary, opening later this year. For now, we’re serving silky smooth flat whites, cappuccinos, espressos and delicious pastries on selected Sunday mornings to coincide

with our popular 12 noon concerts. You’ll find new paintings, prints and textiles on display and a capsule collection of gifts and homewares for sale – the beginnings of our on-site shop. Our 2022 series of concerts kicked off with wonderful performances from Fretwork viols, Fidelio Trio, folk bands RANT and Salt House and jazz musicians Alan Barnes, Nikki Iles and Stan Sulzmann. We are very proud of our rolling programme of events (do take a look at the website) and we’ve recently

introduced theatre and storytelling shows for families. As ever, the Granary’s concert hall – the upper floor of the former grain barn – provides the warmest welcome, an unrivalled acoustic and the perfect intimate space for experiencing live music and creative arts. Our current solo artist exhibition (4 March – 24 May) is MIGRATION by Julian Meredith. Julian is an artist printmaker (and beekeeper) whose powerful life-size images rail against the loss of habitat and the extinction

We’re seriously excited about the newest addition to Stapleford Granary: installed in the foyer café-bar is a beautiful La Marzocco espresso machine and the aroma of locally roasted, freshly ground Butterworth’s coffee wafts down the gallery walkway.

Foyer café-bar

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Feathers by Julian Meredith

We’ll be expanding the theme of landscape and the natural world in June and July. Liz McGowan will be

exhibiting her tactile, immersive reedbased cloaks which literally wrap the environment around us. We welcome musicians who are keenly attuned to their own personal landscapes: look out for Northumbrian piper Kathryn Tickell, globally-influenced five-piece Kabantu and Sarah Nicolls who brings her incredible Inside-Out Piano and tales of wilding, food growing and being

a Cotswold farmer to the Granary. Many of our summer events take place outdoors under a huge festoon-lit tent stretched across the courtyard – a magical setting for the most memorable cultural experiences. We do hope you can join us! Kate Romano, CEO, Stapleford Granary Follow us on Twitter: @SGArtsCulture Follow us on Instagram: @StaplefordGranary

of familiar creatures. From whales and tuna to the tiny fearless shrew, these unforgettable prints in his signature Prussian blue are a timely reminder of our relationship with nature and the environment.

Julian Meredith

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Derbyshire Halls & Houses August 29 – September 2, 2022

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Bolsover Castle

Uncover Derbyshire’s historical country houses, from Haddon Hall, the quintessential medieval manor, to Kedleston Hall, Robert Adam’s beautifully restored neoclassical masterpiece Enjoy visits to private houses including Tissington Hall, Renishaw Hall and Radbourne Hall Examine world-famous collections of furniture, paintings and decorative arts The county of Derbyshire boasts several of the finest country houses in England, and this tour provides an introduction to their rich heritage. Great architecture, fabulous art collections and extraordinary families build a picture of the social life of the county from the early modern period to the present day. Visits to many of the splendid gardens associated with the houses will provide further context. 4

Renishaw Hall is a treasure trove of furniture, and Haddon Hall is a romantic medieval manor house with additions from the 13th to 18th centuries. Tissington was built in 1609, and remains home to the FitzHerbert family to this day. Also from the 17th century, Bolsover Castle dominates the This tour will be led by Oliver Gerrish, MSt, an architectural historian who studied at the University of Cambridge. Oliver is a trustee of the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust and founded their Architectural Awards, and is the former Chairman of The Young Georgians, the youth chapter of The Georgian Group. Oliver has written for Country Life, has appeared in a number of BBC and ITV television series on architecture, and has organised and led numerous tours to many of Britain’s historical buildings.

surrounding countryside from its hilltop perch: it was once the most fashionable of society venues, even hosting a Ben Jonson masque in 1634 in honour of a visit by Charles I. Hardwick Hall, famously ‘more glass than wall’, is an outstanding Elizabethan prodigy house, built for the notable and formidable patron Bess of Hardwick. Surrounded by extensive parkland, it is home to beautiful Elizabethan embroideries and tapestries – some of the finest in the country – and rare 16th century French walnut furniture. Kedleston Hall is a magnificent 18th century mansion designed by the famous Robert Adam as a ‘temple of the arts’, and 2017 saw the completion of a 30 year restoration of its State Floor. We also look forward to a special private visit to Radbourne Hall, a Grade I listed Georgian country house on an estate that has been held by the Chandos family since the Norman Conquest. Rarely open to the public, the house was built around 1739, and was restored in the 1950s by John Fowler and again in recent years by

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Haddon Hall

Peregrine Bryant Architects. It is home to a fine collection of paintings by Joseph Wright of Derby.

“Oliver is an outstanding guide”

ITINERARY Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change. Due to the special nature of the visits, some may be confirmed nearer the time. Please rest assured that if it is not possible to visit a particular property, another will be substituted. We cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks listed.

A further highlight of the tour will be the beautiful gardens at Melbourne Hall, considered the best surviving early 18th century garden in England in the manner of the famous French landscape designer André Le Notre. We will enjoy a visit to the delightful house, which remains a lived-in family home, and view its collection of paintings and furnishings dating from the 17th to 21st centuries.

“I was most impressed by Oliver… he is knowledgeable, enthusiastic and entertaining” “[Oliver Gerrish] was so knowledgeable and was full of information… If there was another Oliver Gerrish tour I would have no hesitation in booking again”

Day 1 Tour assembles 1230 at Breadsall Priory Marriott Hotel & Country Club followed by 1330 at Chesterfield Station. Afternoon: Haddon Hall (fortified medieval manor house). Evening introductory talk. Four nights at Breadsall Priory Marriott Hotel & Country Club.

We will stay throughout at the fourstar Breadsall Priory Marriott Hotel & Country Club, near Morley. Located in a 300-acre estate in the Derbyshire countryside, the hotel is set in a 13th century building and enjoys classically decorated rooms.

– ACE customers on previous tours led by Oliver Gerrish

Day 2 Morning: Kedleston Hall (stunning 18th century ‘temple of the arts’ with Robert Adam interiors) and gardens. Afternoon: Tissington Hall (Jacobean house with later additions).

Cost of £1245 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, two lunches, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £125. TOUR CODE: DERB22

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FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness is required for this tour, as it involves a moderate amount of standing and walking, including in dim lighting and over uneven ground, steps and potentially slippery surfaces. Please note that historical buildings do not always have lifts, so participants must be comfortable with navigating stairs, often without handrails. At some sites (such as Haddon Hall and Hardwick Hall) there are limited opportunities to sit down. Participants must meet ACE’s fitness criteria, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

Day 3 Morning: Radbourne Hall (fine Georgian country house – visit subject to confirmation). Afternoon: Melbourne Hall and gardens (early 18th century garden in the manner of Le Notre) and Melbourne Church. Day 4 Morning: Bolsover Castle (Stuart castle built for Sir Charles Cavendish). Afternoon: Hardwick Hall (Elizabethan prodigy house built for Bess of Hardwick). Evening talk. Day 5 Morning: Renishaw Hall (home of the Sitwell family for over 350 years) and gardens. Tour disperses approx 1400 at Chesterfield Station followed by approx 1500 at the hotel.

Art Collections & Stately Homes of the West Country

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August 30 – September 3, 2022

Dyrham Park

From a base in Bath, explore the art treasures of this fine Georgian city, as well as historical houses in the surrounding countryside Enjoy special access to private homes including Longford Castle, a magnificent country house dating back to the Elizabethan era and home to a world-class collection of art Learn about the lives of individual collectors, such as the remarkable William Blathwayt of Dyrham Park The area of the West Country surrounding Bath and Salisbury features several of Britain’s most splendid stately homes, alongside some surprising art collections. This tour will offer an opportunity to explore the careers of individual collectors, and compare the ways they went about compiling their art treasures. Longford Castle is a remarkable Elizabethan country house, originally built to a triangular ground plan to 6

represent the Holy Trinity. Purchased in 1717 by Sir Edward des Bouverie, whose family were of Huguenot descent, the 18th and 19th centuries saw the castle transformed into a veritable treasure house, as its owners bought works of art by masters such as Claude Lorraine, Sir Anthony van Dyck and Thomas Gainsborough, to name but a few. The castle and collection have stayed in the This tour will be led by Rupert Dickens, BA, MA, an art historian, accredited Arts Society lecturer and guide lecturer at the Wallace Collection. Previously a BBC television and radio journalist for over 20 years, Rupert studied art history at Birkbeck, University of London, before gaining a Masters degree in Dutch Golden Age Studies at University College London. Following his interest in the history of collections, Rupert developed this tour for ACE and looks forward to comparing and contrasting the motivations, methods and tastes of different collectors.

family for over 300 years, and we will enjoy an exclusive guided tour of the unique interiors, beautiful furnishings, internationally significant collection of art and recently restored gardens. We also hope to pay a visit to nearby Wilton House, the magnificent seat of the Earls of Pembroke, which was rebuilt in the Palladian style by Inigo Jones. The 17th century interior displays important works by Rembrandt, van Dyck and Bruegel. Corsham Court is an Elizabethan house transformed in the 18th century by the Methuen family to provide a setting for their extraordinary collection of Old Master paintings. The Picture Gallery, built by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and furnished by Robert Adam, is little changed since the 18th century, and displays works by van Dyck, Murillo and Filippo Lippi. Nearby is Dyrham Park, a Baroque country house nestling in the valley at the centre of a deer park. We will hear about the remarkable career of its founder, William Blathwayt, who served as right-hand man to William III after the Glorious Revolution, and who built a unique collection of Dutch pictures, china and furniture which still adorns the house.

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Iford Manor Gardens

“A wonderful experience and masterly managed for a relaxing post-lockdown tour” “It was an excellent tour, enjoyable, interesting and well run” – ACE customers on the 2021 Art Collections & Stately Homes of the West Country tour

We will also visit Stourhead, to savour the splendour of its world-famous landscape gardens and tour the Palladian villa designed by Colen Campbell for the Hoare family. While here, we will examine the art collection assembled by several generations of the family on the proceeds of their banking business. Meanwhile, Lacock Abbey is a country house with monastic roots, known as the birthplace of British photography. We will have time to explore the grounds and perfectly preserved adjoining 19th century village of Lacock, setting for numerous film and television productions, from Pride & Prejudice to Wolf Hall.

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Our base for the tour will be the beautiful city of Bath. The Holburne Museum is home to works of art by one of the city’s most famous residents, Thomas Gainsborough, who found fame here with his portraits of prominent Georgian citizens. We will also enjoy a visit to the Victoria Art Gallery, which houses a municipal collection built largely on bequests of works with a local connection. We will stay throughout at The Bird, a delightful four-star boutique hotel located close to the Holburne Museum in Bath. Rooms are individually furnished and of differing sizes.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour requires a good level of fitness, as it will involve a moderate amount of walking to reach visits and to explore the grounds of stately homes. Please note that the historical buildings visited on this tour may have uneven surfaces and dimly lit areas, and the streets in Bath can be hilly and busy with traffic so care must be taken. Participants must feel comfortable navigating flights of stairs (which can be steep or spiralled), both at visits and at the hotel, where there is no lift available. Participants must meet ACE’s usual fitness criteria, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation. Access to private houses cannot be guaranteed until nearer the time, and we also cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks listed. Day 1 Tour assembles 1400 at The Bird, Bath, for four nights. Afternoon: Victoria Art Gallery (with behind-the-scenes tour – subject to confirmation). Evening lecture: Collectors & their Country Houses. Day 2 Morning: Corsham Court (18th century Picture Gallery) followed by Lacock Abbey (with Fox Talbot Museum) and picturesque village. Afternoon: Dyrham Park (17th century Dutch collection). Day 3 Morning: Longford Castle (outstanding interiors and art collection). Afternoon: Wilton House (famous state rooms and notable art collection – visit subject to confirmation). Day 4 Morning lecture: Gainsborough, Bath & the Georgian Portrait followed by visit to Stourhead (splendid art collection). Afternoon: Iford Manor Gardens (beautiful secluded gardens). Day 5 Morning visit to the Holburne Museum (Bath’s first public art gallery, located in a Grade I listed building). Tour disperses approx 1145. Cost of £1465 includes: accommodation based on sharing a deluxe twin or double bedded room, breakfast, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, standard double room for single use supplement £290. TOUR CODE: ACSH22

Great Scottish Houses of the Enlightenment

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WOLFGANG CLAUSSEN / PIIXABAY

September 5–9, 2022

Holyroodhouse

Explore some of Scotland’s finest stately homes in Edinburgh and the surrounding countryside, from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the magnificent Floors Castle in Roxburghshire Enjoy special visits to privately owned houses, including Marchmont House, described by Country Life as “one of Scotland’s grandest mansions” Discover fine architecture designed by some of the greatest names of the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as exquisite historical interiors and notable art collections Edinburgh and its surroundings are notable for their splendid legacy of historical houses, castles and palaces, including many fine properties dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. From a base in Edinburgh, we will take in a range of fascinating buildings, several of which 8

reveal the work of some of Scotland’s foremost architects in the 18th century, including William and Robert Adam. Our tour begins with an exploration of Edinburgh’s New Town, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, where the neoclassical architecture and spacious street layout speak of the values and ideals of the Age of Enlightenment, during which it was built. We will step Our Tour Director is writer and experienced tour leader, Cosmo Samuel Brockway. An author and travel and interiors journalist, Cosmo has written for many leading publications on culture and design, including Architectural Digest, and he is well acquainted with many of the finest private estates in England, Scotland and Ireland. Cosmo has led tours across the globe, and looks forward to returning to Edinburgh with another ACE group in 2022, to introduce them to this fine array of country seats.

inside the Georgian House on Charlotte Square, a beautifully restored New Town house featuring paintings and period furnishings, to set our exploration in context. We will make several excursions outside the city, firstly to the Scottish Borders to pay a special visit to Thirlestane Castle. This magnificent 16th century structure has remained home to the Maitland family for over 400 years, and contains one of the most extensive collections of family portraits to be found in Scotland. With its rose-pink sandstone and turrets, and nestled in the rolling hills, Thirlestane has a romantic air that belies the fact it stands on a strategic site that has been fortified for over 700 years. Also to be found in the Borders is Mellerstain House, a masterpiece begun in 1725 by William Adam and completed by his son, Robert, in 1778. Original Adam colours are preserved in the interiors, and the house also boasts an outstanding collection of art including works by van Dyck, Gainsborough and Ramsay. We also look forward to a visit to Scotland’s largest inhabited house,

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TIMO NEWTON-SYMS / CC SA 2.0

Floors Castle

“Privileged access to some outstanding properties… [Cosmo Brockway] led our small group amiably and very ably displaying a passion, intelligence and eloquence for [his] subject. A wonderful and stimulating few days” – ACE customer on a 2021 tour of Scottish country houses with Cosmo Samuel Brockway

Floors Castle, in Roxburghshire. Home to eleven generations of the Dukes of Roxburghe, the castle enjoys delightful views over the River Tweed and the Cheviot Hills. Originally built in the 1720s by William Adam, it underwent several architectural changes over the intervening centuries, with embellishments added by Scottish architect William Playfair during the Victorian era. Further highlights of our tour will include an exterior visit to the extraordinary Pineapple Folly, built in 1761 by the Earl of Dunmore as a

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summerhouse. Meanwhile, Marchmont House, recipient of the Historic Houses / Sotheby’s Restoration Award in 2018, is a magnificent Palladian mansion with fine interiors, including original Georgian plasterwork, and Arts & Crafts adaptations. Our tour concludes with a visit in East Lothian to Newhailes House, a delightful Palladian building that was home to the Dalrymples, who were closely involved in Scottish Enlightenment circles in the 18th century. We will stay throughout at the elegant three-star Parliament House Hotel, tucked away in a quiet location in the heart of Edinburgh’s city centre.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour requires a good level of fitness and will involve moderate amounts of walking, including over hilly and uneven ground. Participants must meet ACE’s fitness criteria as outlined in our Booking Terms and Conditions. Please note some sites feature steep steps and staircases, cobbles and slippery surfaces. Participants must be comfortable navigating these areas, which do not usually have handrails, to access the sites.

ITINERARY Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer. Owing to the special nature of the visits, some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Day 1 Tour assembles 1400 at Parliament House Hotel, Edinburgh, for five nights. Orientation walking tour and visit to the Georgian House on Charlotte Square. Evening introductory lecture. Day 2 Morning: Thirlestane Castle (magnificent 16th century castle in the Scottish Borders). Afternoon: Mellerstain House (considered one of the Adams’ finest works). Day 3 Morning: Palace of Holyroodhouse (official residence of the Monarchy in Scotland). Afternoon: Pineapple Folly (exterior view, walled garden and surrounding grounds). Free evening. Day 4 Morning: Marchmont House (Palladian mansion with Arts & Crafts adaptations). Afternoon: Floors Castle (largest inhabited house in Scotland). Evening lecture. Day 5 Morning: Newhailes House (fine Palladian country house). Tour disperses approx 1200 at the hotel. Cost of £1545 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, two lunches, three dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £275. TOUR CODE: GSHE22

Country Houses of North Norfolk September 19–24, 2022

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JULES & JENNY / CC BY 2.0

Blickling Hall

Delve into the histories and aesthetics of fascinating country houses, with special access to several private homes Discover fine examples of Jacobean and Palladian architecture across North Norfolk, from Blickling Hall to Houghton Hall Enjoy exclusive visits to Elsing Hall, a beautiful moated manor house, and Sennowe Park, the Edwardian home of Thomas Albert Cook “This seat, on an open barren Estate Was planned, planted, built, decorated And inhabited the middle of the XVIIIth Century By Tho’s Coke Earl of Leicester” So reads an inscription above the main entrance to the Marble Hall at the heart of the spectacular Palladian mansion of Holkham in North Norfolk. The sweeping landscapes and seascapes of this beautiful part of the county, with 10

their endless vistas and wide skies, were populated in the 17th and 18th centuries by a series of remarkable country houses built for notable patrons of the arts – including Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester, and Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first ‘Prime Minister’. On this tour, we will enjoy visits to many properties showcasing the work of William Kent, that eminent architect of buildings, landscapes and interiors who pioneered the Palladian style in 18th-century Britain. Raynham Hall, praised as one of Norfolk’s finest country houses, dates from the 17th century but its interiors were redesigned by Kent from 1725. His work is also evident at Holkham and Houghton. Houghton was built in the 1720s to house Walpole’s great collection of Old Master paintings, later sold to Catherine the Great; the estate is home to the Cholmondeley family who have in recent years commissioned a number of pieces of contemporary sculpture by artists including James Turrell for the 18thcentury parkland designed by Charles Bridgeman. Other highlights of our tour will include visits to two breathtaking Jacobean

properties: Blickling Hall, once in the possession of the Boleyn family, and Felbrigg Hall, with its contrasting east and west wings exemplifying the architectural styles of the early and late 17th century respectively. Meanwhile, the exterior of Wiveton Hall – known as the setting for the BBC observational series Normal for Norfolk – provides an exquisite example of the style archetypal to Norfolk, with its flint facing and Dutch gables, nodding to the county’s historical relationship with the Low Countries. We will be privileged to enjoy a private visit to Elsing Hall, a Grade I listed moated manor house built around 1740. It is one of the few remaining houses in Norfolk that boasts a traditional great hall open to the rafters, and it is also surrounded by charming gardens. A private home, the hall underwent a renovation project that was awarded Best Renovation by the Norfolk Association of Architects in 2008. Sennowe Park was built in the Edwardian era for Thomas Albert Cook, grandson of travel and holiday pioneer Thomas Cook, and is still a family home to his descendants. We will experience the

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Felbrigg Hall

hospitality that this grand country home was designed for, with an exclusive tour of the house, plus tea in the elegant Winter Garden. This tour will take a holistic approach, considering the histories of the owners and families who have shaped these great estates, as well as the architecture, collections and individual works of art. We will also enjoy the opportunity to explore grounds and gardens, which often tell their own important stories. For instance, the renowned architectural designer Kit Martin restored the historical designed landscape at Gunton Park, winning a Country Life ‘Genius of the Place’ Award in 2007. This tour will be based at the four-star Pheasant Hotel, a relaxing country house hotel close to Holt and Blakeney in the heart of North Norfolk.

Cost of £1875 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, four lunches, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £165. TOUR CODE: CHNO22

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This tour will be led by Oliver Gerrish, MSt, an architectural historian who studied at the University of Cambridge. Oliver has written for Country Life, featured in a number of television series on architecture, and organised and led numerous tours to many of Britain’s historical buildings. He is the former Chairman of The Young Georgians, the youth chapter of The Georgian Group, which he re-founded. Oliver is a trustee of the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust, and in addition to his architectural expertise is a countertenor and impresario.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will involve periods of walking and standing within historical properties and their grounds, and participants must be prepared to traverse uneven terrain, steps and staircases, and potentially slippery surfaces. Please note that lifts are not always available at the sites we visit, and light levels are often kept low to conserve the collections. Participants should meet ACE’s usual fitness criteria, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

ITINERARY Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change. Due to the special nature of the visits, some may be confirmed nearer the time. Day 1 Tour assembles 1145 at The Pheasant Hotel, Holt, or 1300 at Norwich Station. Afternoon visit to Blickling Hall (Jacobean mansion). Transfer to The Pheasant Hotel for five nights. Evening introductory lecture. Day 2 Morning: Holkham Hall (18th century house designed in the Palladian style, ancestral home of the Coke family). Afternoon: Wiveton Hall Gardens (coastal views). Day 3 Morning: Raynham Hall (17th century house with later additions and interiors by William Kent). Afternoon: Felbrigg Hall (17th century house with important historical library). Day 4 Morning: Gunton Park and historical sawmill. Afternoon: Houghton Hall (18th century Palladian house built for Sir Robert Walpole, with fine interiors and grounds housing a contemporary sculpture collection). Evening lecture: Norfolk Churches. Day 5 Morning: Sennowe Park (impressive Edwardian country house set in sweeping parkland). Afternoon: Elsing Hall (delightful manor house with moat and gardens). Day 6 Tour disperses after breakfast or approx 1030 at Norwich Station.

Isle of Wight

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WOLFGANG CLAUSSEN / PIIXABAY

October 24–29, 2022

Osborne House

Discover the cultural highlights of the Isle of Wight, with a particular emphasis on its Victorian heritage Explore the connections between the island and the Pre-Raphaelite movement Delve into the broader history of the Isle of Wight, from Roman times to the 20th century

The Isle of Wight features picturesque scenery once favoured by royalty, from charming thatched cottages to medieval churches that stand alongside Regency and Victorian towns. The island will forever be associated with Queen Victoria, whose reign came to an end there at the beginning of the last century. We will explore the former royal residence of Osborne House and St Mildred’s Church in Whippingham, frequented by the Queen; and our tour is based in the seaside resort of Cowes, which still bears substantial traces of Victorian England. 12

As well as these royal links, the Isle of Wight also holds connections with the radical Pre-Raphaelite movement of the 19th century, which we will explore during the tour. Many of the artists linked to and inspired by the Brotherhood lived and worked on the island, including the 19th century photographer Juliet Margaret Cameron, and the painters George Frederic Watts, John Brett and Val Prinsep. We will visit Dimbola Lodge, overlooking the stunning Freshwater Bay, where Julia Margaret Cameron made her home, and will also pay a visit to the recently restored Farringford House, former home of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria’s reign. Our itinerary includes several other stunning houses that stand on land layered with history. Northcourt is the largest of the island’s Jacobean manor houses, built in 1615 on the site of a medieval monastic building, while the spectacular 18th century Appuldurcombe, a Baroque masterpiece, survives as a shell of the former mansion and enjoys 11 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped parkland. The awe-inspiring

Benedictine Quarr Abbey is one of the most important religious constructions of the 20th century in the UK. Further tour highlights will include the beautiful Mottistone Gardens, a haven for wildlife set in a sheltered valley and featuring delightful herbaceous borders that are full of colour from spring through to the early autumn. We will also view the Princess Beatrice Garden, designed by multiple Chelsea award-winning garden designer Chris Beardshaw, on our visit to Carisbrooke Castle. We will stay throughout at the three-star Best Western New Holmwood Hotel, situated on the water’s edge in Cowes, which enjoys a sea-facing lounge and restaurant. Double rooms with a sea view (for double or single occupancy) are available at a supplement – please contact the ACE office for more details.

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DEFACTO / CC BY-SA 4.0

Carisbrooke Castle

This tour will be hosted by Richard Pailthorpe, formerly Director of the Weald & Downland Living Museum and South East Regional Treasurer of the Historic Houses Association. The group will be joined throughout the tour by expert lecturer Paul Atterbury, BA, Hon DPhil, a historian, writer, lecturer, curator and broadcaster specialising in the art, architecture, design and social history of the 19th and 20th centuries. Paul has curated exhibitions for institutions including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, and has written or edited around 50 books, on topics including antiques, travel, railways and the history of canals. An experienced tour leader, he has also been a member of the team of experts on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow for many years.

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“The variety and juxtaposition of visits was excellent, well-timed, very interesting and informative” – ACE customer on the 2021 Isle of Wight tour FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour requires a good level of fitness as it will involve a moderate amount of walking and standing, including over uneven terrain, cobbled streets and slippery surfaces. Please note several visits involve being outdoors. Some historical sites do not have handrails or frequent opportunities to sit down, and there is no lift at the hotel. In addition, lighting can be low at some of the sites we visit. Participants should meet ACE’s usual fitness criteria, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions. ITINERARY Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Day 1 Assemble 1300 at Southampton Ferry Terminal, for 1400 departure via Red Funnel ferry as foot passenger, arriving East Cowes 1500. Transfer to New Holmwood Hotel, Cowes, for five nights. Evening introductory lecture. Day 2 Morning excursion to Shorwell: St Peter’s Church and private tour of Northcourt House and gardens. Continue to Carisbrooke Castle

(Norman castle including Princess Beatrice Garden, designed by Chris Beardshaw and based on the original garden retreat of Queen Victoria’s daughter). Afternoon: St Olave’s Church, Gatcombe (Pre-Raphaelite stained glass). Day 3 Morning lecture: The Victorian Isle of Wight followed by visit to Appuldurcombe House (ruins of an 18th century Baroque mansion). Afternoon: Brading Roman Villa and St Mary the Virgin Church, Brading. Day 4 Morning: Mottistone Gardens and Dimbola Lodge (home of celebrated Victorian photographer, Julia Margaret Cameron). Afternoon: Farringford House (former home of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, extensively restored between 2012 and 2017). Day 5 Morning: St Mildred’s Church, Whippingham (frequented by Queen Victoria) and Quarr Abbey (impressive 20th century buildings). Afternoon: Osborne House (state and private apartments, followed by free time to visit the garden, Swiss Cottage and Queen Victoria’s bathing machine). Day 6 Depart East Cowes 1130 via Red Funnel ferry, arriving Southampton 1230, where tour disperses. Cost of £1425 includes: return ferry travel as foot passenger, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, one lunch, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £125. TOUR CODE: IWIT22

Gardens of the Republic of Ireland

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May 11–18, 2022

Dargle Glen Gardens

From Kilmacurragh to Dargle Glen, enjoy visits to some of Ireland’s most impressive gardens in the company of head gardeners, curators and owners Explore a selection of private grounds, including June Blake’s beautiful country-style garden Explore designs inspired by William Robinson at Altamont and Mount Usher The south-eastern region of the Republic of Ireland encompasses some of the most fertile and picturesque gardens in the country. A favourable climate gives rise to a huge diversity of plants from around the globe, ranging from champion trees to unusual bulbs and herbaceous plants. Spanning grand, historical estates to 19th century botanical collections and more recently created, privately owned gardens, our tour will showcase a carefully chosen selection of the region’s most beautiful horticultural offerings. During our 14

journey we will have the benefit of meeting a variety of owners, gardeners and curators, who will reveal the stories behind each garden, show us their unique botanical treasures, and discuss the maintenance and skill taken to preserve them today. A particular highlight will be Ireland’s National Botanic Gardens This tour will be led by Caroline Hannah, BA, who has a degree in English Literature & History of Art as well as a university-accredited Garden Design Qualification from the University of Essex/Writtle University College. For many years and prior to joining the team at ACE Cultural Tours, Caroline ran her own garden design business and has undertaken both commercial and residential projects. She has given talks on garden design, and also conducted a live question and answer session on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

at Kilmacurragh: renowned for their rhododendrons and champion trees, these important 19th century grounds provided ideal growing conditions for plants brought back by explorers from all over the world. 19th century visitors to Dargle Glen were frequently inspired to capture its dramatic scenery on paper. Surrounded Caroline says: “I am truly delighted to be leading this tour for ACE. The Republic of Ireland is very rich in terms of its wonderful gardens and we are extremely privileged to have private tours with passionate owners, head gardeners and estate managers, many of whom have made life long commitments to continuing the legacy of their gardens. We will be staying at the BrookLodge & Macreddin Village Hotel, a stunning place set in beautiful grounds where we will have the opportunity to learn about foraging.”

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by 57 acres of birch and oak woodland, this private landscape garden overlooking the River Dargle was restored by its new owner in 1998, and the grounds boast an award-winning cantilevered summerhouse built over the gorge. Today the garden features an extraordinary fusion of plants from Chile, Japan and America, alongside commissioned sculpture and unusual planting.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour requires a good level of fitness as it will involve a significant amount of outdoor walking, often over uneven ground, slopes, steps and bridges. Some surfaces can be slippery if wet. Distances vary from garden to garden: some are very short and compact while others are very extensive and occupy large sites. Participants should therefore have a good level of mobility, although it is usually possible to opt out of the more strenuous walks and join the group later.

No exploration of the region would be complete without a visit to Huntington Castle, an irresistible castellated structure remodelled in the 1670s when the formal avenues were laid out. The gardens are famous for their ancient yews and Italianate style terraces, and our tour will include a visit to both the castle and grounds.

ITINERARY Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Timings and the nature of certain visits may be adjusted on the ground by the Tour Director depending on local conditions, particularly the weather.

From the spectacular Powerscourt Gardens at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains, to the tranquil, William Robinson-inspired Altamont; and June Blake’s country-style garden to Jimi Blake’s experimental plantsman’s garden at Hunting Brook, we will come away with a nuanced appreciation of the horticulture of this inspiring region. We will stay at the four-star BrookLodge & Macreddin Village Hotel, based in a beautiful village setting and combining classic accommodation with awardwinning dining.

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Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1035 on British Airways, arriving Dublin 1210. Afternoon visit to Mount Usher Gardens (along the River Vartry, with over 5000 species). Continue to BrookLodge & Macreddin Village Hotel for seven nights. Welcome and introduction. Day 2 Morning: Dargle Glen Garden (romantic landscape garden with unusual plants, surrounded by oak and birch woodland). Afternoon: Prospect House Garden. Return to hotel via Sally Gap and scenic route through Wicklow Mountains. Evening lecture. Day 3 Morning visit to Russborough House & Parklands (with tour of Walled Garden) followed by June Blake’s garden (country style garden around granite house and farm buildings) and Hunting Brook Gardens (experimental plantsman’s garden with woodland designed by owner Jimi Blake). Free evening.

Day 4 Morning foraging experience and tour of the hotel grounds with the Head Gardener. Afternoon visit to National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh (trees of historical importance). Day 5 Morning: Altamont Gardens (William Robinson-inspired garden with over 1500 species). Afternoon: Huntington Castle including guided tour of the castle and grounds (ancient yews and Italianate terraces). Day 6 Morning visit to Powerscourt Gardens (Italian garden of the mid-18th century; spectacular views and outstanding trees). Afternoon visit to Killruddery House & Gardens (late 17th century, the oldest garden on our tour). Free evening. Day 7 Morning: Dower House Gardens (19th century with wild flower meadow and white garden). Afternoon: Patthana Garden (artist’s garden with bold planting and beautiful birches). Day 8 Depart Dublin 1300, arriving Heathrow 1430.

Cost of £2575 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, four lunches (two packed), five dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £280. TOUR CODE: GORI22

Powerscourt

Ireland’s Ancient Heartland July 4–11, 2022

Antiphellos Theatre

Clonmacnoise Monastery

Venture into Irish mythology and history as we explore the country’s ancient past and the landscape that bore witness Explore the remarkable passage tombs of Newgrange and Knowth Visit evocative monastic sites, including Monasterboice with its exquisite high crosses

Stepping into the shadowy world of Newgrange Passage Tomb – believed to be over 5000 years old – it is easy to conjure up possible images of the past, yet much harder to reach any firm conclusions. Ringed by megalithic carvings, the mastery of the tomb’s architecture inspires both wonder and curiosity about its role in Irish history, folklore and legend. Part of the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage site, Newgrange is regarded as one of the most important megalithic structures in the world and a fitting start to our journey into Ireland’s history. 16

Our explorations will be based in County Meath, named after the former kingdom, and home to a wealth of historical sites from prehistory to the modern era. As well as illuminating Ireland’s past, many of these places aid our understanding of Europe’s religious, artistic and cultural heritage more generally. The mystery of Newgrange is mirrored at nearby Knowth, also part of the UNESCO Boyne Valley complex. The atmospheric Hill of Tara, meanwhile, retains its status as fabled seat of the High Kings of Ireland and possesses at least twenty diverse monuments erected over hundreds if not thousands of years. Images of the past become a little clearer as we explore Ireland’s early Christian history. The unassuming grounds of Monasterboice include three 10th century high crosses, among them Muiredach’s High Cross, richly decorated with biblical carvings and widely regarded as the finest monument of its kind in Ireland. The extensive site of Clonmacnoise on the banks of the River Shannon boasts the ruins of a cathedral, several churches, round tower and high crosses;

while Old Mellifont Abbey was the first Cisterician abbey and example of Gothic ecclesiastical architecture built in Ireland. Later, during our visit to Kells, we will linger at the evocative 10th century oratory named after St Columba. As we step into the later medieval period, we will explore the remains of Trim Castle, the largest AngloNorman castle in Ireland and once used as as an administrative centre for the Lordship of Meath; its position on the site of an earlier monastery points to the importance of the area in the surrounding landscape. We will also learn more about this region’s role in early modern Irish and British history at a museum dedicated to the Battle of the Boyne – the 17th century conflict that turned the tide against King James II, and helped to ensure Protestant ascendency in Ireland for hundreds of years. We will stay at the three-star Newgrange Hotel in the charming and historical town of Navan, close to most of the sites on our tour.

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ANDREW PARNELL / CC BY 2.0

Trim Castle

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour involves many visits to outdoor archaeological sites or ruins. Participants should therefore have a good level of overall fitness and mobility, and be comfortable navigating uneven and sometimes rugged ground. The Hill of Tara involves a gentle incline to reach the main sites and the steps to access the keep at Trim Castle are steep. The interiors of the chambered tombs, where accessible, are dimly lit; those who feel uncomfortable going inside have the option to remain outside. Participants must meet ACE’s usual fitness criteria, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions. ITINERARY Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1035 on British Airways, arriving Dublin 1210. Transfer to Navan for seven nights at the Newgrange Hotel, Navan. Welcome and introductory talk: Meath through Time. Day 2 Morning: Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre for exhibitions and guided visits to Newgrange and Knowth (the most famous passage tombs of Neolithic Ireland). Afternoon visit to Fourknocks Chamber Tomb. Evening talk: Passage Tombs & the Prehistory of the Boyne Valley. Day 3 Morning: Monasterboice (magnificent high crosses, round tower and ruined churches) and Old Mellifont Abbey. Afternoon: Hill of Slane (legendary site of St Patrick’s paschal fire)

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including shrine, friary church and medieval college (subject to confirmation). Evening talk: The Art of Irish High Crosses.

This tour will be led by Mike King, BA, MA, a museum professional for over 30 years who has worked in both Northern Ireland and Scotland. Mike is currently Heritage Manager for Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. He is interested in engaging travellers in archaeology and history, especially Irish archaeology, the early medieval culture of Britain and Ireland, European pilgrimage and Rome’s legacy in early medieval Europe. He is particularly fascinated by carved stones, and created an exhibition on the megaliths of Northern Ireland. He also coordinated the protection and movement of a 10th century high cross in Downpatrick. Mike lectures, guides and publishes widely, and is looking forward to leading his first tour with ACE in 2022.

Day 4 Morning: Hill of Tara (a complex of impressive prehistoric sites, traditional seat of the High Kings of Ireland). Afternoon: Donaghmore Round Tower and Church (founded by St Patrick) and Duleek (site of the earliest known stone church in Ireland) including high crosses. Evening talk: Irish Monasteries & Abbeys. Day 5 Morning: Kells (once home to the famous Book of Kells) including four high crosses, round tower and St Columba’s House. Afternoon: Cavan County Museum (overview of the archaeology and history of the region). Day 6 Morning talk: Medieval to Early Modern Meath. Visits to Trim Castle (the largest Anglo Norman castle in Ireland) and Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre. Day 7 Morning: Clonmacnoise Monastery (visitor centre, churches, high crosses and round tower). Afternoon: Fore Abbey (early Christian church and medieval abbey in a glorious valley setting). Day 8 Depart Dublin 1255, arriving Heathrow 1425.

Cost of £2075 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, one lunch, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £325. TOUR CODE: IRAH22

York Early Music Festival

Antiphellos Theatre

TONY HISGETT / CC BY 2.0

July 10–15, 2022

York Minster Chapter house ceiling

Join flautist and Head of Historical Performance at the Royal College of Music, Ashley Solomon, for some of the best early music performances the UK has to offer Enjoy programmes from acclaimed artists including The Tallis Scholars, Gabrieli Consort & Players, Rose Consort of Viols and The Gonzaga Band Take in the beautiful historical surroundings of York’s buildings, including exquisite stained glass at York Minster

It is a rare and wonderful thing to experience the music of the past within spaces that may have witnessed their early performances; and this is what York Early Music Festival offers every summer to those lucky enough to attend. 18

Established in 1977, the festival has been delighting audiences now for several decades and is considered the ‘jewel in the crown’ of its organisers, the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM). Every July a line-up of world-renowned instrumentalists, vocal groups and artists presents classical works from the 18th century and before. There is perhaps no better environment to discover this music than York, with its assemblage of historical buildings: from St Margaret’s Walmgate, where the NCEM is based, to St Lawrence’s Church, the second largest religious building in York, whose old church tower dating back to the 12th century still sits within the churchyard. York’s most distinctive ecclesiastical structure is, of course, York Minster. A magnificent cathedral – one of the largest in Europe, with a legacy dating back to the 7th century – it towers over the surrounding city where it has stood for centuries, and houses a truly awe-inspiring collection of medieval stained glass among its many treasures. We will visit this majestic space for two of our evening concerts in addition to a guided tour.

Among the varied concerts on offer for 2022, we plan to attend a performance by The Gonzaga Band, a chamber ensemble whose innovative mission – based around the legacy of the powerful Gonzagas of Mantua – is to “explore the intimate relationship between vocal and instrumental performance practice in the Early Modern period”. We also plan to include a celebration of the birthdays of Thomas Tomkins and Matthew Locke with acclaimed recording artists and frequent festival performers, the Rose Consort of Viols. Lunchtime programmes will range from awardwinning trio sonata group La Vaghezza to the University of York Baroque Ensemble, and our days will conclude with evening concerts from The Tallis Scholars – who will bring us works by Josquin, Palestrina and Byrd – and the celebrated Gabrieli Consort & Players with their director Paul McCreesh. Please note that these performances are subject to adjustment. Complementing the musical highlights, our tour will also feature a selection of wider cultural experiences. We will

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VHH / CC BY-SA 3.0

This tour will be led by Professor Ashley Solomon, a Fellow of the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music, Chair and Head of Historical Performance at the Royal College of Music, and Director of early music ensemble Florilegium. With Florilegium he has recorded 35 CDs on the Dutch Channel Classics label, many of which have garnered international awards. To date they have performed over 1300 concerts worldwide, including 77 at London’s Wigmore Hall. Ashley has been working with Bolivian musicians since 2002 to promote the music of Moxos and Chiquitos Indians and in 2008 received the prestigious Bolivian Hans Roth Prize.

National Centre for Early Music

explore York’s medieval history with a historical walking tour and visit to the beautifully reconstructed Barley Hall. We will also make an excursion to Castle Howard, a Baroque estate originally conceived by Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle, who – perhaps surprisingly – chose the untested John Vanbrugh to bring it to life with extraordinary results. The estate has more recently been used for numerous film and television productions including 1981’s Brideshead Revisited. We are delighted that our 2022 festival tour will be led by flautist, recorder player and Head of Historical Performance at London’s Royal College of Music, Ashley Solomon. Ashley is director of early music ensemble Florilegium, who frequently perform at the festival, and he is very much looking forward to introducing an ACE group to this event for the first time. FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Although this is not a strenuous tour, it will involve a moderate amount of walking around central York, and negotiating steps and uneven terrain. Participants should meet ACE’s usual fitness requirements, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

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ITINERARY Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some details, including the musical programme and visits, may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Day 1 Tour assembles 1230 at the DoubleTree by Hilton York. Welcome followed by afternoon festival concert at the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) featuring The Gonzaga Band: final programme to be announced. Evening introductory lecture. Day 2 Guided tour of York Minster followed by lunchtime festival concert at NCEM featuring Rose Consort of Viols with Steven Devine (virginals): ‘Music for Severall Friends’ – programme celebrating the birthdays of Thomas

Additional Night at the Hotel: This tour assembles at 1230 on 10 July in time to attend our first concert at 1400. If you would like to arrange an additional overnight stay at the hotel on 9 July, please mention this when you make your booking and ACE would be happy to arrange it for you at the cost of the extra night (as a supplement).

Tomkins and Matthew Locke. Afternoon: free time and lecture. Evening festival concert at York Minster Chapter House featuring The Tallis Scholars with Peter Phillips (director): ‘Choral Connections’ – works by Josquin, Palestrina and Byrd. Day 3 Morning lecture followed by some free time. Lunchtime festival concert at St Lawrence’s Church featuring La Vaghezza: programme to be announced. Afternoon: medieval walking tour of York. Day 4 Morning visit to Barley Hall (beautifully restored medieval townhouse) followed by free time to explore ‘The Shambles’. Lunchtime festival concert at St Lawrence’s Church featuring University of York Baroque Ensemble with Lucy Russell and Rachel Gray (directors): programme to be announced. Afternoon: some free time followed by lecture. Evening festival performance at York Minster featuring Gabrieli Consort & Players with Paul McCreesh (director): ‘Venetian Coronation’ – programme to be announced. Day 5 Morning excursion to Castle Howard (masterpiece of Baroque architecture). Afternoon lecture followed by evening festival concert at St Lawrence’s Church featuring Yorkshire Baroque Soloists with Peter Seymour (director): J S Bach ‘Coffee Cantata’ / Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht, BWV 211. Day 6 Tour disperses after breakfast at the hotel.

Cost of £1745 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, performances as described, dinner with water & coffee, voucher for Bettys Tea Room, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £285. TOUR CODE: YEMF22

Constable & Gainsborough in Suffolk

Antiphellos Theatre

July 11–14, 2022

Willy Lott’s Cottage, Flatford

Explore the new National Centre for Gainsborough, based at the artist’s house in Sudbury and recently reopened following major redevelopment Visit Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich, home to the finest collection of Constable’s paintings outside London

It was only with the rising popularity of Impressionism that John Constable (1776–1837) won whole-hearted recognition in his native country. Now ranked alongside JMW Turner as one of England’s greatest painters, Constable is the source of some of the best-known images in British art. This tour will study the influence of the Suffolk countryside on Constable and his near contemporary Gainsborough, one of the founders of the British landscape tradition. 20

This tour will be led by Sarah Burles, MA, a proficient tour leader and lecturer accredited with the Arts Society. Sarah studied History of Art at Cambridge before gaining a Masters at University College London and going onto a career in museum and gallery education, including several years at the Fitzwilliam Museum. Sarah runs art tours and courses in and around Cambridge as well as online, and has a particular passion and enthusiasm for making art and museum collections accessible.

“I fancy I see Gainsborough in every hedge and hollow tree,” said Constable of the Suffolk countryside. As we wander along the banks of the River Stour, where Constable spent his “careless boyhood”, we will discover that Flatford Mill, Dedham Lock and Willy Lott’s cottage – immortalised in The Hay Wain – have changed little over two centuries. We will stroll through the country lanes of East Bergholt, where the artist’s first studio

was located, and view his Ascension in Dedham’s parish church. Slightly further afield, we will visit Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich to see artworks including Willy Lott’s Cottage and the intimate companion pieces Golding Constable’s Vegetable Garden and Golding Constable’s Flower Garden.

Thomas Gainsborough by Sir Bertram Mackennal

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MIRA66 / CC BY 2.0

Visit Constable’s birthplace, East Bergholt, to see sites associated with the artist

The Hay Wain by John Constable

Complementing the focus on Constable’s life and influences, our tour will also examine Gainsborough’s roots in his native Suffolk on a visit to Sudbury, where a major new redevelopment and refurbishment has transformed the artist’s house into the National Centre for Gainsborough. The site will offer insights into the artist’s life and legacy, as well as the ambitions and challenges of delivering this fascinating project. Our base for this tour will be the beautiful four-star Hintlesham Hall Hotel, a 16th century Grade I listed manor house, set in 175 acres of Suffolk countryside. FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will involve a significant amount of walking and standing, so participants must have a good level of fitness and mobility, and meet ACE’s usual fitness requirements, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions. Please note that some sites do not have lifts, and there is uneven ground to navigate in the churchyards and at Flatford Mill.

ITINERARY Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. We cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks listed.

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Day 1 Assemble 1330 at Ipswich Station or 1400 at Hintlesham Hall Hotel. Afternoon coach tour of Stour Valley and the Suffolk villages of Stoke by Nayland, Nayland and Stratford St Mary (churches associated with Constable). Three nights at Hintlesham Hall Hotel. Day 2 Morning lecture: Constable’s Country – Artist & Landscape followed by East Bergholt (Constable’s birthplace): walking tour viewing Constable’s first studio and the site of his parents’ house (exteriors), and visit to St Mary’s Church and bell cage. Afternoon: Dedham for walking tour viewing Dedham Mill and Dedham Lock (exteriors – featured in Constable’s paintings) and St Mary’s Church. Flatford Mill and Flatford Lock (subjects of many of Constable’s paintings), Willy Lott’s cottage (featured most famously in The Haywain) and site of Boat Building on the Banks of the Stour. Day 3 Morning: The Munnings Art Museum (oil paintings and watercolours by Sir Alfred Munnings and antique furniture collection). Continue to Sudbury (where Gainsborough was born) for afternoon at newly redeveloped National Centre for Gainsborough (Gainsborough’s House). Day 4 Morning: Christchurch Mansion (works by Constable and Gainsborough). Tour disperses approx 1300 at Ipswich Station followed by approx 1330 at hotel.

“A delightful short tour visiting places in Suffolk that Constable and Gainsborough would have known. Many of these were very little changed, and the surrounding countryside was also recognisable from the paintings. This gave us a real insight into early English landscape painting. The tour was very well organised and the tour leader and tour manager were both excellent. Hintlesham Hall made an ideal base.” – ACE customer on 2021 Constable & Gainsborough in Suffolk tour led by Sarah Burles

Cost of £1175 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, one lunch, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £200. TOUR CODE: CGSU22

Buxton International Festival

Antiphellos Theatre

July 15–20, 2022

Buxton Opera House auditorium

Take in five main festival performances, including Rossini’s La Donna del Lago and Johann Adolph Hasse’s Antonio e Cleopatra Experience a new English version of Donizetti’s Viva La Diva by Kit Hesketh-Harvey, presented by Salzburg State Theatre in association with Buxton International Festival Enjoy a visit to the Grade I listed Buxton Crescent and an excursion to the beautiful house and gardens at Chatsworth Every summer the Derbyshire spa town of Buxton, surrounded by the glorious hills of the Peak District, presents a feast of opera, literature and music. The combination of established and promising up-and-coming performers makes for one of the UK’s most stimulating arts festivals, and over the 22

Festival Fringe Events We hope to include a selection of festival fringe events in addition to the main operas. Details of the festival’s literary and other musical events will be published on the ACE website once they are released. Please note there may be some further itinerary adjustments at this time.

years it has become both nationally and internationally acclaimed. Our 2022 tour offers five productions, beginning with Rossini’s La Donna del Lago, designed by award-winning set designer Madeleine Boyd, and closing with Donizetti’s sparkling opera buffa Viva La Diva. The festival is beloved for its mix of familiar and less familiar works, both old and new, and we will have an opportunity to enjoy Johann Adolph Hasse’s 18th century opera Antonio e Cleopatra as well as a new work, Violet, by Alice Birch and Tom Coult. A Music

Theatre Wales production co-produced with Aldeburgh Festival and Theatre Magdeburg in association with London Sinfonietta, Violet tells the story of an isolated community who begin to lose an hour every day, causing their ordered society to fall into disarray, but enabling new opportunities to open up for the title character. As a counterpoint to the operatic works, we will enjoy a performance of Styne and Sondheim’s Gypsy: A Musical Fable, one of the most famous examples of a ‘book musical’ and sure to be a highlight of our tour. Making the most of our time in Buxton, we look forward to visiting the Grade I listed Buxton Crescent. Built in the 1780s, it was amongst the first purpose built hotels in the country, FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour involves a moderate amount of walking every day between the hotel, opera house and other festival venues. The walk between the hotel and the centre of Buxton is hilly, and the venues are around a 10 minute walk from the hotel. Participants should meet ACE’s usual fitness criteria, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

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Buxton Opera House

and established Buxton as a fashionable Georgian spa destination. A major £50m renovation project recently transformed the Crescent and returned it to its former glory. We will also make an excursion to the magnificent Chatsworth estate, to enjoy a guided tour of the spectacular house and to peruse its gardens. We will stay throughout at the four-star Best Western Plus Lee Wood Hotel, a comfortable hotel located in a Georgian building set in its own mature gardens.

“Happiness with ACE – we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Buxton; the hotel, the operas, and our tour manager and guide were all excellent” – ACE customer on the 2021 Buxton International Festival tour

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This tour will be led by John Bryden, MA, ARCM, ARCO, an international concert pianist and organist who has given concerts in venues ranging from California to Kathmandu via Wigmore Hall. A former member of the National Youth Orchestra of Britain, John is a member of the Dartington Piano Duo and for many years he coached at the Dartington International Summer School.

ITINERARY Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements, including the musical programme, may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time.

time. Afternoon festival opera at Buxton Opera House: Styne and Sondheim Gypsy – A Musical Fable. Evening festival opera at Pavilion Arts Centre: Johann Adolph Hasse Antonio e Cleopatra. Day 3 Morning visit to Buxton Crescent (renovated Grade I listed Georgian building) including Pump Room, Assembly Room and Heritage Experience. Afternoon: festival fringe event. Day 4 Morning lecture followed by excursion to Chatsworth House (magnificent stately home, owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire). Afternoon: festival fringe event. Evening festival opera at Buxton Opera House: Alice Birch and Tom Coult Violet. Day 5 Morning lecture followed by festival fringe event. Afternoon festival performance at Buxton Opera House: Donizetti Viva La Diva. Day 6 Tour disperses after breakfast.

Day 1 Tour assembles 1330 at Best Western Plus Lee Wood Hotel, Buxton, for five nights. Welcome and introductory lecture followed by afternoon festival fringe event. Evening festival opera at Buxton Opera House: Rossini La Donna del Lago.

Cost of £1645 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, performances as described, four festival fringe events (subject to confirmation), breakfast, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, twin/double room for single use supplement £175.

Day 2 Morning lecture followed by free

TOUR CODE: BUXF22

Hereford Three Choirs Festival July 23–27, 2022

Antiphellos Theatre

Hereford’s beautiful cathedral resounds with an array of music from celebrated composers, including Dvořák, Mahler and Haydn Enjoy a rare performance of Dyson’s Quo Vadis Visit Elgar’s birthplace at Lower Broadheath in the Malvern Hills

The 2022 festival is based around the theme of ‘re-imaginings’, echoing its revival in Hereford 75 years ago after a gap of seven years during the course of the Second World War. In 1946, audiences enjoyed many concerts that had originally been programmed for the festival in 1939, but which had been cancelled owing to the outbreak of war. Our tour begins with the festival’s opening concert, a rare performance of Dvořák’s Requiem, and will conclude with a performance of Haydn’s masterpiece The Creation, featuring the Three Cathedral Choirs. In between, This tour will be led by Russell Keable, BA, MMus. Russell trained at the universities of Nottingham and London and studied conducting at the Royal College of Music. He currently teaches at the University of Surrey and is active as a composer, arranger, lecturer, broadcaster and performer. 24

ASH MILLS

For over 300 years the cathedral cities of Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester have taken turns to host a renowned annual music celebration. In 2022 the Three Choirs Festival will take place in Hereford, where we will experience a programme of concerts in the wonderful surroundings of its cathedral. The longest-running non-competitive classical musical festival in the world, the Three Choirs Festival features word-renowned solo artists, as well as its own Festival Chorus and the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Hereford Cathedral

we look forward to the UK premiere of award-winning composer Rolf Martinsson’s Ich Denke Dein, presented alongside Mahler’s Symphony No 4. A further highlight will be a concert featuring the large-scale work Quo Vadis, composed by Sir George Dyson. An important figure in 20th century music, Dyson was involved in the re-establishment of the Three Choirs Festival after World War Two, and this piece was first heard 75 years ago. Artistic Director Geraint Bowen writes, “we are delighted to be reviving this fine work”. We hope to enjoy a number of daytime performances alongside the evening concerts, as well as a dedicated visit to the cathedral – built in the Gothic style from the 11th century – to view the

medieval Mappa Mundi. An excursion into the Malvern Hills will feature a visit to The Firs, Elgar’s birthplace in Lower Broadheath. This delightful countryside cottage contains artefacts and photographs narrating the composer’s life. We stay throughout at the three-star Three Counties Hotel near Hereford.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Participants should meet ACE’s usual fitness criteria, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions, and be prepared for a moderate amount of walking, including over steep ground in Ludlow, as well as over cobbles, up steps and within dimly lit interiors. Please note that there is no lift at the hotel, so participants must feel comfortable navigating stairs.

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HERRY LAWFORD / CC BY 2.0

Hereford Cathedral ITINERARY Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some details, including the musical programme, may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time.

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Martinsonn Ich Denke Dein (UK premiere), Mahler Symphony No 4.

“Russell Keable is such a good teacher. I looked forward to our morning lectures and learned a great deal from them. He was excellent informally too” – ACE customer on the 2021 Worcester Three Choirs Festival tour with Russell Keable Day 1 Tour assembles 1230 at the Three Counties Hotel, Hereford, for four nights. Afternoon: orientation walking tour of Hereford and visit to Mappa Mundi exhibition at Hereford Cathedral. Evening lecture followed by festival performance at Hereford Cathedral: Dvořák Requiem. Day 2 Optional festival Eucharist at Hereford Cathedral or free time. Evening festival performance at Hereford Cathedral: Rolf

Day 3 Morning lecture followed by excursion to Ludlow (free time to explore). Afternoon festival performance. Evening festival performance at Hereford Cathedral: Dyson Quo Vadis. Day 4 Morning lecture followed by excursion to The Firs, Lower Broadheath (Elgar’s birthplace). Afternoon festival performance. Evening festival performance at Hereford Cathedral: Haydn The Creation. Day 5 Tour disperses after breakfast at the hotel.

Cost of £1465 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, performances as described, breakfast, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £60. TOUR CODE: HTH122

Hereford Three Choirs Festival July 27–31, 2022

Antiphellos Theatre

Hereford’s beautiful cathedral resounds with an array of music from celebrated composers, including Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra and Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius Enjoy a performance of Finzi’s timeless cantata Dies Natalis Visit Elgar’s birthplace at Lower Broadheath in the Malvern Hills For over 300 years the cathedral cities of Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester have taken turns to host a renowned annual music celebration. In 2022 the Three Choirs Festival will take place in Hereford, where we will experience a programme of concerts in the wonderful surroundings of its cathedral. The longest-running non-competitive classical musical festival in the world, the Three Choirs Festival features word-renowned solo artists, as well as its own Festival Chorus and the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Finzi’s Dies Natalis was due to premiere in 1939, and we look forward to hearing this engrossing cantata performed on our tour: it will be, in the words of the festival’s Artistic Director Geraint Bowen, “a rare opportunity to hear this work as originally planned, with a soprano rather than a tenor soloist”. The tour will be led by Richard Wigmore, MA, AGSM. Richard is a writer, broadcaster, lecturer and former professional singer. He contributes to Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine, and frequently appears on BBC Radio 3’s Record Review. 26

A S MORTON / CC BY 2.0

Hereford Cathedral

Further musical highlights will include a performance of Bach and Webern’s Ricercar, presented alongside Richard Strauss’s Metamorphosen and Richard Blackford’s Pietà – the latter an acclaimed interpretation of the medieval poem Stabat Mater, which won the Ivor Novello Composer Award in 2020 for the Choral Category. This will be contrasted later in the tour with a performance of Poulenc’s Stabat Mater, composed in 1950. This departure will also take in a

premiere by the British and Australian composer Luke Styles, whose work has been performed at Glyndebourne and Covent Garden. Styles’s new piece is a special commission for the Three Choirs Festival Youth Choir and contralto Hilary Summers. Our tour builds towards the festival’s closing concert – Elgar’s magnificent The Dream of Gerontius. We hope to enjoy a number of daytime performances alongside the evening concerts, as well as a dedicated visit to the cathedral – built in the Gothic style

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Hereford Cathedral

Festival Fringe Events In addition to the four evening festival performances advertised, we hope to include a further two to three daytime festival performances, subject to scheduling and availability. Details and an updated itinerary will be released on the ACE website once the full festival programme has been confirmed later in spring 2022. ITINERARY Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some details, including the musical programme, may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Day 1 Tour assembles 1230 at the Three Counties Hotel, Hereford, for four nights. Afternoon: orientation walking tour of Hereford and visit to Mappa Mundi exhibition at Hereford Cathedral. Evening lecture followed by festival performance at Hereford Cathedral: Bach / Webern Ricercar, Strauss Metamorphosen, Richard Blackford Pietà.

DAVID ILIFF / CC BY-SA 3.0

Day 2 Morning lecture followed by excursion to Ludlow (free time to explore). Evening festival performance at Hereford Cathedral: Judith Weir All the ends of the earth, Sarah Kirkland Snider If you bring forth what is within, M X Peruchona Cessate tympana, cessate praelia, new commission from Luke Styles (premiere).

from the 11th century – to view the medieval Mappa Mundi. An excursion into the Malvern Hills will feature a visit to The Firs, Elgar’s birthplace in Lower Broadheath. This delightful countryside cottage contains artefacts and photographs narrating the composer’s life. We stay throughout at the three-star Three Counties Hotel near Hereford.

“Richard’s daily talks were the highlight of the day. They added huge value to the programme and gave the festival an in-depth perspective which we couldn’t have achieved on our own” – ACE customer on the 2021 Worcester Three Choirs Festival tour with Richard Wigmore

Day 3 Morning lecture followed by some free time. Afternoon festival performance. Evening festival performance at Hereford Cathedral: Bach / Stravinsky Variations on ‘Vom Himmel hoch’, Finzi Dies Natalis, Britten The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Poulenc Stabat Mater. Day 4 Morning lecture followed by excursion to The Firs, Lower Broadheath (Elgar’s birthplace). Afternoon festival performance. Evening festival performance at Hereford Cathedral: Elgar The Dream of Gerontius. Day 5 Tour disperses after breakfast at the hotel.

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Dorset Country Houses

Antiphellos Theatre

MARK AC / CC BY-SA 2.0

August 8–12, 2022

Forde Abbey

Discover the county’s rich legacy of country houses of many periods, including the unusual Jacobean manor house at Warmwell Visit notable gardens of the early 20th century, from the Arts & Crafts gardens at Waterston Manor to those at Mapperton House, voted Historic Houses Garden of the Year 2020 Explore the magnificent abbey church in Sherborne, as well as other charming churches throughout the county Dorset has remained an overwhelmingly rural county, still dominated in many ways by the traditional estates of private country houses. The landscape is exceptionally varied, and almost always of great beauty, whether the rolling chalk downs that occupy the centre of the county, the austere limestone hills of the Isle of Purbeck, the dramatic ‘Jurassic Coast’ that forms the southern edge, or the lush pastures of Blackmore Vale in the north. Throughout, one senses the impact that these different landscapes 28

made on Dorset’s most celebrated literary son, Thomas Hardy. From an architectural point of view, the county’s particular forte is its country houses, which range in date from the medieval period to the present day, and in size from the charmingly modest to the grandiose. During this five-day tour we visit a selection from across the spectrum, including two great houses that evolved from monastic beginnings: Milton Abbey, a handsome late 18th century mansion that incorporates the hall of late medieval abbots, and This tour will be led by Charles Hind, MA, FSA, who holds the positions of Chief Curator and H J Heinz Curator of Drawings at the Royal Institute of British Architects. He is a specialist in Palladio, has published widely on architectural history from the 16th to the 20th centuries and has curated a number of exhibitions. Charles is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, a Visiting Fellow at the Centro Palladio in Vicenza, and a Trustee of the Georgian Group, the Lutyens Trust and the Great Dixter Charitable Trust.

Forde Abbey, where in the mid 17th century reception rooms of considerable splendour were threaded through the early medieval and Tudor remains of a Cistercian monastery. From the Tudor period comes romantic Wolfeton House, with its rather Frenchlooking gatehouse, and nationally important interiors of the later 16th century. The manor house at Mapperton combines Tudor and Stuart phases, whilst somewhat idiosyncratic Jacobean styles can be seen at Warmwell House and Waterston Manor. Later periods are represented by Minterne, a remarkable Edwardian house with Arts & Crafts touches. Dorset’s churches also offer plenty of interest, and our tour will take in a selection, including the superb abbey churches of Milton and Sherborne. The latter boasts the earliest major fan vault in existence. Folke Church and Leweston Chapel are rare and complete ensembles of the early 17th century, whilst Puddletown was beloved of Hardy, and Moreton is famous for its set of etched glass windows by Laurence Whistler. Book-ending our time frame are the mysterious and unexplained Cerne Giant, and the still-evolving township at Poundbury on the outskirts of Dorchester.

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JACK PEASE / CC BY 2.0

Sherborne Abbey

Tour Accommodation: There are limited standard twin rooms, but we are also offering two-bedroomed apartments, with lounge/dining room, outside sitting area and full kitchen facilities, for twin/double use, at a supplement. Please note that some of these apartments have double beds in both rooms, whilst others have a double bed in one room and twin beds in the other room. We will stay at the three-star Lanes Hotel, a country house hotel located in a former rectory in the village of West Coker. The hotel is decorated in a comfortable contemporary style and is surrounded by lawns, with the Somerset countryside beyond. Please see the ‘Tour Accommodation’ box for more details.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness is required for this tour as it involves a moderate amount of walking in and around houses and gardens. Participants must be prepared for uneven ground, steps, stone surfaces that can be slippery if wet and some mildly uphill terrain. Handrails are not always available. The hotel and many of the sites visited do not have lifts. Participants should meet ACE’s usual fitness criteria, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

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ITINERARY Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may change nearer the time. Many of the visits on this tour are arranged privately, and some may be subject to confirmation. If a visit to a particular property is not possible, we will endeavour to replace it with an alternative. Day 1 Tour assembles 1100 at the Lanes Hotel, West Coker, followed by 1130 at Yeovil Station. Lunch and tour of Minterne House followed by St Andrew’s Church in Minterne Magna, Folke Church and Leweston House and Chapel (subject to confirmation). Welcome and introduction. Four nights at the Lanes Hotel, West Coker. Day 2 Morning: Waterston Manor (Jacobean façades and attractive Arts & Crafts gardens) followed by the monastic church and mansion at Milton Abbey (with lunch in the Abbots’ Hall). Afternoon: Georgian Blandford Forum (handsome parish church of St Peter & St Paul) followed by St Mary the Virgin Church, Charlton Marshall and St Mary’s Church, Sturminster Newton (rare English stained glass window by Harry Clarke).

“Splendid cross-section of houses and religious buildings chosen to represent the county” “It was a privilege to see houses not usually open to the public” – ACE customers on a previous Dorset Country Houses tour

“Charles Hind was excellent – erudite, friendly and always ready to chat and discuss what we saw” – ACE customer on a previous tour with Charles Hind Day 3 Morning: Cerne Abbas Giant viewpoint and the Duchy of Cornwall town of Poundbury (wide range of buildings in traditional styles). Continue to Wolfeton House for lunch and tour. Afternoon: Mapperton House (home of the Earl and Countess of Sandwich, with outstanding early 20th century gardens). Day 4 Morning: Sherborne Abbey followed by gardens at Kingston Maurward House (20th century gardens along the River Frome) and St Mary the Virgin Church, Puddletown. Afternoon: St Nicholas’s Church, Moreton (Laurence Whistler windows) and Warmwell House (Jacobean manor house). Evening: summary talk. Day 5 Morning: Georgian shell house in grounds of Sherborne School followed by Forde Abbey (extensive gardens). Tour disperses approx 1430 at Yeovil Station followed by approx 1500 at the hotel. Cost of £1445 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, five lunches, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £200, two-bedroomed apartment for twin/double use supplement £70 per person. TOUR CODE: DOCH22

International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival August 18–22, 2022

Antiphellos Theatre

D’Oyly Carte’s Opera Co in Utopia Limited

In the words of Tour Director Donald Maxwell, experience the “essential guide to all things Gilbert & Sullivan” Take in a range of professional productions, including HMS Pinafore and Iolanthe, as well as a rare opportunity to see Utopia Limited Enjoy a variety of talks and lectures, including a guest talk with Gilbert & Sullivan expert Ian Bradley, all set in the picturesque spa town of Harrogate

Tour Director Donald Maxwell is an operatic baritone, director and lecturer. Donald has been involved with the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival for many years. He performs with opera companies worldwide, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where he featured in La Bohème in 2018. Donald writes: “‘Oh joy, oh rapture unforeseen’! Appropriately for the lovely spa town of Harrogate, this ever-popular festival offers a total immersion into the topsy-turvy world of Gilbert and Sullivan. This year’s programme includes a rare chance to see Utopia Limited as well as some old favourites… both on and off stage!”

Gilbert and Sullivan represent quintessential Victorian England. The brilliant, witty lyrics of W S Gilbert dazzle alongside the attractive melodies of Arthur Sullivan. In 2022, the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival will present another exciting and memorable programme of operas.

group who have been praised as “superb” by the Evening Standard and “wickedly funny” by The Guardian.

We look forward to a selection of productions performed by the professional National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company. Perennial favourites HMS Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance will be staged, alongside the Savoy opera Iolanthe. We also look forward to a performance of Patience, a satire on the Aesthetic Movement of the 1870s and 1880s, featuring Charles Court Opera, a

Charles Court Opera will also present a “murderous musical mystery tour” in the form of Express G&S, a brand new and exciting spoof bursting with references to Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas. Taking a whistle-stop tour from Penzance to the Tower of London, and Venice to Fairyland, it includes favourite songs from The Mikado and The Sorcerer amongst others.

Our 2022 tour will also include a rare chance to enjoy Utopia Limited, brought to us by the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company. The penultimate collaboration by Gilbert and Sullivan, it is less frequently performed than the pair’s other operas, and was praised by Bernard Shaw, who in 1893 stated, “I enjoyed the score of Utopia more than that of any of the previous Savoy operas”. Prior to taking our seats, we will enjoy a dedicated lecture from Tour Director Donald Maxwell introducing this hidden gem of Gilbert and Sullivan’s repertoire. The performances will take place in the Grade II listed surroundings of the Edwardian Royal Hall in Harrogate. Lectures and a Festival Masterclass given by our Tour Director, and an opportunity

“Donald Maxwell is an exceptional leader. We enjoyed his entertaining lectures, his knowledge and musical anecdotes” “Donald Maxwell was friendly, informative and highly entertaining” “I must admit now that I am unable to think of an imperfection let alone a fault with the whole experience” – ACE customers on previous International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival tours

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TONY HISGETT / CC BY 2.0

Royal Hall, Harrogate

to meet one of the festival’s Trustees, will complement the musical programme.

Professor of Cultural and Spiritual History at the University of St Andrews, Ian has performed regularly with the University of St Andrews Gilbert and Sullivan Society, of which he is honorary life president, and frequently writes, broadcasts and lectures on the subject.

We are also delighted to feature a guest talk with academic, writer and Gilbert & Sullivan expert Ian Bradley. Formerly

We will stay throughout at the four-star White Hart Hotel, centrally located in Harrogate, a short walk from the Royal Hall.

American Pirates of Penzance poster

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ENHANCED BY ADAM CUERDEN / CC BY 3.0

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This not a particularly strenuous tour but participants should meet ACE’s usual fitness criteria, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions. There is a short but busy walk from the hotel to the Royal Hall, and the return walk is uphill. Participants will also be required to navigate the stairs at the Royal Hall. Please note that we have a busy programme of operas and talks to make the most of our time at the Gilbert & Sullivan Festival.

Day 2 Morning lecture: Introduction to Patience, followed by Festival Masterclass with Donald Maxwell. Afternoon matinee festival performance featuring Charles Court Opera: Express G&S. Evening festival performance featuring Charles Court Opera: Patience. Day 3 Morning lecture: Introduction to Utopia Limited. Afternoon matinee festival performance featuring the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company: HMS Pinafore. Evening festival performance featuring the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company: Utopia Limited. Day 4 Morning guest talk with Ian Bradley (expert on Gilbert & Sullivan) followed by some free time. Afternoon matinee festival performance featuring the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company: Iolanthe. Evening festival performance featuring the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company: Pirates of Penzance. Day 5 Morning guest talk with Bernard Lockett, Trustee of the Gilbert & Sullivan Festival: The Heritage of Gilbert & Sullivan. Tour disperses approx 1030 at the hotel.

ITINERARY Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Day 1 Tour assembles from 1400 at the White Hart Hotel, Harrogate, for four nights. 1430 orientation walking tour of Harrogate followed by welcome and introduction to the tour. Evening talks providing an overview of the operas and lives of Gilbert, Sullivan & Carte, followed by exploration of Gilbert & Sullivan on screen.

Cost of £1475 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, performances as described, breakfast, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £260. TOUR CODE: IGSH22

Artists’ Houses in Sussex

Antiphellos Theatre

August 22–25, 2022

Watts Chapel interior

Discover the lives and works of artists through their houses scattered around the beautiful Sussex countryside Step into homes belonging to members of the Bloomsbury Group and their contemporaries including Monk’s House (Virginia Woolf) and Charleston (Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant)

From the 1890s to the 1940s, British design was driven by the tension between tradition and modernity. Houses and interiors at the turn of the century continued to explore the delightful possibilities of the Arts & Crafts movement. We will experience this in neighbouring Surrey at G F Watts’s studio and house, which became the focus of an artists’ community when it opened to the public in 1904. Philip Webb’s plans for Standen (1891–4),

meanwhile, incorporated the brightest and best of Morris & Co interior design. We will explore the life and work of the Bloomsbury Group: Virginia Woolf, Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and their friends who desired to create a modern movement in Britain, to rival the new art of Paris and Berlin. The transformation of the old Sussex farmhouse of Charleston, through bold colour and abstract pattern-making, bears witness to their ingenuity and creativity.

A century ago, the county of Sussex became a hub for artists and writers who came to escape the urban, be inspired and build new lives. Our tour takes us to the houses in which their ideas and lifestyles were formed, homes that both embrace the richness of the past and showcase modern ideals sought by English artists and writers at the time. 32

Monk’s House

DADEROT

Explore Limnerslease House and the Watts Gallery and Studio at the Artists’ Village in Compton, once home to George Frederic Watts and his wife Mary

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This tour will be led by Suzanne Fagence Cooper, MA, PhD, a lecturer and historian who specialises in British art history. An accredited Arts Society lecturer, Suzanne was a curator and Research Fellow at the V&A Museum for 12 years, during which time she collaborated with many of Britain’s regional museum collections. Suzanne writes on Victorian and 20th century painting, decorative arts and sculpture; she is the author of To See Clearly: Why Ruskin Matters (2019) and curated the 2019 exhibition Turner, Ruskin & the Storm Cloud at York Art Gallery.

Artists like Eric Ravilious were also walking the Downs in the 1920s and 30s, wrestling with the desire to paint in a style that was sensitive to the deep history of the landscape, while responding to the upheavals in art and design since the First World War. We will visit the Towner Art Gallery in Eastbourne and view its collection of works by Ravilious, taking in some of the scenes that inspired him en route. We stay throughout at the three-star Deans Place Hotel, a classic country house hotel located in the heart of the Sussex Downs in the pretty village of Alfriston. FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness is required for this tour, and participants should be prepared for a moderate amount of walking and standing during house and gallery visits. Please note that the houses visited on this tour may have uneven surfaces and steps to navigate, and lifts are not available. The walk to the Watts Chapel is uphill and along a road, but on a marked path. Participants should meet ACE’s usual fitness criteria, as detailed in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

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Farleys Farmhouse was the home of Surrealist photographer, Vogue model and Second World War correspondent Lee Miller. It played host to many leading figures of 20th century modern art, including Picasso. Here, we will discover the remarkable stories of Farley’s inhabitants as well as the characterful interiors. We also hope to include a private talk from Antony Penrose, son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose, to gain further, uniquely personal, insights into the house and the lives led there during this period.

Mary Watts, Aldershot Panel, 1916-1921, gesso and wood,Watts Gallery

Transfer to Deans Place Hotel, Alfriston, for three nights. Evening introductory lecture.

“Everything of the highest standard” “An excellent choice of visits” “Very interesting content... Suzanne is a very good lecturer” – ACE customers on a previous Artists’ Houses in Sussex tour

ITINERARY Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change or confirmation nearer the time. Day 1 Assemble 1300 at Guildford City Station. Visit to Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village (home to Victorian painter and sculptor G F Watts) including guided tour of Limnerslease House.

Day 2 Morning: Farleys House & Gallery (home of Surrealist photographer Lee Miller and artist Roland Penrose) with private talk (subject to confirmation). Afternoon: Standen (Arts & Crafts house with Morris & Co interiors). Day 3 Morning: Charleston (house and gardens), Berwick Church (Bloomsbury set murals) and St Peter’s Church, Firle (John Piper stained glass). Afternoon: Monk’s House (18th century cottage once home to Leonard and Virginia Woolf ). Evening lecture. Day 4 Morning excursion to Eastbourne for Towner Art Gallery (Ravilious gallery and print room). Tour disperses approx 1300 at Eastbourne Station followed by hotel. Cost of £1095 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, one lunch, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £95. TOUR CODE: AHSX22

Booking Procedure and Conditions Please complete the booking form and return it with the deposit required. Alternatively, you can either book online or by telephone. Upon receipt of your deposit we will send you a confirmation/invoice with, in most cases, a reading list. An itinerary, practical information and travel documents (if applicable) will be sent to you three weeks before the commencement of the tour. INTRODUCTION ACE Cultural Tours meets or exceeds all the requirements of the Package Travel Regulations 2018, full details of which can be found online at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ uksi/2018/634/contents/made In addition, flight-inclusive tours benefit from the financial protection afforded by our Air Travel Organiser’s License (ATOL 10204), whilst UK and other tours without flights are protected through the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT). We are also long-term members of the Association of Independent Tours Operators (AITO). For your own safety and financial security we do not recommend you book a holiday that does not benefit from the above protection. The Package Travel Regulations 2018 together with the following booking information and our promotional material form the basis of your contract with ACE Cultural Tours. We have tried to keep this as concise and simple as possible, so please read all the following paragraphs to make sure you understand and are happy with the terms of your booking. PAYMENT All tours and courses costing up to £250 per person must be paid in full at the time of booking. If you are booking 10 weeks or more before departure, the following deposits are payable at the time of booking: £250 per person for UK tours. £350 per person for all European tours. £450 per person for Worldwide tours. The balance must be received by us not less than 10 weeks prior to departure.This date will be shown on the confirmation invoice. Reminders are not sent, so please make a note of the date in your diary. If you are booking less than 10 weeks before departure, full payment for all tours must be made at the time of booking. NO SURCHARGES Tour prices are confirmed at the time of booking and thereafter will not be subject

to any surcharge. We have forward purchase of currency and other precautions in order to guarantee your holiday is not affected by fluctuations in fuel or currency rates. In the event of extraordinary circumstances making the tour unviable we would offer you a full refund or credit note or an alternative tour. CANCELLATION BY YOU You may cancel your booking at any time before departure. Notice of cancellation must be in writing and because we incur costs from the time we confirm your booking, the following charges will apply (for which we suggest you purchase appropriate insurance): Notice period

Cancellation charge

70 days or more

Deposit only

69-29 days

60% of total booking value

28-15 days

90% of total booking value

14 days or less

100% of total booking value

CANCELLATION DUE TO COVID-19 Please note that if you are personally prevented from travelling as a result of COVID-19 our normal cancellation charges will apply. For this reason we highly recommend that you take out travel insurance at the time of booking that specifically includes cover in the event that you are personally unable to travel. In addition you should have insurance to cover additional accommodation/transport costs incurred due to local/national quarantine requirements. CANCELLATION BY US We reserve the right to cancel your booking if there are insufficient bookings on your tour (this will depend on tour type and destination) or for other unforeseen operational reasons. In such an event, we will provide you with at least 70 days’ notice of cancellation and provide you with a full refund. Very occasionally, due to extraordinary circumstances in the immediate vicinity of the destination, it may be necessary to cancel the tour with less than 70 days’ notice, in which case we will likewise provide you with a full refund. Note that in either situation we cannot reimburse any incidental expenses you may have incurred (for example, train fares, additional accommodation or connecting flights). If you are buying your own flights, please liaise with the office before committing to significant expenditure.

CANCELLATION BY US DUE TO COVID-19 We also wish to reassure all our customers that if it is not possible for us to proceed with a tour due to COVID-19, we will transfer your booking to a future tour of your choice, provide a refund credit note or offer you a full refund. CHANGES BY US We do our utmost to ensure that all the arrangements and visits are as described. However, it is in the nature of travel that changes are sometimes inevitable, although most of these will be minor in nature. In the event that a particular visit is not possible, we will aim to replace it with another of equal interest. If we have to make more significant changes to the itinerary in advance of departure, we will provide you with a choice of a refund, credit note or an alternative itinerary. ACCOMMODATION Accommodation in hotels is in twin/double bedded rooms, the majority of which have private bath/shower and toilet. On cruise ships, accommodation is in cabins with shower and toilet only. Single rooms: despite the fact that single rooms carry a supplement, such accommodation is sometimes not of the same standard as twin/double accommodation. Single rooms may not always be in the same area of the hotel as a twin/double and the single supplement does not necessarily mean a twin/double room will be provided for single occupancy. Please note that ACE Cultural Tours very much welcomes single travellers and we make no profit from single room supplements.The costs are simply down to the economics of running a hotel. Porterage is included on overseas tours where available. FLIGHTS & TICKETS Specific instructions relating to the departure and travel arrangements will be sent with your air and/or other travel tickets approximately 2 weeks before departure. It is essential that you check your tickets carefully immediately upon receipt to ensure you have the correct flight times. Occasionally carriers will make late changes to departure times but we will contact you as soon as possible if this occurs. We will always aim to provide you with the name of your likely airline and flight times when you make a booking. However, flight schedules are set by the airlines and outside our control. We therefore reserve the right to change the actual carrier and flight times for your tour.

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In accordance with the regulations, we are required to bring your attention to the Community List of air carriers subject to an operating ban within the UK & EU: https:// ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/safety/airban/search_en. HEALTH & SAFETY We operate a safety audit system and work hard with our suppliers to ensure the safety and comfort of our travellers. However, please note that some of the destinations to which we travel have lower requirements and standards than those of the UK. It is therefore essential that you follow any instructions and guidance provided by your tour manager or director. FITNESS All tours involve a significant amount of walking, often over uneven paths, hillsides or steps.You should be prepared to walk at a reasonable pace for at least 60 minutes and additionally stand for at least 30 minutes without requiring a rest. DIETARY AND SPECIAL REQUESTS Please advise us at the time of booking of any food allergies or special dietary requirements you may have for medical or religious reasons and we will do our very best to assist.We are also happy to cater for vegetarians or pescatarians. It is not, however, possible to offer extensive choices at every meal to cater for food preferences as many of our menu selections are fixed. Inclusion of the dietary or special request on your booking confirmation or any other documentation is not a guarantee that the request will be met. HEALTH REQUIREMENTS Whilst we will provide details of any compulsory health requirements applicable to British citizens for your tour, it is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of all recommended vaccinations and health precautions in good time before departure. Please check with a doctor or clinic not less than ten weeks prior to departure to ensure that you have met the necessary requirements and have the applicable information.The following website may also be helpful: travelhealthpro.org.uk For tours in the EU/EEA you should obtain an GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) prior to departure from https://www.ghic.org.uk/ Internet/startApplication.do. Please note that an GHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance. You must be in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure (and pay for any related costs).We regret that we cannot accept any liability if you incur fees or are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry all required documentation.

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MEDICAL CONDITIONS OR DISABILITY We aim to provide authentic cultural experiences and to maximise the time spent on tour. As a result, the majority of itineraries are quite intensive and can be tiring. They may involve a significant amount of walking, uneven surfaces at outdoor sites or in historic buildings, long journeys, and uncomfortable climatic conditions which might exacerbate existing medical or mobility issues. Destinations include many countries with lower standards of health and safety than the UK and limited adaptations for people with reduced mobility. Some destinations do not (and cannot reasonably be expected to) provide emergency and/or health care to the standard that travellers with mobility and/or health conditions may require in the event of any form of incident or emergency. For the above reasons, our holidays may not be suitable for people with certain disabilities, medical conditions or significantly reduced mobility. If you suffer from any medical condition, disability or reduced mobility (including any which affect the booking process) or have any special requirements as a result, please tell us before making your booking so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the arrangements and in order that we can assess the potential risks to your welfare and health and safety. If we feel that we cannot reasonably accommodate your needs, we reserve the right to decline your booking or, if full details are not given at the time of booking or the condition/disability develops after booking, cancel when we become aware of these details. When we refer to reduced mobility, this means any material reduction in mobility whether this is permanent or temporary and whether caused by age or by physical or mental disability or impairment or other cause of disability. INSURANCE We consider comprehensive travel insurance essential for all tours (UK and abroad), including cover for medical expenses, infectious diseases, repatriation and personal liability, as well as cancelled, delayed and missed departure and loss or damage to personal possessions. Whilst accidental damage is a rare occurrence, your insurance should also cover any damage or loss caused by you and cover any resultant claims made against you or us. For overseas tours, you must give us details in writing of your insurance, preferably on your booking form but in any case no later than before the departure date of your tour. If you fail to do so, we reserve the right to cancel your booking.

We recommend that insurance premiums are paid as soon as possible as cover (in particular cancellation cover) will not be effective until you have done so. Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on holiday. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is suitable and adequate for your particular needs. We cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of this contract, for example, any additional services or facilities that you agree directly with a local hotel or other supplier. Please make sure you have adequate insurance to cover such services and the acts of other third parties. CONSIDERATION FOR FELLOW TRAVELLERS One of the great pleasures of ACE tours is meeting other people with shared interests and making new friends. This has always depended on mutual consideration for your fellow travellers. We therefore reserve the right that in the unlikely event you cause danger, upset or distress to any third party, we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate your tour without liability for any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination. PASSPORTS & VISAS Whilst we will provide guidance for each individual tour and help where we can, your specific passport, visa and other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant embassy or consulate. In particular, if you are not a British Citizen or hold a non-British passport, you must check the requirements for all countries to or through which you are intending to travel. Requirements may change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure. For some tours and destinations we will require a copy of the picture page of your passport. ISSUES If you are unhappy with any element of your tour or the arrangements, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can attempt to resolve the issue. If you are on tour you should speak directly to your tour manager or tour director and not wait until you return home, when it may be impossible for us to help. In the unlikely event that we cannot agree a satisfactory outcome between us, we will ask AITO’s Independent Dispute Settlement Service to find an amicable solution. Our contract with you is subject to English law (and no other) and the jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales only.

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A C E C U LT U R A L T O U R S – B O O K I N G F O R M Tour Information Tour Code Tour Title

Booking Ref.

Deposit/Full Payments

Total First Participant

n Male

Title:............... Surname: ............................................................................ (as shown in passport):

n Female

n Vegetarian

n Single Room

First & Middle Names:....................................................................................... (as shown in passport):

Passport details

(if different from first name and surname in passport)

(required for overseas tours only) We require a copy of the picture page of your passport for long haul tours and destinations requiring a visa.

Address:...........................................................................................................

Nationality:

...........................................................................................................................

Passport Number:

...........................................................................................................................

Date of Issue (D/M/Y):

Tel/Mob:...........................................................................................................

Date of Expiry

Known as:........................................................................................................

Email: ................................................................................................................ Date of Birth

(D/M/Y):

...................................................................................................

(D/M/Y)

Place of Birth: ................................................................................................... Country of issue:................................................................................................ Special dietary requests/allergies: ..................................................................

Second Participant

n Male

Title:............... Surname: ............................................................................ (as shown in passport):

Known as:........................................................................................................ (if different from first name and surname in passport)

Address:...........................................................................................................

n Female

n Vegetarian

n Single Room

First & Middle Names:....................................................................................... (as shown in passport):

Passport details

(required for overseas tours only) We require a copy of the picture page of your passport for long haul tours and destinations requiring a visa.

Nationality:

...................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................

Passport Number:

...........................................................................................................................

Date of Issue (D/M/Y):

Tel/Mob:...........................................................................................................

Date of Expiry

Email: ................................................................................................................

Place of Birth: ...................................................................................................

Country of issue:................................................................................................

Date of Birth

(D/M/Y):

(D/M/Y)

Special dietary requests/allergies: ..................................................................

Payment Instructions I wish to pay a deposit of £

by: (tick method of payment)

Bank transfer : Sort Code 16 – 15 – 19 Account Number 10410774 Account name ACE CULTURAL TOURS LTD Please quote your family name and tour code/ booking reference. Cheque: please enclose cheque payable to ACE Cultural Tours Ltd. Card payments: please telephone the ACE reservations team on 01223 841055

Booking Authorisation I agree to accept the booking conditions, including fitness criteria in section 4, on behalf of myself and others included on this form. Please also see our Privacy Policy for information on how we handle your personal data. This is available on our website but if you require a hard copy please contact the office. Signature ....................................................................................................................................................

Date....................................................................................

Please return to: ACE Cultural Tours, Stapleford Granary, Bury Road, Stapleford, Cambridge CB22 5BP, England

02/22

aceculturaltours.co.uk

Watts Gallery – Artists’ Houses in Sussex

ACE CULTURAL TOURS

ACE CULTURAL TOURS Stapleford Granary Bury Road Stapleford 01223 841055 CAMBRIDGE ace@aceculturaltours.co.uk CB22 5BP www.aceculturaltours.co.uk