Hudson's issue 36 | 2023

THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO HERITAGE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

The definitive guide to heritage in the United Kingdom

Published by Ignyte Media Ltd, Bathway Farm, Bathway, Chewton Mendip, Somerset BA3 4LN Tel: 01761 410141

Information carried in this publication is based on that supplied by the owners of the various places featured. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information given is accurate at the time of going to press but opening times, admission charges and facilities available at heritage places may be changed at the discretion of the owners. Visitors taking long journeys are advised to check details in advance to ensure that opening times are as published. While every care has been taken to ensure the data contained in the publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause.

Ignyte do not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system in any form without prior permission of the publisher.

The views expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Visit Heritage or its employees. When branded products are mentioned in editorial or advertising promotions, this should not be taken to imply endorsement of these products by Visit Heritage or Hudson’s.

© VISIT HERITAGE 2023

Front cover: The Palladian Bridge at Wilton House 2023

KEY TO SYMBOLS

Hudson’s is organised by region according to this map. We use the symbols on this key to include as much information as possible. We indicate ownership so if you are a member of a heritage organisation, you know if you can have privileged access, but please check first.

Information

Toilets

Baby Changing

Accepts Euros

Open All Year

Parking Available

Accessibility features

Cycling Routes

Dogs Welcome

Accommodation

Audio Tours

Guided Tours

Educational/School Visits

Café / Tearoom / Refreshments

Restaurant

Shop

Plant Sales

Private or Corporate Venue

Special Events

Weddings

In the Movies

Spa Facilities

Haunted

Historic Houses but does not give free access to members

Historic Houses with free access to members

Owned by National Trust

Owned by National Trust for Scotland

In the care of Historic Environment Scotland

In the care of English Heritage

In the care of Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service

Royal Horticultural Society Partner Garden

In the care of Northern Ireland Environment Agency

In the care of the Landmark Trust

Churches Conservation Trust

On behalf of Visit Heritage Welcome to

Welcome to Hudson’s guide 2023. We know that Hudson’s has become, over its 36 years of publication, a trusted and invaluable source of information on heritage places to visit in the UK. In our gloriously illustrated pages, you will find a wealth of suggestions for places to visit on and off the beaten track.

We particularly love country houses, a heritage of places which combine architecture, collections of works of art, gardens and protected landscapes with fascinating stories of the families who have made them interesting. We also love our great national heritage of cathedrals, railways, battlefields, museums and archaeology so whatever your particular passion, Hudson’s is proud to be your guide.

For 2023, we have been in pursuit of the new. There are new attractions to visit or familiar ones presented in a new way, there are new cities, each with a distinct history to discover and there are new reasons to visit places which are celebrating an anniversary this year. We are entering a new reign with the Coronation of King Charles III in May, so we have enjoyed a visit to some of the Royal Gardens which you can explore as a visitor. We all have new obsessions after changing habits over lockdown in 2020. If you have taken up cycling or prefer to walk, we have a little inspiration for you and since many of us have a richer digital life, we’ve suggested some ways to visit places without leaving the sofa. Other topics have become something of a national obsession, so we have taken the chance to look at how historic places are meeting climate change or the challenge of helping us all face up to the history of slavery. We’ve learned about the Historic Houses Foundation’s vital work securing threatened buildings. If you want to get away from it all, we’ve highlighted some amazing places to stay which also provide a gateway to other days out. And we have rounded it all off with a review of our nation’s World Heritage Sites; we really do have an extraordinary heritage to explore in Britain.

Hudson’s directory pages will give you all the details you need for a visit and the maps will help you get there. We hope you have fun exploring all the Britain’s heritage has to offer in 2023; we know you will.

Sarah Greenwood Editor

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, LONDON

CAERPHILLY CASTLE, WALES

ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS, EDINBURGH

GIANTS CAUSEWAY, NORTHERN IRELAND

Hudson’s

Email: info@visitheritage.co.uk

Thanks to all the many owners and managers of heritage places featured here for their information and for helping to keep Hudson’s accurate and up to date.

All images are copyright to Visit Heritage or to the places depicted unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved.

Publisher: Tina Veater, for Visit Heritage

Editorial: Sarah Greenwood, Likeminded, Berwick upon Tweed TD15 1XJ

Design: Studio 74 Creative Design, Motorworks, Frome, Somerset BA11 1HS

Bookings and Web management: Carmen Goodwin and Julia Loveder

Borders / South West Scotland / Dumfries & Galloway / Ayrshire & Arran / Edinburgh / Greater Glasgow / Tayside / West Highlands & Islands / Loch Lomond / Stirling

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We want Hudson’s to make discovering Britain’s heritage easy for you but please check opening times before you visit to avoid disappointment. Many heritage places open regularly but others only occasionally or only for special events.

2023 MARK THE YEAR

LAYER MARNEY TOWER

500 years – 1523 Building of Layer Marney Tower

At the start of 1523, Sir Henry Marney was in his sixties and at the height of his power. By February, Henry VIII had made him Keeper of the Privy Seal and 1st Baron Marney and he was building himself a palace fi t to entertain the King. He had every right to be proud. He had fought for Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth, taken up arms three times to protect the King from rebellion and greeted the newly arrived Spanish princess, Katherine of Aragon, when she came to marry the heir to the throne. In the next reign, Henry Marney and his son, John, had fought with Henry VIII in France and escorted him to his meeting with the Emperor Charles V and to the famous meeting with Francis I of France at the Field of the Cloth of Gold, the most splendid pageant yet seen in Europe. But by the start of April 1523, Henry, Lord Marney was dead and John followed him to the grave only 2 years later. Their ambition to build the finest palace in England, a rival for Hampton Court, came to an abrupt end. What survives exactly 500 years later is an extraordinary building in its own right; the 80 metre high brick gatehouse and stable block is the tallest gatehouse in Britain. Meanwhile, Henry and John, 1st and 2nd Lords Marney, lie peacefully in their black marble tombs in the adjacent church, still showing us the sophistication of their taste with up-to-the-minute Renaissance decoration which echoes the terracotta detailing on the Tower.

DR JENNER’S HOUSE 200 years – 1823 Death of Dr Jenner

With Covid-19 still circulating in the population, the concept of vaccination is one we can all be grateful for. The man we have to thank for inventing vaccination, Edward Jenner of Berkeley in Gloucestershire, died 400 years ago this year. The most feared disease in the late 18th century when Edward Jenner was first practicing as a surgeon was smallpox. Smallpox was deadly, with a death rate of about 30%, but it had one unusual characteristic – survivors developed immunity. The story is well known, Edward Jenner observed that milkmaids were regularly exposed to a related disease, cowpox, and when infected, did not contract smallpox. When Dr Jenner injected pus from a cowpox infection into the 8 year old son of his gardener in 1796, the child developed an immunity to smallpox. Naming his method vaccination, Dr Jenner set up a clinic in a rustic cottage in the garden of his house and began to vaccinate the local population, while promoting his new method widely. The result was a rapid and dramatic fall in cases of smallpox, leading eventually to the final global eradication of the disease in 1980.

Visit Dr Jenner’s House to see the lovely Georgian home where he lived with his wife, Catherine. You will also be able to visit the rustic garden cottage where he carried out his vaccinations - he called it “the Temple of Vaccinia”and, rather touchingly, see the horns of Blossom, the cow which supplied the cowpox for that first epoch changing vaccination.

Find a historical reason for a commemoration visit this year

GLAMIS CASTLE

100 years – 1923

Marriage of the Queen Mother

There are many reasons for visiting Glamis Castle –medieval turrets; ghosts; Macbeth; grand state rooms; Italian gardens – but many visitors in the 20th century, in particular, came here because Glamis Castle was the home of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon left in 1923 to marry ‘Bertie’, Duke of York, little realising that, just over a decade later, this decision would make her Queen Consort and her daughter the reigning monarch. The pair had met at a dance in London and, although she initially refused him, fearing to lose her freedom by becoming part of the royal family, they were married in London in April 1923, 100 years ago this year. When her husband unexpectedly took the throne as George VI after the abdication of his brother in 1936, she was Queen Consort and, in her long life, earned the love and affection of the British people. Her presence is still felt at Glamis Castle. She never lost her love of Scotland and returned to the peace of Glamis for her honeymoon and many holidays, even giving birth to her second child, Princess Margaret while staying at the castle. The rooms where she and her family stayed have not changed. Visitors enjoy her comfortable sitting room and the bedroom she occupied with its original 18th century bed. She last visited Glamis in 2000 when she was 100 but her childhood home still remembers her.

NEWBY HALL

300 years – 1723 Death of Sir Christopher Wren

It is 300 years since London’s architect, Sir Christopher Wren, was laid to rest in a simple tomb in his masterpiece, St Paul’s Cathedral. We know his work from his rebuilding of the London skyline after the Great Fire or for grand public buildings like St Paul’s or the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich. Surprisingly, he also designed a country house in Yorkshire. Newby Hall was built in 1684 for Sir Edward Blackett, MP for Ripon, a man whose family had made a fortune shipping coal from Newcastle to London. The tall brick house, which was originally topped by a cupola, was in the latest Baroque style, already employed by Wren at Hampton Court. It had innovative sash windows “on all 4 fronts”, a design which had been perfected only 12 years earlier. Originally, it was technologically advanced inside as well, with up to date plumbing arrangements and an open well staircase. Newby Hall’s exterior is still fairly true to Wren’s design (except for the missing cupola) but the interiors were completely altered and updated for William Weddell’s collections, acquired on Grand Tour in the 1770s. The new architects were John Carr of York and Robert Adam so the house today is essentially neo-classical but this fine example of Georgian style still betrays its Baroque origins and the legacy of Sir Christopher Wren.

GLAMIS CASTLE

SHAKESPEARE HOUSES

400 years – 1623

Shakespeare’s First Folio

Thanks to the publication of a collection of the works of Britain’s most loved playwright, William Shakespeare, in 1623, generations of schoolchildren have had their first experience of theatre. In all, 36 plays were collected by his friends, John Heminge and Henry Condell, into a printed book that we now know as The First Folio. These versions of the plays were pieced together from existing publications and from the memories of actors who had played the roles. Significantly, it is the first time they were arranged into categories as Tragedies, Comedies and Histories which has coloured our view of the plays ever since. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust holds three of the 230 copies of the First Folio which survive, including plays which would otherwise have been lost - As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Macbeth and The Tempest. The original Folio printing included a portrait of Shakespeare by Marcus Droeshout, one of few surviving images of the Bard even though it was made seven years after Shakespeare’s death. To get close to Shakespeare today, immerse yourself in his history at Shakespeare’s Birthplace and the museum and gardens on the site of New Place, the house he built to celebrate his success when he returned to Stratford from London.

FAIRFAX HOUSE & HAREWOOD HOUSE

300 years - 1723

Birth of John Carr of York

John Carr of York, who was born 300 years ago this year, was to become one of the most prolific architects of the Georgian era, working on numerous country houses nearby his native York. His most prestigious country house commission was for the new home of Edwin Lascelles, who had inherited a fortune made by his father in the West Indies. With a grand residence at Harewood House, Edwin Lascelles planned to establish his status in the county and by 1790 he was made Baron Harewood. The house was commissioned to John Carr’s design in 1759 and the central block featured full height Corinthian columns in Palladian style. The interiors at Harewood were completed by Robert Adam, who added flanking pavilions. John Carr of York meanwhile, went on to design the interiors of Fairfax House in the city of York, the townhouse of Charles, 9th Viscount Fairfax and his daughter, Anne. The house had been built twenty years earlier but Carr provided elegant suites of rooms decorated with Rococo stucco work, perfect for the Fairfaxes’ busy winter social life.

SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHPLACE FAIRFAX HOUSE

2023 NEW FOR

Heritage Places to visit just open or opening in 2023

CASTLEFIELD VIADUCT, MANCHESTER

AD GEFRIN

Head up to Northumberland any time after February 2023 to visit a new tourist attraction-cum-distillery in the Cheviot town of Wooler. Gefrin was the name of the summer palace of King Edwin of Northumbria and one of the centres of Anglo-Saxon culture in the North. Today, the site of Edwin’s lost timber feasting halls is just to the North of Wooler and the new enterprise in the town will combine a commercial whisky distillery with a visitor experience to celebrate the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria. A loan agreement with the British Museum and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is bringing rare treasures, jewellery and weaponry from Anglo-Saxon Northumbria and the neighbouring kingdom of Mercia to the new Ad Gefrin AngloSaxon Museum. These include a unique glass beaker, the Castle Eden Glass Beaker, made of Frankish glass in the 5th century, a sophisticated object which perhaps gives a hint of the splendour of the court of the ancient Kings of Northumbria, the beauty of their culture and the skills of their craftsmen. Ad Gefrin is also inviting visitors to an immersive AV interpretation of the Great Hall at the centre of the 7th century palace complex to explore the life of the royal palace in Northumbria’s Golden Age. Open Spring 2023.

CASTLEFIELD VIADUCT

When the High Line Park opened on a disused railway viaduct in New York in 2009, few imagined that it would become a symbol of urban regeneration, a beacon of biodiversity and a popular tourist attraction, but it is now all three. The National Trust is proposing a similar ‘sky park’ in central Manchester. Castlefield Viaduct was built in 1892, part of a network of rail links that became redundant with the closure of Manchester’s Central Railway Station in 1969. The viaduct’s angular architecture, designed by Heenan & Froude, engineers of the Blackpool Tower, is providing a striking setting for the development of a linear park which is now in a year-long consultation

phase. If the test phase is successful, the plan is to develop all 330 metres of the viaduct to provide a much needed urban green space which might be used by the estimated 250,000 people who live within a 20 minute journey from the park. Currently, only half of the area has been planted in partnership with community partners, but gives a clear indication of how this unlikely site can become a space of beauty and relaxation with a significant impact on the biodiversity of the area. While a long way from the National Trust’s programme of custodianship of country houses and coastline, it is central to the ambition and principles of founder, Octavia Hill, whose main concern was to preserve green spaces for city dwellers. Open for pre-booked guided tours.

RICHBOROUGH: GATEWAY TO BRITANNIA

The first four Roman legions sent by the Emperor Claudius to Britain in AD43 arrived at the natural harbour of Richborough in Kent. They built defensive ditches and a fort which was later rebuilt to become central to the defences of the Saxon Shore. A remarkable portion of the Roman walls of the fort is still there. From Richborough, the Roman army advanced up a new road, Watling Street, to conquer much of Britain. Richborough was the main arrival point for all visitors and imports to Roman Britain

BATTERSEA POWER STATION

Once an abandoned industrial hulk, the iconic 1930s art deco building that was Battersea Power Station is now a thriving new district of offices, shops and residential space easily accessed from a new tube station at Battersea Park. It is also still a unique piece of British industrial heritage and the developers have attempted to tell the story of the building’s history. As a result, the huge space includes a series of free exhibitions, living history films and pieces of original power station equipment. Visitors can also book a trip in Lift 109 to travel to 109 metres above sea level to the top of the North West chimney high above the Art Deco Turbine Hall A and enjoy an extraordinary 360° view of London. Open now.

throughout the period of occupation and the legions also left Britain by this route when the Roman empire began to disintegrate in the early 5th century. 2023 will see the re-interpretation of this important site by English Heritage with the addition of a new museum, which will allow the display of the hundreds of Roman objects excavated here since the 1920s. The archaeology reveals something of the busy commercial and domestic life of the port town and its amphitheatre, as well as evidence of a vast 25 metre high triumphal arch adorned with bronze statuary, one of the largest in the Roman world. Reopening summer 2023.

BOSTON MANOR HOUSE

The London Borough of Hounslow, now part of the city, was once on the edge of the countryside and a favourite place for aristocrats to build a country house. Boston Manor House was the height of fashion when it was built by Lady Mary Reade in 1623, one of the earliest houses to adopt the new ideas of Palladian architecture. Renaissance details on the porch and, particularly, a spectacular stucco ceiling in the Drawing Room show the range of influences at work in Jacobean architectural design. The ceiling, by Edward Stanton, who also worked at Blickling Hall in Norfolk, includes classical figures of the Elements

(after designs by Marc Gheeraerts the Younger), the Five Senses, War and Peace and Faith, Hope and Charity. After a long period of restoration to the house and the surrounding parkland to repair damage which dated back to the house’s requisition in the Second World War, the house will be ready for visitors in 2023. Outside, a new café, revitalised planting and enterprises from a Forest School and a walled garden will provide opportunities for the community to get involved. Inside, the interiors have been painstakingly restored to how they may have looked in the mid-18th century when the house belonged to the Clitherow family. Open daily.

BRAEMAR CASTLE

Braemar Castle dates back to 1628 when it was a hunting lodge for the Earls of Mar but was largely rebuilt in 1748 when acquired by the Farquharson family. Now run by the local community, 2023 sees the completion of a restoration project ‘Raising the Standard ’, to renew interpretation and the harling on the exterior of the castle, recreating its original rough lime mortar coat. A dozen rooms of the castle can be visited and the place is full of stories. Georgian graffi ti marks the period when the castle was a garrison for Government troops after the Jacobite Risings; Robert Louis Stevenson got the inspiration for his famous pirate story, Treasure Island, from here; Queen Victoria, a neighbour at Balmoral, visited; and the rooms still owe their style to one of the castle’s later owners, Frances Farquharson, an editor at Harper’s Bazaar in the 1950s. You won’t be surprised to find plentiful turrets and a dungeon. Re-opening mid-2023.

CAERPHILLY CASTLE

The largest castle in Wales and second largest in Britain (second only to Windsor Castle), is Caerphilly Castle in Glamorgan. Built by Norman grandee, Gilbert de Clare in the 1260s, it is a highly defensive complex of round towers and curtain walls, all reflected in extensive water defences. Now Caerphilly is enjoying the biggest change since parts were ruined in the Civil War; its famous leaning tower still looks deceptively precarious. Cadw have invested £5 million in a scheme to provide a state-of-the-art visitor centre and new interpretation that will tell the stories of the men and women who have made history here over the centuries. The impressive Great Hall will now offer interactive displays to help recreate scenes not witnessed here since the days when Edward II’s favourite, Hugh Despenser, entertained here. King Edward and Hugh Despenser were besieged at Caerphilly Castle for four months in 1326 and surviving original inventories have provided plentiful information on the style in which they lived so that Cadw are now able to take us back in time. Open daily.

PLACES Sacred

SALISBURY CATHEDRAL

The vertical profile of Salisbury Cathedral is the epitome of Early English Gothic with its soaring perpendicular spire reaching towards the heavens. Immortalised by English landscape painter, John Constable, in the early 1800s, its image has adorned biscuit tins and screen savers and become a symbol of Englishness. Its appeal is in no small part because the main cathedral was completed in one go between 1220 and 1258, so its architecture is remarkably consistent. Another reason is that the spire has survived while others have collapsed over the centuries, making it still the tallest church tower in Britain at 123 metres.

Tours of Salisbury Cathedral are many and varied. Free tours cover the ground floor, stained glass windows, vestments, medieval clock and restoration in action. The clock is an extraordinary survival and was installed in 1386 when Ralph Ergham, a councillor to Richard II, was Bishop of Salisbury. Pre-dating the inclusion of a dial, the clock was designed to strike each of the canonical hours appropriate for different prayers. Tours with a charge, take visitors up the tower to the foot of the hollow spire via 332 steps or, for groups of 4, up the scaffolding to see the restoration work on the East End from close up. The cathedral library, founded in 1445, contains over 12,000 printed books and nearly 200 manuscripts, some over 800 years old. Most interesting of all the cathedral tours is a visit to the stonemasons in the Works Yard and Drawing Office where stone is prepared for the restoration, using techniques perfected in the 13th century.

Costs from free to £75pp.

www.salisburycathedral.org.uk

English cathedrals are increasingly part of our tourist experience, while still remaining central to our religious life. Most cathedrals now off er a programme of privileged tours for visitors, though many involve climbing steps so require a reasonable level of fitness. Hudson’s considers some of the best available.

CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL

The first cathedral at Canterbury was founded by missionary St Augustine in 597 and it remains our oldest cathedral - parts of the current building are 950 years old. Building commenced under the first Norman archbishop, Lanfranc, and, since this is England’s premier cathedral and seat of the Primate of the Church of England, the cathedral has been altered and enhanced continuously ever since. Between the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170 and the Reformation in the 1530s, Canterbury Cathedral was also one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations, as Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales attest, and today it is part of a World Heritage Site attracting a more secular type of pilgrim.

Booking a tour at Canterbury Cathedral is easy, you just check in at the Visitor Experience Desk when you arrive or pre-book online. They run free tours throughout the day and, as an indication of the building’s global tourist appeal, you can opt to be led in German, French, Dutch, Swedish and Russian. Tours are either general tours of the interior or specialist tours of the stained glass windows. Either will give you a chance to see some of the oldest stained glass in the world, the 12th century Ancestor Windows, as well as the 13th century Miracle Windows which tell the story of St Thomas Becket, including a scene of the poor Archbishop being run through with a sword.

Costs free to £15.50pp.

HEREFORD CATHEDRAL

After the first church at Hereford was destroyed by the Welsh, the present building was begun in 1079 and the solidity of the plain Norman pillars in the Nave stand in contrast to the soaring Early English Gothic of the Choir and Lady Chapel. The stalls of the Choir hide one of the cathedral’s treasures, a series of eccentrically carved 14th century misericords. The cathedral is also famous for its 17th century Chained Library, a simple precaution against book thieves, where the earliest book is the 8th century illuminated Hereford Gospels. More remarkable still is the Mappa Mundi, a circular world map drawn on vellum around 1300. The single landmass is centred on Jerusalem and surrounded by lively scenes from the Bible and myth, a clear indication of how differently medieval scholars saw their world. These treasures almost obscure the fact that Hereford Cathedral also holds one of the finest surviving copies of Magna Carta, dated to 1217. The Chained Library, Mappa Mundi and Magna Carta are part of a special exhibition area with an entry fee.

Tours run Monday to Saturday, booked through the Visits Office. You can opt for a Cathedral Tour or, in the summer only, book a tour up 218 steps to the top of the 13th century central Tower for a view over the city of Hereford. Wednesday tours of the recently restored six acre Chapter House and Deanery Gardens are on offer May to September.

Costs £5 to £6pp.

ST MAGNUS CATHEDRAL

St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, Orkney is Britain’s most northerly cathedral and the only one with its own dungeon. Visually, the red sandstone building has something in common with Durham Cathedral and the masons of its great Romanesque nave may have been the same, starting work in 1137. It remains the least altered medieval cathedral in Scotland, apart from the rebuilding of the spire in 1908, and the bones of the founder, Magnus Erlendson, Earl of Orkney are still entombed in one of the pillars.

Tours of the upper levels of the cathedral can be pre-booked all year via email cathedral@orkney.gov.uk. The tour includes walking along the upper levels and the Clerestory and up into the Belfry with access to the external parapet for spectacular views to Scapa Flow and across the islands.

Cost: £9.60 to £10pp

ELY CATHEDRAL

You can see Ely Cathedral from miles around, the building makes the most of the flat Fenland landscape of Cambridgeshire, sporting not just a 12th century West Tower but a unique Octagonal Lantern Tower over the crossing. The building is constructed on soft ground and repeated collapses in the Middle Ages have resulted in a characteristic lopsided appearance. Inside, you are immediately struck by the painted ceiling of the nave and Octagon Tower, part of a Victorian revival of the Cathedral, while the Early English Gothic vaulting of beautiful freestanding Lady Chapel needs no further embellishment. Ely’s nesting pair of Peregrine falcons are the latest attraction.

Tours of the Octagon Tower, one of medieval England’s most unusual wooden structures, should not be missed. Or choose from a simple tour of the Ground Floor, brave the 288 steps up the West Tower for spectacular views over the countryside or explore the Monastic Buildings that still surround the Cathedral and Physick Garden, one of the largest complexes of surviving medieval monastic buildings in the country.

Costs from £1.50 to £12pp.

YORK MINSTER

York’s largest church is a Minster not a cathedral because its foundation pre-dates the adoption of the Norman-French word. The church, the second largest gothic cathedral in Europe, took about 250 years to build between 1230 and 1472 and is an architectural lesson in the development of the gothic style, Early English in the North and South transepts, Perpendicular in the Quire and Decorated in the nave and chapter house. Visitors will see the largest collection of stained glass in the UK by some of the most important makers of the era, particularly the Great East Window and the Rose Window which celebrates the end of the Wars of the Roses.

Guided tours are run throughout the day, free with an entry ticket, and there are special tours of the stained glass. You can climb the tower on a tour (275 steps) for views of the city or book onto a Hidden Minster tour which takes you behind the scenes into the roof of the Chapter House and even the Mason’s Loft where 13th century stone masons planned their design on the Tracing Floor. Get up to date with a Stoneyard or Scaffolding Tour to see masons at work on the restoration of the Minster today or delve into the Crypt.

Costs from £5 to £22.50pp.

Gardens ROYAL

From the biblical King Solomon to the Sun King Louis XIV of France, kings and queens who love gardens regularly emerge throughout history. Time, perhaps, for Hudson’s to take a look at royal gardens in Britain.

Luckily for all of us in the UK our new monarch, His Majesty King Charles, is perhaps the keenest gardener of them all. HM The King has several gardens at his disposal. Hudson’s explores three gardens that are the personal property of the monarch but open to visitors. A couple more belong to private trusts (The Castle of Mey and Dumfries House) but His Majesty has a personal interest in them. Beyond these, the Crown Estate looks after a group of gardens attached to the properties of the Monarchy (The Savill Garden, Buckingham Palace Gardens, Windsor Castle Gardens). Many are open to the public and can be visited. They provide a surprising insight into the royal family, their interests and priorities.

HIGHGROVE e King’s Own Gardens

Gardening has always been a hobby for His Majesty the King. When he acquired his own house at Highgrove in Gloucestershire in 1980, he inherited the scant remains of a kitchen garden and a straggling copse or two around a pretty 18th century house. Now, 40 years on, the gardens at Highgrove are internationally celebrated for their originality and style. The house is strictly private, a retreat for their Majesties the King and Queen Consort, but the gardens are now regularly open to the public throughout the year for a range of pre-booked tours.

Highgrove has many of the traditional features of 20 th century gardens. It owes a debt to the gardening fashions of the past but this is a garden that is hard to pigeonhole and has elements of striking originality. The designer has been HM the King, and it is a very personal garden, but he had an open ear for other gardeners, discussing planting schemes with Rosemary Verey and Lady Salisbury and the Stumpery with Julian and Isobel Bannerman.

The gardens cover 15 acres including woodland, a large orchard and 4 acre wildflower meadow. Formal elements are a lily pool garden, rose pergola created for HM the King’s 50th birthday, the Sundial Garden to the South of the house, the golden yew topiary lining the Thyme Walk

and the Kitchen Garden, designed in the pattern of the flags of Scotland and England. Most remarkable are the extensive Stumpery which celebrates ferns, hostas and shade, the Carpet Garden inspired by the patterns of Islamic rugs radiating from a mosaic fountain and the red ribbon of autumn foliage that appears at the end of the Thyme Walk in October. There is a scattering of sculpture, all figurative. A bronze of the Borghese Gladiator stands at the end of the vista from the West Front, a present from the King’s friend, the Marquess of Cholmondeley. Hidden in a woodland glade on the edge of the Arboretum is Frederick Hart’s 1998 sculpture, Daughters of Odessa, a representation of the daughters of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, while a small wicker sculpture is a tribute to Tigga, a beloved Jack Russell terrier. The Sundial Garden is delineated with yew hedges pierced by open windows which display busts of HM the King at different phases of his life. There are many architectural elements. The bee hives are designed like little Georgian follies; the Shand Gate is a decorative Indian gate dedicated to the Queen Consort’s brother, an elephant conservationist; a green oak memorial to HM the King’s late grandmother graces the Stumpery and an oak summerhouse, the Cottage Garden.

SANDRINGHAM

Edwardian Splendour

Sandringham in Norfolk was purchased by Queen Victoria in 1863 as a present for her eldest son, later King Edward VII, so that he and his wife, Queen Alexandra, could create a home.

The gardens bear the imprint of four generations of the royal family. Edward VII built a new house and redesigned the grounds, planting specimen trees, which are now mature, and commissioning a fashionable rock garden on the lakeside made of an artificial stone called Pulhamite, now a rare survival of this construction. When King George V inherited the house, it was to become his favourite home, “the place I love better than anywhere else in the world.” He opened the garden for the first time in 1927 for the National Gardens Scheme in memory of his mother. In turn, King George VI altered the Victorian formal flowerbeds with the help of Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe, introducing a more relaxed planting style. Queen Elizabeth II planted a shrubbery, introducing rhododendrons and azaleas from Windsor, and created a series of woodland walks. HM King Charles took over responsibility for the Sandringham Estate in 2017 and began a more naturalistic approach, introducing organic practices and focussing on the preservation of wildlife habitat. He has taken advantage of the natural springs that feed the lakes, planting the banks with moisture loving plants and setting the meandering stream in natural meadows.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert built themselves a Scottish Baronial castle at Balmoral on Deeside so that they could escape to the Highlands in the summer; the royal family have been doing so every August ever since. Balmoral is a place for relaxed country pursuits and for family life far from the pressures of court and the gardens and grounds are an important part of their holidays.

Prince Albert himself planned fi ve miles of walks and drives, including the Broad Walk, so that his wife could enjoy strolls and carriage rides through groves of specimen trees. Sunken gardens on either side of the castle provided sheltered spots for formal planting. Since then, Queen Mary planted a sunken rose garden and the planting has been simplified. The greatest influence has been the late Duke of Edinburgh who developed the kitchen garden, added a rhododendron walk and a water garden, as well as revitalising the beds around the house with a Terrace Garden and new herbaceous border. Visitors most enjoy the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Conservatory which is filled with colourful hot house flowers even in the early spring.

BALMORAL Highland Holidays

Two features link these royal gardens. Most significantly, HM the King’s own determination to adopt organic practices is visible everywhere from the companion planting in the kitchen gardens at Balmoral to the willow ramps to give small mammals and amphibians an easy exit from ponds at Highgrove. Highgrove is the leader in sustainability with ground source heating for the buildings and reed bed sewage treatment but Sandringham and Balmoral are catching up. The element of retreat is also clearly paramount. At Highgrove, HM the King created The Sanctuary, a small building designed by architect Charles Morris, where he can escape from his busy life. Queen Victoria had a similar thought when she built The Garden Cottage at Balmoral as a place to write letters. The little building provided her with solace and peace after the death of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861.

If we were in any doubt that the royal gardens are important to members of the royal family, these three private gardens – all of which you can visit – will reassure you. Not only is HM King Charles a keen and imaginative gardener and plantsman, the grounds around royal houses have always provided sanctuary from the pressures of royal life.

NORMAN HUDSON

Norman Hudson OBE is Chairman of the Historic Houses Foundation, a charity that supports

preservation of historic buildings, gardens and associated structures as well as works of art in England and Wales.

How long has the HHF been in existence?

The Historic Houses Foundation started with the sale of a group of important country houses. In the 1950s, Admiral Greathed had converted nine houses at risk of dereliction into retirement apartments at a time when the rate of destruction of country houses was 1 every 4 days. The capital from their sale, in 2002, established a charity which could provide grants to continue the principles of the original organisation - saving our threatened built heritage. Since then, the Historic Houses Foundation has distributed £16.9 million to 316 restoration projects.

What difference has it made?

We have enabled repair projects that might never have happened. One of our objectives as Trustees of the charity is to help start a restoration project which otherwise might not materialise. For example, a charity which has been offered Lottery Funding is required to raise 20% of their costs themselves. The fact that we can contribute to that 20% can kickstart a project which would otherwise have stumbled. Private owners often have a derelict building, perhaps a tumbledown Orangery which, although it may have commercial potential, is too expensive to repair. If we can help make that happen, we have not only brought the building back into good order, but also given it a future.

What is special about HHF?

We are small. We have eight volunteer Trustees with a very broad knowledge of historic buildings, not just in assessment of their architectural quality but also the practical aspects of their conservation, commercial development and management. We are flexible and can fund any type of building from icehouses to chapels. We have the ability to act quickly, outside meetings and can communicate directly in an emergency.

What is your most unusual project?

The first was at Gwydir Castle in North Wales where record rain in the Conwy Valley, a combination of regional water resource management and, perhaps, climate change, resulted in unprecedented floods. Under threat were both the Grade I gardens and the Dining Room.

The exceptional carved panelling, made for the Dining Room, which was sold in the early 20th century, had only recently returned to the Castle from the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Damage was averted when we helped fund a sandbag wall to deflect the floodwater. Not an immediate work of conservation but, because we were able to react within days, the sandbag wall saved the castle. In an earlier flood, in Abercamlais, a riverside house in South Wales with an associated walled garden on the opposite side of the river, an unprecedented deluge washed away part of the linking Elizabethan bridge. The decision to act quickly to fund remedial work to stop further deterioration meant that it was possible to repair and reinstate the bridge, protecting the whole original complex. It is a good example of how a small fund like the HHF can be nimble in its decision-making.

the

The Historic Houses Foundation is a small charity that comes to the rescue of historic buildings in trouble. There is no other organisation quite like it, as Sarah Greenwood found out.

Can you describe a typical request for funding?

Nothing is really typical, but we are often asked to fund an important building which has no obvious economic use. Classic examples are follies, obelisks, monuments, towers - structures which are architecturally important and a vital part of the overall historic interest but have no commercial potential. An early grant was to the Capability Brown designed Chapel at Compton Verney, now secure and accessible to the public. At Pitchford Hall in Shropshire, the Orangery was in disrepair but its restoration has created a space for events and weddings, which provides an income helping to generate funds for the restoration of the main house.

What is the biggest project you have funded?

The size of our individual grants is not huge, few are more than £60,000. People do come back for successive projects. At Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, for example, we gave funds for the restoration of the portecochere, then for the gatehouse, then for the bridge and subsequently for the repair of the decorative ceilings in the Victorian interior. Sometimes we can help by combining with other funders. As part of the huge restoration programme at Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire for example, we have contributed to the restoration of the Camellia House.

How does HHF fit into the heritage funding picture alongside other funders like the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England?

We are independent and have no direct relationship with any other body though we may confer over a particular project. The National Lottery Heritage Fund rarely gives money to private owners, but we are prepared to, where there is public benefi t, usually through an agreement to provide access. Historic England do not give many grants, but they were managers of the Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund in 2021. Acting as a Delivery Partner, we received £5 million of Cultural Recovery Funds, channelled through Historic England, which supported 31 different major restoration projects.

“We have enabled repair projects that might never have happened.”

Who can apply for your grants?

Any owner of historic property. We have given grants to the National Trust, to English Heritage, to the Landmark Trust, to individual charitable trusts, to local authorities and to private owners.

Where do you get your funding from?

Out initial capital sum is invested and we try to live within our means and restrict our giving within our income. With a bigger capital fund, we could do a great deal more. People who like what we do can, and do, leave us a legacy. Recently, one philanthropist who feels we are doing something worthwhile, has offered to match what we can raise up to £5 million. In response, we have launched a fundraising campaign to boost our capital base significantly. As a comparatively young organisation, we lack the clout of, for example, the National Trust. By increasing awareness of our activities, and the fact that we support buildings in all categories of ownership, we hope to expand our fund and increase the number of restoration projects we can help.

How can people donate?

You can donate directly online on our website or get in touch to discuss a donation or legacy.

How do you see the future of the HHF?

For practical reasons grant-giving for buildings, which requires monitoring, is restricted to England and Wales but we recognise there is also a demand in Scotland. Already in Scotland we can support related areas, like the retention of heritage craft skills - the HHF regularly funds apprentices at The Prince’s Foundation and at London City & Guilds. Education and the retention of traditional building skills is of vital importance and we would like to expand in both these areas, as well as increasing our geographical reach.

Currently we are unable to satisfy the existing demand for the repairs of listed buildings, all of which provide economic benefi t and create unique character wherever they are located. If we are successful in increasing our endowment, we would be able to do so much more.

www.historichousesfoundation.org.uk

Tune in FOR A VIRTUAL VISIT

ALNWICK CASTLE

YouTube: 32 minutes

At just over half an hour, Alnwick Castle’s Virtual Tour is a straightforward room by room trip through the outside and inside of the North’s most impressive fortress. The tour is voiced by Daniel Watkins, who looks after the State Rooms, and shares a detailed history of the castle and the Dukes of Northumberland who have made it home for 700 years. The presentation is packed with detail and makes sense of the architectural development of the castle, sorting out the contrast between the medieval courtyards and the grand Victorian interiors. It is not all about the Dukes - Duchesses, decorators, craftsmen and domestic detail all get attention. The simple format, using stills overlaid with cut aways, keeps your interest and familiarises the viewer with the many key characters. While drawing attention to many details that are easy to miss on a tour, it leaves you with just the right amount of determination to see Alnwick Castle in person.

Nothing beats getting out to see where history happened by visiting heritage places in person, but, if lockdown taught us nothing else, it is that you can discover the heritage world digitally. Some historic houses have been adventurous online so Hudson’s has been fi nding out where to go for a strictly virtual visit.

CASTLE HOWARD

YouTube: 43 minutes

Castle Howard is lucky to have the knowledge of curator, Dr Christopher Ridgway, at its disposal, available to all of us through a special lockdown video entitled A Virtual Grand Tour with Castle Howard The story he tells is of the love affair of the Howard family, the Earls of Carlisle, with Italy and the Grand Tour. It’s a historical journey through the house, the culture of the 18th century, and the collections that the Earls amassed at Castle Howard. This is a practical, occasionally scholarly, exposition of the impact of continental travel on architecture and patronage at Castle Howard, drawing on objects, paintings and archives but it also provides context and anecdote to hold your interest. It would be a rare watcher who did not learn something or be captivated at least by the adventures of the 5th Earl of Carlisle’s dog, Rover, who travelled with him across Europe in the 1760s. The format is a patchwork of face-to-camera presentation interleaved with sections of a recorded lecture. There is some disparity in sound quality but put up with that, and you will enjoy 45 minutes of fascinating insights into Castle Howard that will vastly increase your understanding of what you see on a visit. After all, as Dr Ridgway points out, the paintings of Italy in the collection at Castle Howard have always been, like the video, a way of travelling from the safety of home.

MAPPERTON LIVE

YouTube: 10 to 30 minutes

Julie and Luke Montagu, aka the Viscount and Viscountess Hinchingbrooke, have a totally fresh approach to country house television. Julie cut her TV teeth as a presenter with a popular series on the Smithsonian Channel called An American Aristocrat’s Guide to Great Estates. Since 2021, the couple have released a weekly video which focusses on everyday life at their 17th century manor house in Dorset. None of these are a tour, more of a behind the scenes peek into the pleasures and disasters of living in an ancient country house and feature plenty of Julie’s madcap enthusiasm. Interspersed with recent Mapperton Live videos are more sedate presentations by her in-laws, the Earl and Countess of Sandwich. Seek these out for conversational tours packed with personal knowledge and anecdote that add history and substance to the entertainment. Best of all is a fascinating to-camera tour of the gardens with the Countess who cares for them. The videos are all to-camera and have a idiosyncratic immediacy and intimacy.

CHATSWORTH

YouTube: 4 to 6 minutes

You would expect the Chatsworth House Trust to be highly professional in their production of videos and indeed, there are nearly 80 listed on their YouTube channel. Of these, the 13 episodes of 2017’s Treasures of Chatsworth amount to an in depth mini-documentary series looking at parts of the collection which, while not a tour, provide an extensive view inside the house. Focussing on one specific object or collecting area in turn, each video is a mix of talking heads including experts, Chatsworth staff, and two generations of Devonshires, the current Duke and his heirs, Lord and Lady Burlington, plus a quick introduction by Jim Carter, better known as Downton Abbey’s butler, Carson. The presentation is very personal, looking at the part played by this Duke and his forbears as patrons of the arts and stressing Chatsworth’s continuing role as the home of a contemporary, as well as a historic collection.

BURGHLEY HOUSE

www.virtualtour.burghley.co.uk

Burghley House, the astonishing Elizabethan prodigy house built by William Cecil, Lord Burghley in Lincolnshire, offers a panoramic tour which allows you to travel from room to room at the swipe of a mouse. Anyone who has explored an estate agency website in the search for a house will be familiar with the format. You can spend as long or as little time as you choose and zoom in on specific objects or individual rooms. At Burghley, it is possible to study close-up details of the tapestries, for example, and research the provenance of works of art from archival information included in the labels. In a house as rich in detail as Burghley, it is good not to miss anything among the staggering variety of historic contents. This is particularly true of old master paintings which, hung en masse in 18th century style, are sometimes difficult to see. However, panoramic room views provide information not entertainment and the limited storytelling and context does little to capture the imagination or inspire a trip. In the Heaven Room at Burghley, the tumbling gods and goddesses falling from every surface can be quite overwhelming, in static images, they seem a little too distant. You’ll just have to visit.

BEAULIEU

YouTube: 16 minutes

Attractions at Beaulieu is a YouTube playlist which combines 13 one to two minute videos about everything available to visitors at Beaulieu in Hampshire. It is not voiced, offering instead a well produced film focussing on different areas of the Beaulieu estate from the shiny vintage Rolls Royces and Bond cars in the National Motor Museum to the well stocked Gift Shop.

The Palace House video shows glimpses of the gothic revival interiors of the main house, just enough to whet your appetite for a visit. Two sections devoted to the gardens and grounds show them in spring, high summer and again in frosty winter, a timely reminder that Beaulieu is an all-year-round attraction.

HATFIELD HOUSE

YouTube: 44 minutes

In 2020, the annual Chamber Music Festival at Hatfield House was forced online. To promote the online experience, Lord Salisbury staged a tour of the house to give the Festival a context. Titled A Tour of Hatfield House with Lord Salisbury and Dr Emily Burns, the presentation takes the form of a chatty discussion between Lord Salisbury and historian and curator, Dr Emily Burns, as they walk together around the house. The combination works well, Lord Salisbury knows everything about his family and how objects arrived in the house and Dr Emily give a more academic analysis of individual paintings and decoration. The tour is extensive, taking in all main rooms in the house and discussing architecture, tapestries, paintings, books and individual objects from the portraits of Elizabeth I to George III’s miniature Chinese pagoda. It is, perhaps, a model of virtual tours and definitely leaves a taste for more.

LAMPORT HALL

www.lamporthall.co.uk/360-tour.

£1 for 24 hours’ access.

Videos: 39 seconds to 3 minutes

Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire offers a 360° virtual tour, available only on the house website. The tour is easy to navigate and the quality is high, although the zoom facility is a little limited. You can jump back to a ‘dollshouse’ view to keep abreast of the layout and even view with a VR headset should you have one to hand. The selection of objects for which details are provided is small, however, and, although around 75 works of art are highlighted, it is frustrating not to have answers to all your questions. In the Ante Room, for example, only 5 of the 13 paintings on display are explained. This is balanced by the appealing inclusion of pop-out vignettes which show dramatised videos of incidents from the history

of Lamport, introduced by an actor in the guise of Sir Gyles Isham. Sir Gyles was the last member of the family to live at Lamport and the conceit allows the house to come back to life, acquainting us with Lamport’s main characters and snippets of key moments in its history in an engaging way.

BATTLE INTO

HASTINGS

In Sussex is the village of Battle, its name a clue to the momentous events that took place here on 14 October 1066, making it the most famous battlefield in England. At the Battle of Hastings, William, Duke of Normandy became known to history as William the Conqueror, beating the Saxon forces of King Harold and, according to the Bayeux Tapestry, killing him with an arrow to the eye. The victorious Normans erected an abbey, with its high altar on the very spot that King Harold fell. Battle Abbey became one of the richest in England until it was ruined after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s. The ruins provide an atmospheric background to the battlefield which regular visitors can trace through a sculpture trail, while the yearly re-enactment of the battle each October attracts enthusiastic crowds. For a bit of context, follow the path of the 1066 Country Walk to trace a 12 mile route from Duke William’s landing place near the old Roman shore fort of Pevensey Castle through villages destroyed by the advancing Normans, to the abbey and battlefield itself. The walking route also passes 15th century Herstmonceux Castle , a manor granted by Duke William to his supporter, Wilbert but which became important only with the building of the moated brick castle in 1441.

BOSWORTH FIELD

The Battle of Bosworth Field is one of the turning points of English history. Scene of the death of King Richard III at the hands of his successor, Henry VII, in 1485, it ushered in the Tudor era and is usually regarded as the end of the medieval era. The Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre in Leicestershire is a model for understanding the battle and an attraction in its own right. Visitors enjoy exhibitions, including archaeological finds from the battlefield, and informative guided walks. The two-day Bosworth Medieval Festival in August sees battle re-enactments, a Knights’ School for budding squires, a medieval market, author talks, craft activities and cookery

demonstrations. The Battle of Bosworth was the final act of the power struggle between the Houses of York and Lancaster, known as the Wars of the Roses.

At the same time, another political rivalry was being played out for control of Leicestershire in the years leading up to Bosworth. William, Lord Hastings built both a fortified manor house at Kirkby Muxloe and a castle with a magnificent tower at nearby Ashby-de-laZouche , established himself as the leading power in the land under Edward IV. Both castles, near Bosworth Field, are now in the care of English Heritage. Hastings did not fight at Bosworth because Richard III had him summarily executed, shortly before claiming the Crown for himself. Hastings’ great rivals were the family of Edward IV’s queen, Elizabeth Woodville, headed by Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset. Dorset also missed the battle having twice swapped sides in the months before Bosworth. Dorset’s family seat was at Astley Castle in Warwickshire, now modernised as an award winning holiday let by the Landmark Trust. Meanwhile, Sir Thomas Ferrers of Tamworth Castle and his son and heir, John, fought at Bosworth where John was killed alongside his King, Richard III. Three years later when Sir Thomas died, the Norman fortress at Tamworth Castle passed to his grandson, the same Thomas Grey, Marquess of Dorset, confirming Dorset’s ascendancy in the region.

Battles are marker points in history. Few dates from history stick in the mind, but for Britons, it is often the dates of socially signifi cant battles that are embedded in our culture. A visit to an actual battlefi eld is an experience that can bring those dry dates to life, while extending the visit to nearby heritage sites can give even long ago battles a more human dimension.

BANNOCKBURN

The long rivalry between England and Scotland has marked the latter with evocative battlefields. The National Trust for Scotland’s Bannockburn Visitor Centre is built on the spot near Stirling where King Robert the Bruce massed his troops in preparation for his victory over the forces of Edward II of England in 1314. The Battle of Bannockburn was a decisive victory for the Scots and established King Robert’s claim to the throne of Scotland. The experience at the Visitor Centre includes the excitement of an immersive digital battle scene to take visitors to the heart of the battle. Still impressive is the iconic bronze statue of Robert the Bruce by Charles Pilkington Jackson, which has stood on this spot since 1964.

The Battle of Bannockburn was fought to prevent the relief of Stirling Castle by English reinforcements. The castle, an English stronghold, had been under prolonged siege by the Scots as they sought to throw off the hegemony imposed by Edward I. The battle was a decisive victory for Robert the Bruce of Scotland and the English King, Edward II, fled the battlefield to take refuge in the castle. His entry was barred by the Governor, Sir Philip Mowbray, who subsequently defected to the Scottish side. Little remains of the 14th century Stirling Castle, the earliest stonework dates to 1380, but its position at the crossing point of the River Forth has made it one of Scotland’s premier castles and later royal residences. Today, the fine Renaissance rooms added by James V in the sixteenth century, restored by Historic Environment Scotland, are some of the finest in the country.

CULLODEN

An air of tragedy still hangs over the site of the Battle of Culloden , the final act of the Jacobite Rising against George II in 1745/6. On this wild moor, the Highland Charge was cut down by the guns of the Duke of Cumberland’s government troops and the attempt by Bonnie Prince Charlie to revive a Stuart monarchy came to an abrupt end. The last pitched battle on British soil is now remembered in a state of the art Visitor Centre where 360-degree immersive theatre recreates the action. Most evocative of all, however, are still the inscribed marker stones which denote the mass graves of the clansmen; many visitors come to establish a clan connection.

Bonnie Prince Charlie’s route to Culloden was via nearby Inverness, where his troops besieged and largely destroyed the Government garrison in old Fort George

at Inverness Castle in the centre of the city. After the defeat of the Jacobites at Culloden, George II rebuilt Fort George at the mouth of the Moray Firth where it is still the most sophisticated eighteenth century artillery fort in Britain. The site of Inverness Castle , meanwhile, was redeveloped in 1836 into a many towered and battlemented castle, currently under restoration and scheduled to open as a new tourist attraction in 2025.

New interpretation is bringing the battles at the cornerstones of our history to life in inspirational modern visitor centres. Whether the cause is Norman invaders, squabbling medieval barons, Scots fighting English aggression or seeking a lost connection with an exiled catholic monarchy, nothing beats visiting the place where it happened. Exploring heritage sites in the vicinity can hold the key to the context of important battles and will certainly help add an extra dimension to your exploration.

RIDE Along for the

1. HOLKER HALL TO SIZERGH CASTLE

The Lake District is famous for its friendliness to cyclists with off road routes over many of the fells. The Bay Cycle Way traces a flatter route around the edge of Morecambe Bay, Britain’s largest intertidal area of sand. The whole route runs 80 miles from Barrow-in-Furness to Glasson Dock in Lancashire but the central 17 mile section is a real heritage treat. Start at the gothic priory church in Cartmel to see the richly decorated tomb of John, 1st Lord Harington and his wife, before heading South towards Holker Hall. In a range of farmbuildings passed en route is Wraysholme Tower, the well preserved defensive tower house which was home to Lord Harington’s descendants in the 15th century when life was a lot more lawless.

Levens Hall is Tudor, little changed by the Grahame family who moved here in 1688, except the commission of an extraordinary topiary garden, one of the first seen in Britain. Don’t miss the earliest English patchwork, souvenirs of Napoleon, and paintings by Rubens and Lely.

Continue from Levens Hall two miles to nearby Sizergh Castle, which belongs to the National Trust, sticking to the back roads.

Holker Hall , home of the Cavendish family, is a neo-Jacobean house built after a disastrous fire in 1871. Highlights are the Library, Billiard Room, the scientific instruments of Henry Cavendish, the famously eccentric Georgian scientist. Don’t miss the 23 acres of award-winning gardens.

From Holker Hall’s ancient deer park, rejoin the Bay Cycle Way at the village of Cark then along the coast to the village of Levens.

Sizergh Castle will feel familiar after Levens. The Stricklands of Sizergh and Grahames of Levens had much in common, having both held office in James II’s court. The house is similarly Elizabethan and celebrated for the Renaissance marquetry panelling in the Inlaid Chamber, perhaps the ultimate romantic bedroom.

In tourist areas, the roads are increasingly crowded with leisure cyclists as we all respond to a need to keep fi t. If cycling is something you enjoy, think about combining your hobby with exploring heritage places. You’ll fi nd it’s a good fi t.

CHRISTOPHER DOWN

2. LOWTHER CASTLE

Lowther Castle in Cumbria has become a centre for cycling. The ruined mansion and its restored gardens are reached through a courtyard designed for leisure, shopping, eating and strolling but also bike hire from Arragon’s Cycles. All ages and fi tness are catered for, you can even opt for an electric bike if the hills seem daunting. Cyclists can follow a well marked network of trails through the estate or travel on to explore the stunning Lakeland scenery. Trails take you through ancient woodland, along the river Lowther and through pastureland that has changed little over the centuries. For the more intrepid, an easy route, partly along the road, takes you to Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District. Alternatively, a hilly route takes you to Haweswater Reservoir where, in dry summers, the ghostly ruins of the flooded village of Mardale Green appear.

Lowther Castle and Gardens were once home to the Earls of Lonsdale. Today the ruins of the Regency gothic mansion are seamlessly integrated into a restored 130 acre garden which offers glimpses of Edwardian splendour alongside modern reinterpretation of the soul of the gardens. The Western Terrace gives visitors spectacular views across to the Lakeland Fells and the adventure playground provides a maze of tunnels, zipwires, walkways and slides

3. DODDINGTON HALL

Lincolnshire is one of England’s flattest counties – a boon for leisure cyclists. At its heart is Doddington Hall, a 30 minute pedal from the centre of Lincoln. The Giant bike shop in the stables retail area is the place to get inspired, offering all types of bikes and test rides. There is plenty of technical advice on hand, you can even be measured for the perfect cycle-fi t and assessed to improve your technique and power output. There are trails on the estate for all types of ride, road, gravel and off-road. The Georgie Twigg Trail is tarmac all the way, winds through peaceful Lincolnshire countryside on the Doddington Estate and joins the National Cycle Route 64 which will take you to Lincoln. The young and adventurous will prefer the 3 mile Mountain Bike Track, a fast and muddy run through Pickworth Woods with jumps and bumps a-plenty. Regulars can join the Doddington Cycle Club which meets regularly for group rides, where the emphasis is on sociability rather than skill. If even shopping for bikes is exhausting, take time for a strengthening coffee and cake in the excellent bike-friendly café.

Doddington Hall , home to James and Claire Birch (James is a keen cyclist), is a perfect Elizabethan house of mellow brick designed by Robert Smythson, perhaps the best known Tudor architect. Inside, the house is all Georgian, with symmetrical doorcases and plasterwork detailing, remodelled in the 1760s. There is a fine collection of porcelain, tapestries and paintings which trace the Birches’ family story through the Hussey, Delaval and Jarvis families over 400 years.

4. GRIMSTHORPE CASTLE

Still in Lincolnshire, Grimsthorpe Castle is another excellent venue for cyclists. Although bikes can no longer be hired here, there are extensive trails through the park, woods and lakeside if you bring your own. Part of the route employs the disused railway line built by Grimsthorpe’s Victorian owner, Lord Willoughby d’Eresby, which according to a news report of 1857 runs through “the most productive and picturesque parts of the county”.

Grimsthorpe Castle is perhaps the least well known of all the baroque country houses designed by Sir John Vanbrugh. It has all of the swagger of Vanbrugh both inside and out with important collections of furniture and paintings and an impressive collection of Royal thrones.

From Grimsthorpe, Newton’s Trail is a cycling route that takes you to NT Woolsthorpe Manor, the setting for Sir Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity when he watched an apple fall to the ground in his orchard. About 20 miles round trip from Grimsthorpe Castle, the route meanders through typical Lincolnshire villages and stops en route at Easton Walled Gardens, where 15 years of dedicated restoration have realised gardens with an imaginative blend of borders, shrubberies, cutting gardens and wildflower meadows.

5. BLAIR CASTLE

Blair Castle is an archetypal Scots Baronial castle from the outside, centred around a towerhouse built around 1269. It is all elegance within however, the result of a redecoration by James Murray, 2nd Duke of Atholl in the 1740s. The furnishings and Rococo plasterwork are among the finest in Scotland.

For a taste by bike of the wilder Scottish Highlands, head to the Atholl Estates in Perthshire. At the gates of Blair Castle, home of the Dukes of Atholl, bike hire is available from the caravan park including children’s trailers. You can stick to dappled lowland trails through the forests around the Castle or head for the hills for longer rides up Glen Tilt and Glen Banvie. Here is some of the best mountain biking in Britain, with a choice of trails through moorland, woodland and heather with steady climbs and whizzing downhills. The views can be spectacular and, depending on the time of year, you should spot red deer and grouse. A favourite route runs from the Castle to the Falls of Bruar, a popular beauty spot since the 18th century particularly since it was landscaped by ‘Planter John’, 4th Duke of Atholl around 1796.

6. HOLKHAM HALL

The expansive acres of the Holkham Estate in Norfolk are perfect cycling territory. Bikes can be hired all year beside the Visitor Reception where a map of the estate shows a range of routes to explore the parkland. The map can also be downloaded and delineates routes varying from 2 to 6 miles, through the historic landscape taking in the Obelisk, Walled Garden and Icehouse. Venture beyond the North Gate to find plentiful bike parking and a chance to explore the Nature Reserve and Holkham Beach or follow a circular route through the village of Wells-next-the-Sea and across fields back to Holkham, picking up part of the National Cycle Route no.1 on the way.

Holkham Hall is a Palladian masterpiece built by William Kent and Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester in the 1740s. Suites of sumptuous State Rooms lead from the Marble Hall, filled with tapestries, porcelain, books, sculpture and old master paintings.

HUDSON’S

ladies MRS

Mrs Hudson is back with her dose of bubbly enthusiasm for all things heritage.

ISABELLA OF FRANCE (1295-1358) AT CASTLE RISING

Castle Rising in Essex is a super impressive Norman castle, one of the best, but did you know it was also home to one of the most interesting women of the Middle Ages?

Isabella of France came to live here after her son Edward III released her from custody in 1332. Born a royal princess of France, she had led an invasion of England and deposed her husband, Edward II, six years earlier, in company with Roger Mortimer, Earl of March, who may have been her lover. She then effectively ruled England as Regent for her son until Edward rose against the avaricious Mortimer, assuming the throne and briefly imprisoning his mother.

At Castle Rising, Isabella lived in fine courtly style. She was wealthy, with an income of £4,000 a year (perhaps £5 million today) and extended the 12th century castle to make it more comfortable. She regularly entertained her son, King Edward III, and grandson, the Black Prince, for hunting and hawking visits and travelled widely herself. Her apartments at the castle, where she lived and entertained her royal and noble friends, are still large and elegant. She had a considerable retinue including minstrels and grooms and indulged her taste for clothes and jewellery. In her later years, she was joined by her youngest daughter, Joan of the Tower, who was estranged from her husband King David II of Scotland. Isabella lived at Castle Rising for 26 years before retiring to a nunnery a few months before her death in 1358. There are rumours that Isabella was mad and even that her crazed ghost haunts the upper floors of Castle Rising. Evidence seems rather to suggest that ‘the She-Wolf of France’ has some of her most enjoyable years here and lived into her mid60s. She was buried in her cloth of gold wedding mantle with the heart of her former husband, Edward II.

Us girls are finally getting so much more attention in the pages of history books. About time, I say! I love finding the stories of women in historic houses so here are six strong minded women that you might want to visit.

ISABELLA OF FRANCE LANDING IN ENGLAND FROM FOUQUET’S CHRONICLES,1455-60 © BIBLIOTHÈQUE NATIONALE DE FRANCE

BESS THROCKMORTON (1565-1628) AT SHERBORNE CASTLE

At the heart of Sherborne Castle is a love story in stone. Sir Walter Raleigh, poet, courtier and adventurer, was in high favour with Queen Elizabeth I. In 1592, she created him Captain of the Queen’s Guard and granted him land in Ireland and at Sherborne in Dorset. Raleigh however, had secretly fallen in love with one of Elizabeth’s Ladies of the Privy Chamber, Bess Throckmorton. They had married clandestinely in 1591 and their son Damerei was born in March 1592. This did not fi t with Elizabeth’s expectation that she be the centre of attention for all young men at court, she found out in May and was furious. She dispatched them both to the Tower of London, despite the recent death of their baby. Bess was never to regain the Queen’s favour and was stuck in the Tower until the end of the year but Sir Walter had a lucky break. His expedition to the Azores captured a Portuguese treasure ship and, in September, the Queen released him to retrieve the cargo – gold, jewels and spices - for her treasury. From 1593 the couple were at Sherborne, where they embarked upon building a new house. The new Sherborne Castle was four storeys high, rectangular with large casement windows. Although the house today has additional wings, sash windows and a Georgian air, in fact, the central block is still Bess and Walter’s house where their second son Walter was born in 1593.

ELIZABETH, COUNTESS OF DYSART (1626-1698) AT HAM HOUSE

When women were not allowed to hold power directly, they still couldn’t be stopped, instead they exercised influence in the political sphere through their husbands and friends. Elizabeth Maitland was Countess of Dysart in her own right and Duchess of Lauderdale by marriage. Her home at Ham House in Richmond became a centre of political life in England after the Restoration of Charles II in 1660.

Raleigh was again imprisoned by James I after the old Queen’s death. Bess visited him regularly in the Tower during the 15 years he remained there and their third child, Carew, was conceived and baptised there. Raleigh was executed in 1618, after the failure of an expedition to Guyana where their son Walter was killed. Bess devoted to rest of her life to trying to restore his reputation, she was even rumoured to carry his embalmed head around with her in a red velvet bag. In 1628, she achieved an Act of Restitution which allowed her son, Carew, to inherit but by then, Sherborne Castle had been sold to the Digby family, who live there still.

Elizabeth, however, was already an established political operator before her marriage. In 1547, she petitioned for the life of her future husband when he was in Oliver Cromwell’s custody after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Her influence and friendship with Cromwell secured his release. All this time, Elizabeth continued to support the King in exile as a member of the secret society, The Sealed Knot, until Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660. By 1672, she was married to the Duke of Lauderdale, one of the most powerful men in the kingdom.

Elizabeth’s father had built and begun the design and decoration of Ham House and Elizabeth continued its development, importing exotic furnishings, porcelain and paintings to create a distinctive Baroque interior from the dramatic black and white marble floor to the painted ceilings by Antonio Verrio. Here Elizabeth entertained with one of the earliest Chinese teapots in England while her husband smoked Virginia tobacco for social gatherings of the Cabal, a council who effectively ruled Britain for the first ten years after the Restoration.

BARBARA, COUNTESS OF CASTLEMAINE (1640 - 1709) AT DORNEY COURT

Politics was not the only route to advancement in Charles II’s Britain, and Barbara Villiers, the daughter of an impoverished Royalist aristocrat, took another. Barbara, the ultimate Restoration beauty - handsome, promiscuous, ambitious and extravagant – married Sir James Palmer of Dorney Court in 1659. Roger was apparently besotted, Barbara may already have been the lover of the Earl of Chesterfield and his father warned him that she would make him miserable. After the death of Oliver Cromwell, the Palmers were among a group of English nobles who travelled to meet the future Charles II to curry favour ahead of his Restoration.

The King’s eye seems to have lighted upon Barbara immediately. Her first child, Anne, born just a year after her marriage, was probably Charles’ and led to a title for the Palmers as Earl and Countess of Castlemaine. James Palmer claimed his first two children but there was little doubt that they were fathered by the King, particularly when they were granted the appellation ‘Fitzroy’ to prove it. What’s more, the Earldom was only bestowed on Barbara’s children, not on any that James Palmer might father with anyone else. Barbara went on to have fi ve children with Charles II before being ousted from his bed by Louise de Kerouaille in 1673. After the birth of her second child, Barbara and Palmer were separated and she went on to have many more lovers; her last child may have been fathered by John Churchill, later Duke of Marlborough.

Although Mary Ann did not publish and adopt her masculine pseudonym, George Eliot, until she was in her mid-thirties and far from Arbury, the experiences that inform many of her novels took root on the Arbury estate, only 20 miles from the burgeoning industrial town of Birmingham. Here, Sir Roger Newdigate had established coal mines and a canal network; a model of change and progress which Eliot had witnessed first hand. The landscape around Arbury feels strangely familiar when you read her books. I love that when George Eliot visited Italy in 1860, she followed the same itinerary Sir Roger Newdigate had taken on his Grand Tour in the 1770s.

ADELINE, COUNTESS OF CARDIGAN (1824 -1915) AT DEENE PARK

Barbara’s time as royal mistress had, however, made her rich, the King’s last gift to her was Henry VIII’s great palace at Nonsuch which she tore down to cash in on the building materials. She was a great gambler and so extravagant that she was the popular butt of satirists. Having treated her husband so badly, there is some irony that late in life, at 65, she married a man who turned out to be a bigamist. Today, it seems obvious that sleepy Tudor Dorney Court and its bookish lawyer owner were never going to be ostentatious enough to satisfy her.

GEORGE ELIOT (1819-1880) AT ARBURY HALL

It is a bit of a surprise to find that one of my favourite novelists, George Eliot, real name Mary-Ann Evans, has a strong connection with Arbury Hall in Warwickshire. Mary Ann was born in a house on the estate where her father was agent to the owners, the Newdigate family. At Arbury Hall, Sir Roger Newdigate had been responsible, in the late eighteenth century, for creating one of the most extraordinary houses of the Gothic revival and filling it with treasures from his European travels. Mary Ann, who was given access to the library by the Newdigate family, knew the house well. Sir Roger was long dead by her time, but his larger than life persona certainly influenced her and several of the characters in her books owe something to this remarkable man.

If you want the inside gossip on Victorian society, read the racy memoir of Adeline, Countess of Cardigan of Deene Park in Northamptonshire, published in 1909. Adeline caused a scandal when, at the age of 25, she left home and set up house on her own to conduct an affair with her father’s friend the dashing Earl of Cardigan, hero of the Crimean War. Lord Cardigan already had a wife, but when she died in 1858, the pair were married. Ostracised by society, they had a glamorous time, travelling, yachting and hunting at Deene.

After Lord Cardigan’s death, Adeline stayed at Deene Park for fi ve years before turning down Benjamin Disraeli’s proposal, on the grounds of his bad breath, to marry a Portuguese nobleman, becoming Countess of Cardigan and Lancastre, partly to annoy Queen Victoria who liked to travel incognito as the Countess of Lancaster. For 47 years until 1915, Adeline lived alone at Deene Park becoming increasingly eccentric and extravagant. She threw parties, kept 39 horses and a private band, organised steeplechases in the local churchyard and rode a bicycle through the village dressed in Lord Cardigan’s old clothes, nearly bankrupting the family in the process. She even kept her coffin in the house and arranged herself in it to be sure she looked her best. As she declared in her memoir she had “seen everything worth seeing and known everyone worth knowing”.

TARR

ON THE ROAD

KINGDOM OF THE DRAGON

Derek Tarr took a heritage walk through South Wales, following the mythical red dragon, the symbol of Wales, from Tiger Bay to Tredegar House.

PHOTOGRAPHY: NICOLA BURFORD

Distances are approximate. Total distance: 28 miles.

DAY 1

TIGER BAY TO CARDIFF CITY CENTRE

3.2 miles

Following a summer of baking heat and drought, my September journey was accompanied by a smattering of rain. I started at Cardiff Bay, once the largest coal distribution port in the world but now a more serene and peaceful place, following the closure of the pits in the valleys of South Wales.

I gazed across the glistening water towards Penarth from the memorial to Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s doomed expedition to the South Pole, which set sail from Cardiff in 1910. Nearby, the Norwegian Church in Tiger Bay was my first heritage spot. This art gallery and café was once a Lutheran church patronised by visiting Scandinavian sailors when Cardiff was a great international port. As trade decreased so did the congregation and it was deconsecrated in 1974. One of the leading campaigners to save the church was Cardiff-born writer Roald Dahl. His parents were Norwegian and Dahl was baptised in the church, worshipped there in his younger days and kept the association for the rest his life.

WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE, CARDIFF

Fortified with coffee at the church, I set off around the water’s edge, pausing at the 2012 World Harmony Peace Statue to grasp poet and peace campaigner Sri Chinmoy’s torch and make a wish for world peace.

Close by is The Senedd , home to the Welsh Parliament. This landmark building was designed by Lord Richard Rogers and Ivan Harbour and was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on St David’s Day in 2006. Standing adjacent, and in contrast, is the red brick Pierhead Building. Built in the late 19th century in a French-Gothic Renaissance style, it has had many uses associated with the docks over the years and is now an exhibition and visitor centre. Around the corner is Roald Dahl Plass, a former dock, now a public plaza. dominated by the bronze-hued façade of the impressive Wales Millennium Centre , a home for the performing arts.

Heading north through Butetown, I came to the bustling shopping area of Cardiff. The Victorian Arcades, with their independent shops and cafés, are worth exploring, not just for the goods on offer but the style and architecture as well.

Just beyond the shopping district lies Cardiff Castle, a wonderful mix of the ancient, the stylish and the quirky. The Animal Wall, which extends from the castle walls towards the River Taff, is home to fifteen carved stone animals peering at the passers-by on adjoining Duke Street. It was conceived by William Burges (1827-1881) but realised after his death. Burges was architect to and collaborator with the fabulously wealthy John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute. Much of this influential landowning family’s wealth came from coal mining and trade from South Wales. There are three very distinct historical periods within the castle walls. The Romans established a strategic fort on the site and

part of its surviving walls can still be seen. The Norman twelve-sided keep dominates from its motte in the centre of the castle and a climb to the top for the view is well worth the effort. The Castle Apartments, on the west side, date in part from the 1420s and were restored and revitalised in the 1860s. The Bute family acquired the castle through marriage and it was the 3rd Marquess, with Burges, who developed it into the Gothic Revival marvel that it is today. This sumptuous house contains a veritable artistic menagerie, with animals decorating every room. The exotic Arab Room is breathtaking, the highlight being the honeycombed muqarnas vaulted ceiling, dripping with gold leaf.

CARDIFF CASTLE’S NORMAN KEEP

A short walk from the castle brought me to the imposing dome and columns of the National Museum of Wales. It houses a fine collection of natural history and works of art. I was greatly impressed by the Welsh artist Bedwyr Williams’ dystopian Y Tyrrau Mawr, a video using the ‘matte painting’ technique. It shows a magical night-today transformation of a large, imagined city nestled on the western slopes of Cadair Idris, the mountain in the southern reaches of the Snowdonia National Park.

I returned to the city centre and had a delicious dinner at the highly recommended Côte restaurant in Mill Lane, before retiring to bed.

William Burges’ gothic fantasies at Cardiff Castle

DAY 2

CARDIFF TO CAERPHILLY

13.2 miles

A decent buffet breakfast at the Marriott Hotel set me up for the three mile walk to Llandaff Cathedral. Following the Taff Trail, I passed the magnificent Principality Stadium , a cathedral of sorts for the worship of Welsh rugby, and the SWALEC Stadium in Sophia Gardens, the international cricket venue. Unlike many inner city rivers, stretches of the Taff in Cardiff are a delight to follow.

Llandaff Cathedral represents the Anglican faith in Cardiff. There have been Christian associations in the quaint village of Llandaff since the Dark Ages but the cathedral itself dates from the 12th century. It competes with Coventry as the British cathedral most damaged during the German blitz of 1941. The interior is dominated by the pulpitum placed on the organ case. The figure of Christ looking down on the congregation below was sculpted by Jacob Epstein and completed in 1957. Although this modern work of art is not to everyone’s taste, I find it both powerful and beautiful. There is much to savour at Llandaff which ranges from work by followers of the PreRaphaelite Brotherhood to the very moving tribute to the Welch Regiment in St David Chapel.

LLANDAFF CATHEDRAL

Rejoining the Taff Trail, drizzle accompanied me for the next stretch through the city outskirts, under the M4 motorway and on to Tongwynlais. Beyond the village, I followed a steep drive into the woods, like some modern day yellow brick road, to find, not an emerald city, but a ruby red castle. Cadw-run Castell Coch (red castle in English) emerges from the trees as if from the pages of a 19th century German fairy tale. Building began on the site of a medieval castle in 1875, when William Burges, in partnership with John, 3rd Marquess of Bute, began to create another example of extravagant Victorian romanticism. With its conical towers and galleried courtyard, Castel Coch has a very theatrical feel. The rooms are painted in jewel-like colours reminiscent of medieval illuminated manuscripts. In the Banqueting Hall, a pair of chairs with roaring lions for arms stand guard on either side of the fireplace. Lady Bute’s Bedroom has the air of a Middle Eastern mosque, rising to an astonishing dome decorated with a myriad of panels depicting flora and fauna. I was enchanted by the gang of cavorting monkeys seemingly flying around the ceiling.

After lunch, I left the castle and set off towards Caerphilly, entering the surrounding Fforest Fawr, a woodland run by Natural Resources Wales. This popular place is wonderful for families. There are a number of trails through the trees with animal sculptures and industrial relics to see. Fforest Fawr is often used as a location for film and television productions including the BBC’s Merlin

CASTELL COCH

Caerphilly Castle sits at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley (Cwm Rhymni in Welsh) and the river of that name skirts the northern side of the town. The strategic importance of Caerphilly’s location was recognised as far back as the Romans and the town today is dominated by the 13th century castle, the second largest in Britain after Windsor Castle. The Bute family contributed to the survival of the castle in the early 20th century, but unlike Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch, there is little of the romantic about Caerphilly. Mighty, strong and dark, it was one of Britain’s earliest examples of a concentric design and its towering walls and extensive moats made it almost impregnable. It was built by the Marcher Lord Gilbert de Clare in the 1270s as a result of the threat of the growing power of Llewelyn ap Gruffudd, the Prince of Gwynedd. Following ap Gruffudd’s defeat by Edward I, the castle became more residential and by the end of the 15th century had fallen into decline.

Today the castle is administered by Cadw and the charming staff were both helpful and informative. They suggested I started my visit at the Dragons’ Lair, a smoking, roaring pit, home to four of the mythical creatures. Despite major renovations being underway, I was still able to explore much of this mighty edifice.

Close to the castle is a statue commemorating the comedian and magician Tommy Cooper, a proud son of Caerphilly.

A mile eastwards from the castle is the Y Fan B&B, a delightful grade 2 listed Tudor mansion and a perfect place to start tomorrow’s walk.

CAERPHILLY CASTLE

CAERPHILLY TO TREDEGAR HOUSE

11.6 miles

Sun and rain were the order of the day as I headed towards Tredegar House through the rural landscape that lies between the ports on the coast and the towns stretching northwards in the fingers of The Valleys. The morning hike through forests and fields joined the Rhymney Valley which brought me to the shell of crumbling Ruperra Castle . It was built in 1626 by Sir Thomas Morgan and was consolidated into the Morgan family’s Tredegar estates in the 18th century. Charles I stayed at the castle in 1645 following his defeat at the battle of Naseby. It has been a ruin since 1941 when there was an accidental fire during its occupation by British troops.

Proceeding downhill, I arrived at Cefn Mably Farm Park on the banks of the Rhymney River. This sizeable all-weather farm attraction is fun for families, with petting animals, stables and a train to tour the farm. Time was short so, after a quick look round, I had a sandwich in the café and headed off into pouring rain. Considering how close I was to large conurbations, this area is remarkably tranquil.

Once south of the M4, it is a short walk to the outskirts of Newport and my final destination. Tredegar House will be instantly recognisable to fans of the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow; it features in the opening credits. For over 500 years, it was home to the powerful Morgan family, politicians and industrialists and a dynasty whose influence spread throughout south west Wales. Perhaps the most interesting inhabitant of Tredegar House was a military man. Godfrey Morgan was commissioned into the 17th Lancers and was one of only two officers who returned unscathed from the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade in 1854 during the Crimean War. A dramatic painting by John Charlton hangs over the fireplace in The Side Hall depicting the Charge. Godfrey’s horse, Sir Briggs, also survived the charge and his final years were spent at Tredegar. An obelisk in the garden marks the spot where the horse is buried.

RUPERRA CASTLE

In the 1930s Tredegar became the venue for society gatherings and wild parties hosted by the poet and author Evan Morgan, the last family occupant of the house. Visitors included Charlie Chaplin, H. G. Wells, Augustus John and Nancy Cunard. Evan was an eccentric character who kept a menagerie of animals including a kangaroo and a baboon and slept with rabbits in his bed. Death duties forced the sale of the house and, from 1951, it was a school, before Newport Borough Council purchased the house in 1974. Today it is leased and run by the National Trust.

Industrial South Wales may not be the most obvious location for a heritage walk but its rich culture and history deserves investigating. My journey was enriched by the help and hospitality of the people I encountered who are fiercely proud of their homeland. No matter how much it rains, you can never douse the spirit of their emblem, the fiery Welsh dragon!

CITY PAST

DUNFERMLINE PALACE, BIRTHPLACE OF CHARLES I.

What do Britain’s new 2022 cities have to offer heritage fans? Hudson’s

takes a look.

The UK has eight new cities, granted by the late Queen Elizabeth as part of the 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebration. It used to be that a cathedral was a pre-requisite of city status but things got skewed when big industrial towns rapidly developed (without cathedrals) in the late 19th century. Their large populations far outnumbered smaller existing cities - compare Manchester with Truro for example - and so it became a royal prerogative to create a city. We wanted to establish whether our new cities have any heritage sites worth visiting and it seems that they do.

LAYER MARNEY TOWER, NEAR COLCHESTER

ERDDIG, NEAR WREXHAM © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES, ANNAPURNA MELLOR WWW.NATIONALTRUSTIMAGES.ORG.UK

BANGOR

In the 6th century Bangor in County Down was the site of an abbey from which missionaries fanned out across Europe spreading the Christian message. Today the site of the monastery houses Bangor Castle , not a castle at all, but a Jacobethan mansion built about 1856 by Scottish architect, William Burn. The house is currently the offices of the local council but the 2.5 acre walled garden, dating from the 1840s, is open to the public. The only remnant of the extraordinarily influential 6th century monastery at Bangor Abbey, is a Celtic preaching cross now housed in the chapel at the Clandeboye Estate , but you will have to book a wedding to see it. The gardens of Clandeboye, however, laid out by the 1st Marquess of Dufferin & Ava, are regularly open to the public and include woodland walks through part of the largest area of broadleaved woodland in Northern Ireland, rhododendron gardens and the charming walled Bee Garden. Clandeboye House is a Regency replacement for a Jacobean house built for the key character in Bangor’s history, Sir James Hamilton. Hamilton was sent to Northern Ireland by James I & VI and had established a new town of Scots settlers by 1611. The Old Custom House in the town dates from Hamilton’s Jacobean town and was built in 1637.

If you visit Bangor, bear in mind that the city is within a dozen miles of a ring of exceptional country houses, all with outstanding gardens. Neo-classical Mount Stewart

belongs to the National Trust and both house and garden are open regularly, but to visit Georgian Grey Abbey House or Regency Ballywalter Park , you will need to join a pre-booked group tour.

THE DODO TERRACE IN THE GARDENS OF MOUNT STEWART

BANGOR CASTLE GARDENS

DUNFERMLINE

Dunfermline has always regarded itself as a city. It is, after all, the burial place of seven Scottish Kings, including Robert the Bruce, and has many historic buildings in its heritage quarter. The royal mausoleum was in Dunfermline Abbey, now ruined, founded as a priory in 1070 by saintly Queen Margaret of Scotland. After the Reformation, about 1587, the guest quarters of the Abbey were remodelled into Dunfermline Palace , a favourite home of Queen Anne of Denmark, whose son, the future Charles I of England and Scotland, was born here. Today, part of the 12th century Romanesque nave has been incorporated into the parish church and one imposing façade of the Palace building still stands. Much of the stone was taken to build neighbouring Pittencrieff House , given to the city by local citizen, Andrew Carnegie.

The fine 17th century house is now an event venue but its gardens, including a Rock Garden, Japanese Garden and glass conservatory is open to visitors.

Dunfermline’s other main heritage attraction is the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum . This remarkable man rose from simple origins in this tiny cottage to become the richest man in the world by the early 1900s. Founding a fortune in the steel industry in the United States, Carnegie is today chiefly remembered as a philanthropist and the Carnegie Library and Carnegie Hall in Dunfermline are typical of the many educational and cultural buildings around the world which bear his name. By the time he died in 1919 he had given away 90% of his wealth. The cottage contains an extensive collection donated by the Carnegie family.

PITTENCRIEFF HOUSE GARDENS

DUNFERMLINE ABBEY

ANDREW CARNEGIE BIRTHPLACE MUSEUM

COLCHESTER

Colchester can claim to be Britain’s oldest recorded town because it got a mention in the Roman writer Pliny’s Natural History, written around 77AD. Roman Colchester was called Camulodunum and the town was the first capital of Roman Britain. This long a history makes the city a mecca for history buffs. The Romans are still evident, part of the Roman Town Wall survives despite widespread destruction in the revolt of the Iceni led by Queen Boudicca, and includes the monumental Balkerne Gate . The Roman Circus Visitor Centre holds all the secrets of Britain’s only surviving Roman circus, once the centre of an entertainment complex. The building of a Norman castle in 1066 re-established the town as a major medieval centre of the wool trade enriching the monks of both St Botolph’s Priory and Colchester Abbey of which only picturesque ruins and St John’s Gatehouse survive. Colchester Castle , however, survives as the largest Norman keep in Britain and displays the Fenwick Hoard of Roman coins and jewellery. The town’s Tudor prosperity is apparent from the large number of surviving timbered sixteenth century buildings. Most spectacular, however, is brick and terracotta Layer Marney Tower, eight miles from the city centre. Britain’s tallest gatehouse is 80 ft high and is the completed section of a Tudor palace planned, but never completed, for Henry, 1st Lord Marney, Henry VIII’s Lord Privy Seal, in the 1520s. The terrible 73 day siege of Colchester by Parliamentary forces in the English Civil War in 1648 is today marked by bullet holes in the façade of The Old Siege House , a Tudor merchant’s house in East Street, and by a sad memorial to the executed Royalist leaders near Colchester Castle. Nearby, the Georgian town house, now Hollytrees Museum , explores the later history of Colchester through social history displays.

COLCHESTER CASTLE

BALKERNE GATE

DONCASTER

Doncaster has Roman origins just like Colchester – the name of both cities is derived from the Roman for ‘camp’ castrum - and parts of a rare Roman shield found in 1971 are on display in Danum Gallery. After the Norman Conquest, power shifted to nearby Conisbrough Castle where Hamelin de Warenne, illegitimate brother of King Henry II, built a state-of-the-art fortification in 1190. The buttressed hexagonal keep and part of the curtain wall are in remarkable condition. Doncaster really began to grow from a small medieval market town with the introduction of the London-Edinburgh stage coach along the Great North Road in the 18th century. The best of its 18th century buildings is undoubtedly the neo-classical Mansion House built by architect James Paine in 1746, which provided the town with fashionable assembly rooms. James Paine has left his mark on the ring of Palladian Georgian country houses that surround Doncaster, built by wealthy landowners. He had already worked for the Winn family building Nostell Priory, 15 miles from Doncaster, in the early 1740s and now turned his attention to the remodelling of Cusworth

Hall for William Wrightson MP. Nostell Priory and its exceptional collection of Chippendale furniture is in the care of the National Trust and Cusworth Hall is open as a social history museum. The greatest (or certainly longest) Palladian house in reach of Doncaster is Wentworth Woodhouse , 15 miles west. Home of the Prime Minister, Charles Wentworth-Watson, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, the house and its gardens are being restored by a charitable trust. In contrast Brodsworth Hall (English Heritage), 6 miles from Doncaster, is a large Italianate Victorian country house little altered since it was completed in the 1860s for the Thellusson family who had made their fortune in sugar in the Caribbean. The Thellussons may have been present at the opening of George Gilbert Scott’s spectacular rebuilding of Doncaster Minster in gothic revival style in 1858. Today the soaring 170 foot tower of the church is a landmark for miles around. Doncaster hosted the first airshow in the UK in 1909 and its history is reflected in the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum which shows aircraft from the earliest bi-planes to Harrier jets.

WENTWORTH WOODHOUSE

CONISBROUGH CASTLE © ENGLISH HERITAGE

GOTHIC ARCHES IN DONCASTER MINSTER © BEN HARRISON PHOTOGRAPHY WWW.BENHARRISONPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK

MILTON KEYNES

Milton Keynes was always meant to be a city and the planning documents for this radical 1970s new town referred to it as such. Today, it is the most successful modern city in Britain, a place of sweeping boulevards and tree lined roads on a grid pattern that flows with the landscape while allowing free passage to pedestrians and cyclists. History lovers should remember that all this modernity is heritage in the making, even though the original design has been compromised – the central axis, Midsummer Boulevard, was designed on the path of the summer solstice but is now blocked by a new shopping centre. The original central shopping centre, now called Centre:MK is a Grade II listed marvel of steel and glass designed by Mosscrop, Woodward and Walker and certainly merits attention as do more than 200 public works of art including the famous gently ironic Concrete Cows by sculptor Liz Leyh.

Easily accessible from Milton Keynes is Bletchley Park , the fascinating wartime coding centre, housed in an Edwardian country house and a series of original huts. Woburn Abbey is nearby too, but closed for restoration until 2024 and the National Trust’s Ascott , a half timbered cottage expanded for the wealthy Victorian Rothschild family, can be visited by appointment.

EXPLORING THE ART COLLECTION AT ASCOTT HOUSE © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES, JOHN MILLAR WWW.NATIONALTRUSTIMAGES.ORG.UK

WREXHAM

Wrexham is a border city, sitting on a crossroads between England and Wales. Through the centre near the A483 runs Wat’s Dyke , a 5th or 8th century border earthwork slightly earlier in date than nearby Offa’s Dyke. The 40 mile footpath along the Dyke was inaugurated in 2007. The wars and disruptions of medieval Wales were never far from the city. Caergwrle Castle to the North, has been ruined since 1335 but was the last castle built before the conquest of Wales by Edward I. The city grew from a medieval market town around St Giles Church , the largest medieval church in Wales and one of the Seven Wonders of Wales, into an urban industrial centre in the late 18th century in a boom based around coal and lead mining. Explore this industrial history at the Bersham Ironworks . The city meanwhile is characterised by grand 19th century buildings on a medieval street plan.

For many history fans, Wrexham is a jumping off point for Erddig , the 18th century seat of the Yorke family, preserved unchanged for centuries and displayed as found by the National Trust. Among many treasures

is a remarkable state bed dating from around 1720, upholstered with Chinese embroideries (currently displayed as restoration in progress), and a collection of unique portraits of the Yorke family servants. At a similar distance is the National Trust’s Chirk Castle – medieval fortress turned 20th century social hub for Edwardian Britain’s wealthiest bachelor, Tommy, 8th Lord Howard de Walden. Eight miles north of Wrexham is Hartsheath , an elegant 19th century mansion worth a visit for both a collection of Welsh watercolours and portraits by Isidor Kauffmann (1853-1921), ‘the Jewish Holbein’. One mile further takes you to the charming 17th century manor of Y Ferm , nestled among its traditional farm buildings.

Other new cities are Douglas on the Isle of Man, striking as a Victorian holiday resort, and Stanley in the Falkland Islands, an outpost in the South Atlantic. Like those on the mainland, each has its own heritage flavour. Each of our ‘new’ cities has a distinctive, fascinating history to be explored through a series of heritage places to visit both within the city and in the immediate vicinity. Plan a trip to celebrate.

CHIRK CASTLE © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES, PAUL HARRIS WWW.NATIONALTRUSTIMAGES.ORG.UK

ERDDIG’S STATE BEDROOM © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES, ANDREAS VON EINSIEDEL WWW.NATIONALTRUSTIMAGES.ORG.UK

ERDDIG © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES, PAUL HARRIS WWW.NATIONALTRUSTIMAGES.ORG.UK

BLACK HISTORY Exploring

LONDON, SUGAR & SLAVERY GALLERY - MUSEUM OF LONDON

The 17th and 18th centuries were the age of exploration when trade in Britain shifted from Europe to the Atlantic. Towns like Bristol, Liverpool and Glasgow became wealthy on trade with the Americas and the Caribbean when the economy of these regions was based on slavery. While no single site can cover the global history of slavery, the International Slavery Museum, part of National Museums Liverpool, takes a brave stand, focussing mainly on the relationships between Western European nations, West Africa and the Americas. Displays are thought provoking and informative. Alternatively, visitors can visit the Museum of London Docklands’ London, Sugar and Slavery gallery, housed in a warehouse built to store sugar produced on West Indian plantations worked by enslaved Africans. While museum displays give a clear and educational picture of the political impact of slavery on Britain, a visit to a historic house can introduce something of the cultural context around the social and economic impact of slavery at home in Britain.

The expansion of Bristol as a significant port goes hand in hand with the growth of the slave trade and the transformative effect of the Caribbean sugar economy

on national development. Bristol Museums open

The Georgian House Museum , the 18th century home of John and Jane Pinney, whose income derived from both a sugar estate in Nevis, worked by enslaved Africans, and John’s role as an agent, importing and exporting goods for other plantation owners. By 1791, they were wealthy enough to build a fine townhouse in Great George Street in Bristol overlooking the dockside. The house is decorated much as it would have been in the 1790s with luxuries like a fireplace of precious Derbyshire Blue John and up-to-date domestic arrangements including a basement tank for water storage, underfloor heating, and a plunge bath. The Pinneys launched their children into Bristol society from this house and held dinner and card parties for their friends and frequent visitors from Nevis. They brought with them from the Caribbean two black servants, Fanny Coker, who had been freed and acted as a lady’s maid, and Pero Jones, valet and trusted servant to John Pinney, who was enslaved until his death.

As Britain re-evaluates its role in the slave trade, particularly in the wake of recent Black Lives Matter protests, heritage places are taking their place in the narrative. While the ugly history of slavery is one with which Britain is still actively coming to terms, we can begin to evaluate its impact on our national story first hand.

THE GEORGIAN HOUSE MUSEUM, BRISTOL

INTERNATIONAL SLAVERY MUSEUM, LIVERPOOL

While the Georgian House in Bristol is relatively modest, Harewood House in Yorkshire is one of Britain’s great stately homes. The house was built by Edwin Lascelles around 1760. His father Henry Lascelles had returned to England from the Caribbean to find himself one of the richest men in England. He and his brothers had been involved with the colony of Barbados from about 1712, as merchants, bankers, sugar refiners, customs officials and planters, which had involved them both directly and indirectly in the slave trade. Having inherited a fortune, Henry’s son Edwin commissioned Harewood House to establish his social status; he was raised to Baron Harewood in 1790 and, by 1812, his heir and nephew, Edward, became Earl of Harewood and Viscount Lascelles. Edwin Lascelles employed the greatest architects and designers of the day to build a house that would outclass his neighbours. The architects were John Carr and Robert Adam, the furnishings were by Thomas Chippendale, the largest commission of his career, and the landscaping by Capability Brown. A generation later, Edward, Viscount Lascelles was an early patron of J M W Turner as well as

adding an unrivalled collection of French and Oriental porcelain to the house. The resulting treasure house still has the power to inspire and the tradition of patronage has continued to the 21st century. While the 6th Earl collected Italian Renaissance works, today’s Earl and Countess have put together an important collection of contemporary works and the Harewood House Trust regularly celebrates contemporary art and craft. David Lascelles, the current 8th Earl of Harewood led the way in espousing an open approach to history. The creation of an online database of the family archives, The Lascelles Slavery Archive, held at York’s Borthwick Institute, has been an important resource for recent research into the impact of the slave trade on Britain. As a result, the relevance of the house and its collections to a new audience of people of African Caribbean heritage has become apparent and is regularly disseminated throughout an education outreach programme at Harewood House. At the same time, it is important to continue to regard Harewood House as a superb representation of the culture of the 18th century, not, as the Earl puts it, “that slavery place”.

Similar archival research at Paxton House in the Scottish Borders in 2022 has revealed many fascinating details about the house and the relationship of the owners, the Home family, with their sugar estates on Grenada. Although the house, designed by John and James Adam in 1758, was built with money accumulated through land purchases, it was sold in an unfinished state to Ninian Home. Ninian had left Scotland at 17 hoping to make his fortune in Virginia. There, he used experience gained in his uncle’s business to start a career trading across the Caribbean. Like many merchants in this period, his business was varied, shipping goods from one Caribbean island colony to another, at a time when enslaved people were regarded as just another commodity. He was sufficiently successful to be able to raise a mortgage and buy plantations in Grenada. He also raised a mortgage to buy Paxton House and establish himself as a country landowner at home in Britain. The evidence at Paxton has revealed many day-to-day details of how life both in the Caribbean and at home in Scotland was impacted by the links between them. How the wider local economy in the Borders benefi ted from the export of linen and salt fish to feed and clothe enslaved people; how Ninian Home, used to modes of behaviour in the Colonies, commissioned writing furniture for every room at Paxton rather than in an exclusive space; and the relationships between individual enslaved people and individual members of the family. Ninian’s wife, Penelope, brought her maid, Martine, home to Paxton in the 1780s and the abolitionist and campaigner, Ottobah Cugoano, almost certainly visited the house while he was still enslaved.

Ninian Home of Paraclete and Paxton House strolls past his gardeners towards a water feature which is also part of the working plantation.

The Home Family archive has also exposed the relative success and failure of Ninian Home’s Caribbean ventures. In the first years of ownership, he made sufficient income to furnish and decorate Paxton House in the latest style. Robert Adam designed interiors in the latest neoclassical manner while Thomas Chippendale furnished it in mahogany in a simple but elegant style, known now at the Paxton Style. The family fortunes changed when Ninian Home was killed in an uprising in 1795 and the plantations were despoiled. His debts were a heavy burden on his successor and his mortgages were not paid off by the family until 1836. The research also facilitated a new dynamic relationship with a group of people of African Caribbean heritage, Descendants, who have been able to explore their history through visits, workshops and cultural exchanges at Paxton House, helping a new generation to understand the connections between the Caribbean and Britain.

In the current climate of reassessing Britain’s role in the slave trade, a growing number of heritage places are proving an important resource for understanding the complexities of the cultural impact of slavery on Britain. They can provide a focus for British people of African Caribbean heritage to gain insight into the world of

the Georgians and 18th century culture and provide a bridge between the past and the future. Perhaps most importantly, they can help us reclaim the identity of enslaved Africans and recover their individual humanity in what are, hopefully, more enlightened times.

Paraclete Plantation House, Adam Callander, 1789, shows a European, almost certainly Ninian Home, with his dog while enslaved workers clear the lawn beside him. In the distance are the living quarters of Paraclete’s enslaved population while ships wait off shore bringing goods to and from European and Caribbean ports.

RETREATS RURAL

PITCHFORD HALL, SHROPSHIRE

Sleeps 16 in 8 bedrooms. Dogs welcome

Shropshire is one of England’s least populated counties and at its heart is Pitchford Hall, a magnificent timbered Tudor mansion that is the centre of an ambitious restoration project. Three converted farm buildings in the middle of the working farm that comprises the surrounding estate provide a real escape from urban stress. Our favourite is at the end of a track on the edge of the deer park, Windy Mundy Farm. The conversion makes the most of the full height brick arches of this Georgian threshing barn, while the thoroughly modern suspended fireplace adds a contemporary touch which perfectly suits the proportions. Windy Mundy Farm is contained within its own walled courtyard, surrounded by nothing but open fields. For a real outdoor glow, retreat to the wood burning sauna after a country walk – there’s space to wander and you can bring up to three dogs. The area is packed with heritage attractions if you can

drag yourself away from Pitchford Hall and its famous Elizabethan treehouse – the oldest in the world. Longnor Hall, ruined Acton Burnell Castle, NT Attingham Park and the ruins of Roman Wroxeter are all within 10 miles.

CAPESTHORNE HALL, CHESHIRE

Sleeps 4 in 2 bedrooms. Dogs welcome

Stay in a little Dutch gabled tower at the gates of the formal gardens at Capesthorne Hall in Cheshire and you will have both the Victorian architecture of one of the great country houses of the North West and a secluded encounter with nature. South Tower Lodge, a three storey cottage, surrounded by mature trees, backs onto the sloping lawns of the gardens which run down to the lake linking Victorian formal gardens with 18th century landscape. It also has its own private garden. Cross the fi ve arched bridge over the lake for countryside walks through the park or venture further afield to the spectacular red sandstone escarpment of Alderley Edge.

Fancy a break? Choose a self catering cottage on an historic estate to get away from it all to rural peace with a bit of history thrown in. Hudson’s has 6 of the best for 2023.

WINDY MUNDY FARM, PITCHFORD HALL

MINTERNE, DORSET

Sleeps 10 in 5 bedrooms. Dogs welcome

In the grounds of historic Minterne House in Dorset is Manor Farmhouse, a 19th century farmhouse now refurbished as holiday accommodation. Views from the house across the grounds of Minterne House provide confirmation that nature is never far away. The house has its own private secure garden while the parkland and early 20th century rhododendron and azalea garden, open daily, will provide plenty of scope to explore. You can even swim in Lord Digby’s heated outdoor pool. Venture further to the Cerne Abbas Giant, a mysterious figure carved into the chalk grassland of the Dorset Downs, or discover the country featured in Thomas Hardy’s novels.

BOCONNOC, CORNWALL

Sleeps 14 in 7 bedrooms. Dogs welcome downstairs

The newest holiday accommodation at Boconnoc in Cornwall is The Stewardry, a pretty 18th century house set apart with lawns running down to the little River Lerryn. The house is luxuriously decorated in colours inspired by the gardens at Boconnoc and the rich greens and pinks create an air of exoticism entirely appropriate to an 18th century estate developed by an East India Company merchant. The Wedgewood fireplace in the Drawing Room originated in the main house, a gift from Josiah Wedgewood on a visit to the family. There is a games room and a tennis court if you get bored of strolling through the deer park and, in season, you may be able to supply the kitchen with fresh vegetables from the Walled Garden of the main house or apples from the orchard.

MANOR HOUSE, MINTERNE

TREOWEN, MONMOUTHSHIRE

Sleeps 25 in 12 bedrooms. Dogs welcome Step into the 17th century at Treowen in South Wales. Hidden away at the end of a long drive, just a couple of miles from the English border, is a tall three storey house built by a local MP in the 1620s which then spent the rest of its life as a farmhouse. Treowen makes a wonderful base for both the towns of the South Wales coast and the Wye Valley over the border. With expansive views all around and stunning historic interiors, you may find yourself reluctant to leave the house itself, though nearby walks will tempt you out. The furnishings are simple but authentic and the rooms, spacious.

TURVEY HOUSE, BEDFORDSHIRE

Sleeps 6 in 3 bedrooms. Dogs welcome Newly refurbished River Cottage on the Turvey House Estate in Bedfordshire is a converted 18th century dairy perched on the edge of the river Great Ouse. All three double bedrooms have river views and the decking terrace overlooks the river. You can fish, paddleboard or kayak from your own river jetty or picnic on the rivers’ edge and finish the day in the hot tub watching the river gently flow by. The cottage feels really isolated but is actually only a fi ve minute walk from 2 pubs in the nearby village and there is plenty of level walking on the Turvey Estate.

GLAMOUR AT THE STEWARDRY, BOCONNOC

RIVER COTTAGE, TURVEY HOUSE

TREOWEN

HISTORY LEARNING

Hudson’s turns the spotlight on the old Royal Naval College’s education programme as they win a Sandford Award in 2022.

The Sandford Award has been a major part of the heritage scene since 1978, highlighting excellence in the provision of education not in the classroom but out and about in heritage places. Administered by the Heritage Education Trust, the awards are not a race to the finish line but a standard of quality which has done much to focus attention on the opportunities young learners have by getting out and exploring history first hand.

Over the decades, the award, which is valid as a quality mark for fi ve years, has been won by over 500 different heritage sites from museums to zoos. In 2022, 37 awards were made to many of the best known places in Britain. One of the winners was The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.

The centrepiece of the complex of historic buildings at Maritime Greenwich is Sir Christopher Wren’s pair of buildings that comprise the former site of the Royal Navy’s hospital. The buildings were repurposed as a college between 1873 and 1998; today they are part of a popular tourist attraction alongside the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory and the Queen’s House. Although the buildings may be familiar from regular appearances on film and TV - the colonnades are often cast as Georgian streetscapes - this is a place that has

always been designed to communicate some very specific messages. The vast fresco in the Painted Hall, executed by Sir James Thornhill in the early 1700s celebrates, very specifically, the naval dominance of Great Britain in the 18th century world and the protestant accession of both William and Mary and the first Hanoverian king, George I.

Nearly 1.2 million visitors come here each year and among them are a significant number of local schoolchildren and school visits from outside the borough. As a charity, education is a fundamental part of the Old Royal Naval College’s purpose and the education team work with children from Reception to Key Stage 5. All trips are free and the range of activities are varied with plenty of hands-on activities to keep kids engaged. If you think it’s all about the navy or all about the Georgians, you couldn’t be more wrong. A session on Myths and Masks, for example, draws on the extensive use of mythological figures in the Thornhill frescoes to explore the culture of Ancient Greece for 8 to 10 year olds. Children are exposed to writing challenges, design assignments, map making and wordgames. A creative writing workshop focusses on the history of black sailors, merchants and writers in 18th century Greenwich and another on women’s role in the Royal Navy going right back to ‘William Brown’, a female Georgian sailor who disguised herself as a man to join the navy.

An annual Tudor Study Day draws on the history of earlier buildings at Greenwich when this riverside location was the site of the Royal Palace of Placentia, known as Greenwich Palace under the Tudors. The Tudor Study Day is more immersive, engaging children in living history activities using costume, props, music and stories to analyse the lives of rich and poor in Tudor Greenwich.

Another highlight of the 2022 school programme was a creative writing workshop, in partnership with the literacy charity First Story and the University of Greenwich. The project brought together 83 secondary school students from 5 state schools in Camden, Tower Hamlets and Haringey, introducing them to university life while creating pieces of writing inspired by the history around them.

The education team was also commended for its programme for children with special educational needs and for children for whom the English language is unfamiliar. These programmes use art and animation in imaginative ways to respond to the symbolism, drama and history at the Old Royal Naval College buildings, particularly the Painted Hall and the Chapel. There are also regular tours and workshops for community groups, sign language and audio-described tours and a lively and varied programme of free activities for families.

In 2022, around 6,500 children were able to benefi t from a visit to the Old Royal Naval College to gain a livelier view of Britain. As Claire Kirk, Head of Learning, Interpretation and Collections, says “Our goal is to engage as many people as possible with the heritage of our site.” The Sandford Award shows that they are doing just that.

World CLASS

World Heritage Day is a special day for celebrating the 1,154 UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the globe but perhaps particularly the 27 sites that are located in the UK, including 2 of the top 10 most visited in the world, Westminster and the Tower of London.

The criteria required to earn the status of World Heritage Site for a particular place is a complicated one. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, representing 190 nation states, is looking for places that are of outstanding value to humanity. The accolade is not just about historic significance, it’s about legacy - the idea that the place, or often, combination of places - represents something fundamental about cultural development or even about civilisation.

In Britain the inclusion of sites like Stonehenge, Skara Brae and Hadrian’s Wall mark perhaps the earliest visible monuments from significant moments in the lives of the early peoples of these islands. In each case, however, the designation is not just for the monument itself but for its context. Stonehenge forms a piece with the surrounding landscape including the stone circle at Avebury, avenues, henges, Durrington Walls and the many burial sites that are still being discovered and explained. The neolithic village at Skara Brae is part of ‘The Heart of Neolithic Orkney’, which encompasses the Ring of Brodgar, Maeshowe and the Stones of Stenness.

HERIT AGE SITES S

A

H E R I T TA G E I T E S

IT AG

1. St. Kilda

2. Heart of Neolithic Orkney

3. Forth Bridge

4. Old and New Towns of Edinburgh

5. New Lanark

6. Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast

7. Frontiers of Roman Empire

8. Durham Castle and Cathedral

9. Saltaire

10. Studley Royal Park

11. Derwent Valley Mercantile City

12. Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd

13. Pontcysylte Aqueduct

14. Ironbridge Gorge

15. Blaenavon

16. Blenheim Palace

17. Westminster

18. Royal Botanical Gardens

19. Tower of London

20. Maritime Greenwich

21. Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine’s Abbey and St Martin’s Church

22. Stonehenge

23. City of Bath

24. Cornwall and West Devon

25. Dorset and Devon

Similarly, where a World Heritage Site marks the development of Christianity in Britain, the designation includes not just Canterbury Cathedral but also the nearby church of St Martin, the oldest parish church in the English speaking world, and the ruins of the Abbey of St Augustine, telling the story of the arrival of Christianity as much as the cathedral’s continued historical prominence. Likewise, Westminster’s designation includes the 1840 Houses of Parliament with Westminster Abbey and the church of St Margaret and at Durham, the Northern church and its saints are honoured through the combination of the Norman cathedral and the castle, medieval power base of the Prince-Bishops of Durham.

Sites associated with science and industry are an important component of UK World Heritage Sites, reflecting Britain’s leading role in industry and invention through history. Around the country, you can explore the development of mining, iron and steel, the factory system, canals, railways and scientific discovery and exploration from places as varied as the slate quarries of North Wales, the industrial ‘utopia’ at New Lanark, the maritime history of Greenwich and Jodrell Bank Observatory.

THE GREAT CONSERVATORY, KEW GARDENS

TOWER OF LONDON

CORNWALL’S MINING HERITAGE

NEW LANARK

DURHAM CATHEDRAL

Meanwhile, architectural quality is certainly not ignored but the designation of the castles of Edward I in Wales or the Tower of London is as much about impact of Norman rule as the innovative military architecture. Similarly, though Blenheim Palace and its park are architectural wonders, the designation speaks as much about the symbolism of Blenheim as home to military commanders like the Duke of Marlborough and Winston Churchill. The city of Bath, despite the fame of its Roman and Georgian buildings, is linked with other spa towns across Europe. Edinburgh is commended for its influence on urban planning, comparing the pragmatic growth of the Old Town with the generous Georgian layout of the New Town. Studley Royal and Kew Gardens are both considered for the combination of landscape planning and significant buildings, while Kew also has the distinction of its contribution to global science.

UNESCO’s definitions of heritage stretch to landscape too. There are globally outstanding landscapes in Britain, including Dorset’s Jurassic coast, the Giant’s Causeway, the Lake District and the volcanic Hebridean archipelago of St. Kilda. These are not just beautiful landscapes, the designation notes Dorset and Devon’s importance in the history of palaeontology, the Giant Causeway’s contribution to the study of vulcanology, the Lake District to universal ideas about beauty and landscape conservation and now abandoned St Kilda retains evidence of a way of life in a marginal environment.

Liverpool was stripped of its honour in 2021 because new development along the historic waterfront had destroyed the integrity of a place chosen because of its role as a major trading power during the British Empire. The regeneration of the city is however surely as important as the protection of the past and Liverpool’s role in Britain’s history is still manifestly apparent.

GIANT’S CAUSEWAY

The UNESCO designation has served to focus attention on the change the city is undergoing and to ensure that heritage considerations were paramount in developing new management plans. Perhaps being a World Heritage Site does convey both status and protection after all. Celebrate World Heritage Day by visiting one of Britain’s outstanding World Heritage Sites.

PONTCYCYLLTE AQUADUCT

IRONBRIDGE

Green&PLEASANT

Architectural writer, Lucy Denton, takes a look at how heritage places are meeting the challenge of climate change.

“Education is hugely important,” says Robert Parker, owner of handsome, Grade I listed Browsholme Hall in the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire, discussing the thorny issue of sustainable tourism, “and a social community is essential. We have our volunteers, and we tell children about what we’re doing”. Browsholme, one of the smaller family seats in Britain, with an architectural pedigree dating to the early 16th century, is a pioneer in efforts to modernise outmoded practices and replace them with eco-friendly approaches, whether phasing out reliance on fossil fuels, or opting for local suppliers to minimise carbon footprint.

The recipient of the first Historic Houses Sustainability Award in 2021, the Browsholme Hall Estate is one of hundreds of heritage sites in the UK which engage in all kinds of projects and activities to lessen the environmental impact of visitor attractions, the greater part of which occurs during car travel in particular, “We’re in the middle of nowhere”, notes Robert Parker, “so encouraging journeys by coach here is a plus”. The Estate is a superlative illustration of thoughtful ways of implementing sustainability policies. “Although it sounds simple, it is much more complex. We have a biomass boiler, and our own timber producing about 20 tonnes a year, which heats the house, cottage and tearoom – and we source food from within a fi ve-mile radius (‘The 5 Mile Menu’)”, he adds. The tithe barn, converted in 2010 into a wedding venue, is heated via ground source energy. Clever rehabilitation of underutilised, often utilitarian, structures is another benefi t for the natural world, avoiding the hefty carbon cost of new-build.

TREE PLANTING AT BROWSHOLME HALL IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT

More and more estates are devising their own sustainability policies over the short and long term, with the aim of reducing impact on the environment. At Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, where a target was set three years ago to reduce reliance on carbon to net zero by 2027, the estate engages in a remarkable array of green enterprises. These include establishing wildflower meadows and promoting an ancient bee project, which came about by chance when Filipe Salbany, a conservationist, discovered that a colony of very rare forest honeybees, thought to have been wiped out, was actually thriving in the woodlands on the estate. Tree planting is being pursued on an epic scale and now lawns are only partially mowed, cutting pathways through flowering grasses. The use of sustainable transport is encouraged by offering a discount to visitors if they arrive by bike, bus, coach or electric car. The walled gardens have also been regenerated to cultivate home-grown vegetables. Heather Carter, Managing Director of the Visitor Attraction at the Palace, explains that policies are driven by the commitment to restore the vast sandstone mansion, which requires “£40 million worth of repairs, and the green goal is also to create an endowment fund for this purpose,” but that “sustainability also means the Estate is the lifeblood of the local economy.” To this end, investment has been directed at the building of new houses. At Hill Rise, the aim is to construct energy efficient properties; an eco-site which has the local community in mind. Sustainability goes well beyond the park walls.

The effort required to realise eco-friendly policies for tourist venues effectively are very often unappreciated, but “People do notice”, says Will Handford, Director of the National Trust’s Renewable Energy Investment programme, “They’re often keen to know what is going

on. Hoarding on construction sites has see-through panels, while our holiday cottages use air source heat pumps. We leave information leaflets in the properties explaining how the system works.” The National Trust has been running a sustainable energy programme for the past nine years, “and now has over 300 different renewable installations which reduce reliance on fossil fuels in the biggest mansions to the smallest cottages,” continues Will Handford. Among those great houses is the Grade I listed Attingham Park in Shropshire, constructed in 1783-1785 by George Steuart for Noel Hill, 1st Lord Berwick, out of Grey Ginshill sandstone in unadorned, classical form. This typically Georgian architectural display has been upgraded for the modern age to run off one of the Trust’s 15 woodchip biomass boilers, consuming woodchips sourced from its own woodland in a self-contained supply chain; one of the earlier projects pursued by the National Trust.

BLENHEIM PALACE AS HAVEN FOR NATURE

Efficient and green, Attingham Park’s scheme is also relatively immune to price volatility in energy supplies, and is part of the ambitious targets of the charity since 2010 to wean properties off oil and, instead, generate 50 percent of energy from renewable sources. This includes not only the solar panels to the roof of the café at Sizergh Castle near Kendal, but electric vehicle charging points installed at numerous places, and large-scale hydroelectric schemes at Snowdonia, the Lake District and even Lewisham, where the Trust set up an Archimedes Screw water-turbine. Similarly, an original water turbine has been restored at Cragside in Northumberland, promoted as Britain’s ‘original smart home’, the first house in the world to be powered by electricity produced by waterpower when built in 1863. Where there are potential constraints on changes to listed building fabric or sensitivities relating to archaeology, there are also sometimes time limits on what can be achieved where a site might be very popular, “We were only allowed a three day shutdown at the Giant’s Causeway Hotel in Northern Ireland,” says Handford, “so a new pellet biomass boiler was craned in within its own room already assembled off site.”

At the Holkham Hall Estate in Norfolk, sustainability and conservation have been good practice for decades, if not centuries, but in its modern incarnation encompasses solar power and low carbon emissions (with the aim to become carbon negative by 2040) as well protecting the Holkham National Nature Reserve with all its rare flowers dotted along the shoreline. Even their eco-friendly shower blocks at the Pinewoods Holiday Park were a Gold winner in the David Bellamy Conservation Awards.

“We aim to inform, inspire and influence our visitors by sharing what we are working on through our Wonder strategy. This year, we have focused on reducing waste by setting up the first compostable collection in our region and encouraging visitors to separate their waste correctly so that we reduce the amount of non-recyclable waste we generate. Like everything, to really make an impact, we need to work together to create change and our visitors are a big part of that,” says Leigh Hitchcock, general manager at Holkham Enterprises. Let’s hope even more projects like these get the green light.

HOLKHAM HALL’S WONDER STRATEGY AT WORK

BIOMASS NOW HEATS ATTINGHAM PARK © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES, KAREN CRICK

The Palladian Bridge at Wilton House, shown on our front cover, is a quintessentially Georgian structure and an adornment to one of Britain’s great country houses, a true stately home. Wilton House’s owners, the Earls of Pembroke, have been central in Britain’s story and their home expresses, not just the family’s centuries long history, but also their contribution to culture, taste and style. For today’s visitor, the house ticks all the boxes –an art collection to rival any national museum, ground breaking Palladian architecture, sweeping parkland, iconic film locations and engaging characters straight from the history books.

The bridge was built in 1737 and was designed by Henry Herbert, 9th Earl of Pembroke. Its perfect proportions were inspired by Italian architect Andrea Palladio’s design for a bridge over the Rialto, one which was rejected by Venice in the 1570s. The Earl had experienced Palladio’s other designs at first hand on a Grand Tour in the early part of the century, which took in the sights of classical Rome and the villas of the Veneto. Returning home, he earned himself the soubriquet ‘the Architect Earl’ for his plans for houses at Marble Hill, Wimbledon, Whitehall and eyecatcher buildings at Blenheim and Houghton Hall.

The Earl’s design of the elegant bridge at Wilton was very influential; it was copied at Prior Park near Bath by Ralph Allen, at Stowe by James Gibbs and at Tsarskoe Selo outside St Petersburg for Catherine the Great. The bridge is in the perfect place to view, not just the house but the landscaped park in its idyllic classical marriage of water, open grassland and mature trees, something the Architect Earl’s contemporaries would have appreciated. For today’s Bridgerton generation, it instead conjures the backdrop to a bit of al fresco scheming – filming for the successful Netflix series took place here in 2020 and 2022.

The 9th Earl of Pembroke was lucky; his passion for Palladianism was already reflected in the house at Wilton he inherited. The architect-in-chief of the house built here around 1630 was Inigo Jones, the father of English Palladianism, whose design for the Queen’s House at Greenwich had been the first classical villa built in England. The South front beyond the bridge shows Jones’ and the 4th Earl’s grasp of classical proportions and behind it is one of the most astonishing run of state rooms in

the country. Planned for a visit by Charles I, before the Civil War intervened, the rooms include the perfectly proportioned Double Cube Room and Single Cube Room, named by the Architect Earl. Although these interiors were then nearly a century old, they were ahead of their time and needed only a little rearrangement to leap into the Georgian era.

The Pembroke family tree boasts a wide range of personalities, many of which stare out from the portraits that fill the public rooms. Politicians, protestant rebels, grand tourists and collectors, patrons of the arts and theatre, major-generals, violent murderers, sportsmen, Italian princesses, Russian countesses, influential women and loyal dogs are all here.

The Double Cube Room is dominated by the huge portrait by court painter Anthony Van Dyck of the family of Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke. Philip, 4th Earl was one of Wilton’s and Britain’s outstanding men of taste. It was he who had to imagination to commission Inigo Jones to work at Wilton. He inherited sophisticated literary tastes from his mother, Mary Sidney, a celebrated poet and promoter of the arts.

He was a dedicatee with his brother of Shakespeare’s First Folio. As well as being a member of Charles I’s artistic circle and a key patron of Van Dyck, he was a pioneer collector of Italian Old Masters. As a result, it seems as if Wilton’s exquisitely panelled walls are hung with canvases by every painter you have ever heard of from Rubens and Titian to Holbein and Lely. The collecting continued through the 8th Earl’s passion for sculpture, now mostly housed in the cloisters created by James Wyatt in the early 1800s for Countess Catherine Vorontsova, the 11th Earl’s second wife, to the Hockneys acquired by the current Earl’s father. In the present generation, collecting has taken a thoroughly modern turn with Will’s (the 18th Earl) collection of classic cars.

Whether you come to Wilton for its glorious interiors, its works of art, its cars or even to walk in the footsteps of Alicia Vikander ( Tomb Raider), Olivia Colman ( The Crown) or Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton), don’t forget to take in the view by the bridge.

The photograph of the Palladian Bridge at Wilton House was chosen for 2023’s front cover from a selection of heritage places. It is a reminder that heritage places repay a little bit of exploring and with grounds that hide buildings that will surprise and delight you.

LONDON

COUNTRYSIDE

Royal Parks

Hampstead Heath

River Thames

HERITAGE

Royal palaces

Homes of the Famous

Parliament & Democracy

FOOD

Cuisines of the world

Jellied Eels

Chelsea Buns

Events

THE PASSION OF JESUS AT TRAFALGAR SQUARE

7th April 2023

Watch a biblical story performed by 100 actors at the annual staging of The Passion of Jesus in Trafalgar Square, which takes place on Good Friday. The two 90-minute performances are free and attract thousands of visitors to witness the scene in central London. There is a performance at 12 noon and 3:15 pm. The production is open air with visibility maximised using large screens. There is a realistic interpretation of the crucifi xion so parental guidance is advised.

TASTE OF LONDON

June 2023

Experience the best of London’s incredible dining scene during the fi ve-day Taste of London festival that takes place every summer. The festival is dedicated to devouring the best food and drinks in the city. 36 restaurants, 50 chefs, 150 artisan producers, and eight long sessions of deliciousness.

PRIDE IN LONDON

July 2023

London celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQA+ community in an annual festival and parade. Free events take place in the city and in Trafalgar Square bringing together tens of thousands of people of different, genders, ethnicities and sexualities. Festivities take place in various locations across the capital culminating in the Pride Parade which is the only parade to close Oxford Street, London’s busiest shopping street.

SYON PARK

www.syonpark.co.uk

London home of the Duke of Northumberland with magnifi cent Robert Adam interiors, 40-acres of gardens, including the spectacular Great Conservatory.

Described by John Betjeman as the ‘Grand Architectural Walk’, Syon House and its 200-acre park is the London home of the Duke of Northumberland, whose family, the Percys, have lived here for 400 years. Originally the site of a late medieval monastery, excavated by Channel 4’s Time Team, Syon Park has a fascinating history. Catherine Howard was imprisoned at Syon before her execution, Lady Jane Grey was offered the crown whilst staying at Syon, and the 9th Earl of Northumberland was imprisoned in the Tower of London for 15 years because of his association with the Gunpowder Plot. The present house has Tudor origins but contains some of Robert Adam’s fi nest interiors, which were commissioned by the 1st Duke in the 1760s. The private apartments and State bedrooms are available to view.

OWNER

The Duke of Northumberland

CONTACT

Contact: Estate O ce Tel: 020 8560 0882

Email: info@syonpark.co.uk

Events: events@syonpark.co.uk

LOCATION

The house can be hired for filming and photo shoots subject to availability. Within the ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped park are 40 acres of gardens which contain the spectacular Great Conservatory designed by Charles Fowler in the 1820s. The House and Great Conservatory are available for corporate and private hire. The Northumberland Room in Syon House is an excellent venue for conferences, meetings, lunches and dinners (max 60).

The State Apartments make a sumptuous setting for dinners, concerts, receptions, launches and wedding ceremonies (max 120). Marquees can be erected on the lawn adjacent to the house for balls and corporate events. The Great Conservatory is available for summer parties, launches, filming, photoshoots and wedding receptions (max 150).

ADMISSION

Syon House, Syon Park, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 8JF

Map Ref: 19:7C

Between Brentford & Twickenham, o A4, A310 in SW London.

OPENING TIMES

Please see website for opening times.

Please see website.

ADDITIONAL

Syon House Ventures reserves the right to alter opening times. Please phone or check website for up to date details and special events.

Syon House & the Great Conservatory available for exclusive luncheons, meetings & corporate. See website for details.

Available for formal dinners, ceremonies, receptions & parties.

OLD ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE

www.ornc.org

Discover this spectacular UNESCO World Heritage site in the heart of Maritime Greenwich, London. Its magnifi cent architecture and beautiful riverside setting reveals an extraordinary 500-year history.

Explore the peaceful riverside location and Sir Christopher Wren’s iconic architecture. The stunning buildings and grounds are where great stories unfold from kings and queens to heroic lives and creative geniuses, from Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I to ViceAdmiral Lord Nelson.

Experience ‘Britain’s Sistine Chapel’, Sir James Thornhill’s breathtaking Baroque Painted Hall, an artistic masterpiece which took 19 years to complete and depicts a cast of over 200 characters covering its vast ceilings and walls. The Painted Hall is an extraordinary building not to be missed and now also featured the newly renovated Nelson Room.

CONTACT

T: +44 (0)20 8269 4799. E: boxo ce@ornc.org

LOCATION

Old Royal Naval College, King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 9NN

Opposite Greenwich Pier.

Nearest tube: Cutty Sark DLR - 2 mins walk away.

Nearest train station: Greenwich – 8 mins walk away.

Enjoy a Film and TV tour of one of “the most popular filming location in the world” - a fascinating behind-thescenes look at the Old Royal Naval College as the setting for hundreds of blockbuster films and TV series including Pirates of the Caribbean, Les Misérables, Cruella, The Crown and Bridgerton

OPENING TIMES

Open year round (except 24-26 Dec), 10am-5pm (grounds open 8am-11pm). Check website for early closures due to private events.

Guided tours run throughout the day. Groups 10+ welcome. Groups rates and catering packages available.

ADMISSION

Free entry to grounds, Chapel and Visitor Centre. Painted Hall entry and guided tours: £15pp from April 2023, children free

Coach parking available, pre-booking required.

Multimedia guide: Available in seven languages in the Painted Hall.

Café.

Please see website for upcoming events and exhibitions.

A range of spaces available for private events, weddings and lming.

On-site pub The Old Brewery.

Toilet facilities available included disabled toilets and baby change. Undercroft

Gift Shops in Visitor Centre, Mews and Undercroft.

Dogs welcome on the grounds (assistance dogs only inside).

SOUTH EAST

COUNTRYSIDE Chalk

New

The

HERITAGE

Mansions

Plant

Naval

FOOD

Apples

Banoffee pie

Fine English wine

Events

OXFORDSHIRE ARTWEEKS, OXFORD

6th-29th May, 2023

You can feast your eyes on a huge range of creative activities by hundreds of artists, makers and designers in artists’ studios, pop-up galleries, glorious gardens, ancient churches, medieval tithe barns and hundreds of other amazing venues. Oxfordshire Artweeks is a chance to talk to artists and creatives about their work, watch demonstrations and even have a go yourself. All venues are free to visit.

Week 1: 6th-14th May, South Oxfordshire & the Vale of White Horse

Week 2: 13th-21st May, North Oxfordshire & the Cotswolds

Week 3: 20th-29th May, the city of Oxford

DEAL FESTIVAL 2023

7th July – 16th July

A fabulous mixture of music and the performing arts including - classical, jazz, dance, theatre, films and much more. The Deal Festival is a unique celebration of great classical and contemporary music from some of the world’s finest music-makers, as well as theatre, opera, cinema and dance – in the beautiful and historic surroundings of Deal and Dover on England’s south coast.

HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA, OXFORDSHIRE

27th June - 2nd July, 2023

The Regatta was originally staged in 1839 by the Mayor of Henley and began as a fair, but emphasis quickly shifted to competitive rowing as its main focus. It became “Royal” Henley in 1851 when Prince Albert became patron. The event has grown in popularity to the extent that there are now so many competitors (Olympians and new crews alike) that the event lasts for 5 days with qualifying races the week before. Today the Regatta is considered an important sporting and social event. The traditional course is 1 mile and 550 yards (2,112 metres) in length.

BEAULIEU

www.beaulieu.co.uk

Once the gatehouse of Beaulieu Abbey, Palace House has been the Montagu family home since 1538. Costumed guides will give you a flavour of life ‘below stairs’. Visit the restored Victorian Kitchen and discover The Art of Belinda, Lady Montagu. In the Clock House, explore a dedicated Soviet Russian art gallery. Founded in 1204, Beaulieu Abbey was largely destroyed during the Reformation. The conserved ruins and exhibition tell its story, while the National Motor Museum features over 280 vehicles. There is plenty to explore in the grounds, from the Victorian Flower and Kitchen Gardens to the informal Mill Pond Walk. Younger visitors will love the Little Beaulieu adventure play area.

Allow 4-5 hours for visits.

3 sets of disabled toilets on the site.

Baby changing facilities available.

Closed 25 Dec.

Unlimited.

Palace House Kitchen Shop & Main Reception Shop.

In grounds, on leads only.

Conferences, meetings or receptions.

BROUGHTON CASTLE www.broughtoncastle.com

Cycle route through the estate.

Wheelchairs in Visitor Reception by prior booking.

Attendants on duty.

Professional sta available.

Sandwiches to cooked meals, and hot & cold drinks.

Seats 250.

Please see website.

Please see website.

Broughton Castle is essentially a family home lived in by Lord and Lady Saye & Sele and their family. The original medieval Manor House, of which much remains today, was built in about 1300 by Sir John de Broughton. It stands on an island site surrounded by a 3 acre moat. The Castle was greatly enlarged between 1550 and 1600, at which time it was embellished with magnificent plaster ceilings, splendid panelling and fine fireplaces. In the 17th Century, William, 8th Lord Saye & Sele, played a leading role in national affairs. He opposed Charles I’s efforts to rule without Parliament and Broughton became a secret meeting place for the King’s opponents. During the Civil War, William raised a regiment and he and his four sons all fought at the nearby Battle of Edgehill.

OWNER Lord Montagu. CONTACT Visitor Enquiries: Tel: 01590 612345

Email: visit@beaulieu.co.uk LOCATION Beaulieu, Hampshire SO42 7ZN

Map Ref: 3:C6 M27 to J2, A326, B3054 follow brown signs. Take the local bus service within the New Forest. There is a Station at Brockenhurst 7m away. OPENING TIMES Summer Whitsun-Sep Daily, 10am-6pm. Winter Oct-Whitsun Daily, 10am-5pm. Please check website for exact dates.

ADMISSION All year individual and group rates upon application. Group Discount: 15+. REGULAR EVENTS Beaulieu hosts a range of family-friendly and motoring themed events throughout the year. Visit www.beaulieu.co.uk for details.

Limited parking. Disabled parking available.

Partial, please see the ‘Disabled Access’ section of the website for further details.

Guide dogs only in house. On leads in grounds.

Available by prior arrangement. Primary and secondary school groups are welcome.

There is a small gift shop next to the tearoom.

OWNER Lord Saye & Sele

CONTACT Manager, Mrs James Tel: 01295 276070

Email: info@broughtoncastle.com

LOCATION Broughton, Nr Banbury, Oxfordshire OX15 5EB

Map Ref: 7:A10 Broughton Castle is 2½m SW of Banbury Cross on the B4035, Shipston-on-Stour - Banbury Road.

OPENING TIMES Please see website or email for all visiting information.

ADMISSION Please see website or email for all pricing information.

(There is a minimum charge for groups - please contact the manager for details).

Photography allowed in house. Available for booked groups. Groups may book morning co ee, light lunches and afternoon teas.

CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL www.canterbury-cathedral.org

Established in 597, Romanesque and Gothic masterpiece and UNESCO World Heritage Site contains stories from Magna Carta to the Blitz, with King Henry IV and the Black Prince buried within. Following Archbishop Thomas Becket’s 1170 murder, his shrine became a popular pilgrimage site and Canterbury Cathedral continues the tradition of visitor welcome today.

Lea ets, guidebooks and multimedia guides.

Audio Tours.

Toilet facilities available.

Baby changing facilities available.

Open All Year.

Take-away kiosk open during summer.

Accessible WCs. Wheelchair available. Hearing loops. Limited access.

Shop open daily.

Guide, hearing, assistance dogs.

Group tours/visit options available.

School, Language and University group visits.

HAMMERWOOD PARK

www.hammerwoodpark.co.uk

CONTACT melodie.robson@canterbury-cathedral.org. Tel: 01227 762862, Group enquiries: 01227 862749, Corporate: 01227 865350, Website: www.canterbury-cathedral.org, Email: visits@canterbury-cathedral.org

LOCATION The Precincts, Canterbury, CT1 2EH. Well served by M20 and M2 links to the rest of England. Transport routes: Car, Bus, Train, Aeroplane, Ferry.

OPENING TIMES See website for up-to-date opening dates & times.

ADMISSION Adult £15.50, Children under school age Free.

Discount: Group Discounts available please contact the Groups O ce. Additional: Tickets can be validated for unlimited free visits for 12 months, at no extra cost. (See website for T&Cs).

REGULAR EVENTS Daily: Guided tours and mini talks (subject to availability).

Set within picturesque Sussex parkland, Hammerwood Park is Grade 1-listed, the first work of architect and polymath Benjamin Latrobe (1764-1820) celebrated for his later contributions to the White House and the Capitol in Washington D.C. Since 1982, the house has been the home of the Pinnegar family, who saved the historic property from dereliction and have continued to welcome visitors for guided tours, teas under a copy of the Parthenon Frieze and concerts in the summer season.

CONTACT Owner: David and AnneNoelle Pinnegar Tel: 01342 850594

Email: antespam@gmail.com

LOCATION East Grinstead, Sussex RH19 3QE Map Ref: 4:J4 3.5 m E of East Grinstead on A264 to Tunbridge Wells, 1m W of Holtye.

OPENING TIMES Weds; Sats and bank holiday Mons, June to end Sept.

Admission to house by guided tour 2pm. Park open from 11am-5.30pm. Please see website for further details.

ADMISSION House & Park: Adult £10, Child £2. Private viewing by arrangement.

FIRLE PLACE

www.fi rle.com

An outstanding country house, dating from the time of Henry VIII and substantially remodelled in the Georgian period. Home of the Gage family, it houses an exemplary collection of works of art and Sevres porcelain.

CONTACT 01273 858307 Email: events@ rle.com LOCATION Firle, Nr Lewes, East Sussex Map Ref: 4:J6 4m SE of Lewes on A27 Brighton/Eastbourne Road. OPENING TIMES Please see website for 2023 summer season opening days and times. Tea Room is open to all on house opening days only ADMISSION Please see the website. All tickets must be pre-booked online. Contact the Events Team for group tours - 01273 977364.

Wheelchair access to the ground oor and Tea Room only In grounds on leads and outside on tea terrace Exclusive out of hours guided tours Tea room, please see website for details Available for private hire Please see website for special events For details on weddings, contact weddings@ rle.com or 07788 446621.

GLYNDE PLACE

www.glynde.co.uk

Glynde Place, and the estate it sits in the heart of, have been lived in by the same family since its earliest records. From the Waleys in the 11C through to the current owners, the Brands, the house has passed by marriage through four families. Built in 1569, this Grade I Elizabethan house sits on the edge of the Sussex Downs with views across to the Weald.

CONTACT The Estate O ce Tel: 01273 858 224. Email: info@glynde.co.uk LOCATION Glynde, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 6SX ///pointer.double.clari es OPENING TIMES House and Tea-Room: May & June on Wed, Thurs & Sundays and B/Holidays including August B/holiday Sunday and Monday. House opening times: 2-5pm, Tea Room opening times: 1-5pm. ADMISSION Adult £10, Students £7.50, 5-16yrs £5.00, Under 5’s Free, Historic House Free. Parking: Free parking for cars only. House guided tours only at 2pm and 3.30pm on house open days. Pre-booked Private Tour of house and/or garden: By arrangement on non-house open days (Mon, Tues, Fri). Please call the Estate O ce.

DORNEY COURT www.dorneycourt.co.uk

‘One of the finest Tudor Manor Houses in England’Country Life. Grade I Listed and noted for its outstanding architectural and historical importance. Home of the Palmers for nearly 500 years, passing from father to son over 14 generations. Highlights include the magnificent Great Hall, oak and lacquer furniture and artwork which combine to tell the story of the House. The stunning Coach House Barn with its landscaped courtyard provides a beautiful space for events.

GOODNESTONE PARK GARDENS

www.goodnestonepark.co.uk

‘The most perfect English garden’ 14 acres of beautiful tranquillity including a woodland area, large walled garden and tearoom.

CONTACT Sally Lewis Tel: 01304 840107

Email: o ce@goodnestone.com

LOCATION Goodnestone Park, Nr Wingham, Canterbury, Kent CT3 1PL Map 4:N3. OS Ref TR254 544. Canterbury, 1½m E of B2046 - A2 to Wingham Road, signposted from this road. Postcode of Car Park: CT3 1PJ.

OPENING TIMES For opening times please refer to website. ADMISSION For admission prices please refer to website.

Suitable. WCs. Licensed. Partial. By arrangement. Parking. Well behaved dogs on leads welcome. Plant Sales. Events please see website.

KNOLE www.nationaltrust.org.uk/knole

Discover this magni cent 600-year-old estate, with its grand courtyards, vast parkland and historic showrooms with collections of Royal Stuart furniture and paintings by renowned artists. Take in panoramic views from the top of the Gatehouse Tower. The Brewhouse Café is open with seating inside and on the Rooftop Terrace, while the gift shop o ers souvenirs, homewares, food and drink, and locally made gifts. In the bookshop you’ll nd books inspired by Knole’s collections and literary history as well as a children’s area lled with toys and books.

CONTACT Tel: 01732 462100 Email: knole@nationaltrust.org.uk

LOCATION Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 0RP (Sat nav TN13 1HX).

OPENING TIMES & ADMISSION Please see our website for more details.

Loos equipped with disabled facilities at the House and Kitchen Garden.

Garden centre (www.crocus.co.uk/dorney-court/).

Plenty of free parking available.

Welcomes disabled and special needs visitors. Video tour of upstairs rooms.

Licensed. The Palmer Arms - good, hearty food in a classic pub setting.

The Tea Room o ers a range of light snacks, homemade goodies, soft drinks & delicious cream teas. By special appointment. Min 20

Gift shop o ering stationery, postcards & mementos of a wonderful day.

Accepts Euros.

Flexible venue for conferences, meetings and launches.

For events & activity days, please see the ‘Events’ section of the website.

CONTACT Owner: James & Anna Palmer Tel: 01628 604638

Email: info@dorneycourt.co.uk Twitter: @dorneycourt

LOCATION Nr. Windsor, Berkshire SL4 6QP

Map Ref: 3:G2 5 mins o M4/J7, 10 mins from Windsor, 2m W of Eton.

OPENING TIMES June (every afternoon) 1230 - 1600.

Obligatory. A range of exible options for visiting Dorney Court.

Perfect wedding reception venue with landscaped gardens and 12C Church. Perfectly suited for lming & photographic shoots; unquestionably unique with stunning backdrops. Guided tour aimed at the curriculum with a focus on the Tudors.

ADMISSION Adult £12, Child £7.50, Concessions £10. Groups: 10+ £9.50pp when open to public. And prices for private groups apply at other times.

Film & photo shoots. Weddings. Events No stiletto heels.

RESTORATION HOUSE

www.restorationhouse.co.uk

Fabled city mansion deriving its name from the stay of Charles II on the eve of The Restoration. This complex ancient house has beautiful interiors with exceptional early paintwork related to decorative scheme ‘run up’ for Charles’ visit. The house also inspired Dickens to create ‘Miss Havisham’ here. ‘Interiors of rare historical resonance and poetry’, Country Life.

Fine English furniture and strong collection of English portraits (Mytens, Kneller, Dahl, Reynolds and several Gainsboroughs). Charming interlinked walled gardens and ongoing restoration of monumental Renaissance water garden. A private gem. ‘There is no finer pre-civil war town house in England than this’ - Simon Jenkins, The Times. ‘Deserves a medal’ - Jools Holland. The Italian Garden now an astonishing reality with fountains, water railings, water cannons, antique and modern sculptures, oculus domed gazebo, grassed and gravelled walks and ponds. Arranged dramatically over three levels with all the walls raised from the archaeologically excavated footings, this garden is a climax to the well established and much loved sequence of walled gardens.

CONTACT Owner: R Tucker & J Wilmot Tel: 01634 848520

Email: robert.tucker@restorationhouse.co.uk

LOCATION 17-19 Crow Lane, Rochester, Kent ME1 1RF Map Ref: 4:K2

In historic centre of Rochester, o High Street, opposite the Vines Park. 5 minutes’ walk from Rochester Station with high-speed to St Pancras and regular services to Victoria and Charing Cross.

OPENING TIMES (2023) 25th May to 29th Oct, Thurs and Fri only, 10-5 and Sat 15th July 12-5.

ADMISSION House and Garden: Adult £11/Concession £9 (40 page colour guide book included), Student/Art Fund £7.50, Child £5. Garden only: Adult £6. Tickets on the door on the day. Pre booked Guided tours Thurs and Fri in April, (except Good Friday) min. 12 @ £15 per head. Groups welcome for free ow visits throughout open days@ £10 per head.

Charity run Tea Shop. Open when house is open.

Antique privies with lavender strewn oors.

HIGH BEECHES WOODLAND &

WATER GARDEN

www.highbeeches.com

A beautiful woodland and water garden which has been sensitively planted with many rare trees and shrubs. A superb wild ower meadow and spectacular autumn colour.

CONTACT Sarah Bray

Tel: 01444 400589

Email: gardens@highbeeches.com

LOCATION High Beeches Lane, Handcross, West Sussex RH17 6HQ Map Ref: 4:I4

OPENING TIMES Everyday (except Weds) 1 pm to 5pm.

ADMISSION Adult £10, Children (5-16) £3.

KINGSTON BAGPUIZE

www.kbhevents.uk

A picturesque family home in built in 1660’s, extensively remodelled in 1720’s in the style of Queen Anne. Beautifully proportioned panelled rooms furnished with English and French furniture. The entrance hall is dominated and a handsome wooden cantilevered staircase.

The mature parkland and garden display a wide variety of trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs giving year-round interest and colour.

Wedding venue & film location.

Restricted photography in house on open days.

Free parking is available.

Ground oor and grounds.

Baby changing facilities available.

Open days: Feb -Sep. Pre-booked group visits all year.

For pre-booked group visits 20+. Self guided tours on open days.

Available on an exclusive basis, for civil ceremonies & receptions.

Tearoom on all open days.

See ‘Corporate’ section of the website. See our website for events.

Film and commercial photography location.

STANDEN www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ standen-house-and-garden

Arts and Crafts family home designed by Philip Webb with Morris & Co. interiors, set in a beautiful hillside garden with views across the Sussex countryside. On the wider estate, footpaths lead into Ashdown Forest and the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

CONTACT Tel: 01342 323029

LOCATION West Hoathly Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 4NE

OPENING TIMES House, garden, café and shop open all year round 10am – 5pm (exceptions apply). For admission times please see the website.

On-Site cafe/restaurant/catering. Gift Shop. Public toilets.

NETHER WINCHENDON HOUSE

Nether Winchendon House, Nr. Aylesbury HP18 0DY

Email: contactus@netherwinchendonhouse.com Website: netherwinchendonhouse.com Open: 2023: 2.30-5.30pm on May 23-25, 29-31; June 1, 4-8; Aug 28-31; Sept 3-6, 19-21, 24-28 Prebooking required via house website. Adm: £10.00 guided tours only at quarter to each hour. Private groups at any time by appointment. No concessions for OAP. No concessions for HHA on Sundays and B/Hols.

LULLINGSTONE CASTLE & WORLD GARDEN

Eynsford, Kent DA4 0JA

Tel: 01322 862114 Email: info@lullingstonecastle.co.uk

CONTACT Owner: Mrs Virginia Grant Tel: 01865 820259 Email: info@kbhevents.uk

LOCATION Kingston Bagpuize, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 5AX Map Ref: 7:A12 - Kingston Bagpuize village, o A415 ½ mile south of the A415/A420 intersection. Abingdon 5m, Oxford 9m.

OPENING DATES 2023 Please see website for details for all open days and events. Garden only : Open for (snowdrops) every Sunday in February 5,12,19 & 26. House & Garden: will be open on selected dates from March until September. All open days 2 - 5pm (last entry to house 4pm) Free ow visit to ground oor. Event days: See Website for all details: Sun 26th Feb: Snowdrop and Spring Plant Fair; Sun 28th May Rare Plant Fair; Sat 24th June: Village Fete;

ADMISSION House & Garden: Adult £10, Child/Student 12-21 £5.50 Garden: Adult £7, Child/Student 12-21 £4. Free entry for HH members except Event Days. Pre-booked group visits for 20+ welcome Mon-Thurs throughout the year.

LANCING COLLEGE CHAPEL

www.lancingcollege.co.uk/chapel

Lancing College Chapel is a magnifi cent Gothic Revival chapel set in the South Downs National Park, in the grounds of Lancing College, and is the largest school chapel in the world - the height of the nave is 90ft to the apex of the vault. It was founded by Nathaniel Woodard in 1868 and consecrated in 1911. The west end includes the spectacular rose window, dedicated by Archbishop Coggan in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales in 1978, which at 32ft in diameter, is the largest in England. The west wall was designed

OWNER

Lancing College Chapel Trust

CONTACT The Verger Tel: 01273 465949

Email: verger@lancing.org.uk

Reception, Lancing College Enquiries Tel: 01273 452213.

LOCATION

Lancing, West Sussex BN15 0RW Map Ref: 3:H6

Car: North of the A27 between Shoreham-by-Sea & Lancing at the Coombes Rd/Shoreham Airport tra c lights. Filter right if coming from the East. Turn o

Guide books, information lea ets and a DVD.

Toilet facilities available.

Every day of the year except for Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Please follow signs to the Main Car Park.

by Stephen Dykes Bower and constructed between 1960 and 2017. In 2020 work began to complete the west end of the chapel with an elegant three-arched porch designed by Michael Drury to provide an entrance worthy of this Grade 1 listed national monument. The porch, which was dedicated in April 2022, won a Sussex Heritage Trust award and is greatly admired.

The chapel lies in the school grounds of Lancing College, an independent boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 13-18 founded in 1848.

Coombes Rd at sign for Lancing College and proceed to the top of Lancing College drive, then follow signs to the Main Car Park.

Rail: Train to Shoreham-by-Sea or Lancing on the London-Littlehampton & Portsmouth line & take a taxi.

Bus: The nearest bus routes are Brighton & Hove Buses 2A, Compass Buses, 106 & Coastliner 700.

OPENING TIMES

Open daily 10am-4pm, and 12 noon-4pm on Sundays

The upper chapel (but not the crypt) is easily accessible for those with mobility issues. Guide dogs only in Chapel. Dogs on leads welcome in College grounds.

and Bank Holidays (closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday & Easter Sunday).

For the latest news and updates visit the website or our Facebook page @lancingcollegechapel.

ADMISSION

Free. Donations are requested for the Friends of Lancing Chapel. Visitors are asked to sign in for security purposes as they enter the Chapel. The other College buildings are not open to the public.

School & other educational groups are welcome & may request guided tours & other information.

Stall with guide books and postcards at entrance to the Chapel.

Please see website for special events.

Guided tours & brief talks can be booked with the Verger. Groups should be booked in advance.

KELMSCOTT MANOR

www.kelmscottmanor.org.uk

Visit Kelmscott Manor, the inspirational country retreat of William Morris, Father of the Arts and Crafts Movement and explore the historic manor he described as “Heaven on Earth”. The Grade 1 listed Farmhouse welcomes visits from around the world every year to experience the same beauty and sense of history that inspired Morris. Discover the treasures inside including William Morris’s own ceramics, textiles, metalwork and books; furnishings from each of Morris’s London homes; examples of Jane and May Morris’s beautiful and expert needlework; and 17th- and 18th-century furniture and decorations owned by the Turner family, who built the Manor. Stroll around the Manor’s enchanting gardens, original barns, dovecot, stream and meadow – a landscape that was a constant source of inspiration for William Morris.

Enjoy our licensed Tearoom, serving delicious cream teas and light meals – all homemade from locally-sourced products. Step inside our charming shop, located in an historic barn, for unique gifts. Families can drop into our brand-new Learning Barn for crafts and activities that will help you get creative and curious around our special site.

Well behaved dogs on a lead welcome except in the formal garden and house. Assistant dogs welcome.

Toilets including accessible toilet and baby changing facilities.

Free parking at edge of village a 10 minute stroll from the Manor- a free shuttle bus is available for visitors unable to make the walk to the Manor.

Disabled access to ground oor of Manor, grounds, tearoom and shop.

STRATFIELD SAYE HOUSE

www.wellington.co.uk

After the Duke of Wellington’s victory against Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the Duke chose Stratfield Saye as his country estate. The house contains many of the 1st Duke’s possessions and is still occupied by his descendants being a family home rather than a museum.

CONTACT

Estate O ce Tel: 01256 882694

OPENING TIMES & ADMISSION

Please see website for up to date information.

LOCATION

Strat eld Saye, Hampshire RG7 2BZ

Map Ref: 3:E2 - Equidistant from Reading (M4/J11) & Basingstoke (M3/J6) 1½m W of the A33.

Parking is available. Toilet facilities available.

WC. Please contact for further details see access statement on the website.

Access to Strat eld Saye House is by guided tour only.

CONTACT

Tel: 01367 252486

Email: admin@kelmscottmanor.org.uk

LOCATION

Kelmscott, Lechlade, Gloucestershire GL7 3HJ.

OPENING TIMES

April-October Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10.30am-5.30pm.

ADMISSION Adult £14.50, Concession (Student, Child, Accessible) £8.75, Family (2 Adults and up to 2 Children) £34.50.

WOTTON HOUSE

The Capability Brown Pleasure Grounds at Wotton, currently undergoing restoration, are related to the Stowe gardens; both belonged to the Grenville family when Brown laid out the Wotton grounds between 1750 and 1767. A series of manmade features on the 3-mile circuit include bridges, temples and statues. Please note that only the Pleasure Grounds are open to the public, not the House.

CONTACT Owner: David Gladstone Tel: 01844 238363 Email: landscape@wottonhouse.com

LOCATION Wotton Underwood, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP18 0SB Map Ref: 7:B11

Either A41 turn o at Kingswood, or M40/J7 via Thame. OPEN Wednesdays: 2pm-5pm, 5th April to 6th September. Mondays: 2pm- 5pm, 10th April, 29th May. Saturday: 2pm-5pm, 24th June, 5th August, 26th August. One guided tour per afternoon, starting at 2pm.

ADMISSION Adult £10, Children £5, Concessions £5. Groups max 25. Limited parking for coaches. Accessible. Dogs welcome on leads.

NYMANS

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ nymans

A garden for all seasons, with rare and unusual plant collections, set around a romantic house and partial ruins. The comfortable, yet elegant, house re ects the personalities and stories of the talented Messel family.

CONTACT Tel: 01444 405250 LOCATION Staple eld Road, Handcross, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6EB OPENING TIMES House: Open all year 11am-4pm*, Mon-Sun Garden, café & shop: Open all year 10am-5pm*, Mon-Sun. Woodland: Open all year, 7am-8pm, Mon-Sun ADMISSION See website for Admission costs.

On-Site cafe/restaurant/catering. Gift Shop. Public toilets.

*Exceptions apply, check website for opening times.

WEALD & DOWNLAND LIVING MUSEUM

www.wealddown.co.uk

The Weald & Downland Living Museum – a hidden gem in the South East, quintessentially British in a picture perfect setting. We are a museum for those who want to see, touch and even smell what life was really like for people living in years gone by.

It includes over 50 historic buildings dating from 950AD to the 19th century, re-erected from their original sites in south east England, together with period gardens, traditional farm animals and a mill pond.

From our historic life weekends, exhibitions, courses in traditional trades and crafts and seasonal activities, to a selection of open-air theatre for you to enjoy against the backdrop of our beautiful Museum, there really is something for everyone.

Refreshments.

Suitable for Disabled People.

Baby Changing.

HAM HOUSE

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ ham-house-and-garden

Looked after by the National Trust, Ham House and Garden is one of the great Stuart properties situated only 10 miles from central London on the rural banks of the river Thames. The house retains much of its original 17th-century interior decoration, o ering a rare experience of the style of the courts of Charles I and Charles II.

CONTACT 0208 940 1950. Email: hamhouse@nationaltrust.org.uk. LOCATION Ham Street, Ham, Richmond, Surrey, TW10 7RS. OPENING TIMES Please check website for current opening times. ADMISSION Adult - £13. Child - £6.50. Family - £32.50, Family (1 adult)£19.50. Large group visits pre-booked only.

Toilet and accessible toilet Baby changing Free parking on either Ham street residential road or in the riverside car park (both of which are a ve minute walk to the property.) Blue badge parking is available, pre-booking is strongly advised Guided tours o ered on a seasonal basis, please check website for times Cafe and shop are open daily.

BROADLANDS

Romsey, Hampshire SO51 9ZD.

Broadlands is the historic home of the Mountbatten family. Map Ref: 3:C5 Email: housetours@broadlandsestates.co.uk

Tel: 01794 505080 Website: www.broadlandsestates.co.uk

Open: Mon 27th Mar to Mon 10th Apr & Fri 25th Aug to Wed 6th Sept. Please see our website for all the details.

Education/study area.

Guided tours for groups.

Gift shop.

Free parking available. Public toilets.

Dogs Welcome.

CONTACT Tel: 01243 811363 Email: o ce@wealddown.co.uk

LOCATION Weald & Downland Living Museum, Town Lane, Singleton, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0EU. The Museum can be reached via the A286 Chichester to Midhurst road. The postcode is PO18 0EU.

OPENING TIMES Open 1 January to 23 December. 10.30am - 6pm BST, 10.30am to 4pm rest of the year.

ADMISSION Adult £15.50, Senior (60+) £13.50, Student (18+)

£12.00, Child (5-17) £7.50, Child (0-4) Free, 2 Adult family (2+3)

£42.00, 1 Adult family (1+3) £27.50, 2 Grandparent family (2+3)

£40.00, 1 Grandparent family (1+3) £26.50, Disabled + carer £8.00

SOUTH WEST

COUNTRYSIDE

Dartmoor,

Surfing beaches

HERITAGE

King Arthur

Tin mining heritage

FOOD Seafood

Cornish pasties

Clotted cream

SOUTH WEST

Events

SUMMER SOLSTICE, STONEHENGE, WILTSHIRE

June 2023

Stonehenge appears to have been built specifically so that the sun rises above the Heel stone and shines into the centre of the circle of stones at sunrise in Summer Solstice and at sunset on Winter Solstice. Who originally erected the stones, and why, has been a source of debate for centuries and it is thought that the area was a spiritual burial ground long before the stones appeared. Each year, tens of thousands of people flock to the site to experience sunrise amongst the stones and celebrate Summer Solstice, the longest day of the Summer.

JANE AUSTIN FESTIVAL

8th September - 17th September 2023

The Jane Austen Festival in Bath is the largest and longest running Jane Austen Festival in the world. The first Jane Austen Festival in 2001 took place over a weekend at The Jane Austen Centre, Bath, and has since grown into a 10 day programme, drawing over 3500 people from around the world. The festival begins with a Regency Costumed Promenade, which has been filling the streets of Bath with over 500 people in Regency dress since 2004 and holds the Guinness World Record for the ‘Largest gathering of people dressed in Regency costumes’.

FALMOUTH OYSTER FESTIVAL

12th-15th October 2023

Devoted to the mighty mollusc, Falmouth Oyster Festival is one of Cornwall’s biggest and most-loved specialist food events. Join us and celebrate the native Fal Oyster and diversity of Cornish seafood with four days of feasting and festivities.

BOCONNOC HOUSE

www.boconnoc.com

Winner of HHA/Sotheby’s Award for Restoration, Boconnoc was bought with the proceeds of the Pitt Diamond in 1717. Three prime Ministers, a history of duels and the architect Sir John Soane play a part in the story of this unique estate.

CONTACT Boconnoc Estate Tel: 01208 872 507 Email: events@boconnoc.com

LOCATION Boconnoc, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 ORG Map ref: 1:G8- A38 from Plymouth, Liskeard or from Bodmin to Dobwalls, then A390 to East Taphouse and follow signs. ///trombone.thumps.brick OPENING TIMES Private Tours- By appointment only.

ADMISSION Please check website.

Dogs welcome on leads. Toilet facilities. Parking available. Accessible (See website for details). Weddings. Holiday accommodation onsite. Location for retreats. Events. Film locations.

CAERHAYS ESTATE visit.caerhays.co.uk

Nestled in a sheltered valley on the south coast of Cornwall near Mevagissey you’ll nd the world class, magni cent 140 acre woodland garden at Caerhays Castle, often described as a spring-time wonderland for visitors. Home to a National Magnolia Collection, the gardens are also famous for their camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas. Caerhays is a member of the Great Gardens of Cornwall.

CONTACT Tel: 01872 501310 enquiries@caerhays.co.uk

LOCATION Caerhays, Gorran, St Austell, Cornwall PL26 6LY

OPENING TIMES The gardens are open daily from 13th February – 11th June 2023. 10am – 5pm (last entry 4pm). The Castle is open for guided tours from the 13th March – 9th June 2023 Monday to Friday (not inc. bank holidays). Booking advised.

ADMISSION Please check website.

KIFTSGATE COURT GARDENS

www.kiftsgate.co.uk

MINTERNE GARDENS

www.minterne.co.uk

Kiftsgate is a glorious garden to visit throughout the seasons with spectacular views. Three generations of women gardeners have designed, planted and sustained this garden.

The upper gardens around the house are planted to give harmonious colour schemes, whilst the sheltered lower gardens recreate the atmosphere of warmer countries. The giant Kiftsgate rose rampages here.

Landscaped in the manner of ‘Capability’ Brown, Minterne’s unique garden has been described by Simon Jenkins as ‘a corner of paradise’. 20 wild, woodland acres of magnolias, rhododendrons and azaleas providing new vistas at each turn, with small lakes, streams and cascades. Private House tours, dinners, corporate seminars and weddings.

CONTACT Owner/Contact: Lord Digby

Tel: 01300 341370

Email: enquiries@minterne.co.uk

LOCATION Minterne Magna, Nr Dorchester, Dorset DT2 7AU Map Ref: 2:O6 On A352 Dorchester/Sherborne Road, 2 miles North of Cerne Abbas.

OPENING 2023: 1st February to 6th November. RHS Members free entry 1st February to 5th November

ADMISSION Adult £8, Child (accompanied by an adult) Free. Season Tickets available.

CONTACT Owner: Mr & Mrs J G Chambers

Contact: Mr J G Chambers, Tel: 01386

438777 Email: info@kiftsgate.co.uk

A modern water garden provides an oasis of tranquillity and contrast to the exuberance of the flower gardens. Plants from the garden are available for sale on open days.

LOCATION Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6LN Map Ref: 6:O9 -

4 miles North East of Chipping Campden.

¼ mile West of Hidcote Garden.

OPENING TIMES May, June, July and August; Sun -Thurs, 12 noon - 6pm. April; Sun, Mon and Wed. 2pm to 6pm. Sept; Sun, Mon and Wed. 12 noon to 6pm.

ADMISSION Adults £11; Children £3; Season Ticket £ 30.

Parking is free for visitors in the car park opposite St Andrews Church. Picnic tables in car park.

Serves as a spectacular venue for guests seeking a private dining experience.

Features various steep and uneven surfaces and are therefore NOT advised for wheelchairs.

Café on East Terrace open from 10.30am, Apr - Oct (weather permitting) Light lunches & cream teas.

O ering a small & intimate wedding venue for licensed civil ceremonies or large reception for your wedding.

Toilet facilities available.

WILTON HOUSE

www.wiltonhouse.com

Wilton House has been the home of the Earl of Pembroke for nearly 500 years. Part Tudor, part Palladian, the building contains one of the nest art collections in Europe and overlooks the gardens, River Nadder and parkland.

CONTACT The Estate O ce Tel: 01722 746700 Email: admin@wiltonhouse.com

LOCATION Wilton, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 0BJ What3words: //zooms.chess.remission

Map Ref: 3:B4 OPENING TIMES 7-10 April inclusive (Easter), then Sundays to Thursdays inclusive from 30 April, plus 29 April, 27 May & 26 August. End of season 7 September. Opening days may change at short notice so please check the website before your visit.

ADMISSION Please check website.

Parking Available. Café. Shop. Fully wheelchair accessible. Assistance dogs only. Please see website.

ST MICHAEL’S MOUNT

www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk

This beautiful island has become an icon for Cornwall and has magnificent views of Mount’s Bay from its summit. The church and castle, whose origins date from the 12th Century, have at various times acted as a Benedictine priory, a place of pilgrimage, a fortress, a home to the St Aubyn family, and is now a magnet for visitors from all over the world.

Striding the causeway or crossing by boat. Treading medieval pathways or exploring tropical gardens. Climbing to the castle or uncovering stories of harbour, legend and family home.

Marvel at the views, hear the islanders’ tales and unearth a history that lives on in every step - through time and tide the Mount creates moments to remember.

Please refer to website for up to date information for events and activities.

WC’s and disabled toilets on the island.

Baby changing facilities available.

By prior arrangement.

Island

Harbour Loft serves afternoon teas and a menu sourced from local produce. Coach/car parking on mainland. Not National Trust - charges apply.

Partial - see website for access statement. Assistance dogs allowed in the castle & garden.

Dogs: see website for details.

By prior arrangement.

Visit the Island Shop

Plant sales available.

Events throughout the year

- see website for details.

Cadhay is a Tudor Manor House situated within extensive gardens, with herbaceous borders and medieval fishponds.

CONTACT Owner: Mr R Thistlethwayte

Contact: Jayne Covell Tel: 01404 813511

LOCATION Ottery St Mary, Devon

EX11 1QT Map Ref: 2:L6 1 mile North West of Ottery St Mary. From West take A30 & exit at Pattesons Cross, follow signs for Fairmile & then Cadhay. From East, exit at the Iron Bridge & follow signs as above.

Parking available.

Ground oor and grounds.

Obligatory.

Please see the news section of the website for all events.

The Apple Store is now a Tea Room.

OPENING TIMES

May-Sep, Fri 2pm-5pm. Also late May and August bank holiday

Saturday, Sunday and Monday 2pm-5pm

ADMISSION House (Guided tour) & Gardens: Adult £10, Child £3. Garden only: Adult £5, Child £1. Groups 15+ by prior arrangement.

Venue to celebrate a landmark birthday, anniversary, reunion or other special occasion.

Luxury self-catering holiday accommodation for 22 in an historic Elizabethan manor.

A unique venue for a Devon wedding; atmospheric & individual.

CONTACT Owner: National Trust Contact: St Aubyn Estates

Tel: 01736 887822

Email: enquiries@stmichaelsmount.co.uk

LOCATION Marazion, Nr Penzance, Cornwall TR17 0HS

Map Ref: 3:G5 - Marazion, Near Penzance.

TRANSPORT ROUTES - Car | Bike | Bus

OPENING TIMES Dates and times vary.

Please refer to website for opening dates and times.

ADMISSION Please see website for all admission prices.

Cafe o ers expansive sea views from its garden. Pasties, sandwiches, cream teas.

or St Michael’s Mount Shop for unique product ranges, accessories and gifts.

SEZINCOTE www.sezincote.co.uk

Exotic oriental water garden by Repton and Daniell. Large semi-circular orangery.

House by S P Cockerell in Indian style was the inspiration for Brighton Pavilion.

Please see our website for up-to-date events and special openings. Obligatory.

Tea and cake served May to Sep. Garden open all year apart from Dec.

For information for disabled visitors email: enquiries@sezincote.co.uk.

Properties to rent from larger, 6 bed farm houses to 3 bed cottages to quirky 2 bedroom period cottages.

CONTACT Contact: Dr E Peake

A theatrical and magical summer venue and hosts six weddings a year.

Civil and religious ceremonies and wedding receptions.

Tel: 01386 700444 Email: enquiries@sezincote.co.uk

LOCATION Moreton-In-Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 9AW

Map Ref: 6:P10 -2 miles west of Moreton-in-Marsh on the A44 opposite entrance to Batsford Arboretum.

ADMISSION House and Garden £12.50 adult, £7.50 children (16 and younger), Garden Only £7.50 adult, £2.50 children (16 and younger).

DEANS COURT www.deanscourt.org

An historic private house and garden that has been lived in for 1,300 years. Guided Tours: 10am, 11.30am, 1pm. (approx. 80 mins) Meet at gate on Deans Court Lane.

CONTACT Owner: Sir William & Lady

Hanham Contact: Jonathan Cornish Tel: 01202 849314

Email: info@deanscourt.org

LOCATION Deans Court Lane, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 1EE , Map Ref: 3:B6

Follow signs to Wimborne Town Centre; pass through the Square, at the end of the

High St. cross the junction (opp. Holmans TV shop) into Deans Court Ln.

OPENING TIMES April 4, 11, 18, 25. May 1, 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 29. June 13, 20, 27. July 2, 4, 11,16, 18, 23, 25, 30. Aug 1, 8, 15, 28

ADMISSION Adults £8, Senior (60+) £6, Child (under-16) & HHA Friend Free.

Parking available only on NGS open days. Three holiday properties, sleeping up to 28.

Restricted access, contact us for further details.

Dogs welcome on NGS open days only.

Tour times: 10am, 11:30am & 1pm.

Meet at the gate on Deans Court Lane.

20 pers. max.

Healthfood Café. Homestore.

Beautiful venue for licensed weddings.

OPENING TIMES House open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Bank Holiday Mondays 11am-5pm May-September inclusive.

House tours should be prebooked on Book Your Visit page of our website. Garden open Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays and Bank Holiday Mondays 11am-5pm January-November inclusive.

No need for pre-booking.

HEMERDON HOUSE hemerdonhouse.co.uk

Situated in the beautiful South Hams area of Devon, and set in its own parkland, Hemerdon House was built in the late 18th century by the ancestors of the current owners. Members of the family o er guided tours of the interior on certain days of the year and visitors are also welcome to explore the grounds on those days. The house contains a wealth of local history, with naval and military mementos, paintings, furniture, china and silver collected by the family through many generations.

CONTACT Tel: 07704 708416 Email: hemerdon.house@gmail.com

LOCATION Plympton, Devon PL7 5BZ Map Ref: 2:I9 SatNav directions may be misleading so please see website for directions. OPENING TIMES See website for dates. ADMISSION Please see website.

Parties of 6 or more please contact us in advance; parties of 10 or more by prior arrangement only. Toilet facilities available. Free parking. Partial access - please see website for details. Dogs on leads are permitted in the grounds while the house is open. Two tours, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes each, starting at 2.30pm and 4pm.

WHITTINGTON COURT

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 4HF

Elizabethan & Jacobean manor house with church.

Map Ref: 6:N11 - 4m E of Cheltenham on N side of A40.

Website: www.whittingtoncourt.co.uk Tel: 01242 820556

Email: lucy@whittingtoncourt.co.uk

Open: 8-23 April and 12-28 August, 2-5pm.

Admission: Adults £6, Children £1 and OAPs £5.

ORCHARD WYNDHAM

Williton, Taunton, Somerset TA4 4HH. Please visit our website for opening days and times: www. orchardwyndham.com

Tel: 01984 632309 Email: office@wyndhamestate.co.uk

TREWITHEN GARDENS & PARKS

www.trewithengardens.co.uk

Trewithen means ‘house of the trees’ and the name truly describes this early Georgian house in its wood and parkland setting. The 30 acre garden is an International Camellia Society Garden of Excellence (1 of only 5 in the UK) and is also renowned for its rhododendrons, magnolias and Champion Trees.

CONTACT Tel: 01726 883647 or email: o ce@trewithenestate.co.uk LOCATION

Grampound Road, Nr Truro, Cornwall TR2 4DD Map Ref: 1:E9 - On the A390 between Truro & St Austell. OPENING TIMES Gardens and Tea Shed open March 1st to September 30th House opening dates to be con rmed. Please refer to www.trewithengardens.co.uk for further information. ADMISSION Adults £10 Children under 12 free. Season Tickets & Concessions available. Advanced bookings are encouraged.

No photography inside. Toilet & disabled toilet. Parking available also for coaches.

Partially, mostly level gravel paths. Dogs welcome on leads at all times. Please contact for guided tour details. The Tea Shed, shop & plant centre.

SALISBURY CATHEDRAL

The Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2EF

A medieval masterpiece, with an original 1215 Magna Carta and UK’s tallest spire.

Tel: 01722 555120 Email: visitors@salcath.co.uk

Website: www.salisburycathedral.org.uk Open: Subject to season, please see website. Admission: (When prebooked online)

Adult £9, Student £6, Child (13-17) £5, Under 13 free

TIVERTON CASTLE

Park Hill, Tiverton, Devon EX16 6RP

Ancient fortified Saxon site became historic Castle first built in 1106 by early Norman Earls of Devon. Captured and slighted in Civil War and partially rebuilt by later owners. Beautiful garden. Map Ref: 2:K5 Tel: 01884 253200 Email: info@tivertoncastle. com Website: www.tivertoncastle.com Open: Please see website for up to date opening times Admission: See website.

STANWAY HOUSE & WATER GARDEN

www.stanwayfountain.co.uk

‘As perfect and pretty a Cotswold manor house as anyone is likely to see’ (Fodor’s Great Britain 1998 guidebook). Stanway’s beautiful architecture, furniture, parkland and village are complemented by the restored 18th Century water garden and the magnificent fountain, 300 feet, making it the tallest garden and gravity fountain in the world. The Watermill in Church Stanway, now fully restored as a working flour mill, was recently re-opened by HRH The Prince of Wales. Its massive 24-foot overshot waterwheel, 8th largest waterwheel in England, drives traditional machinery, to produce stoneground Cotswold flour.

Toilet facilities available.

Group visits all year round.

Parking available.

SHERBORNE CASTLE & GARDENS

sherbornecastle.com

Built by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1594. Home of the Digby family since 1617. View magni cent staterooms, nationally important collections of art, furniture and porcelain, Raleigh’s kitchen, a museum & a ‘Capability Brown’ exhibition. The ‘Great Stories’ bring the Castle to life. See English landscape gardens by ‘Brown’, a 50 acre lake, herbaceous borders, specimen trees and sweeping vistas.

CONTACT Owner: Edward Wing eld Digby. Tel: 01935 813182 Email: castleo ce@ sherbornecastle.com LOCATION New Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 5NR Map Ref: 2:O5 - 1/4m from town station. Follow signs from A30 or A352. OPENING TIMES Castle & Gardens: Please see website for details ADMISSION See website for details.

CORSHAM COURT

Corsham, Wiltshire SN13 0BZ

Historic collection of paintings and furniture. Extensive gardens. Map Ref: 3:A2 Tel: 01249 701610 \ 01249 712214 Email: staterooms@ corsham-court.co.uk Website: corsham-court.co.uk

Open: T/W/Th/S/Sun 20 Mar-30 Sep, 2-5.30pm. Wkds only:

1 Oct-19 Mar, 2-4.30pm (Closed Dec) Admission: House & Gdns: Adult £10 Child £5 Gdns: Adult £5 Child £2.50

School tours of the Water Mill by arrangement.

Teas, cold drinks and ice cream available.

Gift shop selling beers.

Telephone for full details of access. Please contact for all corporate enquiries. Dogs are welcome in the grounds of Stanway. Please keep on leads.

For all upcoming events please see the ‘News & Events’ section of the website. Audio tours available.

Group visits, coach parties & personal tours can be arranged any time of year.

The perfect venue for wedding receptions.

Film and photographic location.

CONTACT Owner: The Earl of Wemyss and March

Contact: Debbie Lewis Tel: 01386 584528 Tours: 07850 585539

Email: o ce@stanwayhouse.co.uk

LOCATION Stanway, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 5PQ

Map Ref: 6:O10 - North of Winchcombe, just o B4077.

OPENING TIMES House & Garden: Jun - Aug: Tue & Thu, 2pm - 5pm.

Private Tours: By arrangement at other times.

ADMISSION Please see website for up-to-date admission prices.

EAST of ENGLAND

COUNTRYSIDE

The Fens

The Broads

Constable Country

HERITAGE

Oliver Cromwell

Wool churches

Garden cities

FOOD

Cromer crab

Norfolk turkeys

Mustard

NORFOLK

CAMBRIDGE SHIRE

SHIRE BEDFORD SHIRE ESSEX

Letchworth • Luton • St Albans

Peterborough

Bedford Norwich Ely Ipswich

EAST OF ENGLAND

Events

THE NORFOLK & NORWICH FESTIVAL

12th - 28th May 2023

Internationally renowned, the Norfolk & Norwich Festival has become a highlight of the region’s cultural calendar featuring a superb line-up of companies and ensembles from all over the world for 17 days. Visual arts, music, theatre, dance, and a contemporary circus transforms the city with performances taking place in historic buildings, theatres and open spaces. The free outdoor programme is particularly breath-taking, entertaining audiences in their thousands with exquisite shows of epic proportions. Hosting over 100 performances, this 200-year-old celebration of culture knows how to put on party.

CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL

27th - 30th July 2023

This festival offers a truly unique experience like no other. This enchanted event is a gathering place to connect with people who share a love for amazing music and great times. Held in the truly beautiful and calming grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall where the sounds of laughter, singing, and instruments will unite to lift spirits and wash the dust of the world away.

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BEDFORDSHIRE VINTAGE AIR SHOW

3rd September 2023

A unique celebration of Shuttleworth’s Steam and Agricultural Heritage, accompanied by a thrilling air display, as well as a unique opportunity to enjoy world-class resident exhibits on parade; witness some of the UK’s finest examples of heritage steam engines, motor vehicles and aircraft. Bedfordshire has always been lucrative arable farming country, so where better to enjoy some of the trendsetters of the agricultural industry!

HOLKHAM HALL

www.holkham.co.uk

Marvel at Old Masters and make yourself at home.

Nestled on the North Norfolk coast is the seat of the Earl of Leicester, Holkham Hall. Built by Thomas Coke in the 1700s, it is still very much a lived-in home, which the family takes great pride in sharing with you.

Beginning in the spectacular Marble Hall, you’ll discover a masterpiece at every turn as you move from one state room to the next. Admire paintings by the Old Masters, antiquities, original furniture, tapestries, manuscripts, books, and more!

OWNER

Trustees of the Holkham Estate

Home of the Earls of Leicester

CONTACT

Ticket O ce Tel: 01328 713111

Email: info@holkham.co.uk

LOCATION

Delve into the Holkham Stories Experience to hear tales of a rich 400-year heritage and steps towards paving the way for a sustainable future, before discovering what lies within the sun trapped walls of the six-acre Walled Garden.

Holkham’s parkland is a rolling landscape of natural beauty, full of wildlife and deer, just waiting to be explored. The bursting events calendar, attractions, cycle and boat hire, ropes course, cafes, gift shop, National Nature Reserve and beach make for a grand day out, that exceeds expectations.

Holkham Estate, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1AB

Map Ref: 8:14 Car: London 120m, Norwich 35m, King’s Lynn 30m. Sat Nav: NR23 1RH. OS Ref: TF885 428 Bus: Coastal bus routes from King’s Lynn to North

Walsham, Rail: Norwich 35m. King’s Lynn 30m.

Air: Norwich Airport 32m.

OPENING TIMES / ADMISSION

Please visit our website for details.

Photography allowed for personal use, no drones.

Lavatories, including accessible facilities in the courtyard. Lavatories also in the Hall & Walled Garden.

Baby changing facilities are located in the courtyard.

Open for events and functions outside main season.

Accessible lavatories in main courtyard only. Stairclimbing machine in Hall o ers access for most manually operated wheelchairs. Full accessibility guide on Holkham website.

Ample. Parking charge.

On leads in park. Assistance dogs only in the Hall.

Cycle hire centre on site. Check website for details. Sustrans Route No: 1.

The Victoria, Holkham Village

Private guided tours by arrangement.

All year round comprehensive educational programme.

Holkham Estate is a premier location for lm and television. The Marble Hall and The Saloon feature in many scenes of the 2008 lm ‘The Duchess’ and Holkham Beach features in the nal scenes of the lm ‘Shakespeare in Love’.

Civil ceremonies and partnerships.

Courtyard Café. Licensed. Local produce.

The Courtyard Cafe in Holkham Park, The Victoria in Holkham Village, The Lookout at Holkham Beach, and The Beach Cafe at Wells-next-the-Sea.

Courtyard Gift Shop. Local Norfolk produce and items.

Plant sales in Gift Shop and Walled Garden.

Hall, Lady Elizabeth Wing and grounds.

Events and functions all year round. Please see full events programme online.

INGATESTONE HALL

www.ingatestonehall.com

16th Century mansion with 11 acres of grounds (lawns, shrubs, stew pond and woodland), built by Sir William Petre, Secretary of State to four Tudor monarchs and still occupied by his descendants. The house largely retains its Tudor form and appearance (including two priests’ hiding-places). On display are furniture and family portraits accumulated over the centuries together with memorabilia of fifteen generations of the Petre family.

In addition to the public opening hours shown opposite, the house is also available at other times throughout the year for weddings, concerts, exhibitions, receptions, meetings and guided tours for groups.

Toilet facilities available.

Free parking.

Partial Access only.

Available out of hours by arrangement.

Teas and light meals.

A range of gifts and souvenirs.

Receptions up to 100 inside the House. No limit outside

Please see website for special events.

Weddings up to 80.

ICKWORTH

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ Ickworth

An Italianate palace in the heart of an ancient deer park. Formal gardens, pleasure grounds and a home of great art with a treasured collection. Rolling Su olk landscape and woodlands invite gentle strolls, long walks, runs, bike rides, picnics and exploration.

CONTACT Tel: 01284 735270. Email: ickworth@nationaltrust.org.uk

LOCATION The Rotunda, Horringer, Bury St Edmunds, Su olk, IP29 5QE

OPENING TIMES Please check website for up to date opening times.

ADMISSION Adult £12, Child £6, and Family £30.

Coach parking Toilets Suitable for Disabled People Shop Café

THE MANOR, HEMINGFORD GREY

www.greenknowe.co.uk

Built about 1130. One of Britain’s oldest continuously inhabited houses. Made famous as ‘Green Knowe’ by author Lucy Boston. Her patchwork collection is displayed. Garden with topiary, old roses, award winning irises and herbaceous borders.

CONTACT Owner/Contact: Diana Boston; Email: diana_boston@hotmail.com, Tel: 01480 463134 LOCATION Norman Court, High Street, Hemingford Grey, Cambridgeshire PE28 9BN Map Ref: 7:F8 - A14, 3m SE of Huntingdon. 12m NW of Cambridge. Access via small gate on riverside. OPENING TIMES Mon-Sun 11am-5pm.

ADMISSION House & Garden: Adult £10, Concessions £9, Child £3, Family £26. Garden only: Adult £6, Child Free. House open by appointment.

CONTACT Owner/Contact: The Lord Petre Tel: 01277 353010

Email: house@ingatestonehall.co.uk

LOCATION Hall Lane, Ingatestone, Essex CM4 9NR Map Ref: 7:H12

From the London end of Ingatestone High St., take Station Lane and proceed for one mile.

OPEN Easter Sunday until the end of September.

Wed, Sun. & BH. Noon - 5pm.

ADMISSION Adult £8.50; Child £4; Conc. £7.50. Under 5 yrs old Free (£1 per head discount for parties of 20+ booked in advance)

HOUGHTON HALL & GARDENS

www.houghtonhall.com

One of the finest examples of Palladian architecture in England, Houghton Hall was built in the 1720s for Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first Prime Minister. Designed by James Gibbs and Colen Campbell, with interior decoration by William Kent, the hall is home to Walpole’s descendent, the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, and his family. The fi ve acre Walled Garden features a spectacular double-sided herbaceous border, Italian garden, rose parterre, fountains, and contemporary sculptures including Jeppe Hein’s incredible “Waterflame”. Also on display are pieces by leading artists including Richard Long,

CONTACT

Owner: The Marquess of Cholmondeley

Contact: The Estate O ce

Tel: 01485 528569

Email: info@houghtonhall.com

LOCATION

Claudio Parmiggiani, Stephen Cox, Anish Kapoor, Rachel Whiteread, James Turrell, Philip King, and Anya Gallaccio, while the Soldier Museum houses the world’s largest private collection of model soldiers.

Sean Scully at Houghton Hall - Smaller Than The Sky

One of the world’s most celebrated artists Sean Scully takes over the grounds and interiors in 2023 for an exhibition showcasing the full range of the artist’s sculpture, along with a significant group of paintings and works on paper. Organised with the support of Lisson Gallery and Thaddaeus Ropac gallery.

Houghton, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE31 6UE Map Ref: 8:15 13m E of King’s Lynn, 10m W of Fakenham, 1½m N of A148.

OPENING TIMES (23rd Apr-29th Oct) Wed, Thurs, Sun and Bank Holiday Mondays, plus Sat in July, Aug and Sept. 11am-5pm, last admission 4pm

ADMISSION

Please visit houghtonhall.com for ticket prices and to book.

Please contact directly for private tours & group visits.

Allocated disabled parking.

The fully licensed Stables Café o ers a range of seasonally inspired hot and cold food and drinks. The Gift Shop is located in The Stables.

Assistance dogs only.

Please see the website for upcoming events and exhibitions.

Toilet facilities available and a disabled WC in The Stables.

FULLERS MILL

www.fullersmill.org.uk

GAINSBOROUGH’S HOUSE www.gainsborough.org

Fullers Mill is an award-winning, enchanting quiet waterside oasis in Suffolk, re-created by the late Bernard Tickner MBE from rough scrub and woodland. The seven-acre garden sits on the banks of the River Lark and Culford Stream with its own millpond. It combines a beautiful light dappled woodland with a plantsman’s collection of unusual shrubs, perennials, lilies and marginal plants. In 2013 the garden was gifted to Perennial, for its long-term preservation.

CONTACT Tel: 01284 728888

Email: fullersmillgarden@perennial.org.uk

LOCATION

West Stow, Bury St Edmunds IP28 6HD

OPENING TIMES 1 April - 29 October 2023, Wednesday 2pm - 5pm and Friday, Saturday & Sunday 11am - 5pm. ADMISSION £7, £7.70 gift aid.

Toilets. Parking Available. Shop. Plant sales.

Café / Tearoom / Refreshment.

RAVENINGHAM GARDENS

www.raveningham.com

Superb herbaceous borders, 19th Century walled kitchen garden, Victorian glasshouse, herb garden, rose garden, time garden, contemporary sculptures, Millennium lake, arboretum with newly created stumpery, 14th century church, all in a glorious parkland setting surrounding Raveningham Hall.

Visitors welcome to browse through The Raveningham Centre o ering antiques, rugs, arts, gifts and crafts.

Toilet facilities available.

Parking is available.

Disabled toilet, gardens accessible via gravel paths.

Well behaved dogs on leads welcome.

The Raveningham Estate has various properties, both residential and commercial, available to let.

Light bites and refreshments available.

Plants from the Garden on sale.

Corporate functions available.

Please see the website for all upcoming Garden Events.

Gainsborough’s House is the childhood home of Thomas Gainsborough RA (1727 - 1788) and it contains the most comprehensive collection of his works in a single setting. Following a transformational redevelopment, the National Centre for Gainsborough in Sudbury, Suffolk is a hub for heritage and culture. You will be able to see Gainsborough’s masterpieces, exhibitions of international appeal as well as a landscape studio with panoramic views, alongside the Grade I listed house, crinkle-crankle walled garden, café and shop.

CONTACT Tel: 01787 372958, Email: mail@gainsborough.org

LOCATION 46 Gainsborough Street, Sudbury, Su olk, CO10 2EU. From Sudbury Town Centre, head down Market Hill to Gainsborough Street/Weavers Lane

OPENING TIMES

10am - 5pm every day, see exceptions on our website.

ADMISSION

See website for admission prices.

CONTACT Owner: Sir Nicholas Bacon Bt OBE DL

Contact: Sonya Roebuck

Tel: 01508 548480 Email: sonya@raveningham.com

LOCATION Raveningham, Norwich, Norfolk NR14 6NS

Map Ref: 8:L7 Between Norwich & Lowestoft o A146 then B1136.

OPENING TIMES & ADMISSION

Please refer to website for full details.

Photo: David Levene

MANNINGTON ESTATE

www.manningtonestate.co.uk

Mannington Hall was built around 1460 and bought by the first Lord Walpole in the 18th Century; it is still a family home today. The Heritage Rose Garden includes over 1000 varieties of rose in period settings. Newer gardens include Four Elements and Less Able; Enchanted Trail, children’s garden and playground. Around the hall are colour themed borders and a scented garden. On the South Lawn is a classic temple brought to Mannington in the 19th Century and sensory beds with central rill. There is a woodland walk, wildflower meadow with boardwalk and hide, and a wild garden around ruined Saxon chapel and many varieties of plants and trees.

£2 car park fee (walkers only).

Grounds. WCs.

Dogs welcome on leads.

Guided tours of the garden and ground oor of the hall by arrangement.

Children’s activities.

Marquee site within grounds & tearoom can be hired.

HATFIELD HOUSE

www.hatfield-house.co.uk

Tearoom serves light refreshments and homemade treats when the garden is open.

Shop is stocked with souvenirs, crafts, drinks and snacks.

Purchase plants at the gift shop.

Wide variety of events.

Wing Cottage sleeps up to 5 Ambers Bell Tents, luxury camping.

CONTACT Lady Walpole

Tel: 01263 584175 Email: admin@walpoleestate.co.uk

LOCATION Mannington Hall, Norwich NR11 7BB Map Ref: 8:K5

OPEN Walks open every day of the year. Gardens from mid May. Events from April. See website for opening times. Party visits and tours by arrangement.

ADMISSION Adult £10, Concession £7, Children under 16 free, Parties by arrangement.

KNEBWORTH HOUSE

www.knebworthhouse.com

Set in 250 acres of beautiful rolling Hertfordshire countryside with 28 acres of Formal Gardens, Knebworth House has been home to the Lytton family for over 19 generations, making for an extraordinary walk through 500 years of local and British history. Stories and heirlooms re ect the family’s contribution to literature, politics, and Foreign Service.

LOCATION Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, SG1 2AX OPENING TIMES AND ADMISSION

Open weekends, bank holidays and school holidays from March to September, check the website for up to date opening dates, times and admission prices.

TURVEY HOUSE

With over 400 years behind it, Hatfield Park is a historic landmark, with Hatfield House at its centre, showcasing pieces of history and Jacobean craftsmanship. The surrounding grounds accentuate this, with early 17th century gardens and the place where a young Princess Elizabeth heard of her accession to the throne.

CONTACT Tel: 01707 287010

Email: visitors@hat eld-house.co.uk

LOCATION Hat eld House, Hat eld

Hertfordshire AL9 5HX Map Ref: 7:F11

OPENING TIMES The Park & Gardens will open from 1st Apr - 30th Sept 2023. Wed - Sun. Hat eld House will open for visiting from 1st June 2023 - 31st Aug.

Thurs - Sun. * The Old Palace is open for

tours on selected dates between 12pm to 5pm. Dates for tours and opening times can be found here: www.hat eld-house. co.uk/your-visit/opening-times-prices/ ADMISSION House, Park & Gardens (2023): Adult: £22 / Child: £11. Gardens, Park and Woodland Walks: Adult - £12 / Child - £6. The Old Palace Tour: £6 Per Person Under 3’s go free.

Turvey, Bedfordshire MK43 8EL

A neo-classical house set in picturesque parkland bordering the River Great Ouse; with a fine collection of 18th & 19th Century antiques. Map Ref: 7:D9 - Between Bedford and Northampton on A428. Tel: 07747 046398 Email: info@turveyhouse.co.uk Website: www.turveyhouse.co.uk Open: For opening dates see Turvey House website.

Mid-18th Century Palladian mansion under restoration. Situated on ridge overlooking landscaped park. Ancillary buildings including stables and racquets court. Former elaborate gardens being rescued from abandonment. Large 18th Century walled kitchen garden - adjacent to site of 16th Century mansion which was built on a site of ancient human habitation. Ideal film location.

CONTACT Owner: The Copped Hall Trust

Contact: Alan Cox Mobile: 07799 473 108

Email: coxalan1@aol.com

LOCATION Crown Hill, Epping, Essex

CM16 5HS Map Ref: 7:G12 4 miles South West of Epping, North of M25.

CASTLE RISING CASTLE

Satnav postcode for entry is CM16 5HR.

OPENING TIMES Ticketed events and special open days. See website for dates.

ADMISSION Open Days: £10.

Guided Tours: £10. Gardens Only: £6. Private tours by appointment: £15.

Possibly the finest mid 12th Century Keep in England: it was built as a grand and elaborate palace. It was home to Queen Isabella, grandmother of the Black Prince. Still in good condition, the Keep is surrounded by massive ramparts up to 120 feet high.

CONTACT Owner: Lord Howard

Contact: The Custodian

Tel: 01553 631330

Fax: 01533 631724

Email: thecastle@castlerising.com

LOCATION Castle Rising, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE31 6AH, Map Ref: 7:H5

OPENING TIMES 1 Apr - 1 Nov, daily, 10am - 6pm (closes at dusk if earlier in Oct). 2 Nov - 31 Mar, Wed - Sun, 10am - 4pm.

ADMISSION Adults - £5.00, Concession£4.00, Child - £3.50, Family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) - £15.50. Opening times and prices are subject to change.

3hr Guided Tours every 3rd Sun of month except Dec. Access 10 - 11am only.

Partial access. Parking available. Workshops and study days. Dogs welcome in grounds on leads. No dogs in mansion. Please see website for events.

Pudding evening & afternoon tea. Purchase a variety of goods in the shop appealing to all tastes.

Located 4m NE of King’s Lynn o A149.

Picnic area. There is an audio guide available to guide you around the Castle.

Tearoom.

EAST MIDLANDS

COUNTRYSIDE

Peak District

Robin Hood Country

Rutland Water

HERITAGE

Elizabethan prodigy houses

English Civil War

Magna Carta at Lincoln Castle

FOOD

Grantham gingerbread

Melton Mowbray pork pies

Bakewell tart

EAST MIDLANDS

Events

LINCOLNSHIRE SHOW

21 & 22 June 2023

See spectacular entertainment in the Main Ring, shop delicious local produce in the Food Court and explore beautiful blooms, local art and handmade crafts in the Lincolnshire Lifestyle Marquee. Take a seat to watch top chefs in The Lincolnshire Kitchen, immerse yourself in agriculture with a packed timetable of livestock and equine classes and head to the Agricultural Lines to see machinery from past and present.

BUXTON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2023

6 - 23 July 2023

This summer’s festival includes a brand-new musical inspired by the early life of Vera Brittain, The Land Of Might-HaveBeen; three new opera productions, Vincenzo Bellini’s La sonnambula, GF Handel’s Orlando and Mozart’s Il re pastore, a jazz line-up including Wynton Marsalis, Tom Seals and Shez Raja; a concerts’ programme which includes Nicola Benedetti and The King’s Singers; and booked guests to include Sir David Hare and Polly Toynbee.

ROBIN HOOD DAY

29th October 2023

Nottinghamshire is the home of Robin Hood and you’ll find plenty of places to visit in the city and county if you’re looking to live the legend and walk in the footsteps of England’s most captivating folklore hero.

No Robin Hood adventure would be complete without a journey into the Nottinghamshire countryside to see his hideout in the majestic Sherwood Forest, where the worldfamous, 1000 year old Major Oak stands.

MR STRAW’S HOUSE

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mr-straws-house

Most National Trust properties inspire thoughts of historic mansions, wealth and grandeur. However, tucked away in a private cul-de-sac in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, you’ll find Mr Straw’s House; the National Trust’s first small domestic property, acquired in 1990.

William Straw moved to Worksop in 1886, to work for his brother Benjamin at his grocers. He later bought the shop and set up on his own. A decade later, aged 32, William married Florence and they had three sons: William Jr, Walter and David, who died in infancy. In 1923, the family moved from the flat above the shop to fashionable Blyth Grove. Florence chose wallpaper, carpets and furniture of the time and filled the house with ornaments and elegant glassware. Sadly, William Straw Sr died suddenly in 1932

and from that day, little changed in the house. After the passing of Florence, neither son saw the need for many modifications and as the world around them changed with accelerating vigour, William and Walter Straw carried on as they always had done.

A true step back in time, come and discover more of the family who refused to modernise. Visitors can spend time in the display rooms learning more about the stories of the family and take a glimpse at some of the collection that is usually hidden in drawers and cupboards. There is also the opportunity to chat with the Collections & House team about how they care for over 30,000 treasured possessions and ordinary domestic items that can still be seen exactly where their owners left them.

CONTACT

Owner: National Trust

Contact: Collections & House O cer, Tel: 01909 482380 Email: mrstrawshouse@nationaltrust.org.uk

LOCATION

Mr Straw’s House, Endcli e Villa, Blyth Grove, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, S80 0JG.

What3words: burns.prep.chains

OPENING TIMES

Thursdays & Fridays, March – October (please see website for details).

ADMISSION

Adult £8.00, Child £4.00, Family £20.00, 1 adult & 2 children £16.00. Free admission to NT members.

To visit Mr Straw’s House book in advance online or by calling the Booking O ce on 0344 249 1895. Admission is by pre-booked timed tours. Visits are in small groups of four people only to help with the conservation work at the property.

No ash photography in the house.

Café/Tearoom/Refreshments: Tea and cake served.

Second-hand books and souvenirs on site.

Parking included in admission. WC’s available. Straw’s Cacti available to purchase on site.

COTTESBROOKE HALL & GARDENS

www.cottesbrooke.co.uk

Dating from 1702 the Hall’s beauty is matched by the magnificence of the gardens and the excellence of the picture, furniture and porcelain collections.

The Woolavington collection of sporting art is possibly the finest of its type in Europe and includes paintings by Stubbs, Ben Marshall and other artists renowned for works of this genre. Portraits, bronzes, 18th century English and French furniture and fine porcelain are among the treasures.

The formal gardens are continually being updated and developed. The Wild Garden, a short walk across the Park, is laid out along the course of a stream and provides a romantic setting for acers, gunneras and the like.

No large bags or photography in house. Private photography only in gardens; no photoshoots. Filming and outside events.

Homemade cakes & drinks available in The Old Laundry between 2:30pm & 5pm on open days.

Special events see website.

Car and coach parking is included in the admission fee.

FULBECK MANOR

Wheelchair access is limited, please contact the Administrator to discuss requirements before visiting. Carers Free.

Hall guided tours obligatory. Approximately 45 minutes.

Baby changing facilities available.

Toilet/disabled WC facilities available.

Exclusive events. Contact the Estate O ce on 01604 505808 for prices and availability.

CONTACT Owner: Mr & Mrs A R Macdonald-Buchanan

Contact: The Administrator Tel: 01604 505808

Email: welcome@cottesbrooke.co.uk

LOCATION Cottesbrooke, Northamptonshire NN6 8PF

10m N of Northampton near Creaton on A5199. Signed from Junction 1 on the A14. What3Words to visitor entrance: expand. allow.curly.

OPENING TIMES May-End of September. May & June: Wed & Thurs, 2pm-5:30pm. Jul-Sep: Thurs, 2pm-5:30pm. Open BH Mons (May-Sep), 2pm-5:30pm. The rst open day is Monday 1st May 2023. Hall and Gardens will be closed 5th-19th June 2023.

ADMISSION House & Gardens: Adult £15, Child £5, Conc £12.50. Gardens only: Adult £12, Child £4, Conc £10. Group & private bookings by arrangement.

HARDWICK HALL

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/ peak-district-derbyshire/Hardwick

Fulbeck Manor was built in c1580s. The house stands 3 storeys high, including garrets, with a 5 bay front. The interiors feature 80 portraits of the Fane family, who have lived in Fulbeck for over 400 years. The most impressive feature is a 17th Century staircase with spiral balusters.

CONTACT Owner/Contact:

Mr Julian Francis Fane Tel: 01400 272231

E-mail: jfane22@outlook.com

LOCATION Fulbeck, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG32 3JN Map Ref: 7:D3

11 miles North of Grantham. 15 miles

South of Lincoln on A607. Brown signs to Craft Centre, Tearooms and Stables

OPENING TIMES

By written appointment.

ADMISSION £12 group 10+ £10

An icon of Elizabethan architecture, Hardwick Hall, stands proudly on a hilltop bordering North-East Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Explore the rich history of Hardwick’s matriarch, the formidable Elizabeth Shrewsbury, better known as Bess of Hardwick. Enjoy a warm drink and a slice of cake in the Great Barn Restaurant before taking a walk in Bess’s footsteps around Hardwick’s 2,000 acre estate, enjoying the local wildlife as it changes through the seasons. The Hardwick Estate also includes Stainsby Mill, a 19thcentury water-powered flour mill.

CONTACT Tel: 01246 850430 Email: hardwickhall@nationaltrust.org.uk

OPENING TIMES

Please see website for details.

No photography.

Open all year by written appointment. Partial. WCs. Ample for cars. Limited for coaches.

Obligatory. Tours by owner 1¼ hrs. Tea Rooms at Craft Centre, 100m

LOCATION Hardwick Hall, Doe Lea, Chester eld, S44 5QJ. If using a Sat Nav please use postcode S44 5RW and then follow the black signs for Hardwick.

What3words: miss.area.from

ADMISSION Check our website for admission prices. National Trust members: Free admission.

STANFORD HALL www.stanfordhall.co.uk

Simon Jenkins (journalist and author) wrote in England’s 1,000 Best Houses; “Stanford is the perfect William & Mary House. When seem from the road, the south front floats like a palace of romance across a distant meadow”.

Stanford has been the home of the Cave family, ancestors of the present owner, since 1430. The Hall was built in the 1690s with the oak avenues that radiate from it, which in turn are flanked by two man-made lakes with meadows that stretch beyond to the woodlands on the horizon. Throughout the house are portraits of the family and examples of furniture and objects which they collected over the centuries. There is also a collection of Royal Stuart portraits and a walled Rose Garden.

Parkland, helicopter landing area & lecture room.

Toilet facilities available.

Stables Tea Room.

Partial. WCs.

Educational visits available.

Tour time: ¾ hour in groups of approximately 25 people.

O ering civil ceremonies and wedding receptions.

2,500 cars grass standing and 6-8 coaches. Coach parking on gravel in front of house. For all upcoming events, please see ‘Visit Us & Events’ on the website.

Corporate days including lunches & dinners, small conferences & clay pigeon shoots etc. Dogs on leads only.

Filming opportunities available.

Accommodation available for Group bookings only. Caravan Site 01788 860387.

CONTACT Owner: Mr & Mrs N Fothergill Contact: Nick Fothergill Tel: 01788 860250, Email: enquiries@stanfordhall.co.uk

LOCATION Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 6DH

Map Ref: 7:B7 - M1/J18 6m. M1/J20, 6m. M6 exit/access at J1, 4m. Historic House signs

OPENING TIMES From Mon 27th March - Sun 16th April 2023. Please note we are closed Easter Sat 8th April. The House is also open in conjunction with park events, please see website or call for details. Pre-booked groups (20+) Mon-Fri by appointment only.

ADMISSION House & Grounds: Adult £15 Child (under 14 yrs) FOC. Grounds only £5 Child (under 14 yrs) FOC. Special admission prices will apply on event days.

OPENING TIMES

ROCKINGHAM CASTLE

www.rockinghamcastle.com

A remarkable castle built on the instruction of William The Conqueror.

CONTACT Tel: 01536 770240

Email: estateo ce@rockinghamcastle.com

LOCATION Rockingham, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 8TH. Map 7:D7. OS Ref SP867 913. 1M N of Corby on A6003. 9m E of Market Harborough. 14m SW of Stamford on A427.

Open Sundays from Easter Sunday (9th April) to 28th May.

Open Tuesdays and Sundays from 6th June to 26th September.

ADMISSION See website: www.rockinghamcastle.com for details.

Social Media: @rockinghamcastleo cial

THE 1620S HOUSE AND GARDEN

www.1620shouse.org.uk

The house is a surviving example of a family home built in the 13th century and then modernised in 1618. Surrounding the house are period gardens and woodland planted as part of the National Forest.

CONTACT Tel: 01455 290429 Email: 1620shouse@leics.gov.uk LOCATION The 1620s House and Garden, Manor Road, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 2FW OPENING TIMES

The House, Tea Room and Gardens are open April- October, Thursday- Sunday plus Bank Holidays 10.30-4.30pm. The Tea Room and gardens are open 10.30-3.30pm on Thursday’s until 24th November. ADMISSION There is an admission charge to the site, which allows unlimited repeat visits on non-event open days for a 12-month period. Family tickets available. See website for details. Free parking.

Facilities: Toilets and wheelchair accessible toilets on site. Assisted wheelchair users are welcome but there is restricted access to the upper oors of the house. Sta assistance available. Hearing loop/equipment available.

LAMPORT HALL & GARDENS

www.lamporthall.co.uk

Home of the Isham family from 1560-1976, Lamport Hall is an architectural gem, best known for its John Webb classical frontage. The house itself contains a fine collection of paintings, books and furniture accumulated by the family over 400 years.

On your visit, meet the family members who called Lamport home, including the wayward son whose passion for collecting almost brought the family to financial ruin, the Victorian eccentric who had ideologies very ahead of his time, and the 20th century Hollywood film star who gave up the glitz and glamour to save his family home.

The Hall is set in approximately 10 acres of tranquil gardens, the result of over 450 years of love and dedication, enclosed by a spacious park. The gardens are a delight to behold in every season, with extensive herbaceous borders displaying a vibrant array of colour, and a magnificent walled garden which was replanted as a cutting garden in 2010, full of unusual tall perennial plants, using one of Piet Odulf’s design concepts.

OWNER

Lamport Hall Preservation Trust Ltd

CONTACT

Tel: 01604 686272

Email: engagement@lamporthall.co.uk

LOCATION

Lamport, Northamptonshire, NN6 9HD Map Ref: 7:C8 Visitor entrance on A508, midway between Northampton and Market Harborough, 3m S of A14, J2

OPENING TIMES/ ADMISSION

Apr-Oct, most Weds and Thurs (house by guided tour only, approx 75 mins, gardens free- ow, garden history tour on rst Weds of month). Also open most BH Sun/Mon. Free to Historic House members. Please check website for opening times and prices, or telephone for group visit information pack.

Lavatories, at front of Hall.

Accessible lavatories at front of Hall. House accessible on the ground oor only.

Assistance dogs only in the Hall. Dogs on leads in the park and gardens.

Free parking.

Easily accessible from Brampton Valley Way.

Conferences, seminars, product launches and outdoor events.

Photography allowed for personal use. No drones. Open for events and functions outside main season. Group visits on weekdays.

Education visits welcome. Please ring us to discuss how we can match your curriculum requirements. Holiday accommodation on estate.

Tea room in our beautiful stable yard.

Events and functions all year round - theatre, lectures/speakers, craft and antique fairs, concerts, art exhibitions. See our website for up-to-date rolling programme.

Licensed venue with capacity for up to 200 indoors, 500 outdoors.

Baby-changing facility at front of Hall.

Hall, Gardens and Farm available as lm & TV location.

DEENE PARK www.deenepark.com

Deene Park has been home to the Brudenell family since 1514 and was the seat of the Earls of Cardigan until 1868, of whom the most notable was the 7th Earl, who led the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava in 1854.

The house was built over six centuries and grew from a substantial quadrangular-plan medieval manor into the Tudor and Georgian mansion we see today. Successive generations altered the house to suit their needs and helped endow the collections within, which contain Tudor manuscripts, old masters and family portraits, porcelain, and military memorabilia from the Crimean War.

Nestled amidst 400 acres of historic parkland, the horticultural renaissance of the gardens has clothed the bare bones of historical structures, bringing colour and form with a variety of themed gardens. The current owners, Robert and Charlotte Brudenell, continue to welcome visitors to the family home each year during the summer months.

No large bags or photography in house. Toilet facilities available.

Parking available.

Baby changing facilities available. Partial. Please contact us for further information.

Midweek group tours available. Booking essential.

LEADENHAM HOUSE

Leadenham House, Lincolnshire, LN5 0PU

Special events.

Plant Sales.

Shop.

Jane Eyre (BBC-1983)

Civil ceremonies and receptions within the grounds.

Cakes, drinks and light refreshments available in the tea room

Late 18th Century house in park setting. Tel: 01400 272680 Email: williamreeve@leadenhamestate.com Location: Map Ref. 7:D3; OS Ref. SK949 518. Entrances on A17 Leadenham bypass and on corner of Gospel Lane and Rectory Lane in Leadenham. Please telephone for access. Open: Mon to Fri throughout April and May; Spring & Aug Bank Holidays. Admission: £5.

WAKEFIELD LODGE

Potterspury, Northamptonshire NN12 7QX

Georgian hunting lodge with deer park.

Location: 4m S of Towcester on A5. Take signs to Wakefield Estate for directions. Map Ref: 7:C10 Tel: 01327 811395

Open: House 2nd May - 13th June 2023, Mon-Fri (closed BHs), 12 noon-4pm. Appointments by telephone. Access walk open May & June. Admission: £10

BOSWORTH BATTLEFIELD HERITAGE CENTRE AND COUNTRY PARK

www.bosworthbattlefield.org.uk

Bosworth Battle eld Heritage Centre tells the story of how King Richard III lost his life and crown to Henry Tudor. As well as touring the exhibition, visitors can also take part in guided walks and visit the 1485 Tithe Barn Café.

CONTACT Tel: 01455 290429 Email: bosworth@leics.gov.uk LOCATION Sutton Cheney, Nuneaton, Leicestershire CV13 0AD OPENING TIMES The exhibition and shop are open daily April to October 10:00am to 5.00pm and November to March 10.00am to 4.00pm

ADMISSION There is an admission charge to the site, see website for more details including individual and group ticket prices. Parking charge £2.50.

Facilities: Access lift, visitor centre, toilets and baby changing facilities, disabled toilets, low counters, Induction Loops available for the exhibition areas, Sta assistance, no drone ying.

CONTACT

Owner: Mr & Mrs Robert Brudenell.

Contact: Visitor Services Administrator. Tel: 01780 450278

Email: admin@deenepark.com

LOCATION

Deene, Corby, NN17 3EG. Map Ref: 7:D7 6m NE of Corby o A43, NN17 3EG.

OPENING TIMES & ADMISSION

For opening times, admission prices, and information on seasonal events, please visit the Deene Park website.

KELMARSH HALL AND GARDENS

www.kelmarsh.com

Kelmarsh Hall is a Palladian style house located in the Northamptonshire countryside, with unique fine rooms, the old servants quarters and laundry, and exhibition rooms. Surrounding the Hall are the Grade II* listed gardens, with a beautiful walled garden at the heart. Visitors can enjoy walks through the woodland and lakeside areas. Tearoom, visitor centre and gift shop on site. Open April - September on set days of the week.

CONTACT

Email: enquiries@kelmarsh.com

LOCATION Kelmarsh Hall, Kelmarsh, Northamptonshire, NN6 9LY ///needed.newsreel.comfort

Toilets. Dogs Welcome. Shop.

OPENING TIMES

April - September 2023

ADMISSION Check our website for admission prices.

Suitable for Disabled People.

Educational/School Visits.

Café.

Events

SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS 2023

Saturday 22 April 2023

The traditional Birthday Celebrations return to Stratfordupon-Avon in April, extending a hand of cultural friendship to many national and international visitors who come to join in the festivities.

BIRMINGHAM, SANDWELL & WESTSIDE JAZZ FESTIVAL

15th - 24th July

The festival presents more than 150 performances alongside workshops, talks, exhibitions and masterclasses, and almost all of it is free to attend. Performances take place in shopping centres, streets and squares, bars, restaurants, clubs, hotels, art galleries, markets, libraries, parks, railway stations, canal boats, and sometimes even on buses and trains!

HEREFORD INDIE FOOD FESTIVAL

26th - 28th August, 2023

Hereford Indie Food is (unsurprisingly) all about great independent food + drinks businesses based out of Hereford and beyond. For 2023 they will be welcoming some titans of the Herefordshire food scene and the street food market is going to be fantastic!

HODNET HALL GARDENS www.hodnethallgardens.org

THE LASKETT

thelaskett.org.uk

Over 60 acres of brilliant coloured flowers, magnificent forest trees, sweeping lawns and a chain of ornamental pools which run tranquilly along the cultivated garden valley to provide a natural habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. No matter what the season, visitors will always find something fresh and interesting to ensure an enjoyable outing.

CONTACT Owner: Sir Algernon and the Hon Lady Heber-Percy. Contact: Secretary

Tel: 01630 685786 Fax: 01630 685853

Email: secretary@hodnethall.com

LOCATION Hodnet, Market Drayton Shropshire TF9 3NN Map Ref: 6:L5 - 12 miles North East of Shrewsbury on A53; M6/J15, M54/J3.

OPENING TIMES Every Wednesday, Sunday and Bank holiday Monday from Sunday 19th Mar to Sunday 29th Oct. Plant Fair - Sat 10th and Sun 11th June. National Garden Scheme Day - Sun 25th June.

ADMISSION Adult £9.00; Child £1.00

Facebook: /hodnethall Instagram: /Hodnethallgardens Light lunches and afternoon teas during garden open days.

Garden restaurant. Parking available.

Partial. WCs. Dogs welcome on leads.

See Facebook page for upcoming special days and events.

THE Laskett, set in the idyllic countryside of Herefordshire on the Welsh borders, is the creation of Sir Roy Strong CH and his late wife Julia Trevelyan Oman CBE. The gardens - created from a bare field - were begun in 1974 and have continued to evolve ever since. Up until earlier this century, it was one of England’s most hidden and private gardens with visitors coming from all over the world to see this remarkable and inspirational creation. Sir Roy generously gifted the garden to Perennial in 2021.

CONTACT Tel: 01372 384045

Email: thelaskett@perennial.org.uk

LOCATION Laskett Lane, Much Birch, Herefordshire, HR2 8HZ.

LITTLE MALVERN COURT littlemalverncourt.co.uk

Prior’s Hall, associated rooms and cells, c1489. Former Benedictine Monastery. Oak-framed roof, ve bays. Library, collection of religious vestments and relics. Embroideries and paintings. Gardens: 10 acres of former monastic grounds with spring bulbs, blossom, old fashioned roses and shrubs. Access to Hall only by ight of steps.

CONTACT Owner: Trustees of the late TM Berington Contact: Mr Hugh Thomas Tel: 07856 035599

Email: littlemalverncourt@hotmail.com LOCATION Nr Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 4JN

Map Ref: 6:M9 3m S of Great Malvern on Upton-on-Severn Rd (A4104).

OPENING TIMES 19 April until 22 July, Wed & Thurs & alternate Saturday afternoons 2.00pm - 5.00pm. ADMISSION House & Garden (booking required): Adult £12, Child £3. Garden only: Adult £9, Child £2.

Toilet facility on site upstairs. Parking across the road - signposted. Partial. Garden on a slope and access to the Prior’s Hall is also up steps. Timed guided tours of house only. Tea, co ee, cake in Courtyard Tea Room 2.30pm-4.30pm. See our website for up to date information.

OPENING TIMES Tues and Thurs, 4 April - 31 October 2023. Booking essential. (Please visit our website).

ADMISSION £12

Toilets. Audio tours. Shop.

Parking Available.

LONGNER HALL

www.longner.co.uk

Designed by John Nash in 1803, Longner Hall is a Tudor Gothic style house set in a park landscaped by Humphry Repton. The home of one family for over 700 years. Longner’s principal rooms are adorned with plaster fan vaulting and stained glass.

CONTACT Sarah Easthope

Tel: 01743 636348

Email: info@longner.co.uk

LOCATION U ngton, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 4TG

Map Ref: 6:L6

4 miles SE of Shrewsbury on U ngton

road, ¼ mile o B4380, Atcham.

OPENING TIMES Tours at 2pm and 3.30pm on weekdays from Mon 29 May until Fri 30 June. Bank Holiday Mon 10 April, Mon 1 May, Mon 28 Aug.

ADMISSION Adult £7.50, Child £3

No photography in house. Obligatory.

Partial.

Guide dogs only. By arrangement. Limited for coaches.

ARBURY HALL

www.arburyestate.co.uk

Arbury Hall, original Elizabethan mansion house, Gothicised in the 18th Century surrounded by stunning gardens and parkland.

Arbury Hall has been the seat of the Newdegate family for over 450 years and is the ancestral home of Viscount Daventry. This Tudor/Elizabethan House was Gothicised by Sir Roger Newdegate in the 18th Century and is regarded as the ‘Gothic Gem’ of the Midlands. The principal rooms, with their soaring fan vaulted ceilings and plunging pendants and filigree tracery, stand as a most breathtaking and complete example of early Gothic Revival architecture and provide a unique and fascinating venue for corporate entertaining, product launches, fashion shoots and activity days. Exclusive use of this historic Hall, its gardens and parkland is offered

CONTACT

Owner: The Viscount Daventry

Contact: Events Secretary

Tel: 01676 540529 Email: info@arburyestate.co.uk

LOCATION

Arbury Hall, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV10 7PT (for SATNAV use CV10 7NF)

Map Ref: 6:P7 - London, M1, M6/J3 (A444 to Nuneaton), 2m SW of Nuneaton. 1m W of A444.

No cameras or video recorders indoors.

Baby changing facilities available.

200 cars & 3 coaches 250 yds from house. Follow signs. Approach map available for coach drivers.

to clients. The Hall stands in the middle of beautiful parkland with landscaped gardens of rolling lawns, lakes and winding wooded walks. Spring flowers are profuse and in June rhododendrons, azaleas and giant wisteria provide a beautiful environment for the visitor. George Eliot, the novelist, was born on the estate and Arbury Hall and Sir Roger Newdegate were immortalised in her book ‘Scenes of Clerical Life’.

Nuneaton 5 mins. Birmingham City Centre 20 mins. London 2 hrs, Coventry 20 mins.

OPENING TIMES

Hall & Gardens: Bank Holiday weekends (Suns & Mons) from Easter - Aug Bank Holiday from 1pm - 6pm. Last guided tour of the hall 4.30pm. Groups: 25+ weekdays by prior arrangement from Apr - end Sep.

Dogs on leads in garden. Guide dogs only in house.

Obligatory. Tour time: 50mins.

Stables Tea Rooms (on rst oor) open from 1pm.

Small selection of souvenir gifts. Partial, WCs.

ADMISSION

Hall & Gardens: Adult £10, Child (under 16) £5.50, Family (2+2) £25.

Garden Only: Adult £6.50, Child (under 16) £5.

Exclusive lunches and dinners for corporate parties in dining room, max. 50, bu ets 80.

Available to host a wide variety of outside events throughout the spring & summer season.

A marquee in the historic parkland with the Hall as a backdrop is available for Wedding receptions.

As a lm location, Arbury presents a variety of atmospheric settings for period and contemporary dramas.

OLD SUFTON

A 16th Century manor house which was altered and remodelled in the 18th and 19th Centuries and again in this Century. The original home of the Hereford family (see Sufton Court) who have held the manor since the 12th Century.

CONTACT

Owner: Trustees of Sufton Heritage

Trust

Contact: James Hereford

Tel: 01432 870268 / 01432 850328

Email: james@sufton.co.uk

Open all year by appointment.

LOCATION Mordiford, Hereford

HR1 4EJ

Map Ref: 6:L10 Mordiford, o B4224 Mordiford - Dormington Road.

OPENING TIMES By appointment to: james@sufton.co.uk

Obligatory.

Small groups. No special facilities. Parking is available.

Partial.

Sufton Court is a small Palladian mansion house. Built in 1788 by James Wyatt for James Hereford. The park was laid out by Humphry Repton whose ‘red book’ still survives. The house stands above the rivers Wye and Lugg giving impressive views towards the mountains of Wales.

CONTACT Owner: J N Hereford

Contact: James Hereford

Tel: 01432 870268 / 01432 850328

Email: james@sufton.co.uk

LOCATION Mordiford, Hereford HR1

4LUMap Ref: 6:L10 Mordiford, o

Only small coaches.

B4224 Mordiford - Dormington Road.

OPENING TIMES 16-29 May & 15-28 Aug. 2pm-5pm.

Guided tours: 2pm, 3pm & 4pm

ADMISSION Adult £5, Child 50p.

Accessible.

In grounds, on leads. Small groups. No special facilities.

Obligatory.

WINTERBOURNE HOUSE AND GARDEN

58 Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham B15 2RT

Winterbourne is set in 7 acres of botanic garden. Map Ref: 6:O7

Tel: 0121 414 3003 Email: winterbourne@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Website: www.winterbourne.org.uk Open: Mar-Oct 10.30am to 5pm, Nov-Feb 10.30am to 4pm. Last admission 30 mins before closing. Closed around Christmas/New Year, please check website.

Admission: Adult £7.40, Child/Concessions £6.40, Family £23.00

PITCHFORD HALL & TREEHOUSE

Condover, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY5 7DN

In the grounds of Britain’s finest half-timbered house; Pitchford Hall. Perched in a lime tree is the world’s oldest treehouse; standing since the late 1600s. Map Ref: 6:K6 - Sat Nav Postcode: SY5 7DN Website: www.pitchfordestate.com Admission: £25

Open: Please book 90 minute guided tours in advance through www.historichouses.org/house/pitchford-hall/tours/

STONELEIGH ABBEY

The Estate Office, Stoneleigh Abbey, Kenilworth CV8 2LF

Tel: 01926 858535 Email: Bookings@stoneleighabbey.org

Web: www.stoneleighabbey.org

Grounds Admission: Adult £7, Child £1.50.

COUNTRYSIDE

Dales, Moors & Wolds

Tour de Yorkshire

Herriot Country

HERITAGE

Wars of the Roses

Thomas Chippendale

Abolition of slavery

FOOD

Yorkshire parkin

Pontefract cakes

Yorkshire pudding

Events

YORKSHIRE GAME & COUNTRY FAIR

20th May 2023 - 21st May 2023

The Yorkshire Country & Game Fair provides the ideal opportunity to experience all the countryside has to offer –from a vast array of country sports with loads of ‘have-a-go’ opportunities, to fine foods and animals – all this and lots more… and it’s not just for the country sports enthusiast, but all of the family to enjoy throughout the weekend.

With such broad coverage of all aspects of the countryside this event attracts hundreds of exhibitors, prestigious championships & competitions and visitors from throughout the UK.

SEAFEST MARITIME FESTIVAL

14th - 16th July 2023

Seafest is Scarborough’s annual maritime weekend celebration. The West Pier on Scarborough’s glorious south bay, comes to life with a musical programme to get everyone’s feet tapping, food and drink to keep your tastebuds singing - including local chef cooking demonstrations. There are fair rides, street entertainers, children’s activities and a variety of stalls from local businesses for food, drink, craft and more. A fantastic fireworks display over south bay on the Saturday night rounds off the first day’s events. What more could you ask for but salty sea air, food, music and entertainment to kick of the summer season, right here in Scarborough!

NORTH YORK MOORS CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL

13th - 26th August 2023

This Chamber Music Festival celebrates and explores great collaborative music, within the context of an inspiring environment. Each year they take the audience on a musical quest through a series of interwoven themes as part of one main storyline. Artists are ensconced within the National Park, rehearsing as part of a truly holistic experience - whilst audiences are able to enjoy picnics within the grounds of Welburn Manor, around the concerts, as well as exploring the region via the churches.

NEWBY HALL & GARDENS

www.newbyhall.com

HOVINGHAM HALL

www.hovingham.co.uk

Create wonderful memories with friends and family at Newby Hall. A perfect place to have some quality family time; discover, relax and smile all in the stunning setting of Newby’s award-winning gardens. There’s so much on offer, tour the house and discover the fascinating history or take a stroll around the gardens. Our adventure playground, miniature railway, pedalo boats, and water play area will keep the children entertained for hours. The Dollhouse Exhibition and Teddy Bear House delight visitors of all ages. Meet friends and family in the Garden Restaurant then finish your day with a browse in our gift shop and plant nursery.

CONTACT Tel: 01423 322583

Email: info@newbyhall.com

LOCATION Newby Hall & Gardens, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 5AE

what3words: ///applause.upholding.rags

OPENING TIMES & ADMISSION

Open 1st April - 1st October. Please see website for times. Online gardens only: Adults £18, Child/Dsbd £15, Family £56. House Upgrade: Adult £10, Child £9.

SUTTON PARK www.sutton-park.co.uk

The Yorkshire home of Sir Reginald and Lady She eld. Early Georgian architecture. Magni cent plasterwork by Cortese. Rich collection of 18th century furniture. Notable contemporary art collection. Award-winning gardens attract enthusiasts from home and abroad. Tranquil Glamping Site. Tearooms.

CONTACT Administrator Tel: 01347 810249 Email: suttonpark@statelyhome.co.uk

LOCATION Sutton-On-The-Forest, N. Yorkshire YO61 1DP Map 11:B9. 8 miles N of York on B1363 York-Helmsley road follow brown signs. OPENING TIMES Private parties all year by appointment (min. 10). For House and gardens opening dates, tour times & admission prices please see website.

No photography. Limited for coaches. Partial. WCs. Obligatory. Tearooms. Events, please visit our website.

Attractive Palladian family home, designed and built by Thomas Worsley. The childhood home of Katharine Worsley, Duchess of Kent. It is entered through a huge riding school and has beautiful rooms with collections of pictures and furniture. The house has attractive gardens with magnificent Yew hedges and cricket ground.

CONTACT Owner: Sir William Worsley

Tel: 01653 628771

Email: o ce@hovingham.co.uk

LOCATION Hovingham, York, North Yorkshire YO62 4LU Map Ref: 11:C8 18 miles North of York on Malton/

Helmsley Road (B1257)

OPENING TIMES & ADMISSION

Please see the information on our website www.hovingham.co.uk

No photography in the Hall. Partial ground oor only. Magni cent reception rooms are special setting for entertaining. Limited. None for coaches.

YORK GATE

www.yorkgate.org.uk

York Gate is a one-acre magical masterpiece situated near Leeds. Created by the Spencer family in 1951, the garden is designed in a series of ‘rooms’ interlinked through a succession of vistas. A Grade II national heritage garden inspired by the Arts & Crafts movement, York Gate is one of the finest small gardens in the country and was kindly gifted to Perennial following the death of Sybil Spencer in 1994.

CONTACT Tel: 0113 267 8240

Email: yorkgate@perennial.org.uk

LOCATION Back Church Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS16 8DW

OPENING TIMES 1 April - 29 October

2023, Wednesday - Sunday, 10am4.30pm, Booking essential (Please visit our website).

ADMISSION £7, £7.70 gift aid

Toilets. Parking Available. Shop. Plant sales.

Café / Tearoom / Refreshment.

LOTHERTON

lotherton.leeds.gov.uk

WASSAND HALL

www.wassand.co.uk

Lotherton is a beautiful Edwardian country estate with a historic museum and zoo. See native red deer and wander the formal gardens. Discover Wildlife World with animals including penguins, flamingos and nocturnal species. Visit the hall to see the latest exhibition and find out about the history of the estate, along with a collection of impressive fine and decorative arts. Annual membership available.

CONTACT Visitor Services 0113 378 2959

Email: lotherton@leeds.gov.uk

LOCATION Aberford, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS25 3EB Map Ref: 11:B10Situated o Collier Lane which is just

Groups welcome in accordance with government guidelines. Please email or call to arrange your day out.

Passenger lift in the hall. Please see access statement on website for full details.

Admission to the estate includes car parking.

o M1 J47. If you are using a route planner, please use postcode: LS25 3EB.

OPENING TIMES & ADMISSION

Please check the website or call for details.

Groups can take advantage of special packages including hall or garden tours and catering.

Cross-curricular workshops for all Key Stages in the hall and Wildlife World. Virtual workshops available.

Fine Regency house by Thomas Cundy the elder. Beautifully restored Walled Gardens, woodland walks, parks and vistas over Hornsea Mere, part of the Estate since 1530. The Estate has been in the family since 1530 to the present day, Rupert Russell being the great nephew of the late Lady Strickland-Constable and being the resident Trustee.

CONTACT

Owner: Trustees of Wassand Will Trust

Contact: Shirley Power - 01964 537474

O ce: 01965 537047 / 01672 564352

Email: rupert@reorussell.co.uk

LOCATION

Seaton, Hull, East Yorkshire HU11 5RJ Map Ref: 11:F9 - On the B1244

Seaton-Hornsea Road. Approximately 2 miles from Hornsea.

OPEN DAYS (2023)

May 26-29th, June 7-11th and 22nd-26th, July 6-9th, Aug 2nd-7th and 25-28th.

ADMISSION

See website for full times and details.

TEMPLE NEWSAM

www.templenewsam.leeds.gov.uk

Discover 500 years of history in the stunning mansion house of Temple Newsam, set within Capability Brown landscaped gardens, parks and scenic woodland. Explore over 40 rooms filled with fine and decorative arts and visit the estates rare breed farm dating back to the 17th century.

CONTACT Visitor Services 0113 336 7460

Email: temple.newsam.house@leeds. gov.uk

LOCATION Temple Newsam Road, Leeds LS15 OAE Map Ref: 10:P10 - 4m E of city

Groups can take advantage of special packages. Please email to arrange your visit.

Walking distance to the House, Stable Courtyard and Home Farm. Charge except blue badge holders.

Cross-curricular workshops for all Key Stages across the house and farm.

centre B6159 or 2m from M1 J46. 4 miles from city centre.

OPENING TIMES & ADMISSION

Check website or call 0113 336 7460 for opening times and admission prices

Passenger lift in the House. Please see access statement on website for full details.

There are a range of tours available in the house. Please check the website for full details.

NORTH WEST

CHESHIRE

COUNTRYSIDE

Lake District

Forest of Bowland

Morecambe Bay

HERITAGE

Gillow of Lancaster

Maritime heritage

Textile heritage

FOOD

Black pudding

Cumberland sausage

Damson gin

Events

GREAT NORTH SWIM, WINDERMERE

9th - 11th June 2023

Whether you’re a seasoned open-water swimmer or have always wanted to give it a try, seeing the stunning surroundings of the Lake District from the water is a truly fabulous experience. With six different open water swimming distances to suit all ages, abilities and experience. Whether you’re a veteran open water swimmer or you’re looking to try something new, there’s an option to suit.

Dive into nature and join the UK’s biggest open water swimming event. On your marks, get set, go!

LANCASHIRE GAME AND COUNTRY FESTIVAL

9th - 10th September 2023

The Lancashire Game and Country Festival will showcase the many and varied aspects of country living in Lancashire and the North. There will be hound displays, gundog scurries, terrier racing, fly-fishing, clay-pigeon shooting and falconry demonstrations to name but a few of the sporting pursuits to be featured. Many of these are run or arranged for visitors to enjoy by enthusiastic and knowledgeable members of local clubs, such as Blackpool Sporting Clays, Pilling Moss Gun Dog Club, the Vale of Lune Harriers and Bleasdale Beagles.

THE GRAND NATIONAL, AINTREE

Sat 15th April 2023

The Grand National at Aintree has been a British sporting institution since 1839. The course was founded by William Lynn, a syndicate head and proprietor of the Waterloo Hotel. He leased land in Aintree from William Molyneux, 2nd Earl of Sefton. Lynn set out a course and built a grandstand. Lord Sefton laid the foundation stone on 7 February 1829. The race was then known as the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase.

LEIGHTON HALL www.leightonhall.co.uk

Leighton Hall’s setting can only be described as spectacular; the Hall is nestled in a lush parkland with the Lake District as its backdrop. This romantic Gothic house is the lived-in home of the famous Gillow furniture making family, with some unique pieces on display. Visits include: entertaining and informal house tours with no roped off areas, charming tea rooms, children’s activities and play area, beautiful gardens, woodland walk and birds of prey flying displays (Summer season only, weather permitting).

No photography in the hall.

Toilet facilities available.

Baby changing facilities available.

Free and ample parking - with disabled parking located closer to the Hall.

KS 1 & 2 school educational visits.

Enjoy light refreshments, cakes, scones and afternoon tea.

Gift shop with a range of charming reasonably priced items.

Partial. WC’s. Regrettably the halls rst oor inaccessible for wheelchair users. Functions for corporate events i.e. brand awareness / product launches. Only Assistance dogs allowed in the Hall & grounds.

Enthusiastic guides, bring Leighton’s history to life.Informal and relaxed tours.

Playground, Woodland Walk, Garden & Maze

Plants for sale, located by the gift shop.

CONTACT Owner: Mrs Suzie Reynolds and Mrs Lucy Arthurs

Contact: Mrs Suzie Reynolds and Mrs Lucy Arthurs

Tel: 01524 734474 Email: info@leightonhall.co.uk

Facebook: LeightonHallLancashire Twitter: @Leighton_Hall Instagram: leightonhalllancashire

LOCATION Carnforth, Lancashire LA5 9ST Map Ref: 10:L8

Located 10 minutes drive from the M6, junction 35. Follow brown tourism signs North along the A6, travel through the village of Yealand Conyers, turn right up Peter Lane until you arrive at the main entrance. Do not follow Satnav.

OPENING TIMES General public May - September, please see website for information on dates and times. Pre-booked groups and coach parties (20+) all year by arrangement. Group rates.

ADMISSION Please see website for details.

Please see the ‘Special Events’ section of the website for all upcoming events.

The House & Gardens are exclusive for weddings.

PEOVER HALL & GARDENS

www.peoverhall.co.uk

A charming Grade 2 Elizabethan house that boasts a fascinating history that stems back to 1585. Situated within some 500 acres of 18th Century parkland with delightful gardens, stables and the church of St Lawrence.

CONTACT Mr & Mrs Brooks Tel: 01565 654107 Email: bookings@peoverhall.com

LOCATION Over Peover, Knutsford WA16 9HW Map Ref: 6:M2 - 4 miles S of Knutsford o A50 at Whipping Stocks Inn. OPENING TIMES May-Aug, Tue & Thu afternoons. Stables & Gardens: 2-5pm. Church: 2pm-4pm. ADMISSION Please see website for updated admission prices.

Hall tours at 14.30 and 15.30, other days and times by arrangement. Teas and cakes.

ASKHAM HALL

www.askhamhall.co.uk

A multi award winning Lake District hideaway, Askham Hall is a 13th-century Grade 1 listed Pele Tower house with a newly Michelin starred / 4 AA rosette restaurant, 19 luxurious individually designed bedrooms and Grade II listed terraced gardens. It has been in the Lowther family for over 200 years.

CONTACT Owner: Charles Lowther, Contact: Marie-Louisa Raeburn, Tel: 01931 712350

Email: enquiries@askhamhall.co.uk LOCATION Askham, Penrith, Cumbria CA10 2PF

Map Ref: 10:L5 Askham Hall in Cumbria is situated in a quiet and picturesque village within easy access (about 10 mins’ drive) from Penrith and junction 40 of the M6. Follow the brown tourist signs.

Parking available. Restaurant. Dogs Welcome.

LEVENS HALL

www.levenshall.co.uk

Located at the gateway to the Lake District National Park, ve miles south of Kendal in Cumbria, Levens Hall has grown from a stark, imposing Pele Tower built c1250-1300, into a warm and welcoming family home. We invite you to marvel at this beautiful privately-owned house and gardens, home to the world’s oldest topiary gardens and centre of a thriving 9,500-acre agricultural estate which provides much of the produce for our cafe, Levens Kitchen. Whether you are visiting as an individual, a couple, a family or part of a group, you will nd plenty to do and see here.

CONTACT Tel: 01539 560321, Email: houseopening@levenshall.co.uk

LOCATION Kendal, Cumbria LA8 0PD

CAPESTHORNE HALL

www.capesthorne.com

MEOLS HALL

www.meolshall.co.uk

Capesthorne Hall is a beautiful stately home owned by the Bromley-Davenport family and set in 100 acres of picturesque Cheshire countryside. The venue overlooks two lakes, a private family Chapel and stunning formal gardens with woodland beyond and an abundance of bluebells in Spring.

CONTACT Hall O ce Tel: 01625 861221,

Email: info@capesthorne.com

LOCATION Siddington, Maccles eld, Cheshire SK11 9JY. 30 minutes South of Manchester on A34. Near M6, M60 and M62.

OPENING TIMES 2nd April to 30th

October 2023 (Sundays, Mondays and Bank Holidays only)

ADMISSION Car parking - £2 per vehicle. Garden Entry Pricing - Sundays, Mondays and Bank Holidays: Adults £8.50, Children (5-16 yrs) £4.50 (children under 5 go free)

Family Ticket (2 x adults and 2 x children) £23.00, Carers accompanying a disabled visitor (Proof required to be shown on entry) / Historic Houses Members (HH membership card to be shown on entry) FOC.

Hall & Garden Entry Pricing - Sundays, Mondays and Bank Holidays: Adults £12.50, Children (5-16 yrs) (children under 5 go free) £5.50, Family Ticket (2 x adults and 2 x children) £31.00, Carers accompanying a disabled visitor (Proof required to be shown on entry).

Enlarged in the Palladian style in the 1960’s to showcase a family collection of pictures and furniture, Meols Hall combines comfort and informality with a sense of grand parade. The Tithe Barn and picturesque grounds are available all year round for weddings and receptions: both formal or informal.

CONTACT Owner: The Hesketh Family

Contact: Julia Mutch 01704 228326

Email: events@meolshall.com

LOCATION Churchtown, Southport, Merseyside PR9 7LZ Map Ref: 10:K11 - 3m NE of Southport town centre in

Parking available.

Accessible.

Assistance dogs only.

One month of the year, visitors to Meols Hall have the unique opportunity to visit the house.

Churchtown. SE of A565.

OPENING TIMES May BH 1st & 29th, 20th Aug-14th Sept. 1.30pm-5.30pm daily

ADMISSION Adult £5, Child £1. Groups welcome. Afternoon Tea is only available for bookings of 25+ by prior arrangement.

See the website for all upcoming events. Wedding ceremonies/receptions in the Tithe Barn.

Hosting challenging outdoor activities, product launches, sta motivation & incentive schemes.

NORTH EAST

COUNTRYSIDE

Heather moorlands

Sandy beaches

Dark skies

HERITAGE

Hadrian’s Wall

Border castles

Mining & railway heritage

FOOD

Pease pudding

Craster kippers

Singing Hinnies

COUNTY DURHAM • NORTHUMBERLAND TYNE & WEAR

COUNTY DURHAM

TYNE & WEAR

NORTHUMBERLAND

Rothbury • Alnwick •

Hartlepool •

Hexham •

Darlington •

Bishop Auckland •

Morpeth •

• Berwick -uponTweed

Sunderland

Durham

Newcastle upon Tyne

Events

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY SHOW

27th May 2023

The Northumberland County Show will be displaying various fun and amusement, including packaged foods and beverages, crafts, farming, marketing products and services relating to the livestock and agricultural, adventurous rides and many more attractive presentations on recreational entertainment and outdoor activities.

KYNREN – AN EPIC TALE OF ENGLAND

29th July - 9th September 2023

Returning to its spectacular Bishop Auckland stage in County Durham, the 90-minute show is a truly unique experience not available anywhere else in the UK. Performed by a 1,000-strong cast and crew on a 7.5acre outdoor stage, this multi-award-winning live action spectacular delights and dazzles the senses, with its mix of hand-to-hand combat, daring stunts, incredible horsemanship, stunning pyrotechnics and amazing special effects. Kynren provides an unforgettable experience taking audiences on a thrilling adventure through 2,000 years of history.

THE HOPPINGS

16th - 24th June 2023

The Hoppings is billed as Europe’s biggest and best travelling funfair with 300 rides and attractions and has become a regular feature on the North East’s summer entertainment calendar since it first began in 1882.

A regular favourite with families and visitors across the North East and with nearly 140 years’ history in Newcastle, The Hoppings is a brilliant day out filled with thrills and spills on Newcastle’s Town Moor.

ALNWICK CASTLE

www.alnwickcastle.com

Alnwick Castle, home to the Percy family for 700 years, has a fascinating history, rich with drama, intrigue and extraordinary people; from a gunpowder plotter to medieval England’s most celebrated knight, Harry Hotspur. Combining medieval architecture with spectacular Italianate interiors housing world-class art, Alnwick Castle is one of the UK’s most significant heritage destinations. With a history beginning with the Norman Age, Alnwick Castle was originally built as a border defence, before being transformed from a fortification into a family home for the first Duke and Duchess of Northumberland in the 1760s. In recent years it has also taken starring roles in a number of film and television productions, most famously featuring as a location for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and for ITV’s Downton Abbey.

Toilet facilities available.

Baby changing facilities available.

Accessible WCs. Wheelchair/mobility scooter hire. Limited access in areas.

Coach parking also available.

Photography not permitted in the state rooms.

Free tours of the rooms and grounds.

CONTACT Tel: 01665 511100 Group bookings: 01665 511100

Media & Filming: 01665 511100

Email: info@alnwickcastle.com

LOCATION Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 1NQ Map Ref: 14:M11

Signposted o A1; 35 miles N of Newcastle and 80 miles S of Edinburgh.

OPENING TIMES Grounds: Mar- Oct, 10am-5.30pm (last adm 3.45pm).

State Rooms: 10.30am-4.30pm (last adm 4pm, Chapel closes at 2.30pm).

Courtyard Café, Stables Fryery and The Armoury

Courtyard Café. Workshops and activities.

Check website for up-to-date opening dates & times.

ADMISSION Please refer to our website for the most up to date information.

CHILLINGHAM CASTLE www.chillingham-castle.com

This remarkable and very private castle has been continuously owned by just one family line since the 1200’s. A visit from Edward I in 1298 was followed by many other Royal visits right down through this century. See Chillingham’s alarming dungeon, as well as active restoration in the Great Halls and State Rooms, which are gradually brought back to life with tapestries, arms and armour. We even have a very real torture chamber.

Gardens: With romantic grounds, the castle commands breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. As you walk to the lake, you will see, according to season, drifts of snowdrops, daffodils or bluebells and an astonishing display of rhododendrons. This emphasises the restrained formality of the Elizabethan topiary garden, with its intricately clipped hedges of box and yew. Lawns, the formal gardens and woodland walks are all fully open to the public.

Toilet facilities available.

Coaches by prior arrangement. Limited for coaches.

Self-catering apartments to hire all year round.

Gift shop.

Please call for details on educational visits.

Groups & Coach Tours at any time by appointment.

Medieval Castle Tea Room - delicious home-made lunches & treats.

CONTACT Owner: Sir Humphry Wake eld Bt

Contact: The Administrator Tel: 01668 215359

Email: enquiries@chillingham-castle.com

LOCATION Northumberland NE66 5NJ

Map Ref: 14:L11 45 miles North of Newcastle between A697 & A1.

2 miles South of B6348 at Chatton. 6 miles South East of Wooler.

Rail: Alnmouth or Berwick.

OPEN 1st April - 5th November.

Please refer to our website for up to date information.

ADMISSION Adults £11, Concessions £10, Children £7, Family £30 (2 adults & up to 3 children under 15).

HOWICK HALL GARDENS AND ARBORETUM

www.howickhallgardens.com

Howick Hall Gardens and Arboretum have been owned by the Grey family since 1319. Discover the history of the 2nd Earl, after whom the famous tea is named, wander through the beautiful gardens and arboretum.

CONTACT Email: estateo ce@howickuk.com telephone: 01665 577285 or 01665 577191 LOCATION Howick, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 3LB. OPENING TIMES Feb to Nov 2023, 10.30am-5pm daily. ADMISSION See website for pricings as these are subject to change.

Suitable for Disabled People. Tearoom / Refreshments. Baby Changing. Educational/School Visits. Toilets Parking Available. Guided Tours.

WHALTON MANOR

www.whaltonmanor.co.uk

Historic Whalton Manor, altered by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1908, is surrounded by 3 acres of magni cent walled gardens, designed by Lutyens with the help of Gertrude Jekyll.

CONTACT Email: pn@whaltonmanor.com LOCATION Whalton Manor, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 3UT. OPENING TIMES Open every Wednesday 2-4pm 5th April-25th October 2023, please arrive 2-2.15pm at the main arches to be met by garden sta . See website for events and weddings. ADMISSION Entry is £8.00 pp. Group bookings & tours by request.

BORDERS • SOUTH WEST SCOTLAND • EDINBURGH

GREATER GLASGOW • TAYSIDE • WEST HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS

GRAMPIAN HIGHLANDS • HIGHLANDS & SKYE

WEST HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS

COUNTRYSIDE

Bens & glens

Links golf courses

Lochs & beaches

HERITAGE

Clan history

Highland castles

Lowland palaces

FOOD

Whisky

Salmon

Shortbread

• Ullapool

Inverness

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

• Oban

ARGYLL & BUTE

Glasgow

Braemar • Inverurie •

ABERDEEN SHIRE

ANGUS (TAYSIDE)

Dundee

Forfar •

PERTHSHIRE (TAYSIDE)

Stirling

STIRLING

Culross•

• Falkirk

LANARKSHIRE

• Ayr

Aberdeen

• Stonehaven

• Montrose

• Arbroath

•St Andrews

FIFE

Edinburgh

LOTHIAN

•Lanark

SCOTTISH BORDERS

AYRSHIRE DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY

Dumfries •

Events

TALL SHIPS RACES Lerwick 26th - 29th July 2023

The Tall Ships Races is Europe’s largest free, family festival, held every summer in European waters, offering an exciting racecourse for a magnificent fleet of participating vessels, crewed by thousands of young people. This annual race series has been arranged by Sail Training International since 1956 and continues to provide life-changing adventures. Thousands of people will join in with four days of celebrating, sharing culture, and international friendships.

2023 UCI CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

3rd to 13th August 2023, Glasgow and various locations in Scotland

For the first time ever, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships will bring together road, track, BMX, mountain bike and para-cycling races into one event. The world’s greatest riders compete head-to-head in 13 individual UCI World Championships, making it the biggest cycling event ever. In total, over 190 world champions will be crowned and 2,600 athletes are set to travel to compete at the events with a further 8,000 cyclists taking part in a mass participation event.

EDINBURGH FRINGE

August 2023

To experience one of the greatest cultural events – not just in Scotland, but the world – come to the Edinburgh Fringe. This electrifying arts festival takes place over 3 weeks in August, with a calendar packed full of exciting shows.

Expect to be wowed by performances across the Scottish capital, encompassing theatre, comedy, dance, music, children’s shows, musicals, exhibitions, and more. Whatever your taste in arts and culture, you’re sure to find it at the Fringe.

GOSFORD HOUSE

www.gosfordhouse.co.uk

In 1791, the 7th Earl of Wemyss embarked on the construction of Gosford House, commissioning Robert Adam to build one of the grandest houses in Scotland. No visit would be complete without a mention of the architectural evolutions of the house, culminating in the creation of the Marble Hall, 1891. Discover the family’s incredible private art collection and take a stroll along the lovely water features in the pleasure grounds.

NO photographs are allowed to be taken inside the house. NO bags are allowed into the house.

Toilet facilities available.

Limited for coaches.

The house has very limited disabled access and part of the tour requires climbing stairs.

Each tour of the house lasts approximately 1 hour. Private tours available out with open days.

Providing the back drop you need for your event; such as black tie grandeur or party informality.

Hosting a variety of large scale group activity days for groups.

Dogs allowed in grounds on leads. Gosford House is available for a limited number of wedding receptions each year.

Played host to several major feature lms, series and fashion shoots.

BALCARRES

A semi fortified tower house built in 1510 with 19th Century additions by Burn and Bryce. Formal terraced and woodland gardens.

CONTACT

Owner: Balcarres Heritage Trust, Contact: Estate O ce, Tel: 01333 340 205, Email: o ce@balcarresestate.co.uk

LOCATION

Colinsburgh, Fife KY9 1HN, Map Ref: 14:I6, ½ mile north of Colinsburgh

Suitability for disabled: Gardens – partial.

Dogs on leads only.

OPENING TIMES

Garden & woodlands: Mar-Sep, 2pm5pm. House by appointment only 1-30 April excl Sun.

ADMISSION

Garden: £10, House: £12, Both: £20.

CONTACT Owner/Contact: The Earl of Wemyss

Tel: 01875 870201 Email: info@gosfordhouse.co.uk

LOCATION Longniddry, East Lothian EH32 0PX

Map Ref: 14:17 - O A198 2 miles North East of Longniddry.

OPENING TIMES Please check our website for most up-to-date opening times/days: www.gosfordhouse.co.uk/house-tours-grounds

ADMISSION Adult £10 Seniors/Students £5 Child (under 16) Free

Guided Tours: By arrangement.

Situated in Aberdeenshire, Crimonmogate is a Grade

A listed mansion house and one of the most easterly stately homes in Scotland. It is now owned by William and Candida, Viscount and Viscountess Petersham. Pronounced ‘Crimmon-moggat’. This exclusive country house stands within beautiful, seasonal parkland and offers one of Aberdeenshire’s most outstanding and unusual venues for corporate events, parties, dinners and weddings.

CONTACT Owner/Contact:

Viscount Petersham Tel: 01346 532401

Email: info@cmg-events.co.uk

LOCATION Lonmay, Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire AB43 8SE Map Ref:17:F8

DELGATIE CASTLE www.delgatiecastle.com

OPENING TIMES Please refer to the website for visiting dates.

ADMISSION Adult £7, Conc £6, Child £5. Max of 12 at any one time, guided tours only.

Please see website for all upcoming events. Parking available.

Principal rooms only in tour. Weddings & special events: max 60 in hall & up to 200 in marquee.

Fully licensed for civil ceremonies - and receptions are held in the unique marquee, or ‘yurt’.

CRAIGSTON CASTLE

www.craigston-castle.co.uk

The beautiful sculpted balcony, unique in Scottish architecture, depicts a piper, two grinning knights and David and Goliath. Carved oak panels of Scottish kings’ biblical heroes, originally from the family seat at Cromarty Castle were mounted in doors and shutters in the early 17th Century.

CONTACT Owner: William Pratesi Urquhart Contact: Elisabetta Calvi Tel: 01888551707 Email: info@craigston.co.uk LOCATION Turri , Aberdeenshire AB53 5PX Map Ref: 17:D8On B9105, 4.5 miles North East of Turri . OPENING TIMES Please see our website for up to date information. ADMISSION Please see our website for up to date information. Please contact for details. Parking available. Very limited wheelchair access. Dogs welcome in the castle grounds. Your choice of room, with period furniture. Craigston is available for exclusive self catering lets. Guided tours are obligatory. Courses held at speci c times of year. Bespoke events can be organised. Please see our website.

ABBOTSFORD, THE HOME OF SIR WALTER SCOTT

www.scottsabbotsford.com

Discover Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott; one of Scotland’s most fascinating places. Created almost 200 years ago on the banks of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders, Abbotsford was the culmination of Scott’s creative ambitions as a writer and the fount of his inspiration.

Explore the historic house and discover a treasure trove of intriguing objects and unusual artefacts which inspired Scott’s greatest poems and novels. Learn about Scott’s life and achievements in our exhibition, browse the gift shop, enjoy lunch in our café or simply relax and unwind as you wander through the beautiful formal gardens and tranquil woodlands - a day out at Abbotsford has something for everyone.

LOCATION Abbotsford House, Melrose TD6 9BQ. OPENING TIMES & ADMISSIONS Open March-December. Please check our website for up-to-date admission prices and opening times.

Dating from 1030, the castle is steeped in Scottish history but still gives the feel of a lived in home. It has some of the finest painted ceilings in Scotland. Mary Queen of Scots stayed here for 3 days after the Battle of Corrichie.

Our pretty tearoom has a ‘Taste Our Best Award’ from Visit Scotland and is also a “Scottish Home Baking Award” winner.

CONTACT Owner: Delgatie Castle Trust

Contact: Mrs Joan Johnson

Tel: 01888 563479

Email: joan@delgatiecastle.com

LOCATION Turri , Aberdeenshire AB53

5TD Map Ref: 17:D9 - O A947 Aberdeen to Ban Road.

Toilet facilities available.

WCs.

By arrangement.

Parking available.

OPENING TIMES We are open 7 days per week from 10am until 4pm.

ADMISSION Adult £8, Child/Con £5, Family £21 (2 Adults & 2 Children), Groups (10+) £5.

The Laird’s Kitchen is open from 10am-4pm serving hot drinks, cakes, lunches & afternoon teas.

Restaurant.

Gift shop.

MERTOUN GARDENS

www.mertoungardens.co.uk

Mertoun Gardens lie to the north and east of Mertoun House extending to about 26 acres. On a south facing slope the walled garden is situated containing fruit trees, vegetables and owers.

CONTACT Email: estateo ce@mertoun.com, Telephone: 01835 823236.

LOCATION Mertoun Gardens can be found by the B6404, 2 miles north-east of St Boswells. OPENING TIMES & ADMISSIONS Mertoun Gardens is open 1 April to 30 September, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, 2pm to 6pm, or by appointment. Last entry 5.30pm.

CORTACHY ESTATE

www.airlieestates.com

Countryside walks, including access through woodlands to Airlie Monument on Tulloch Hill with spectacular views of the Angus Glens and Vale of Strathmore. Footpaths are waymarked and colour coded.

CONTACT Owner: Trustees of Airlie Estates

Contact: Estate O ce Tel: 01575 530387

Email: o ce@airlieestates.com

LOCATION Cortachy, Kirriemuir, Angus DD8 4LX Map Ref:13:H3 O the B955 Glens Road from Kirriemuir. OPENING TIMES Walks all year. Gardens: 3rd May - 27th May Inclusive. Last admission 3.30pm.

The estate network of walks are open all year round. Limited. Unsuitable Dogs on leads only Please contact for corporate events. Weddings and Celebrations can be held either in a marquee or inside Downiepark House.

STRATHTYRUM HOUSE & GARDENS

St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SF

Built in 1753 and a Georgian front added in 1820. The gardens include formal lawns, the restored Victorian walled garden, Doocot and Mausoleum. Map Ref: 14:I5 Tel: 01334 473600 Email: info@strathtyrum.com Open: 26th Apr - 6th May, 8th - 13th May inclusive, 15th - 20 May, 22nd - 26th May. Tours at 9am,10am, 11am and 12 noon. Admission: House: £6 House & Gardens: £8.

COREHOUSE

Lanark ML11 9TQ. Grade A Tudor style house designed by Sir Edward Blore and built in 1820s Map Ref: 13:E9, located on South bank of Clyde above Kirkfieldbank. At West Lodge, drive to bottom of hill. Tel: 01555 663126 Email: dcranstouncorehouse@gmail.com Open: 1-7 & 27-31 May, 29 Jul-16 Aug, Sat-Wed. Tours wkdays 1 & 2.15pm, wkends 1.45 & 3pm Admission: Adults £8, Conc. £4. Groups by arrangement.

ARNISTON HOUSE

Gorebridge, Midlothian EH23 4RY

What three words: ///crescendo.expired.shape

Tel: 01875 830515 Email: info@arniston-house.co.uk

Web: arnistonhouse.com Open: 2nd May-June 2023 on Tues & Wed the Guided Tour starts at 2pm. July-10th Sept 2023 on Sun, Tues & Wed the Guided Tour starts at 2pm.

RAMMERSCALES

Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire DG11 1LD.

Open May 1 to May 25, 1pm to 5pm. Tel: 01387 810229

Email: malcolm@rammerscales.co.uk

BEANSTON

Nr Haddington, East Lothian EH41 3SB

Georgian farmhouse with Georgian orangery. Map Ref: 14:I8 - Between Haddington and East Linton on A199 Tel: 01875 870201

Open: Exterior only: By appointment, Wemyss and March Estates Office, Longniddry, East Lothian EH32 0PY.

Admission: Please contact for details.

HARELAW FARMHOUSE

Nr Longniddry, East Lothian EH32 0PH

Early 19th Century 2-storey farmhouse built as an integral part of the steading. Dovecote over entrance arch. Location: Between Longniddry and Drem on B1377. Map Ref: 14:I8 Tel: 01875 870201

Open: Exteriors only: By appointment, Wemyss and March Estates

Office, Longniddry, East Lothian EH32 0PY.

Admission: Please contact for details.

RED ROW

Aberlady, East Lothian EH32 0DE

Terraced Cottages.

Location: Main Street, Aberlady, East Lothian. Map Ref: 14:I7

Tel: 01875 870201 Fax: 01875 870620

Open: Exterior only. By appointment, Wemyss and March Estates

Office, Longniddry, East Lothian EH32 0PY.

Admission: Please contact for details.

TULLIBOLE CASTLE

Crook of Devon, Kinross KY13 0QN

Tel: 01577 840236 Email: hitched@tullibolecastle.com

COUNTRYSIDE

Snowdonia

Brecon Beacons

Pembrokeshire Coast

HERITAGE

Medieval castles

Tudor manor houses

Mining heritage

FOOD

Welsh cakes

Welsh rarebit

Lamb cawl

WALES

• Llandudno

• Caernarfon

• Machynlleth

• Aberystwyth

MID WALES

NORTH WALES

SOUTH WALES

• Pembroke

Cardiff

Bangor

Newport

St David’s

Events

BBC CARDIFF SINGER OF THE WORLD 2023

10th - 18th June 2023

Celebrating it’s 40th anniversary in 2023, the biennial competition has launched the careers of some of the biggest opera stars, including Karita Mattila, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Sir Bryn Terfel, Anja Harteros, Jamie Barton and 2021 winner, baritone Gihoon Kim from the Republic of Korea. Audiences can follow all the drama of the competition –including all rounds of the main prize, the song prize final and the main prize final on the BBC.

ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL

end September 2023

No foodie worth their salt should miss this celebration of top nosh. The South Wales market town of Abergavenny (Y Fenni) plays host to this highlight of the UK food calendar, serving up a rich menu of masterclasses by leading chefs, tastings galore, and stalls selling everything from cider to cheese, garnished with lots of street entertainment. Parking is usually provided in a field on the outskirts of town with a shuttlebus transporting visitors to the festival.

NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD, PAN WALES

early August 2023

A celebration of the Welsh language, music and culture which is held at a different location each year. The festival welcomes thousands of competitors from across the country. The contests of poetry and song are performed in the native language and culminates in the crowning of the Gorsedd of the Bards. The event is open to all, including non-Welsh speakers. There are even Welsh language lessons provided on site if visitors wish to learn a few sentences before going home.

ABERCAMLAIS HOUSE

www.abercamlais.com

Abercamlais is a splendid Grade 1 listed mansion set in the heart of the Brecon Beacons. Come and explore the beautiful walled garden and the unique suspension bridge in the historic grounds.

CONTACT Owner: Mr & Mrs Ballance

Contact: Mrs Ballance Tel: 07789930064

Email: andreajballance@gmail.com

LOCATION Abercamlais, Brecon, Powys

LD3 8EY Map Ref: 6:I10 5m W of Brecon on A40.

No photography in house. Parking available.

Accessible.

OPENING TIMES Apr-End Sep

See website for further details.

ADMISSION Adult: £7.50, Child: Free.

ISCOYD PARK www.iscoydpark.com

A red brick Georgian House in an idyllic 18th Century parkland setting situated on the Welsh/ Shropshire border. Still a family home, Iscoyd has undergone a complete restoration over the last nine years, whilst building a reputation as an award-winning wedding venue.

CONTACT Contact/Owner: Philip L Godsal

Tel: 01948 780785 E-mail: info@iscoydpark.com

LOCATION Nr Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 3AT

Map Ref: 6:L4 - 2 miles West of Whitchurch o A525. OPENING TIMES House visits by written appointment.

Open all year. Limited for coaches. Obligatory. Please see website. WCs. By arrangement. Licensed. Private dinners and weddings a speciality.

WERN ISAF

This Arts and Crafts house was built in 1900 by the architect H L North as his family home and contains much of the original furniture and William Morris fabrics.

CONTACT Owner/Contact: Mrs P J Phillips Tel: 01248 680437

OPENING TIMES We would be open 25 days in May 2023 but closed every Wednesday. This takes us to the 31st May and would be closed on 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th May. Opening times are 10.30-14.30.

Dogs welcome on leads only. Obligatory. The tour lasts for about 2 hours.

LLANCAIACH FAWR MANOR

www.llancaiachfawr.co.uk

LOCATION Penmaen Park, Llanfairfechan, Conwy LL33 0RN. ADMISSION Free.

For all further enquiries please contact us.

Llancaiach Fawr Manor is no ordinary heritage attraction. History here is tangible. The costumed servants of the house are living in 1645 and allow you to share in their world. Fires crackle, candles flicker and the sounds of domestic life make your visit a memorable experience of the past.

CONTACT Owner: Caerphilly County

Borough Council Contact: Reception

Tel: 01443 412248

Email: llancaiachfawr@caerphilly.gov.uk

LOCATION Gelligaer Road, Nelson, Treharris, Caerphilly County Borough CF46

6ER Map Ref: 2:M1 South side of B4254, 1 mile North of A472 at Nelson.

OPENING TIMES 4th Jan – 24th Dec 2022 and closed bank holidays.

ADMISSION Adult £8.50, Conc £6.95, Child £6.95, Family (2+3) £25

Historic tours activities, trails and workshops. 90 free spaces.

Costumed 17th century servants lead tours which take approx. 1.5 hours.

Licensed café / restaurant serving hot and cold drinks, snacks and meals.

Boutique gift shop. Provides a distinctive environment for any conference, business meeting, banquet or dinner party. Ideal location for your wedding overlooking the peaceful surroundings of the Rhymney Valley.

CRESSELLY

Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire SA68 0SP

Home of the Allen family for 250 years. The house is of 1770 with matching wings of 1869 and contains good plasterwork and fi ttings of both periods. Email: hugh@cresselly-estate.com

Map Ref: 5:C12 Website: www.cresselly.com Open: June 1-16th: 10, 11 & 12pm; July 31-Aug 10: 10, 11 & 12pm; Aug 28th: 1, 2 & 3pm.

Admission: Adult £4.00, no children under 12.

TREOWEN

Wonastow, Monmouth, NP25 4DL

The most important early 17th Century gentry house in the county. Particularly fi ne open well staircase. Location: What three words: ///trapdoor.arrow.icebergs Tel: 07530 357390 Website: www.treowen.co.uk Open: May-Aug, Fri 10am-4pm. Also Sat & Sun 25-26 Mar; 22-23 Apr; 6-7, 13-14, 20-21 May and 3-4 June 2-5pm Admission: £7.50. Free to HH members Fridays only.

CORNWALL HOUSE

58 Monnow Street, Monmouth NP25 3EN

Town house, Georgian street façade, walled garden.

Location: What Three Words: ///ships.trucked.manly

MapRef: 6:L11 Tel: 01600 712031 Email: jane2harvey@tiscali.co.uk

Open: 2-5pm on Fridays in July and August and April 6-10, April 29/30, May 1st, May 27-29, August 5/6, August 26-29.

Admission: Adult £5, Conc. £2.50

TREBINSHUN

Llangasty, Nr Brecon, Powys LD3 7PX Tel: 01874 730653

GLEN YR AFON HOUSE HOTEL

www.glen-yr-afon.co.uk

Nestling in the heart of the Monmouthshire countryside and located a short stroll from the picturesque town of Usk, our family-run hotel o ers relaxation and a high level of personal service. We also host business conferences, family celebrations, short breaks, birthday gatherings or dinner parties in our Clarkes Restaurant.

LLANVIHANGEL COURT

CONTACT

Tel: 01291 672302 or 01291 673202

Email: enquiries@glen-yr-afon.co.uk

LOCATION

Glen-Yr-Afon House Hotel Ltd. Pontypool Road, Usk, Monmouthshire NP15 1SY

Llanvihangel Court is a beautiful Grade 1 Elizabethan manor with origins in the C14th. There is a magnificent C17th staircase of yew, moulded plaster ceilings & early stables. The C17th owners, the Arnold family, were notorious for their extreme anti-catholic beliefs, the persecution of catholic priests & the arrest of David Lewis, the last priest to be hanged in Wales.

CONTACT Tom Johnson

Tel: 07806 768 788

Email: enquiries@llanvihangelcourt.com

LOCATION Nr Abergavenny, Monmouthshire NP7 8DH

Map 6:K11 4m N of Abergavenny on A465.

No inside photography. Limited, no coaches.

OPENING TIMES visit our website: www.llanvihangelcourt.com/visit

ADMISSION Entry and guide, Adult £8.00, Child/Conc. £5.00.

Obligatory.

www.llanvihangelcourt.com Private hire. Partial. Dogs on leads only.

NORTHERN IRELAND

COUNTRYSIDE

Causeway Coast

Mourne Mountains

Lough Neagh

HERITAGE

Norman castles

Plantation houses

Game of Thrones locations

FOOD

Stout & whiskey

Potato breads

Irish stew

ANTRIM

DERRY

TYRONE

FERMANAGH

ARMAGH

DOWN

Antrim

Belfast Lisburn Newry

Londonderry Armagh

Enniskillen

Events

CATHEDRAL QUARTER ARTS FESTIVAL, BELFAST

April/May 2023

The event regularly hosts more than 150 shows – from comedy to music and including whisky tours – in some 30 different venues. Some free events, or reasonably priced.

OULD LAMMAS FAIR, BALLYCASTLE, CAUSEWAY COAST.

24th -27th August 2023

Ireland’s oldest fair returns to the beautiful seaside resort of Ballycastle for another year of trading, bargaining and a programme packed with entertainment! Sample the famous local favourite Yellow Man or Dulce and wonder around the Naturally North Coast and Glen’s Artisan Market, which features local fresh produce, quirky handmade crafts and fine art. Experience the hustle and bustle of the horse trading village, get a thrill on one of the many fun fair rides, or simply take in the atmosphere and local banter on the streets of Ballycastle!

DERRY HALLOWEEN

27th - 31st October 2023

When Derry Londonderry decides to throw a party, they do it frighteningly well and Derry Halloween is no exception.

With its historic walls, the city is the perfect setting to celebrate the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain and there is so much to see and do over the four-day event. This year things kick off on Thursday 27 October with the grand finalé on Halloween itself, Monday 31st October.

BARONS COURT

www.barons-court.com

The home of the Duke of Abercorn, Barons Court was built between 1779 and 1782, and subsequently extensively remodelled by John Soane (1791), William and Richard Morrison (1819-1841), Sir Albert Richardson (1947-49) and David Hicks (1975-76).

CONTACT The Estate O ce Tel: 028 8166 1683

Email: info@barons-court.com

LOCATION Newtownstewart, Omagh, Co Tyrone BT78 4EZ Map Ref:18:M3 - 5km South West of Newtownstewart.

OPENING TIMES By appointment only ADMISSION Tour of House and Gardens £18 per person. Tour inc. tea/co ee/scones £23 per person. Groups max. 50. No photography. Available by appointment only. Guided tours by arrangement. Parking available. Partially accessible. The Carriage Room in the Stable Yard.

NORTHERN IRELAND explore

One of the least known heritage destinations in the British Isles but it should be top of your list. Combining beautiful countryside with relatively short distances between must-see destinations, the province offers a distinctive heritage to visitors.

BELFAST

Belfast is a powerhouse for industry and a city bursting with heritage and culture. The main attraction of the city is Titanic Belfast. The stunning landmark building dominates the skyline in the old docklands and is where you can discover the story of the most famous ship in the world and its ill-fated journey across the Atlantic Ocean. There are many museums, Botanic Gardens and the iconic Belfast Castle, all well worth exploring.

COUNTY ANTRIM

County Antrim is a perfect snapshot of Northern Ireland and home to the dynamic city of Belfast. Whether it’s the ruins of 400-year-old Shane’s Castle on Lough Neagh or the spectacular Norman fortress of Carrickfergus, there is plenty to fire your imagination. Every fan of Game of Thrones will want to make their way to the world famous Dark Hedges in Ballymoney.

DERRY - LONDONDERRY

Behind the 400 year old city walls, which are one of the world’s best preserved, and you will find a city crammed full of history and heritage. Part of Derry’s history since 1887, is the beautifully ornate building of The Guildhall. Wander the streets of Derry to find some of the celebrated Derry murals, not just the 12 which marked The Troubles in the 1970s but more recent additions, celebrating popular TV series Derry girls and the role of female factory workers in the city.

Just outside of the city is Seamus Heaney Homeplace which gives an inspiring glimpse of the life and work of one of Northern Ireland’s greatest writers.

CAUSEWAY COASTAL ROUTE

The Causeway Coastal Route captures the rugged beauty of Northern Ireland and the dramatic coastline has

inspired mythical stories. There’s a lot to see along the way, from the medieval ruins of Dunluce Castle, an extinct volcano where, according to legend, Saint Patrick tended sheep after being captured, stunning panoramas and the iconic Mussenden Temple.

And of course, Northern Ireland’s most celebrated tourist attraction – the Giant’s Causeway. The first UNESCO Heritage Site in the country, is a geological wonder and home to a wealth of history and legend.

COUNTY DOWN

County Down offers plenty of castles to explore, with a few acquiring fame thanks to the hit HBO series, Game of Thrones. Another magnificent monument is Scrabo Tower in Newtownards. Standing on a steep hill 540 feet above sea level and even visible from Belfast on a clear day, it gives incredible views over across rolling hills, forest and Strangford Lough. Strangford Lough itself has a long maritime history that’s worth exploring.

COUNTY FERMANAGH

County Fermanagh boasts a wealth of fine country estates and castles. Fermanagh’s largest town, Enniskillen, is dominated by the walls and battlements of Enniskillen Castle. Set on the shores of Upper Lough Erne in County Fermanagh, Crom is one of Northern Ireland’s most important nature conservation areas. The 2000 acre site contains ancient woodland, tranquil islands, estate cottages and Old Crom Castle. Formerly the home of the Earls of Enniskillen, the National Trust’s Florence Court is one of the most important Georgian estate in Northern Ireland, and holds a fascinating collection of Irish Furniture and some of the best Rococo plasterwork in Ireland.

COUNTY TYRONE

Visiting Northern Ireland’s largest county includes spectacular landscapes and history.

The Hill of The O’Neill is one of the most important sites in the history of Ireland and is a place of authority and power for a region ruled for over 400 years by the O’Neills, one of the most powerful dynasties in Ulster. The ruins of Harry Avery’s Castle are thought to have been built around 1320 by a local chieftain of the O’Neill.

COUNTY ARMAGH

Armagh is the smallest county and the heartland of St Patrick. The story tells that he built a church here in 445AD and today, you have two impressive options to explore. Within walking distance of the city centre, the 300-acre Palace Demesne was, until 1975, home to the Archbishops of the Church of Ireland. West of the City lies Navan Fort, the ancient “Emain Macha” of Irish legend and one of the earliest provincial capitals of Ulster. It is a large earthwork on top of a drumlin and is thought to be the site of a pagan sanctuary.

John

Rockingham Castle Deene Park

Stanford Hall Lamport Hall Cottesbrooke Hall & Gardens

Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens The

Turvey House

Wakefield Lodge

Wotton House Nether Winchendon House Kelmscott Manor

Knebworth House

Isle of Lewis (Ceann a Tuath na Hearadh)

Bernera

Eye Peninsula

O u t e r H e b r i d e s

Uibhist a' Tuath (North Uist)

Heisker or Monach Islands

Mealasta I.

Scarp

North Harris (Ceann a Tuath na Hearadh)

Taransay (Taransaigh)

WESTERN ISLES (NA H-EILEANAN AN IAR)

Shillay

Pabbay Berneray Boreray

Vallay

South Harris (Ceann a Deas na Hearadh)

Scalpaigh (Scalpay)

STORNOWAY

Shiant Islands

Rona

BENBECULA

Ronay

Beinn na Faoghla (Benbecula)

Wiay

Uibhist a' Deas (South Uist)

Isle of Skye (Eilean a' Cheo)

Eiriosgaigh (Eriskay)

Bhatarsaigh (Vatersay)

BARRA

Canna

Raasay Scalpay Pabay Soay

Crowlin Islands

Sanndraigh (Sandray) Pabaigh (Pabbay)

Bearnaraigh (Berneray)

Barraigh (Barra) Miughalaigh (Mingulay)

Gt.

(Dún nan Gall)

(Béal Átha Seanaidh)

(Leitir Ceanainn)

(Leifear) (Srath an Urláir) (Bealach Feich)

(Cora Droma Rúisc)

(An Longfort)

Barons

(Derry)

(Bun an Phobail)

(Baile Átha Luain)

na Sluaighe)

(An Cabhán)

(Muineachán)

(Cluain Eois)

(Baile na Lorgan)

(Carrig Mhachaire)

(Dun Dealgan)

(Droichead Átha) Comáin)

(Biorra)

(Ros

(Tulach Mhór)

(An Muileann gCearr)

(Ceanannus Mór)

(Baile Átha Troim)

(Baile Brigin)

(Na Sceirí)

(An Ros)

Island Lambay Island

(Sord) (Mullach Íde)

(Maigh Naud)

(BAILE ÁTHA CLIATH)

(Móinteach Milie)

(Port Laoise)

(Mainistir Eimhín)

(An Nás)

(Bré)

CITY I J K L M N O P 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

(Na Clocha Liathe)

Rathlin MAP 18 185 visitheritage.co.uk

(Baile Átha Í)

I NDEX

Places listed by name in alphabetical order

THE

DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO HERITAGE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

For 36 years, Hudson’s has been the definitive source of information and inspiration for visits to heritage places in the UK.

We match up to date details arranged by region to help you find historic houses, cathedrals and places where history was made, with stunning photographs that make the most of the beauty of Britain’s heritage places.

You can take inspiration from history, art, gardens, architecture or find the stories that bring the past alive. Enjoy all the ingredients of a great day out with things for kids to do, shopping, eating out and plenty of walks.

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