12 minute read
Great Houses of the North
Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Co. Durham, Northumberland
15–23 June 2023 (mj 768)
9 days • £3,870 Lecturer: Dr Steven Parissien
The finest country houses in northern England, with an emphasis on the 18th century. All aspects are studied – architecture, contents, gardens; historical context and custodianship. Special arrangements feature, with access to parts not normally seen by the public. Unrushed: time absorb. Only two hotel changes.
Itinerary
Some appointments still to be confirmed. Day 1: Kedleston (Derbys). The coach leaves Derby railway station at 1.45pm. Supreme monument of Classical architecture and decoration, Kedleston Hall (1759–65) was the creation of Sir Nathaniel Curzon and, initially, three architects, of whom Robert Adam emerged the victor. First of three nights near Chatsworth. Day 2: Chatsworth, Haddon (Derbys). Home of the Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth House was rebuilt in the 1690s and further augmented in the 1820s. The steady acquisition of fine furniture, sculpture and pictures created one of the finest private art collections in the world. ‘The most perfect English house to survive from the Middle Ages’, Haddon Hall evolved from c. 1370 to the 17th century. The gardens are exceptionally lovely. Day 3: Hardwick, Bolsover (Derbys). Hardwick Hall (1590) is the finest of all Elizabethan great houses, a highpoint of the English Renaissance. The unaltered interiors are filled with textiles and furniture. Bolsover Castle is an elaborate Jacobean folly, a splendid late-Renaissance sequence of rooms in medieval fancy dress. Day 4: Wentworth Woodhouse (S Yorks), Harewood (W Yorks). The largest private house in England, Wentworth Woodhouse, has a complex building history. Afflicted by existential threats for 70 years, its future and public access were secured only in 2017. Harewood House is famously grand, with interiors by Adam and furniture by Chippendale. First of three nights in York.
Day 5: Burton Agnes (E Yorks), Castle Howard (N Yorks). Burton Agnes Hall is a final flourish of the Elizabethan age; topiary, marvellous carving and plasterwork. Vanbrugh’s Castle Howard (1699) is the most palatial house on the tour. Excellent works of art; park with famous temples and follies.
Day 6: Newby, York (N Yorks). A William-andMary house (1693), Newby Hall was subject for the next two centuries to refurbishment and extension of the highest quality. Set in 25 acres of fine gardens. Some free time in York. Day 7: Raby, Bishop Auckland (Co. Durham). Within the 14th-century fortifications of Raby Castle are suites of 18th- and 19th-century rooms. One of the best preserved episcopal palaces in Europe. First of two nights in Newcastle. Day 8: Belsay, Cragside (Nthumb). After Sir Charles Monck’s return from Greece in 1805 he built Belsay Hall in a severely Grecian style. A wonderful sequence of late-Victorian taste and technology, Cragside is a Tudor-style pile (1869–84) designed by Norman Shaw for William Armstrong, inventor and manufacturer. Day 9: Alnwick (Nthumb), Newcastle. Since 1309 the seat of the Percys, Dukes of Northumberland, Alnwick Castle remains a striking medieval fortress while the interiors are a lavish exercise in Victorian medievalism. There is a superb painting collection and a new 12-acre garden. The coach takes you to Newcastle railway station by 3.30pm.
Right: Chatsworth House, wood engraving c. 1880.
CELEBRATING MUSIC AND PLACE
MUSIC ALONG THE RHINE 23–30 JUNE 2023 CELEBRATING WILLIAM BYRD 1–5 JULY 2023 THE JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH JOURNEY 4–10 SEPTEMBER 2023 THE THOMAS TALLIS TRAIL 20–22 OCTOBER 2023
UK CHAMBER MUSIC BREAKS: Castalian String Quartet, 3–5 March 2023 Linos Piano Trio, 21–23 April 2023 Elias String Quartet, 8–10 May 2023
Photo ©Ben Ealovega.
The majority of our tours and events in 2023 are now available to book – to find their full details, visit www.martinrandall.com. If you cannot find the tour you are looking for on our website, this may mean that it is not yet on sale – please call us to register interest or send an e-mail to alerts@martinrandall.co.uk
January 2023
17–23 Valletta Baroque Festival (mj 605) Andrew Hopkins 28– 3 Mozart in Salzburg (mj 610) Richard Wigmore
February 2023
21– 2 Israel & Palestine (mj 626) Dr Garth Gilmour 27– 4 Palaces & Villas of Rome (mj 624) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott 28– 6 Essential Rome (mj 625) Dr Thomas-Leo True
March 2023
3– 5 UK Chamber Music Break: Castalian String Quartet at The Castle Hotel, Taunton (mj 632) Speaker: Richard Wigmore 13–20 Florence & Venice (mj 643) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott 14–25 Indian Summer (mj 644) Raaja Bhasin 20–26 Cities of al-Andalus (mj 650) Dr Amira Bennison 21–25 Venetian Palaces (mj 652) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott 27– 3 Gastronomic Valencia (mj 657) Gijs van Hensbergen 27– 4 Cyprus: Stepping Stone of History (mj 660) Dr Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones 28– 4 Essential Puglia (mj 658) John McNeill 29– 2 Florentine Palaces (mj 661) Dr Fabrizio Nevola
April 2023
3–11 The Ring in Berlin (mj 662) Barry Millington 10–21 Art in Japan (mj 674) Dr Monika Hinkel 11–16 Palladian Villas (mj 677) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott 12–19 Romans & Carolingians (mj 678) Dr Hugh Doherty 17–22 Pompeii & Herculaneum (mj 683) Dr Mark Grahame 18–27 Anjou & the West (mj 682) John McNeill 19–27 The Cathedrals of England (mj 684) Jon Cannon 19–28 Albania: Crossroads of Antiquity (mj 686) Carolyn Perry 20–24 Ravenna & Urbino (mj 687) Dr Luca Leoncini 20–25 Opera in Vienna 20–26 Southern Tuscany (mj 690) Dr Fabizio Nevola 21–23 UK Chamber Music Break: Linos Piano Trio at The Castle Hotel, Taunton (mj 689) 21– 2 Samarkand & Silk Road Cities (mj 688) Dr Peter Webb 24– 3 The Venetian Land Empire (mj 691) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott 24– 6 Civilisations of Sicily (mj 692) Dr Philippa Joseph
Right: Gardens of Aranjuez, 18th-century copper engraving. Above right: Oxford, Magdalen College, engraving 1833.
May 2023
8–10 UK Chamber Music Break: The Elias String Quartet at The Swan, Lavenham (mj 706) Speaker: Richard Wigmore 8–13 Tuscan Gardens (mj 708) Dr Katie Campbell 8–14 Walking Hadrian’s Wall (mj 705) Dr Matthew Symonds 8–15 The Duchy of Milan (mj 716) Dr Luca Leoncini 8–20 Traditions of Japan (mj 717) Professor Timon Screech 8–21 The Western Balkans (mj 714) Professor Cathie Carmichael 10–18 Aragón: Hidden Spain (mj 715) Dr Zahira Bomford 12–19 Courts of Northern Italy (mj 723) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott 12–19 Art in Scotland (mj 719) Christopher Baker 12–20 Great Irish Houses Anthony Lambert 13–22 Cities of Catalonia (mj 718) Gijs van Hensbergen 13–22 Classical Greece (mj 712) Professor Tony Spawforth 15–21 Prague Spring (mj 720) Dr Michael Downes 15–21 Great Swedish Houses Ulrica Häller
18–28 Moldavia & Transylvania (mj 727) Dr Shona Kallestrup 18–29 Leipzig Mahler Festival (mj 729) Dr Paul Max Edlin 19–25 Dresden Music Festival (mj 726) Dr Jarl Kremeier 19–30 Samarkand & Silk Road Cities (mj 725) Dr Peter Webb 21–25 Castles of Wales (mj 730) Dr Marc Morris 22–26 Great Private Houses in Norfolk (mj 735) Dr Andrew Moore 23– 1 The Medieval Pyrenees (mj 737) Dr Richard Plant 25– 3 Classical Turkey Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones 30– 3 Berlin: New Architecture (mj 748) Tom Abbott
June 2023
3–10 Medieval Burgundy (mj 754) John McNeill 7–14 Gastronomy & the Golden Age (mj 755) Gijs van Hensbergen 9–12 Versailles: Seat of the Sun King Professor Antony Spawforth 12–18 Art in Tyrol, South & North (mj 763) Dr Ulrike Ziegler 12–18 Gastronomic Fruili-Venezia Giulia Marc Millon 12–19 Footpaths of Umbria Dr Thomas-Leo True 14–23 Great French Gardens (mj 765) Steven Desmond 15–23 Great Houses of the North (mj 768) Dr Steven Parissien 16–23 Medieval Alsace (mj 769) Dr Richard Plant 17–25 Gardens in the Highlands (mj 770) Colin Crosbie 19–23 Medieval Middle England (mj 772) John McNeill 19–23 Art in Switzerland 19–25 Walking in Southern Bohemia Martina Hinks-Edwards 22–28 Walking the Rhine Valley (mj 774) Richard Wigmore 23–30 MUSIC ALONG THE RHINE (mj 776) 27– 1 Lincolnshire Churches (mj 785) John McNeill 29– 3 Copenhagen Modern (mj 780) Professor Harry Charrington 30– 3 Dutch Painting Desmond Shawe-Taylor Glyndebourne & Garsington
July 2023
1– 5 CELEBRATING WILLIAM BYRD (mj 787) 3– 7 West Country Churches (mj 790) John McNeill 5– 9 Flemish Painting Dr Sophie Oosterwijk 6–11 Savonlinna Opera (mj 792) Simon Rees 12–19 Cave Art of France (mj 795) Dr Paul Bahn 13–17 Verona Opera (mj 794) 10–16 Lusatia: Germany’s Eastern Borderlands (mj 797) Dr Jarl Kremeier 18–24 Opera in Munich & Bregenz 27– 3 The Hanseatic League Andreas Puth Hindsgavl: Chamber Music in Denmark Dr Michael Downes Lofoten Chamber Music Festival Dr Michael Downes
The Industrial Revolution Paul Atterbury Orkney: 5,000 years of culture
August 2023
2– 6 Verona Opera 15–20 King Ludwig II (mj 828) Tom Abbott 25–31 The Schubertiade (mj 835) Richard Wigmore 26– 3 Mediaeval Saxony Dr Ulrike Ziegler Organs of Bach’s Time Rossini in Pesaro Drottningholm & Confidencen
September 2023
1–12 Samarkand & Silk Road Cities (mj 842) Dr Peter Webb 2– 9 The Heart of Italy (mj 848) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott 3– 8 Isambard Kingdom Brunel Anthony Lambert 4–10 THE JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH JOURNEY (mj 850) 4–11 Gastronomic Basque Country Gijs van Hensbergen 5– 8 The Age of Bede Imogen Corrigan 5–16 Walking to Santiago (mj 851) Dr Rose Walker 6–11 Dutch Modern (mj 853) Professor Harry Charrington 7–11 Ravenna & Urbino (mj 858) Dr Luca Leoncini 7–15 Sacred Armenia (mj 854) Ian Colvin 8–15 Courts of Northern Italy (mj 859) Professor Fabrizio Nevola 9–13 Chateaux of the Loire (mj 855) Dr Sarah Pearson 9–18 Classical Greece (mj 856) Dr Dan Jolowicz 11–18 Walking in Slovenia Professor Cathie Carmichael 11–23 Civilisations of Sicily (mj 862) Christopher Newall
Below: Engraving c. 1840 after a wall painting from Pompeii. Above: lithograph (detail) c. 1800 by R. Martin.
16–26 Georgia Uncovered (mj 875) Ian Colvin 18–24 Walking a Royal River Sophie Campbell 20–27 English Georgian Towns (mj 895) Andrew Foyle 20–29 Albania: Crossroads of Antiquity (mj 898) Carolyn Perry 22– 3 Frank Lloyd Wright (mj 900) Tom Abbott 23–29 The Ligurian Coast Dr Luca Leoncini 24– 1 Walking in Northern Tuscany Dr Thomas-Leo True 25–30 Pompeii & Herculaneum (mj 903) Dr Nigel Spivey 25– 5 Essential Andalucía (mj 905) Dr Philippa Joseph 27– 5 The Cathedrals of England (mj 907) Jon Cannon 27– 5 Two Spains: The Spanish Civil War & its aftermath (mj 908) Giles Tremlett 28– 4 Gardens & Villas of the Italian Lakes Steven Desmond The Sibelius Festival Normandy Medieval Champagne Lucca Siena & San Gimignano
October 2023
2– 7 Gardens & Villas of Campagna Romana (mj 923) Amanda Patton 5–13 Berlin, Potsdam, Dresden (mj 925) Dr Jarl Kremeier 9–15 Malta: prehistoric to present (mj 930) Juliet Rix 12–16 Ravenna & Urbino (mj 940) Dr Luca Leoncini 13–19 Gastronomic Lombardy Christine Smallwood 14–20 Gastronomic Piedmont Cynthia Chapman 16–22 In Search of Alexander (mj 934) Professor Antony Spawforth 16–23 Footpaths of Umbria Dr Thomas-Leo True 16–23 Design & Modernism in Turin & Milan Dr Philippa Joseph 16–25 Castile & León (mj 935) Gijs van Hensbergen 16–28 Civilisations of Sicily (mj 932) John McNeill 17–22 Palladian Villas (mj 955) Dr Sarah Pearson 18–24 Renaissance Rivals Dr Michael Douglas-Scott 20–22 THE THOMAS TALLIS TRAIL 21–29 Essential Jordan (mj 980) Felicity Cobbing 22–28 Modern Art on the Côte d’Azur (mj 928) Mary Lynn Riley 23–29 Malta: prehistoric to present (mj 982) Juliet Rix 30– 4 Wexford Opera Festival 31– 5 Palermo Revealed (mj 996) Dr R.T. Cobianchi Hamburg: Opera & ‘Elphi’ Parma Verdi Festival Art in the Netherlands Walking & Gardens in Madeira Istanbul Revealed Welsh National Opera In Churchill’s Footsteps Symposium: The Castle Hotel, Taunton (theme to be announced)
November 2023
2– 5 Les Années Folles (mj 100) Patrick Bade 7–11 Venetian Palaces (mj 105) Dr Michael Douglas-Scott 9–20 Japanese Gardens (mj 108) Yoko Kawaguchi 13–19 Art History of Venice (mj 110) Dr Susan Steer 13–20 Gastronomic Sicily (mj 111) Marc Millon 15–19 Art in Madrid (mj 112) Dr Xavier Bray 19–26 The Printing Revolution Dr Michael Douglas-Scott 20–26 The Art of Florence Dr Flavio Boggi 30–13 Essential South India (mj 132) Asoka Pugal Music in Paris Opera in Naples & Rome Oman, Landscapes & Peoples Picasso in Spain
December 2023
We usually offer around seven tours over Christmas and New Year. Please contact us to register your interest.
February 2024
25– 8 Vietnam: History, People, Food (mk 181) Dr Dana Healy
March 2024
9–22 Cambodia by River (mk 194) Freddie Matthews
How to book
For full details of any tour or event listed in this brochure, please visit www.martinrandall.com or contact us.
Book on our website
Click ‘Book this tour’ on any tour page to initiate your booking. You can provisionally hold a space online and agree to our terms and conditions. We will then contact you about paying your deposit.
Book by telephone or e-mail Alternatively, call or e-mail us to make a provisional booking which we will hold for seven days. We then require you to complete a booking form and pay a deposit (10% of your total booking price). We will e-mail you a link to our online booking form, or post a paper form to you depending on your preference.
Confirming your booking Upon receipt of your booking form and deposit we will send you formal confirmation. After this your deposit is non-refundable except in the special circumstances outlined in our booking conditions.
Booking conditions It is important that you read these before committing to your booking. We will send these to you with your booking form, or you can find them online: www.martinrandall.com/terms
Above: Istanbul, copper engraving c. 1760 by Probst.
If undelivered, return to: Martin Randall Travel Ltd 10 Barley Mow Passage London W4 4PH United Kingdom ATOL 3622 | ABTOT 5468 | AITO 5085
Online talks with expert speakers
Streaming now or starting soon:
A History of Romanesque in Six Buildings • John McNeill Tuesdays, 6 December–17 January Operas & Places • Simon Rees Tuesdays, 19 January–16 February The Rise and Fall of the Italian Renaissance • Dr Michael Douglas-Scott Tuesdays, 24 January–28 February Handel in London • Richard Wigmore Thursdays, 23 February–16 March Modern China: history, economics and society since 1949 Prof. Kerry Brown • Tuesdays, 7 March–4 April The Age of Power: science and globalisation in the 18th Century Patricia Fara • Thursdays, 23 March–20 April Railway Romance: literature and culture of a British love affair Andrew Martin • Tuesdays, 11 April–9 May Ivory, Apes & Peacocks: luxury, trade & exchange in the ancient world Prof. Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones • Mondays & Wednesdays, 24 April–10 May
Still available to watch:
Neanderthals: the history and science of our closest hominin relations Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes Available until 24 January The Ancient Greeks: a short global history Professor Antony Spawforth Available until 9 February
Recordings are available for subscribers to view for up to eight weeks after the final live talk in a series.
