Saturday 16th March
£30.00 (including CRM Exhibition Entry)
Coach leaves Northwich Memorial Court at 9.00am (c)
Other Pick-Up Points available - details and times here
We visit the
Charles Rennie Mackitosh exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery (entry
included in tour price – Adrian Sumner on board to inform). This
exhibition will span the lifetime of Charles Rennie Mackintosh
(1868–1928) and his contemporaries, exploring the movement that
became known as The Glasgow Style. The Glasgow Style refers to the
design and decorative arts centred around the work by teachers,
students and graduates of the Glasgow School of Art produced between
about 1890 and 1920.
Glasgow was
the birthplace of the only Art Nouveau ‘movement’ in the UK and
its style made ripples internationally. The exhibition will present
objects from Glasgow Museums and the Mitchell Library and Archives as
well as loans from private and public collections. About 250 objects
will be on display across the full spectrum of media, including
stained glass, ceramics, mosaic, metalwork, furniture, stencilling,
embroidery, graphics, books, interiors and architecture.
The Gallery
is also hosting an exhibition of 12 Leonardo da Vinci drawings to
mark the 500th anniversary of the Renaissance master's death,
exploring the diversity of subjects that inspired his creativity,
including painting, sculpture, architecture, music, anatomy,
engineering, cartography, geology and botany.
The free
exhibition will also present new information about Leonardo's working
practices and creative process, gathered through scientific research
using a range of non-invasive techniques including ultraviolet
imaging, infrared reflectography and X-ray fluorescence.
There will
then be free time to explore the many other museums, galleries and
attractions in Liverpool, including Fernand Leger and Liverpool
Mountain by Swiss-artist Ugo Rondinon at Tate Liverpool.Linked Lecture by Adrian Sumner on Wednesday 12th March
Details here.
Saturday 27th April
£24.00 (Entry fees extra)Coach leaves Northwich Memorial Court at 9.00am (c)
Other Pick-Up Points available - details and times here
We start
with a visit to the Hall I' th' Wood, a Grade 1, 16th century
half-timbered hall that is one of the north-west’s most important
buildings. It contains displays of 17th and early 18th century
furniture, objects and artefacts, learn more about the life and work
of Samuel Crompton and discover all about life in Stuart and Tudor
times. The rooms have been accurately refurbished to retain their
homely atmosphere. Hall i’ th’ Wood Museum started life as a rich
merchant’s home during the mid-17th century. Years later the
building was split into several rented dwellings and, whilst living
in one of these with his family, Samuel Crompton famously invented
the Spinning Mule in 1779. The mule went on to be one of the most
significant spinning machines used by the textile industry. The house
and grounds were presented to the people of Bolton in memory of
Samuel Crompton and opened to the public as a museum in 1902.
Lunchtime is
spent in Bolton Town Centre where the Museum and Art Gallery houses a
fine art collection of over 3500 items. Nearly all of these are works
by British artists dating from the 18th
century to the present day, plus local history, Ethnography,
Egyptology and Geology collections.
After lunch
we visit Turton Tower, a house that has been evolving over the last
500 years. From a stone tower house in the 1400s, to the home of the
Tudor Orrell and, later, the Victorian Kay Families, Turton Tower has
been altered and adapted to suit the needs and tastes of those who
lived here.
Birmingham & Aston Hall
Saturday 25th May
£25.00 (Entry fees extra)Coach leaves Northwich Memorial Court at 9.00am (c)
Other Pick-Up Points available - details and times here
The
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery holds the most important collection
of Pre-Raphaelite art anywhere in the world, numbering over 3000
paintings, drawings, prints and examples of decorative art and
design. The Pre-Raphaelite galleries bring together highlights from
this extraordinary collection to tell the story of the Brotherhood,
and their revolutionary contribution to British art.
A selection
of treasurers from the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest hoard of
Anglo-Saxon gold ever found, is on display. Nearby is
the Birmingham Central Library, Broad Street and the Jewellery
Quarter.
After lunch
we visit Aston Hall. Aston Hall is a magnificent seventeenth century
red-brick mansion situated in a picturesque public park on the north
side of Birmingham. Built between 1618 and 1635 for Sir Thomas Holte
and home to James Watt Junior from 1817-1848, Aston Hall is steeped
in history. Now a grade I listed building, the hall has been restored
to its former Jacobean splendour. Walk through the stunning interiors
and see the home that received royalty, was besieged during the
English Civil War and inspired an author.Cancelled
Helmsley Walled Garden & Rievaulx Abbey
Saturday 15th June
£29.00 (Entry fees extra)Coach leaves Northwich Memorial Court at 8.00am (a)
Other Pick-Up Points available - details and times here
Rievaulx
Abbey (EH), the impressive ruins of one of England's most powerful
Cistercian monasteries. The new visitor experience shines a light on
Rievaulx Abbey's fascinating past and the lives of the monks who
called Rievaulx Abbey their home. Explore our elegant museum
displaying previously unseen artefacts which tell the story of the
rise and dramatic fall of the first Cistercian abbey in the North of
England. Wander the extensive ruins of the abbey to discover more
about the building and how it looked at various stages of its
development. Pick up an audio tour to learn more or hunt for clues of
medieval life with our family trail. Take in the stunning views from
our new visitor centre while enjoying a tasty treat in our new
tearoom and appreciate why St Aelred's 'everywhere peace, everywhere
serenity' description of Rievaulx Abbey could quite easily have been
written today.
Helmsley is the perfect English market town. There is a
bustling market square, the dramatic castle ruins, the charming tea
rooms, the inviting inns.
Helmsley Walled Garden, built in 1759, a five acre garden
sitting beneath the imposing ruins of Helmsley Castle. It provided
the vegetables, fruit and flowers for the table of Duncombe Park
until just after World War 1 when it was leased as market garden.
Abandoned after it closed its doors for the final time in 1984, it
fell into dereliction. Restoration started in 1994 and since then the
Garden has gone from strength to strength through the dedication and
care of staff and volunteers.Click here to book Online or Call Carol on 07932927694
Waddesdon
Manor
Saturday 20th July
£30.00 (Entry fees extra)Coach departs Northwich Memorial Court at 8.00am (a)
Other Pick-Up Points available - details and times here
Waddesdon
Manor (NT) is a French Renaissance-style château built by Baron
Ferdinand de Rothschild in 1874 to entertain the fashionable world
and to house his collection of fine art.
As a family,
the Rothschilds were the greatest collectors of the 19th century,
seeking the highest quality of workmanship and with a keen sense of
historical importance. The houses that they built, the interiors they
created and the magnificent Rothschild collections within them became
known internationally as the ‘goût Rothschild’. Waddesdon is one
of the rare survivors of that splendour.
Highlights
of the collections include Sevres Porcelain (including 3 ship vases
of which only 10 exist), 18th
Century French furniture (many pieces from the Palace of Versailles),
Paintings (with masterpieces by Gainsborough, Reynolds, Boucher,
Chardin, de Hooch, and Cuyp), Modern and Contemporary Art, and
Renaissance treasures.
Step back in
time in the Victorian style gardens, gaze at flamboyant colours on
the parterre amid the ornate fountains and statuary. Unearth the rare
and exotic birds housed in the rococo style Aviary found in the heart
of the gardens.
Click here to book Online or Call Carol on 07932927694
Lotherton Hall & LeedsClick here to book Online or Call Carol on 07932927694
Saturday 10th August
£27.00 (Entry fees extra)Coach leaves Northwich Memorial Court at 8.30am (b)
Other Pick-Up Points available - details and times here
We
spend the first part of the day in Leeds City Centre. Leeds Art
Gallery has a nationally important collection of 20th
Century British Art plus a special exhibition Woodwork: A Family Tree
of Sculpture exploring the idea that wood is the most human of
materials, as it crosses cultures and time with its plasticity,
portability and durability. Drawing from the collections, discover
works of British sculpture alongside objects from Africa, India,
China and Myanmar from the world cultures collection. Also explore
the impressive Victoria Quarter shopping arcades.
After
lunch we visit Lotherton Hall, celebrating 50 years of being open to
the public. The grand but comfortable house consists mainly of late
Victorian and Edwardian extensions made by Colonel Gascoigne, based
around a Regency-period core. Visitors can bask in the ambience of
this charming country home, giving a taste of the lives of the
English upper classes in the early 1900s. Restored servants’ rooms
also explore the lives of the house’s staff.
As well as
displaying the beautiful items given by the Gascoignes, Lotherton is
a treasure-trove of internationally important 19th and 20th century
decorative art, including objects from many important designers and
makers. Annual exhibitions of dress and textiles are displayed in the
beautifully refurbished Fashion Galleries. Lotherton’s historic
chapel – dating to the 1100s and dedicated to St. James – was
once part of the medieval village of Luttrington. It was restored
during the First World War for use by soldiers when Lotherton was
being used as a military hospital.
The
gardens cover 8 acres and were designed as a series of enclosed
gardens by Mrs Gwendolen Gascoigne between 1893 and 1914, with few
changes up to her death in 1949. The old Walled Garden was
transformed into an "old-fashioned" garden filled with rose
beds and herbaceous borders with scented flowers, tender creepers and
perennials. The William and Mary Garden was built with a sunken pond
and plant walls. Part of the Victorian shrubbery was made into a rock
garden, with winding sunken paths and a hard tennis court was laid
out overlooking the pasture. Today, the gardens are being slowly
restored.Click here to book Online or Call Carol on 07932927694
Chesterfield & The Harley Gallery
Saturday 14th September
£25.00 (Entry fees extra)Coach leaves Northwich Memorial Court at 8.30am (b)
Other Pick-Up Points available - details and times here
Chesterfield,
best known for its twisted spire, is a thriving market town.
Chesterfield Market is one of the largest open air markets in England
and has been trading for over 800 years. The flea market is one of
the largest in the country. Browse around the stalls and find
yourself a bargain, or maybe a priceless antique in disguise! Chesterfield
Museum and Art Gallery
tells the Story of Chesterfield, from its Roman origins to its growth
as a market town and up to the present day. The Museum also reflects
the town’s important industrial heritage, tracing the development
of coal mining and local industries. Chesterfield’s most famous
Victorian resident, George Stephenson, the ‘Father of the Railways’
is also featured. 
We then
spend the afternoon at the Harley Gallery, near Worksop. Ivy, Duchess
of Portland set up The Harley Foundation in 1978. It is a charitable
trust which works to encourage the enjoyment of the visual arts and
to celebrate the handmade.
The
Foundation works to create spaces where the imagination can flourish.
It funds The Harley Gallery and The Portland Collection, which have both won awards for their architecture. The galleries are
in The Courtyard at Welbeck, they are free to enter and show a
changing programme of art exhibitions.
The Portland
Collection includes outstanding examples from some of the most highly
regarded artists of each period, and includes one of the largest
privately-owned and significant collections of British portraits and miniatures.
Many fine paintings reflect the family’s love of horse racing and
horse training, including a unique group of twelve very large
paintings of horses, dating from the early seventeenth century. The
Collection also features work by John Herring and George Stubbs. The
Portland Collection is known for its superb range of miniature
paintings, dating back to Tudor period, sixteenth century, and
including works by Hans Holbein and Nicholas Hilliard. Also see one
of the largest collections of portraits painted in oils, still
privately owned in England. Including works by Anthony van Dyck,
Philip de Lazslo, Hyacinthe Rigaud and Sir Peter Lely – plus the
only surviving painting by Marcus Gheeraedts the Elder. You might
remember the news reports of a diamond tiara “worth millions”
being stolen from the collection in November 2018.
The
exhibition at the Harley Gallery is In My Shoes, exploring approaches
to self-portraiture by British Artists since the 1990’s,
encompassing film, photography and sculpture. Including works by
Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas, Gavin Turk, Rachel McLean and Bedwyr
Williams.
Click here to book Online or Call Carol on 07932927694
Click here to book Online or Call Carol on 07932927694
Click here to download the brochure.
