Forthcoming Events

Rode Hall, Cheshire: Thursday 26th April 2012

(Sir Richard Baker – Wilbraham, Bt) Rode Hall, near Congleton, Cheshire, is an elegant 18th century house, set in 10 acres of beautiful gardens and extensive parkland and has been the home of the Baker Wilbraham family for over 350 years. It has fine family portraits and Georgian furniture, notably by Gillows and George Oakley. Its collection of porcelain however is unique and truly remarkable.
For further details see Newsletter 122

Southill Park and Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire: 11th – 12th June 2012

(Sir Samuel Whitbread and the Duke of Bedford) (overnight at the Inn at Woburn)
Southill Park is the supremely elegant home of the Whitbread family, built by Henry Holland from 1795. Most of its original furnishings, designed by the architect and supplied by the leading furniture makers of the last years of the 18th century, have survived intact (and in superb condition) within the house. Woburn Abbey is justly famous as one of the great treasure houses of England. As well as looking at the great family portraits, paintings, silver and porcelain we will we able to admire a range of superb 18th century furniture. For further details see Newsletter 122

Country Houses of North Norfolk: Monday 16th to Friday 20th July 2012

This joint visit with the Leeds Art Collections Fund will explore some of the exceptionally fine country houses and collections of furniture and works of art in this region. Visits to Blickling, Felbrigg, Holkham, and Houghton have already been arranged. We hope also to visit another interesting private house in the area. En route to Norfolk we are arranging a private visit to Belton and on the way home a visit either to Sandringham or another private house (where possible all visits have been arranged when the houses are closed or before they open to the public). We shall be based at the comfortable award-winning Beechwood Hotel, North Walsham, a Regency house with an attractive garden, spacious lounges and bar and an elegant dining room.

Rococo Bavaria: 9th – 20th September 2012 (with the Leeds Art Fund)

This is a 12 day visit to the great houses, churches and palaces of mid 18th century Bavaria. We will travel by Britannia coach from Leeds, via Dover – Calais ferry, staying in four star hotels, one night en route in Ghent, three nights in the World Heritage Site at Bamberg, three nights in Munich, and three nights at Lindau on Lake Constance.  For further details see Newsletter 122

Recent Events

14th December 2011: Visit to Sion Hill and Christmas Lunch

At Sion Hill we were given a very interesting tour of this neo-Georgian masterpiece of Walter Brierly designed in 1912. It is the home of the Herbert Mawer collection of works of art and contains a series of elegant rooms filled with fine Old Master paintings and portraits, excellent furniture, silver and porcelain and is set in immaculate grounds. Following the visit we enjoyed  a festive lunch at the Crab and Lobster Inn at Asenby.

Wednesday 26th October 2011; 11.00 – 3.00: Autumn Lecture, Lunch and Tour at Temple Newsam

Dr Abigail Harrison-Moore gave a talk entitled Fraud, Fakery and False Business: re-thinking the Shrager versus Dighton ‘Old Furniture Case’.  The talk was based on her new book on the sensational trial of 1923 when the collector Adolphe Shrager took the antique dealer Basil Dighton to court for selling him grossly over-priced fakes. After lunch there was a tour of some of the ‘less-than-fully-authentic pieces’ in the Temple Newsam collection.

Thursday 29th September 2011: Visit to Shandy Hall, Coxwold and Newburgh Priory.

Following a tour of Coxwold Church with its splendid monuments we crossed the road to Shandy Hall, where Lawrence Sterne wrote his masterpiece Tristram Shandy. The House is now a shrine to one of the most imaginative literary figures of the 18th century. After lunch at the Fauconberg Arms we had a private visit to Newburgh Priory, the home of Sir George and Lady Wombwell, with its fine interiors, plasterwork, furniture and paintings.

Monday 18th to Friday 22nd July 2011: Visit to Northamptonshire Houses.  

This joint visit with the Leeds Art Collections Fund explored some of the exceptionally fine country houses and collections of furniture and works of art in this region. Travelling by coach we visited Doddington House, Kelmarsh Hall, Boughton House, Lowick Church, Drayton House, Cottesbrooke Hall, Elton Hall, Burghley House, All Saints Church, Brixworth, and Lamport Hall. Our base was the comfortable Barnsdale Lodge Hotel, near Rutland Water, a converted 18th century farm with rooms arranged around an attractive garden courtyard. For further details of this visit, see Newsletter 121

Tuesday 7th June 2011: The Annual Dinner

This was held at Otley Golf Club at 7:00 for 7:30 and was the usual enjoyable evening, with after-dinner talks by Mr Patrick Dingwell, Sotheby’s Representative in Yorkshire and Mr Henry House, The Head of English Furniture at Sotheby’s.

Wednesday 4th May 2011: Visit to Scampston Hall and Birdsall House

This visit by coach took place jointly with the Leeds Art Collections Fund.

Scampston Hall (home of Sir Charles and Lady Legard) is a remarkably fine early Regency house built for the St Quintin family in a parkland designed by Capability Brown. It has been restored to the highest standards and a contemporary garden created in the old walled garden. The interiors contain a splendid collection of paintings, porcelain and furniture – including a suite attributed to Chippendale. We were greeted with coffee and then enjoyed a tour of the house. After this we had time to visit the garden and were then provided with a splendid lunch before departing for Birdsall House (home of Lord and Lady Middleton and the Willoughby family).

This is an early house with many 19th century additions. It contains some exceptional furniture and works of art assembled by this ancient family, with numerous items brought here from their other historic properties, notably from the Elizabethan Woollaton Hall, near Nottingham.

We were shown round both houses by members of the family who were most hospitable and we had a most enjoyable and interesting day.

Wednesday 15th December 2010: Christmas visit to Castle Howard and Lunch

A group of members travelled by coach to Castle Howard where we toured the house and admired both the more usual contents and the beautiful Christmas decorations.  This was followed by an excellent Christmas lunch specially laid on for us in the Grecian Hall (with a roaring log fire).

Thursday 14th October 2010: Lecture and Lunch. at Temple Newsam 11.30 - 3.30

James Lomax, Hon Curator of the Chippendale Society gave a lecture on. Gothick, Chinese and French: styles of subversion in mid Georgian England.  The lecture was followed by lunch and an ‘Over the ropes’ tour of selected rooms at Temple Newsam.

Wednesday 6th October 2010: Visit to Wentworth Castle and Wentworth Woodhouse.

These two vast 18th century houses were built by rival members of the Wentworth family as expressions of their political and social status. We travelled by coach and arrived at Wentworth Castle for coffee. The visit was led by Dr Patrick Eyres whose enthusiasm for this magnificent Baroque palace was infectious. Our visit confirmed the successes of the Trust formed to restore the building, park and gardens. After a light lunch at the Castle we travelled to Wentworth Woodhouse, where we were taken round the state rooms by the present owner, Mr Newbould, and his son. They explained all the work they have done and intend to do in saving this important mansion.  Further information about both houses can be found in Newsletter 117.

Monday 5th July to Friday 9th July 2010: West Country Houses and Gardens

We visited a number of houses and gardens in South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire that have strong associations with Thomas Chippendale senior and junior. These included Stourhead, Wilton House, Corsham Court, Badminton and Stanway House. Several of the visits were private,with an expert guide.  We stayed at the comfortable Old Bell Hotel in Malmesbury. A full report of this trip is contained in Newsletter 117 (September 2010)