FULLY BOOKED

Our visit to the auction house will be hosted by Caroline Hawley, who is known for her work on the Antiques Road Show and Bargain Hunt.  Caroline will give us a talk and tour, followed by lunch. 
 
After lunch we will go to St Mary’s Church, Beverley.  A beautiful church which was established in the 12thcentury as a daughter church of Beverley Minster.  As well as having lots of interesting features, the church houses an exhibition of stone carvings based on the Chronicles of Narnia.  The church also has links to 18thcentury writer Mary Wollstonecraft.  

TICKETS:  £42 includes coach from Castle Grove and buffet lunch at the Auction House

Tickets will be on sale at the April lecture.

Vivienne Razavilar nd Anne Phillips (TASL Visits Organisers)

FULLY BOOKED

The Haworth Art Gallery, Accrington is Lancashire’s finest Arts & Crafts house and garden, completed in 1909 for William Haworth.  The Tiffany glass collection (gifted to the Gallery by Joseph Briggs, a young engraver from Accrington who went on to become president of the Tiffany Glass company) is on permanent display and is the largest in Europe.  

The Whittaker Museum & Art Gallery in Rossendale is located in a former mill owner's house which dates back to 1840.  The building now houses a natural history and art collection.

Cost including coach from Castle Grove Hall, lunch and entrance fees: £48 per person.

The Visit is now fully booked

On Tuesday 7th October we have planned a two venue visit for the Arts Society Leeds .

We are going to Leighton Hall near Carnforth in Lancashire. We will also visit The Craven Museum in Skipton.

The cost of the visit is £55.00 and includes lunch and coach from Castle Grove Hall.

LEIGHTON HALL is the ancestral home of the world- renowned Gillow furniture family of Lancaster. The hall is still lived in by descendants of this  family. We will learn about the history of the hall and see the famous collection of Gillow furniture and other objets d’art. Guides will be available to share their knowledge of the hall and its contents. We will also be having lunch at the hall

CRAVEN MUSEUM is located in Skipton Town Hall. The museum is focussed on the local area.It spans pre- history to contemporary in areas as diverse as textiles, fine art, literature, social history and more. Shakespeare’s first folio from 1623 is on permanent display. The museum also holds a collection of objects made by the famous carver Robert Thompson otherwise known as ‘ Mouseman ‘.

FULLY BOOKED - ENQUIRE ABOUT WAITING LIST

We have arranged a visit to Kiplin Hall and the Georgian Theatre Royal in Richmond on Tuesday 29th April 2025.

The cost is £55 per person and includes coach travel from Castle Grove Hall, lunch and refreshments.

An oasis of calm and tranquility in the heart of North Yorkshire, Kiplin Hall & Gardens was built in the 1620’s for George Calvert founder of Maryland, USA. Visitors can enjoy the intimately presented hall and award-winning tearoom, and can lose themselves in scenic walks around the lake, through woodland, parkland, and in the walled and formal gardens. 

The Georgian Theatre Royal, Britain's oldest working theatre in its original form, is both a thriving community playhouse and a living theatre museum.  Built by actor-manager Samuel Butler in 1788, the Georgian Theatre Royal was managed by Butler along with his circuit of theatres at Beverley, Harrogate, Kendal, Northallerton, Ripon, Ulverston and Whitby.

Tickets will be on sale at the January 2025 lecture.  Bring you cheque book to pay and secure your place.

Our next visit is to Carlton Towers and Selby Abbey on 8th October.

Cost:  £65

Includes entrance fees, coach and lunch.

FULLY BOOKED

HISTORY OF CARLTON TOWERS

Carlton Towers was originally cited as being under the ownership of Robert de Brus in the 1086 Domesday Book. Ownership by the family today can be traced back to 1301. Over the 700 years that followed, a rich and fascinating history unfolded, including Kings of Jerusalem crusaders, and knights who fell on the fields of Bannockburn – the rooms and house adornments depict their legacy and testament.   In 1990, Gerald and Emma moved from London to Carlton Towers. Prior to their arrival, the house had been unoccupied for some 20 years. Gerald and Emma embarked upon an extensive restoration of the house to create a beautiful family home for them and their three children: Arthur, Florence and Grace.

Review of the day

We arrived at Auckland Castle late morning and were warmly greeted by our hosts.  Coffee, tea and biscuits were served in the Bishop’s Kitchen which were very welcome after our coach journey.  After coffee, our guides showed us round the Georgian Gothic Castle telling us the story of the Prince Bishops of Durham who had lived there.  We were particularly excited to see the famous Zubarán painting of Jacob and his Twelve Sons.  These were on display in the Long Dining Room and we were invited to sit round the massive dining table which was set up as it would have been at the Bishop’s banquet.  We were then free to explore the rest of the Castle on our own.  After a lunch of soup and sandwiches in the Bishop’s Kitchen we went off to explore the rest of the town.  This included The Mining Art Gallery, The Spanish Gallery, the Faith Museum and the Auckland Tower.  My particular favourite was the Spanish Gallery – four floors of amazing 16th and 17th century Spanish artworks including work by El Greco, Murillo and Velázquez.   The Auckland Project offered a lot more to see and do than was possible in one day and maybe another visit is needed.  We climbed back on the bus at 4 pm after a perfect day of sightseeing and no rain.  Thank you to Vivienne and Anne for organising yet another excellent event for our Society.  

Jane Collins, Membership Secretary 

Conservation in Action at Wentworth Woodhouse

Have you ever wondered how historic properties manage to keep on top of cleaning and looking after a building like Wentworth Woodhouse which is a 250,000 square foot house along with conserving its precious interiors?  If so, join us on our next bespoke visit for a unique trail around the Mansion where you will see cleaning of everything from marble and fire grates to historic wallpaper and even join in with some of the demonstrations!  You’ll be able to meet members of the conservation team who will give you an insight into hidden areas of the House and the restoration work they do to keep Wentworth and the objects it contains looking shipshape.

The visit also includes transport, refreshments and a buffet lunch.

The cost is £60 and the last chance to buy tickets will be at the September lecture - we do hope that you will join us.

Vivienne Razavilar & Anne Phillips (Visits Organisers)

VISIT TO BROCKFIELD HALL AND ALDBY PARK ON 9TH MAY 2023

On 9th May we all enjoyed our visits to two historic houses near York. At Brockfield Hall we were amazed to see the largest private collection by the Staithes Group artists. Simon Ward and his son Charlie were excellent hosts and we were given a very comprehensive tour of this fine late Georgian house which had many outstanding features.

We spent the afternoon at Aldby Park,a listed Georgian mansion home to the Darley family. We all had a wonderful lunch and some of us were lucky enough to eat it in the ornate dining room!! Again a private tour enabled us to appreciate the grandeur of the house.

Anne Philips, Visit Organiser

Image: Our group arriving at Brockfield Hall 

Excurstion to Chatsworth to see the Christmas decorations

THREE LAKELAND ARTS VENUES

• The Arts and Crafts House, Blackwell
• Abbott Hall Art Gallery
• Museum of Lakeland Life & Culture, Kendal

Port Sunlight and the Lady Lever Art Gallery