On 10 September a sunny and mild day we visited the Henry Moore Studios and Garden in Perry Green.  Following a tour of Hoglands, Moore's family home, we had an excellent guided tour of the main sculptures in the gardens, his studios and his tapestries in the ancient Aisled Barn.  A very interesting day enjoyed by all that concluded with time to wander around the garden at our leisure to further enjoy the sculptures in their spectacular rural setting.

There was also an opportunity to buy large and very tasty cooking apples grown in the orchard. Those of us who did really enjoyed them.

We had a wonderful daytrip to Kingston Bagpuize House on a beautiful Spring day. The house still family owned has a long and interesting history. Some family members were our instructive guides on the tour of the house. It has been used as a filming location for Downton Abbey and Bridgerton.  The grounds and gardens include specimen trees, grassland extensive areas of shrub and flower planting.

The final icing on the cake, literally, was the wonderful food served in the sunny courtyard. The homemade cakes and biscuits were a delight.

On a damp dark evening members and their guests enjoyed a fascinating visit to the College of Arms in the City of London.  We were met by Adam Tuck, Lancaster Herald at the College, who started by telling us about the history of heraldry and the role of the Heralds.  He then spoke about the architecture of their historic building and we saw the three principal ground floor rooms. This was followed by a visit to the Record Room where we  saw an amazing selection of College records and other manuscripts dating back to 1484. Most of these are still used as working documents and contain wonderful coats of arms and other illustration with colours as vibrant as they day they were created. We finished with a glass of wine. Overall a very interesting and very enjoyable evening.

On a warm sunny day the Society visited Cookham and the Stanley Spencer Gallery.  The visit followed Amy Lim's excellent lecture to the Society on Stanley Spencer's Cookham. We were split into two groups with excellent and very knowledgeable guides for guided tours of the gallery and their temporary exhibition ‘The Cookham Brotherhood’.  This temporary exhibition included some works by Stanley's brother Gilbert.  This was followed by guided walks around Cookham to see the location of many of Stanley's paintings.  A great visit much enhanced by having excellent guides.

We visited the neo-gothic building that started life as the Middlesex Guildhall and is now The Supreme Court. Built in 1913 and designed by Scottish architect James Gibson (1864–1951), the building is situated opposite the Houses of Parliament, and flanked by the Treasury and Westminster Abbey. As the Courts were not sitting our visit included the courts where our excellent guide explained the history and workings of the Supreme Court as well as the history of the building and the significant of many elements of the design.  We also visited the the library as well as other public areas.  Overall a fascinating and very informative visit.

Stonor Park & Gardens – Our members enjoyed a wonderful self-drive visit in May at Stonor Park, home to the Stonor family for over 850 years and one of England's oldest manor houses with its own private deer park set in the idyllic Chilterns. Behind the red brick façade, Stonor’s origins go back to Medieval times. As well as being treated to the Chapel, which dates back to the 13th Century, we also marvelled at the grand Gothic revival hall, atmospheric 17th century library and the dramatic long gallery opening on to beautiful Italianate gardens. Stonor contains a remarkable collection of portraits, beautiful stained glass, old Master Drawings, European Bronzes, an early 19th century wallpaper of Paris and is also closely associated with St. Edmund Campion, martyred in 1581.  

LEIGHTON HOUSE is the former home and studio of the leading Victorian artist Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830-1896). It is unique among the capital’s museums in combining an exceptional collection of Victorian art with the intimacy of a private home. The house was designed by his great friend, the architect George Aitchison RA as a showcase for artistic taste and to entertain and impress the foremost artists, collectors, and celebrities of the day. The exterior of Leighton House gives little clue as to the treasures that lie within.

 The highlight of any visit is the extraordinary Arab Hall which reflects Leighton’s fascination with the Middle East where he travelled widely. This room was built between 1877 - 1881 to display his outstanding collection of 16th and 17th-century Islamic tiles and contains mosaic floors, a gold mosaic frieze, set beneath a gilded dome, and a calming fountain. Not to be missed is Leighton’s recently restored Winter Studio on the first floor, with its large north-facing window, picture slot and screen. Leighton produced all the works of his mature career in this room, including the iconic Flaming June which is now at the Museo de Arte Ponce, Puerto Rico.

THE ARTS SOCIETY EALING has organised an in-depth 90-minute private guided tour of the lavish interiors of Leighton House, including the magnificent Arab Hall and the painting studio. Our expert guide will also share insights into the life and career of Frederic Leighton and the history of the house. 

THE COST OF THE VISIT:  

£23 per person for members of The Arts Society Ealing and £28 per person for non-members

If you wish to join this visit, please email  swrtase19@gmail.com

Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.  Once your place(s) has been confirmed  you will be sent payment instructions and joining instructions.  We require payment direct to the Society’s bank account.

Better known recently as Button House the setting for the successful BBC series 'GHOSTS'.

The guided tour was excellent and informative and included areas of the medieval manor house not normally open to the public. There was also ample oppurtunity to explore grounds and the pop up cafe at Place Farm Barn on a lovely autmn day.

VISIT TO CHISWICK HOUSE & GARDENS

WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL 2023 AT 11.00AM

Chiswick House and Gardens is one of the most glorious examples of 18th-century British architecture and landscaped gardens.  Two Georgian trendsetters, the architect and designer William Kent and his friend and patron Richard Boyle, the third Earl of Burlington, created the House and Gardens between 1725 and about 1738. Influenced by their travels on the Grand Tour, they rejected the showy, Baroque style fashionable in England, in favour of a simpler, symmetrical design based on the classical architecture of Italy. Together they broke down the rigid formality of the early 18th-century garden to create a revolutionary, natural-looking landscape. Chiswick, the birthplace of the English Landscape Movement, went on to influence gardens from Blenheim Palace to New York’s Central Park.

Most Arts Society Ealing members will have visited the house and gardens, some very regularly.  This visit gives you the opportunity to learn about the fascinating history of the house, its architecture, the concepts behind the design of the gardens and its influence on garden design throughout the world.  We will have exclusive access to the house for our one hour guided tour followed by a 30 minute break for coffee (there is a café in the grounds; coffee not included in cost of visit) and then a one hour guided garden tour that will focus on the landscaped gardens surrounding the House, the collaboration between Lord Burlington and William Kent to pioneer a more natural and informal style of gardening and which developed into the English Landscaping style.  The garden tour concludes next to the Conservatory which marks the entrance to the walled Kitchen Garden. Originally the Kitchen Garden and Conservatory were part of a Jacobean estate next to Chiswick House and owned by Charles James Fox and were bought and added to the Chiswick House Estate by the 6th Duke of Devonshire in 1812. Those who wish to can see the Kitchen Garden can do so at their leisure at no additional cost (an entry fee is usually charged for the Kitchen Garden).

The house tour involves stairs and there is no lift access within the house. The nearest station is Turnham Green from where you can catch the E3 bus to Chiswick House.

      The cost of the visit is £25 per person for members and £30 per head for non-members.

If you wish to join this visit please email  to gcsmurray@yahoo.co.uk and include your mobile phone number. 

Elton Hall became the baronial home of the Proby family in 1660 when the Baronet rebuilt the house in a Gothic style incorporating the medieval chapel and gatehouse. In 1855, the house was further refined and enlarged with a kitchen wing and a billiard room.  The Drawing Room includes the earlier chapel and has an 18th century ceiling. A fine collection of paintings and family portraits are on view throughout the house. 

Lady Meredyth Proby has spent 40 years working on the splendid gardens which include topiary, a lily pond, stunning flower gardens, orangery, a wisteria walk and a fountain. A shell arbour decorated by Charlotte Kerr Wilson was built for our Queen's Jubilee. In 2021, Elton Hall gardens were selected for the Christie's award for the best historic house garden - a genuine tribute to Meredyth's excellent work.  It should be looking at its best in June.

Sir William, Meredyth and their four daughters live in Elton Hall and are delighted that we are seeing the house and gardens today after our cancelled 2020 visit.  The house is opening especially for us.

 The cost (including entrance to the house and gardens, and guided tour) is £37.50 for members and £42.50 for non-members.

 We will be leaving Ealing at 9.30 am and expect to be back around 5.30 pm.  Refreshments are available in the adjacent garden centre or local pub.

 If you wish to join this visit, please email aektase1@gmail.com

We are likited to 35 places which will be allocated on a first come first served basis.  Once your place has been confirmed, you will be sent payment instructions. 

 Please note:

• Refunds can only be made if you cancel more than 21 days prior to the visit.
• If the visit is oversubscribed a waiting list will be maintained. 

This fascinating walk will start at 11am and will be lead by Alan Read (one of our lecturers). We shall explore the now wonderful area around King's Cross that has been extensively improved and re-imagined over the last decade. 

The walk and visit will last about 1 and a half hours. Tickets cost £13 for members and £18 for non-members. 

We visited Ely, Norwich and country estates in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. Highlights include a Blue Badge guided tour of Norwich including the Castle, Cathedral and the Castle Museum and Art Gallery. Houghton Hall and Sandringham House. National Trust properties Felbrigg and Blickling Halls. On the final day we  visited Angelsey Abbey, Gardens and the Lode Mill. 

Our visit to this wonderful house and estate was wonderful. Wilton House -  country seat of the Earls of Pembroke for 400 years. The House has beautiful 17th century interiors and a collection of paintings including some by Rembrandt, Pieter Brueghel, van Dyck and Richard Wilson. 

The 22 acres of gardens and park include a Japanese garden.

There is also a classic car collection. This summer there is special exhibition of photographs by Cecil Beaton from the Sotheby's Archive curated by Jasper Conran. 

This all day tour will cost members £32 per person. This ticket price includes entrance to Broughton Castle. Upton House is a National Trust property and non NT members will need to pay the entrance fee on the day. 

Upton House is famous for the excellent collection of paintings on display. It was owned by the Bearsteds from 1927. They spent the money made via Shell Oil on paintings from Bosch to Stubbs and El Greco. The house was adapted to accommodate the paintings and porcelain. There is a fine garden designed by Lady Bearsted and a kitchen garden with a mirror pool. On arrival we will get tea and biscuits. Following the tour there will be a chance to see the gardens and take lunch.

We shall then go to Broughton Castle for a 2pm tour Broughton Castle is the residence of Lord Saye and Sele of the Fiennes family, since 1447 is a moated and fortified manor house. It is rated by Simon Jenkins as one of the best houses in Britain. The house is usually closed on Tuesdays so they are opening specially for us. They will provide us with tea and cakes served at 3.30pm at a cost of £4.95.

THIS TOUR IS NOW FULLY BOOKED.  Travellers are reminded to make their final payment direct to the travel agent by 5th February 2019.

This tour from 2 -9 April 2019 will include 19 sites /multiple sights. We shall fly from London Heathrow  on Air Malta and stay for 6 nights half-board at the Victoria Hotel Sliema. Highlights will include:

• Valetta Grand Harbour Cruise and a guided tour of the city
• St John's Co-Cathedral with a wonderful Caravaggio painting
• The Grandmaster's palace
• Island of Gozo guided tour
• Mdina - the silent city and old capital guided tour
• Prehistoric Temples of Tarxien 
• National Museum of Fine Arts 

and much more.

Malta has been inhabited for over 7,000 years. Many have left their mark on the country including the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Knights of St. John and the British.

THIS WONDERFUL VISIT WILL TAKE PLACE ON 13 MARCH 2019 AND IS FULLY BOOKED.

FULL DETAILS HAVE BEEN CIRCULATED TO MEMBERS including the booking form and joining instructions.

This visit will include a visit to Lacock Abbey (National Trust) covering the cloisters, rooms used by the Fox - Talbot family and the photography museum. It is hoped that this visit will coincide with the flowering of the magnificent crocus collection in the gardens.

There will be time for lunch (independently) either at the N.T. cafes or in the village at one of the inns or restaurants. 

There will also be a walking tour of Lacock village including the Church of St. Cyriac, the Tithe barn and the Lockup. 

The cost of this visit will be £21 per person for Arts Society Ealing members and £26 for non-members.  Access to the Abbey and Museum is free for National Trust members. Non- NT members will need to pay the £13.60 admission charge upon arrival. 

THIS VISIT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED AND A SHORT WAITING LIST HAS BEEN SET UP.

We have secured a Connoisseurs Tour of this wonderful exhibition on FRIDAY 7 DECEMBER AT 10.15am. The tour includes tea/ coffee and croissant or brownie before the tour. 

The exhibition includes an opportunity to see Walpole's masterpieces at Strawberry Hill for the first time in 170 years. It includes paintings by Reynolds & Lely, Sevres porcelain and Grindling Gibbons carvings. Highlights include Reynolds 'The Ladies Waldegrave' and the Rosewood Cabinet on loan from the V & A. 

Tckets for the visit cost £33 per person for The Arts Society Ealing members and £38 for non-members. 

A more detailed flyer will be sent to all members in the next week. Early booking is advised as this will be very popular.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS VISIT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED

A waiting  list is being maintained, so if you would like to go, there is still a chance.

The Royal Naval College Chapel, the College Site and the Old Skittle Alley, Greenwich. 

This visit includes a scaffolding tour of the world famous Painted Ceiling and an opportunity to play skittles in the skittle alley. The number of places for this tour is just 24. The tour starts at 2pm and will last about two hours. 

Members wishing to participate should check the flyer for booking details they have received about this visit as soon as possible. 

Our 2018 overseas visit is to Florence.   We depart on 28th May 2018, for 7 days, 6 nights.  This visit is fully booked. 

If you would like to join The Arts Society Ealing to be able to participate in visits like this, please contact us.

Sandycombe Lodge was built by 1813 to the designs of England’s great landscape painter, J.M.W. Turner; working here as his own architect to create a quiet retreat for himself, away from the pressures of the London art world. It also provided a home for his father, old William, in retirement from his trade as a barber and wigmaker in Covent Garden. With old William’s declining health and changes in his own life, Turner sold the house in 1826.

This visit is now fully booked. Members have received details for joining the waiting list.

FULL - BUT THERE MAY BE CANCELLATIONS.   MEMBERS SHOULD CONTACT US IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO>

We have a day trip to the famous Highclere Castle, near Newbury, Berkshire on the 10th April 2018. In 1838, the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon brought in Sir Charles Barry to transform his home into a grand mansion which would impress the world. Queen Victoria had just come to the throne, and the whole decade witnessed innovation in politics and cultural life. The Castle returned to a private home and in 1922 the 5th Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun. Today the present 8th Earl & Countess of Carnarvon partly live in the Castle and remain closely involved in the Castle’s day to day life and future. Recognised nowadays as the home of “Downtown Abbey”, you will have the opportunity to visit the Castle , gardens and a special exhibition “Celebrating 95years since the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun”. 

THIS VISIT IS NOW SOLD OUT.  MEMBERS MAY JOIN THE WAITING LIST.   PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN.

The Temple of Mithras, originally constructed around AD 240 on the banks of the river Walbrook, was discovered in 1954 during the excavation of a World War II bomb site. It captured the imagination of the public, with an estimated 400,000 people visiting the uncovered remains. The mysterious cult of Mithras first appeared in Rome in the 1st century AD. It spread across the Empire over the next 300 years, predominantly attracting merchants, soldiers and imperial administrators. Meeting in temples which were often constructed below ground, these were private, dark and windowless spaces. The mythological scene of Mithras killing a bull within a cave, the ‘tauroctony’ is at the heart of the cult, and its full meaning is subject of much speculation.  Today, seven metres below modern street level, the London Mithraeum offers visitors an immersive experience and brings the bustling world of Roman Londinium to life by unlocking the stories behind the city’s first Londoners.

Sir John Soane built Pitzhanger Manor in 1800 and he entertained many of his erudite and witty friends there, including both JMW Turner and William Hogarth. Did you know that when Soane originally bought The Rake’s Progress from Hogarth it was hung in Pitzhanger Manor until Sir John moved out to Lincoln’s Inn Fields?

Where stood Soane’s kitchens, we now have a magnificent art gallery that is the largest contemporary art gallery in outer west London.  The gallery will become internationally important in the very near future.

You will also have the chance to purchase some completely unique Christmas presents for your friends and family so bring your wallets!  The Friends of Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery keep honey bees in the park and make beautifully decorated gifts, not just from the honey but wonderful beeswax body balms as well. These are all made and sold by volunteers.

 The Manor is currently undergoing a £12 million renovation to take it back to how Sir John first built it and it is a perfect time for you to learn all about the exciting plans the Trust has for its future. The Trust is still raising much needed funds for the renovation work.

The Rickyard is in the cafe in Walpole Park behind Pitzhanger Manor.  Access via the lane past the Royal Mail sorting office by Ealing Green.  Meet at 6 pm

Members have been sent details of how to book onto this visit.   Why not join The Arts Society Ealing so that you can attend events such as this?  Contact us for details.

At the invitation of Rupa Huq, Member of Parliament for Ealing Central & Acton, we have arranged a visit for 25 members to the Palace of Westminster on Monday 4 December 2017. Parliamentary business permitting we will meet Rupa at the end of the tour.

This visit is now fully booked, but members who would like to go can join a waiting list.  Follow the instructions that you have already had by email. 

This visit is open only to members of The Arts Society Ealing.

Why not join so as to be able to attend visits such as this one?

A 90 minute walk from outside Dexters Estate Agents, just outside Ealing Broadway Station to St Mary's Church in South Ealing Road, guided by Alan Fortune.

This event is now SOLD OUT, but we are maintaining a waiting list, so it is still worth contacting us if you would like to go..  We are running this Saturday event in response to requests for more visit/events outside the working week so it is reassuring to see it so well supported..  

This walk is open to all but why not join The Arts Society Ealing to be able to participate in all our events, as well as  being able to attend 8 lectures per year at no further charge.

Canaletto & the Art of Venice at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace.

THIS VISIT IS NOW SOLD OUT.   THERE IS A WAITING LIST, WHICH YOU CAN JOIN IN CASE OF ANY CANCELLATIONS.

On the morning of Tuesday 31 October we will be visiting the Queen's Gallery for a talk about the exhibition - a cup of tea or coffee is included - after which you will be free to view the exhibition at your leisure. This exhibition is a great follow up to the wonderful trip to Venice last May and of equal interest to those who were unable to come. 

If you would like to join The Arts Society Ealing to be able to participate in visits like this, please contact us.

Booking is now open for the 4-day EDFAS visit to Liverpool departing 9th October.  Members should follow the instructions already given by email to book.

FEATURES

• 4* central Liverpool hotel
• Half board accommodation
• All excursions & guided tours included
• Entrance fees to non-National Trust properties included
• Blue Badge guide on Days 2 & 3
• Executive coach throughout

WHAT WE WILL SEE

Little Moreton Hall – guided tour
• Liverpool – guided city tour
• Roman Catholic Cathedral
• Liverpool Cathedral
• Antony Gormley’s ‘Another Place’ at Crosby Beach
• Walker Art Gallery – guided tour
• Tate Liverpool – guided tour
• Museum of Liverpool
• Port Sunlight Village
• Lady Lever Art Gallery – guided tour

If you would like to join EDFAS to be able to participate in visits like this, please contact us.

On 15th September we visit Petworth House and take the new Treasures tour as an introduction to the family collection acquired over their 800 years. The National Trust say this is their finest collection of paintings and sculptures in the country! The Earls of Egremont were responsible for many of these fine pieces. The 3rd Earl entertained J.M.W. Turner at Petworth and Turner painted views of the house and grounds which you will see today. The Turner film was made here. Also to be seen are Van-Dyck, Reynolds, Blake and Grinling Gibbons carvings along with ceramics and fine furniture.
Our Treasures tour we will be taken in 2 groups - 1 pm and 2 pm. The new Vox Audio guide will be used, so everyone can hear everything. These are included in the ticket price. We plan to arrive about noon allowing you to either have lunch or a quick look at the house or gardens before taking the tour. The Audit Room Cafe and the Servants Hall coffee shop will both be open.
The extensive gardens at Petworth were designed by Capability Brown and inspired by several well-known gardeners over the years.

If you would like to join EDFAS to be able to participate in visits like this, please contact us.

 A visit is being arranged to Basildon Park, the house that Lord and Lady Iliffe lovingly restored in the 1950s, salvaging many fixtures and fittings from across the country to make their home.

Details and cost etc. will be notified to members soon.

After 25 years in the mansion, Lord and Lady Iliffe kindly passed the house into the care of the National Trust, securing its survival forever.  

See the grand 18th century reception rooms lovingly restored by the Iliffes in the 1950s. Travel back in time in the1950s kitchen and reminisce about times gone by. You can often find enticing baking smells in here, and possibly the odd treat, or two. 

Basildon Park also has an exhibition of art works including impressive Old Masters, 20th century engravings and paintings of the Grand Tour.

To join EDAFS, and benefit from the opportunity to attend visits like this one, use the Contact Us button above right.

The 18th century London house of the Marquis of Lansdowne was drastically altered last century when the front section was demolished for road widening, a new façade erected and with Art Deco improvements became the Lansdowne Club (a private members club). The current art collection highlights the fascinating architectural, social and political history of Lansdowne House and through 18th century prints, oils, photography, modern silkscreens, lithographs and mixed media works the image and history of this Grade II building comes to life. This important building beautifully fuses 18th century neo-classical architecture with the highly fashionable Art Deco style and serves as an eye-catching home for the current modern British art collection. 

The visit will start at 11 am with coffee  and tea.  The tour will take about one and a half hours.

This visit is now fully subscibed. EDFAS members may join a waiting list in case of cancellations.

To join, and benefit from the opportunity to attend visits like this one, use the Contact Us button above right.

There will be an EDFAS Visit to Clementi House in Kensington

on

21st June at 11 a.m.

The visit is now fully subscibed.  EDFAS members may join a waiting list in case of any cancellations

If you would like to join EDFAS to be able to participate in visits like this, please contact us.

Clementi House is located just to the south of Notting Hill Gate and was the London home of Munzio Clementi (1752-1832) composer, pianist and ‘Father of the Pianoforte’ in the words of his memorial in Westminster Abbey. Through Clementi’s presence the house became the musical ‘home’ of Felix Mendelssohn and later home of composer William Horsley whose daughter married Isambard Kingdom Brunel. 

Today it is the family home of Tom Stacey novelist, publisher and one time Chief Foreign Correspondent for the Sunday Times and his wife Caroline Stacey an internationally acclaimed sculputor and artist.  The house has changed little during its lifetime with fine rooms, a fascinating collection of paintings, sculptures and other objéts d’art together with a pretty, secluded garden.  The house is a much loved family home and not generally open to the public but is regularly used for filming. Tom Stacey will guide us around his house.  The tour will take just over an hour.