Telling the Stories Brochure

Great Heiresses
How America saved the English country house
and changed English society, taste and design
Highlights
TOUR
35
We explore the remarkable story of
American investment at the end of the
• Bespoke tours of great English
country houses with fascinating
19th century which saved many of the great
American connections.
country houses from financial ruin, and
had a lasting impact on English society.
• Explore the remarkable lives of the
influential Americans such as Consuelo American tycoons and ‘dollar princesses’
Vanderbilt, who left a gilded American were part of this phenomenon, and by 1914
childhood for a loveless marriage at over 300 American heiresses had married
Blenheim, and Nancy Lancaster, a
into the British aristocracy.
renowned 20th century tastemaker.
We visit some of the glorious English
• Discover the perfect Georgian city of
country houses rescued or shaped by this
Bath - and the picturesque rural delights
wave of ‘Gilded Age’ investment, including
of the South Downs National Park and
Blenheim Palace, Highclere Castle,
the Cotswolds.
Cliveden and Leeds Castle.
On our journey we will see spectacular
architecture, grand and extravagant design
– and we discover the extraordinary life
stories associated with the great estates,
from railroad heiress Gloria Vanderbilt at
Blenheim Palace, to Nancy Astor, the first
woman to sit as a Member of Parliament.
Throughout you will be accompanied
by expert guides who can share their
Tour Type: Immersion insights as you explore hidden histories,
Entry and Departure Point: gain new perspectives and experience
London Heathrow Airport the best of each location.
Tour Director: Helen Jackson
A professional curator and heritage advisor, previously held Chief
Executive positions at the Campaign for National Parks, and Museums,
Libraries and Archives South East. As a heritage specialist she has a
particular passion for England’s distinctive regional landscapes and their
unique associated cultural heritage. She is currently a Secretary of State
appointed member of the South Downs National Park, a member of
the Heritage Lottery Fund’s South East of England Committee, and is
a trustee of several museums, arts and wildlife charities.
24 / Telling the stories of England
Hever Castle, once home to Anne Boleyn. Photo: Visit Kent
Outline Itinerary
See 900 year old Leeds Castle in
Kent, acquired in 1926 by an Anglo
American heiress, and restyled as
a centre of lavish hospitality for
statesmen, film stars and royalty.
Visit Hever Castle, home of Anne
Boleyn, King Henry VIII’s second
wife, and bought in 1903 by William
Waldorf Astor, then America’s
richest man.
Travel west to explore the ‘real
Downton Abbey’, Highclere Castle,
one of England’s most beautiful
Victorian stately homes.
Visit Highcliffe Castle, perched
on the Dorset cliffs, tenanted by
the retail entrepreneur Harry
Gordon Selfridge, before his
fortunes changed.
Travel to the historic city of Bath,
a UNESCO World Heritage site,
with time to explore the Georgian
streets and elegant shops.
Journey to the Oxfordshire
Cotswolds to visit Ditchley Park,
an 18th century house redecorated
from 1933 by American Nancy
Lancaster. Discover the decadent
history of palatial Cliveden House,
purchased by William Waldorf Astor.
Explore Blenheim Palace,
Oxfordshire, a stately home of
staggering beauty and treasures,
birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill,
and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
& To book, Call toll free: 1 844 221 3366 or visit www.ukcountrysidetours.com