Telling the Stories Brochure

Statements in Stone
Architectural icons of the English country house
Highlights
• Immerse yourself in Richard
Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington’s library
and original writings and plans such
as First Editions of Palladio’s ground
breaking Quattro Libri dell’Architettura
and Colen Campbell’s Vitruvius Britannicus
in the archive at Chatsworth.
• Journey through time from the medieval
and English Renaissance, through
Neo-classicism to High Victorian
extravagance and beyond.
• Sit down to our celebration dinner
in the dining room of the magnificent
Jacobean Tissington Hall, intimate
and ancestral home of our host,
Sir Richard FitzHerbert Bt.
•
Tour Type:
Immersion
TOUR
Entry and Departure Point:
Manchester or London
Heathrow Airports
37
The English country house stands out
as an extraordinary architectural
manifestation of cultural ambition -
found the length and breadth of England.
England may have been late to the
European Renaissance banquet,
but there would be no holding back.
These first grand projects were classically
inspired but uniquely English - unashamedly
dressed-to-impress.
Immerse yourself in this two centre tour
in unlocking the stories of these
architectural gems, and tracing the
movement of ideas, fashions and taste,
through seven of the finest and most
significant buildings in England. We will
discover some of the most charismatic
architecture of the English countryside –
enlivened by a supporting cast of excellent
country inns.
Our base is Chatsworth, one of England’s
pre-eminent stately homes, set within
the dramatic landscape of the Derbyshire
Peak District.
Tour Director: Stuart Gillis
Stuart is an experienced heritage and culture professional. He is the
former Chief Executive of Derby Museums, and former Director of the
UK’s National Waterways Museums - managing collections of national
importance, developing great visitor experiences, and serving on numerous
heritage boards. Stuart is a knowledgeable, passionate and experienced
guide - bringing subjects alive in various fields across England’s history.
The overmantel in the Blue Room at Hardwick Hall. Photo: The National Trust Photolibrary / Alamy Stock Photo
Outline Itinerary
See the transition from medieval to
Tudor hall in timber framed Little
Moreton Hall, Cheshire. Then onto
Haddon Hall, Derbyshire, to see the
manorial hall emerge from medieval
into the early modern era.
Visit Hardwick Hall to experience
a uniquely English interpretation of
Renaissance architectural language
and the transition from ecclesiastical
to secular power. Progress through
the building, culminating in the
State Apartment.
Spend a day at Chatsworth, tracing
its evolution from Elizabethan hall
to Baroque palace to the modern
day. Discover the legacy of historic
events, political philosophy and
technological innovation.
Journey southwards, through the
Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO
World Heritage Site and visit the
Joseph Wright collection at Derby
Museum and Art Gallery. Visit
Keddleston Hall, a spectacular
Robert Adam mansion, experiencing
the contrast with Chatsworth.
Experience Victorian exuberance at
Highclere Castle; the film location
for the hit TV series Downton Abbey;
to see Charles Barry’s Elizabethan
revivalist house. Finally, visit Standen
House and Gardens, in West Sussex.
to experience this delightful Arts and
Crafts family home and garden.
& To book, Call toll free: 1 844 221 3366 or visit www.ukcountrysidetours.com
Study at Chatsworth / 27