A unique opportunity to visit Queen Victoria's Isle of Wight home after closing time.  A cream tea at 3 o'clock will be followed by a private guided tour of the house and an evening return journey across the Solent - the perfect ending to the day.

Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license by David Short, edited by 'Sir Gawain'

We will enjoy many of this celebrated portrait painter's pictures in the informal setting of a private home and have a chance to walk around the stunning gardens.  After lunch at the Swan Hotel Alton we can visit the Curtis Museum, Church of St Lawrence and the newly-erected statue of Jane Austen.

Philip de Laszlo in his studio at 3 Fitzjohn's Avenue with the portrait of Archbishop Lang, 1937.   Image credit:  de Laszlo archive /de Laszlo Foundation

Once again we have the opportunity to spend a magical evening with the Purcell Club in Westminster Abbey.  Former choristers take us around the Abbey sharing its history and performing sacred music as we move around.  It is a unique and memorable experience!

The evening starts with a two-course meal at the Cellarium Restaurant after our coach from Petersfield has dropped us off in Westminster Square.

Tickets are priced at £95.  For more information or to reserve a place please contact <visits.tasp@gmail.com> 

Image copyright Dean and Chapter of Westminster

How better to celebrate Jane Austen’s 250 birthday year than with a visit to her beloved Chawton? We will have a private tour of Chawton House, which belonged to her brother Edward, followed by lunch in the Great Hall and time to explore the beautiful grounds as well. In the afternoon, we will visit the nearby house where Austen wrote or finished all her major works. Tickets are priced at £66, which includes coach travel from Petersfield.

The ticket deadline has now passed, but you might still be lucky if there has been a cancellation.  For more information contact visits.tasp@gmail.co.

Interesting links: https://chawtonhouse.org/ and https://janeaustens.house/ 

Winston and Clementine Churchill purchased Chartwell in 1922 and it remained their much-loved family home for forty years. Many of their books, pictures and personal possessions are on display. After lunch we will visit nearby Quebec House, the childhood home of General James Wolfe, where we can discover how the family would have lived in the 1730s and learn more about the Battle of Quebec. The garden is planted in a typical Georgian style and the herb garden supplied Mrs Wolfe with her famous ‘home remedies’.

Rodmarton Manor is a supreme example of an Arts and Crafts house; everything was made by hand by local craftsmen using local stone and timber. It was built between 1909–1929 for the Biddulph family and designed by Ernest Barnsley, the uncle of Edward Barnsley. The beautiful eight acres of gardens represent a series of ‘outdoor rooms’.

Tickets will be on sale from 10am at the 3rd April lecture.

Nestled at the feet of the South Downs, Parham House is one of the country's finest Elizabethan manor houses, and is still a family home today. Our guided tour will include the Great Hall and the 48 metre Long Gallery which runs the entire length of the house.

There will be time to wander through its magnificent grounds, including the four acre walled garden with its 1920s Wendy House. You can also visit the Arts & Crafts greenhouse, the only remining one of a connecting series of four.

The pleasure grounds contain a maze, a pleasure pond and a cricket pitch.

Tickets will be on sale at the May meeting.

This Jacobean house was built by Robert Cecil, Ist Earl of Salisbury in 1611. The house was splendidly decorated for entertaining the Royal Court, with state rooms rich in paintings, fine furniture and tapestries.  We will be guided round the house and shown Cecil family historical treasures collected over 400 years.

There will be time to explore the picture-perfect gardens, which were designed for Robert Cecil by John Tradescant the Elder, who collected plants from all over Europe; trees, bulbs and plants which had never been grown in England before. Here you will find The Old Palace which was used by Henry VIII as a nursery for all his three children. It is most closely associated with Queen Elizabeth !.

PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE FROM THE ONE ADVERTISED IN THE 2023 PROGRAMME

We will travel by coach to Charleston Farmhouse, near Lewes, the country home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. It is a fine example of their decorative style in a domestic context. A visitor assisstant will accompany you round the house, there will be a staggered entry for our group. There will be time to have lunch in the beautifully renovated threshing barn, or you may prefer to bring your own picnic. 

After lunch we will visit Monk's House, the 16th century retreat of Virginia and Leonard Woolf. On the way home, there will be time to stop at Berwick church, where there is decorative scheme of murals by Vanessa and Quentin Bell and Duncan Grant - these were commissioned in 1941 by Bishop Bell of Chichester.

Tickets will be on sale at the March (after the AGM) and April meetings: £64.75 per person or £56.20 for National Trust members. The ticket price includes coach travel, coffee, entry to both houses and the church.

Pick up will be at 9.00am from the Petersfield Festival Hall car park. We expect to return around 6.30pm.

A winter warmer tour of the fabulous Thomas Heatherwick designed Laverstoke Mill near Whitchurch, home to the Bombay Sapphire distillery. A fully guided tour, complete with gin and tonic, is on offer.

Depart from Petersfield Festival Hall car park at 13.45, and return by 18.15.

Tickets cost £33 and will be on sale at the November and December meetings. Alternatively you can contact Anne Or Susan: anne.bevan@gmail.com or thehandleys@hotmail.com

Please note that tickets are non-refundable unless they can be resold.

Blenheim Palace was presented by the English nation to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, in recognition of his victory in 1704 over French and Bavarian troops. Designed by John Vanbrugh, it is the only non-royal, non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. It stands in a romantic park created by the famous landscape gardener Capability Brown.

Home to the 12th Duke of Marlborough and his family, and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, Blenheim is a UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting a long and diverse history.

Our visit will include a private guided tour of the Palace state rooms and a short visit to nearby Bladon Church and Churchill's grave.

Tickets will cost £50 per head to include coach travel, tour, and coffee.

REMAINING TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE SEPTEMBER MEETING.

The main part of Stratfield Saye house and stable blocks were built in 1630 by Sir Wiliam Pitt, comptroller of the household to James I. Later, in the 18th century, George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers, carried out an extensive programme of works to the house and parks.

Stratfield Saye was acquired in 1817 by the Great Duke after the Battle of Waterloo, and the house, with its lovely gardens, remains the elegant but intimate country home of the Dukes of Wellington to this day.

On arrival, we will be served coffee and biscuits in the cafe, during which time our guide will present a 30 minute synopsis of the visit. We will then be divided into groups of ten, with each group starting from the same place at spaced intervals, a tour lasting 85 minutes. 

After the morning tours, members cannot return to the house, but the grounds, divided into separate gardens (for example the American Garden, the Copenhagen Garden) will be open. We can view the museum, which charts the Duke's military and political life, as well as the Funeral Carriage building, featuring the Duke's magnificent funeral carriage.

On departure, we will visit the farm shop which also has a tea room and afterwards, we hope to make a short stop at the neighbouring St Mary's church.

Admission is only by guided tour for a few days each year. We will be the only people in the house and grounds on the day of our visit. This is an opportunity not to be missed!

http://www.wellingtonestates.co.uk

Cost £47. Tickets will go on sale at the March meeting. The cost of the visit will include the coach travel, guided tours, morning coffee and a pre-booked lunch in the cafe, there are no facilities for picnics or individual food purchases. 

Departures:    Liss Main Car Park  8.45am  Petersfield Festival Hall Car Park 9.00am

Return will be around 6.15pm

N.B.  CHANGE TO ADVERTISED DATE IN 2022 PROGRAMME

We are lucky enough to have been offered a chance to tour Westminster Abbey in the company of the Purcell Club male voice choir. Such tours only happen ten times a year, and always on a Saturday evening.

We plan to leave Petersfield around 16.00 and have booked a two course meal in the Cellarium from 17.45. The tour starts in the Nave at 19.00 and continues, interspered with musical items, until 21.15. We plan to be back in Pertersfield before 23.00.

Tickets will be sold at the December meeting and will cost £77 each. We appreciate that this is above our normal visits rates, but supper alone is £20, with the tour costing £39 per head.

Once you have bought your ticket, further final details will be issued.

Our guided tour of the site and buildings of Sandhurst Military Academy should be a fascinating and moving experience. It will cover all the prestigious rooms in the Old College as well as the Royal Memorial Chapel, with their collections of paintings and military history.

On arrival we will have coffee and biscuits, prior to the organised tour. If time allows, we will be offered a tour of the grounds in the coach before leaving at 1.00pm for lunch at Longacres Garden Centre, just a short drive away.

We will then head home via Guildford Cathedral where we hope to spend an hour for a free-flow visit. There is a large self-service restaurant for those who would like further refreshments.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU WILL NEED TO BRING PHOTOGRAPHIC ID FOR ENTRY TO THE MILITARY ACADEMY. This can be a driving licence, bus pass or passport, as long as it has your name and a photograph.

Tickets cost £37, to include coach travel, admission fees, guided tour, morning coffee and gratuities.

Departure Liss Main Car Park: 8.45am. Petersfield Festival Hall Car Park: 9.00am. Return around 5.30pm

Spanning more than 700 years, the history of Hever Castle is rich and  varied. The original castle, with its gatehouse and walled bailey, was built in 1270. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it was the home of one of the most powerful families in England, the Boleyns, and they added the Tudor dwelling within its walls.

The castle was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, and Queen of England for 1000 days, mother of Queen Elizabeth I.

Hever later passed into the ownership of Anne of Cleves and then, from 1557, to many other families, eventually falling into decline until rescued by William Waldorf Astor, who restored the castle to a lavish family home in the early part of the 20th century.

On arrival we will be served coffee and biscuits in the Moat Restaurant, folllowed by a self- guided tour of the Castle. After the tour, we will be free to spend time at leisure in the gardens and the castle for the remainder of the day. For lunch, members can free-flow through the self-service Moat Restaurant or bring a picnic.

On the return journey, we will make a brief stop at All Saints Church, Tudeley to marvel at the magnificent Chagall windows. This is the only church in the world to have all 12 windows decorated by the great Russian artist, Marc Chagall. Members who wish to visit All Saints will be asked to make a donation of £3 each to the church.

www.hevercastle.org.uk

Tickets will cost £45, to include coach travel, admission, self-guided tour, morning coffee and gratuities.

The maximum number of members we can accommodate is currently 30, there may be a few tickets left.

We have a couple of seats left on the coach, members who wish to join this trip should email Anne Bevan on anne.bevan6@gmail.com to reserve a place. If you are successful you will hear from Anne with payment details and timings.

Departure Liss Main Car Park: 8.30am. Petersfield Festival Hall car Park: 8.45am. Return around 6.00pm.

Departure: Liss Village car park 7.45am, Petersfield Festival Hall 8.00am. Return: c 6.00pm

This is a rare opportunity to visit Longford Castle, the private home of the Earl of Radnor and his family. It is not open to the general public, only opening its doors a few days a year for guided group tours.

The Longford Castle collection, formed by successive generations of the family since 1765, is one of the finest in the United Kingdom. It includes paintings by Van Dyck, Claude, Teniers and Hals, with British paintings by Reynolds and Gainsborough. The collection also houses oriental porcelain, Brussels tapestries and exceptional 18th century English and European furniture. The National Gallery has had a long association with Longford Castle.

NB The castle does not have toilet or refreshment facilities so, prior to our arrival, we will stop close to the castle for coffee and biscuits and a comfort break.

The special interest tour will start at 10.30am and last approximately 2 hours. Weather permitting, there will be the opportunity for a brief stroll in the formal gardens.

After the tour we will make the short drive to Salisbury where the coach will park in the cathedral area.

The remainder of the day is at leisure. The 13th century Gothic cathedral has Britian's tallest spire, Europe's oldest working clock and houses the world's best preserved original Magna Carta. There is a refectory restaurant and gift shop. In the cathedral close there is also Arundells (former home of Ted Heath, kept as he left it), and the Salisbury Museum with its significant archaeological collection relating to Stonehenge.

Tickets will be on sale at the May meeting. Cost £34.00 (including coach, admission fee to Longford Castle and guide book, morning cofffee and gratuities. Payment accepoted by cash or cheque (made payable to The Arts Society Petersfield).

Those on the waiting list are welcome to apply for places from June onwards.

Visits organisers:    Anne Church       anne.church@talk21.com    Tel: 01730 265171

Janet Marshall                                 janmarshall1@live.co.uk      Tel: 01730 263127             

11th July 2019

Departure times: Liss Village Car Park 8.00am, Peterfield Festival Hall 8.15am. Return around 6.30pm

Kelmscott Manor was the inspirational Cotswold retreat of William Morris - poet, craftsman and socialist - from 1871 until his death in 1896. He jointly leased the property with his friend and colleague, Dante Gabriel Rossettti, the pre-Raphaelite artist. On his death, it was purchased by his wife, Jane Morris. Wiliam and Jane Morris and ther two children are buried in the grounds of nearly St George's church.

A Grade I listed manor house on three floors with beautiful gardens by the River Thames, Kelmscott Manor contains an outstanding collection of the possessions and works of William Morris, his family and associates; including furniture, original textiles, pictures and paintings (with works by Rosetti), carpets, ceramics and metalwork.

On arrival around 10.30am we will have coffee and home-made biscuits while listening to an introductory talk, followed by a room-by-room guided tour. Please note that there are stairs to the first flooor and a spiral staircase to the attic rooms on the top floor. There is no lift.

In the afternooon, there will be free time to wander in the garden and shop, to take the short walk along the 200 metre Thames path to the river or to take the slightly longer walk (10-12 minutes) to St George's Church and Kelmscott villlage. The tearoom at the manor will be open and the coach will leave Kelmscott Manor at 4.00pm.

Tickets will be on sale to members at the April meeting. Please note that due to coach size access restrictions, the maximum number for this visit will be 36.

The visit includes an excellent Ploughman's Lunch at 12.30pm with a choice of ham, Cheddar, Brie or Stilton and a selection of breads, including gluten-free.

Cost: £44.00 (includes coach travel, admission fee, morning coffee, lunch and gratuities). Payment by cash or cheque made out to the Arts Society Petersfield.

Those on the waiting list are welcome to apply for places on the visit one month after tickets go on sale.

Visits' organisers:           Anne Church   anne.church@talk21.com    tel: 01730 265171

                                    Janet Marshall   janmarshall1@live.co.uk        tel: 01730 263127

Tuesday 7th May 2019        SOLD OUT!!

Coaches depart Liss Village car park at 08.45 and Petersfield Festival Hall car park at 09.00. We will return at approximately 18.30.

We will spend the morning at the Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park. Created in the 1930s by Sir Eric Savill, under royal patronage, the Savill Garden is a natural haven of beautiful interlocking gardens and woodland. www.windsorgreatpark.co.uk/savillgarden

On arrival, we will be served coffee and biscuits and the remainder of the morning will be free for you to explore the garden. There are on-site cafes and restaurants for refreshments and light lunches (picnics are not allowed) before we leave at 1.15pm for Windsor Castle, which does not have catering facilities.

The highlight of the afternoon will be our visit to Windsor Castle. The original castle was built in the 11th century after the Norman invasion of England by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it has been used by the reigning monarch and is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. On arrival at 2.00pm, we will be given a 30 minute talk on Restoring Windsor Castle after the Fire. This will be followed by a free-flow visit.

Please note that the coach cannot stop at the castle itself, but has to use the nearby coach park, so there will be a short walk from there to Windsor Castle and back to the coach park at the end of the visit.

www.rct.uk/visit/windsorcastle

Tickets will go on sale to members at the February meeting.

Cost £53 (includes coach travel, admission fees, morning coffee and gratuities). Payment can be made by cheque or cash.

Those on the waiting list are welcome to apply for places on the visits one month after tickets go on sale.

Visits' organisers    Anne Church:    anne.church@talk21.com   Tel: 01730 265171

                            Janet Marshall:   janmarshall1@live.co.uk    Tel: 01730 263127

Goodwood House, home of the Dukes of Richmond for over 300 years, has superb collections of paintings, furniture, and porcelain.   The House is closed to the public on a Monday morning so we will enjoy an uncrowded guided tour.  After the tour, we leave for Chichester. 

Website:  www.hha.org.uk/Property/694/Goodwood

There will be free time for lunch in Chichester before meeting at the Cathedral at 1.45 pm for a guided tour. The Cathedral has been at the centre of life in the city for almost 1000 years and from the specialist tour, with emphasis on Art, we will learn more about its history where original medieval features sit alongside world famous contemporary artworks.

Website:  www.chichestercathedral.org.uk/visiting/

Bookings open May

Visits Organisers: Anne Church anne.church@talk21.com Tel:  01730 265171

Janet Marshall  janmarshall1@live.co.uk Tel:  01730 263127               

Those on the waiting list are welcome to apply for places on the visits one month after bookings open for members

Goodwood image by James Fennell