Athelhampton is widely regarded as one of the finest Tudor manor houses in England. The Great Hall, built in 1485 by Sir William Martyn, remains greatly unchanged and features richly detailed linenfold panelling, ancient heraldic stained glass and a striking minstrels’ gallery. At the time it would have served as the principal living and ceremonial space, reflecting the status and lifestyle of a later medieval household. During the 16th century, the West Wing was added as the house evolved into a more private and domesticated residence, with further architectural additions made over the centuries. Today Athelhampton offers a rare and beautifully preserved journey through the development of the English country house. Thomas Hardy knew the house well and it features as Athelhall in several of his stories and poems. Surrounding the house are some of the most distinctive formal gardens in Dorset designed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and carefully maintained today. Together the house and gardens create a setting that combines architectural heritage with horticultural excellence, offering a memorable experience throughout the seasons.

Please meet and park (car share if possible please) at Cheddon Fitzpaine Memorial Hall at 8.45am from where we will be picked up by a Berry’s Coach. We should return there by around 5.00 to 5.30pm. The visit includes a welcome talk with tea and coffee followed by a 60 minute private house tour which will consist of a walk through the main 6 Ground floor rooms. The other 16 rooms can be explored at leisure.
Lunch is not included in the cost of this visit. You are welcome to bring a packed lunch, or if you prefer, the Coach House Restaurant offers a selection of light lunches, snacks and cream teas available to purchase on the day.

For booking information please click here.

According to Country Life, Holcombe Court is the finest Tudor house in Devon. Mainly built in the 16th century with later modernisations, it has an impressive Great Hall and Long Gallery. It is surrounded by seven acres of beautifully maintained grounds and formal gardens. We will be given a tour of the house (about 90 minutes) by the owner, Mr Nigel Wiggins, followed by tea in the walled garden - weather permitting or alternatively in the Victorian housekeeper’s kitchen.

FULLY BOOKED

Mapperton is a stunning Jacobean manor set in a hidden valley of the Dorset countryside, celebrated for its elegant architecture and award-winning gardens that blend formal terraces with the romantic woodland walks.  In the heart of Thomas Hardy country, Mapperton was a location for the most recent film of Far from the Madding Crowd. It is the home of the family of the Earl of Sandwich. The Sandwich collection includes pictures by Lely, Van de Velde the Younger, Scott, Reynolds and Hogarth. There are several portraits of Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich, who served under Cromwell and became Charles II’s first general-at-sea. He helped his young cousin, Samuel Pepys, to become the Navy’s first great administrator and the ship models and naval paintings date mainly from this period. The 4th Earl of Sandwich, credited with putting roast beef between two slices of bread, was an able diplomat and politician.

For booking form and transport details click here

The new Shoemakers' Museum opened at Street in September 2025. This visit, starting at 10 a.m. with coffee and cake in the cafe, includes two tours. 

The museum gallery tour will explore the highlights of the collection and the history of Street as a factory village, from its Quaker roots to its heyday as a global influence. We will be taken on a journey from the 1880s to the present day and will discover the fascinating evolution of shoemaking, from handmaking to life on the factory line.

The second tour will be a tour of the archive, which is not normally open to the public. We will be able to look behind the scenes inside the museum’s climate controlled stores and see some of the collections that are not on display. 

Each tour will last about 45 minutes with a break in between. We should be finished by 1:00, which gives plenty of time to have lunch in the museum cafe or in the village. 

Full information and booking details are available here.

Six Days departing 14 September 2025. Full details on the flyer available here

After many years on the “At Risk” register, Halswell House (Grade 1 listed) and its landscape park (Grade 2 listed) are being restored by the new owner, Edward Strachan, and there is much of interest to see both inside and outside. The house, described by Pevsner as “the most important house of its date in the county”, was mentioned in Domesday Book and parts of the Tudor and  Elizabethan manor house remain behind the “new” (in 1689) Baroque North front with its well-proportioned and high-ceilinged rooms. When Sir Charles Kemeys-
Tynte inherited the estate in 1747, his principal interest was in the grounds and garden and he created a landscape park contemporary with those at Stowe and over the hill at Hestercombe. Some of the monuments have been lost and some of the parkland was sold off, but some splendid buildings and vistas remain and they too are being restored and replanted.

Cost £28 pp including lunch. See brochure here for details

A group from The Arts Society Taunton enjoyed a very successful tour of Northern Italy in October.  We were based at Lake Garda and enjoyed an itinerary including Mantua, Verona, Venice, Vicenza and Padua.  The weather was not the best but a few rainy days didn’t affect our enjoyment of the many highlights of the tour.  Memorable were the Ducal Palace in Mantua and the Palazzo Te with the astonishing ‘Room of Giants’ and the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua with the beautiful Giotto frescoes depicting the life of Christ.  On the free day we could explore the villages surrounding Lake Garda by boat.  The local wines from the vineyards surrounding Lake Garda were much appreciated especially the Lugana and Valpolicella. 

The day starts in the Gauge museum at Bishops Lydeard station at 09:15 with a talk by Chris Austin, a long-time volunteer on the West Somerset Railway and currently President of the Heritage Trust. Our train departs Bishops Lydeard at 10:15 and there will be a further talk in our private railway carriage on the history of the West Somerset Railway Line en-route to Minehead, arriving at 11:35. Coffee and biscuits will be served on the train.

 We have 45 minutes in Minehead, where we can visit the station bookshop, enjoy a short walk or an ice cream.

Our train departs Minehead at 12:20 for Watchet arriving at 12:55.

We leave the train and enjoy some free time in Watchet. We have just over 2 hours to have lunch, visit the art gallery and museums, or enjoy a short walk and examine the information boards alongside the harbour.

Our train departs Watchet for Bishops Lydeard at 15:05 arriving at 15:50.

A cream tea will be served on the train.

Cost per person £45.00 includes the ticket price, our speaker and refreshments on the train, but not lunch.

The private carriage is able to seat 64 people.

This trip will launch the new Arts Society West Somerset Railway Trail of Discovery created by Stafford Taylor, one of our members.

The Trail can be downloaded here and Away Day Booking information here.

Bridgwater at one time had 16 brick and tile factories along the river. The
factories produced a range of interesting designs, many of which can still
be seen on local houses. Men, women and children worked in these
factories in very difficult conditions; work was seasonal and poorly paid.
The presentation will describe the brick making process, will include a
demonstration of tile making and a talk about the people who worked in the
industry. It is a small museum but a fascinating part of Somerset’s local
history.

Visit limited to 20 people - Now full.

We have arranged a private visit to Fursdon House, an ancient country estate in the heart of Devon. What makes Fursdon House so special is that it has been in the same family for over 700 years. This means that the house, the furniture and the exhibits in the museum all have fascinating stories to tell.

£16.50 for entrance to house, museum and gardens, including refreshments

More details on the booking form available here

Morning visit to the new East Quay Galleries and the Boat Museum at Watchet, with a talk on the History of Ropemaking.

Visit and Guided Tour

Coldharbour Mill is near Cullompton, very close to junction 27. It is one of the oldest woollen mills in the UK having been in continuous production since 1797. It was originally owned by the Fox family who were Quakers and slightly ahead of their time in not employing children of 6 or 7. Only children over 8!  The museum is on three floors showing the different stages of how wool is made into textiles and how this changed over time.  The mill was used to make cloth that made puttees for troops in the First World War.

For further information and reservation details see here.

Reserve a place by 13th July 2021; cost £11.50, to be paid by 9th August 2021

THIS TRIP HAS BEEN POSTPONED. 

Booking form

St Fagans is in the grounds of St Fagans castle and gardens. There are over 50 historic buildings from all over Wales that have been rebuilt in the grounds, including a Victorian school, a medieval church and a workman’s institute.

We will be able to have refreshments, walk round the museum and have lunch at our own pace. There is a restaurant and a tea room on site, as well as a shop where we get a 10 % group discount. Much of the site is in the open air, so you’ll need appropriate footwear and wet weather gear.

For members who might find walking difficult, I’ve booked a complimentary 5-seater buggy with a guide to drive people round or to provide a guided tour.

Cardiff Castle is one of Wales’ leading heritage attractions. It is located in beautiful parklands at the heart of the city. Originally it was the site of a Roman fort and the remains of the Roman wall can still be seen today. After the Norman conquest the castle’s keep was built reusing the site of the Roman fort. The castle passed through many noble families until in 1766 it passed by marriage to the Bute family. The 2nd Marquess of Bute was responsible for turning Cardiff in to the world’s greatest coal exporting port. The castle and fortune passed to his son John, the 3rd Marquess of Bute, who by the 1860s was reputed to be the richest man in the world.

We have a 50 minute guided tour booked at 2.30, followed by time to wander round at your own pace and maybe have a drink in the cafe.

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The coach will pick us up from Hankridge Farm lay-by (opposite B & Q) at 9.15 and arrive at St Fagans around 11.00. 

We leave St Fagans at 1.30 for a short drive to the centre of Cardiff. The coach will park outside the castle and will leave Cardiff at 4.30 to be back in Taunton between 6 and 6.30.

The cost of the trip is £42 per person; This includes coach travel, transport to St Fagans (entrance is free), and entrance to and a guided tour of Cardiff Castle. Refreshments are not included.

Please note if you are unable to attend, we may not be able to offer a refund. There is a maximum number of 25 places on a first come first served basis. Early booking is advised.

Please be aware there may be uneven ground and steps.

For more information email taunton@theartssociety.org

Booking form

Booking Form

Join our day trip to Bristol to visit Brunel’s famous ship and view his iconic Clifton suspension bridge.  Brunel's SS Great Britain is one of the most important historic ships in the world. When she was launched she was the largest ship in the world. She was also the first screw-propelled, ocean-going, iron-hulled steam ship – a truly revolutionary vessel and fore-runner of all modern shipping.

Designed initially for the emerging trans-Atlantic luxury passenger trade, the ship carried 252 passengers and 130 crew. The SS Great Britain shows Brunel’s innovative approach to engineering and also marks the beginnings of international passenger travel and world communications. By combining size, power and innovative technology, Brunel created a ship that changed history. His vision for the SS Great Britain made her the great-great-grandmother for all modern ships.  The SS Great Britain enjoyed a long working life from 1845 to 1933 thanks to Brunel’s engineering skills.

In 1886 she was badly damaged in a storm and her ocean-going career came to an end. Bought by the Falklands Islands Company she spent the next 47 years as a floating warehouse. In 1937, after becoming too unsafe even for this, she was towed to Sparrow Cove, a remote bay near Port William, and scuttled in its shallow waters. The SS Great Britain was finally welcomed ‘home’ on 19 July 1970 - back to the dock in which she was built, exactly 127 years to the day after her launch in 1843.

CLIFTON SUSPENSION BRIDGE

The iconic bridge, crossing the River Avon, was designed by Brunel in 1829. At the time it had the longest span of any bridge in the world but his original design was rejected on the advice of Thomas Telford (1757 - 1834). An improved version, complete with Egyptian-influenced sphinxes and hieroglyphs, was accepted. Join our day trip to Bristol to visit Brunel’s famous ship and view his iconic suspension bridge.  He was also responsible for building Bristol Temple Meads Station.

The day will include coach from Taunton, guided tour of the ship, lunch, free time for tour of the docks and return to Taunton for an all-inclusive price of £57.50.

Booking form. 

Tour fully booked.

Transylvania and Bucovina

18-28 September 2019

Day 1 - Wednesday 18th September:

14.30 Leave Taunton by executive coach for Heathrow Airport for an overnight stay at the Ibis Heathrow Hotel.

Day 2 - Thursday 19th September:

08.30 Private transfer to Terminal 5 for the British Airways scheduled flight BA0886 at 11.40hrs.  Arrive at Bucharest airport at 17:00. Transfer to the 4star Hotel Concorde https://www.hotelconcorde.ro/.  The hotel is located in the Lipscani area, Bucharest’s oldest commercial district. In the evening you can explore this old part of Bucharest on foot. Lipscani gets its name from the Leipzigmerchants who once brought their goods to sell here. It is fascinating to wander around and enjoy Lipscani’s exotic atmosphere.

 Day 3 – Friday 20th September: Bucharest - Sinaia - Brasov

In the morning have a tour of Bucharest by coach – with a view of the Palace of Parliament, (Ceausescu’s Folly), then drive along Victoriei Street, the main and most popular street in Bucharest. The period buildings, many of them having a strong French neo-classical style, gave the city the title of “Little Paris”: the Romanian Athenaeum, the Museum of History, the Royal Palace and the central University Library.

We then drive north-west, along Prahova Valley, towards Brasov town. On our way, we stop for lunch in Sinaia, a beautiful mountain resort, also known as the “Pearl of the Carpathians”, and to visit Romania’s most exquisite castle - Peles Castle, a royal palace built as a summer residence for the first king of Romania, Carol I. 

Perched upon a rolling green hill and set against the stark beauty of the Carpathian Mountains, this magnificent castle appears to be from a Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale. The castle was built in 1875 in a German Renaissance style. Each room was furnished to reflect a different European country. The building is surrounded by a terraced garden. The terraces of the castle, conceived in the late Italian Renaissance style are decorated with statues, vessels, columns and fountains. 

From here we travel to the old town of Brasov in the foothills of Mount Tampa. Brasov is one of the seven cities (Transylvania is known as Siebenburgen in German.) founded by the Saxons in Transylvania in the 12th century to guard the mountain passes. 

Overnight accommodation in Brasov, atthe 4-star Aro-Palace hotel - https://aro-palace.ro/

Day 4 - Saturday 21st September: Brasov - Prejmer – Rasnov - Bran

In the morning we explore Brasov town, stroll through the mediaeval streets, visit the Black Church, Europe’s most eastern Gothic church, and the famous Council Square which is part of the legend of the Pied Piper. From Brasov, the journey continues north east, to the village of Prejmer, which has the largest and best preserved of the fascinating Saxon Transylvanian 'fortified churches'. The large and beautifully preserved Lutheran church is surrounded by a circular defensive wall containing 272 cells for village families to store provisions against times of siege. Look for the unique "death organ" - a kind of early Gatling gun - set into the defensive wall!

In the afternoon continue southwards following the old trading route that connected Wallachia and Transylvania to visit the impressive Rasnov fortress. Rasnov was founded around 1225 by German Teutonic Knights. The impressive fortress was built in the 14th century by the local inhabitants. During times of war the townsfolk would pick up their cattle and wives and retreat in the fortress. The last siege took place in the 17th century, after which the fortress was successively severely damaged by fire, rebuilt and partially levelled by an earthquake.

Continue travelling south to visit Bran castle- known as 'Dracula's castle'. The castle is perched atop a 60m peak in the centre of Bran village. In the Brasov pass, the merchants of Brasov in 1377 built the castle that became the emblem of the area. The castle was built to defend the Bran mountain pass against Turks and was used in the early 20th century as a summer royal residence by Queen Marie of Romania, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria and hence Prince Charles’ connection with Transylvania.  The Prince of Wales has said that as he is a descendent of Vlad theImpaler joked that he has a “stake in the country”

Return to Brasov and the Aro Palace Hotel.

Day 5 – Sunday 22nd September: Harman - Viscri-Sighisoara

Continue travelling north to visit Harman’s Saxon fortified church that has four small turrets that warn visitors that the authorities were allowed to sentence criminals to death. Seven towers dot the 12m high ring wall, and one of the towers boasts valuable mediaeval frescoes. The walls used to be lined with refuge cells for local families, the shelters for the local nobility and their families are perched on the walls of the church itself.

Continue the journey north-west to Viscri village, a remote village famous for its magnificent fortified church and through the help of Mihai Eminescu Trust, of which Prince Charles was a Patron, several houses in the village are being restored. 

Viscri was included in 1999 on the UNESCO list of World Monuments as an example of a mediaeval village and fortified church with a close relationship to its surrounding landscape. But it is the landscape that will impress you most here, a landscape that Europe has mostly lost, where a wealth of plants and animals thrive alongside traditional agriculture.

Here the farmers don’t use artificial fertilisers and there is no intensive land–use. From May to July the wildflowers brighten the meadows untainted by chemicals. Here you will find an intact fragment of an older Europe. The village is part of a network of designated sites across EU where vulnerable plant and animal species and important habitats must be protected.

Viscri has a population of 400 of whom 29 are Saxons, the majority of the rest being Romany. Each homestead is laid out in traditional fashion. The house itself is aligned end-on to the street. Facing it across the yard is the summer kitchen, behind that, the vegetable patch and orchard, and, lengthways at the back, the barn with its high roof. The wide, unmade main street has grassy margins threaded by a stream and planted with pear trees.

After lunch in Viscri, we continue our way travelling through traditional Saxon villages, with large fortified churches, to Sighisoara, one of the best-preserved medieval citadels in Europe.

On the way to Sighisoara we stop in Saschiz village with an impressive fortified church included on UNESCO list of World Monuments. 

We continue the journey to the medieval citadel of Sighisoara, perched on a hill and fortified with a 14thcentury wall. Here you will have probably the only opportunity in Europe to walk the streets of a genuine medieval town. Here are the house where Vlad the Impaler (alias Dracula) was born – now a restaurant; the Clock Tower with a superb view of Sighisoara from the walkway on top of the tower and the Church on the Hill – Sighisoara’s most important monument, a gothic Lutheran 14thcentury church. 

Overnight accommodation at Hotel Sighisoara - http://www.sighisoarahotels.ro/?page_id=22

Day 6 – Monday 23rd September: Red Lake-Bicaz Dam – Voronet - Gura Humorului. 

We continue our way north to the small village of Corundwhere the age-old craft of pottery remains the mainstay of the village today. The village is famous for its blue-white pottery delicately designed with flowers and birds. Local potters sell their wares from open-air stalls set up in the centre of the village. 

Crossing Praid,at the foot of the Gurghiu Mountains (one of the wildest places in Europe, home to Brown Bears, Wolves and many species of forest birds), we climb overthe pretty Bucin Pass at 1287metres. 

Continue driving north through impressive scenery we enter the stunning limestone chasm of the Bicaz Gorge considered to be the most spectacular gorge in Romania. Here we can take a short walk to admire the scenery but also to spot Wallcreepers, Eagle Owls, Alpine Swifts and Golden Eagle which  breed here on the sheer walls of granite.

The journey continues north, crossing the Bicaz Dam and around the east side of Lake Bicaz, with one of the most stunning views in Romania – with the ‘magic mountain’ range of Ceahlau Mountains in the background. Following the Golden Bistrita River we head over the Tarnita Pass into the region of Bucovina to reach the town of Gura Humorului, in the Moldova River Valley. It is very well situated to visit all the monasteries and churches of the area. In the late afternoon we visit Voronet Painted Monastery – actually the most famous on account of its blue hues and a vast external mural depicting the Day of Judgement.

Overnight accommodation in Gura Humorului, at Best Western hotel -http://www.bestwesternbucovina.ro/en/

Day 7 - Tuesday 24th September: Humor – Marginea - Sucevita

Drive a few kilometres north to visit the Humor Monastery famous for its red colours. The exterior paintings atHumor are known to be the oldest in Bucovina. You can climb narrow stairs to the defensive tower built in 1641.

Travel north on country lanes via Solca to visit the black pottery at Marginea. The famous pottery at Marginea uses ancient firing techniques to produce a distinctive black glaze. 

Continue travelling to Sucevita village to visit Sucevita Painted Monastery– built in 1586 and by far the largest of the 'Painted Monasteries'. The monastery is surrounded by thick defensive walls. It is known for the stunning green hues of its paintings, and for its 'Jacob's Ladder' mural on the well-preserved north wall.

Return to Gura Humorului town and the Best Western hotel.

Day 8 - Wednesday 25th September: Moldovita - Bistrita

From Gura Humorului we drive early morning to Moldovita Painted Monastery- this is an excellent example of a strongly fortified monastery compound. A short walk up the nearby hill will give you a splendid view of the whole monastery with its stout stone walls and corner towers.  Apart from the church itself with its stunning murals inside and out, there is a small but fascinating museum in the north west corner, which houses several fine tapestries woven from pure gold and silver thread.

We continue our journey south-west,with a short stop to the attractive remote village of Dumitra then on to reach Bistrita town, one of the seven cities founded by Saxons. You will see the German imprint in the architecture of the town. Only 700 Germans still live now in Bistrita, once a town with the majority of the population being of German origin. 

Overnight accommodation in Bistrita at the 4-star Metropolis hotel - http://www.hotelmetropolis.ro/

Day 9 – Thursday 26th September: Bistrita – Targu-Mures - Sighisoara

Drive south to Targu Mures–one of the most important towns in Transylvania.  Visits here will include the Culture Palace (Palatului Culturii), a fine example of Secessionist architecture. Continue travelling south to Biertan village to visit the impressive Saxon fortified church perched on a hill. Biertan is considered to be among the most fantastic of the Saxon heritage in Transylvania. The fortified church is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The eastern bastion of the church was not only for defence but it also used to be a prison for men or women who wanted to divorce. They were kept there on bread and water until they changed their mind about divorcing. It is said that in 300 years only one divorce was recorded!

Then on to Valea Viilor- another impressive fortified church, also on the UNESCO Heritage List.700 years old, and one of the best preserved in Transylvania, impressive for the high walls and the two towers that watched the village for the last half of the century. 

The journey continues south to Sibiu town - the first city founded by the Saxons in Transylvania when they were invited to settle here and guard the passes. Nicknamed “The Red Citadel”, it was for hundreds of years one of the biggest and best fortified in Europe.  It was also the spiritual and political center for all the Saxons in Transylvania. This is the most solidly German of all the Saxon towns of Transylvania. It has rugged houses with thick walls and steep red-tiled roofs. The walls are painted in a wonderful variety of bold colours and their dormer windows are shaped like eye-slits, making them look surreal or quaintly medieval. For the Habsburgs, Sibiu was the most important garrison east of Vienna.  

Overnight accommodation in the old city centre at the 3-star Imparatul Romanilor. -http://sibiu.imparatulromanilor.ro/

Day 10 - Friday 27th September: Biertan – Sibiu

In the morning visit the old fortifications of the town and walk through the wonderful squares of Sibiu, in the middle of which stands the impressive Evangelical church built in the 15th century.

Things to see:

- the Upper Town with its Big and Small squares, the Old Town Hall Tower, the citadel where you will see the impressive old fortifications; 

- the Brukenthal Museum which has one of the most charming galleries in Romania. This has one of the best collections of paintings in Romania, left to Sibiu by the Governor of Transylvania under Maria Theresa. It opened officially in 1817, seven years earlier than the National Gallery in London. Today the collections comprise European paintings, prints and sculptures from the 15-20 century.

In the afternoon visit the UNESCO protected Saxon citadel at Calnic and Sibiel villages. Sibiel village is located in the region called Marginimea Sibiului which is famous for its traditional shepherds’ villages. In Sibiel villagevisit the glass icon museum.

Return to Sibiu for overnight at the Imparatul Romanilor hotel.

Day 11 - Saturday 28th September: Bucharest airport

Transfer to Henri Coanda airport in Bucharest for BA0087 flight at 19:25 to Heathrow where our coach will be waiting to return us to Taunton, arriving approximately 11.45 pm.

The cost of this 11-day, 10 night tour, based on 2 people sharing a room, will be £1350.00

It includes all travel, transfers, full-time guide, entry to all specified places of interest, hotels and breakfast, lunch and dinner each day except dinner on Day 2 and lunch on Day 11.  

It does not include alcoholic drinks, photo permits or travel insurance.

Single room supplement will be £200 per person, i.e. £20 per night.

Van Gogh and Britain Exhibition

Van Gogh and Britain presents the largest collection of Van Gogh’s paintings in the UK for nearly a decade. Some of his most famous works will be brought together from around the world – including Shoes, Starry Night on the Rhône, L'Arlésienne, and two works he made while a patient at the Saint-Paul Asylum, At Eternity’s Gate and Prisoners Exercising. They will be joined by the very rarely lent Sunflowers from London’s National Gallery.

Van Gogh lived in England as a young man for several crucial years. He walked the streets alone, dreaming of the future. He fell in love with British culture, especially the novels of Charles Dickens and George Eliot. And he was inspired by the art he saw here, including paintings by Constable and Millais which are featured in the exhibition. They affected his paintings throughout his career.

The exhibition also looks at the British artists who were inspired by Van Gogh, including Francis Bacon, David Bomberg, and the young Camden Town painters. It shows how his vision set British artists on the road to modern art.

Places are limited and will consist of an executive coach to London, leaving Taunton, Hankridge Coach stop at 8.30am. Tea, coffee and biscuits on arrival at the Tate, a one hour illustrated lecture in a private room, followed by lunch (included in the cost) and entry to the Van Gogh exhibition. We anticipate leaving London by about 4.30pm and arriving back at Taunton by 7.45 or so. Price £79.50.

5 DAY TOUR TO VIENNA

October 8th-12th 2018

£965.00

(based on 2 sharing a room) 

Flights             Easyjet Bristol -- Vienna (depart: 14h00 & arrive: 17h30)

                        Easyjet Vienna – Bristol (depart: 18h05 & arrive: 19h35)

Day 1             11.00am. We meet our coach at Taunton for transfer to Bristol Airport and our direct scheduled mid-afternoon Easyjet flight to Vienna. On arrival in Vienna we transfer to the 4* Konig von Ungarn (www.kvu.at) for a four night stay on B&B. Located a 5 minute walk from St Stephens Cathedral and the nearest Metro station this delightful hotel, the oldest in Vienna,  is next to the Mozart House. Each attractive room is en suite and features air conditioning, telephone, free WLAN and internet access, flat-screen television, hairdryer, mini bar and an in-room safe

Day 2               Today we visit the Hofburg Palace. For over 600 years the Vienna Hofburg was the residence of the Austrian sovereigns., the Hapsburgs. Included in the Palace tour is the Sissi museum. The Empress Elizabeth, known as Sissi was a tragic figure, assassinated in 1898 she had been considered for more than three decades as the most beautiful queen in Europe.

 After free time for lunch we visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum.  The Picture Gallery of the Kunsthistorisches Museum developed from the art collections of the House of Habsburg. Today it is one of the largest and most important of its kind in the world. Its works include 16th-century Venetian painting (Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto), 17th-century Flemish painting (Peter Paul Rubens, Sir Anthony Van Dyck), Early Dutch painting (Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden) and German Renaissance painting (Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach).
Among the other highlights are pictures by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, as well as masterpieces by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Raphael, Caravaggio, Velázquez and Italian Baroque painters.

Day 3               Our morning guided city tour of Vienna takes in the imperial and architectural beauty of the city, a reminder of the great wealth of the Hapsburgs and the splendour of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. During our guided tour we visit Karlskirche. Designed by Johann Fischer von Erlach, a famous Austrian Baroque architect, the building of Karlskirche commenced in 1715 and is the largest Baroque cathedral north of the Alps. Our guided tour also includes a visit to St Stephen’s Cathedral, dating back to 1147 and for a long time uncontested as the tallest building in Europe.

 After free time for lunch in Vienna we visit Schönbrunn Palace, commissioned in 1696 by Leopold I, completed in 1730, and adapted in the mid 18th century for Maria Theresa. Our audio-guided tour will include her bedroom, hung with Brussels tapestries and the Hall of Mirrors, where Mozart, aged 6, gave his first recital. The gardens were laid out with fountains and statues, and later, on the Gloriette Hill, a colonnaded arcade was added, from which one has an extensive view over the city.

 This evening there will be an optional visit to the Opera.  The program for October has not yet been announced, but if you are interested I will let you have the details as soon as they are available.

Day 4               This morning we attend the morning exercise session at the Spanish Riding School, where the white Lipizzan stallions are put through their paces. The Morning Exercise offers an insight into the years of training of the Lipizzaners and their riders. Accompanied by classical Viennese music the riders and their horses do simple relaxing exercises and exercises aimed at refining and perfecting a certain movement. The horses’ natural movements are developed into the perfect figures of the High School of classical Horsemanship.

                        This afternoon is at leisure in Vienna and you may choose to view the elegant shops in the Stephanplatz area, stroll to the Hotel Sacher by the Opera House for coffee and indulge in the legendary Sacher-torte and perhaps do a little souvenir shopping!

                        This evening we attend a concert in the Mozart House given by the Mozart Quartet. The original atmosphere of its Sala Terrena and the historic costumes worn by the musicians combine into a delightful classical music experience.

Day 5               We visit Upper Belvedere Palace today, and our guided tour on arrival introduces us to a fine collection of Austrian art dating from the Middle Ages to the present day, including the world’s largest Gustav Klimt collection. There are a number of links between the iconic artist (1862–1918) and the Belvedere in Vienna, which houses the world’s greatest collection of Austrian art. It was on the initiative of Klimt and other artists that the Moderne Galerie was founded in 1903, the institution that has evolved into the Belvedere.

  This afternoon we transfer by coach to the airport for our direct scheduled early evening Easyjet flight back to Bristol and our transfer back to Taunton arriving at about 9.00pm.

THIS TRIP IS FULLY BOOKED  

Wednesday, August 22ndA great day out. £59.00 including lunch.
We shall have a guided tour of the castle followed by lunch. Visitors from all over the world have been attracted to the outstanding collection of art, furniture, its connection to Sir Walter Raleigh and to admire Capability Brown’s landscape. The Grade I listed Garden was one of Capability Brown’s first commissions giving us a magnificent English Landscape Garden which survives largely unaltered today. In the Castle’s Cellar Museum there is an exhibition “Capability Brown at Sherborne Castle” which draws on the castle archives to tell the story of his work here.
Following lunch and a stroll around the gardens we shall visit:
When people look at the Abbey, they see different things. Some see the finest building in Dorset, with its glorious fan vaulting – of which Simon Jenkins says in his book England’s Thousand Best Churches,
“I would pit Sherborne’s roof against any contemporary work of the Italian Renaissance.”
Others see a place renowned for its choir and its music and its bells – the heaviest peal of eight bells in the world. Some see thirteen centuries of history, ever since St Aldhelm, chose to build his cathedral here.
Please reserve my place on this day tour. Joining details will be sent out to those who register. Name:
Email: Phone:
I enclose my cheque to The Arts Society Taunton for £59.00 for Coach trip, Entry fees, Guide and lunch.

A CELEBRATION TO REMEMBER

NADFAS at 50 Years

The South West Area Team invite you to DARTINGTON HALL

For a Super-Plus Study Day

With exhibitions,displays, lunch, traditional cream tea and access to Dartington’s extensive 1,200-acre estate and their Grade 2* listed gardens.

Tickets include a two-session study-day from PETER MEDHURST, lunch, an Antiques “Call My Bluff” and entry to all the exhibitions. 

We will be leaving Taunton by luxury coach at 8.30am and returning by about 8.00pm

All inclusive price of £59.00

Click for application form

ITINERARY

October 4th Taunton – Heathrow

Depart Taunton by executive coach for Heathrow. Overnight at the Heathrow Ibis Hotel

 October 5th – Heathrow - Palermo

Transfer to Terminal 3 for British Airways flight BA 0610 to Palermo, departing at 08.00. Meet with our English speaking guide at Palermo airport upon arrival of Flight BA 0610 at 12.05pm. Private Transfer from Palermo Airport to Hotel Joli, located in the city center. Afternoon and evening at leisure. Optional walking tour of the fascinating Bellaro Market and possibly some street food tasting? I recommend watching Rick Stein’s “Long Weekend in Palermo”.

 October 6th – Palermo and Monreale

Buffet breakfast at hotel. Guided Tour of Palermo city center including the Norman Palace, Palatine Chapel and the magnificent 12th century Cathedral, built over a pre-existing mosque. Lunch in a local restaurant. The afternoon is dedicated to a guided visit of the Duomo of Monreale, on the slopes of Monte Caputo, with its marvelous gilded Byzantine mosaics. Evening at leisure

 October 7th – Marsala (winery) – Salt Way windmill – Erice - Segesta

Buffet breakfast at hotel. Departure from Palermo to Marsala for a regular visit of a local winery famous for the Production of Marsala Wine. Visit and tasting. Continue to have lunch in an Olive Oil farmhouse driving through the Salt Way Road between Marsala and Trapani (the old Punic road). After lunch visit the medieval hilltop town of Erice, then to the Doric temple of Segesta. Return to  Palermo. Evening at leisure

 October 8th – Palermo – Cusa - Selinunte - Agrigento

Buffet Breakfast at hotel. Departure to Selinunte visiting the quarries of Cusa from which the temples’ stones were hewn.  Guided visit of the Selinunte archaeological Park. Lunch in local restaurant. Proceed to Agrigento and visit the Valley of the Temples. Overnight at the 4* Colleverdi Park Hotel.

 October 9th – Agrigento – Piazza Armerina (Villa Romana) – Aidone (Museum)

Buffet breakfast at hotel. Departure to Piazza Armerina and guided visit to the Villa Romana del Casale, the most important archaeological building in Sicily. It has a magnificent display of multicoloured floor mosaics covering 3500 sq.mtrs. Lunch in local trattoria. Departure to Aidone to visit the archaeological Museum. Continue on to Siracusa and check into the 4* Hotel Mercure. Evening at leisure

 October 10th – Full day Noto and Siracusa

Buffet breakfast at hotel. Visit to Noto to admire the typical Sicilian Baroque architecture and visit the Palazzo Villadorata, a typical Baroque mansion.  Lunch in a typical local fish restaurant. Guided visit of Siracusa, the Roman amphitheatre,  Archaeological Park and Ortigia’s island. Evening at leisure

 October 11th – Siracusa – Cefalù – Palermo

Buffet breakfast at hotel. Departure to Cefalù. Visit the city center and the Norman cathedral built by Roger ll, King of Sicily. Lunch in local restaurant. Afternoon, return to Hotel Joli in Palermo. Farewell dinner in the Asmundo Palace overlooking Palermo Cathedral and with entertainment by a famous Sicilian folk group.

 October 12th – Departure Transfer

Buffet Breakfast at Hotel. Private Transfer to Palermo Airport in connection of Flight BA 0611 departing at 13.00. Heathrow to Taunton, arriving approx. 18.00

To take part, please contact John Smeaton on  jsmeaton@aol.com

Monday 22nd May

Depart Taunton by Executive coach to Kent.  En route, in time for lunch, we shall visit Chartwell, Winston Churchill’s much-loved family home from 1922. The rooms remain much as they were when he lived here.

Then on to the 4 Star Mercure Great Danes Hotel near Maidstone where we will be staying for the duration of our visit.  .

Dinner at Hotel

 Tuesday 23rd May

Today we start with a guided tour of Canterbury Cathedral.  St Augustine arrived on the coast of Kent from Rome in 597 AD. Augustine established his seat within the Roman city walls and built the first cathedral there, becoming the first Archbishop of Canterbury. The present Archbishop, The Most Revd Justin Welby, is 105th in the line of succession from Augustine.

From Canterbury we travel a scenic route via Reculver to Birchington and the Quex Museum where we will have an included lunch. The Powell-Cotton Museum at Quex Park was established in 1896 by Percy Powell-Cotton (1866-1940) to house natural history specimens and cultural objects collected on expeditions to Asia and Africa.

The Powell-Cotton Museum’s natural history dioramas are outstanding examples, unique to the UK, stunning for their size, quality and imagery.

 Now on to the Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate. The gallery is an iconic architectural landmark on Margate seafront.  They do not have a permanent collection of Turner’s work but show a rolling programme of temporary exhibitions

Dinner in Hotel

 Wednesday 24th May

Today we visit Batemans, Rudyard Kipling’s much loved house. It was his personal paradise, and somewhere he could enjoy family life. Surrounded by the wooded landscape of the Sussex Weald, this 17th-century house, with mullioned windows, pretty secluded garden and acres of countryside, provided a tranquil sanctuary.

In the afternoon we visit Smallhythe Place. Built in the early 16th-century when Smallhythe was a thriving shipbuilding port, Smallhythe Place was later purchased by renowned Victorian actress, Ellen Terry. A year after her passing her daughter, Edith Craig, transformed the house into a museum which now displays a fascinating personal and theatrical collection that reflects Ellen's extraordinary career and unconventional private life.

 Then on to Chapel Down Vineyard. Our tour will start with an introduction to Chapel Down followed by a short walk to the vineyards to learn about how they use the English climate to grow fantastic, clean, flavour packed fruit. We will then move into the Winery where we'll see the processes used to transform great fruit into great wines and how sparkling wines are made using the intricate traditional method. To complete the experience, we shall have a tutored tasting of the award-winning range of wines.

Dinner at Hotel

 Thursday 25th May

This morning we check out of our hotel for our return trip to Taunton. Our first stop will be at All Saints Church, Tudeley, noted for the twelve windows decorated by the great Russian artist Marc Chagall. 

We then proceed to Ightham Mote. Built nearly 700 years ago, this house has seen many changes and been owned by Medieval knights, courtiers to Henry VIII and high society Victorians.  We will stay here for lunch before continuing on to Knole. Originally an Archbishop’s Palace the house passed through royal hands to the Sackville family, who have been Knole’s inhabitants from 1603 until today. The treasures include the most magnificent example of a state bed from the Louis XIV period and Reynolds, Gainsboroughs and Van Dyck to admire in the picture gallery. Return to Taunton

 What’s included.

•  Return Executive Coach to and from Kent.
• Three night’s Bed, Breakfast and Dinner at the Mercure Hotel, Maidstone..
• Entrance to all sites and blue badge guided tours.
•  3 Dinners and 1 Lunch 

THE CURCH OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN, FAIRFORD IS THE ONLY CHURCH IN BRITAIN TO HAVE RETAINED A COMPLETE SET OF MEDIEVAL STAINED GLASS.

There are twenty eight windows which have been used to express and teach the Christian faith as in the pages of a picture book for nearly 500 years.

RODMARTON MANOR IS A SUPREME EXAMPLE OF A HOUSE AND ITS FURNITURE MADE ACCORDING TO THE ARTS AND CRAFTS IDEALS BY HAND BY LOCAL CRAFTSMEN USING LOCAL MATERIALS

The price (£36) of this day visit includes the cost of a guided tour in St. Mary's, Coffee and Biscuits, admission to Rodmarton Manor, coach travel from Taunton and Driver's gratuity

Enjoy a beautiful day visiting Lord and Lady Lansdowne’s family home, surrounded by acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscape and stunning gardens.
The collection of art and many historical treasures, such as Napoleon’s death mask, Queen Victoria’s wedding chair and the laboratory in which Dr. Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen gas, provides interest for all tastes.

After the tour enjoy a two course buffet lunch in the House Restaurant.

A full 8 day tour to the Basque Region of Spain

Sunday, May 22nd-29th

£1,150.00 per person, based on 2 sharing.

 The price of the tour includes scheduled flights, transfers, comfortable 4* hotel accommodation, all entry fees, travel by air-conditioned coach and English speaking guides. It will include breakfasts, lunches, and dinner on our final Saturday. Bilbaons seldom dine before 9.00pm, lunch being their main meal, hence we have arranged lunch each day.

 As one of Europe’s oldest and most culturally rich regions, The Basque Country known as Euskadi or Pays Vasco, is an autonomous area in NW Spain. The Basques themselves have no common ancestry with the Spanish people and the region has a fascinating landscape, language and history. Basque was spoken by the inhabitants well before the Romans arrived.

 Day 1.        Leaving Taunton by coach, we will fly with British Airways from Heathrow to arrive in Bilbao at about 7.00pm where we will be met and transferred to the 4* Hotel Abando in central Bilbao. The hotel has a good bar and restaurant both open until late on Sunday.  

 Day 2.        On our first morning we have a private boat trip up the Ria Nervion to view the old docks and grand houses of the city from the water and cross by the oldest transporter bridge in the world to Getxo at the mouth of the river.  After a tour of Getxo’s old town we return to Bilbao by coach for lunch at the Arbolagana Restaurant in the Belles Artes Museum followed by an accompanied tour. The museum has a fine collection of Old Master, Modern and Contemporary Art.

 Day 3.        Tuesday morning we have a walking tour of the picturesque Old Town of Bilbao and the Alhondiga building, a former wine warehouse renovated by French designer Philippe Starck to create a new culture and leisure centre for the city. We then visit the stunning Guggenheim modern art museum, designed by Frank Gehry, where we will have lunch before a conducted tour of the exhibitions.  Jeff Koons’ sculpture “Puppy”   is sited outside the museum as is Louise Bourgeois’ spider sculpture. In the evening there will be an optional visit to sample the local Basque specialities of “Pintxos” a variety of tapas, for which Bilbao is famous.

 Day 4.        On Wednesday, following a visit to a “Txakoli” winery (a slightly sparkling dry white wine), we shall be visiting Gernika, site of the massacre of the Basques during the Spanish civil war and the subject of Picasso’s moving painting. After lunch, we shall continue to San Sebastian, via the Urdubai nature reserve, for 2 nights at the Hotel Palacio de Aiete.  San Sebastian is noted for its fine gastronomy and there are 9 Michelin starred restaurants here!

 Day 5.        In the morning we will visit the nearby town of Getaria to see the Balenciaga fashion museum.  Cristobal Balenciaga was born here in 1895 and had his business in Spain until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1936 when he moved his fashion house to Paris. He died in 1972.  After lunch in the seaside fishing village of Zarautz, we shall have an amazing view of San Sebastian from the top of Mount Igueldo before descending for a guided tour of the new San Telmo Museum.

 Day 6.        Friday morning we leave for Logrono, centre of the Rioja wine region and a major site on the pilgrim route to Compostela. On the way we travel, via Extarri-Aranatz and Estella, through some spectacular scenery with the 5,000’ peaks of the Sierras de Andia and Urbasa National Park. In Logrono, after lunch, we check into the Hotel Herencia Rioja before a guided visit to the Rioja Museum.

 Day 7.        Saturday, we travel to Laguardia which is one of the most perfectly preserved medieval villages in Spain.  It is also located right in Rioja wine country so what better place to have a private winery tour. Laguardia is a medieval hill hamlet, surrounded by ancient walls, and has a delightful jumble of cobble-stoned streets lined with "Tabernas" under which are the wine Caves.  After lunch we go on to Vitoria-Gasteiz, capital of the Basque region, viewing Frank Gehry’s Marques de Riscal winery in Elciago on the way. Tour of Vitoria Cathedral and town. Our Hotel in Vitoria is the Hotel Ciudad de Vitoria in the very heart of the town, and, as this is our last evening together, we shall have a gourmet Farewell Dinner in the “Ikea” restaurant.  (“Little Hill” in Basque!)

 Day 8.        Sunday.  Today we travel back to UK.  Our coach will pick us up from the hotel at 10.00am for the 1 hour transfer to Bilbao airport.  Our flight gets us back to the UK by about 2.00pm where our coach will meet us for the return to Taunton.

We have been invited by Mrs Sylvana Chandler to visit her family home, Orchard Wyndham, for a conducted tour of the house on Friday 16th October, starting at 2.00pm.  This is by way of a thank you for all the effort our Heritage Volunteers Group has put into recording and repairing the important library there.

Conservation and preservation of our heritage are tremendous burdens on the limited resources of museums, National Trust properties, historic houses, libraries, churches and gardens. Heritage Volunteers help them in non-specialist but vital ways by caring for collections, recording documents, guiding and stewarding. Our Heritage Volunteers work to maintain our historic buildings, as with Orchard Wyndham and its Library, and record the contents and features of our local churches through our Church Recorders group.

Day 1:    Winchester College. The College (sometimes called Winchester School) owes its existence to the efforts of one man, the powerful William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester and advisor to King Richard II. It was Wykeham who, in 1382, gained from the king a royal charter for the foundation of a school in Winchester, one aimed at providing suitable students for Wykeham's New College at Oxford University.

Winchester Cathedral. The pride of Winchester is its magnificent cathedral. A bishop's see as early as 662, Winchester was home to St. Swithun, an early bishop. When a Benedictine monastery was established here in the late 9th century they chose Swithun as their patron saint. His bones, housed in an ornate reliquary, became famed for their healing powers, and pilgrims flocked to Swithun's shrine, which was located in the Old Minster, outside the current west door. The Saxon church was rebuilt beginning in the late 11th century under Walkelin, the first Norman bishop of Winchester. He chose a very unpromising site; the ground was so marshy that thousands of wooden piles had to be driven into the ground to make it solid enough to build what was then the longest church in Europe.

 Winchester Castle. Winchester Castle holds a prominent position in English history. It was built in 1067, within a year of the Norman Conquest. At the time, it was one of the greatest strongholds in England, and for over a century it served as the seat of government, before that position was taken by London. The castle was extended and rebuilt under Henry III, who added the Great Hall, and Edward II. In 1302 Edward and his second wife, Margaret of France, narrowly escaped death when the royal apartments of the castle were destroyed by fire.

Queen Eleanor’s Garden. This peaceful oasis is an accurate recreation of an early medieval garden, complete with many features that would have been present during the 13th century, and all the plants are known to have been grown in that period. A delightful recreation of a small medieval garden.

A one-night stay in London to visit the Colosseum to hear the English National Opera performing La Boheme. The following day a visit to Tate Britain's Turner exhibition.

Thursday November 20th 10.30 am

Leave Taunton by coach from the Blackbrook Coach Stop (parking at B&Q possible at your own risk) and arrive at our hotel, The Regents Park Holiday Inn, early in the afternoon and book in. (Full breakfast is included tomorrow morning.) The hotel is about a 10 minute stroll from Oxford Street for those who want to do a bit of early Christmas shopping.

6.30 pm Coach from the hotel to the Coliseum Theatre for the ENO's production of La Boheme with good tickets for the 7.30 show. Jonathan Miller’s stylish and acclaimed production, inspired by photographs of the 1930s Paris Left Bank, makes its third revival on the London Coliseum stage. Angel Blue, a sensational Musetta in ENO’s 2013 production, makes her role debut as Mimì, alongside David Butt Philip as Rodolfo. ENO Harewood Artist George von Bergen sings Marcello, while long-standing company favourite Andrew Shore takes the cameo roles of Benoit and Alcindoro.

10.30 pm Return to Hotel.

Friday November 21st 10.00am

Book out of hotel and board coach for Tate Britain.

11.00am Coffee 11.30am Private Lecture on JMW Turner

12.30am Buffet Lunch

1.30pm Entry to Turner; Painting Set Free, Exhibition The EY Exhibition: Late Turner – Painting Set Free is the first exhibition devoted to the extraordinary work J.M.W. Turner created between 1835 and his death in 1851. Bringing together spectacular works from the UK and abroad, this exhibition celebrates Turner’s astonishing creative flowering in these later years when he produced many of his finest pictures but was also controversial and unjustly misunderstood. Followed by: entry to the 2014 Turner Prize Exhibition. This year the artists were nominated for: Duncan Campbell for his presentation It for Others in Scotland + Venice at the 55th Venice Biennale. Ciara Phillips for her solo exhibition at The Showroom, London. James Richards for his contribution to The Encyclopaedic Palace at the 55th Venice Biennale. Tris Vonna-Michell for his solo exhibition Postscript II (Berlin) at Jan Mot, Brussels.

5.00pm Board coach for return to Taunton

4 day tour of Shropshire Staying at the Shrewsbury Albrighton Hall Hotel & Spa Tour Price £410.00 per person (based on two people sharing) Monday, 15th to Thursday 18th September 2014 To include all travel, three nights dinner, bed & breakfast, Stokesay Castle, Offa’s Dyke, Ludlow and the Welsh Marches, Shrewsbury, Chirk, Much Wenlock, etc. Full details on our website or from me.

Sunday, Coach from Taunton to Derbyshire via Aston Hall. Monday, Chatsworth House. Tuesday, Buxton Wednesday, Calke Abbey Thursday, Haddon Hall Friday, Return to Taunton via Royal Crown Derby Visitor Centre Contact John Smeaton for more details.

Day 1: Flying with Turkish Airlines (voted Europe's best airline in 2013) from Birmingham International at 16.30. Transfer by Berry's Coach leaving Taunton at c.11.30 am We will be met at Istanbul Kemal Ataturk airport and transferred to our hotel to settle in. Day 2 am Visit Topkapi Palace, Harem and Treasury. the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years. The palace contains large collections of porcelaine, robes, weapons, shields, armour, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and murals, as well as a display of Ottoman treasures and jewelry. pm Visit Archaeological Museum, The Basilica Cistern, The Hippodrome and the Blue Mosque, so-called because of its magnificent blue Iznik tiles. Day 3 am Visit St Sophia, built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century, and the Chora Museum. İstanbul has more than its fair share of Byzantine monuments, but few are as wonderful as the Chora Church. Virtually all of the interior decoration dates from 1312. One of the museum's most wonderful mosaics, found above the door to the nave, depicts Theodore offering the church to Christ. pm Visit the Rustem Pasha Mosque famous for its large quantities of exquisite Iznik tiles. Day 4 am Visit Dolmabahce Palace, built in 19 th century it is one of the most glamorous palaces in the world. Embark for private boat cruise on the Bosphorus, pm Visit Sadberk Hanim Museum. The Museum’s Iznik ceramic collection is one of the leading collections in the world. Day 5 Check out of Hotel and depart for Canakkale, visiting the site of the 1915 Gallipoli landings, Anzac Cove and battlefield on the way. Dinner at the hotel. Day 6 am Visit the archaeological ruins of the city of Troy pm return to the Hotel and make use of the pool and sunbeds before our last night dinner! Day 7 Check out and depart for our 13.00 return flight to UK, where Berry's coach will meet us and return to Taunton arriving c. 17.30.

This is Verdi's operatic version of Alexander Dumas 'La Dame aux camelias'. Violetta, a courtesan suffering from tuberculosis, moves in with Alfredo whose father disapproves. They part and Alfredo is distraught. They meet up again and, while talking of their future happiness together, she dies!!

The last major Lowry exhibition was at the Royal Academy in 1976 and there won't be another one for years. There are many magnificent Lowrys here, and the show is certainly worth seeing for the amount of good original work by this over-reproduced artist brought together in one place at one time. He is too often rubbished by those only casually familiar with his work through reproductions.

We will visit the British Museum to see this important “Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum” exhibition, of which we had a preview from Dr Paul Roberts in his NADFAS lecture to us last year. We will also visit: * The Sir John Soane Museum. Sir John Soane RA was born in 1753, the son of a bricklayer, and died after a long and distinguished career as an architect in 1837. Soane designed this house to live in, but also as a setting for his antiquities and his works of art. After the death of his wife (1815), he lived here alone, constantly adding to and rearranging his collections. Having been deeply disappointed by the conduct of his two sons, he determined to establish the house as a museum to which ‘amateurs and students’ should have access. * The Brunei Gallery of Oriental and Asian Studies Dedicated to promoting a better understanding of the art, culture, history and contemporary contexts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East through a changing programme of visiting exhibitions and events, with a permanent rotating display of SOAS's own collections. * The Museum of Freemasonry, one of the world's finest collections of Masonic material housed at the home of English freemasonry, including pottery, porcelain, glass, silver, furniture, clocks and regalia. The ceremonial areas of the amazing Art Deco Freemasons' Hall are also available to view. * The Hunterian Museum of the Royal Society of Surgeons, Revealing 400 years of medical history, from one of the oldest anatomical collections in the world to the latest advances in minimal access surgery. Highlights include surgeon John Hunter's collection of human and animal specimens, Lister's first antiseptic spray and Winston Churchill's false teeth On Monday evening we have arranged a visit to The National Theatre to see "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime"

The tour takes in the Great Hall, which contains some superb early 16th century panelling , the late 17th century Great Staircase, The Great Parlour, the ruined Ante Room the Old Dining Room, a series of bedrooms and the Gothic library, drawing room and dining room all of which were remodelled by the architect James Wyatt in 1805 and are currently in daily use by my family. At the end of the tour participants are free to wander around the grounds and gardens at will.

Fursdon is one of Devon's oldest family homes. 23 generations of the family have lived on this site. The house has evolved from a three room cross passage cob and thatch dwelling to the elegant manor house you see today. A tour of the house reflects these changes and the fluctuating fortunes of a family steeped in the tradition of land ownership and farming. You will see rooms, all of which are in use by the present family, dating from different periods in history Inside the house you will see family portraits and paintings, antique and contemporary furniture. The museum houses 18th and 19th century costumes and reflects Fursdon's long history. You will hear family anecdotes, the highs and lows of managing an ancient estate in the 21st century and stories of a ghost and a dragon!

May 17th 08.00-11.00 Private Coach transfer from Taunton to London Heathrow, Terminal 1 13.15-16.10 British Airways scheduled Flight BA368 to Marseilles. On arrival, transfer by executive coach to the 3* Hotel Kyriad, located in the central Place Horloge, Avignon, where we stay for 7 nights on a bed & breakfast basis. May 18th 09.00-18.00 Full Day Tour to Aix-en-Provence, former regional capital, and “city of a thousand fountains” . It is still a cultural centre with the town’s most famous son being Paul Cezanne. There will be a guided tour of the city, including a visit to the Granet Museum and Cezanne’s Studio, still preserved as it was when he died. There will be time to enjoy the old spa town before heading back to Avignon viewing Mont St Victoire which Cezanne painted over 60 times. May 19th 09.00-18..00 Excursion to view the breathtaking Pont du Gard, the amazingly preserved 2000 year old Roman aquaduct. The day will continue with a visit to Nimes to see the world’s best preserved Roman Amphitheatre, the Maison Carree classical temple, and the Beaux-Arts museum with its marble pillars and the remarkable Roman mosaic of the myth of Alcestis. May 20th 09.00-18.00 Today will mix some of the Roman history of the area with its other speciality, Cotes-du-Rhone wine. There will be some time spent in Orange which contains two of the finest Roman monuments in Europe; the Theatre Antique d’Orange and the Arc de Triomphe, which was built to celebrate Caesar’s victory over the Gauls. The famous vineyards of Chateauneuf-du-Pape are nearby. There will be time for a wine-tasting in this attractive area and then back to Avignon via the picturesque village of Seguret, one of the official “most beautiful villages in France” a distinction it most thoroughly deserves. May 21st 09.00-18.00 After breakfast we depart for Arles and Les Baux de Provence. Arles is a town with a strong Roman history, but also where Van Gogh spent some of his most productive time, painting over 300 pieces of work in 15 months. (Interestingly, he only sold one picture in his lifetime!) We will view St Trophime, the best example of Romanesque Architecture. the sculptures over the door, particularly the Last Judgement, and the columns in the adjacent cloister, are considered some of the finest examples of Romanesque sculpture. Les Baux is divided into two: the pleasant living village with Renaissance houses and the “Ville Morte”, a deserted medieval citadel in a dramatic setting. May 22nd 09.00-13.00 This morning we shall have a guided tour of Avignon. Surrounded by massive ramparts, the old town is dominated by the immense and imposing gothic Palais des Papes, centre of papal power from 1309 to 1377. The building’s heavy fortification reflects the violent nature of 14thC religious life. Then to the Pont St Benezet, famed for the nursery rhyme “Sur le Pont d’Avignon”. The afternoon is free for you to explore the town at your own pace, perhaps visit the fine arts Musee Calvet or the 13thC Petit Palais, but not before you enjoy a leisurely lunch at one of the numerous outdoor brasseries around the Place de l’ Horloge. May I urge you all to attend the 9th April lecture by Dr Sally Dormer, “Popes, Palaces and Painters”, which will put into perspective our whole visit and provide the background for our greater enjoyment of Avignon. May 23rd 09.00-18.00 Today we enjoy a coach tour through the Camargue. Don’t forget to bring your binoculars! The Parc Naturel Regional De Camargue is situated just south of Arles and contains over 350,000 acres of wild marshland situated on the Rhone Delta. It is home to flocks of pink flamingos, black fighting bulls and wild white horses. After visiting Les Saints Maries de la Mer, site of the annual Roma gypsy pilgrimage which takes place tomorrow, the 24th May, we will stop for lunch in Aigues-Mortes, before returning to Avignon via Villeneuve-les-Avignon with its impressive Fort St Andre. May 24th 12.00-13.00 Today we leave Avignon. Please ensure that you have all your belongings with you when you leave the hotel, and that you check the room before leaving. Our coach will take us back to the Marseilles-Provence airport and our flight home with British airways flight BA 369. Take off is at 17.15 and we are due back at Heathrow at 18.10 where our coach will be waiting for us. Traffic permitting, we should be back in Taunton by about 8.30pm. NB: Exact order of itinerary may vary according to local conditions and tour leaders discretion.

Combining rebellion and revivalism, scientific precision and imaginative grandeur, the Pre-Raphaelites constitute Britain’s first modern art movement. This exhibition will bring together over 150 works in different media, including painting, sculpture, photography and the applied arts, revealing the Pre-Raphaelites to be advanced in their approach to every genre. Led by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB) rebelled against the art establishment of the mid-nineteenth century, taking inspiration from early Renaissance painting. The exhibition will establish the PRB as an early example of the avant-garde: painters who self-consciously overturned orthodoxy and established a new benchmark for modern painting and design. It will include many famous Pre-Raphaelite works, and will also re-introduce some rarely seen masterpieces including Ford Madox Brown’s polemical Work 1852 1865 and Philip Webb and Burne-Jones’s The Prioress’s Tale wardrobe of 1858. The exhibition will show the Pre-Raphaelite environment to be widely encompassing in its reach across the fine and decorative arts, in response to a fast-changing religious and political backdrop, and in its relationship to women practitioners. You will, of course, be free to view other galleries at The Tate before joining Berry’s Coach at 4.00pm for the journey home. .