After our trip to Parma, Italy in October (fully booked), we are planning a visit away within the UK, and a day visit.

Further news is coming soon.

Wednesday 3rd June 2026

A day visit by coach to Henry Moore Studios and Garden, Perry Green, Herts
8.30am Woodbridge Deben Leisure Centre
Arrive back in Woodbridge approx 5.15pm.

This event is sold out, but please join the waiting list on TicketSource in case places become available later on.

Link to booking via TicketSource

Monday 27 - Wednesday 29 October 2025
Two nights stay in Eastbourne
Visits to Brighton Pavilion, Ightham Mote, Batemans, Tudeley Church, on the journey to and from Eastbourne
Puccini La Bohème at Glyndebourne on Tuesday 28th October

Leaflet with booking form HERE

A half day visit by car to the home of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears in Aldeburgh, which offers a charming snapshot into the couple’s life. The farmhouse, nestled in a beautiful five-acre garden, is home to their art collections which are displayed throughout.

"The eclectic range of pieces reflects a combination of their personal tastes, their working relationships with artists, and their friends at the heart of the UK’s art scene in the mid-20th century. While landscapes and figurative subjects dominate, there are also a small number of important abstracts. There are significant holdings of works by John Piper, Sidney Nolan, Christian Rohlfs, Georg Ehrlich and Mary Potter."  (Britten Pears website)

The visit will be guided throughout, including the house, the archive of Britten's record of the artworks, the archive, the composition studio and the library. There are some access issues, with staircases inside the house and to the composition studio, otherwise the site is wheelchair accessible.

Entry to the new exhibition 'Darkness' is also included.

The garden can also be enjoyed with the help of a self-guide leaflet.

Booking opens in March  BOOKING FORM   FLYER

This is a FULL DAY visit. Travel will be by coach from Woodbridge Leisure Centre at 8.30am to the centre of Cambridge. We will be dropped off and collected at the museum. We will have a guided introductory tour of the newly-curated permanent collection, focusing on their most important works.

Lunch can be purchased in the museum cafe. After lunch, there will be free time to explore the galleries further, including the Paris Exhibition, which was inspired by the Olympics, or 'All over the Place' by Glenn Ligon (living US artist) which is literally 'all over the place' in the Museum. No need to book these as they are included in the group ticket.

We plan assemble ready to leave at 3.15pm from the Museum, to leave Cambridge at 3.30pm and arrive back in Woodbridge at around 5pm.

More details on FLYER

Image: The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge (c) Lewis Ronald

Travel will be self-drive or car-share. Cost £22pp, or £31pp including a PRE-BOOKED light lunch in the garden cafe. Group size 20 members.

At the former home and working studio of Sir Alfred Munnings (1878-1959), this museum owns and displays the largest collection of art made by this globally renowned, prolific East Anglian artist.

2024 Special Exhibition – Munnings: Making a Picture 

We will take a look behind the scenes at how Alfred Munnings created his pictures: what influenced his ideas; how life events and circumstances affected his work, and discover the details of how he placed paint onto canvas.

ARRIVE 10.45am  Curator's Tour 11.00am  (takes 90 mins)        
Lunch (optional, pre-ordered only) 12.30pm. Free entry to house and galleries from 1.30pm.

A full day visit with coach travel to Sudbury.
At the recently refurbished and extended family home of Thomas Gainsborough, we will see his masterpieces, alongside delightful personal collections of the Suffolk artists John Constable and Cedric Morris. Temporary exhibitions will show the work of portrait painter László (1869-1937) and illustrator Gravelot (1699-1773).

The cost of £46pp (£38 with Art Pass, to be shown on the day) includes:

An introductory talk with coffee/tea to set the scene and give a background to the life and work of Gainsborough and the artists featured in the temporary exhibitions.

Free time to wander through the many galleries and rooms and the beautiful garden.

A light lunch will be served in the meeting room.

Our Visits programme will continue in 2024 with two planned visits, in April and in June. Booking will begin two months before the visit date.

17th APRIL 2024 Gainsborough's House, Sudbury 
This will be a full day visit by coach to Gainsborough's House, with coffee on arrival, then an introductory talk before we explore the galleries and eat a sandwich lunch.

"Thomas Gainsborough (1727-88) was born in Sudbury and was baptised at the Independent Meeting-House in Friars Street on 14 May 1727, the fifth son and ninth child of John and Mary Gainsborough. In 1958 Gainsborough’s House Society was formed to purchase the house and establish it as a centre for Thomas Gainsborough. The Museum opened to the public in 1961 and has remained open ever since, operating as an independent charitable trust.

In 2019, the House commenced a transformational refurbishment with £10m invested into the site. For the first time in its history, the House closed its doors for 3 years to welcome this upgrade. The vision was to build upon the rich history of Gainsborough’s House while also making the museum experience more accessible, exciting for our visitors and to truly celebrate Gainsborough along with his followers and contemporaries. The museum aims to bring light to other Suffolk based artists like John Constable and Cedric Morris of whom greatly admired the works of Thomas Gainsborough."  [Gainsborough's House website]

26th JUNE 2024 Munnings Museum, Dedham

This will be a half-day visit, travelling by car. We will ask members to drive themselves and perhaps offer places to other members. There will be a curator's guided tour, opportunity to look around the galleries afterwards. There is a family-run cafe on site.

"This year (2023) a selection of 200 paintings and drawings from the museum’s significant collection of works by Sir Alfred Munnings is hung thematically throughout the eight rooms of his former home. Bucolic landscapes give way to energetic depictions of horseracing starts and country sports. 

Take a closer look at how Munnings approached painting horses with a room of equine studies and explore his imaginative and humorous side through his ballads and caricature sketches.

The furniture and personal effects of Alfred and Violet Munnings remain in situ making Castle House feel like the home it was." [Munnings Museum website]

COLUMBINE HALL HOUSE AND GARDENS
Stowupland, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 4AT

Wednesday 21st June 2023
Travel by car

COLUMBINE HALL is an ancient Manor House rising straight out of a moat and surrounded by rich green meadows and ancient trees. It is named after the 13th century feudal manor of the Norman family of de Columbers. In 1993 the house and 29 acres of the original manorial lands were sold to Hew Stevenson and his late wife, the writer Leslie Geddes-Brown, who lovingly restored the house over the years. The gardens were designed by Chelsea Gold Medal winner, George Carter in the 17th century manner and have featured in Gardens Illustrated, The English Garden and many other publications. Today they are managed by Head Gardener Kate Elliott.

The visit will include: A GUIDED TOUR OF THE HOUSE AND GARDENS
Hew Stevenson will show you around the house and Kate Elliott, head gardener, will show you around the gardens. The tour which starts at 2.30pm, will take approximately two and a half hours, including tea and cakes.

ARRIVAL TIME 2.15pm for 2.30pm tour
You will be met by the Visit Organiser Gina Dixie and escorted to the courtyard on the house side of the moat where you will be met by Hew Stevenson and Kate Elliott and divided into two groups.

COST: £20 per person for the tour with tea and cakes afterwards.

DEPARTURE TIME 5.00pm

DIRECTIONS: BY CAR
Near Stowmarket, turn off the A14 onto the A1120 north towards Stowupland. At the petrol station on the village green, turn left. Continue to the T junction, then turn right into Gipping Road. The drive into Columbine Hall is the first turn left after the de-restriction sign just outside the village.

This season, using the responses from our members' survey, we have resumed our Visits Programme to include two visits, with more to come later in the year. Our first visit will be a day's outing to Norwich, to the Sainsbury Centre on 22nd March. On 21st June 2023 there will be an afternoon outing to Columbine Hall and garden, to include tours and refreshments afterwards.

Wednesday 22nd March 2023 - now fully booked
A visit is planned to The Sainsbury Centre, Norwich. Bookings will be taken before lectures on 16th January and 20th February 2023, or using the booking form which will be available from January in the 'Documents' section of this website. The cost including coach travel, entry to the exhibition, guided tour of the Sainsbury collection and sandwich lunch will be £40.

"This international art museum in Norwich, within the University of East Anglia campus, is housed in Norman Foster's first major public building. Affectionately known as 'The Hangar', it shows ancient, modern and ethnographic art collections, exhibited in light-filled, modernist spaces." [Sainsbury Centre website]
[Image; Sonny Assu, Dance As Though the Ancestors Are Watching 2019, acrylic paint, © Courtesy of the Artist]

Click here for a flyer

Click here for a booking form

The day will include:

NEW Exhibiton
Empowering Art: Indigenous Art of NW America

Empowering Art is a ground-breaking exhibition of rich but rarely seen artworks, bringing together exceptional contemporary and historical pieces from across the Northwest Coast of North America.

"Developed in close consultation with Indigenous artists and community leaders from across the Northwest Coast, Empowering Art showcases the talent of their artistic and cultural creations on a scale unseen in the UK since the 1970s."       (Sainsbury Centre website)

Click below for more information:

https://www.sainsburycentre.ac.uk/whats-on/empowering-art-indigenous-creativity-and-activism-from-north-americas-northwest-coast/

Sainsbury family collection in The Living Space - guided tour 

Sandwich lunch in the Modern Life Café

Sculpture Park (optional self-guided walk)

Free time to view other galleries or relax in the Terrace Café

DEPARTURE TIME
Deben Leisure Centre - coach will depart at 8.30am
From the Sainsbury Centre - coach will leave at 3.15pm

ARRIVAL TIME back in Woodbridge approximately 4.45pm at the Deben Leisure Centre.

Contact info@theartssocietywoodbridge.co.uk

The magnificent Ely Cathedral, with its unique 14th century octagonal lantern tower, will be our destination for this visit. Our day will include a guided tour in the morning, followed by lunch in the Almonry restaurant and entry to the Stained Glass Museum in the afternoon.

Booking form available in the Documents section of our web site

Our trip will begin with a tour of Henry Moore’s former home of 40 years: Hoglands, in Perry Green,
Hertfordshire. Small groups will be escorted at regular intervals through the house, while those waiting may
explore the gardens or relax over tea/coffee and biscuits. After lunch there will be a tour of the Studios
and Gardens and an Exhibition (as yet unspecified). Henry Moore’s estate is much as it was in his lifetime
and his sculptures can be seen as they were intended with the backdrop of landscape. In his studios you can
follow his creative journey through his drawings and maquettes, and over 20 of his sculptures in the surrounding gardens. There are also textile designs, book covers, portraits and his tapestries in the Aisled Barn.

Booking Form available on the Documents page of our web site

Grayson Perry: The Pre-Therapy Years is the first exhibition to survey Perry’s earliest forays into the art world, reintroducing the explosive and creative works he made between 1982 and 1994. His groundbreaking ‘lost’ pots will be reunited for the first time to focus on the formative years of one of Britain’s most recognisable artists.The exhibition begins in 1982 when Perry was first working as an artist, and then charts his progress to the mid-90s when he became established in the mainstream London art scene. Today, Perry enjoys a reputation bordering on National Treasure status by virtue of his distinctive tapestry, collage and ceramic works that often
explore themes of gender, identity and social class, as well as his remarkable work as a witty social commentator on television and in print. 
(Images credited to Amanda Slater, Coventry, W. Midlands)

A five day executive coach trip:  1st – 5th October 2020

With a Blue Badge Guide

Staying in a 4 star hotel

We will be visiting –

Day 1:The medieval Penshurst Place and gardens

Day 2:The town and Cathedral of Canterbury and Leeds Castle 

Day 3:Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Great Dixter House and Gardens and All Saints’Church with its Marc  Chagall windows at Tudeley

Day 4:Margate and the Turner Contemporary Gallery and Walmer Castle and Gardens

Day 5:Ightham Mote a superb moated manor house and garden 

More details avialable at https://www.tailored-travel.co.uk/woodbridgeartssociety_kent_2020

Booking form click here

http://theartssocietywoodbridge.org.uk/DocumentStore/TTM4061%20Woodbridge%20Kent%20lo.pdf

Please put the dates 1st- 5th October in your diary and await details at the next lecture

The magnificent Ely Cathedral, with its unique 14th century octagonal lantern tower, will be our destination for this visit. Our day will include a guided tour in the morning, followed by lunch in the Almonry restaurant and entry to the Stained Glass Museum in the afternoon. Reproduced by permission of The Henry Moore Foundation.

Booking May & June lectures

Our trip will begin with a tour of Henry Moore’s former home of 40 years: Hoglands, in Perry Green,
Hertfordshire. Small groups will be escorted at regular intervals through the house, while those waiting may explore the gardens or relax over tea/coffee and biscuits. After lunch there will be a tour of the Studios and Gardens and an Exhibition (as yet unspecified). Henry Moore’s estate is much as it was in his lifetime and his sculptures can be seen as they were intended with the backdrop of landscape. In his studios you can follow his creative journey through his drawings and maquettes, and over 20 of his sculptures in the surrounding gardens. There are also textile designs, book covers, portraits and his tapestries in the Aisled Barn.

Booking April & May lectures

It is always a pleasure to visit the Sainsbury Centre, and this large exhibition promises to be an excellent one. It will focus on the art and design of British coastal culture between the First and Second World Wars. Included in our day will be a guided tour of the exhibition, lunch in the restaurant, and some free time to explore the wonderful permanent collection of Robert and Lisa Sainsbury.

Fully Booked

The Arts Society East Anglia are offering a tailored travel visit to Sussex from 12th to 14th October 2019, which includes a performance of Donizetti's 'L'Elisir d'Amore' at Glyndebourne.  This has proved very popular in the past and places are selling fast.  

If you are interested, the booking form can be downloaded from the Arts Society East Anglia website  -  theartssocietyeastanglia.org.uk  and go to 'Future Events’ 

or contact Anne Day on 01394 387894

This tour will include a riverside stroll with fabulous views, the  remains of the London Docks, a stunning Victorian church, distinctive riverside pubs, Oliver’s Wharf, Tobacco Dock and the place where pirates were executed.

Our excellent guide Andrew Davies has told us that it is one of his favourite tours, so it will undoubtedly be a memorable day

Booking form available in the Documents section of our web site

Opened in 2016, The National Heritage Centre is situated in the remains of Charles II’s sporting palace and stables, and spans five acres in the heart of Newmarket. It comprises three complementary attractions: the new National Horseracing Museum, a National Art Gallery of British Sporting Art, and a chance to meet former racehorses, in the flagship yard of Retraining of Racehorses. Our visit will include a guided tour of the Centre.

After lunch we will visit Wyken Vineyard near Bury St Edmunds to wander through the beautiful gardens which should be in full bloom. There will also be time to walk through the parkland and to visit the delightful Leaping Hare Country Store.

We will be visiting this major exhibition about Vincent van Gogh at Tate Britain, which will be the first exhibition to take a new look at the artist through his relationship with Britain. It will explore how Van Gogh was inspired by British art, literature and culture throughout his career and how he, in turn, inspired British artists from Walter Sickert to Francis Bacon. Bringing together the largest group of Van Gogh paintings shown in the UK for nearly a decade, Van Gogh and Britain will include over 40 works by the artist from public and private collections around the world.

Booking at March lecture or a Booking form is available on the documents page of this web site

Thursday 4th- Monday 8th October 2018

£594 (twin share) Single room £99 extra

4*Norton Park Hotel Winchester half board

We will see

WATTS GALLERY and CHAPEL (en route)

WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL

HINTON AMPNER NT - House and famous Garden

ISLE of WIGHT and OSBORNE HOUSE

PORTSMOUTH DOCKYARD and MARY ROSE MUSEUM

JANE AUSTEN’S HOUSE & CHAWTON HOUSE LIBRARY

For further details contact : Valerie MacCuish Tel: 01473 735857 Email:v.maccuish@btinternet.com

BOOKING - WAITING LIST ONLY

Please note that a good level of fitness is required for this trip

The romantic exterior of Knebworth House with its turrets and domes does little to prepare the visitor for what is inside. The Victorian decoration hides a red brick house dating back to Tudor times. Every generation of the Lytton family has left something of its style and taste, making Knebworth an extraordinary walk through 500 years of British history. Stories and heirlooms reflect the family’s contribution to literature, politics and foreign service. The British Raj Exhibition is a fascinating display telling the story of the Lytton family connections with India. There are also 28 acres of formal gardens to explore - these were designed by Sir Edward Lutyens, who married into the family.

Our visit, which will be on a day when the house is closed to the public, will include a guided tour of the house and plenty of time to explore the gardens and grounds.

Booking at the June meeting and a Booking form is available on the Documets page of our website

Unfortunately this visit has been cancelled

This is Tate Modern’s first solo exhibition of Pablo Picasso’s work -

The EY Exhibition: Picasso 1932 - Love, Fame, Tragedy promises to be one of the most significant shows the gallery has ever staged. It will take visitors on a month by month journey through 1932, a time so pivotal in Picasso’s life and work that it has been called his ‘year of wonders’. More than 100 outstanding paintings, sculptures and works on paper will show his prolific and restlessly inventive character, stripping away common myths and revealing the man and the artist in his full complexity and richness.

The exhibition features an unprecedented range of loans from collections around the world, including many record-breaking works held in private hands. Highlights include ‘Jeune fille devant un miroir’ and the legendary ‘Le Rêve’, a virtuoso masterpiece depicting the artist’s muse in ecstatic reverie which has never been exhibited in the UK before.

Our visit will include an introductory lecture before our entry to the exhibition.

Five Day Coach Trip: Monday 14th May to Friday 18th May 2018

En route to Yorkshire we stop at Lincoln Cathedral a fine Gothic building and in Harrogate we will be based in a 4*hotel  just a 10 minute walk from the centre.

 Our programme includes the Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth, home to the famous literary family; picturesque Whitby with its cobbled streets and old houses overlooked by the ruins of a beautiful 13th century abbey; a steam train trip across the scenic North York Moors and a walking tour of York taking in the City Walls, the Shambles and the Minster.

 Also included are Castle Howard a richly furnished 18th century house with its 1000 acre park and Harewood House set in a Capability Brown landscape and renowned for its architecture, Adam interiors and fine art collection.

The cost which includes a 4 night stay on a half board basis and a Blue Badge Guide for 3 days is £574 with a £99 single supplement.

Please note that a good level of fitness is required for this trip

The highlights of this walking tour with Andrew Davies will include the Georgian sugar house which is now the delightful Museum of Docklands, the remains of the West India dock, the inside of Canary Wharf Tower, the fabulous roof garden over the Crossrail station;Norman Foster’s huge underground station, Chinatown and Narrow Street (home of celebrities) and of course some of the best riverside views in London.

Booking - Waiting list only.

Our trip will explore Vienna’s great heritage in architecture and painting, and the musical heritage of the city that was home to Mozart, Beethoven, Mahler and Strauss. We visit the Belvedere Palace concentrating on the Upper Palace with its commanding views of the city and its marvellous paintings,the historic Cathedral of St Stephen, the Opera House onthe Ringstrasse the Staatsoper, the Secession Building containing Klimt’s frieze celebrating Beethoven, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Liechtenstein Palace and the Germaldegaleire, which contains masterpieces by Bosch,

Van Dyck and many others, the Hofburg and surrounding areas, Josefplatz which contains two of the finest 18C interiors in the city, Schonbrunn the palace complex outside the city.

Staying at the Hotel Tigra the expected cost will be £1,450-£1,495 per person in a standard double room; single supplement £225, BA return flight Heathrow to Vienna; 2 dinners and 1 lunch with wine. Services of a lecturer and our tour manager. Bookings to attend a concert or opera can also be made.

LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF PLACES – BOOKING FROM NOVEMBER 2016

PLEASE NOTE THAT A GOOD LEVEL OF FITNESS IS REQUIRED FOR THIS TRIP

The Wallace Collection is a national museum in an historic London town house. In its 25 galleries there are unsurpassed displays of French 18th-century painting, furniture and porcelain with superb Old Master paintings and a world class armoury. The Great Gallery has been described as “the greatest picture Gallery in Europe.” This gallery reopened in September 2014, following a two year refurbishment, and now has a reconfigured ceiling allowing natural light in. Our visit will include a tour of the collection’s highlights, followed by free time for lunch and further exploration.

Booking at May and June meetings

Booking Form available in the Documents section of About Us page of our web site

This romantic garden still retains its 18th Century layout. The houseand gardens were  built by Lady Anne Spencer, a forebear of Princess Diana. We will have a guided tour of the gardens followed by a ploughman’s lunch. In the afternoon we will move to Sudbury to explore the life and art of Thomas Gainsborough, one of Britain’s greatest artists. We will have a guided tour of the large collection of his paintings, drawings and prints at his birthplace, Gainsborough House. This covers the whole of Gainsborough’s career from his early portraiture and landscapes to the later works from his London period. We will also have a chance to see a temporary exhibition on silk, the newly established Constable display and the delightful walled garden behind the house. Afternoon tea and cake will be provided.

Booking at April and May meetings OR Booking Form available in the Documents section of About Us web page

Birmingham is a major city right in the heart of the West Midlands which has more canals than Venice! We stop en-route at Cottesbrook Hall in Northamptonshire before travelling to our hotel where we will meet with our Blue Badge guide who will guide us on many of our visits.

These will include the Barber Institute of Fine Arts which has a fine collection of works by Monet, Manet, Renoir, Rubens, Rodin and van Dyck, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, with one of the best collections of fine and decorative art, historical artefacts and archaeological treasures in the country, Harvington Hall in Kidderminster, with its original Elizabethan wall paintings, Hanbury Hall in Droitwich which is a William and Mary style house, Soho House, which was once a regular meeting place of the Lunar Society of Birmingham, and Aston Hall with its magnificent Long Gallery. We will take a tour of the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter which depicts the history of Birmingham’s renowned jewellery and metalworking heritage.

Cost to include 4 nights bed, breakfast and evening meal is £539 for National Trust members and £557 for non-NT. Single room supplement £80.

BOOKING FROM THE OCTOBER 2016 MEETING

PLEASE NOTE THAT A GOOD LEVEL OF FITNESS IS REQUIRED FOR THIS TRIP

This exhibition will open in February 2017 and will be an extensive retrospective of David Hockney’s work. It will celebrate his achievements in painting, drawing, print, photography and video and will offer an unprecedented overview of the artist’s work to date. We will be fortunate to have an introductory lecture before visiting the exhibition. This will be delivered by John Iddon, who is an experienced and well regarded NADFAS lecturer.

Entry to the exhibition itself will be limited to 30 people an hour and it may therefore be necessary to split our group. This should not present a problem however as it will provide ample time for lunch!

BOOKINGS FOR THIS SPECIAL VISIT WILL BE TAKEN AT THE JANUARY AND FEBRUARY LECTURES

Booking form available in the Documents section of the Web Site

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE REFUNDS FOR NON-ATTENDANCE UNLESS A REPLACEMENT CAN BE FOUND

RAVENNA, URBINO AND FERRARA

Tuesday 4th October to Sunday 9th October 2016

With Jane Angelini, St James’s Art Tours

Ravenna, the final outpost of the Roman Empire in the West, once a flourishing port and pivotal link between Italy and the Orient, is now a quiet town, full of nostalgic charm. Its cluster of 5th and 6th century baptisteries, churches and mausoleums contains some of the finest examples of Early Christian art and unique examples of mural mosaic of the late Roman and early Byzantine styles. The mosaics present a kaleidoscopic array of glittering colour, aptly described by Dante as "symphonies of colour". Urbino, the seat of the Duke of Montelfeltro and the birthplace of Raphael, was one of the great Courts of Renaissance Italy. The palace itself is regarded as one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture and the art treasures housed within it include important works by Raphael and Piero della Francesca as well as the famous Studiola of Count Federico of Montefeltro. Ferrara was another splendid Renaissance Court, seat of the d’Este family and has much to see.

Staying at 4* Hotel Palazzo Bezzi, a recently opened boutique style hotel. Cost £ 1,270.00 per person in twin room; single supplement £195.00. Price includes: 4 dinners, and 2 lunches, all entrances and tips as per itinerary, flights, accommodation, services of Jane Angelini and local assistant.

Waiting List Only 

We will spend the day exploring this fascinating English Heritage palace, which is set in 19 acres of gardens in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It was built in the 1930s for Stephen and Virginia Courtauld and is one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture and design in Britain today, reflecting the artistic and intellectual interests of its owners. There was once a medieval royal palace on the site, and its magnificent great hall was incorporated into the more modern design. We will therefore have the opportunity during our visit to see both one of the best preserved great halls in England and a luxurious and idiosyncratic house of the 1930s.

Our visit will include a tour of the house in the morning and the opportunity to lunch in the café on site. In the afternoon there will be time to explore the extensive gardens, which also feature both 20th century and medieval elements.

Booking Form  available in the Documents Section of About Us of our Web Site

No one ever forgets their first sight of this romantic, castle-like, moated manor house near Kings Lynn, which has been lived in by the Bedingfield family for more than 500 years. The gatehouse, the best preserved part of the original 1482 building, is a masterpiece of medieval brickwork and includes the rooms where Henry VII and Elizabeth stayed. You can see the famous needlework panels made by two of the most extraordinary women of their time, Mary Queen of Scots and Beth Hardwicke. There are four main garden areas dating from the Victorian era—the French parterre with its colourful pattern of flowers, the herbaceous border and the old walled garden which is divided into orchard and kitchen garden.

There are still places available for our visit to Oxburgh Hall on June 23rd.  It promises to be an excellent day, which includes tours of both the house and the garden.  The hall will not be open to the public on the day of our visit, so we will have a very special experience. 

If you are interested in joining us, please contact either Clare Richardson (01394 384177) or Karen Bowe (01473 277165) for further details.

Booking form avaiable in the Documents Section of About Us on our web site

THE HISTORY AND HERITAGE OF STRATFORD-UPON-AVON,

THE COTSWOLDS AND OXFORD

Five Day Coach Trip: Tuesday 3rd May to Saturday 7th May 2016

We will enjoy a guided tour of Blenheim Palace, home of the 12th Duke of Marlborough and birth place of Sir Winston Churchill. A guided tour of Stratford-upon-Avon which will include behind the scenes tour of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare’s birth place and Anne Hathaway’s house. There will be an optional chance to enjoy a theatre performance on the third evening. The trip will take us to the award winning Compton Verney Art Gallery; Charlecote Park the home of the Lucy family for 900 years; Hidcote Manor & Garden, an arts and crafts masterpiece and Upton House which contains an outstanding collection of old master paintings including works by Hogarth, Canaletto, Brueghel and El Greco. On our way home there will be a tour of Oxford and a special guided tour of Christ Church Picture Gallery which houses one of the most important Private Collections of Old Masters. There will be a Blue Badge guide with us for days 2, 3 & 4. Staying at a 4* Hotel to include 4 nights half-board accommodation. £509 for NT members and £537 for Non NT members. Single room supplement £99.

BOOKING FROM THE SEPTEMBER MEETING 2015.

A chance to join Andrew Davies, a very popular and charismatic guide on a walking tour of Spitalfields and Whitechapel. The walk offers an intriguing mix of old and new; taking in the old fruit and vegetable market, Brick Lane, the former Truman’s brewery and the finest Georgian shopfront in London as well as Banglatown and the spread of the City. We visit Hawksmoor’s masterpiece Christ Church, learn about the Huguenot connection and explore the numerous nooks and crannies around this fascinating area of London.

Waiting List Only

Booking Form in Documents Section of About US

CITIES IN THE SAND: MOROCCO EXPLORED

Sun 4th – Sat 10th Oct 2015 (Provisional until flight schedules for 2015 are available)

Described as the “Gateway to Africa”, Morocco’s history is shaped by its geography which offers a remarkably varied range of cities and countryside. This outwardly Islamic country is a bustling sophisticated pro-Western entity, mixing local Berber traditions with exposure to European values, being so close to Spain - a heady mix to be enjoyed in all its colour and variety.

This tour, organised by Ciceroni Travel, accompanied by Stephen Brook as tour leader and Youssef Naciri as our guide, will comprise three nights in Fez staying in the 5* Les Merinides Hotel, situated on the edge of the upper town with stunning views down into the old city, and three nights in Marrakech staying in the 5* Les Jardin de la Koutoubia Hotel located within a 3 min walk of Jamaa el Fna, the main square.

Visits will include the Roman ruins at Volubilis, the ancient Berber cities of Meknes and Fez, then we will travel from Fez, passing through the foothills of the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech, where we will visit the Ben Youssef Madrassa, the El-Badi Palace, Koutoubia Minaret, some wonderful gardens including Yves Saint Laurent’s fabled Jardin Majorelle and much else.

Cost £1,922 per person sharing (to be confirmed when flight schedules are available); single supplement £465 to include 6 nights bed and breakfast, 5 dinners with wine, water and coffee and 5 lunches.

FULLY BOOKED - Waiting List Only

The Fry Gallery in Saffron Walden houses a unique collection of paintings, prints and decorative designs by the well-known local 20th century artists connected to the area, including works by John Aldridge, Eric Ravilious and Edward Bawden. Audley End House is one of the finest Jacobean houses in England. It is set in parkland landscaped by Capability Brown and has stunning views of the surrounding countryside. We will be exploring the Great Hall, grand reception rooms and newly opened nursery in the house and visiting the restored parterre and walled kitchen garden in the grounds.

8.30 am Coach leaves Woodbridge from Deben Pools

10.15 am Visit Fry Gallery - we will split into 2 groups for this visit so you will also have a chance to walk around Saffron Walden or visit nearby St Mary’s church.

12.15 pm Arrive at Audley End house. Here you are free to tour the house and gardens at your leisure.

There is a cafe which serves light lunches or you can picnic in the grounds if the weather is good.

16.15 pm Depart for Woodbridge (17.45pm approx arrival back in Woodbridge )

Cost: £26

BOOKING AT THE JUNE MEETING 2015

Booking Form available in the documents section of About Us

On the border of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire is Elton Hall, an extraordinary, romantic, part Gothic house which has been in the Proby family since 1660. The Hall, which stands in the midst of an unspoilt, landscaped 3,800 acre parkland through which the River Nene runs, is a fascinating mix of styles, surrounded by beautiful gardens. There is also a garden centre and Loch Fyne restaurant to visit. We will have a guided tour lasting approximately 1 hour 20 minutes and will be free to wander around the gardens at leisure.

A Few Places Left contact Clare Richardson

Booking Form available in the documents section of About Us

LIVERPOOL UNESCO World Heritage Status & European Capital of Culture in 2008

Sunday 26th - Thursday 30th April 2015

Founded by King John in 1207, Liverpool grew to become one of the worlds’ great seaports and Second City of the British Empire. The merchants used their stupendous wealth to create one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, with the finest architectural heritage and art galleries and museums in England outside London. NADFAS Lecturer, Elizabeth Newell will be our guide in Liverpool. Visits will include Liverpool’s Metropolitan Roman Catholic and Anglican Cathedrals; the Walker Art Gallery; Liverpool Town Hall, an elegant Grade I Georgian gem; Albert Dock, Liverpool’s most visited attraction situated in a stunning World Heritage waterfront setting and take a cruise on the celebrated Mersey Ferry;

Outside the city, we will visit Port Sunlight Village, a beautiful garden village; Lady Lever Art Gallery and Speke Hall. En route we visit Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire and on the way home have a guided tour of The Lowry Gallery in Manchester.

Cost staying in 4* hotel to include 4 nights bed and breakfast, 3 dinners, £464 for National Trust members and £484 for non-NT, single room supplement £99.

FULLY BOOKED - Waiting List Only

Spencer House, built in 1756-66 for the first Earl Spencer, an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales, is London’s finest surviving 18th century town house. It has undergone a 10 year restoration. The Cabinet War Rooms—Churchill’s wartime bunker is a fascinating piece of living history, an underground maze of rooms that once buzzed with round-the-clock planning and plotting, strategies and secrets. You can imagine what life would have been like during the tense days and nights of the Second World War. 

FULLY BOOKED Waiting list only

A tour of Spencer House, London’s finest surviving 18th Century town house followed by a chance to experience the fascinating underground bunker that sheltered Churchill and his Cabinet during the blitz as well as the Churchill Museum which highlights his life story.

• 07.45 Coach leaves Woodbridge from Deben Pools
• 10.45 Coffee stop at cafe near to Spencer House
• 11.30 Tour of Spencer House
• 12.45 Walk through St James Park (by coach if wet) to Wesley Cafe, Westminster Central Hall for lunch
• 14.30 Tour of Cabinet War rooms and Churchill Museum
• 16.15 Depart for Woodbridge (19.00 approx. arrival)

Cost: £35-00 per person

08.00 Coach departs from Deben Pools 10.30 Coach arrives at The National Gallery. 11.30 Private lecture on the exhibition. 12.30 Lunch (not included in price) 01.30 Entry to exhibition. 16.30 Coach departs for Woodbridge. Cost: £32 per person (excluding lunch) Contact Ann Young before 20th July Booking form available in the Documents Section of About Us

Budapest is unquestionably one of central Europe’s most beautiful capital cities yet is often overlooked in favour of its more illustrious neighbours. Sitting astride the river Danube which gives it a dual character, Budapest has now emerged from post-war Soviet domination to become a centre of exceptional cultural richness. Hilltop Buda consists of a labyrinth of narrow streets dotted with Baroque houses and is home to the first-rate Museum of Fine Arts whilst Pest emerged throughout the 18th and 19th centuries during Hungary’s quest for independence and its own cultural identity. It is here that one finds sweeping boulevards to rival those of Paris, astonishing Art Nouveau buildings and of course an Opera House of international renown. The success of the Royal Academy’s 2010 “Treasures from Budapest” exhibition served to highlight some of the cultural gems to be found amongst the city’s first-rate museums. Our tour offers us the chance to see these treasures in situ and to witness at first hand the architectural, artistic and musical heritage of Hungary’s delightful capital.