Ed Isaacs, Chairman of the Wolverhampton Arts Society, has very kindly agreed to lead a tour of Birmingham's fascinating Jewellery Quarter for us.

We will meet at the Jewellery Quarter Station at 10.45 am and take a walking tour around some of the most interesting sites before ending the tour at the St. Paul's House in St. Paul's Square

After this break Ed will then lead us to the gallery of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists where we will view their summer show. https://rbsa.org.uk/event/rbsa-summer-show-2026/ 

click for details and booking information

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/staffordartssociety/2253297

Staffordshire Archives and Heritage Service Museum Collection Store Tour specifically for Arts Society members

Thursday 11th June 10-30 to 12-30, or Tuesday 16th June 2-4 

Staffordshire Archives and Heritage Service Museum Collection Store Tour specifically for Arts Society members

Thursday 11th June 10-30 to 12-30, or Tuesday 16th June 2-4 

click here for details and booking information

HERGEST CROFT GARDENS

These critically acclaimed stunning 70 acre gardens hold national collections of maples, birches and zelkovas. Created by five generations of the Bank’s family.

Morning coffee / tea and lunch included before travelling to:

BROBURY HOUSE AND GARDENS

Set on the picturesque banks of the River Wye, it is a perfect site for a terraced Victorian garden, laid out in the 1880’s when the house was built. It is truly a garden for all seasons.

Click here for full details and booking form

Morning coffee / tea and lunch included before travelling to:

BROBURY HOUSE AND GARDENS

Set on the picturesque banks of the River Wye, it is a perfect site for a terraced Victorian garden, laid out in the 1880’s when the house was built. It is truly a garden for all seasons.
The walled garden café is open for refreshments ( at own expense )
Both gardens have a combination of flat and undulating terrain. Please check the accessibility statements of both gardens before you book.

Sugnall Hall, Eccleshall, ST21 6NF

2.15pm prompt (5pm finish) TICKETS £16 pp

Cancelled due to lack of bodies....

Refunds will be given to those who have already paid.

Newstead Abbey   The Home of Lord Byron 

A new experience for our Society to visit the extraordinary home where Lord Byron lived and ran his very full life. You will see the highlights of his home and learn about his achievements as a dedicated guide to take us through the Abbey. The Abbey is set in beautiful and extensive grounds with a large lake and five very different large gardens to explore; there will be ample time to visit these through the afternoon. 

Full details and booking form click here.

Our first ‘Arts Focused’ tour taken together since Covid times; where better to stay but close to the historic and beautiful City of Cambridge!

Coach throughout, Peaceful Country Hotel, Dinner each evening,

To secure your booking the deposit of £200 requires to be paid to Regent Travel by the 23rd December.For full infomation and payment details click here

Two exclusive art collection guided tours.

The first to tabley House in Knutsford and the second is at Tatton Park.

Travel will be by coach and a light lunch is included.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For full information and a booking form click here.

The beautifully restored Wenlock Abbey. Now the home of the actress Gabrielle Drake. Optional lunch is available at the nearby Talbot Inn.

This is fully booked, contact Michael Faarup for future plans.

visitsbymichael@gmail.com

For full infomation and a booking form click here.

Hatton Grange was built in 1764 for Plowden Slaney by Shrewsbury architect Thomas Farnolls Pritchard, and Hatton

remains to this day within the same family and is one of Pritchard’s most complete existing works. The house is set

within parkland and surrounded by beautiful gardens including a David Austin rose walk.

Website: www.historichouses.org/ house/hatton-grange​

For full details and an application form, click here.

Morning visit: ACME Whistles (J Hudson & Co Ltd) Birmingham, has been an original working factory since 1870.

Manufacturers of whistles, including the famous ACME Thunderer, the Police Call and 83 other well known whistles.

Afternoon visit: Aston Hall Museum -

Aston Hall is a Grade I listed Jacobean house in Aston, Birmingham, designed by John

Thorpe and built between 1618 and 1635. It is a leading example of the Jacobean prodigy house.

For full details and an application form, click here.

VISIT TO HOURLIER WINES for wine tasting, with cheese, pate and breads.

FOLLOWED BY A GUIDED TOUR of MELBOURN HOUSE & GARDENS

  For full details and an application form click here.

Ford Green Hall was built in 1624 for Hugh Ford.It is a fine example of a timber framed farmhouse.

Biddulph Old hall and gardens is a private home which was once a grand country house dating back to a hunting lodge in the 1400s.

For full details and an application form click here

Acton Round Hall is a finely proportioned Grade 1 Queen Anne house built by Smith of Warwick in 1714; the house retains much of its original panelling and decorative features.

This visit has now reached the allotted number of 30. There is a waiting list if anyone cancels.

To download the application form click here.

GUIDED WALK (morning)

Meeting Gina Mullett, a London Blue Badge Guide/City of London Guide at the Statue of Queen Anne outside St Paul’s Cathedral at 10.45am on Thursday 19 September 2019. The walk will cover Fleet Street – Pubs, Publishing and the Law. It is a level walk,

MIDDLE TEMPLE HALL PRE-BOOKED - 3 COURSE SEATED BUFFET STYLE LUNCH – 12.30pm to 2pm

Middle Temple Hall is probably the finest example of an Elizabethan Hall in London, 101 feet long and 41 feet wide. It is spanned by a magnificent double hammer-beam roof. Begun in 1562 when Edmund Plowden, the famous law reporter, was Treasurer of the Inn, it has remained little altered to the present day. 

Sezincote House is a privately owned Estate covering 4,500 acres.  The House is a 200 year old Mogul Indian Palce, set in a romantic landscape of temples, grottoes, waterfalls and canals, reminiscent of the Taj Majal.

Sudeley Castle and Gardens are now home to Lady Ashcombe and her family. Lunch (at own expense) in either Terrace Restaurant or the Garden Room. Our Group visit includes the Exhibition Rooms, The Castle rooms which are still lived in by the family, but open daily to visitors, ten Award winning Gardens, St Mary’s Church which includes the magnificent tomb of Queen Katherine Parr, and The Pheasantry which houses rare breed pheasants.

BOUGHTON HOUSE & GARDENS (morning)

Boughton Estate has been in the Buccleuch family since 1528, and has drawn its inspiration from the Palace of Versailles.  Boughton has been used in the latest film adaption of Les Miserables.  There are paintings by El Greco, Van Dyck, Batoni and Gainsborough, together with French furniture.  Guided ground floor tour of house, which encompasses many of the major rooms such as the Great Hall.   Garden highlights include walled and sensory gardens. Morning coffee/tea and homemade biscuits at members’ own expense.  Lunch included in the price before travelling to:

COTTESBROOKE HALL & GARDENS (afternoon)

Cottesbrooke is a wonderful Queen Anne house dating from 1702.  The Hall remains the much loved family home of the Macdonald-Buchanan family.  The house was built between 1702 and 1712 for the Langham family.  Cottesbrooke is also home to The Woolavington Collection of sporting art, where you will see paintings by George Stubbs, Ben Marshall and Alfred Munnings, amongst others. The landscaping of the Park includes vistas and lakes providing a backdrop to the Hall, with a great variety of specimen trees.  The more formal gardens surrounding the Hall are laid out as a series of individually planted ‘rooms’.

Afternoon refreshments at members’ own expense.

Salts Mill and Saltaire

The Mill opened in 1853 by Titus Salt. From modest beginnings he rose to make one of the greatest contributions to the 19th century textile trade. The planned settlement of Saltaire and adjacent Mills survive as testimony to his innovative approach to industry and social welfare. 

Click here for more information and booking form.

Croft Castle – Yarpole, Near Leominster

A building has been on the site since the 11th century and from this time has been the home of the Croft family and Croft baronets.

Hergest Croft Gardens

Julia and Edward Banks have recently taken over responsibility from Edward’s parents and are the fourth generation of the family to care for the gardens.

Click here for more information and booking form.

The Palladian Tatton Mansion,
by Lewis William Wyatt, is the jewel in Tatton’s crown. 

Tatton is one of the most complete historic estates in Britain located in 1,000 acres of the most beautiful deer park. The Park and Mansion was owned by the Egerton family from 1598, when it was purchased by Sir Thomas Egerton from his half sister Dorothy Brereton. 

Click here for more information and a booking form.

Sorry SOLD OUT...but we are happy to add you to a reserve list if you contact Mike or Jenny Johnson.

Welbeck Abbey and The Harley Gallery

Welbeck Abbey is one of the great traditional landed estates, much of which sits within Sherwood Forest. The Abbey was founded as a monastery in 1153. Bess of Hardwick’s youngest son, Sir Charles Cavendish, acquired Welbeck in 1607, and since then the estate has continued to be handed down through the family.

The Harley Gallery, part of The Harley Foundation, was set up by Ivy, Duchess of Portland in 1977. The Harley Gallery and Foundation are named after Edward Harley, who married Lady Henrietta Cavendish Holles, heiress to Welbeck, in 1713.

The latest addition at The Harley Gallery is a purpose-built space for The Portland Collection, an internationally significant collection containing outstanding examples of British portraits and other artworks. Changing displays are on show in the new gallery. Highlights may include Michelangelo’s Madonna del Silenzio, a rarely seen Van Dyck painting of Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, the pearl earring worn by Charles I at his execution in 1649, The Portland Tiara by Cartier and George Stubbs’s painting of the 3rd Duke of Portland on horseback outside the stables at Welbeck. 

Click here for a booking form

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery first opened in 1885. It is housed in a Grade II listed city centre landmark building. There are over 40 galleries to explore displaying art, social history, archaeology and ethnography. 

Birmingham New Assay Office

The new Assay Office opened in 2015. The pieces in the Assay Office Silver Collection chart the history of Birmingham silver and The Birmingham Assay Office from the eighteenth century until the present day. Established by an Act of Parliament, Assay Office Birmingham has

been responsible for testing and hallmarking precious metals since 1773. The hallmark helps protects the public and the jewellery and silversmithing trades from fraud . 

Click here for a booking form

Blenheim Palace, home of the 11th Duke of Malborough and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, was built for John Churchill, the first Duke of Malborough, by Sir John Vanburgh between 1705 and 1722.

The Blenheim Palace state rooms contain many treasures including world famous tapestries, paintings, porcelain, clocks and sculptures. Amongst the portraits are works by Joshua Reynolds and John Singer Sargent. The Palace also has an impressive collection of Chippendale and Boulle furniture.

The Palace gardens were originally designed by Queen Anne’s gardener Henry Wise, and later altered by Lancelot “Capability” Brown. The alterations included the creation of Blenheim’s most outstanding feature, the lake. There are also the Italian Gardens, Water Terraces and the recently restored Secret Garden to explore. 

Click here for a booking form

The Nutcracker Ballet

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s evergreen production of The Nutcracker has been part of the City’s Christmas tradition for 25 years.

Join young Clara as she is swept away into an enchanting winter wonderland of dancing snowflakes and a Sugar Plum Fairy. Her magical Christmas tree and her handsome prince with his army of toy soldiers are an unforgettable delight. In this most festive ballet, gigantic sets, lavish costumes, 60 dancers and a full orchestra combine to make the perfect Christmas treat for the entire family.

This world-famous production by Sir Peter Wright, with exquisite designs by John Macfarlane, is acclaimed as one of the best in the world.

Web site: www.birminghamhippodrome.com

Birmingham Christmas Market

Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market and Craft Market, now having run for over a decade, has become a massive favourite with both residents and visitors to the city from all over the UK and Europe. With over 180 stalls, it is claimed to be the largest outdoor Christmas Market in the Britain, and is the centrepiece of the city’s annual Christmas events calendar.

Pretzels, schnitzels, bratwursts, and knoblauchbrot will tempt your tastebuds, all of which can be washed down with gluhwein, weissbeer, mulled cider, or tasty hot chocolate. Plus, don’t forget the Grande Central and Bullring shopping experiences! 

With spectacular views over Derbyshire, the fairy-tale Stuart mansion, Bolsover Castle, was designed to entertain and impress. Bolsover Castle was built in the early 17th century by the Cavendish family, on the site of a medieval castle founded in the 12th century by the Peverel family. The site is now in the care of English Heritage and is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The parts of Bolsover Castle that remain reasonably intact show its history to be less of a military stronghold and more of a fantasy castle / stately home for throwing lavish parties in the 17th Century. Foremost amongst the buildings is the Little Castle, a keep that boasts sumptuous decoration and wall and ceiling paintings that would have been incredibly impressive in their heyday. Web site: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/bolsovercastle/ Renishaw Hall and Gardens Renishaw Hall has been home to the Sitwell family for nearly 400 years. The Sitwell fortune was made as colliery owners and ironmasters from the 17th to the 20th centuries. Renishaw Hall contains a spectacular collection of art and furniture acquired by generations of Sitwells. In addition, over 100 years ago Sir George Sitwell created what is today one of the most important classical Italianate gardens in Britain. Ornamental ponds , a spectacular fountain, secret garden rooms, classical statues, overflowing borders and long vistas all feature strongly in these totally unique gardens. In 2015 the gardens won the HHA Garden of the Year award. Web site: www.renishaw-hall.co.uk

Our day will begin with entry to Bolsover Castle, where we will have the morning to explore the site at leisure. On arrival at Renishaw Hall in the afternoon there will be time for lunch (at your own expense) and to explore the gardens. At 2.30pm there will be a guided tour of the hall followed by further free time in the gardens. We hope to arrive back at Staffordshire County Showground at approximately 6.00pm.

Click here for a booking form

Burghley is one of the largest and grandest houses of the first Elizabethan Age. Built and mostly designed by William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I, between 1555 and 1587, the main part of the House has 35 major rooms on the ground and first floors. The collection of Fine Art held within Burghley House is extensive and varied, and includes many highly important objects. The collection of Italian Old Master paintings is one of the finest in private hands. The collections of both Oriental and European ceramics are world famous and of great interest to scholars. Fine English and Continental furniture, 17th century Objects of Vertu, English portrait miniatures and European Works of Art all feature strongly, whilst the collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles is thought to be one of the finest in the Western world. The gardens and parkland were largely designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in the 18th century. 2016 sees the 300th anniversary of the birth of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. The themes of the relatively new addition to Burghley, the Garden of Surprises, were inspired by the Elizabethan gardens developed by the 1st Lord Burghley in the 16th century and are hidden from the outside – waiting to reveal their surprises to those who enter. Features such as the moss house, the swiveling Caesar busts, basins of water, jets and the mirrored maze have been designed to be accessible to all.

Web site: www.burghley.co.uk

Our visit will be a leisurely one, with time to explore the many rooms and grounds, including the Garden of Surprises. The day will commence with coffee or tea followed promptly at 10.30am with a tour of the house. After our tour there will be time for lunch (at your own expense), followed by free time to revisit the house and explore the grounds. Coffee or tea and biscuits on arrival at Burghley House is included in the cost of this visit. We hope to arrive back at Staffordshire County Showground at approximately 6.30pm.

Click here for a booking form

Whitworth Gallery Museum of the Year 2015

On 1 July, at a prestigious ceremony at Tate Modern, the gallery was awarded the Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year 2015. It’s the largest arts award in Britain and the biggest museum prize in the world. It is awarded to the museum or gallery in the UK that is judged to have best demonstrated excellence, innovation and imagination. The Whitworth Gallery contains an internationally recognized collection of 55,000 artworks. We will have a guided tour of the gallery, after which, lunch can be taken (at your own expense) in the award winning restaurant. Web site: www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk

Lowry Gallery

Set in a magnificent waterside location at the heart of the redeveloped Salford Quays in Greater Manchester, The Lowry is an architectural flagship with a unique and dynamic identity. The Lowry opened in April 2000, bringing together a wide variety of performing and visual arts under one roof. An open ramped route with dramatic views connects the theatre foyers and gallery spaces, linking all activities. Web site: www.thelowry.com 

On arrival at The Whitworth, there will be time for coffee (at your own expense) and to explore prior to our guided tour at 11am. Following the tour there will be time for lunch (at your own expense) and further viewing in the gallery. After lunch we move on to The Lowry where there will be free time to explore the gallery. A short film on the life of L S Lowry is regularly shown. We hope to arrive back at Staffordshire County Showground at approximately 6 pm. 

Click here for a booking form

4 days, departing 18th September 2015

The price of from £379 per person includes 3 nights half board accommodation at a 3*Best Western Plus hotel, all excursions, Blue Badge Guides on 2 days, and all non-NT entry fees.

Highlights will be visits to Harewood House, Durham, The Bowes Museum, Alnwick Castle, Cragside House, Beamish Open Air Museum