The Dowager s Delights Downton Abbey & the Best of the English Country House

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "The Dowager s Delights Downton Abbey & the Best of the English Country House"

Neal Short
5 years ago
Views:

The Dowager s Delights Downton Abbey & the Best of the English Country House Sunday, September 23 Saturday, September 29, 2018 7 Days, 6 Nights $8,795 per person, based on double occupancy.

1 The Dowager s Delights Downton Abbey & the Best of the English Country House Sunday, September 23 Saturday, September 29, Days, 6 Nights $8,795 per person, based on double occupancy. $1,195 single supplement. Downton Abbey and Downton are registered trademarks of Carnival Film & Television Ltd. This tour is not affiliated with Carnival Film & Television, WGBH, Masterpiece, or Highclere Castle. Page 1

Biography of the Tour Leader Curt DiCamillo Curt is an American architectural historian and a recognized authority on the British country house. He has written and lectured extensively in the U.S.

2 Biography of the Tour Leader Curt DiCamillo Curt is an American architectural historian and a recognized authority on the British country house. He has written and lectured extensively in the U.S. and abroad on the subject and has taught classes on British culture and art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Providence Athenaeum, and Beacon Hill Seminars. Curt regularly leads scholarly tours that focus on the architectural and artistic heritage of Britain and its influence around the world. Since 1999 he has maintained an awardwinning database on the web, The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses (TheDiCamillo.com). The database seeks to document every English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish country house ever built, standing or demolished, together with a history of the families who lived in the houses, the architects who designed them, and the history of the houses collections and gardens. In recognition of his work, Curt has been presented to the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and The Prince of Wales. He is a member of The Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain and is an alumnus of both the Royal Collection Studies program and The Attingham Summer School for the Study of Historic Houses and Collections. Curt is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, is listed in Who s Who in America, Who s Who in the World, is a Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and a member of the Council of the American Museum in Britain. Curt serves as Curator for Special Collections at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, before which, for nine years, he was Executive Director of The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA, based in Boston, where he was responsible for raising over $7 million for the Trust (he currently holds the position of Executive Director Emeritus). Previously he worked for 13 years for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A native of the Philadelphia area, Curt grew up in Central Florida with his sister, the award-winning children s book author Kate DiCamillo. Page 2

ITINERARY The Dowager s Delights B = Breakfast D = Dinner L = Lunch R = Reception T = Tea Friday, September 22 DEPART U.S. Depart the United States no later than today.

3 ITINERARY The Dowager s Delights B = Breakfast D = Dinner L = Lunch R = Reception T = Tea Friday, September 22 DEPART U.S. Depart the United States no later than today. DAY 1 Sunday, September 23 R, T Meet Curt DiCamillo and fellow tour participants at 1:00 PM at the Rembrandt Hotel in Knightsbridge, after which we ll leave by private coach for Syon Park, the London home of the Duke of Northumberland. The Duke s sister, Lady Caroline Percy, and architectural historian Oliver Gerrish will welcome us in the Great Hall with a glass of champagne before guiding us on a tour of the house, the last surviving ducal residence, complete with its country estate, in greater London. Syon is famous for its 1760s interiors by Robert Adam, considered among the finest work ever done by the architect. After the tour of the house we ll have high tea in the Private Dining Room. Then there will be time on your own to explore the garden, which sits in the middle of a 200-acre Park that features the remains of Capability Brown s 18 th century landscape design. The highlight of the garden is the magnificent Great Conservatory, designed in the 1820s by Charles Fowler as the centerpiece of the garden. It was in the Conservatory, masquerading as a London tearoom, that Lady Mary asked Lord Gillingham to fire his rapist valet in the fourth season of Downton Abbey. Page 3

While the high tea at Syon House will be substantial enough to serve as an early light supper, anyone interested in dinner may dine

4 We depart Syon on our way to Hartwell House, the magnificent four-star country house hotel that will be our home for the next six nights! After checking in, you ll have the remainder of the evening on your own to explore the house and its 90 acres of grounds. While the high tea at Syon House will be substantial enough to serve as an early light supper, anyone interested in dinner may dine on their own at Hartwell s award-winning restaurant, or take a taxi to one of the nearby eateries. The Dining Room, Syon House Page 4

Hartwell House With a history stretching back almost 1,000 years, Hartwell House today is a 17 th and 18 th century four-star Relais &

One of the great houses of Buckinghamshire, Hartwell is famous for its outstanding plasterwork and paneling and its luscious staircase.

be treated like royalty! The divine spa and indoor pool is balanced by 90 acres of gardens and parkland.

5 Hartwell House With a history stretching back almost 1,000 years, Hartwell House today is a 17 th and 18 th century four-star Relais & Chateaux country house hotel nestled in the Vale of Aylesbury. One of the great houses of Buckinghamshire, Hartwell is famous for its outstanding plasterwork and paneling and its luscious staircase. It was the home of the exiled King of France, Louis XVIII, who lived here with his court from 1809 until 1814, so truly a place where you ll be treated like royalty! The divine spa and indoor pool is balanced by 90 acres of gardens and parkland. The bedrooms are individually furnished with fine prints, pictures, and antiques and radiate atmosphere, cozy or grand, depending on how royal you are! Hartwell House Near Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP17 8NR Telephone Website Page 5

DAY 2 Monday, September 24 B, L, R, D We begin our second day with a private tour of Basildon Park, a 1776 country house in Berkshire whose sublime interiors have not only appeared in Downton Abbey,

After our tour there will be time to explore the garden before we head for lunch at the Maltsters Arms, a country pub with locallysourced hearty classics.

6 DAY 2 Monday, September 24 B, L, R, D We begin our second day with a private tour of Basildon Park, a 1776 country house in Berkshire whose sublime interiors have not only appeared in Downton Abbey, but as Netherfield in the 2005 production of Pride and Prejudice. After our tour there will be time to explore the garden before we head for lunch at the Maltsters Arms, a country pub with locallysourced hearty classics. Basildon Park The Dining Room Ceiling, Basildon Park During the filming of Downton Abbey the interiors of Basildon were used as the interiors of Grantham House, the family s London home. It was here, in the last episode of the fourth season, that Lady Rose was dressed and prepped before she was presented to the king and queen at Buckingham Palace. We see the interiors of Basildon again in the fifth season during the preparations for Rose s wedding to Atticus. Page 6

Here we ll have an introductory talk about the Tudor manor house, the oldest part of which is

7 Next up is a visit to nearby Greys Court, which was used in the second season of Downton Abbey as the exterior of Eryholme, the Grantham family s other house on the Downton estate. Here we ll have an introductory talk about the Tudor manor house, the oldest part of which is a 1347 fortified tower, followed by time on your own to explore the interior and the garden. Page 7

Then we re off to Hartwell House for time to rest and relax before we gather for drinks, during which there will an illustrated talk by Andrew Prince entitled Downton to Gatsby: Jewelry and Fashion

8 Then we re off to Hartwell House for time to rest and relax before we gather for drinks, during which there will an illustrated talk by Andrew Prince entitled Downton to Gatsby: Jewelry and Fashion from 1890 to 1929, with real examples, too! Afterward, we ll have dinner in the private dining room. Andrew Prince is a jewelry historian and one of the world s leading designers of crystal jewelry. In 2012 he was chosen by the creators of Downton Abbey to supply a large collection of jewelry for the TV series. The characters played by Maggie Smith, Elizabeth McGovern, and Michele Dockery were all adorned with elegant tiaras, combs, earrings, and necklaces designed and made by Andrew. A participant modelling one of Andrew s tiaras during the 2017 Downton Abbey tour DAY 3 Tuesday, September 25 B, T, L, T Tuesday begins with a visit to the real Downton Abbey Highclere Castle, where we ll have a private guided tour of the state rooms and gallery bedrooms of the fictional home of the Grantham family. Highclere has been the home of the Herbert family, later earls of Carnarvon, since the 18 th century. The current house was built on the foundations of earlier buildings in the 1830s by the architect Charles Barry, famous for the Houses of Parliament, to which Highclere bears a resemblance. Page 8

At Highclere we ll stand under the Gothic columns of the entrance hall, where Lord Grantham received visitors, and then move into the magnificent saloon, where Maggie Smith s Dowager Countess

9 At Highclere we ll stand under the Gothic columns of the entrance hall, where Lord Grantham received visitors, and then move into the magnificent saloon, where Maggie Smith s Dowager Countess reclined over the luxuriant red armchairs. After coffee, tea, and homemade biscuits, there will be time to explore the Egyptian Exhibition, which tells the story and contains antiquities from tombs that were discovered in Egypt by the 5 th Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter (the discoverers, in 1922, of the tomb of King Tut), after which there will be time to visit the garden and gift shop. Next is a visit to the delightful 18 th century Houghton Lodge, one of the finest and earliest surviving examples of a cottage orné in England. This picturesque, Gothic style house was Maggie Smith s home, as the character of Aunt Betsey Trotwood, in the 1999 production of David Copperfield. We ll be welcomed by a family member and served lunch in the Conservatory, before touring the house. The garden at Houghton is a charming example of an 18 th century garden designed in the naturalistic style of Capability Brown. There will be time to stroll in the garden before departing for Hartwell House where you ll have the evening on your own (a list of local restaurants will be provided). Page 9

Houghton Lodge DAY 4 Wednesday, September 26 B, L, D We begin today with a drive through the rolling limestone hills of the Oxfordshire Cotswolds on our way to Bampton, where we ll have a guided tour

10 Houghton Lodge DAY 4 Wednesday, September 26 B, L, D We begin today with a drive through the rolling limestone hills of the Oxfordshire Cotswolds on our way to Bampton, where we ll have a guided tour of this adorable village that appeared in every season of Downton Abbey. Bampton Library was used for Downton Cottage Hospital, St. Mary s Church became Downton Church, and Churchgate House was used as the exterior of Isobel Crawley s home in the village. Then we re off to a seasonal lunch of locally-sourced dishes at The Swan Inn in the quintessential English village of Swinbrook. It was at The Swan that Lady Sybil famously eloped with Branson in the second season of Downton Abbey. Next is a visit to the charming Cotswold town of Burford, noted for its fine shops. Here you ll have time on your own to shop and visit the impressive Church of Saint John the Baptist. Page 10

11 We end our day with a visit to Kingston Bagpuize House, where owner Virginia Grant will give us a tour of her lovely early 18 th century manor house, followed by dinner in the Dining Room. Kingston Bagpuize was the fictional Cavenham Park, Lord Merton s home, in Downton Abbey. DAY 5 Thursday, September 27 B, T, L Page 11

Strawberry Hill House Our Thursday begins with a tour of Strawberry Hill House, the sublime Thames-side villa that was probably the first example of the Gothic Revival style.

12 Strawberry Hill House Our Thursday begins with a tour of Strawberry Hill House, the sublime Thames-side villa that was probably the first example of the Gothic Revival style. Created in the late 18 th century by Horace Walpole (son of Sir Robert Walpole, Britain's first prime minister), nothing like it had ever been seen before in Britain. From its first days, people queued to see the interior of this amazing house. Horace was an esthete, amateur architect, and style trendsetter who assembled at Strawberry Hill one of the most extensive and eclectic collections of art in England. After being closed for years, Strawberry Hill House recently underwent a $15 million restoration that has returned all its astonishing glories. We arrive next at West Wycombe Park, the amazing ancestral home of Sir Edward Dashwood, where we will have a buffet lunch on the terrace before touring the house. The interior of this lavish Italianate house served as the interiors of Aunt Rosamund s London home in Belgrave Square. It was in Rosamund s house that many of the most enthralling Downton Abbey storylines were unraveled and confessed, including Edith s illegitimate child and Mary s secret love affairs. Following lunch, we ll tour the delicate Neoclassical 18 th century St. Lawrence s Church and the family s enormous 18 th century hexagonal mausoleum. Modeled on the Mausoleum of Augustus in Rome and the Tomb of the Household of Augustus on the Via Appia, this astonishing structure is the largest mausoleum built in Europe since antiquity. After we return to Hartwell you ll have the remainder of the afternoon and evening on your own. Page 12

13 West Wycombe Park The Dashwood Mausoleum at West Wycombe Page 13

Stowe House DAY 6 Friday, September 28 B, L, R, D In the 18 th century the powerful Temple-Grenville family created an idyllic land of wonderment at Stowe, filling the landscape with temples,

From its impressive 1770s Marble Rotunda Stowe House boasts spectacular views in four directions, with the line of the state rooms stretching 500 feet.

14 Stowe House DAY 6 Friday, September 28 B, L, R, D In the 18 th century the powerful Temple-Grenville family created an idyllic land of wonderment at Stowe, filling the landscape with temples, follies, and statues. Amidst this they built the most lavish temple of all, Stowe House. From its impressive 1770s Marble Rotunda Stowe House boasts spectacular views in four directions, with the line of the state rooms stretching 500 feet. Numerous famous architects worked at Stowe, including John Vanbrugh, William Kent, James Gibbs, Robert Adam, and John Soane, making Stowe one the most important houses in Europe. The Marble Rotunda Our last full day together begins with a tour of the glittering state rooms of Stowe House, one of the most impressive enfilade of rooms in Britain. Stowe was the home of one of the most remarkably named aristocrats of the 19 th century: Richard Plantagenet Temple- Nugent-Brydges- Chandos-Grenville, 2 nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos. The Duke was a prodigious spender; he lavished so much money on Stowe that he was declared insolvent in His bankruptcy (he was called the greatest debtor in the world) forced the sale of the spectacular contents of Stowe, scattering treasures around the world. A small example is a Worcester service from Stowe that is today in the collection of Kykuit, the Rockefeller mansion in New York State. Page 14

Then it s off to Wotton House, where we ll have lunch before a private tour of the house. Wotton was owned until 1924 by the Grenville family, who also owned Stowe House.

In April 1786 John Adams, later second President of the United States, visited Wotton and called it both great and elegant Wotton s South Pavilion was sold off from the main block of the House and

15 Then it s off to Wotton House, where we ll have lunch before a private tour of the house. Wotton was owned until 1924 by the Grenville family, who also owned Stowe House. Wotton is a superb example of English Baroque architecture; its design is similar to the original design for Buckingham House (today Buckingham Palace). In April 1786 John Adams, later second President of the United States, visited Wotton and called it both great and elegant Wotton s South Pavilion was sold off from the main block of the House and was the home of actor John Gielgud for many years; it was bought by Tony and Cherie Blair for 5.75 million in Wotton House from a 1904 photograph in the collection of The DiCamillo Companion Upon our return to Hartwell House there will be time to take a stroll in the garden or stretch out and take a nap before we gather for drinks and a concert of English 18 th century countertenor music performed by Oliver Gerrish, a rising star in the London opera scene, accompanied by lutist Sam Brown. After our little concert, we ll have a grand farewell dinner in the private dining room. The Library, Hartwell House Page 15

DAY 7 Saturday, September 29 B Following check-out, we ll depart Hartwell by coach to London, first dropping off participants at Heathrow Airport by 11:30 AM for those with afternoon or evening

The coach will then continue on from Heathrow into central London to drop participants at The Rembrandt Hotel, arriving around 1:30 PM (this will be the stop for anyone who is staying on in the UK;

16 DAY 7 Saturday, September 29 B Following check-out, we ll depart Hartwell by coach to London, first dropping off participants at Heathrow Airport by 11:30 AM for those with afternoon or evening flights. The coach will then continue on from Heathrow into central London to drop participants at The Rembrandt Hotel, arriving around 1:30 PM (this will be the stop for anyone who is staying on in the UK; from the Rembrandt you can easily take the Underground or arrange a taxi to your final destination). For those participants leaving from London Heathrow today, please do not book flights departing before 1:30 PM. To sign-up for the tour, please contact Jenna LaRiviere at NEHGS at jenna.lariviere@nehgs.org, or give her a call at AmericanAncestors.org/heritage-tours This tour is designed by DiCamillo Travel and operated by Travel Muse Inc. for the New England Historic Genealogical Society Unless specified otherwise, photos are The DiCamillo Companion, Ltd. Page 16

English Elysium Country Houses of Shropshire

English Elysium Country Houses of Shropshire Monday, May 13 Sunday, May 19, 2019 7 Days, 6 Nights $7,495 per person, based on double occupancy. $495 single supplement. Weston Park, our home for the week!