An Explosion of Beauty - the dicamillo companion
Transcription
An Explosion of Beauty - the dicamillo companion
An Explosion of Beauty Historic Houses & Gardens of the English Midlands Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire & Buckinghamshire Friday, September 6 – Thursday, September 12, 2013 7 Days – 6 Nights $6,500 per person, based on double occupancy The Bridge at Cottesbrooke Hall, Northamptonshire The English Midlands – the name conjures up images of a rural idyll dotted with historic houses and brimming with history. And it’s all true! We’ll be seeing the very best of this special part of England during September, the most glorious month of the year for English weather. From the luscious redbrick Cottesbrooke Hall, the reputed inspiration for Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, to Burghley House, one of the supreme examples of 16th century country house power architecture (built for William Cecil, one of the closest advisors to Queen Elizabeth I), to Stowe House, which combines the best in gardens – one of the most important landscape gardens in the world – and houses: the soaring marble rotunda almost defies description. This and much more in the tour of a lifetime! 1 a brief biography of tour leader Curt DiCamillo Mr. DiCamillo 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, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 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 award-winning database on the web, The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses (DiCamilloCompanion.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. In addition, he 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, a trustee of Boston’s Nichols House Museum, a member of the Collections Committee for the Great House at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich, and a member of the Advisory Board of Samuel T. Freeman & Co. of Philadelphia. Before going into private practice, Curt served for eight years (2004-12) as Executive Director of The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA, based in Boston, where he was responsible for raising over $6 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. Curt at the iconic Attingham Park, Shropshire, May 2012 2 ITINERARY An Explosion of Beauty Mallory Court B = Breakfast; L = Lunch T = Tea; R = Reception; D = Dinner Thursday, September 5 th DEPART U.S. Depart the United States no later than today. DAY 1 Located in central Warwickshire near the historic town of Royal Leamington Spa, Mallory Court is a 31-bedroom manor house hotel set in 10 acres of luscious grounds. A Relais & Chateaux property, Mallory Court is one of the finest luxury hotels in the Midlands and, with award-winning cuisine, the epitome of the quintessential English country house hotel. Mallory Court Hotel Harbury Lane Royal Leamington Spa Warwickshire CV33 9QB Friday, September 6 th LONDON / WARWICKSHIRE R, L, D Arrive in London no later than today. Meet Curt DiCamillo and fellow tour participants at 10:30 AM at The Rembrandt Hotel in Knightsbridge (11 Thurloe Place, London SW7 2RS, directly across from the V&A). We will board our private coach for the short journey across town to St. James’s and the Brian Haughton Gallery, one of the world’s leading ceramics galleries. Brian and his colleague Paul Crane will show us highlights from the collection of English and European porcelain, complete with a glass of bubbly the perfect start to our festive week! Telephone – 011-44-1926-330-214 www.mallory.co.uk Bedroom at Mallory Court Brian Haughton Gallery, St. James’s, London 3 After departing the Haughton Gallery, we will stop by The Rembrandt to collect anyone who was not able to join us this morning, after which we head north by coach (box lunches will provided to enjoy en route) on our way to Honington Hall. We will be guided through this magical kingdom (including a visit to the lovely Estate church) by its owner, Benjamin Wiggin, Esq. After leaving Honington, we will head by coach to Mallory Court, our Relais & Chateaux home for the next week. Each guest (or couple) will have a Master Room with either a king size bed or two double beds and an ensuite bathroom with individual shower and bath. Rooms overlook the grounds and herb garden. All rooms are equipped with a minibar, CD player, digital TV, hair dryer, dressing robe, and free WiFi. Contact Meg MacDonald at Travel Muse to inquire about availability and supplemental cost to upgrade to a Junior Suite or Master Suite. Honington Hall Considered one of the most perfect late 17th century houses in England, Honington is built of an exquisite, mellow red brick with stone quoins and carved busts of Roman emperors set into round-headed niches above the ground-floor windows (the garden facade of Castle Hill, Ipswich, Massachusetts, is based on Honington). The interior was lavishly remodeled in the 1750s and features an extraordinary display of early Georgian plasterwork, particularly the breathtaking coffered domed Octagonal Saloon. With luscious Rococo garlands on the walls, Kentian doorways, and a ceiling painting attributed to Bellucci, the Saloon burns brightly as the star of this extraordinary private house. After our arrival at the hotel there will be time to unpack and relax before drinks and dinner in one of the hotel’s historic dining rooms. The Octagonal Saloon 4 DAY 2 Saturday, September 7 Compton Verney th WARWICKSHIRE / OXFORDSHIRE B, L, D The lands and manor of Compton were granted to the Verneys by Henry VI in 1440 and remained in the family until sold in 1921 by the 19th Baron Willoughby de Broke. With work by Robert Adam and James Gibbs, and landscaping by Capability Brown, Compton Verney is an extremely important country house. Today’s Georgian Neoclassical house was built around an existing Baroque house, with modern additions to accommodate the art gallery. The House went through many owners in the 20th century, finally becoming semi-derelict in the 1980s. In 1993 Sir Peter Moores (whose fortune comes from Littlewoods, the retail and gambling company) purchased the property and spent £21 million converting the House into an art gallery, opened by Prince Charles on March 23, 2004. After breakfast we will board the coach for the short drive to Compton Verney Art Gallery. The Director, the noted scholar and author Steven Parissien, will welcome us and lead a before-hours tour of the art galleries and the Georgian Chapel, a rare example of an architectural work designed by Capability Brown. There will also be time to see the special exhibition, Turner and Constable: Sketchings from Nature, with some 60 works on loan from The Tate. After Compton Verney we’ll board the coach and travel through the English countryside to the hamlet of Ascott, where we’ll have lunch at Yew Tree Farm, the lovely country home of Susan, Lady Hereford. After lunch there will be time to see Lady Hereford’s divine garden. Compton Verney contains a fine collection of art formed by Sir Peter Moores, including Neapolitan paintings, Northern European works of art, British portraits, British folk art, and Chinese bronzes. A recent acquisition, purchased from the Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo, is a Shang dynasty vessel (fang jia) decorated with the designs of an owl. Johann Zoffany’s The Willoughby de Broke Family, which shows the family in the Breakfast Room at Compton Verney, was sold at Christie’s in 1989 for £3 million to the Getty Museum. Yew Tree Farm 5 After leaving Yew Tree Farm, we head to Rousham House, where we will have a guided visit of the house and garden. This Jacobean country house has been in the ownership of the Dormer family since it was built in the 1630s. After leaving Rousham we’ll head back to the hotel for time to rest and relax before we depart to nearby Warwick for dinner at The Rose and Crown, twice named one of the Top Ten UK pubs. This gastro pub is famous for its locally-sourced food. Rousham House “Rousham is ravishing in every way. It is William Kent’s masterpiece. The best of England is rolled into one here at Rousham” -Candida Lycett Green In 1719 Colonel Robert Dormer began the huge transformation in the garden that we see today. He employed Charles Bridgeman to lay out the garden in the new, natural style that was becoming popular. Colonel Dormer’s brother, General James Dormer, called in William Kent to further enhance and carry forward the garden created by Bridgeman. This Kent did with enormous success, while simultaneously embellishing the house itself, most especially his Painted Parlour, frequently called “one of the finest 18th century rooms in England.” There are fine collections of th Jacobean and 18 century furniture, paintings, and statuary, all displayed in the domestic setting of a family home, as the CottrellDormer family still live here and keep Rousham so that a visit today is very similar to one enjoyed in the 18th century. Garden at Rousham The Painted Parlour 6 DAY 3 Sunday, th September 8 Wrest Park BEDFORDSHIRE B, L, R, D The Long Canal and the Archer Pavilion After lunch in the Old Kitchen at Moggerhanger, we head to nearby Wrest Park for a private tour of the sublime gardens. After decades behind virtually closed doors, its treasures overgrown and largely unknown, Wrest Park, one of Britain’s largest and most important gardens, has been gloriously reborn. Noted for its many statues, lakes, vistas, and follies, most particularly the Archer Pavilion, the wonderful 90-acre historic landscape garden and Frenchstyle mansion make this one of the stars of Bedfordshire. This morning we head for Moggerhanger Park for a tour of the most complete surviving work of Sir John Soane. One of England’s greatest architects, Soane designed Moggerhanger in 1792 at the height of his powers. A recent restoration has gloriously returned the house and garden (designed by Humphry Repton) to their original plans. After leaving Wrest Park, we head back to Mallory Court for a rest, followed by drinks and dinner at the hotel. Interior of the Archer Pavilion 7 Moggerhanger Park DAY 4 Monday, th September 9 Boughton House NORTHAMPTONSHIRE B, L, T, R, D Today will be one of the most special on the tour; we will have Boughton House all to ourselves. One of the most important houses in England, this home of the Duke of Buccleuch is called “The English Versailles,” a richlydeserved sobriquet. We begin with a tour of the house with Boughton’s curator, Charles Lister, and will be joined by Dame Rosalind Savill, the world’s foremost Sèvres expert and former Director of the Wallace Collection, who will discuss the Sèvres collection at Boughton. After the house tour we will have lunch in the Tea Room Restaurant in the French-style Stables, after which there will be abundant time to see the garden. With herbaceous borders, walled gardens, ancient lime avenues, and immaculately edged canals, the100-acre garden is internationally famous, particularly for Orpheus, an inverted grass pyramid, finished in 2010. One of the most important treasure houses not just in England, but the whole of Europe, Boughton House contains probably the finest collection in Britain of 18th century French furniture. The collection is also rich in the decorative arts – silver, Sèvres, and vividly fresh tapestries and carpets, all complemented by masterpieces by El Greco, Batoni, Gainsborough, and Van Dyck (there are 40 Van Dyck sketches in the Drawing Room alone!). This remarkable house is a blend of the intimate and the grand, with its village-like Tudor courtyards fronted by the palatial st Versailles-style additions made by Ralph, 1 Duke of Montagu, in the 1690s. The spirit of a family home goes hand-in-hand with the magnificent formality of the Great Hall or the series of state rooms, all virtually untouched for 300 years. Some of the rarest Sèvres in the world: the Boughton potpourri vases 8 In the late afternoon we will leave Boughton for the short journey to Deene Park, home of the Brudenell family since 1514. After tea and biscuits, we will tour the house and have time to wander the gardens. Drinks and an early light supper in the Dining Room will be hosted by Mrs. Edmund Brudenell. The manor of Deene originally belonged to Westminster Abbey (an annual rent of £18 was paid until 1970!). The original 16th century courtyard house has been repeatedly expanded; one of its noted later additions is the early 19th century Bow Room, which contains the Brudenell Library. This important library was begun in the 16th century by Sir Thomas Tresham and his son-in-law, Sir Thomas Brudenell, 1st Earl of Cardigan. Though no longer in the library, the collection was famous for its manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and the last copy of the Magna Carta in private hands. Deene contains furnishings of different periods and important portraits, including works by Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough and relics of the Crimean War. Seven of the Brudenell family were Earls of Cardigan – the most notable being the 7th Earl, who led the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaklava during the Crimean War. The Great Hall, Deene Park Deene Park DAY 5 Tuesday, September 10 th NORTHAMPTONSHIRE B, L, R, D This morning we head for one of the most charming houses in England, Cottesbrooke Hall, the much-loved family home of the Macdonald-Buchanan family. We will have this private Queen Anne house all to ourselves, with a tour of the divine house (and its famous collections), followed by a tour of the exceptional gardens (winner of the HHA/Christie’s Garden of the Year Award for 2000). 9 The collection was formed principally at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries and was originally housed at Lavington Park in Sussex. It moved to Cottesbrooke when Lord Woolavington’s descendants, the Macdonald-Buchanan family, came to live here in the 1930s. Other artists included in the collection are Lionel Edwards, de Laszlo, and Zoffany. In addition to the Woolavington Collection, there is also a collection of notable furniture, including excellent 18th century English and French, as well as English, Continental, and Chinese porcelain. Cottesbrooke Hall This sweet 1701 Queen Anne house is the home to one of the finest collections of sporting paintings in the world (and certainly the finest in Europe). The Woolavington Collection was begun by Sir James Buchanan (later Lord Woolavington), great-grandfather of the present owner. A quintessentially British genre of art, the sporting collection at Cottesbrooke includes works by Ben Marshall, Sir John Frederick Herring Sr., Sir Alfred Munnings, John Ferneley Sr., and George Stubbs. The Library at Cottesbrooke Hall 10 After leaving Cottesbrooke, we continue the short distance to Kelmarsh Hall, which will be opened exclusively for us. We begin with lunch in the Saloon before a guided tour of the house, made famous by Nancy Lancaster. Afterward there will be time to visit the garden. Kelmarsh Hall After leaving Kelmarsh, we’ll head back home to Mallory Court, where there will be a generous amount of time to relax before drinks and dinner at the hotel. DAY 6 Wednesday, th September 11 LINCOLNSHIRE B, L, T, R, D This sensational day will be devoted exclusively to Burghley House, the finest example of late Elizabethan architecture in England. We will begin with a private, before-hours tour of the state rooms and then enjoy a lecture – Objects of Vertu – The Countess’s Gems – given by Burghley’s curator, Jon Culverhouse. Lunch will follow in the Loggia with owner Miranda Rock. In the afternoon we’ll take a garden tour, including the private South Garden, with head gardener John Burrows, and a tour of the private apartments. We end our day with afternoon tea with Miranda Rock in the Library. Kelmarsh Hall is a fine Palladian house completed in 1732 for William Hanbury, a famous antiquarian. The house was built by Francis Smith of Warwick, working from a design by James Gibbs. Sir Nikolaus Pevsner described Kelmarsh as “a perfect, extremely reticent design…done in an impeccable taste.” Ronald Tree and his wife, Nancy Lancaster, took a 10-year repairing lease on Kelmarsh in 1927. Nancy, who became legendary for her interior designs, subsequently married the owner of Kelmarsh, Colonel Lancaster, and added the Chinese Room and redecorated the interiors. We return to Mallory Court for some R&R, followed by pre-dinner drinks and a farewell dinner at the hotel. The Entrance Hall 11 Burghley House Burghley is one of the supreme examples of power country house architecture of the late 16th century. The house is modeled on the private lodgings of Richmond Palace and is built around a large courtyard, combining traditional medieval architecture with classical design elements (the house was built in formation of the letter “E” in honor of Queen Elizabeth, but, as it is now missing its Northwest Wing, it can no longer claim to be an Elizabethan “E” house). Burghley was built for Sir William Cecil, later 1st Baron Burghley, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I, and one of the Queen’s top advisors. The house has been home to the Cecil family for more than 400 years and is famous today for the Burghley Horse Trials, a three-day international event held every autumn in the Capability Brown-designed landscape at Burghley. Burghley contains one of the finest private collections of 17th century Italian paintings in the world. The Staircase Hall contains carvings by Grinling Gibbons and wall paintings by Antonio Verrio; the latter’s work also fills the walls and ceilings of the Heaven Room and the Hell Room, among the most amazing interiors to be found in any British house and considered one of the greatest decorated suites in England. The Heaven Room, completed in 1694, is considered Verrio’s masterpiece and is the only room he ever painted from floor to ceiling; it displays scenes from classical mythology. The Heaven Room In 2010 two small enameled white china jars in the collection at Burghley were identified as being possibly the earliest hard-paste porcelain manufactured in Europe, pre-dating that produced at Meissen by at least 25 years. 12 DAY 7 Thursday, th September 12 Stowe House BUCKINGHAMSHIRE B In the 18th century the powerful Temple-Grenville family created an idyllic land of wonderment at Stowe, filling the landscape with temples, follies, statues, and endless paths. Amidst this enchanted garden they built the most lavish temple of all, Stowe House. From its impressive 1770s entrance hall, the 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 (and gardens) in Europe. Our last visit will be to magnificent Stowe. After arriving at the new Visitor Centre, we will begin with a walking tour of the National Trust’s famous Stowe Landscape Garden, which encompass 250 acres of gardens. Following the Paths of Vice, Virtue, and Liberty, we will walk the same paths as 18th century visitors, dotted with some of the most famous follies in the world. Lunch will be on your own at the Visitor Centre. After lunch we’ll have a one-hour guided tour of the state rooms at Stowe House, now a private school. After leaving Stowe, our coach will first drop passengers at London Heathrow Airport (estimated arrival: 4:00 PM), and then continue on to the city center to drop anyone who is staying on in London (estimated arrival of 5:00 PM). For those flying out of Heathrow, book flight departures for 6:00 PM, or later The Marble Rotunda 13 An Explosion of Beauty September 6 – 12, 2013 Program Prices Land-Only Tour Cost $6,500 per person, double occupancy Single Supplement $595 Includes: Six nights’ luxury accommodation; English breakfast daily; six lunches; and six dinners including pre-dinner drinks; wine/beer and coffee at lunches and dinners; transportation by private deluxe coach; lectures as indicated; donations and entrances to sites indicated; porterage at Mallory Court Hotel; tips and taxes for included services; Tour Leader to provide commentary; Tour Director to manage logistics; and gratuities for the coach driver. Excludes: Round-trip airfare to and from London; airport transfers in London (except for those who are dropped at London Heathrow on September 12th); meals and beverages not otherwise included; items for personal use, including phone, fax and email charges, minibar, and laundry services; passport fees, if any. General Information This tour is operated by Travel Muse for The DiCamillo Companion, Ltd. AIR TRAVEL The tour cost excludes airfare. Travel Muse recommends booking online or through Ann Barrasi at agency affiliate Vista Travel. Ann can be reached at 617-588-4241, or annb@vistatravelinc.com. If you wish to travel using frequent flyer miles, you may make arrangements directly with the card member’s travel center, or Ann will assist for a fee of $100 for a mileage-award booking, and $75 for a mileage-award upgrade. Ann will also assist with any pre- or post-tour arrangements. AIRPORT TRANSFERS Airport transfers are at additional cost. Information will be provided about independent and pre-arranged transfers closer to the tour. 14 HOTEL AND SINGLE SUPPLEMENT Accommodations are reserved in Master Rooms at Mallory Court Hotel. Upgrades to Junior Suites and Master Suites are subject to availability. Please call for the supplemental cost. All bedrooms have ensuite facilities. The right is reserved to substitute hotels when necessary. Although Travel Muse will endeavor to arrange for congenial travel companions, this cannot be guaranteed and a single supplement will be charged when necessary. MEALS Only those meals indicated are included in the cost of the tour: B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; T = Tea; R = Reception; D = Dinner ITINERARY Although Travel Muse and ground operators will make every effort to adhere to the itinerary, on rare occasions it may be necessary to adjust arrangements due to circumstances beyond our control. Should any activities not be available, substitution will be made to the best of our ability and no refund will be made. Any additional costs necessitated by such changes are the responsibility of the tour member. Please note that there will be significant walking and standing, as well as tight staircases to navigate. The tour is not handicap accessible. Casual dress is recommended, particularly comfortable shoes. And always be prepared for weather. TOUR COSTS Prices are based on a minimum of 12 paying participants and a currency exchange rate of $1.65 to the British pound. At the time of final payment, Travel Muse reserves the right to add any increased amounts arising from changes in foreign exchange rates and taxes and from changes instituted by suppliers or caused by market conditions. All local/government taxes on hotels, meals, and services in the itinerary are included in addition to normal gratuities to porters, waiters, and local guides. Rates are based on group participation, and there can be no refund for services or portions of the tour not taken. It is also understood and agreed that all excursions are optional and refunds cannot be made to tour members who do not participate or complete the tour, for any reason. PHONE OR EMAIL For questions, please call Meg MacDonald at Travel Muse in Boston, MA: 617-469-7370, or toll-free at 1-877-716-1776. Or send an e-mail to: meg@travelmuse.net. The Great Hall, Wrest Park 15 Terms & Conditions LIMIT OF LIABILITY Travel Muse and all its agents act only as agents for the passenger with respect to transportation, hotels, and other arrangements of this tour, and exercise every care possible. However, we cannot assume liability for accident, illness or injury, delay, loss, damage or expenses incurred, of or by clients and/or tour members and their property, alleged to have occurred as a result of strikes, riots, public disturbances, terrorism, war, quarantine, acts of God, or other causes beyond our control. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger, as tour rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated. Travel Muse disclaims any and all responsibility for changes in air, coach, boat and other transport services and for any consequences of such changes. Travel Muse also reserves the right to cancel any tour prior to departure in which event the entire payment will be refunded with no further obligation or liability on its part, though exceptions may be made for unforeseen circumstances such as acts of terrorism, in which case refunds will be made based on monies recovered from suppliers. The right is also reserved to decline to accept or retain any person or group, without any liability either to such person or group or agent/organizer/client or any other party connected to this service. The right is reserved to substitute accommodations, carriers or any other qualified leader; or to alter the itinerary of the program at any time when deemed appropriate or advisable without penalty or liability. The sole responsibility of any airline used for this tour is limited to that set out in the passenger contract evidenced by the ticket. PAYMENTS Deposits will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. An invoice will be sent to you upon receipt for a partial balance due May 17, 2013, and a final balance due July 12, 2013. CANCELLATION POLICY All cancellations must be made in writing to: Travel Muse, 25 Montclair Avenue, West Roxbury, MA 02132 Cancellation Penalty • Cancellations received prior to May 17 • Cancellations received from May 17 – July 11 • Cancellations received on or after July 12 and up until the day of departure: $300 * $600 * Total tour cost ** * Cancellation fee covers administrative and operational costs and any penalties assessed by suppliers. ** Travel insurance information will be sent to you upon receipt of your deposit. This itinerary and its content is © Copyright 2013 by The DiCamillo Companion, Ltd. a corporation registered in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 76 Elm Street, No. 310, Boston, MA 02130-2999 USA www.DiCamilloCompanion.com 16 An Explosion of Beauty September 6 – 12, 2013 Reservation Form Please complete this Reservation Form and send it with your deposit of US$1,000 per person (by check payable to Travel Muse) to: TRAVEL MUSE, 25 Montclair Avenue, West Roxbury, MA 02132 USA. Name(s): (Include preferred titles: Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., Lord, Lady) Address: City/Town: State/Province/County: Zip/Post Code: Day Telephone: ( Cell/Mobile Phone: ) Fax: (____) Evening Telephone: ( ) Email: ACCOMMODATION ____ We would like to share a room: ______ Twin beds ______ King bed ____ I/we would like to have a ____ Non-smoking room ____ Smoking room IF SINGLE ____ I would like to have a single Classique Room at the supplemental cost of $595 ____ Please assist me in finding a roommate. (If none can be found, I will pay the single supplement.) DIETARY Are there any foods you cannot eat?________________________________________________________ WAIVER OF LIABILITY I (we) have read the details of this brochure, including the Terms and Conditions, and agree to abide by all stipulations contained therein. Signature: Date Signature: Date 17