Kingston Lacy was gifted to the National Trust in 1981, the largest ever bequest at the time.  This ‘treasure trove’ of a house, fashioned into a grand Italian Palazzo in the 1830s, holds one of the UK’s finest private collections of paintings.  Among other things to see are lavishly decorated interiors, magnificent sculptures, bespoke furniture, and Egyptian artefacts brought back by the intrepid traveller William John Bankes.

William John Bankes inherited Kingston Lacy in 1834; his passions and obsessions created the house we know today.  Forced into exile in 1841 he lived in Venice and remotely remodelled the house.  However, Kingston Lacy is much more than a house and art collection; it has a garden that was celebrated in the early 20th Century as a horticultural masterpiece.

To book please CLICK HERE for the booking form.

Join us this festive season as Jane Austen’s much-loved characters pay a visit to George IV’s Royal Pavilion in search of Christmas cheer.  Enjoy themed Christmas trees, seasonal scents, carols, and costumed characters as the Royal Pavilion is transformed for a Regency-style celebration full of charm, atmosphere, and Austen-inspired delights.

This spectacular palace of the Prince Regent (later George IV) was transformed by John Nash between 1815 and 1823 into one of the most dazzling and exotic buildings in England. The Royal Pavilion is in the heart of Brighton, close to shops, restaurants, cafes and just five minutes' walk from the sea.

To book please CLICK HERE for the booking form.

Designed in the Palladian style by John Carr the house was built between 1776 and 1783 for Sir Francis Sykes. However, Basildon Park was never fully completed and between 1900 and 1952 it fell into decline and had a variety of owners including the military. 

 Lord and Lady Iliffe rescued Basildon Park from almost certain demolition in 1952 and set about restoring the house and reviving the gardens.  In 1978 the Iliffes gifted the house and 400 acres of parkland to the National Trust.  The house has featured in various TV and film highlights. It starred as Netherfield Park in ’Pride and Prejudice’ and was transformed into Regency grandeur for ‘Bridgerton’; it played a part in the British film gangster comedy ‘The Gentlemen’ and also the blockbuster ‘The Crown’.

For booking form - click here

The award-winning world-famous Sir Harold Hillier Gardens and Arboretum is set in 180 acres.   It was established in 1953 by the distinguished plantsman, Sir Harold Hillier.  He created, over many years, one of the most important modern plant collections in the world. 

Outstanding feature include the splendour of the seasonal planting display, the UK’s largest collections of Champion trees, and the Centenary Border which is one of the longest double borders in the UK. 

For booking form - click here

The Christmas outing is by coach to the National Trust Edwardian House Polesden Lacey, at Great Bookham near Dorking.  The house will be decorated for Christmas for a Christmas Masquerade Ball inspired by Mrs Greville's attendance at the famous Devonshire House Ball in 1897.  We can indulge in some mince pies and Christmas shopping too.

For a booking form click HERE.

Waddesdon Manor is a country house in the village of Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire. Owned by the National Trust and managed by the Rothschild Foundation, it is one of the National Trust's most visited properties.

The Grade I listed house was built in a mostly Neo-Renaissance style, copying individual features of several French châteaux, between 1874 and 1889 for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild (1839–1898) as a weekend residence for entertaining and to house his collection of arts and antiquities. As the manor and estate have passed through three generations of the Rothschild family, the contents of the house have expanded to become one of the most rare and valuable collections in the world. In 1957, James de Rothschild bequeathed the house and its contents to the National Trust, opening the house and gardens for the benefit of the general public. Unusually for a National Trust property, the family of James Rothschild, the donor, manage the house. The Rothschild Foundation, chaired by Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, acts as custodian and continues to invest in the property.

This will be a visit by coach.

For booking form click HERE

Image:  GavinJA, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

PAINTING THE GREEN: FLOWERS, GRASSES, SHRUBS AND TREES

The Bowerman Charitable Trust's  major exhibition features depictions of flora from their
Modern and Contemporary British Collection, and introduces major new acquisitions of works by
Winifred Nicholson, Ivon Hitchens,  Anne Redpath, Mary Fedden, Elizabeth Blackadder and Olwyn
Bowey.  Great favourites from recent exhibitions including Andrew Gifford's celebrated Trees
collections, through to works by established artists from Freddie Gore to William Bowyer will be on view.

Own transport.  Arrival 9.50, visit 10.00 - 12.00

Price:  £12 donation to the Bowerman Trust. 

For booking form click here

Image Elizabeth Blackadder – Untitled (Pink and Red Amaryllis) - Champs Hill

A coach visit to Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway, a 200-acre informal woodland garden in Hampshire, with a large collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias, often considered the finest garden of its type in the United Kingdom. 

Lionel Nathan de Rothschild purchased the Exbury estate in 1919 and soon began creating a garden on an ambitious scale, emulating his father's at Gunnersbury Park in London. 

Tickets:  members £40, non-members £45. 

Coffee, lunches and tea are available in the restaurant or cafe.

Coach departs Sylvia Beaufoy car park in Petworth at 9.00 am

For further details contact Julie Rudkin 01798 345120 - mobile 07710 861034 email: julierudkin11@gmail.com

For booking form click HERE

Image:  Rhododendrons at Exbury - Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hinton Ampner is a home developed over centuries by many different owners. From humble beginnings as a Tudor farmhouse to the lavish influences of the neo-Georgian period, they each brought their different styles. Discover where to look for clues that point to its long and varied history, one that stretches back nearly 500 years.  

For booking form click HERE

Since its creation in the 1930s, The Savill Garden has been an inspiration for all. This natural haven of beautifully designed gardens and woodland can be enjoyed by everyone, from dedicated horticulturists to those who just want to spend a relaxing day out with family or friends.

At this time of year, a visit to The Summer Wood in The Savill Garden and The Summer Gardens, where the Rose Garden will be in full bloom, is to be recommended.  The hydrangeas on Breakheart Hill in The Valley Gardens are also unmissable, and keep an eye out for all of the different butterflies which make their home throughout the Great Park all Summer

This will be a day visit by coach.

For booking form click HERE

A morning visit from 10.30 - 12.30 to the Summer 2023 Exhibition 'Made in Sussex - Painters and Paintings', as well as exploring the gardens and sculpture.  The exhibition will feature the work of Henry La Thangue, Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, Ivon Hitchens, Fred Cummings, Olwyn Bowey and Andrew Gifford, as well as other art and artists with Sussex connections.

A donation of £12 to The Bowerman Trust, Champs Hill, includes tea, coffee and biscuits on arrival.  Own Transport.

A spring day-trip to Bournemouth to visit the Russell-Cotes Gallery, a beautiful late Victorian mansion set above the sea, which is worth a visit in its own right.  The art on display is varied and will include the exhibitions 'Her Own Voice:  The Art of Lucy Kemp-Welch (1869-1958)' and 'Ponies of the New Forest'.

For booking form click HERE

Photo by Ethan Doyle-White

Join us on the coach to visit Standen House near East Grinstead, an Arts & Crafts family home designed by Philip Webb, which will be beautifully decorated for Christmas. 

Cost: £25 for National Trust Members, £35 for non-National Trust members.

Click here for a booking form.

Join us for a summer's outing by coach to the Chiltern Hills to explore two houses of note and their beautiful gardens. 

Hughenden Manor in High Wycombe was Benjamin Disraeli's country home and also housed a secret map-making operation in the Second World War - so secret it only came to light 60 years later after a chance encounter. 

Greys Court near Henley-on-Thames is a Tudor country house with a walled garden, ornamental vegetable garden, a maze and ice house.

Please click here for a booking form.

Join us for a private guided tour of the Old Royal Naval College, including the newly renovated Painted Hall. Other nearby attractions to visit include the National Maritime Museum, the Queens House Gallery, the Royal Observatory, the Cutty Sark and Greenwich Park.

You can access a booking form here, or contact Julie on julierudkin11@gmail.com / 01798 345120                                                      

A chance to visit Winchester, its Cathedral, its Christmas Market and the shops.   The day will finish with a guided tour of the Great Hall.

Other places of interest to visit include Winchester City Mill, Winchester City Museum and the Hospital of St Cross, which is a 20-minute walk from the centre of town. There are many cafes and restaurants to choose from for lunch.  

Tickets £25

For more details and how to book click HERE

Due to unforeseen difficulties in arranging the planned coach trip to Hampton Court Palace, we have had to change our programme and are now offering an excursion for garden lovers to the gardens at Pashley Manor and Merriments in East Sussex, also by coach. We apologise for any disappointment, but feel this will be an enjoyable alternative.

To book, please click here.

EXHIBITION

19th CENTURY DUTCH ROMANTIC ART -

SEASONS, CITY AND THE SEA

YOU CAN ALSO EXPLORE THE BEAUTIFUL GARDEN

Meet at Champs Hill at 10 am

Donation £10 each, to be paid on the day (including coffee, subject to government guidelines)

TO BOOK:   

Please email the following information for EACH PERSON booking to:   sussexhil@btinternet.com 

• Number of people @ £10 each, to be paid on the day:      
• Name:  
• Email:
• Telephone number:
• Emergency contact on the day:

For any queries call 01403 785302 or 07707 717037

Please let us know if you have to cancel as we need to know numbers.  A minimum of 20 people is required and we neeed to notify Champs Hill of the numbers in advance

Image: Champs Hill

From the comfort of our own homes, Jane Choy Thurlow will guide us room to room through a live online virtual tour of the Mauritshuis.

One of the most beautiful 17th century monuments in Holland, the Mauritshuis, situated in the heart of The Hague, is home to the best Dutch paintings from the time of Rembrandt and Vermeer.  Discover masterpieces such as Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt, The Goldfinch by Fabritius, The Bull by Potter and many more

For further details and booking form click MAURITSHUIS TOUR

Image Jane Choy-Thurlow

We have arranged a visit to Oxford on Wednesday 20 January at 10.30 am.  No need for winter coats, woolly hats or gloves.  Neither coach nor walking will be required as we follow our London Blue Badge Guide Katherine Alcock, historian, actor and a regular contributor to the Travel Channel's 'Mysteries at the Museum', around this unique town to learn about its history, architecture and colourful inhabitants.  The tour will take one hour and carries a (modest) fee of £5 per viewer.

If you would like to join in, please pay in advance, preferably via bank transfer to:

THE ARTS SOCIETY SOUTH DOWNS, Sort Code 60-16-27, Account Number 89020537, quoting your surname and initial, followed by OXFORD in the reference box.  Alternatively, you can send a cheque, payable to THE ARTS SOCIETY SOUTH DOWNS, to Mrs. Paula Chabrel, Treasurer, The Arts Society South Downs, Feldemore, Wyncombe Close, FITTLEWORTH, TH20 2RX.

We regret there can be no refunds.  You will be sent a link to the tour a couple of days before the 20th.  We do hope you will support this event!

For further information contact:  nicky.donker@gmail.com or tel. 01798 815 824

We travel by train from Pulborough to Waterloo Station, walk to the National Theatre for a private guided tour, then visit the South Bank Christmas Market and other nearby attractions.

We will travel by coach to Whitchurch in Hampshire to visit Whitchurch Silk Mill - a Georgian water mill that weaves silk using 19th-century machinery, and the oldest silk mill in the UK still to be housed in its original Victorian building. Enjoy coffee on arrival, learn about silk production and weaving in a guided tour, browse in the silk shop and have lunch in the on-site cafe in a lovely riverside setting.

After lunch, we drive down the road to view the Bombay Sapphire Gin Distillery with its stunning Thomas Heatherwick conservatory. After a tour of the distillery, choose your favourite botanicals grown in the conservatory to have a glass of gin prepared for you to your personal taste!

Cost: £40, all inclusive.

For more information and a booking form, click here: http://bit.ly/Whitchurch

Travel as a group to London by train, where we will meet our Arts Society Lecturer and London Guide Ian Swankie for a leisurely 2-hour stroll around the architectural delights of Ludgate Hill. We will finish off with lunch and a talk in the illustrious environment of Stationers' Hall, home of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers, one of London's oldest livery companies.

Get more information on this trip and a booking form from jane@theallisonfamily.co.uk.

Join us for an all-day visit to Chartwell in Kent, country home of Sir Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine. View the house with its original furniture and many of Churchill's personal belongings, explore the attractive gardens with spectacular views of the Weald and see Churchill's paintings in his Studio.

For more information and to download a booking form, click here: http://bit.ly/VisitChartwell

Join us for a pre-Christmas visit to Brighton to see the Royal Pavilion with its seasonal decorations. Afterwards visit the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery across the park, or stroll through the Lanes with their little shops and restaurants. Weather permitting, walk along the sea front and let the bracing sea air blow your cobwebs away. At the end of the afternoon, admire the Christmas lights as you walk back to the Pavilion, where your coach awaits you for the return journey.

Cost: £30, to include coach transport, tea/coffee and biscuits on arrival, entry to the Royal Pavilion and audio guides.

You can download a booking form here.

A major exhibition inspired by her writings, featuring 80 female artists from 1854 to the present day. Organised by Tate St. Ives in association with Pallant House Gallery and The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

Barbara Hepworth - Vanessa Bell - Gwen John - Eileen Agar –

Penny Slinger - Claude Cahun

·         Private tour for our Society starting 10:30am

·         Limited places

·         Shared transport

·         Cost: £15

Download a booking form here: http://bit.ly/PallantWoolf

Visit 6 Sussex country churches - final itinerary to be revealed on the day!

Shared transport.

Meet in Sylvia Beaufoy Car Park, Petworth at 10am.

We will travel by coach to the village of Sherborne St. John near Basingstoke to visit The Vyne, a 16th century country house built for Lord Sandys, King Henry VIII's Lord Chamberlain. The grounds contain large woodlands and wetlands with swans and many other water birds. This is a National Trust property, so please remember to bring your membership cards.

On our way back, we stop in the village of Selbourne to visit The Wakes, house of Gilbert White - clergyman, scholar and arguably Britain's first ecologist - which now includes a museum displaying his life's work.

Cost: to be advised nearer the time.

Download a booking form here: http://bit.ly/TheVyne

Photo by Kabads at the English language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7517503

Spend a pleasant morning at Champs Hill, visiting the current exhibition on 'Art in Europe' and enjoying the beautiful gardens.

Coffee, tea and biscuits on arrival at 10:30.

Cost: £10

Shared transport.

Download a booking form here: http://bit.ly/ChampsHill

We travel by coach to Knole, one of England's largest country houses, constructed in the 15th and 16th centuries, with a 1000-acre deer park. We will also be able to visit Lord Sackville's private garden, open to the public on certain days only. Knole is a National Trust property, so please remember to bring your membership cards along.

Download a booking form here: http://bit.ly/KnoleBookingForm

Cost: £20 for National Trust members, £30 for non-members.

Join us for a day in Winchester to start off the pre-Christmas season! We travel by coach from Fittleworth to Winchester Cathedral, where we will have coffee in the Cathedral Cafeteria, followed by a 30-minute tour of the Cathedral in small groups, which will include Jane Austen's grave and Andy Goldsworthy's inspiring sculpture 'Sound II' in the crypt. Afterwards, roam through the pretty Christmas Market which wraps itself around the Cathedral and shop for gifts, and/or wander over into the High Street with all its purchasing opportunities, cafes and restaurants. The coach will pick us up for the journey home in late afternoon. 

Cost: £20 p.p. (includes transport and Cathedral tour)

Photo by TravelWithKat.com

Informal lunchtime visit to Parham House.  Shared transport.

Afternoon at nearby Tudeley Church with its Chagall windows. Coach trip.

Coach trip.

Shared transport

Shared transport.