Come on an exclusive visit to Broughton Castle. 

Situated just south of Banbury, on the border of Oxfordshire, Broughton Castle is surrounded by a three acre moat, and set amongst the scenic parkland of Broughton Park.  Despite its name, Broughton is more a fortified manor house than a castle, and is the family seat of the Fiennes family (who hold the title Lord and Lady Saye and Sele).  It has been in the ownership of the same family since 1377.  

Built of the rich local Hornton ironstone, it was selected by Simon Jenkins as one of only twenty to be awarded five stars in his book England’s Thousand Best Houses. The core of the house was built in 1306 and the gatehouse in the early fifteenth century, but most of what you see today dates from the 1550’s. It was a centre of opposition to Charles I and was besieged and damaged after the Battle of Edgehill in 1642.

Key highlights include Tudor-style rooms with ornate fireplaces, 18th-century decorations, portraits of historical figures such as Oliver Cromwell, and displays of armour, swords, and 17th-century furniture.

We will travel by coach from Wokingham.

Tea and coffee will be provided on arrival followed by a private guided tour of the castle lasting one to two hours.

After a lunch of tartlette and salad followed by tea and coffee there will be time to explore the gardens before returning home.

The cost will be £64 per person which includes coach travel, tea and coffee on arrival, the guided tour and lunch with further tea/coffee.

There is a limit of 33 for this visit. Once all the places are filled a waiting list will be created who will be contacted should a place become available.

Booking will open on Thursday 2nd April

Click here to access the online booking form.

This is a new booking system, enabling you to complete the form online, avoiding the need for postage.

Any queries, please email Margaret    margaret@tasw.org

Come on a guided visit to the Wallace Collection, a national museum which displays the art collections brought together by the first 4 marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the likely illegitimate son of the 4 th Marquess, and bequeathed to the British nation by Sir Richard’s widow in 1897.

It is one of the most significant collections of fine and decorative arts in the world. Highlights include oil paintings from the 14th to the late 19th centuries by artists such as Titian, Velazquez, Rubens and Van Dyck. There is one of the finest collections of 18 th century French paintings and decorative arts. We will also be able to see superb Medieval and Renaissance objects including Limoges enamel, maiolica, glass and bronzes. 

After the guided tour, you might wish to see the Grayson Perry exhibition there, 'Delusions of Grandeur', which includes ceramics, tapestries, furniture and collage displayed alongside some of the Wallace Collection’s masterpieces and offers an elaborate commentary on the very nature of making and collecting art. Touching upon a variety of themes, including the creation of domestic space and how it engenders a sense of safety, the gendering of decoration and perceived perfection versus authenticity the exhibition is a major moment for one of the country’s most respected artists.

This is not included in the price of our ticket but you can book this independently for an extra cost of £15 or £7.50 for Arts Pass people.

We will make our own way to Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U3BN. The nearest tube station, Bond Street.

The visit will start at 11.30am on Thursday 23rd October.

The cost of the guided tour will be £13.

Click here to access the booking form.

Booking opens on Wednesday 17th September at 8am.

This is a new booking system, enabling you to complete the form online, avoiding the need for postage.

Fully Booked

Join us on a private guided tour inside the recently restored medieval Reading Abbey Gateway and learn about this listed building’s fascinating history. We will hear about the Abbey monks, visiting royalty, links to novelist Jane Austen and the recent conservation work done to bring it back to life.

Within the Gateway was the site of the Reading Ladies Boarding School which Jane and her sister Cassandra attended in 1785-1786. The school is often cited as the inspiration for Austen’s Mrs Goddard’s School in Emma.

in the Victorian school room up inside the Gateway we will see a brand-new pop-up exhibition about Jane Austen and her links to Reading. The exhibition has been researched, edited and designed by English Literature and Typography students at the University of Reading. 

There  is also a chance to climb up to the Gateway rooftop for those who feel fit and able. This offers a fantastic chance to see an aerial view of the Forbury Gardens and Abbey Ruins.

Our tour starts at 11am and will last an hour.

Afterwards, if you wish, you can visit Reading Museum or have a light lunch at the Museum's Pantry Café.

Please note that the only access to the Gateway is via uneven stone steps. On the higher levels the stone floors are also worn and uneven.

The cost is £5 per person.

Please email margaretcw.home@gmail.com to register your interest from 15th July onwards.

She will email you a Booking Form on 22nd July.

Fully booked 

We are lucky to have been offered an exclusive guided tour of Dorneywood, a country house residence for a Minister of the Crown in Burnham, Buckinghamshire.

Dorneywood was donated to the nation by Lord Courtauld-Thomson. The house is decorated and furnished in the style of the 1930’s and 1940’s, with a widely varied collection of furniture, paintings and books, largely as it was on Lord Courtauld-Thomson’s death. His furniture, books and works of art are carefully preserved and the collection has been enhanced over the years as the house has been adapted to modern lifestyles and includes paintings by Winston Churchill.

It is a lived-in house, usually by the current Chancellor of the Exchequer, currently Rachel Reeves, and not a museum piece. One of the main attractions to visitors is the warm, welcoming atmosphere that this creates. 

The grounds are noted for their cottage and kitchen gardens as well as their herbaceous borders and rose displays.

We will have a private guided visit to the house  starting at 2pm followed by tea and homemade cakes and scones in a gazebo in the garden. 

The cost will be £35 which includes the guided tour and tea and cake.

As we will be making our own way to Dorneywood, car sharing is an option. Please indicate on the booking form if you are driving whether you are able to offer a lift to another member or whether you need a lift.

Booking will open on 21st April.

Please email margaretcw.home@gmail.com to register your interest. She will send you a Booking Form

SOLD OUT

We will make our own way to Pitzhanger Manor. Our guided tour of the house will start at 12 noon.

Pitzhanger Manor was the country home of Sir John Soane, one of the most influential architects in British history. Soane designed many extraordinary buildings, but Pitzhanger is unique because it was designed, built and lived in by Soane himself. Engage even more with one of Britain’s most celebrated architects and explore his country home and personal life..  Nestled in the heart of Ealing, this architectural gem designed by Sir John Soane stands as a testament to his genius. Delve into a narrative spanning centuries, from its origins as a country retreat to its meticulous restoration that brings Soane’s original vision to life. As you journey through the manor, you will discover Soane’s innovative designs, dreams of an architectural dynasty, and tales of grand entertainment.

There will be an exhibition by Scottish painter Alison Watt in the main gallery. It features a new series of paintings which resonate with the architecture and collection of Sir John Soane. Watt’s practice, rooted in a fascination with light, echoes strongly with Soane’s innovative manipulation of light to shape space and create atmosphere.

Located in the lively heart of the Pitzhanger Gallery, right next to the exhibition space, you can have lunch in a unique fusion of art, culture, Italian coffee, and delicacies of the Bella Puglia Café in our contemporary art space. and then enjoy visiting the grounds of Pitzhanger Manor, Walpole Park.

Pitzhanger Manor is a short walk from Ealing Broadway Station therefore can be easily reached via the Elizabeth line. Members will be expected to make their own travel arrangements and directions will be emailed to you.

The cost of admission and private tour is £15

Booking opens on Monday 21st January

Click here for the Booking Form

Please complete the form, scan it and email it to margaretcw.home@gmail.com. Or print it, complete it and post to Margaret Campbell-White, 16 Park Avenue, Wokingham RG40 2AJ

Kelmscott Manor was the summer home of William Morris. Built around 1600, it is a Grade I listed farmhouse with adjoining farm buildings.  

Morris loved the house as a work of true craftsmanship, totally unspoilt and unaltered, and in harmony with the village and the surrounding countryside.

The house contains an outstanding collection of the possessions and works of Morris, his family and his Arts & Crafts associates, including furniture, original textiles, pictures, carpets, ceramics and metalwork.

We will travel by coach from Wokingham Theatre car park leaving at 9.15am.

Tea and coffee will be available on arrival.

We will then have a talk followed by a guided tour of the manor house.

A buffet lunch will be served and there will be time to explore the beautiful gardens and village before we leave at 4pm to return by coach to Wokingham.

The cost  is £65  to include coach travel, refreshments on arrival, a guided tour of Kelmscott Manor and a buffet lunch.

Booking is now open, please email  margaretcw.home@gmail.com to reserve a place.

We will leave Wokingham Theatre car park promptly at 9.15am to travel by coach to Hatfield House.

Hatfield House is set in a large park in Hertfordshire.  The present Jacobean House, a leading example of its time, was built in 1611 by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury and Chief Minister to King James I, in the grounds of the old palace where Queen Elizabeth I spent much of her childhood. 

We will have a guided tour of the House which is steeped in over 400 years of history and is home to many treasures including some associated with Elizabeth I. 

We can also spend some time in the picture perfect gardens offering 40 acres of tranquility and dating from the early 17 century.

The coach will leave at 4pm to take us back to Wokingham.

The cost is £50 to include coach travel, entrance to Hatfield House and Gardens and a guided tour of the house.

Click here to download the booking form

Join us at 11.15am for a guided visit to Leighton House, the former home and studio of the leading Victorian artist Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830-1896). From its first construction in the 1880s it was his constant preoccupation, absorbing large amounts of his time, money and effort, combining spaces for living, working and entertaining and the display of his collections.

There is a small café where a snack lunch could be purchased or you could purchase one on Kensington High Street, en route to Sambourne House.

We make our way individually to Sambourne House, as this house cannot take 30 at once. 

After lunch we will make our way to Sambourne House, the former home of Victorian illustrator and photographer Edward Linley Sambourne (1844-1910). His wife Marion, their two children and their live-in servants.

The house gives an insight into their personal lives and provides a rare example of what was known as an 'Aesthetic Interior' or 'House Beautiful'. The Sambournes lived in the house for over 36 years and the basic decorative scheme remains the same today. Highlights include Middle Eastern and Chinese ceramics, William Morris wallpapers and a wide selection of Sambourne's own work.

The cost of this guided visit to Leighton House and entrance to Sambourne House is £32. There might be a small reduction for those who have an Art Pass.

A few places still available.

Please email margaretcw.home@gmail.com to register your interest, stating whether you have an Art Pass, and you will be emailed a Booking Form.

Booking opens on Monday 27th November from 9am to midnight

Email margaretcw.home@gmail.com to register your interest

A rare opportunity to experience the magic of Westminster Abbey in the quiet of the evening.

We leave Wokingham mid-afternoon by coach, arriving at the Abbey in time to enjoy a set two-course supper in the Cellarium Café which is located in the Cloisters area (see menu below).

We then proceed to the Abbey Nave where we will be welcomed by a member of the clergy and invited to take our seats for the introduction to our private tour, which will last about two hours.

We will learn about the Abbey's history and the events which have shaped its life. We will visit the tombs of medieval Kings and Queens buried within its walls. During our tour members of the Purcell Club (the Westminster Abbey Old Choristers Association, founded in 1927 and named after Henry Purcell, the famous composer, who was organist of Westminster Cathedral from 1679 to 1695) will sing specially selected music originating from the 16th through to the current century.  

The cost is £110 per head which includes coach travel, supper and the tour.

Cellarium Café

Sample Supper menu

MAIN COURSE CHOICES

Chicken cacciatore with spaghetti

Provencal fish stew with steamed potatoes

Vegetarian pilaf with indian spiced potato and chickpea stew

DESSERT CHOICES

Sticky toffee pudding with ice cream

Apple and berry crumble with thick cream

Fruit salad

Wine and soft drinks will be available for purchase with the meal - £3 for soft drink, £3.50 for 125ml glass of house wine. Only card payments accepted.

Cumberland Lodge is a 17th-century Grade II listed country house in Windsor Great Park south of Windsor Castle.

It was built by John Byfield, an army captain, in 1650 when Oliver Cromwell divided up and sold off lots in Windsor Great Park.

Historically, it was home to the Rangers of the Great Park, including Prince Christian and Princess Helena, daughter of Queen Victoria in the late 19th century

It has been home to a charitable foundation known as Cumberland Lodge since 1947. 

We will make our own way there.

At 2.30pm we will meet the Chief Executive, Canon Dr Edmund Newell for a talk on the history of the house and a tour followed by tea/coffee and biscuits.

The cost will be £10 per person.

Sophie Campbell will take us on a private walking tour around the new King's Cross - this is how she describes it.

'Remember the grungy old days of clubs, pubs and the Scala Cinema clustered around King’s Cross railway station? If so, brace yourself for a surprise, for out of the jumble of surrounding streets and the vast area of former rail lands has emerged a truly 21st century development.

The dismal canopy on the station facade has been removed to reveal its vigorous Victorian design, the Regent’s Canal has been cleaned up and opened up to public access, the yards where the coal arrived by train has become a retail district anchored on Thomas Heatherwick’s swooping design. Right in the middle is Central St Martin’s (part of the University of the Arts London), which fills the area with student life, thousands of residents are living in new builds and historic conversions. Many pieces of heritage architecture have been conserved.

Our stroll will take in all aspects of the new development and, if time allows, a stroll west to St Pancras, for a useful comparison of mid-Victorian station architecture! We will also hear about the down sides; the fight to retain historic features, the effect of huge development on local residents with no economic clout and the screeching halt of Covid just as things got into full swing.'

Members will be expected to make their own travel arrangements.

We will meet up with Sophie at King's Cross at 1.30pm to start our tour which should last approximately 2 hours.

The cost will be £13 per person.

Email  margaretcw.home@gmail.com to reserve a place

Booking now open

Join us at 6.30pm for an Evening with the Auctioneers at Dawsons in Maidenhead.

The evening will start with a talk entitled  ‘Fakes & Forgeries’.

We encourage members to bring along smaller items of jewellery, watches, silver or perhaps a painting or bronze to be valued. Their experts are looking forward to meeting you, seeing your items and sharing some fascinating stories.

We will enjoy refreshments whilst discovering the amazing items of jewellery, watches and paintings available at their next auction. We will also find out about diamonds and jewellery from their resident experts. 

There is no charge for this social event but we would like to know numbers in advance.

Members are expected to make their own travel arrangements to:-

Dawsons Auction House, Unit 8, Cordwallis Park, Clivemont Road, Maidenhead, SL6 7BU

Email chairtheartssocietywham@gmail.com to book your free place

Click here to see Dawson's brochure 

Booking now open

In partnership with the Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris, the Dulwich Picture Gallery has brought together around 30 of Morisot’s masterpieces from international collections to create the first major UK exhibition of the trailblazing Impressionist, Berthe Morisot, since 1950.

A founding member of the Impressionist group, Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) was known for her swiftly painted glimpses of contemporary life and intimate domestic scenes. She featured prominently in the Impressionist exhibitions and defied social norms to become one of the movement’s most influential figures.

The exhibition also includes artwork by Reynolds, Gainsborough and Fragonard drawing on new research and previously unpublished archival material from the Musée Marmottan Monet to trace the roots of her inspiration, revealing the ways in which Morisot engaged with 18th century art and culture.  

The coach to Dulwich will leave Cantley Car Park outside the Wokingham Theatre at 9.15am.

There will be time for coffee before viewing the Berthe Morisot exhibition at our alloted timed slot of 12 noon. 

After viewing the exhibition, lunch can be purchased in the Gallery's café.

After lunch there will plenty of time to view the Gallery's fine collection of Old Master paintings. Famous works include those by Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Poussin, Watteau, Canaletto, Rubens, Veronese, Murillo and Mary Beale amongst many others. There are also extensive grounds which you can explore.

The return coach for Wokingham will depart at 4pm

The cost will be £45 per person, to cover the coach and the exhibitions but excluding lunch.

Once booking opens on May 9th, please email margaretcw.home@gmail.com to book your place.

Image: Au bal, 1875 © Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris

Booking closed - this visit is now fully booked

We are pleased to offer a private guided tour of Royal Holloway College starting at 11am. Our guide will be Sheila Binns.

We will visit the Founder’s Building, the Chapel, North Quad, Founder’s Dining Hall, Main Lecture Theatre, South Quad, Founder’s Reading Room, Victorian Corridor and the Small and Large Board Rooms.

A buffet lunch will be served in the Picture Gallery at 12.30pm, followed at 1.15pm by a talk on the paintings.

From 2pm to 2.30pm we will have free time to explore the Picture Gallery

Members will be expected to make their own travel arrangements.

The cost will be £30 per person to cover the guided tour and a light lunch.

Booking will open online from 20th February

Click here to email Margaret to check availablity 

Click here to download the Booking Form

Marble Hill House was built in the 1720s for Henrietta Howard, mistress of King George II when he was Prince of Wales, as a retreat from Court life. The villa is an important and relatively rare example of a house built for and by a woman in Georgian England. Henrietta and her home became a magnet for London’s cultural and political elite, including her neighbours Alexander Pope, John Gay and Horace Walpole. The House now has a fine collection of early Georgian paintings including portraits of members of Henrietta’s circle.

Our guided Tour of the House and Gardens will start at 11.00am and last for two hours.

Lunch following the tour will be available in the House Cafe at members' own expense.

Members are expected to make their own travel arrangements. St Margaret’s rail station is only 5 minutes walk from Marble Hill and Twickenham rail station is a 15-20 minutes walk. There is a large multi-storey car park in Twickenham but parking around Marble Hill can be difficult.

Cost is £18.10 per person but free for English Heritage members who should ensure that they have their membership card with them on the day.

Please contact Dudley Cooper by email: dudley.cooper38@gmail.com to confirm your place and then complete the Booking Form.

Click here to download the Booking Form

Image attribution: Chris McKenna (Thryduulf)

Our visit will start with a private tour of the house, followed by a visit to “The Chapel in the Woods” and St Mary’s University Chapel where there is a distinctive reredero by Constance Stubbs and some outstanding stained glass windows made and installed by master craftsmen from Chartres.

Please be aware that while there is only one short flight of stairs in the house there will be few opportunities to sit down

The tours will be followed by a light lunch after which you are then free to enjoy the gardens at your leisure.

Members will need to make their own travel arrangements.

The cost will be £25 per person, to cover entry to the house, chapels and a light lunch.

There will be no refunds after 8th June 2022.

Click here to download the Booking Form.

All places are now taken but contact Margaret if you would like her to add your name to the waiting list

margaretcw.home@gmail.com

We are pleased to be able to offer a private tour of the 65 acre gardens to discover numerous unique plantings, the Italian Garden, the rare c1900 Pulham Stone monuments and the Danesfield Iron Age Hillfort.

The Head Gardener, Dan Lawrence, will then give a 45 minute talk about the Hotel’s history as RAF Medmenham. This will be followed by tea or coffee.

The tour of the gardens will start at 1.30pm.

Members will need to make their own travel arrangements and there is ample parking available on the site.

Please note that appropriate outdoor footwear is required and that there is no wheelchair access around the garden due to steps, tunnels and inclines.

The cost will be £15 per person, to cover the tour and tea and coffee

Please click here to download the booking form.

This bespoke tour will feature The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Collection which includes the Gentlemen Cadet registers, historic archives, uniforms, paintings, photographs and other artefacts. A visit to the Royal Memorial Chapel will also be included.

Members will need to make their own travel arrangements and there is ample parking available on the site. 

The cost will be £34.00 per person, to cover the tour and a light lunch.

Travel directions and other information will be provided nearer the date.

All places are currently allocasted but please email Dudley at dudley.cooper38@gmail.com if you would like him to add your name to the waiting list

This visit has been postponed due to the Coronavirus epidemic

A walking tour led by Andrew Daviies to explore this extraordinary transformation of a once grubby area into a thriving and exciting hub.

• a detailed exploration of Gothic over the top St Pancras and austere and  classical Kings Cross
• new squares, gardens and a stroll along the canal
• the gasholder which is now a park, inside the Victorian coal-drops and a German Gym
• an excellent visitor centre, the High Line, Platform 9 3/4

We will make our own way to St Pancras station to meet with our guide, Andrew Davies at 11am. Meeting point will be at the Sir John Betjeman statue which is on the upper level.

Then there will be a break for lunch at 12.45pm (not included in the price) at one of the many eateries nearby.

At 2pm Andrew will take us across to Kings Cross station for more revelations about the history and redevelopment of this area.

The walk will finish back at St Pancras station at 3.45pm.

The cost will be £22 per person, cash or cheque only.

This visit has been postponed due to the Coronavirus epidemic

We will be travelling by coach from Wokingham to Twickenham. 

The coach will depart from Cantley Car Park at 8.30am and there will an additional pickup at The Three Frogs on London Road. (Please indicate on the booking form where you would like to be picked up)

We will be taken on a private tour of the House by Dr John Iddon who is a Walpole expert. This will be followed by tea/coffee and biscuits and a tour of the garden when Dr Iddon will talk further about Horace Walpole.

There will be an opportunity to visit the onsite shop and the coach will leave at 1.00pm and arrive back in Wokingham by 2.00pm.

Please be aware that although the house only has one short flight of stairs there will be few opportunities to sit down. 

The cost will be £36 per person cash or cheque only. This includes coach travel, entry to the House and tea/coffee.

Booking will open at 7pm before the lecture on 27th January.

Click here to download the booking form

Following our November lecture, Christmas Backstage at the Opera, to be given by Sarah Lenton we have arranged a backstage tour of the Royal Opera House on Friday, 29th November 2019.  This is an opportunity to see behind the scenes of the Opera House and hear accounts from people who work there.

The tour will last approximately 1hour 15minutes.  Two groups of 20 people will start the tour at 12.15pm and 12.30pm respectively.

We will all meet at the Opera House, a short walk from Charing Cross Station at 12pm.

This visit is now fully booked. If you would like to add your name to the waiting list, please email sandjbarnes@hotmail.co.uk

The cost is £15.00 per person - cash or cheque only please, transport not imcluded.

Booking form available here

Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village is the home, studios, gallery and joint architectural legacy of the great Victorian artist George Frederic Watts and renowned designer Mary Watts.  Our full day visit will comprise three guided tours:

• Limnerslease, their Grade II listed Arts & Crafts home where we will hear about the creative and cultural life of G F and Mary Watts, their contemporaries and the local community they welcomed.

• Watts Chapel, Mary Watts Grade I listed Arts & Crafts masterpiece, created with people from the local village of Compton.

• Watts Gallery containing over 100 paintings by G F Watts including portraits, landscapes and his major symbolic works.

We will be travelling from Wokingham to Compton, Guildford by coach.  Refreshments on arrival and a sandwich lunch will be included.

Cost £52.00 per person, cash or cheque only, travel included

Please note the following advice “There is a short uphill walk to Watts Studios, Limnerslease House and Watts Chapel – we are advised to wear comfortable shoes! Unfortunately Watts Chapel, Watts Contemporary Gallery and Limnerslease House are not wheelchair accessible due to the nature of the old buildings.”

Booking for this Visit has now closed

We will make our own way to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich arriving in time for coffee/tea and pastry (included).  The start time will allow for us to travel on the first off-peak train from Wokingham, and onward travel by tube and DLR.

We will have a private guided tour of the National Maritime Museum, in 2 groups.  One will start at 12noon and the other (if numbers are sufficient) at 2.00pm.  (The allocation of members to the tours will be conducted by ballot).

The rest of the day, and your return home, will be totally at your discretion.  You may choose to visit the Royal Observatory and/or Cutty Sark, at extra cost.  You can purchase tickets on the day, but they will be cheaper if you buy them in advance on the website:www.rmg.co.uk/plan-your-visit/tickets-prices

A Day Explorer ticket will admit you to both attractions, or you could choose just one.  Entry to the National Maritime Museum and Queens House is free. 

Places for this Visit are still available, and now open to guests - each member is able to book for a maximum of 2 guests.

Booking for this Visit will close on Friday 3 May, so please email visitsecretary@outlook.com if you are posting form and cheque this week.

Click here to download the Booking Form

The cost will be £15.00 per person, cash or cheque only, transport and entry to paid attractions not included

This half-day (morning) tour gives us another opportunity to visit the hidden gems of Reading’s history. We will explore some of Reading’s fascinating past through its often over-looked architecture.

Our tour will be led by Richard Havelock, a National Trust Guide and Chairman of the Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre.

Priority booking for members on waiting list for 3rd April Visit is now complete.

Booking for the very few remaining places opens at 7pm before the lecture on 28th February 2019

Cost: £15.00 per person, transport not included.

Click here for the Booking Form

This half-day (morning) tour gives us an opportunity to visit the hidden gems of Reading’s history. We will explore some of Reading’s fascinating past through its often over-looked architecture.

Our tour will be led by Richard Havelock, a National Trust Guide and Chairman of the Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre.

Booking opens at 7pm before the lecture on 24th January 2019

Cost: £15.00 per person, transport not included.

Booking for this Visit is now closed.

This year, we have a very special Christmas trip, to Westminster Abbey.

After our coach journey, we will have a two-course supper in the Cellarium Café and then proceed to the Abbey, where we will be welcomed by a member of the clergy before taking our seats in the Nave for the start of our two and a half hour visit.

Our speaker will guide us around the Abbey, describing its history and architecture and at various points there will be a pause while members of the Purcell Club (the Westminster Abbey Old Choristers Association) sing music originating from the 16th through to the current century.  

This Visit is now FULL.  If you wish to be added to the Waiting List, you can email your request to visitsecretary@outlook.com.  (Your Booking Form and payment will only be required if you are offered a place due to cancellation.)

Cost is £70.00 per person, coach travel included. 

Booking form now available here

Enquiries to: visitsecretary@outlook.com

Menu choices:

Main

Braised steak & ale pie, heritage carrots and new potatoes

Braised shoulder of lamb pie, savoy cabbage & melted onions

Potato gnocchi, roast butternut squash pesto & goats cheese

Dessert

Caramelised pear & honey tart

Baked apple & blackberry tart

Fruit salad

Wine and soft drinks will be available for purchase on the evening.

To join in the celebrations for the Golden Anniversary of The Arts Society, our first Visit of the 2018-2019 year will be to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, on the subject of Gold.

Our day will start with a talk on the theme, followed by guided visits, in small groups, to three of the galleries to examine the gold treasures.

Refreshments will be provided throughout the day.  We will travel independently.  Cost is £55.00 per person.

Booking for this Visit is now closed. 

5 October - Apologies for the delay in distributing Final Instructions.  They have been sent by email this evening, and require a response (from participating members).  If you cannot find them in your Inbox or Spam/Junk, then please email visitsecretary@outlook.com

A private guided tour of Ham House and historic Richmond Upon Thames

We will arrive at Ham House in time for refreshments (included), before our private guided tour of this delightful National Trust property.

We will then transfer to Richmond Upon Thames where we will have time for lunch.

We will meet again after lunch for a guided walk (in 2 groups) of Historic Richmond.

We will travel by coach from Wokingham.

Cost:  National Trust members - £36.00, non-members - £45.00.

Although booking has now closed for this visit, I already have some cancellations.  Please email  

visitsecretary@outlook.com if you are interested in joining us.

Following our January le​cture by Doug Gillen on Street Art, our visit in April will be a guided walking tour of London's East End.  This will be our chance to see first hand one of the most vibrant areas of the world and see art, free from the constraints of galleries and museums.

​We will make our own way to London, and meet at Liverpool Street Station at 10.30am.  The walking tour will finish by 12.30 - 1.00pm.

​Cost: £15.00 per person.

​​Booking for this visit is now closed.

​​Queries to: visitsecretary@outlook.com

​This visit will take place on Monday 4 December 2017.

Our Christmas season visit is to Winchester. 

​We will leave Wokingham at 1.00pm.  Our visit will start with a 1 hour guided tour (in groups of 15 or fewer) of the magnificent Cathedral.  This will cover the main history, art, architecture and stories of the Cathedral as well as Jane Austen's grave and a brief visit to the Crypt.

Then there will be time to explore the Christmas Market and perhaps do some Christmas Shopping or sample some of the tempting food choices.  There is also a Refectory at the Visitor's Centre if you need refreshment (open until 5pm).

If you wish you will be able to attend Evensong by Mens Voices in the Cathedral.

Our visit will finish with an exclusive Drinks Reception in one of the Cathedral's hospitality suites.  We will have a glass of wine, or fruit juice, and some very delicious nibbles.  We hope that you will enjoy this opportunity to meet and mix with fellow members, and start your Christmas celebrations.  We will return to Wokingham by approximately 9.00pm.

The cost will be £45.00 per person, including coach travel.

​Final instructions are available on the Documents page, or click here

​​Booking for this Visit is now closed. 

Our Booking Procedure can be found here

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Repeated by popular demand!

Another unique opportunity to see inside Englefield House. This visit will include a private tour of the house led by Zoe Benyon, the lady of the house, and will be followed by a tour and some free time in the gardens. Coffee/tea and cakes will be served in the long gallery.

​We will travel by coach.

This visit will cost £32.00 per person.

Booking for this visit is ​by email initially to: visitsecretary@outlook.com and is now open to all members, and Guests.  Then a Booking form will be provided, if there are still spaces.  The form and payment must be received (by post) no later than 7 August.

​Booking for this visit is now closed.

Enquiries to: visitsecretary@outlook.com

We have exclusive access to the House, grounds and exhibition between 10.30am and 3.30pm.

Tours of house, in groups of 8-12, will be run every 15-20 minutes - exclusively for us.

Morning coffee and shortbread will be provided on arrival, and a choice of lunches served at a time to suit individuals.

Booking will open at 7pm before the lecture on 22nd June.  Final Instructions, with driving directions, will be emailed prior to the visit.

Booking for this visit is now closed.

The cost will be £28 per person - transport is not included.

Enquiries to: visitsecretary@outlook.com

A unique opportunity to see inside Englefield House. This visit will include a private tour of the house led by Zoe Benyon, the lady of the house, and will be followed by a tour with the Head Gardener and some free time in the gardens. Coffee/tea and cakes, and coach travel will be included. 

Booking for this visit will commence at the lecture on 27th April 2017.

Enquiries to: visitsecretary@outlook.com

http://www.wokinghamdfas.org.uk/DocumentStore/Englefield%20House%20Booking%20Form.pdf

Our first visit of 2017 will be to Hampton Court Palace.​

We will undertake a guided tour of the palace lasting 1.5 hours.  For this we will divide into 2 groups.

​We then have the rest of the day to explore the palace and gardens.

​We will travel by coach.

​Cost is £35.00 per person, cash or cheque only.

Find the Booking Form by choosing About Us, Documents

http://www.wokinghamdfas.org.uk/DocumentStore/Hampton%20Court%20Palace%20Booking%20Form.pdf

Our Christmas season visit will comprise a private guided tour of the Wallace Collection with its renowned displays of 18th century French paintings, furniture and porcelain and Old Master paintings

We will split into 2 groups for the visit which will run from 11.30am to 12.45pm.  We will make our own way to Hertford House. Bond Street is the nearest Underground station.

The cost of this visit is £10.00 per person.

The booking form for this visit is available at: 

http://www.wokinghamdfas.org.uk/DocumentStore/Wallace%20Collection%20Booking%20Form%20Nov%202016.pdf

Enquiries to: visitsecretary@outlook.com

As a result of the popularity of the first visit on 18th October (which was very successful) a second visit has been arranged. A few places remain available and guests can now be included.  Please email visitsecretary@outlook.com for a booking form 

This tour will start with coffee and biscuits in the 16th century hall of Gray’s Inn followed by a walking tour of the Inns of Court.  We will return to Gray’s Inn for a one course chicken or vegetarian lunch served in a handsome banqueting room.  Bar drinks and hot drinks will be available for purchase from the Bridge Bar.  After lunch we will be collected by the coach with a guide for the journey to the Supreme Court.  There we will be able to sit-in if cases are being heard.  Before returning to the coach there will be an opportunity to purchase refreshments.

This tour will start with coffee and biscuits in the 16th century hall of Gray’s Inn followed by a walking tour of the Inns of Court.  We will return to Gray’s Inn for a one course chicken or vegetarian lunch served in a handsome banqueting room.  Bar drinks and hot drinks will be available for purchase from the Bridge Bar.  After lunch we will be collected by the coach with a guide for the journey to the Supreme Court.  There we will be able to sit-in if cases are being heard.  Before returning to the coach there will be an opportunity to purchase refreshments.

This visit is now fully subscribed. A second visit has been arranged for Tuesday 8th November. A few places remain available.

Following our May lecture by Val Woodgate on 'Picasso and his Women' we will be making a Tate to Tate visit accompanied by Val and her husband Frank.

Val Woodgate and her husband, Frank, will be our guides and will show us among other things many of the pictures that were described in the lecture. We will start at the Tate Modern where we will be split into two groups for our tour there. We will then take a boat across the Thames to the Tate Britain where we will conclude our visit. We will travel by coach.

Another of the very popular London walks conducted by Andrew Davies has been arranged.

The walk will include the Jubilee, Millennium, Waterloo, Hungerford and the proposed new Garden Bridges;
 Southwark and the 4 Ps (pubs, prisons, playhouses and prostitutes);
 Riverside nooks and crannies;
 Embankment Gardens;
 Somerset House, Kings College and a 'Roman' bath.

We will make our own way to Charing Cross to meet with Andrew Davies at 11am. The walk will finish at approximately 3.45pm.

The cost of the tour is £20.00. 

This walk will complement our January lecture 'The formation of an English style – Hogarth and the St Martin’s Lane Academy'

This walk will include St Martin’s Lane. We will also visit St Pauls Covent Garden (the Actors’ Church), St Martin-in-the-Fields, Georgian Soho, Chinatown, Soho Square (birthplace of British pop industry, and many nooks and crannies. Andrew Davies who led the Kenwood House and Hampstead walk will again be our guide for the day. 

 ‘Christmas – Past and Present at Blenheim Palace’.

A visit on Tuesday 8th December 2015.

Reservations for this trip can be made at and after the lecture on Thursday 22nd October. Reservation form can be downloaded from Documents page

The cost will be £30.00 per person

The coach will leave Wokingham at 9.00am and we will arrive at approximately 10.30am for coffee. This will be followed by a talk and a tour of the Palace State Rooms. The ticket will include entrance to the Palace, Park and Gardens for the rest of the day. 

2015 is the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. We therefore propose to visit the London home of the Duke of Wellington, Apsley House and Wellington Arch on Tuesday, 27th October 2015.

The tour of the house will start at 11am and will take approximately 1½ hours. There will then be time for lunch (there are various cafes nearby). At 2pm we will have a tour of Wellington Arch where there is a special exhibition about the Battle of Waterloo. This tour will take approximately 1 hour. Apsley House is about ½ mile from Victoria Station so we will make our own way there. The cost is expected to be around £16 (£8.00 for English Heritage members).

We will travel by coach to arrive at Kenwood House at approx 10.30am. We will have coffee and then there will be a guided tour of the house. Lunch will follow (in the gardens we hope). The coach will then take us to Hampstead village where Andrew will lead us on a walking tour. We will have tea in Hampstead High Street and the coach will pick us up from there. Timings and cost (approximately £38 for the day) will follow. Bookings can be made at or after the meeting on March 26th 2015.

The tour will lead by Frank Woodgate. He is our guest lecturer for the February meeting and the visit will complement his talk British Art of the First World War. The tour will take approximately 1 hour. Two tours will run consecutively. Each group could include 15-20 persons. (Times to be confirmed). Cost will be £12.00 per person. Bookings can be made at and after the meeting on Nov 27th 2014. Booking form now available in Documents section of About Us page

We will meet in the foyer of the the London Coliseum at approximately 1.45pm (the tour will start promptly at 2pm). The backstage tour will last a generous hour and will be led by Sarah Lenton.

The Coliseum is the largest theatre in London and has a varied and interesting history. 

People on this tour must be fit and able to cope with a lot of steep steps and very narrow corridors. This is because, although the front of house is designed for general use, the backstage is unrestored since 1904.

Members will be expected to make their own way to the Colliseum, St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4ES.

It is opposite the National Portrait Gallery and a short walk from Charing Cross Station.