From a base in Bath, explore the art treasures of this fine Georgian city, as well as historical houses in the surrounding countryside
Enjoy special access to privately-owned homes including Wilton House and Corsham Court
Learn about the lives of individual collectors, such as the remarkable William Blathwayt of Dyrham Park
“A very well planned tour. The Tour Director’s contribution throughout was outstanding”
- ACE customer on a previous Art Collections & Stately Homes of the West Country tour
The area of the West Country surrounding Bath and Salisbury features several of Britain’s most splendid stately homes, alongside some surprising art collections. This tour will offer an opportunity to explore the careers of individual collectors, and compare the ways they went about compiling their art treasures.
We hope to pay a visit to Wilton House, the magnificent seat of the Earls of Pembroke, which was rebuilt in the Palladian style by Inigo Jones. The 17th century interior displays important works by Rembrandt, Van Dyck and Bruegel.
Corsham Court is an Elizabethan house transformed in the 18th century by the Methuen family to provide a setting for their extraordinary collection of Old Master paintings. The Picture Gallery, built by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and furnished by Robert Adam, is little changed since the 18th century, and displays works by Van Dyck, Murillo and Filippo Lippi.
Nearby is Dyrham Park, a Baroque country house nestling in the valley at the centre of a deer park. We will hear about the remarkable career of its founder, William Blathwayt, who served as right-hand man to William III after the Glorious Revolution, and who built a unique collection of Dutch pictures, china and furniture which still adorns the house.
We will also visit Stourhead, to savour the splendour of its world-famous landscape gardens and tour the Palladian villa designed by Colen Campbell for the Hoare family. While here, we will examine the art collection assembled by several generations of the family on the proceeds of their banking business.
Known as the birthplace of British photography, Lacock Abbey is a country house with monastic roots; while here, we will have time to explore the grounds and perfectly preserved adjoining 19th century village of Lacock, the setting for numerous film and television productions from Pride & Prejudice to Wolf Hall.
Our base for the tour will be the beautiful city of Bath. The Holburne Museum is home to works of art by one of the city’s most famous residents, Thomas Gainsborough, who found fame here with his portraits of prominent Georgian citizens. We will also enjoy a visit to the Victoria Art Gallery, which houses a municipal collection built largely on bequests of works with a local connection.
This tour will be led by Rupert Dickens, BA, MA, an art historian, accredited Arts Society lecturer and guide lecturer at the Wallace Collection. Previously a BBC television and radio journalist for over 20 years, Rupert studied art history at Birkbeck, University of London, before gaining a Masters degree in Dutch Golden Age Studies at University College London.
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£TBC
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Full details, including the dates, itinerary and cost, will be released later in 2023. Please click here to register your interest.
Included: Full details, including the itinerary and cost, will be released later in 2023. Please contact the ACE office now to register your interest.
Not Included:
