No 82 May 2018

OUTINGS

Friday 6th April 2018  –  Highclere Castle, nr Newbury

 After the snow of the previous week we left Windsor on a rare dry and bright day and had a traffic free journey on the M4, arriving earlier than anticipated at Highclere Castle (oh that all outing journeys were as good as this one!). We were welcomed at Highclere by Barbara who gave us an interesting introductory talk on the Castle and as usual our first port of call was for morning coffee.

Highclere, is the home of the Earls of Carnarvon, and there has been a house on the site for many centuries. Major rebuilding works were carried out at Highclere in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when the freestone house was converted to a classical Georgian mansion, and in 1838 the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon commissioned Sir Charles Barry to transform his home into a grand mansion which would impress the world. The Saloon in the heart of the house was designed for the 4th Earl by Thomas Allom in a gothic style with rich decoration and was completed in the 1860’s. Portraits of Carnarvon ancestors hang alongside Dutch paintings from the 17th century and early 19th century art collected during a Grand Tour, whilst in the Music Room 16th century Italian embroideries hang below a baroque ceiling painted by Francis Hayman in the 1730s. In many ways Highclere Castle epitomises the confidence and glamour of the Edwardian period in the first few years of the twentieth century. Visitor books from that period and from between the two World Wars record the house parties full of politicians, technological innovators, Egyptologists, aviators and soldiers. During the First World War, Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon, transformed the Castle into a hospital, and patients began to arrive from Flanders in September 1914. After the war the Castle returned to a private home until it briefly became a home for evacuee children from north London during the Second World War.

In 1922 the 5th Earl, together with Howard Carter, discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun and the Castle now boasts an Egyptian Museum where information and displays about Egyptian history and culture sit alongside actual and replica artefacts from the tomb. Highclere Castle has become well known as the set for the home of the Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey, and in each of the rooms that were used photos from the series are displayed to enable visitors to compare them with the context in which they were set.

Our day at Highclere was on a free flow basis, allowing us to visit the various attractions as we wished, and due to the Castle and grounds being closed that day to all but booked tours we had the benefit of it being relatively quiet. All 41 members who took part in the visit had an enjoyable and interesting day, enhanced by the sunshine.

Future Outings

hursday, 14th June 2018  –  Wilton House, nr Salisbury, Wiltshire

 Set in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside and home to the Earls of Pembroke since the 1540s, Wilton House is first and foremost a family home and has been for over 450 years. Since 1544 when the buildings and land were granted by Henry VIII to Sir William Herbert, Wilton House has been inextricably linked to the political and artistic circles of England. The magnificent state rooms at Wilton designed by Inigo Jones include The Single Cube Room and The Double Cube Room the great room of the house. The House also has a world famous art collection by renowned artists such as van Dyck, Pieter Brueghel and Rembrandt. With over 22 acres of parkland and gardens, bordered by the rivers Wylye and Nadder, the Grounds are perfect for visitors to explore. Booking for this visit is now closed.