THE CATHEDRALS OF ENGLAND
Offered in partnership with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Beaufort, North Carolina
and the Reverend Tambria Lee
OCTOBER 2 to 10, 2022
$4200 DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
Single supplement $1310
Tour includes 10 nights accommodation, 10 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 4 dinners, 1 high tea, all trip-related admissions and guides, private chartered bus and gratuities.
Cost does not include airfare, airport transfer or alcoholic beverages.
ACCOMMODATIONS: RATHBONE HOTEL, LONDON; DIGLISS HOTEL, WORCESTER; NORTH HOUSE, ISLE OF WIGHT
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Tour begins at 2:00 p.m.
REGENTS PARK AND ENVIRONS
Our tour begins with a leisurely walking tour with our own resident expert Benjamin Briggs of Preservation Greensboro who will introduce us to the tenets of Romanticism by reviewing late Neoclassicism contrasted with early examples of Italian influences in and around Regents Park
Afternoon High Tea
We’re in England so of course, we must partake of this most charming of customs as fitting end to our first afternoon together
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Three names, one place—’The Houses of Parliament’, ‘Big Ben’ and ‘Westminster’—and as the seat of the nation’s government the palace is certainly worthy of a visit. For us, though, there is also the architecture. Built in 1840, the Palace of Westminster is arguably the most consequential and majestic example of the Perpendicular Gothic Revival style to be found in all of England
Completed in 1852, the museum in both its architecture and its collections embodies the very spirit of the age. It was a time when centuries-old handicraft traditions were still cherished – even as the very air seem to buzz with the machines and industrialization that would replace them. Our tour will focus on decorative arts objects that illustrate pivotal moments in the aesthetic transition from Neoclassicism to Romanticism
PADDINGTON STATION
Iron and Grace. That’s what this iconic station embodies now as it did when it was opened to the public in 1854. All beauty and all power. Who better to explain its newly refurbished Industrial Age magic than our own Benjamin Briggs
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
THE ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS at KEW
Does one ever really need a reason to visit one of the world’s premier botanical gardens? Not really and yet for us, there is an added value. The garden’s two main conservatory structures, the Temperate and the Tropical, are pure Industrial Age poetry. We will spend some time oohing and ahhing over their marvelous structural properties—and still have plenty of time to bask in Kew’s endless botanical glories
Travel to Worcester
From Kew, we’re off to Worcester, a medieval town nestled between the scenic Malvern Hills and the banks of River Severn
After our busy day, we keep it simple: dinner at the hotel—and weather permitting—outside at the river’s edge
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
IRONBRIDGE & COALBROOKDALE MUSEUM OF IRON
Today we head north into Shropshire to the eponymous village of Ironbridge for a charming glimpse of the beginnings of an age. In 1779 the first-ever cast-iron bridge was constructed over the River Severn—still in use today and now considered living evidence of the moment the Industrial Revolution came into being. We also tour the town’s Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron to learn more about ’the material that changed the world’
We break for lunch in Ironbridge at this cheery museum cafe before moving on to our next visit of the day.
Designed by John Nash in 1802, Cronkhill is a superb, early example of the Italianate style which would come to dominate the first half of the 19th century. Cronkhill is important in its own right and is a perfect counterpoint to our upcoming visit to the magnificent Italianate royal residence, Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight
…and for those of us with Greensboro (NC) connections, you will most certainly recognize stylistic evidence of Governor Morehead’s 1844 Italianate Blandwood Museum during our tour of Cronkhill
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
Begun in 1084 and not completed until 1504, Worcester evidences every style of English architecture from its Norman roots to the Perpendicular Gothic style of the early 16th century. It is quite simply not to be missed by anyone who loves buildings—and yet there is a connection to our trip’s 19th-century focus. Before there was a Gothic Revival there had to be the original style. There are few more classic examples of Medieval Gothic to be found than in Worcester Cathedral
In the absence of a visit, it is hard to adequately capture the magic of Seizencote, an early 19th dream of exotic romanticism built in the Neo-Mughal style in 1805. I suggest you click on the above link for a visual taste of all that lies before us on our afternoon visit to the house and gardens. We will be transported to a vision of Shangri-la in the English countryside.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
Sadly, Royal Worcester has now ceased production but Worcester’s long connection to porcelain production is beautifully documented in this fine museum dedicated to all things porcelain—and luckily for us just steps from our hotel
Opening afternoon
A little unscheduled time in a charming English town smack in the middle of an area designated as of ‘outstanding natural beauty’? Suffice it to say, I don’t think any of us will feel at loose ends—and if you do we will be on hand to help
We gather for dinner at this delightful neighborhood gastro-pub.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Travel to the Isle of Wight
We depart Worcester for the drive—and short ferry ride—to the Isle of Wight where we arrive in time for a lunch break and then the beginning of our two days of exploring Osborne House
We are so excited to be able to include Osborne House in this year’s trip. It is a magnificent late example of the Italianate style, designed between 1845 and 1851 by architect Thomas Cubitt as a royal seaside retreat for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The spirit of the age is everywhere in evidence, particularly so in the many aspects that Prince Albert took a hand in personally developing. This afternoon we tour the house before moving on tomorrow morning to tour the gardens
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER, 24
We complete our time at Osborne House with a tour of its extensive gardens along the Solent
Open Afternoon
We again have a little time to explore on our own
‘Cozy wonderful’—surely two of the best descriptors for a seaside supper spot. The Coast is one better—cozy, wonderful and delicious
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Depart the Isle of Wight to return to London via…
THE ROYAL PAVILION at BRIGHTON
The Royal Pavilion makes for the ideal ‘last stop’ along our way. Its architect, John Nash, also designed Cronkhill. It has a direct stylistic connection to Seizencote. And it displays all the magnificence befitting a royal retreat as we will have just seen at Osborne House. We will recognize the threads while we also marvel at its singular beauty
…and then we journey back to London
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
Open day in London
Benjamin and I will be on hand with plenty of suggestions on things to see and do—but it’s London! We have a feeling that you may have some ideas of your own…
Salt Yard is steps from our hotel and pretty fabulous—hard to imagine a better place for our farewell dinner
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Tour ends after breakfast