UNITED KINGDOM
Lincolnshire Halls & Houses June 29 – July 5, 2021 from £1465 per person | with Oliver Gerrish
Lincoln Cathedral
• Enjoy visits to privately-owned houses including Fulbeck Manor and Doddington Hall, which has been in the same family for 400 years • Visit Burghley House in Stamford, a 16th century prodigy house with magnificent late 17th century interiors by Verrio and Laguerre • Cross into Leicestershire to explore Belvoir Castle, Britain’s grandest Regency castle boasting a palatial sequence of state rooms Baroque swagger, grand architectural conceit and Elizabethan complexity: all are waiting to be discovered in what is sometimes characterised as the ‘lost county’ of England. Although it is now one of England’s most sparsely populated areas, Lincolnshire was one of the most populous of the medieval counties of England, home to great monastic foundations and vast aristocratic castles. Its history is rich, and its grand houses are more than a match for any elsewhere in the country. The 16th and early 17th centuries are represented by the late Elizabethan Doddington Hall, in all probability designed by members of the Smythson family. Burghley House, ‘one of the largest and grandest houses of the first Elizabethan Age’, is also home to one of the largest privately owned collections of Italian Old Master paintings. From the Restoration we have Gunby Hall, with fine furnishings and impressive 54
formal gardens. The 18th century is represented by Grimsthorpe Castle, where the north front was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and the great hall represents the summit of the architect’s achievements. The 19th century castle at Belvoir is the fourth castle to be built on that spot, and contains a wealth of paintings, sculptures and furnishings. A recent restoration programme has seen once lost plans for the garden designed by Capability Brown brought to life. From the medieval foundations of Grimsthorpe to the Elizabethan splendour of Burghley’s extravagant skyline, and from the charm of Doddington’s Jacobean cupolas to the domestic comfort that is Gunby, Lincolnshire has something for all tastes. We will stay at the three-star Lincoln Hotel, set in the very heart of uphill Lincoln, with the best views of the cathedral to be found in the city.
FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness is required for this tour as it involves a moderate amount of walking, including over very uneven ground and potentially slippery surfaces. Please note that historical buildings do not always have lifts, so participants must be comfortable with navigating stairs, often without handrails. Some visits can be adjusted to avoid longer walks, but participants may miss elements of the visits. Our itinerary includes a significant amount of coach travel.
This tour will be led by Oliver Gerrish, MSt, an architectural historian who studied at the University of Cambridge. Oliver is a trustee of the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust and founded their Architectural Awards, and is the former Chairman of The Young Georgians, the youth chapter of The Georgian Group. Oliver has written for Country Life, has appeared in a number of BBC and ITV television series on architecture, and has organised and led numerous tours to many of Britain’s historical buildings. He looks forward to returning to Lincolnshire with an ACE group in 2021.
Please note that the itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change. Due to the special nature of the visits, some may be confirmed nearer the time.
Day 1 Tour assembles 1400 at the Lincoln Hotel, Lincoln, for six nights. Afternoon: Lincoln Cathedral. Evening introductory lecture. Day 2 Morning: Gentlemen’s Society of Spalding (founded in 1710, library and museum with varied collections). Afternoon: Grimsthorpe Castle and park. Day 3 Morning: Brocklesby Park (exterior with possibility of seeing the mausoleum designed by James Wyatt – subject to restoration works) and Thornton Abbey Gatehouse. Afternoon: Stow Church (mother church of the diocese before the cathedral). Free evening. Day 4 Morning: Doddington Hall (Elizabethan manor house) and gardens. Afternoon: Gainsborough Old Hall (one of the best preserved medieval manor houses in England). Optional Evensong at Lincoln Cathedral followed by free evening. Day 5 Morning: Belvoir Castle (fine example of Regency architecture with exquisite interiors and important collection of Old Masters). Afternoon: Gunby Hall (described by Tennyson as a ‘Haunt of Ancient Peace’) and gardens. Day 6 Morning: Burghley House and Gardens. Afternoon: walking tour of historical Stamford with tea at The George Hotel. Day 7 Morning lecture followed by visit to Fulbeck Manor (Elizabethan manor containing family portraits spanning 400 years). Tour disperses c 1315 at Lincoln Station followed by c 1330 at the hotel.
Cost of £1465 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, five lunches, four dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £180. TOUR CODE: LINC21
aceculturaltours.co.uk
