Visit to Oxburgh Hall. 20th June 2024

The day was neither too hot or too cold and indeed the sun shone for a fair amount of the time. Despite its fortified appearance the hall was built as a family home and completed in 1482 for Sir Edmund Bedingfield. The Bedingfield family have lived here ever since, surviving civil war, times of near dereliction and in the 20th century, the threat of demolition.The family chapel was being prepared for a family wedding on our visit. The family are Catholic and this has strongly shaped their fortunes along with a strong connection to the royal family. When Henry VIII became king their faith had serious consequences. Their support of Queen Mary 1 in her claim to the throne brought unprecedented fame and fortune. When Henry VIII became king their fortunes changed dramatically - their Catholic faith was outlawed and their refusal to become Protestant cost them both financially and politically. The Bedingfields had a secret chapel and a priest hole where they could hide a catholic priest and did so at great danger to both him and themselves.

There were plenty of volunteers in the house to answer our questions. A portrait of Charles ll’s children had recently come to light and featured in the BBC series on the National Trust. There were also many of Mary Queen of Scots' embroideries, which she completed whilst imprisoned by Elizabeth. Not quite sure how the Bedingfields got hold of them but they were fascinating. We were intrigued by one of a vine being severed with a knife which was said to have been symbolic of Mary’s wish that, as Elizabeth was without issue, she should move aside for Mary and her son James, which indeed did eventually happen. One can imagine this did not make her terribly popular with the Queen. We went on a wonderful garden tour which, in truth, may have looked unpromising but came to life when explained by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. We also visited an orchard of fruit trees, indigenous to Norfolk. The moat was home to several families of swans protected by law, although most of the current cygnets have been gobbled up by a voracious and large pike! The grounds were pleasant for walking in and the restaurant was situated outside in the courtyard. A happy and successful visit and many thanks to Margaret Fife for organising it.

Ickworth House was built as an 18th-century palace to showcase the many treasures and art collected by the Earl Bishop, who survived two older brothers to unexpectedly inherit the Estate in 1779. You can explore to uncover unique treasures, art and the stories of this extraordinary family and their staff.

In 2019-20, Ickworth’s biggest ever roof conservation project was undertaken to protect the grand Rotunda and all of its treasures. With the roof wrapped in 270 miles of scaffold, 2,500 objects moved in the house and 30,000 slates replaced, it was a huge undertaking. When you visit, take time to marvel at the new roof in all its glory.

An Italianate garden encircles the Rotunda; a mix of classical Italy and a touch of drama with a gothic-style stumpery.

The cost for this trip  is just £22 per person for the coach hire.  Entry to Ickworth Hall is at no charge to current members of the National Trust, on presentation of current NT membership cards.  If you are not NT member/s please enclose a separate cheque to cover the admission charge of £12 per person, made out to  The National Trust, for entry to all areas.

Download a booking form by CLICKING HERE

THIS VISIT HAS BEEN CANCELLED AND REFUNDS ARE BEING MADE TO MEMBERS,  TO COMPLY WITH CORONAVIRUS  SAFEGUARDS.

THIS VISIT HAS BEEN CANCELLED AND REFUNDS ARE BEING MADE TO MEMBERS,  TO COMPLY WITH CORONAVIRUS  SAFEGUARDS.

Our Visits Team have decided to make the Christmas time trip to Cambridge this year.    There are so many different cultural opportunities, and most of them are reasonably close together, plus Kettles Yard is open again!……….AND/OR  you can enjoy the  Cambridge shops, perhaps some Christmas Shopping?

COST £20.00 per person.  Booking forms have been sent out to all members.  You can download a form by clicking here

A list of all the possible places to visit will be given to everyone on the bus as well as a  map showing all points of interest.

There will be four free exhibitions in the Fitzwilliam Museum: -

(1) Rembrandts etchings of the nude, (2) The Art of Food In Europe  1500 to 1800,  (3) Seeing Sound:- Music, imagery and imagination,  (4) Fans Unfolded, conserving the Lennox-Boyd collection of decorative fans.

Belle’s coach will leave Aldeburgh Church car park at  8.30 a.m.,

picking up at Wickham Market at 8.45 a.m..

We shall leave from Queens Road,  Cambridge at 4.00 p.m.. 

Our visit will take in the Jacobean style house, with its many and varied treasures and the extensive, renown     gardens of over one hundred acres.  Also  included will be a tour of the working Lode Mill.  Visit cost £20 per person.

National Trust members can enter at no cost, but non-members will have to pay a  reduced group charge of £13.40 entry (instead of the normal £15.00).  To assist  entrance non-members of the National Trust are asked to supply a second cheque, made out to The National Trust, for their entry fee/s.  This will speed  everyone’s entry on  arrival.

Facilities at Anglesey Abbey include a self-service restaurant offering light refreshments with hot or cold drinks.  There is a well stocked gift shop, a plant centre and a second hand book shop.

The coach will leave Aldeburgh Church car park at 08.30 a.m., calling at Wickham Market at 9.00  a.m..

THIS HAS BEEN SO WELL SUPPORTED WE HAVE PUT ON A LARGER COACH

We shall leave Anglesey Abbey at 4.00 p.m. for the return home.

CLICK HERE FOR A BOOKING FORM

A change this year!  We shall take a Christmas trip to Norwich, first to The Sainsbury Centre to view the extensive permanent art exhibition on December 6th.  Coffee on arrival will be included in the price. 

COST £22.00 per person

Then the coach will take us into the city, dropping us near the John Lewis department store, for us to spend the rest of the day at our choosing.  Perhaps visit near by Norwich Castle, (entry £3.75) which gives entry to three exhibitions:  1) Magritte The Lost Painting, 2) the 19th century watercolourist John Sell Cotman exhibition, or 3)  Armistice: Legacy of the Great War in Norfolk.  Walk a little further  to enjoy the splendours of Norwich Cathedral, or simply  search for Christmas gifts?

Coach leaves Wickham Market first for Norwich at 8.30 a.m., then collects from Aldeburgh Church car park at 9.00 a.m.

We shall leave Norwich to return home at 4.00 p.m..

You can download a booking form by clicking here

This visit has been arranged for two days after Peter Garibaldi’s lecture on the centre and its contents.

On arrival there will be an opportunity for tea or coffee in the Tack Room, followed by an introductory talk.  Members can then explore the museum and other opportunities at their own pace. Audio guides will be available.

Lunch can be purchased in the Tack Room (Order on arrival) or picnic in The Rose garden or explore the readily accessible High Street of Newmarket, with its eateries.

The Cost  of £29.00 per person includes the £11.00 entrance to the centre

The coach will leave Aldeburgh at  8.15 a.m., picking up at Wickham Market at 8.35 a.m..

We should arrive at the Centre at approximately 10.45 am

We shall leave Newmarket at 4.00 p.m.  and expect to arrive back in Aldeburgh at 5.30 p.m.

Hilary Cramp is organising this event, for a booking form:  CLICK HERE

The Royal Fabergé exhibition explores the extraordinary production and glittering saga of Fabergé, the leading artist-jewellers during the decades preceding the First World War. A highlight will be the Sandringham animals illustrating the naturalistic genius of Fabergé which so appealed to Royal tastes both in Britain and in Russia.  The visit cost includes the entrance fee to this prestigious exhibition.

The cost of the trip is £32.50 per person, which includes coffee or tea and biscuits on arrival at the Sainsbury Centre,  paid entrance to the exhibition, and a guided tour.

We intend leaving the Sainsbury Centre around 12.30 p.m. to be taken into central Norwich, where you will have ‘free time’ until collection by the coach at  4.00 p.m for the return journey home.

The coach will leave Wickham Market at 8.30 a.m.

The coach will leave Aldeburgh at 9.00 a.m.

The coach will leave Norwich at 4.00 p.m.

 THIS VISIT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED, BUT A WAITING LIST FOR CANCELLED PLACES IS OPEN

Following on from the success of last year’s pre-Christmas visit to Cambridge our Visits Team have decided to repeat the exercise. There are two excellent exhibitions in the Fitzwilliam Museum, ‘Degas: A Passion for Perfection’ shows a remarkable range of Degas lifetime work. The second is ‘Sampled Lives’ an exhibition of samplers from the Fitzwilliam collection. In addition there are two other displays, one linked to Degas interest in caricature and the other drypoint print portraits by his friend and fellow artist, Marcellin Desboutin. All the exhibitions are ‘free entry’, and booking is not required.
Alternatively there are many other attractions in Cambridge, and you plan your own day!

Cost £18.50.00 per person
The coach will leave Aldeburgh at 9.00 a.m.,
picking up at Wickham Market at 9.15 a.m..
We shall leave Cambridge at 5.00 p.m..

CLICK HERE FOR A BOOKING FORM

Hatfield House is the home of the 7th Marquess and Marchioness of Salisbury and their family. The Estate has been in the Cecil family for 400 years. Superb examples of Jacobean craftsmanship can be seen throughout the House, with State Rooms rich in paintings, fine furniture and tapestries.  Displayed throughout the House are many historic mementos collected over the centuries by the Cecils, one of England's foremost political families.      

 More information on this visit will be issued at a later date.      

Image source and information from Hatfield House  website

On the edge of Hampstead Heath surrounded by tranquil landscaped gardens, Kenwood is one of London's hidden gems. The breathtaking interiors and stunning world-class art collection are free for everyone to enjoy. With  a café to relax in and acres of grounds to stretch your legs, there are treats in store for every visitor. 

More information on this visit will be issued at a later date.

Image source and information from English Heritage website

Number One, London, also known as Aspley House, is the townhouse of the Dukes of Wellington. It stands alone at Hyde Park Corner, on the south-east corner of Hyde Park  referred to as the Wellington Museum. The house is now run by English Heritage and is open to the public as a museum and art gallery, exhibiting 83 paintings from the Spanish royal collection. The 9th Duke of   Wellington retains the use of part of the buildings. It is perhaps the only preserved example of an English aristocratic town house from its period, as far as possible in the  original style and decor.  

Unfortunately this event has had to be cancelled due to lack of support.  Full refunds will be made.

Image source wikimedia.org/w/index.php?id=578856

On Thursday, March 23rd, join us on our Belle's coach to experience the decade of decadence at Eltham Palace as you are transported back to the 1930s. Created for millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld, Eltham Palace is part showpiece of Art Deco design and 1930s cutting-edge technology, and part medieval royal palace. Now under the care of English Heritage.                                                                        

Cost £37 per  person, which includes the cost of admission and an excellent guided tour.  Leaving Aldeburgh at 9.00 am with a second pick up at Wickham Market at 9.15 am.  The coach will leave Eltham Palace at 4.30 pm.

This visit now completed, and was a great success

Following on from the success of last years pre-Christmas visit to Cambridge our Visits Team have decided to repeat the exercise.    There are so many different cultural              opportunities, and most of them are reasonably close together……….AND/OR  you can    enjoy the Cambridge shops, perhaps some Christmas Shopping?

A list of all the possible places to visit will be given to everyone on the bus as well as a  map showing all points of interest.

Cost  £18.00 per person

The coach will leave Aldeburgh at  9.00 a.m.,

picking up at Wickham Market at 9.15 a.m..

We shall leave Cambridge at 5.00 p.m.. 

CLICK HERE FOR A BOOKING FORM

One of England’s finest country houses built by Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk and Lord High Treasurer of England under James 1st.  There is much to see, including ornate plasterwork ceilings, a Robert Adam suite and the 17th Century Great Hall with its carved oak screen.

The house is set in landscape designed by Capability Brown that features  a Palladian bridge by Robert  Adam.  There is also a strong Victorian garden influence in the Pond Garden and The Rockery.  There will be guided tours in two groups of the Victorian Kitchen  Garden after lunch, at 2.00 pm and 3.00 pm.

The cost of £35 per person includes coach travel, refreshments on arrival, entrance to the house and Kitchen Garden tours.  Lunch facilities are available, but lunch is not included in the cost.

 The house will be featured on The Antiques Road Show on May 26th

The coach will leave Aldeburgh at  9.00 a.m., picking up at Wickham Market at 9.15 a.m..

We shall leave Audley End at 4.30 p.m.  and expect to arrive back in Aldeburgh at 6.30 p.m.

CLICK HERE FOR BOOKING FORM

We have organised a rather special garden tour in groups of 20 at Beth Chatto’s.  Lunch facilities are available, but food  and refreshments  are not included in the ticket cost.  After lunch we shall visit ‘First Site’ Gallery in Colchester, where guided tours are arranged around the important Andy Warhol exhibition on show there.  This is instead of the original intention to visit ‘Paycockes’ house at Coggeshall,  which proved to be too difficult to arrange.

Full facilities are available at both sites.

Cost  £30.00 per person

The coach will leave Aldeburgh at  8.30 a.m., picking up at Wickham Market at 8.50 a.m..

We shall leave Colchester at 4.00 p.m. and expect to arrive back in Aldeburgh at 5.15  p.m..

CLICK HERE FOR BOOKING FORM

From the execution of Charles I to The Glorious Revolution.

Using the voice and personality of Samuel Pepys, the exhibition explores the period from 1649 to 1688.  The great fire of London, the plague,   revolution, lust, this was a most formative era.  It saw the development of Britain’s place as a maritime, economic and political force on the world stage.

The visit to this complex of buildings set in grounds designed by Capability Brown will allow you time to also see the permanent collection, with an afternoon visit to The Painted Hall  and then The Chapel.  Morning refreshments and afternoon tea are included in the day’s cost of £40 per person.    Leaving Aldeburgh at 7.30 a.m.

CLICK HERE FOR A BOOKING FORM

Image by courtesy of Geenwich Maritime Museum

Our visits team have a new idea, a visit to Cambridge, but they will let you decide what you would like to  see.  There are so many different opportunities, and most of them are reasonably close together.  The Botanic Gardens  at 1 Brookside is well worth a visit, but is a longer walk to the site (open from 10.00 to 4.00, cost £5).   The wonderful Fitzwilliam Museum in  Trumpington Street is within very easy access and always has a wide range of exhibitions. Political caricature features in one display include drawings by Gillray, another exhibition features Ronald Searle’s work (see their website for details).  Kettles Yard  art gallery and house is closed for two years for alterations, but several of the pieces of art from there are also exhibited in a  separate room at The Fitzwilliam Museum.  (10.00 to 5.00, admission free).  Close by, at 2/3 Castle Street, is the Museum of Cambridge, which displays the city’s vibrant  history in nine themed rooms. (10.30 to 5.00 , admission £4)

How about the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, part way down Downing Street, which shows 2 million years of human history and a million artefacts? (10.30 to 4.30—admission free)  Further along Downing street is The Sedgewick    Museum of Earth Sciences, the geology museum of the University of Cambridge, this Museum expands the time zone of displays to 4 billion years. (10.00 to 1.00 , then 2.00 to 5.00, admission free)

In Kings College Chapel there will be a workshop at 2.00 when Youth Choirs will work on winning carols from the ‘Carols for Christmas’ competition.  This is open to the public, entry fee is £7.  (Full details on Kings College Chapel website.)

Cost  £14.50 per person

The coach will leave Aldeburgh at  8.30 a.m., picking up at Wickham Market at 8.45 a.m..

We shall leave Cambridge at 5.00 p.m.. 

Booking forms have been posted to all members, or click HERE.  

To complement the October lecture, "Facing up to Goya",  a visit has been arranged to "Goya: The Portraits", one of Spain's most celebrated artists, considered as a supremely gifted painter. The aim of this exhibition is to reappraise Goya's status as one of the greatest portrait painters in art history. His innovative and unconventional approach took the art of  portraiture to new heights through his ability to reveal the inner life of his sitters, even in the grandest formal portraits. Many paintings are being shown for the first time in this country , having been lent from private collections and galleries.

This exhibition is anticipated to be one of the most popular this year, and will be a ‘sell-out’.

The cost of the visit is £34 .00, for executive coach travel (toilet facilities on board) and entry to the exhibition . There are cafés at the National Gallery,  the Portrait Gallery (next door) and St Martin's In -the - Fields (opposite),  and there will be time for lunch on arrival.  The visit will split into two groups, the first will enter at 2.00 pm, the   second at 2.30 pm.   We will leave London by 4.30 pm.

MORNING PICK UP POINTS

The coach will leave Aldeburgh Church at 9.00 am and Wickham Market at 9.20 am.

THIS VISIT IS NOW FULLY BOOKED

These  gardens  in May are likely to be really lovely, and we are booked in for a morning tour lasting 90 minutes.

There are ample facilities for refreshments and lunch on site.

On the way home we  shall visit First Site’s controversial and architecturally stunning new Contemporary Arts Centre in Colchester.

The ESDFAS cost for the day is £32.00, but RHS members may deduct £8.00 from the cost.  RHS  members are also entitled to free entry for one guest.

00 a.m..  We should be back in Aldeburgh by 6.00 p.m..

The image of Hyde Hall Garden shown is from www.essexgardenstrust.org.uk

This major exhibition explores the influence and legacy of one of the most important and controversial artists of modern times, the French artist Edouard Manet (1832-1883). Focusing on the period from 1860 to circa 1914, the exhibition comprises  approximately 40 works including oils, prints and drawings on loan from national, regional and private collections. Manet's stunning Portrait of Mademoiselle Claus, painted in 1868, (image left) is the undisputed star of the show and is shown alongside selected works by fellow artists and supporters such as Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, Walter Sickert and Philip Wilson Steer. "Homage to Manet" is an intelligent, thought-provoking, as well as visually stunning exhibition, which succinctly summarises Manet's considerable influence on the artistic milieu of the time and shows him to be a keystone in the development of modern art in Britain.

The charge for the visit is £33.00, which includes entrance to Norwich Castle Museum, a guided tour of the Manet exhibition, and allows you to explore the rest of the Museum.  There will be free time in the City centre, with plenty of places for lunch (cost not included) but eat lightly as the trip charge includes the cost of afternoon tea, at the Waveney House Hotel in  Beccles, on the way home.

The cost for the Cambridge visit, to cover travel, entry to Kings College Chapel and guides to the exhibitions is £30 per person. There will be ample time for people to make their own lunch arrangements. The coach will leave Aldeburgh Church car park at 9.00 am and also pick up at Wickham Market Square at 9.15 am. There will be no other collection points for this trip. We will leave the Fitzwilliam Museum at 3.45 pm, and arrive back in Aldeburgh around 6.00 pm. Contact for the trip is Jill Brown, phone 01728 453427.

The Lowestoft Museum houses a fascinating collection of 18th Century Lowestoft porcelain unique to this area and dating from a period when tea and coffee drinking was becoming a popular and growing activity. We will arrive at 10.30 and expect to spend an hour and a half at the museum. We will be divided into 2 groups and be given a 45 minute tour of the porcelain collection. There is also the opportunity to bring along pieces of Lowestoft porcelain to be identified. From here we travel west to the Duke’s Head Pub in the village of Somerleyton for a two course lunch. (menus choices below) before heading on to Somerleyton Hall an extravagant result of an early Victorian reworking of the impressive 17th century Jacobean manor built by Sir John Wentworth in 1610. The home of the Crossley family for six generations. We will be given a private tour of the Hall and a chance to visit the gardens before afternoon tea in the garden restaurant.

The cost of the visit is £49, which includes a 2 course lunch at the pub and afternoon tea of sandwiches and scones with jam at the Hall. Menu options will be sent to enquirers.

The cost of the visit is £42 and this includes the light lunch. The Coach will leave Leiston (Nunns car park) at 9.15am, Aldeburgh Church at 9.25am, Aldeburgh Tourist office at 9.30 am and Wickham Market at 10.00 am. We will leave at aproximately 3.30pm and hope to arrive back in Aldeburgh at about 5.30pm. Full details and booking forms was included in the January 2014 issue of the ESDFAS newsletter 'Forum'.

This visit is now arranged and full details, plus booking arrangements, will be shown in the January 2014 issue of our newsletter 'Forum'. Our visit organiser, Beverley Hough, has advised that 'a musical interlude' will be included, a short concert by The New London Orchestra. The image above shows 'The Foundling Returned to its Mother' by Emma Brownlow (1858), from The Foundling Museum's website: www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk

A past Committee member contacted us re this one-off exhibition at the London Museum until 27th April 2014. We all felt this was too good an opportunity to miss, so the visit team have gone ahead and arranged it. It does mean that we will have two consecutive visits to London, but they thought it will be worth it. Booking forms and full details were sent out with the January 2014 issue of our newsletter 'Forum'.

The image above of the renovated theatre is taken from Arup's website, the theatre consultants used for the work.

A last-minute opportunity arose for us to visit this outstanding exhibition. This is on a Wednesday, the coach is booked. Coffee will be served on arrival and Ian Collins, the Curator of the exhibition will come and tell us about his work in collating the exhibition. We will then have guided tours of 15 people each lasting approximately 1 hour. Lunch is an option at £12.50 for a 2 course lunch, otherwise there is food available at the Modern Life café. The cost without lunch is £28.

The Parker Library situated within Corpus Christi College contains an extraordinary collection of documents ranging from the 6th century to the Reformation, including some magnificent illuminated manuscripts. In order to get close to the manuscripts the visiting group is restricted to a maximum of 30 which will be divided into 2 groups of 15. Whilst the first group is visiting the library the second group will be given a 45 minute guided tour of the city, after this the groups will swap over. We will arrive in Cambridge at approximately 10.15am. The coach will drop us off in Queens Road, there is a short walk of approx 15 minutes to the college and time for a quick convenience stop, or a coffee at one of the many cafes/ tearooms, before the visit starts at 11am and lasts approximately one and a half hours. After this there is time to enjoy lunch, visit other museums or shop until 4.pm. Cost of the visit is £28 to the Parker Library and £17 for the coach only. Lunch and other refreshments are not included. There is quite a lot of walking involved so do wear comfortable shoes.

A special exhibition is being held of about 60 old master paintings from the once celebrated collection of Sir Robert Walpole, Britain's first prime minister, the bulk of which was sold to Catherine the Great of Russia in 1779. To this day it remains one of the greatest treasures of the Heritage Museum in St Petersburg. These paintings have now been brought back to their original home, Houghton Hall, on a temporary basis. We will be able to see the paintings, the house and then explore the collection of tin soldiers and beautiful gardens at leisure. Guided tours are unavailable but there are knowledgeable room guides. The cost will be £35 per person. Refreshments will be available all day including hot & cold food, snacks, afternoon tea etc. There is also an uncovered picnic area. Please note food or drinks are not included in the price. This visit is extremely popular and we are now running a second coach to include as many people as possible. Please note both coaches will leave and return at the same time.

Margaret Fife, Visits Secretary

Beverley Hough, Visits Secretary

Margaret Fife, Visits Secretary