DESTINATION:

Yorkshire

Our tour to Yorkshire focuses on the West Riding and East Riding areas of this county, the largest county in the United Kingdom. Characterised by the stunning Yorkshire Dales, it features cities shaped by the sheer breadth of its history from the Roman occupation, the Viking invasions through the medieval period, of which the city of York is its jewel, to modern day regeneration. Countless grand houses offer the visitor an insight into the affluence and commercial tenacity of former inhabitants and attest to the significant historical importance of this county.

Recommended duration - 4 nights/5 days

KEY VISITS (Recommended)

YORK MINSTER – retaining the old term ‘Minster’, meaning ‘a centre of Christian teaching or ministering’, this is also the largest medieval cathedral in Britain, containing the Archbishop’s ‘cathedra’ or ‘throne’, and although work began in 1220, this great building took more than 250 years to complete. Its many treasures include 128 stained glass windows, one of the most famous being the Rose Window which commemorates the marriage of Henry VII to Elizabeth of York in 1486.
MERCHANT ADVENTURERS’ HALL – one of the finest medieval guildhalls in Europe, largely unaltered since the 14th century. The ground floor housed the Merchants’ hospice where they cared for the poor and also their private chapel where the religious services were conducted. There are good collections of early portraits, silverware, and other objects used by the Merchants over the centuries when their wealth and influence contributed to make York England’s second city after London.
FAIRFAX HOUSE – one of England’s finest Georgian town houses. The richly decorated interior with its plasterwork, wood and wrought iron is home to a unique collection of Georgian furniture, clocks, paintings and porcelain, described by Christies as one of the finest private collections formed this century.
CASTLE HOWARD – an exuberant 18th century house designed by Vanbrugh and Hawksmoor, a collaboration which resulted in a palace of overwhelming grandeur and classical dignity. A succession of noble rooms radiate from the incomparable centrepiece of the Great Hall, each one abundantly furnished with exceptional collections of antique furniture, porcelain, sculpture and paintings. The extensive gardens and grounds were planned on the same lavish scale as the house, with long avenues, fine parterres, fountains and a classical bridge, as well as the famous Mausoleum and Vanbrugh’s lovely Temple of the Four Winds.
BEVERLEY MINSTER (Beverley) – the largest parish church in the UK, this fine Gothic Minster dates from the 13th century and is dedicated to St John and St Martin. Built in Early English style, the beautiful exterior is carved from local limestone and punctuated with exquisite statuary and detailing. The grand interior includes a Norman nave and a stunning East Window with medieval stained glass. Many architectural styles are represented, with an Anglo-Saxon stone frith stool, Purbeck marble columns, intricate carvings on the High Altar and the 14th century reredos, a 19th century wooden choir screen and Norman font.
BURTON AGNES HALL (Bridlington) – this lovely Tudor house, with its rose-pink and white walls and myriad windows, is the work of Robert Smithson, the architect who created Longleat and Hardwick Hall, and exhibits exquisite examples of Elizabethan craftsmanship. The rooms are filled with treasures, from 18th century lacquer panels to furniture by Chippendale, Kent, Adam and Sheraton, and the house boasts an impressive art gallery with a fine collection of paintings by such artists as Cézanne, Renoir, Gauguin and Utrillo.
FOUNTAINS ABBEY and STUDLEY ROYAL WATER GARDENS (Ripon) – is commonly recognised as one of the most beautiful and historic sites in Europe. This magnificent Cistercian abbey is the largest monastic ruin in Britain whilst the 18th century gardens of Studley Royal are truly spectacular water gardens adorned with temples, follies, statues, tranquil ponds and rushing cascades.
NEWBY HALL (Ripon) – the Yorkshire Home of the Compton family, Newby Hall is a late 17th century house built in the style of Sir Christopher Wren. William Weddell, an ancestor of Mr Compton, made the Grand Tour in the 1760s and amongst the treasures he acquired were magnificent classical statuary and a set of Gobelin tapestries. To house these treasures, Weddell commissioned Robert Adam to create the domed Sculpture Gallery and Tapestry Room that you see today. The Regency dining room and billiard room were added later. The gardens extend over 25 acres and are famous for their double herbaceous borders, flanked by yew hedges, which sweep down to the River Ure.
RIPON CATHEDRAL – a beautiful, ancient church dating back to the 7th century with only the Saxon Crypt surviving of the original building. Today’s church showcases many architectural styles.
HAREWOOD HOUSE (Leeds) – home of the Queen’s cousin, the Earl of Harewood, the house is renowned for its stunning architecture, magnificent Adam interiors, Chippendale furniture, fine porcelain and outstanding art collections including Italian Renaissance masterpieces, Turner watercolours, 18th century portraits and 20th century works.

ALTERNATIVE VISITS

MARKENFIELD HALL (Ripon) – described as one of Yorkshire’s ‘best kept secrets’, it is a beautiful medieval moated farmstead, dating back to the early 14th century. The house was built by Edward II’s chancellor, John of Markenfield, who was a devout catholic, but tragically the family lost their home during the Anti-Protestant Rising of the North. The house was neglected for many years but was taken over by the Grantley family during the 17th century and was finally opened to the public in 2001. It has been altered very little over the years and lovingly restored.
NORTON CONYERS (Ripon) – an intricate timber framed medieval manor, it has remained primarily in the ownership of the Graham family since 1624 and has hosted royal visits by Charles I and James II. Charlotte Bronte visited the house in 1839 and it is thought to be the inspiration for Thornfield Hall (Jane Eyre) due to a legend featuring a mad woman confined in the attic! The house is characterised by Dutch style gables and the interiors offer a good collection of family pictures and fine furniture. The garden was laid out in the mid-18th century and comprises a large walled garden with a central Orangery, ornamental pond and herbaceous borders.
RIPLEY CASTLE (Harrogate) – which is some 700 years old and the ancestral home of the Ingilby family who have been in residence for twenty-six generations. The contents on display have been amassed by the family over the centuries and include armour, books and panelling in addition to china, furnishings, chandeliers and fine paintings.
MERCER ART GALLERY – located within Harrogate’s elegant former Promenade Rooms, which have recently undergone redecoration and refurbishment, the collection consists of some 2000 works, predominantly from the 19th and 20th centuries, including works by William Powell Frith, Atkinson Grimshaw, Sir Edward Burne-Jones, Dame Laura Knight and Alan Davie among others. Both the Main Gallery and the smaller North Gallery also host a diverse exhibition programme exhibiting paintings, photography, sculpture and crafts.
RHS GARDEN HARLOW CARR (Harrogate) – the premier botanical garden in the north of England. The 68-acre grounds are a showcase for northern gardeners with ornamental gardens, a streamside arboretum, woodland and wildflower meadow, and a museum of gardening.
SALTAIRE VILLAGE (UNESCO World Heritage site near Shipley) – a Victorian model village, created by wealthy textile magnate Sir Titus Salt for his workers, including housing, a church, park, shops, hospital, school and library. Within the village is the SALTS MILL, a unique and fascinating centre for contemporary arts comprising galleries, shops and restaurants as part of a huge regeneration project by local entrepreneur, Jonathan Silver. It also houses the 1853 GALLERY, which is devoted to the works of Bradford-born artist, David Hockney. The three galleries totalling 20,000 square feet spread across three floors, house a permanent exhibition of over 300 Hockney works including computer generated and enhanced images.
SLEDMERE HOUSE and GARDENS (Sledmere) – dating back to the mid-18th century and famous for its fine pipe organ and its spectacular plasterwork by Joseph Rose. It also houses a fine collection of Chippendale furniture. The gardens were planned by ‘Capability’ Brown and include glorious open parkland, a walled rose garden and a recently added knot garden-parterre.
YORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARK (Wakefield) – is one of the world’s leading open-air galleries and is set over 500 acres of 18th century parkland belonging to the Bretton Estate. Displayed in the stunning natural setting are sculptures by eminent artists from around the world, including Henry Moore, Antony Gormley, James Turrell, Barbara Hepworth and Andy Goldsworthy.
NOSTELL PRIORY (Wakefield) – this magnificent Palladian house, designed in 1733 by James Paine, took thirty years to complete. Every one of the State Rooms is a masterpiece, with decoration by Robert Adam producing an incomparable sequence of interiors. The third famous contributor to Nostell Priory was Thomas Chippendale, and the house boasts the world’s most comprehensive collection of his work. Fine 18th century tapestries and a superb art collection complement the sumptuous interiors.
THE HEPWORTH (Wakefield) – designed by David Chipperfield Architects, and perfectly sited on the waterfront in the city where Barbara Hepworth was born, the stunning purpose built gallery presents its exhibits on the spacious upper floor to make use of the natural lighting and include over 40 of Hepworth’s works and many important 20th century British pieces.
BRONTE COUNTRY – an area which straddles the West Yorkshire and East Lancashire Pennines in the North of England. A windswept region of heather and wild moors, it was the inspiration for the classic works of the Bronte sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, and includes HAWORTH, a small village not far from Bradford, internationally famous for its connection with the Bronte sisters who were born in Thornton but who wrote most of their famous works while living at the Haworth Parsonage. The parsonage has now been turned into the BRONTE MUSEUM.
BENINGBROUGH HALL AND GARDENS – this 18th century red-brick mansion is located near the village of Beningbrough, overlooking the River Ouse.

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