8 days Original tour postponed due to Coronavirus situation
*Tour group organisers recently named Best Group Tour Operator at the Group Leisure & Travel Awards* 2021 - Final dates to be announced

Sicily including Taormina, Noto & Etna - NB This tour was postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic. There be spaces available for the trip which is now taking place on a date to be finalised in March 2023.

This wonderful tour to Sicily has been specially crafted for Honiton Arts Society with a tailor-made itinerary that shows off the huge historic, scenic and cultural diversity of some of the Mediterranean’s largest island’s most appealing sights on its Eastern coast. From Roman remains, towering volcanoes, Baroque architecture and stunning coastal scenery, this tour offers a wonderful variety of pleasures, all explored in the company of local resident and Travel Editions’ tour manager for more than 15 years, Tullio Scurria.

Please contact Liz Gray for further details.

The company organising the trip have recently been awarded Best Group Tour Operator at the Group Leisure & Travel Awards 2021. Please click here for further details.

 

Liz has arranged a trip to Tiverton Castle, please click for more details

Liz Gray has been able to arrange a special opening of this marvellous garden for members and guests of The Arts Society Honiton. Please click for link to the garden’s website.

Liz has arranged a coach and entrance and an excellent tea for £27 for members and £30 for their guests.

Cash or cheque payable to - The Arts Society Honiton

Coach pick up.   1pm - Tesco Bus stop - (walk to the front of the store and turn RIGHT  to the very end of the store and you will then see a Bus Stop Shelter Leave Honiton 1pm at Tesco car park, Honiton. Likely return at around 5pm.

liz2003gray@yahoo.co.uk   or   07803 637919

The Arts Society Honiton - Wednesday 8th September 2021

Visits to Blackmore Farm Cannington Bridgwater TA5 2NE

Blackmore Farm is mentioned in the Domesday Survey of AD 1085.  It was spelt in the Domesday, “Blachamore”.  The Domesday reading is as follows, “Anschitil holds of Roger de Corcelle, Blachamore.  Aluric held it in the time of King Edward (the Confessor, the last of the Saxon Kings) and paid a geld (a tax) for 1 virgate of land.  The whole was and is worth eight shillings.

This indicates an estate of between one and two hundred acres.  The ‘virgate’ was a variable measure of land. To this manor has been added one acre.  Not a great deal of it was arable.  There were two cottages.  Parage was usually a marriage settlement so the extra acre was a marriage settlement and was worked by a thegne in those days.  It is not known who had the Manor after Roger de Corcelle, who had great holdings of land in Somerset after the Norman Conquest but by the 14C it was owned by the Tresseleven family.  The name is mysterious and is not otherwise known and may be possibly be a transposing of the name Trevellion, or Trevelyan.

In the second half of the 15th Century the manor was in the hands of the Tremayle family and no doubt they built the present manor house.

This family came from Sidbury Devon and had been settled there from an earlier period.  One of them married Margaret, daughter and co-heiress with her sister Joan, who was the wife of Roger Pym of Brymore, Cannington, of John Trivet of Sidbury.  These Trivets were part of the family famous for the building of the first great stone bridge there.  They also had lands in Cannington and the name survives in Chilton Trivet Farm at the other end of Blackmore Lane.   By this marriage of Roger Tremaye, Justice of the Peace and Margaret Trivet, SAND,  Sidbury Devon – which is curiously similar to Blackmore.  From Sand he built the house in doing so copied the house he had left.  Somewhere about 1600 the Manor seems to have turned to use purely as a farm but remained in the same family so far as ownership goes.  It passed to the Tyntes through the marriage of Jane, only child of Hugh Halswell to John Tynte.  By this marriage there was only one son Sir Halswell Tynte who succeeded to the estate his mother brought to him in 1672.  He became a Baronet the following year.  Unfortunately the historical thread at this point is lost for almost 300 years.  Blackmore Farm has seen many changes throughout its long history and is now run as a dairy farm by the Dyer family who bought it in 1952.

 To down load this information and the application form below, click here.

Max 25 people - £40 per person, non-members £42 -  liz2003gray@yahoo.co.uk

Cheque made payable to ‘The Arts Society Honiton’ or cash to

Elizabeth Gray 37 Glanvill Way Honiton EX14 2GD -  0780 3637919

To include coach fare, coffee on arrival, buffet lunch and guided tour of the house by the owner

PICK UP  9.15am Tesco roundabout Battishorne Way EX14 2XD

Parking Tesco Car Park – far end of the car park - away from the store please

Please bring an envelope (with your name on the front), with a list of your medications you are currently taking and next of kin details.

This will only be opened in an emergency

Cancellation Policy – there will be no refund of fees unless a replacement participant can be found. Only exception will be for SERIOUS illness

Disclaimer: Participants are expected to take reasonable care during visits.  Neither

The Arts Society Honiton nor its officers accept liability for accident.

Please bring a mask with you – just in case it is needed but hopefully by September it will not be necessary to wear one. 

PLEASE KEEP TOP HALF FOR YOU INFORMATION …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Blackmore Farm visit 8 September 2021 –

Please return this section to Liz with your payment

PLEASE PRINT Name…………………………………………………...................................................

Address………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Phone/mobile no – will only be used if a problem on the day.

E:mail…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 

Phone…………………………………….Car Registration...........................................

Please park at the far end of Tesco Car Park -  - (away from the Store entrance

.

St John’s School – Sampson Chapel – Sidmouth   

Saturday 19th June 10.00am 

This delightful chapel designed by R W Sampson LRIBA (1866 – 1950) a British architect and artist responsible for practically the whole of the architectural layout of early 20th century Sidmouth. 

 At the start of the 20th century Col J E H Balfour, together with his solicitor W H Hastings and architect R W Sampson was instrumental in changing the face of Sidmouth.  Sampson arrived in Sidmouth 1891, and for over 40 years his architectural output was prolific.  He quickly established his own practice, working on both residential and commercial projects, large and small.  His buildings have a solidity about them. 

There is also a very interesting organ in the Chapel and hopefully we will be able to hear it played and to learn about its extraordinary situation. 

We will meet in the Chapel and also walk around the outside of the school and gardens so please wear ‘flat’ shoes.   

Max 30 people - £4 including coffee and the school’s celebrated cake!!

Please contact me by email/phone to book a place and bring CASH on the day in a sealed envelope with name/s on the outside. 

Non-members welcome  

Please bring a mask to wear 

liz2003gray@yahoo.co.uk                                         0780 3637919 

Please meet in the car park of St John’s School,

Broadway, Sidmouth, EX10 8RG

Mike Rowland, Wheelwrights & Coach Builder started the business in 1964 after serving an apprenticeship.  He is a yeoman with the Worshipful Company of wheelwrights, and was also made a Master Wheelwright in 2016 and has half a century of experience in the trade.

Greg Rowland is Mike’s son, and is the current Royal Warrant Grantee for the business.  He has been in the trade since 1991, serving an informal apprenticeship with Mike after leaving the armed forces.  He is a liveryman with the Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights and was made a Master Wheelwright in 2014.  They are currently the only father and son master wheelwrights in the world!!

George Richards is a Journeyman Wheelwright after finishing his 3 year apprenticeship.  He has travelled to America to further his skills and has also represented apprentices nationally at the House of Commons.

With over 80 years experience in the trade between them, working from their purpose built workshops they are well prepared to restore any kind of wooden wheel.  They have also made or restored countless horse drawn vehicles and can offer a complete restoration or repair service for any vehicle.  They are specialist military wheel and cannon restorers and have restored many wooden gun carriages to their former glory.  So much to see with work in progress   

Meet: 1 Wheelers Yard Colyton EX24 6DT.

Parking on village green opposite Wheeler’s Yard

Please note there are no refreshments included but if you would like to join me for lunch at 12noon at Bovey Downs Farm – Farway EX24 6JD

A scenic countryside retreat in the heart of East Devon       www.boveysdownfarm.co.uk – I will need to notify them of numbers for lunch     

£5 members/£6 non-members – This is going to the Grace Kelly Ladybird Trust which aims to provide grants and funding for research into childhood cancer.                                                                      

Cheque made payable to The Arts Society Honiton or cash to

Elizabeth Gray 37 Glanvill Way Honiton EX14 2GD -  0780 3637919

Please bring an envelope,(with your name on the front), with a list of your medications you are currently taking and next of kin details.

This will only be opened in an emergency

Cancellation Policy – there will be no refund of fees unless a replacement participant can be found. Only exception will be for SERIOUS illness

Disclaimer: Participants are expected to take reasonable care during visits. 

Neither Honiton DFAS nor its officers accept liability for accident. 

PLEASE KEEP TOP HALF FOR YOURINFORMATION……………………………………………………

E:mail PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY………………………………………………………………………………… 

Phone…………………………………………………...Name.............................................................

Lunch   Yes/No   Bovey Down Farm – see above

Winsford Cottage Hospital, Hallwill Junction Devon – designed by the pioneering Arts & Crafts architect Charles F A Voysey, listed Grade 11* www.voyseysociety.org The hospital was endowed by a very rich Victorian society lady, Mrs Maria Webb-Medley who owned Winsford Tower, the only Charles Voysey home in Devon.  The hospital was built in memory of her husband, who made his money on the London Stock Exchange and given as a gift for the local community.  

The hospital opened in 1900.  The running costs were met from a £17,000 endowment from Mrs Webb-Medley, and anybody within 14 local parishes were treated there at nominal cost.  1915 the hospital was requisitioned by the Red Cross, and for the next three years treated mainly war-wounded from Flanders.  After that it reverted to the Trust and continued to operate until the NHS absorbed it in 1947, mostly using it as a maternity home.  In the late 1990s the old League for Friends fought to save the hospital from closure.  Despite the assistance of 2 MP’s and a great groundswell of public support, the campaign was not successful and the hospital closed in 1998, having served the local community for nearly 100 years.  It has now been acquired by The Landmark Trust who have recently renovated it and part of it will now be used for holiday accommodation and part will still be used by and for the local community.

Winsford Walled Gardens – http://www.winsfordwalledgarden.org.uk - all that remains  of Mrs Webb-Medley’s former home, Winsford Tower Estate 1880s, surrounded by 14’ walls, the actual Tower was demolished 1960s.   Abandoned during WW11 and restored in the early 20C.   A pair of 19C greenhouses built of teak still survive.  The garden has been redesigned and brimming with colour.  Now the home of Dugald Stark, a leading traditional English oil painter of landscapes and seascapes.  He has exhibited his paintings widely throughout the South West with many one man shows to his name as well as exhibiting at the Royal Academy and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters.  Dugald’s canvases all portray that magic moment of inspiration.  Tea and biscuits included.  Please note: short walk from coach to both events some of the ground may be uneven at both venues – please wear ‘’sensible’ shoes!

PICK UP  8.30am Tesco roundabout Battishorne Way EX14 2XD. Park Tesco Car Park

Please bring an envelope,(with your name on the front), with a list of your medications you are currently taking and next of kin details.

This will only be opened in an emergency

Cancellation Policy – there will be no refund of fees unless a replacement participant can be found. Only exception will be for SERIOUS illness

Disclaimer: Participants are expected to take reasonable care during visits.  Neither Honiton Art Society nor its officers accept liability for accident. 

£30/ £33 non members  - Cheque payable to The Arts Society Honiton or cash to

Elizabeth Gray   37 Glanvill Way   Honiton   EX14 2GD -      0780 3637919

To include: coach, coffee, visits as above.  Lunch not included but taken at

Junction Inn, Halswill junction – www.thejunctioninnhalwill.co.uk

Click here for application form

Our guide, Dr Sue Andrew's studies at Edinburgh and Plymouth Universities included anthropology, art history and architectural conservation.  Her doctoral thesis focused on the medieval oak carvings of men and beasts, including the Green Man and the Three Hares, to be found in the roofs of the churches of Devon.  Sue gives talks and writes about subjects ranging from the cross cultural journey of the Three Hares motif, and medieval church art and architecture, to Church Houses, 19C ecclesiastical carvings, and epitaphs in the graveyards of Dartmoor.

Dr Sue Andrew has co written a book 'The Three Hares – A Curiosity Worth Regarding' with Tom Greeves and Chris Chapman.   

The three hares is a circular motif appearing in sacred sites from the Middle and Far East to the churches in Devon.  The Three Hares Project has revealed the motif to be an extraordinary and ancient archetype, stretching across diverse religions and cultures, many centuries and many thousands of miles.  It is part of the shared medieval heritage of Europe and Asia (Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism, yet still inspires creative work among contemporary artists.  It is an architectural ornament, a religious symbol and a logo for adornment.  It is viewed as a puzzle, a topology problem or a visual challenge, and has been rendered as sculpture, drawing and paintings.  The symbol features three hares chasing each other in a circle.

Max 15 people - £25 per person, non-members £28 -  liz2003gray@yahoo.co.uk

Cheque made payable to 'The Arts Society Honiton' or cash to

Elizabeth Gray 37 Glanvill Way Honiton EX14 2GD -  0780 3637919

To include minibus fare, coffee at South Tawton Church House with a short film on its restoration followed by a visit to the Church to view the Three Hares and after lunch we visit Spreyton Church.  Suggest you bring binoculars if you have them. (lunch at the Tom Cobley Tavern in Crediton – not included in the above price)   

PICK UP  9.30am Tesco roundabout Battishorne Way EX14 2XD - Parking Tesco Car Park – 'away' from the store please.

Please bring an envelope (with your name on the front), with a list of your medications you are currently taking and next of kin details. This will only be opened in an emergency.

Cancellation Policy – there will be no refund of fees unless a replacement participant can be found. Only exception will be for SERIOUS illness.

Disclaimer: Participants are expected to take reasonable care during visits.  Neither The Arts Society Honiton nor its officers accept liability for accident. 

Please CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION FORM

In 1997 Lucy & Sebastian Fenwick stumbled across a Grade II listed farmstead in the heart of the South Hams then known as Shilston Barton.  Intrigued by the remains of a designed landscape and clear signs of an important early house, they purchased the site and embarked on a lengthy project.  The landscape soon began to give up its secrets revealing extensive building work from the last thousand years.  Two sets of double terraces, medieval fishponds, sunken lanes and ha-ha’s as well as an early walled garden and a courtyard of fine barns separated from the main house by a crenelated curtain wall all hinted to the importance of Shilstone. 

The discovery of the only surviving 17C water theatre and associated gardens confirmed their suspicions and revealed an incredible connection with Hampton Court Palace.  Archaeological excavations in the surrounding landscape were also fruitful and revealed a prehistoric presence on the site, possibly dating to the Neolithic, but undoubtedly of second century BC date into the Roman period.  The project also uncovered the foundations of a substantial medieval house shown through documentary sources to be the former Domesday manor of ‘Silfestana’.

Our guide will be Abi Gray, the Resident Archaeologist at Shilstone. 

  Click here to download application form

Max 25 people - £35 per person, non-members £38                                                              

Cheque made payable to ‘The Arts Society Honiton’ or cash to

Elizabeth Gray 37 Glanvill Way Honiton EX14 2GD -  0780 3637919

To include coach fare, guided tour of Shilstone House & Gardens, Introduction to Devon Rural Archives, morning coffee, buffet lunch and cream tea

Home of the Wyndhams and their ancestors for over 700 years.

Max 30 people £38 members/£40 non-members

Contact Elizabeth Gray 0780 3637919

Maunsel House is a beautiful manor house steeped in tremendous history, with more than a touch of eccentricity, a reflection of its current owner, Sir Benjamin Julian Alfred Slade, 7th Baronet.  The house was built in the 13th century and is the ancestral home of the Slade family.  In more recent years Sir Benjamin has restored it to its former glory.

Geoffrey Chaucer wrote part of the Canterbury Tales here.     

£27 per member, £30 non-member.  Cheque  payable to Honiton DFAS or cash to

Elizabeth Gray 37 Glanvill Way Honiton EX14 2GD -  0780 3637919

To include coach fare, guided tour of Maunsel House and cream tea. Our lunch stop will be at Monkton Elm Garden Centre near Taunton, not included in the price.

PICK UP  10.30am Tesco roundabout Battishorne Way Honiton EX14 2XD

A mechanical instrument collection at Aeolian Court - a family home created in 1980s from old stables.

Haldon Belvedere - also known as Lawrence Castle - stunning views, you can see why this is such a well known landmark from East Devon! There will be a lecture by a member of Devon Historic Buildings Trust followed by a tour and light refreshments.

Max 25 people, £30 per member and £33 for non-members.

Contact Elizabeth Gray, 37 Glanvill Way, Honiton, EX14 2GD

Two night stay in Granada with a visit to the Alhambra palace & gardens, three nights in Seville with visits to the Cathedral/Mosques there and in Cordoba. Flight from London Gatwick.  £1029pp sharing, to include coach travel to/from airports.  Single supplement of £149.  Full details from Visits Secretary, Liz Gray on mobile 07803637919, or email liz2003gray@yahoo

The home of Count and Countess de Salis, is a classic Georgian manor surrounded by impressive gardens. The original manor of Yarlington was built next to the church and both were surrounded by a moat. The current house was built of mellow brick with stone facings in 1782 and is a perfect example of the period, both inside and out.

£45 member/£48 non-member to include coach travel, guided tour of Yarlington House & Gardens, coffee on arrival, lunch with a glass of wine and afternoon tea to finish. Application forms and further details available at future lecture meetings or from Visits Secretary, Liz Gray by email liz2003gray@yahoo.co.uk

Contact Liz Gray for further information 01404 41910

liz2003gray@yahoo.co.uk

Bridwell Park, a  late 18th century Grade I listed Georgian house built in the Regency style between 1774- 9 by Richard Hall Clarke, whose family occupied the property until it was acquired at auction in 1997,by Lord Ivar Mountbatten, great nephew of Earl Mountbatten of Burma.  The main reception rooms display fine decorative ceilings and command expansive views across the 100 acre parkland estate with ornamental lake and free roaming fallow and red deer herds.  The original chapel was replaced by a Gothic style structure in 1809, but never consecrated because Richard Hall Clarke used it as a museum to house Captain Cook’s artefacts, acquired during his many travels around the world. Laterly it has been used as a ‘party/play’ room by Lord Ivar’s daughters.

Learn how James Bond and 007 were created.  Followed by cream tea.

Max 40 people - £21 per person, non member £24                                                                  

Cheque made payable to Honiton DFAS or cash to

Elizabeth Gray 37 Glanvill Way Honiton EX14 2GD -  0780 3637919

To include  guided tour of Bridwell Park house & gardens and cream tea.