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Petworth House and Arundel Castle


  • Victoria Station Victoria Street London, England, SW1E 5ND United Kingdom (map)

Arundel Castle


Details

Two great ducal seats, Petworth and Arundel were family strongholds since early medieval times. Petworth was built as a Baroque palace for the Duke of Somerset, whereas successive Dukes of Norfolk at Arundel transformed their ancient castle resulting in the great Victorian edifice of today.

Venue
Victoria Station, London SW1E 5ND

Event Organisers
Sarah Bowles and Philippa Barton

Cost
Cost of the event (double room) is £500 plus eventbrite booking fee
Cost of the event (double Room) for National Trust Members is £485 plus eventbrite booking fee
Cost of the event (Single Room supplement) is £550 plus eventbrite booking fee
Cost of the event (Single Room Supplement) for National Trust Members is £535 plus eventbrite booking fee


Programme

Monday 7th October

9.05am
Train departs for Pulborough, West Sussex

11.00am
Visit to Petworth House with Ian Young

1.00pm
Lunch at the Angel Inn, Petworth

2.45pm
The Turners at Petworth:  Return visit to the house with Jane Newton

Petworth House, a Percy stronghold since the twelfth century, was transformed into a magnificent French-style palace from 1688-1696 under the direction of Daniel Marot for Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset and his Duchess, Elizabeth, the Percy heiress. The splendid interiors include Laguerre’s painted staircase and the work of Grinling Gibbons in the famous Carved Room.  The house contains magnificent paintings, including works by Turner, the largest collection of antique sculpture to remain in situ in an English Country House and spectacular furniture.

4.00pm
Time for Tea

4.45pm
Coach departs for the Norfolk Arms Hotel, Arundel

Tuesday 8th October

10.30am
Visit to Arundel Castle with Dr John Martin Robinson, Librarian to the Duke of Norfolk

Arundel Castle has been the seat of the Earls of Arundel and the Dukes of Norfolk since the eleventh century and much survives from its Norman beginnings in 1067, including the spectacular motte and shell keep. Its transformation into a splendid late Victorian gothic castle began with Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk, whose works include the magnificent library created in 1801 to his own design with delightful carvings by Jonathan Ritson, father and son.  A later major remodelling was undertaken from the 1877 by Charles Alban Buckler for the 15th Duke. The Castle houses a fascinating collection of fine paintings and furniture, including pieces from the famous eighteenth-century Norfolk House in St. James’s Square.

12.30pm
Lunch

2.00pm
A guided visit to the Castle gardens

The magnificent gardens include the Collector Earl’s Garden, the Rose Garden, colourful herbaceous borders, the Stumpery and the Cut Flower Garden and Organic Kitchen Garden.  A rare lean-to peach house and vinery, originally built in 1850 by Clarke & Hope, has been restored to its former glory and houses exotic fruit and vegetables. The splendid fourteenth-century Fitzalan Chapel, the burial place of the Dukes of Norfolk, has its own delightful white garden.

4.15pm
Train departs for London, arriving Victoria at 5.45pm

Online Lectures

Thursday 3rd October
4.15pm
Pomp and Splendour at Petworth House
Sarah Bowles

5.15pm
A Castle fit for a Duke : The Creation of Arundel Castle
Philippa Barton


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2 October

The Stanley Spencer Gallery

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22 October

Boston Manor: A Microcosm of Changing Fashions in Domestic Decoration 1600-1800