Outings 2025

A Very Attingham Christmas.
9th December 2025

On a very wet December morning, 45 members set off for Attingham Park to see the mansion dressed for Christmas.  Each room had a different tree adorned with things applicable to that room.  A lot of thought and hard work had gone into it and was enjoyed by everyone.  Fortunately, between showers we were able to walk around the grounds and then have lunch in the excellent restaurant.
Thank you Janet and a Happy Christmas to all.

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A very successful trip, everyone enjoyed the interesting house and beautiful gardens, especially the wonderful display of tulips. Luckily for us the forecast of rain held off. We called in at the Percy Thrower Garden Centre on our return journey which proved very popular. Erddig is a late 17th Century house which is unique for the insight into life “Upstairs and downstairs“. So splendid though the interior is, it’s the Master and servant relationship there that is memorable.  The gardens are mainly level with paths and benches, including a Parterre, water features and a walled garden. There is a restaurant and shop. 
Thanks to Sue and Denise

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Our first stop was to Coughton Court, home of the Throckmortons for 21 generations since 1409. The house has many Catholic treasures, including information about the family’s connections to the Gunpowder Plot. The formal garden designs were based on the Elizabethan Knot to echo the Tudor gatehouse, but there are a number of other garden rooms, including a kitchen garden and orchard. In the grounds are a catholic and a protestant church. In the afternoon we drove the short distance to Stratford upon Avon where we took a boat trip on The Countess of Evesham and enjoyed an afternoon tea of sandwiches, cakes and unlimited tea and coffee. 
Many thanks to Vivian.

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On a lovely summer day, with no hint of rain, we began our visit with time to explore the attractive market town of Stow.  The busy market square is lined with independent and antique shops together with inns cafes and restaurants. Many of us visited St. Edward’s Church, although we had to wait for a funeral service to finish.  The church had beautiful stained-glass windows but the most remarkable feature was the pair of ancient yew trees framing the door of the church (See photo below).  It is thought that JRR Tolkien, on one of his visits from Oxford, took them as inspiration for ‘The Doors of Durin’ in the ‘Fellowship of the Ring’.
The afternoon was spent at Sezincote (pronounced Seezincote).  We were given guided tours in three groups.  The guides informed us of the Indian influence on the architecture and its link to Warren Hastings and the East India Company. It also inspired the design of Brighton Pavilion.  A lovely day concluded with tea and cake in the Orangery.
Many thanks to Margaret

Photos taken on the day. Click on any image to view actual size

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The Castle has been home to the Bishops of Worcester for over 1000 years. Not all were successful. In 1575 after a visit by Queen Elizabeth, Bishop Bullingham went bankrupt and the castle was described as:
A castle without any cheer,
A cellar without any beer,
A park without any deer,
The Bishop of Worcester lives here!
Thankfully things have changed and we were give a warm welcome to a fascinating building. As we went through the palace, were told the history with a most ingenious use of videos. Bishop Pepys, his wife and daughter ‘spoke’ to us from their framed portraits. Other information was displayed in a clear, modern way. 
There were opportunities to enjoy the perimeter walk and view the ancient mulberry trees. There were a few showers but these did not spoil an excellent outing. 
Many thanks to Janet for organising the visit and to Denise and Sue for helping out on the day.

Photos taken on the day. Click on any image to view actual size

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On Thursday October 26th, our afternoon lecture is about Hartlebury. In 1646, during the English Civil War, the castle was strongly fortified and held for King Charles I but surrendered in two days without a shot being fired. Doug Smith will explain how this happened.