Our second outing of 2026 is to Sudbury for a day learning about the life and legacy of Thomas Gainsborough.

Click here for a flyer and booking form

Our morning tour takes in Gainsborough’s House. Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk in 1727 and spent much of his childhood sketching the woods and fields surrounding the town. He attended Sudbury Grammar School and at thirteen went to further his studies in London. There, he trained with the French painter and illustrator, Hubert-François Gravelot. In 1746, the artist returned to his hometown and spent many years living in other beautiful areas of Suffolk.

The museum’s downstairs rooms dive into Gainsborough’s achievements during his time living and working in various areas of Suffolk. In the Entrance Hall, you can spy his portrait The Pitminster Boy (1768-69) and his very own mahogany studio cabinet, while in the Parlour you’ll find a range of paintings and period furniture. Portraits of the Gainsborough family and works by the artist’s nephew, Gainsborough Dupont, lead you through the hall and upstairs, where the rooms focus on two themes; portraits of Thomas Gainsborough and his landscapes. The third floor is dedicated to a stunning collection of works by fellow landscape artist, John Constable, also born in the area.

There will be time to visit the room dedicated to Cedric Morris’s 100+ artworks. He is the subject of our April lecture.

Our afternoon activity will be a one hour guided walk around Sudbury in the footsteps of Gainsborough. Our museum guide will use radio headsets in order to enhance the experience. You may also like to explore the water meadows, largely unchanged since Gainsborough and Constable painted the views back in the eighteenth century.

There will be time to have a cup of tea in The Watering Place café or elsewhere in town before we leave for Cambridge. Sudbury has a small, attractive Thursday market with hot and cold food options, a well stocked plant and flower stall and a fresh fish van!

Schedule for the day

09:00    Depart by coach from Trumpington Park and Ride.

10:15    Arrive at Gainsborough's House, Sudbury

10:45 - 11.45    The Magic of Gainsborough - a guided tour looking at his life and legacy as we wander through the house and gardens, discovering key artworks and personal artefacts.

11:45 - 14.00   Lunch (not included in the price) can be taken in the museum café or in town.  Thursday is market day with food stalls - just a stone's throw from the museum.

14:00 - 15:00   Explore Sudbury through the eyes of Gainsborough - a guided walking tour with headsets.

16:00    Depart Sudbury by coach.

17:15 approx.   Arrive back at Trumpington Park & Ride.

Cost: £64 including coach transfers, entrance to and guided tour of Gainsborough's House, and guided walking tour of Sudbury.  Lunch is not included in the cost.

Click here for a flyer and booking form.

Image: The new Gainsborough Gallery, courtesy Gainsborough's House / ZMMA

Our first visit of 2026 is to Westminster College in Cambridge.  Perhaps it will entice those of you who  have walked past its distinctive iron gates at the junction of Madingley Road, Queens Road and Northampton Street and wondered what it’s like inside and what goes on there.

This visit is now fully subscribed.  Our organiser, Chris Kavanagh, is maintaining a waiting list, and is also considering offering a repeat of this visit at a later date.  If you are interested in either option, please click here to contact Chris.

Click here for a flyer and booking form.

The tour involves one flight of stairs, which are broad and have a handrail. Lift access is possible from the other end of the building. If you wish to use the lift, please let Chris Kavanagh know in advance (preferably at time of booking) and someone at the college will assist you with access.

Our morning visit will begin with a tour of the principal rooms under the guidance of the college’s archivist, Helen Weller.  She will explain the history of the building and introduce us to the founding benefactors without whom the college wouldn’t exist. 

The college was founded in London in 1844 and moved to Cambridge in 1899 after two Scottish twin sisters gifted the site which they bought from St John’s College. You may know their story from Janet Soskice, Professor Emerita of Philosophical Theology at Cambridge’s  book, Sisters of Sinai (2009).

Their portraits hang in the barrel vaulted Dining Hall where we’ll have refreshments before being introduced to Dr Alison Gray. Alison will take us to the chapel and tell us about the fabulous Douglas Strachan windows and explain some of them in detail. The windows are very visible as they’re not too high up. Nevertheless, you may wish to bring binoculars to view details. 

Helen writes, ‘Douglas Strachan (1875-1950) was a Scottish artist who designed the stained-glass windows in the chapel at Westminster College. Our chapel was commissioned by Sir William and Lady Black Noble in memory of their son William Black Noble, 2nd Lieutenant in the Northumberland Fusiliers, who died in World War One at Ypres in 1917. They asked Douglas Strachan to design the stained-glass windows on the theme of the Benedicite - 'O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord' - and Strachan's windows are full of strong, beautiful colour, and dynamic movement, dancers, worshippers, the heavenly fire descending on Mount Carmel and the swell of the stormy sea’.

Schedule for the morning

10:00                               Guided tour of the College with Helen Weller, college archivist 

10:45 - 11:15 approx       Break for coffee/tea and biscuits in the Dining Hall

Followed by an hour in the chapel with Dr Alison Gray, who will tell us about the fabulous Douglas Strachan stained glass windows.

12:15 approx                   Finish

Cost: £13 including coffee/tea and biscuits. Make your own way to/from the event. Westminster College is on the Madingley Road Park & Ride bus route. There is a stop at Storey’s Way - two minute’s walk from the gates.

The tour involves one flight of stairs, which are broad and have a handrail. Lift access is possible from the other end of the building. If you wish to use the lift, please let Chris Kavanagh know in advance (preferably at time of booking) and someone at the college will assist you with access.

Click here for a flyer and booking form.

Click here to view Westminster College's own webpage featuring the chapel windows.

Image shown by courtesy of Westminster College

VISIT CANCELLED DUE TO INSUFFICIENT INTEREST FROM OUR MEMBERS

Click here for a flyer.

Our opening autumn lecture celebrates the centenary of the 1925 Paris Expo; l’exposition internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, to give it its full title. 

This hugely successful world fair attracted sixteen million visitors over its seven-month run from April to October 1925.  It brought Modernism and Art Deco to international prominence.

To chime with Pamela Campbell-Johnston’s lecture, an Art Deco themed day out has been arranged for Thursday October 9th.  The morning will be spent at Eltham Palace where you can guide yourself around the palace and gardens with an EH guidebook or multimedia guide.  

The afternoon will be spent in the company of Andrew Davies, walking around the Leicester Square area focusing on its Art Deco architecture, sculpture and much more, as is inevitable with Andrew!  The walk will last approximately 90 minutes.

We will cap the number of participants at 22 to move nimbly around central London so early booking is advisable.

Read about the history of Eltham Palace here.

Schedule for the day

09:00                Depart by coach from Trumpington Park & Ride

10:30 - 11:00    Arrive Eltham Palace

11:00 - 13:00    Independent tour of the palace and garden with use of multimedia guides.  Lunch can be taken at the Orchid Café, or a packed lunch can be eaten as we drive into central London.  Lunch is not included in the cost.

13:30                Depart Eltham Palace.

14:30 approx   Arrive at the Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross where we will meet our guide from last year’s King’s Cross walk, Andrew Davies.  Andrew will take us on a 90 minute (approx) guided walk around Leicester Square focusing on the best Art Deco architecture and sculpture in the area and so much more, as is his wont.  As this is an outside walking tour, please dress for the weather and keep what you’re carrying to a minimum. You can leave items safely on the coach.

16:30                Depart central London.

18:00 approx   Arrive Trumpington Park & Ride.

Cost: £68.50 per person (reduced to £56 for English Heritage members), which includes:

• return coach travel
• entry to Eltham Palace
• guided walking tour with Andrew Davies.

Lunch is not included in the cost.

English Heritage members should remember to bring their membership card on the day!

Click here for a flyer.

VISIT CANCELLED DUE TO INSUFFICIENT INTEREST FROM OUR MEMBERS

Image: Eltham Palace Courtyard, credit Tilman2007, licenced under CC BY-SA 4.0

Click here for a printable flyer and booking form.

King Richard III was reinterred at Leicester Cathedral on the 26 March 2015.  It is thought that 600 million people worldwide tuned in to watch the last English king to die in battle be laid to rest.  Maybe you were one of those?  With this year being the 10th anniversary, it seems a good time to visit Leicester.

Our day trip will include a 90-minute walking tour with Blue Badge guide, Anne Roberts, a self-guided tour of the King Richard III Visitor Centre and a 30-minute talk about the King’s reinterment and his tomb from the Leicester Cathedral guides.

As the historic centre is very compact, there will be enough time for a bit of exploration on your own, should you wish. Travel time by coach is about an hour and a half to two hours, depending on traffic.

Anne says, “I know that you’ll be impressed by this lively, lovely city and its friendly and forward-looking people. I can’t wait to welcome you to the fascinating city of Leicester, a place where the Romans, Saxons and Normans have all left their marks and where harmonious multiculturalism is taken for granted by all. 

During our walking tour, we’ll see:

• Roman remains
• the famous Market area, complete with a sculpture dedicated to our very own Suffragette 
• a tribute to the sporting success of city and county teams
• the Clock Tower where friends would always meet
• the spot where several high-profile members of the House of Stuart stayed on occasion
• a Grammar School dating back to 1573
• a beautiful Norman church, complete with iconic chevrons
• the remains of Leicester Castle
• and much more!”

Schedule for the day

08:30    Depart by coach from Trumpington Park and Ride.

10:00    Comfort stop at Orchard Café, Welland Vale Garden Centre.

10:30    Continue to Leicester.

11:30    Group A starts guided walk, Group B at KR III Visitor Centre.

13:00    Lunch break (lunch is not included in the price)

14:00    Group A at KR III Visitor Centre, Group B starts guided walk.

15:30    Tour to visit the tomb of King Richard III in Leicester Cathedral, including an exclusive talk about his re-interment.

16:30    Depart by coach for Trumpington Park and Ride.

19:00    Approximate time of arrival back at Trumpington Park and Ride.

Cost: £56 including coach transfers, guided walking tour of Leicester, entry to KR III Visitor Centre and 30-minute tour with Leicester Cathedral Guides.  Morning refreshments and lunch are not included in the cost.

Image of mural courtesy of the Leicester Mercury

Click here for the printable flyer and booking form.

This one has been chosen for ease of access from Cambridge and because so many of us pass through King’s Cross on our way elsewhere. In recent years the once-seedy area has been completely regenerated. Our walking tour will take in both stations and the area behind King’s Cross where the old Victorian infrastructure has been repurposed to provide housing, retail space, parks, and an art school. We’ll take a stroll along the cleaned-up Regent’s Canal. To round things off, join us for kaffee und kuchen in the German Gymnasium – a stone’s throw from King’s Cross station. Andrew claims to have the biggest voice in Britain so there will be no chance of missing anything he says!

Please note that this is a walking tour. There will not always be places to sit and you should dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes, and keep what you’re carrying to a minimum.

Schedule for the day
10:14 Depart by train from Cambridge Main station (train fare not included in the price)
11:02 Arrive London King’s Cross - Andrew will meet us on the concourse outside King’s Cross ticket office by the statue of Sir Nigel Gresley.
11:15 Our morning tour will include a detailed examination of King’s Cross and St Pancras stations - one classical, one Gothic + the old goods yard, now the British Library.
13:00 Break for independent lunch at a restaurant or café of your choice or bring a packed lunch. If you choose a quick lunch option and have the energy, there will be time to pop into the British Library (free entrance) and take in one of their exhibitions.
14:15 Our afternoon tour will include New Worlds from Old - Victorian sheds and coal drops now the university and shopping quarter; inside the gasholder - today gardens and housing; a walk along the canal; the Victorian German Gymnasium.
16:00ish Coffee/tea and cake at the Grand Café in the German Gymnasium. 

Return to Cambridge on any train: Express train times: 16:39, 17:09, 17:39, 18:09 etc

Cost: £32 including walking tour, maps, and handouts from Andrew plus coffee/tea and cake at the German Gymnasium. Train fare and lunch are not included in the cost.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Pancras_Station_%5E_hotel_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3666856.jpg licensed under https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

THIS IS NOW FULLY BOOKED

This is a revised version of the original offering.

Click here for a printable flyer and booking form.

We will leave Trumpington Park and Ride and stop for coffee at Hawley Garden Centre near Dartford, a short distance from Lullingstone Castle, an historic family home frequented by Henry V111 and Queen Anne.

It was mentioned in the Doomsday Survey and has a fascinating history.

A blue badge guide will show us around this privately owned manor house still occupied by the Hart Dyke family.

Please note there are 27 steps to the first floor.

We will also visit the Norman Parish Church of St Botolph which is close to the house. It has some of the oldest stained glass in the country.

After a picnic lunch in the castle grounds (under cover in inclement weather) we will have a guided tour of the World Garden of Plants also on the estate. There are 8000 plant species growing in regional beds. Plants which won’t survive our winters are housed in the Hot and Spiky house and the Cloud Garden.

A lot of the plants were personally collected by Tom Hart Dyke who has travelled the world in his quest for rare and botanically important specimens. His exploits are well documented and he has featured on television programmes in the past.

There will also be an opportunity to visit the Specialist Plantsman Nursery and the Gift Shop, and/or take a stroll through the grounds of the estate.  Throughout the garden are unique sculptures made of a variety of materials.

More details can be found on the Lullingstone Castle website - click here.

Schedule for the day

09:00    Depart by coach from Trumpington Park and Ride.

10:15     Coffee stop and comfort break at Hawley Garden Centre (coffee is not included in the price).

11:00    Continue to Lullingstone Estate and World Garden.

11:15    Blue Badge guided tour of Lullingstone Castle and St Botolph’s Church (estimated 90 minutes).

Picnic lunch at a time to be decided on the day.

13:45    Guided tour of the World Garden, plus the opportunity to visit the Specialist Plantsman Nursery and/or take a stroll through the estate grounds.

15:45    Cream tea (your choice of tea/coffee and two scones/tray bake slices) in the marquee.

16:30    Depart by coach for Trumpington Park and Ride.

18:15    Approximate time of arrival back at Trumpington Park and Ride.

Cost: £52 per person including coach travel, entrance fees, guided tours of the castle, church and the garden, cream tea and all gratuities.  Morning coffee and lunch are not included in the cost - bring your own picnic.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lullingstone_Castle_(geograph_7171289).jpg licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS FULLY BOOKED.

We will have a private guided tour of Delapré Abbey, a building steeped in history from it's foundation as one of only two Cluniac Monasteries in the country, through private ownership by the Tates and Bouveries to use as the Northamptonshire Record Office before being saved from demolition by the tireless efforts of Joan Wake when the council had no further use for it.  Now a listed building it was restored in 2018 by the Delapré Abbey Preservation Trusted aided by Heritage Lottery Fund and is open to the public along with it's extensive grounds.

There will be a chance to visit the walled garden before taking the coach for the 15 minute journey to Northampton Museum, which has one of the largest shoe collections in the world, regarded by the Arts Council England as of national and international significance.

We will have a talk on The History of Shoe Fashions followed by the opportunity to explore The Shoe Gallery, the new permanent exhibition which celebrates the world of footwear from 5300 BC to the present day. There are large scale videos showing how shoes have been designed and made and the gallery takes you on an engaging journey through the history of shoe fashions exploring how the fashions have been constantly modified and reinvented in response to new materials and technologies, changes in industry and even world events. Alternatively, following the talk you might prefer to visit the Art Gallery on the first floor.

For more information visit here and here. Both sites are readily accessible for all levels of mobility.

Click here for a printable flyer and booking form.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Delapr%C3%A9_Abbey,_Northants.jpg licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Important News

We are having lunch at Waterside Garden Centre in Baston, Peterborough. The manager is setting aside a function room for us. He has asked us to pre-order food to enable speedy service. It’s not necessary to pay in advance, just make a choice from the menu. You can choose from the Deli or Main menu here

Please email Diana your choice as soon as possible so she can prepare a list. Her email is here. She will be away from April 24th to May 5th so please do not contact her.

If you are now unable to come please let her know as soon as possible. 

Any last minute problems on the morning of the visit, her mobile number is 07557 121268.

Click here for a printable flyer and booking form.

Please note: There is only 1 place left.  

We will visit John Clare Cottage, the home of the poet John Clare from1793-1832. He was born in the cottage and lived much of his life there, drawing on his life as a country boy in Helpston for much of his poetry. The cottage contains examples of his work together with information about his life. Some of the rooms have been returned to the style that would have been found in the cottage in the early 19th century. In addition to the information panels there is an excellent, free audio guide. Click here.

Stairs to the upper floor are steep. However, there is a description of the upstairs rooms and a video in the Dovecote, which is easily accessible. The gardens have been redesigned and planted with varieties that would have been seen in Clare’s time.

There is a small gift shop and cafe where drinks can be purchased. 

Lunch will be taken at Waterside Garden Centre where there is a wide choice of food to purchase. We will have a private dining area. For a sample menu visit here.

In the afternoon we will visit Grimsthorpe Castle for a private guided tour of this magnificent and opulent building with its collection of royal thrones and furnishings, one of the largest housed outside Royal Palaces, acquired because the Willoughby de Evesby family is one of only three in England who still fulfil the hereditary office of Lord Great Chamberlain, the Monarch’s representative at the Palace of Westminster.Click here. The Vanbrugh Hall, the Chinese Drawing Room and Chapel are on the ground floor. Access to and from the first floor are by two flights of stairs. There is a ‘virtual’ tour which can be watched on a laptop provided.

Schedule for the day 09.00 Depart Trumpington Park and Ride by coach.

10:15 Visit John Clare Cottage and garden. Drinks and cake available to purchase.

12:15 Rejoin coach.

12:30 Lunch at Waterside Garden Centre.

14:00 Rejoin coach.

14:30 Guided tour of Grimsthorpe Castle, followed by tea and biscuits.

16:30 Coach departs for return to Trumpington Park and Ride.

18:00 Approximate time of arrival back at Trumpington Park and Ride.

Cost: £45 per person including coach, entrance fees, gratuities and tea and biscuits at Grimsthorpe Castle before departure. Lunch is not included in the cost.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Clare%27s_birthplace,_Helpston,_Peterborough_-_geograph.org.uk_-_217344.jpg licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Our visit will include a Thames river cruise and a guided tour of the Victorian sewage pumping station at Crossness.

Click here for a printable flyer and booking form.

Two thousand years ago the Romans enjoyed indoor plumbing but until a couple of hundred years ago Londoners were still emptying their chamber pots out of the window.  In 1585 the long hot summer turned into The Great Stink with the Thames little more than an open sewer.  Something had to be done.

We will travel by coach from Trumpington Park and Ride to central London to meet the Blue Badge Guide who will accompany us throughout the day.  After coffee and biscuits in a London pub - said to contain the best loos in London - we will hear the story of "spending a penny" from Roman times to the coming of the flush loo.  We will trace London's two lost rivers, cruise the river Thames from Victoria Embankment to Greenwich and drive across the old Thames marshes to Crossness Pumping Station, an extraordinary Cathedral of Sewage that was built to house the Crossness Beam Engines.

Crossness Pumping Station has recently been magnificently restored.  Dating from 1865, it was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, the civil engineer who also designed and built the capital’s new sewage system.

This unbelievable wonder includes 1100 miles of underground drains, 82 miles of brick-lined tunnels built of 318 million bricks and all constructed by hand. The magnificent tile work and wrought iron are the setting for the four largest rotary beam engines in the world, which can pump six tons of sewage a minute.  This is an engineering marvel in a craftsman’s surround.

We will have a guided tour of the site, to include its history and some of the most spectacular ornamental Victorian cast ironwork to be found in the world today.  Vox headsets will be provided.

After the tour we will have tea and biscuits, then return by coach to Trumpington.

Schedule for the day:

08:00 Depart Trumpington Park and Ride by coach.

10:30 Meet our Blue Badge Guide for coffee & biscuits in a London pub.

11:15 Guided walking tour of area, hearing the story of "spending a penny".

TBC Rejoin the coach for transfer to Westminster Pier.

13:00 Cruise from Westminster to Greenwich.  Please bring a packed lunch to consume on the cruise.

13:45 (approximately) rejoin the coach in Greenwich for transfer to Crossness.

14:30 Arrive at Crossness for the afternoon tour.  Tea and biscuits before departure.

16:30 Coach departs for Trumpington Park and Ride.

18:30 (approximately) Arrive back at Trumpington Park and Ride.

Cost: £56 including coach, Blue Badge Guide, coffee and biscuits, Thames river cruise, tour of Crossness Pumping Station, tea and biscuits.  Lunch is not included - please bring your own packed lunch to consume during the river cruise - but drinks can be purchased on the boat.

Click here for a printable flyer and booking form.

The Prince Consort Beam engine at Crossness Pumping Station, photo credit: Nathusius2 (2012), licenced under CC BY-SA 4.0

A private visit to the Fry Gallery in Saffron Walden on Tuesday, July 5th at 10.30am and again at 11.15am.

Great Opportunity to enjoy a talk about the 2 exhibitions running during this season:

1. Regeneration takes highlights from the permanent collection with works by Ravilious, Bawden, Rothenstein, Aldridge and others. Here.
2. The many sides of Isabel Rawsthorne, a prolific local artist. Here.

Check out the Fry Gallery website here

Our visit to Northampton on May 5th will include a guided tour of two historic buildings: 78 Derngate and the Guildhall.

Accessibility: The visit will entail walking the length of Derngate, as there are limited points at which our coach can stop, and subsequently a walk between the two buildings.  Please note also that both buildings have stairs to negotiate.

This visit is now fully subscribed.  If you would like to be placed on the waiting list, please contact Diana by email or telephone.

78 Derngate, Northampton

78 Derngate is a Grade 2* listed Georgian house in the Cultural Quarter of Northampton, England, originally built in 1815. It is noted for its interior, which was extensively remodelled in 1916 and 1917 by noted architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh for businessman Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke as his first marital home.

[Click here to visit the official website of 78 Derngate.]

The Guildhall

The Guildhall is a stunning Grade 2* listed building, open only occasionally to the public. With a choice of unique and memorable rooms packed with period features and Victorian Gothic architecture, the Guildhall really is 'Northampton's Best Kept Secret'.  Our tour will include the Great Hall with its magnificent ceiling, stained glass and murals; the sculptured tableaux in the entrance hall; and the 14 window statues and sculptured scenes.

[Click here for an official history of The Guildhall.  The first page is blank!]

Schedule for the day:

09:00 Depart Trumpington Park and Ride by coach.

10:45 Split into two groups.  Group A has coffee and biscuits at 78 Derngate, followed by a guided tour of the building.  Group B has coffee and biscuits at the Guildhall, followed by a guided tour of the building.

12:45 Tables reserved for lunch (cost NOT included) at The Old Bank, St Giles' Square.  Wide choice of food.

14:15 Groups reverse to tour the other building.  Tea and biscuits before departure.

16:15 Coach departs for Trumpington P&R.

17:30 (approximately) Arrive back at Trumpington P&R.

Cost: £37 including coach, two tours, coffee, tea and biscuits.  The cost of lunch is not included, though tables have been booked at The Old Bank.

This visit is now fully subscribed.  If you would like to be placed on the waiting list, please contact Diana by email or telephone.

78 Derngate Door Light, photo credit: Tony Hisgett (2011), licenced under CC BY-SA 2.0

VISIT POSTPONED INDEFINITELY BECAUSE OF COVID-19

The Great Stink - London's Cathedral of Sewage

The Crossness Pumping Station, an architectural masterpiece in Bexley, south-east London, has recently been magnificently restored.  Dating from 1865, it was designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette, the civil engineer who also designed and built the capital’s new sewage system.

This unbelievable wonder includes 1100 miles of underground drains, 82 miles of brick-lined tunnels built of 318 million bricks and all constructed by hand. The magnificent tile work and wrought iron are the setting for the four largest rotary beam engines in the world, which can pump six tons of sewage a minute.  This is an engineering marvel in a craftsman’s surround.

We will have a guided tour of the site, to include its history and some of the most spectacular ornamental Victorian cast ironwork to be found in the world today.

VISIT POSTPONED INDEFINITELY BECAUSE OF COVID-19

78 Derngate, Northampton

78 Derngate is a Grade 2* listed Georgian house in the Cultural Quarter of Northampton, England, originally built in 1815. It is noted for its interior, which was extensively remodelled in 1916 and 1917 by noted architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh for businessman Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke as his first marital home.

[Click here to visit the official website of 78 Derngate.]

The Guildhall

The Guildhall is a stunning Grade 2* listed building, open only occasionally to the public. With a choice of unique and memorable rooms packed with period features and Victorian Gothic architecture, the Guildhall really is 'Northampton's Best Kept Secret'.  Our tour will include the Great Hall with its magnificent ceiling, stained glass and murals; the sculptured tableaux in the entrance hall; and the 14 window statues and sculptured scenes.

[Click here for an official history of The Guildhall.  The first page is blank!]