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Illustrated Talk: “the Natural History and Conservation of British Owls”
Lunch at the Maypole Inn, Thurloxton
Visit to Compton Verney, Warwickshire
Visit to Cirencester and Rodmarton Manor, Gloucestershire
Visit to Wellington Monument and Wallace'S Farm Shop and Restaurant
Visit to Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire
Illustrated Talk: “Tristan da Cunha Islands”
Visit to Coldharbour Mill Working Wool Museum, Uffculme, Devon
Visit to Exeter for Tour of Underground Tunnels and Passages
Talk and Tea at Monkton Elm: “Plants of topical Interest”
Visit to Gloucester Cathedral, Museums and Other City Attractions
Visit to Bristol Hippodrome for “Lord of the Dance”
Visit to Cardiff Castle and the Millennium Stadium
Christmas Lunch at Oake Manor Golf Club
Saturday 3 October
West Monkton Village Hall, Monkton Heathfield, 2.30pm
Chris Sperring is a lifelong naturalist and has been a conservation officer with the Hawk and Owl Trust since 1991. The Trust, a national charity founded 40 years, is dedicated to conserving owls and other birds of prey in the wild — and increasing knowledge and understanding of them.
Apart from his conservation duties, Chris can often be seen on television and heard on the radio. He became an MBE in 2001 for services to natural conservation.
He will talk about how owls function and adapt, and will provide basic information related to their biology. Much of the emphasis will be on conservation and how organisations like the Quantock Centre can help.
And he will bring an owl with him.
Wednesday 7 October
The Maypole Inn is nearly 130 years old. It was a cider house until the mid-1970s and was called the Star Inn until the mid-1990s.
The Maypole is a family-run pub, convenient for both Taunton and Bridgwater. The proprietors provide good home-cooked meals for hungry customers.
Thursday 15 October
Compton Verney is an award-winning art gallery, housed in a Grade I listed Warwickshire mansion designed by Robert Adam in the 1760s.
This elegant country house was acquired by Sir Peter Moores in 1993 with a view to transforming it into an art gallery of international status. The gallery has won a prestigious award from the Royal Institute of British Architects and was shortlisted for Gulbenkian Museum of the Year.
Alongside the permanent collections, Compton Verney has a diverse and distinctive programme of exhibitions. At the time of our visit, there will be two extra exhibitions. “The 18th Century Portrait: Seeing is Believing” will show the development of 18th century portraiture. “The Artist's Studio” will give a behind-the-scenes insight into the development of, and influences on, the artist's workspace from the 1700s to the present day.
Compton Verney is set in more than 120 acres of Grade II* listed classical parkland, landscaped by “Capability” Brown. Like the house, the grounds were badly neglected during the 20th century; returning the landscape to its former glory requires considerable restoration and replanting.
The grounds are home to a rich variety of wildlife, such as birds and three species of bat, including the relatively rare Lesser Horseshoe.
Last Winter, work took place to re-instate the original network of footpaths laid out by “Capability” Brown.
Tuesday 20 October
We shall travel straight to Cirencester, the second largest town in Britain during Roman times and later a very prosperous medieval wool town.
It contains many interesting buildings spanning several centuries. The market square is dominated by the cathedral-like St. John Baptist church whose large south porch, with its impressive fan vaulting, was built about 1490.
Rodmarton Manor is a fine example of the Arts and Crafts Movement, although it looks a lot older, having the appearance of an ancient Cotswold house with its well-weathered stone.
The house was built nearly 100 years ago for Claud and Margaret Biddulph. The job lasted 20 years, having been interrupted by the First World War. It has 75 rooms (although Claud Biddulph called it his “cottage in the country”) and is still occupied by a descendant of the Biddulph family.
The furniture was made especially for the house, mainly from oak or walnut. Many other items were made locally. Ernest Barnsley, who designed and built the house, also designed the garden.
Monday 26 October
Wellington Monument is owned by the National Trust and is currently undergoing vital restoration.
The 175ft-tall monument was built in honour of the Duke of Wellington. It is on the highest point of the Blackdown Hills in what was once the Duke's own land. The first stone was laid in 1817 — 75 years passed before it was finally completed.
Structurally, it is similar to an Egyptian obelisk, following the trend for Egyptian design during the late 19th century. The three-sided pillar was said to have been chosen to mimic the three-sided bayonet used at the Battle of Waterloo.
Arthur Wellesley took his title of “Viscount Wellington of Wellington and Talavera” from the town in 1809, and later became Duke of Wellington, but he is believed to have visited the town only once (in 1819).
Nigel Garnsworthy, of the National Trust, will give a talk about its history of the monument and the plans for its future.
Wallace's Farm Shop and Restaurant in the Blackdown Hills is a lovely spot from which to view the Taunton Vale. The Wallace family breeds bison, which can be seen in the adjacent fields.
Monday 2 November
This visit to Westonbirt will be when the Autumn colours are at their best (weather permitting). The National Collection of more than 300 Japanese maples should be in dazzling array, and our native oaks and beech will be changing colour, too.
We shall go straight to the Arboretum allowing time for us to wander and admire. The more energetic of us can explore the vast Silk Wood, and there is an attractive shop and plant sale.
An optional guided walk in the Old Arboretum will be offered in the afternoon, but places are limited.
Saturday 7 November
West Monkton Village Hall, Monkton Heathfield, 2.30pm
Richard Grundy was a senior teacher at St Mary's School on Tristan da Cunha, an active volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean. His experiences while living there gave him the opportunity to get to know the islanders — the world's most isolated community.
He runs the Solomon's Project from his home in South Somerset, and he will give us an illustrated talk about his many expeditions to, and continued links with, the islands.
He will also bring with him a collection of Tristan artefacts and publications for us to look at.
Wednesday 11 November
Built by Thomas Fox between 1797 and 1799, Coldharbour Mill was at the forefront of Georgian entrepreneurial development and in continuous woollen and worsted yarn production until 1981.
Reopened in 1982, the mill is a unique piece of social and industrial history. The museum has an exhibition gallery, a Second World War display and various outdoor exhibitions.
The museum shop sells a wide range of worsted knitting yarns, rugs and Devon, Somerset and Blackdown Hills tartans, all made exclusively at the mill.
A guided tour has been specially arranged.
Wednesday 18 November
We have arranged for a guided tour of the fascinating underground passages, dating from the 14th century. These medieval passages, under Exeter High Street, are a unique ancient monument; no similar system of passages can be explored by the public anywhere in Britain.
They were built to house the pipes that brought fresh water to the city from natural springs in fields outside the city walls.
When the pipes leaked, repairs could be only be carried out by digging them up. To avoid this disruption, the passages were vaulted. And it is along this vaulted passageways that visitors are taken.
Friday 27 November
Monkton Elm Garden Centre, Monkton Heathfield, 2.30pm
Andrew Pitman, the Plants Manager at Monkton Elm Garden Centre, will talk to us in the Conservatory about the surprising range of plants which can look good in the garden, even at this time of year. He will show examples of plants that are available.
He will also encourage us to share our personal experience and advice on the strengths and weaknesses of various plants of Autumn and Winter interest, and suggests we might like to bring samples for an informal “clinic” from which we can all gain some valuable know-how.
There will be opportunities to look round the Garden Centre.
Wednesday 2 December
The visit will begin with a guided tour of the Cathedral — with an option of visiting the crypt. (Because of the steep and narrow steps, access is difficult for people with limited walking ability.)
After lunch, there is a wide choice of places to see. For example -
Gloucester Folk Museum, situated very near the Cathedral in what was originally a Tudor merchant's house, is one of the oldest-established museums dedicated to social history, covering domestic life, crafts, trades and industries from around.1500 to the present day..
City Museum and Art Gallery; in a handsome Victorian building in the heart of the city, has a spectacular collection of archaeological discoveries, fine and decorative arts, and natural history specimens. Here is a chance to see the famous Birdlip Mirror, a pre-Roman masterpiece by a native British metalworker.
The historic Gloucester Historic Docks include a huge antiques centre, located in a Victorian grain warehouse and housing more than 140 dealers; and the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum, spanning 300 years' history of the Gloucestershire Regiment and the Gloucestershire Hussars.
Sunday 6 December
Although Michael Flatley no longer appears in the show, think of “Riverdance” with its incredible energy and the precision of its dancing, and add his great showmanship.
“Lord of the Dance” is an Irish folk tale of Good versus Evil. Wonderful music is enhanced by state-of-the-art lighting and pyrotechnics. It has won great acclaim on tour, of which Bristol is its last stop.
Within months of its opening at the Point Theatre, Dublin, on 2 July, 1996, “Lord of the Dance” became the highest grossing international tour of the year, setting new records for live performances and video sales all over the world. Press comments have ranged from “stunning” to “fascinating” and “awesome” to “irresistible”.
Thursday 10 December
The Castle is in the heart of the city — a truly remarkable site with a history spanning more than 2,000 years. Roman soldiers slept there. Noble knights held court there. And the Butes, a family with wealth beyond comprehension, resided there.
The extraordinary transformation of the castle into a Gothic fantasy was executed by the eccentric architect, William Burges, for the Marquess of Bute, who by the 1860s was reputed to be the richest man in the world. Many of the rooms are elaborately adorned with vast marble fireplaces and spectacular ceilings.
We shall have a conducted tour of the castle, and, afterwards, will have the option of a group visit to the home of Welsh Rugby — the Millennium Stadium — for an afternoon tour.
Cardiff will have many alternative attractions, including the stores and shops under Christmas lights.
Wednesday 16 December
As the venue has proved so popular with Quantock Centre members in the past, the Oake Manor Golf Club, near Bradford-on-Tone, has been booked again for our three-course Yuletide lunch. The clubhouse and restaurant are highly popular and have fine views of the Quantock, Brendon and Blackdown Hills.