The Booking Secretary for this programme can be contacted on 01984 618287.
Visit To Bristol's Christian Heritage – The New Room And St Mary Redcliffe Church
Visit To Coleton Fishacre, Kingswear, Devon
Coffee Morning at the Flying Aubergine Café, Taunton
Walk in the Quantocks and Pub Lunch
Visit to the Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens and Swannery, near Weymouth, Dorset
Visit to the Eden Project, St Austell, Cornwall
Visit to Mottisfont Abbey and Gardens, near Romsey, Hampshire
Pub Lunch at the Farmers Arms, Combe Florey
Visit to Cothay Manor, Greenham, near Wellington
Visit to Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Guided Walking Tour of Historic Bishops Lydeard
Visit to Holcombe Court, Holcombe Rogus, Devon
Visit to Mapperton House and Gardens, Beaminster, Dorset
Visit to Banwell Bone Caves, Banwell, Somerset
Visit to Castell Coch and Caerphilly Castle, Glamorgan
Visit to Cannington Walled Gardens, Bridgwater
Wednesday 5 May
Bristol has a wealth of historic churches and chapels. We will visit two of national importance.
The New Room, in The Horsefair, Broadmead, is the oldest Methodist building in the world. Built in 1739 and enlarged in 1748, it is still as it was in the 18th century when John Wesley preached there.
Upstairs is a small museum of his personal effects together with papers and pictures tracing the early growth of Methodism. After a guided tour, we will visit the nearby Charles Wesley Heritage Centre in the Georgian house where the hymn writer and his family lived.
Elizabeth I famously described St Mary Redcliffe as “the fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England”. In many ways, it still is – a masterpiece of Gothic architecture as well as a lively Christian community.
Some parts of the building date back to the beginning of the 12th century. The main entrance is through the seven-pointed archway of the north porch, built in the early 14th century. The porch has an unusual hexagonal shape and the outside is richly carved.
But perhaps the most impressive feature of the church is the spectacular work of the 15th century stonemasons. The ceiling is a vast stone vault made up of intricate patterns of stone ribs and bosses superbly carved by the medieval masons.
The church has a fine monument to Admiral Sir William Penn, “the famous father of an even more famous son”. In 1681, Charles II granted the son, William, a province in America. William chose the name “Sylvania”. The King insisted it be prefaced by “Penn” in honour of the Admiral.
Tuesday 11 May
Coleton Fishacre, owned by the National Trust, is an Arts and Crafts house with an elegant interior influenced by Art Deco. It is set in beautiful gardens on the South Devon coast.
The house was designed for Sir Rupert and Lady Dorothy D'Oyly Carte in 1925, he having spotted the enchanting site while sailing between Brixham and Dartmouth. The house is rather special and contains memorabilia of Gilbert and Sullivan operas and the Savoy Theatre.
The gardens have fine viewpoints of the sea. (Theatrical and musical guests visiting the house for a weekend were always encouraged to help with the weeding.) Plants from the Mediterranean, South Africa and New Zealand thrive there.
Thursday 13 May
Here is an occasion for Quantock Centre members to get together in the relaxed and pleasant surroundings of the Flying Aubergine at Riverside Place, Taunton (beside the river and just across the road from Debenhams).
This informal gathering, in a room reserved for us on the first floor overlooking the river, is the chance to talk about the weather, your holiday plans, the garden, even ideas and views about the Centre and its activities. The choice is yours! New members will be especially welcomed.
There will be a small exhibition about the Centre and what it is doing for the National Trust locally, thanks to the keen interest and support of our members.
If the coffee morning is a success, we hope to make it a regular feature of the Centre's programmes throughout the year.
Wednesday 19 May
This walk will start at 10.00am from the car parking situated 500 yards beyond the cattle grid at the top of Crowcombe Hill (Crowcombe Park Gate) on the LHS.OS Map 181. GR150378.
We will be walking for two to two-and-a-half hours before lunch. This will include a short stop for a drink and a snack and to admire the views. We shall have lunch at The Plough, Holford.
After lunch, we will make our way back on a different route that should take no longer than two hours, including time for a short break.
The walking will be through both wooded and open landscapes which, on clear days, give superb views. Although there are a couple of short, steepish sections, the walking will be relatively easy.
Please note, however, that the total walking distance is about six miles. Some of the paths are narrow, and, depending on the weather, can be very muddy. All are uneven.
Wednesday 26 May
We have arranged a high level tour of Wells Cathedral, giving us a wonderful chance to see treasures not visible to the normal visitor.
We will see the workings of the great clock and hear how it is maintained; the plaster floor where the architects and master builders drew their plans; the gallery behind the west front where the choirboys sang to the credulous people below who thought it was the carved saints singing; and finally a glorious view from the top of the tower [but they won't allow you up there if it is raining.]
There are 250 steps altogether between floors and some narrow places only 14 inches wide. The tour takes about one-and-a-half hours.
The Cathedral guides are very strict about the people permitted to go, so if you have any breathing or heart problems, please do not apply. All those accepted will be asked to confirm that they are fit.
For those who do not wish to climb so far, or possibly fail to get a place on the high tour, there is a ground level tour available to more easily accessible treasures.
Thursday 3 June
The gardens are probably among the finest of their type in the world. Twice winner of the Silver Award at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Silver Gilt at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, the magnificent Victorian walled garden is set in 20 acres of woodland valley.
It was originally established in 1765 by the first Countess of Ilchester as a kitchen garden for her nearby castle. The unique micro-climate enables rare and exotic species from all over the world – many of them discovered by the plant-hunting descendants of the Countess – to thrive there.
After lunch, we will take the short trip to the 600-year-old swannery, a natural history paradise. It is the only place in the world where you are able to walk through the heart of a colony of nesting mute swans.
We will be visiting at the time hundreds of fluffy cygnets hatch from eggs in nests on or near the pathways. We will see the mass feeding at 4pm.
Tuesday 8 June
Eleven years ago the site was a barren landscape, with no soil and no plants. Today, there are crops which provide foods, fuels, medicines and materials in the setting of a biome, defined as “a major biotic community characterised by the dominant forms of plant life and the prevailing climate”.
At the Eden project, the Mediterranean Biome offers a range of plants from citrus, olives, herbs and vines to poppies and lupins. The Rainforest Biome presents a steamy jungle and plants and crops that include bananas, coffee, orchids, balsa and mahogany.
In May and June, as the weather gets warm, the “Global Garden Party” gets underway, this year drawing inspiration from the adventures of Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter's tea party.
The outdoor landscape is also coming into its own, with blue and white borders looking at their best. So are the water garden and wild flower meadow in Wild Cornwall, which can be visited by the Project's land train.
The Eden Project plans to get geothermal heat from the hot granite underneath. The plant should be running by 2012.
Monday 14 June
Mottisfont, which is owned by the National Trust, was built on the remains of a 13th century Augustinian Priory. Its name is probably derived from the Old English motes funta, meaning “spring near the confluence” or “spring of the moot” or possibly “spring of the stone” (from the Old English motere: sonte).
After the dissolution of the monasteries, the buildings fell into the hands of the Sandys family who were responsible for a Tudor and later 18th century house.
The drawing room of the house is notable for being decorated in a trompe l'oeil style by Rex Whistler in 1938 who was commissioned to transform the former entrance hall in the south-west wing into a Gothic drawing room.
The gardens are the main attraction, however, especially the walled garden which is the home of the National Collection of old-fashioned roses. These should be at their best in June when we visit. The rest of the gardens is also worth looking at. The lawns stretch down to the River Test which is famous for its brown trout.
Thursday 17 June
The Farmers Arms, cob built and with a thatched roof, is a family-owned pub dating from the 15th century. It is situated in a quiet side road, just off the busy A358, in the foothills of the Quantocks. It boasts tasty local real ales and fine wines from around the world.
Our pub lunch events are becoming very popular with Quantock Centre members, giving us the opportunity to meet others and to have a good chat over a pleasant meal.
Thursday 24 June
Cothay is one of the loveliest and most romantic of medieval manors. The rent was once a rose and a pair of spurs, payable at Christmas and midsummer. One of the roses may have been a red or white bloom from bushes planted after the Wars of the Roses – and still. blooming.
Many people will have seen the programme about Cothay on television, “Country House Rescue”, and know that the gardens and a great deal of the interior are the result of years of devoted work and care by the present owners, Mary-Anne and Alastair Robb. They do not open their home to the public except to pre-arranged groups.
We will be given a guided tour of the house and see its beautiful historic rooms, lovely old furniture and wall paintings, and see, too, that it is a gracious and comfortable home.
Afterwards, we shall be free to wander in the gardens – at their very best in June. There are garden rooms, each with its own colour and style, and 200 yards of yew hedge, a bog garden, courtyards, a kitchen garden, fine trees and a river walk.
These marvellous gardens won the highest accolade of two stars in the Good Gardens Guide.
Tuesday 6 July
The highlight of our visit will be a conducted tour of St John the Baptist Church, sometimes referred to as the “Cathedral of the Cotswolds”.
The church has just completed a hugely expensive renovation which included the upgrading of the organ to 3,500 pipes.
This should be a fascinating visit, especially when one considers such attractions as the ornate 15th century “wine-glass” pulpit; the Anne Boleyn cup, a silver goblet given to Dr Richard Masters, a physician, in gratitude for his care of Anne's daughter, the future Elizabeth I; and the extraordinary three-storey entrance porch, built around 1490.
Before this, there will be time to visit the charming Corinium Museum. (Corinium, Roman Cirencester, was the second largest town in Roman Britain.)
The museum features one of the largest Romano-British collections in the country as well as Saxon buried treasure, Civil War hoards etc.
After the tour, there will be an opportunity to visit the Brewery Arts Centre with its craft workshops and craft gallery shop where products are offered for sale – items from jewellery and ceramics to wood, glass and metalwork.
Monday 12 July
This is an opportunity to explore Bishops Lydeard with local historian David Hinton. (It is a repeat of a visit made exactly a year ago, and members who were on the waiting list then and now wish to re-apply for places will be given priority for tickets.)
We shall visit the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, with its 14th century Perpendicular tower built of red sandstone from the Quantock Hills, and also the village's rare and famous Fives Wall.
We will then go to the restored Bishops Lydeard Mill, which features village trades and has a working water mill. This will be followed by a visit to the West Somerset Steam Railway's fascinating Gauge Museum with its display of artefacts,. documents and photographs about the West Country's railway history.
We shall conclude the afternoon by watching the arrival from Minehead of the last steam train of the day into the station.
Friday 23 July (provisional)
This will be our second visit to Holcombe Court, but, at the time of going to press, the date had still to be finally confirmed.
The number of visitors has to be limited to 20. This time last year many members were disappointed because they could not be accommodated and were left on the waiting list. If they re-apply for places this year, they will be given priority.
Holcombe Court is a Grade I-listed building and has been described as the finest Tudor house in Devon. It dates from the middle of the Tudor period, having been built around 1530. The dovecote is listed Grade II* (a grading for particularly important buildings of more than special interest) and the gardens Grade II (so graded because they are of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve them).
The owner, Mr Nigel Wiggins, will give us a guided tour of the house.
It is hoped that we will be able to visit the delightful little church next to the house.
Friday 30 July
The house, Elizabethan in origin and enlarged in the late 1670s, is a marvellous example of a West Country manor in harmony with it surroundings.
Now the home of the Earl and Countess of Sandwich, Mapperton continues to be a family house and harks back to the restoration of Charles II when the first Earl of Sandwich brought the King back from Holland. [The sandwich is named from the Fourth Earl.] Mapperton has remained almost unchanged since the plague of 1665-6 which claimed many of its inhabitants.
The gardens descend from the great lawn through a formal topiary down to the woodland garden. You will see the church, stable block, coach house, dovecote and courtyard.
Thursday 5 August
The Banwell Bone Caves are a fascinating place which no-one seems to have heard of! They are just outside Weston-super-Mare and include a stalactite cave (now closed) and the bone caves.
These are literally piled up with the bones of animals, no longer native to this country, which were washed into the caves at the end of the last Ice Age about 80,000 years ago. The caves are lit by candles, giving the impression of what all the Mendip caves must have looked like to early explorers.
As well as having a tour of the caves, visitors are able to see a short film about the caves and their discovery.
In the 19th century the caves and the surrounding estate belonged to the Bishop of Bath and Wells who built a guest house for his friends and developed the gardens with a number of follies and a 60ft tower, which can be climbed.
Monday 9 August
We start our day with a visit to Castell Coch (Red Castle). Resting on medieval foundations, the castle is relatively modern, the by-product of a vivid Victorian imagination, assisted by untold wealth. The Middle Ages fascinated the Victorians as much as the Victorians fascinate us.
The castle was rebuilt in 1890 as a rural retreat for the third Marquis of Bute to complement the opulence of his main home, Cardiff Castle. His architect here, as at Cardiff, was William Burges, renowned for his distinctive and dazzling designs. The aim was to achieve another Gothic Revival masterpiece in appropriate 13th century style.
Burges incorporated a fully operational drawbridge and circular towers crowned by conical roofs, giving the castle a romantic, fairytale appearance.
After lunch, we travel two miles to Caerphilly where a Blue Badge guide will meet us at the Castle, with its famous leaning tower. It is the largest castle in Wales and sits like a slumbering giant awaiting a call to arms!
At the time of its building in the late 13th century, it was a revolutionary masterpiece of military planning, using a concentric “walls within walls” system of defence. The condition of the castle later deteriorated until the third Marquess of Bute (again!) intervened to preserve it in the late 19th century.
Caerphilly Castle has been a great backdrop for TV and film (the BBC's “Merlin” and “Young Dracula”, for example).
Monday 16 August
The Cannington Walled Gardens have been built in the grounds of a medieval priory, and some of the original buildings, as well as the walls, still remain.
The gardens, which have recently been redeveloped, contain various types of garden, and a glasshouse containing sub-tropical, tropical and arid plants.
Close to the Gardens and the Bridgwater College (Cannington Centre) buildings is the parish church of St Mary. This was built in the Perpendicular style during the 15th century, replacing the existing Norman church on the same site.