CHRISTMAS AT HEVER CASTLE
For our 2026 pre-Christmas outing, we are visiting Hever Castle, where we are promised a ‘magical themed Christmas trail through the grounds’ and in the castle ‘beautifully decorated rooms, welcoming log fires and twinkling Christmas trees’.

We plan to arrive at Hever Castle at midday, giving us time to grab a coffee and explore the castle before proceeding to the Pavillion restaurant for mulled wine at 1:30pm before our three-course Christmas lunch (with vegetarian/vegan options).  A bar will be open for drinks purchases.

After lunch we will have further time to explore the castle and grounds, with the Christmas lights experience commencing at 4pm, before departing at 5:30pm

Images © Hever Castle, with permission

Northen Greece and Meteora tour brochure here

Northern Greece & Meteora booking form here

CHARLESTON HOUSE & GALLERY AND MONK’S HOUSE
 

This will be a day-visit exploring the country homes of members of the Bloomsbury Group.  Charleston House is the former home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, where “some of the 20th century’s most progressive artists and writers came together to imagine society differently”, while Monk’s House was the home of Virginia and Leonard Woolf.  Virgina Woolf is the subject of a lecture in June 2027 and her sister Vanessa Bell is covered in October 2027.

Upon arrival at Charleston House, we will have a little free time before our two or three half-hour house entry slots.  After a brief introduction before entering the house, members will be free to explore the house at their leisure.  The two galleries at Charleston each hold two exhibitions annually, but the programme for 2027 has not been advised as yet.  The gardens are described as a “living painting which continues to evolve and inspire”.  Charleston has a café and you are free to bring a picnic.

We will depart from Charleston at 1pm for the 30-minute journey to the drop-off point for Monk’s House at the Abergavenny Arms PH, from which it is a 500m walk (6 minutes for brisk walkers, so allow up to 10 minutes).  Monk’s House has no catering arrangements, but the timings will allow you either to take lunch at the pub before your visit, or return there for tea before the coach pick-up time.  Monk’s House is a National Trust property: members must bring their cards, or risk being asked to pay upon entry.

FISHBOURNE ROMAN PALACE
We start the day with a morning visit to Fishbourne Roman Palace, which is reputed to be the largest Roman home in Britain, with the largest collection of insitu mosaics, including a depiction of Cupid riding on a dolphin.  There are recreated Roman gardens, conservation work on Roman artifacts in progress and a cinema showing how the site was rescued from the bulldozers in the 1960s.

STANSTED PARK

After about two hours at Fishbourne, we will drive to Stansted House and Park (about 20 minutes), where we will dropped off in front of the house and be conducted into the Blue Drawing Room for a buffet sandwich lunch.  We will split into smaller groups for upstairs and downstairs guided tour of the Grade II-listed Edwardian mansion, which will all conclude in the Chapel of St Paul, from which we’ll be shown through to the Victorian walled gardens.

There will be about two hours of free time to explore the wider estate features, including an arboretum, the Pavillion café (with an option for formal afternoon tea at your own cost), farm shop, garden centre and a miniature railway (extra charge).  The coach pick-up will be from the garden centre carpark.