On 20th September 28 members of the group travelled to Castle Howard and despite a rather misty autumnal day enjoyed the baroque splendours of the house and the grounds including the Temple of the Four Winds, the Atlas Fountain the gardens, the lakes and the Mausoleum. As a bonus there was an exhibition of contemporary…

At the suggestion of two of the group members a party of us visited the newly extended and refurbished Hippodrome Theatre in Darlington and were given a tour of the beautifully refurbished auditorium and ancillary areas by our expert guide, who explained the history of the theatre and its recent revitalisation. The Theatre was originally…

A number of our members attended a U3A North East Regional Art Event at the Laing Gallery to celebrate the loan of Turner’s Fighting Temeraire from the National Gallery. We were given a well researched analysis by Catherine Stevenson, the regional art convenor. She explained the history of the painting, the event which it records,…

Built in 1885 and originally known as the Edward Pease Free Library after its main sponsor, it was designed by architect G.G. Hoskins who designed other notable buildings in Darlington, most notably the Kings Head Hotel on Northgate. The Building is in Hoskins' recognisable style, which is a flamboyant neo-classical with many original twists, all…

Day 1 - Belton House, Lincolnshire Our journey to Cambridge was broken at Belton House in Lincolnshire.  Belton House was the seat of the Brownlow family until the 1980’s when they were forced to relinquish the house and the estate to the government in lieu of death duties. Now in the care of the National…

The Art & Architecture Group visited the Museum on Friday 1st March, soon after its initial opening. You are aware of something new in the Auckland Project once you enter the park from the market square and pass under the Robinson Arch. On your left is a most elegant stone building with little fenestration other…

Two films by Waldemar Januszczak which sought to challenge commonly held opinions about the depiction of these subjects in art. The first looked at animals from Cave paintings in France and southern Africa, through Rembrandt’s portrayal of a carcass of beef and its influence on a lesser known impressionist Chaim Soutine right up to the…

Beningbrough Hall October 2023. Beningbrough Hall was built by John Bourchier in 1716, thought possibly to have been designed by Thomas Archer it is now owned and run by the National Trust. It has recently reopened after a major refurbishment and the interiors glowed with the care lavished upon them. To reflect the strong influence…

Hardwick Park is one of only two designed landscapes in the historic boundaries of County Durham (the other is at Gibside). Designed by James Paine for John Burdon in the 1700’s. It fell into disrepair during the twentieth century when it was given over to agriculture and forestry and many of the follies which adorned…

A guided visit to the Oriental Museum was set up for May 2023 but proved to be so popular that a second date had to be arranged

Day 1: Travel and Traquair House On our journey to Glasgow we made a break at Traquair House near Peebles which is the oldest continuously inhabited house in Scotland, its exact age is not known but thought to be around 900 years and is the home of the Stuart-Maxwell family. The house’s period interiors contain…

One of our members presented an excellent pictorial history of architecture from Stonehenge and the Pyramids to Lord’s Media Centre and the Great Court of the British Museum.