provisional Itinerary for open palace PROGRAMME england 2024
English Programme: Saturday 22nd June 2024 to Saturday 6th July 2024
Please note the itinerary below is regularly updated when changes to the programme may occur.
Saturday 22nd June You will arrive in the incomparable Roman and Georgian city of Bath, meet your Open Palace Programme Leader, settle into your delightful accommodation and enjoy a welcome tea.
Sunday 23rd June You will be given an in depth talk on the content of the programme and a tour of the city.
Monday 24th June to Wednesday 26th June You will take part in a series of fascinating practical seminars at the Bath Preservation Trust sites; namely No 1 Royal Crescent and The Museum of Bath Architecture. You will be working with the Senior Curator and the Learning and Engagement team considering conservation and interpretation issues. e. In the afternoon we will walk to The Roman Baths, a world heritage site. We will be meeting their Learning and Participation Manager and focusing on learning and Interpretation at the site.
Royal Crescent, Bath
Stonehenge, image CC-SA-BY 3.0 Wigwulf
Wednesday 26th June We will visit the extraordinary prehistoric site of Stonehenge in Wiltshire. Then we will travel on to stay in the vibrant and historic city of Brighton.
On Thursday 27th June and Friday 28th June we will experience some of their dazzling and imaginative heritage sites of Brighton. We will find out all about the education programme at Brighton Museum and the extraordinary Royal Pavilion. We will also visit the Grade 1 Regency Town House to study renovation and conservation.
Royal Pavillion in Brighton, CC-SA-BY 3.0 XGKKP
Windsor Castle, CC-SA-BY 3.0 Josep Renalias
On Monday 1st July we will take you to Windsor Castle to enjoy a stimulating session with their specialist staff focusing on collections management and cleaning. Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, it has since been the home of 40 monarchs.
We will then travel to the magnificent city of Oxford. On Tuesday 2nd July you will be privileged to visit the Rare Books department of the Bodleian Libraries and handle some of their rarest books as well as find out how their collection is managed by their specialist team.
On Tuesday 2nd July You will also enjoy a specialist session at the famous Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford learning about their extraordinary collection from their Head of Education.
Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford. Image CC BY-SA 4.0 geni
Stowe House, Buckinghamshire. Image CC-SA-BY 2.0 Wesley Trevor Johnston
On Wednesday 3rd July we will travel to the outstanding Stowe Palace, a fabulous 18th century house and garden. You will enjoy a celebratory drink on the glorious South Steps and a picnic in the garden. You will join the senior staff where you will gain insights into the development of this palace in its magnificent setting. You will see conservation in action and learn about estate management at magnificent Stowe.
On Wednesday 3rd July we will also travel to the historic city of London. Arguably the most famous city in the world, London has for millennia been at the heart of British society. Founded by the Romans in AD50, Londinium became the capital of Roman Britain during the second century. By this time the city was a bustling metropolis with a population of around 60,000 and even featured the largest Roman building north of the Alps, the basilica. Also during the second century a large city wall was built around Londinium, some of which can still be seen today and which still defines the limits of the present day ‘City of London’.
London. Image CC-BY 2.0 Hamza Butt
On Thursday 4th July we will also be visiting the Tower of London . The moment you step inside the Tower of London you will appreciate the deep historical significance of the site. We will meet a member of the Curation team to talk about curatorial issues and a Warder. we will also be visiting Apsley House on Hyde Park Corner. It was the London home of the first Duke of Wellington and has changed very little since his victory at Waterloo in 1815. Built by Robert Adam in the 1770s it was transformed in the 1820s by the architect Benjamin Dean Wyatt. It has one of the finest art collections in London, with paintings by Velazquez and Rubens. The Keeper of The Wellington Collection at Apsley House will be leading your session.
On Friday 5th July we will visit Hampton Court Palace and will help you to imagine all the extraordinary royal history that has taken place there . You will participate in focused hands-on sessions with different conservation specialists at Hampton Court and curatorial staff at the the Tower of London. You will also meet the Joint Chief Curator of all the historic royal palaces, Tracy Borman, who will talk about her career and her fantastic books on Tudor history. We will then return to our accommodation for a final night.
