The South Downs
14th– 16th April 2027
We have planned a weekend trip to the South Downs to explore some of the best art right on our doorstep. We will visit Pallant House Gallery, home to one of the best collections of Modern British art in the country, before exploring the wooded paradise of Goodwood Art Foundation and its 70-acre art filled landscape. Our next day will be spent exploring Petworth and the works of Turner, Van Dyck and Gainsborough. We will finish with Charleston, a truly special house filled to the brim with art on every surface by Bloomsbury Group artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant.
We will stay in a quintessentially British pub (with an added touch of luxury) and eat very well.
Itinerary
Wednesday 14th April
You are free to arrive at the hotel at any time after 4pm to settle in. We will meet for drinks at 6.30pm followed by an excellent dinner – the Black Horse prides itself on locally sourced seasoned ingredients.
Thursday 15th April
Our first visit will be to Chichester and the wonderful Pallant House Gallery, home to one of the best collections of Modern British art in the country. The gallery began in 1982, when the former Dean of Chichester Cathedral gave his private collection to the city under the condition that it be shown in the Grade I listed townhouse in the city centre, Pallant House, that Queen Anne had built. Today the collection spans over 5,000 works from the early 20th century to the present day, including bequests from Lucian Freud, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore and Ben Nicholson and it is also the site of brilliantly curated changing exhibitions.
We will then take a private bus to Goodwood Art Foundation for a delicious lunch amongst the trees. The foundation launched in 2025 on the iconic Goodwood estate, and we will wind our way through part of their 70-acre landscape to discover sculptures by artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Rachel Whiteread and hear sound piece specifically created for the ancient woodland. Goodwood is also home to a great exhibition space, currently showing the first major UK exhibition of the land artist, Nancy Holt. We will then return to our lovely hotel in time for a drink before dinner.
Friday 16th April
The next morning, we will drive to Petworth House to see their incredible collection of works by Van Dyck, Turner and Gainsborough. The 3rd Earl of Egremont, who lived at Petworth in the early 19th century, was a great friend of Turners, and gave him free rein of the house and his collection. In return, Turner produced paintings of Petworth Park, which still hang in the house today. We will spend some time with these before exploring the very park he painted, then head to a pub lunch nearby.
Our day will end at Charleston; a truly special house filled to the brim with art on every surface by Bloomsbury Group artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. The garden is also a delight and equally as beautifully curated with mosaics, seasonal plants and sculptures. We will refuel with tea and cake at the café, before making a visit to Berwick church, just 10 minutes up the road, where Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Quentin Bell were commissioned to decorate the interior. Those who have come by train can be dropped at Lewes for your journey home, alternatively the coach will return to Amberley for those who have come by car.
Further Details
Tutors
Celia Higson and Emma Wagstaff will lead the trip, both of whom are experienced Art History Abroad tutors and know the South Downs well.
Hotel
We will stay in The Black Horse, a charming grade II listed building with beautifully appointed rooms. The pub serves excellent food, locally sourced and of very high quality. If you would like to upgrade to a ‘Country Room’ it will be £80 extra per room in total. Please let Charlie know as rooms are limited.
https://www.blackhorse-pub.com/
Travel
We will meet at the hotel on Wednesday by 6.30pm (hotel check-in is from 4pm); We recommend getting the train to Amberley, which is a 2-minute taxi journey to the hotel. On the way home we recommend getting the train from Lewes, where we will drop you off by private coach in the late afternoon, alternatively the coach will return to Amberley for those who have come by car. If you are driving, there is free parking in the Village Car Park on School Road, a 3-minute walk away. Please note, parking in the streets around the pub isn’t allowed.
Transport
We will be travelling by private coach for our journeys.
Ability
There is quite a lot of walking on this trip, as is the case for all our courses, there is a lot of standing while we discuss the works we are looking at.
Lunches and Dinners
Lunches are a set menu of two courses to include drinks. Dinner is by no means compulsory, but we book a table for the group each night at different restaurants and divide the bill equally between everyone. Sometimes these may also need to be a set menu, but we try our best to avoid this. We will adjust the bill for those not drinking alcohol.
Cost – The fees are £1050 which includes accommodation and breakfast, all lunches, transfers for the recommended flight, transport when connected with teaching, entrance fees, tuition, reading lists and local advice. The single occupancy supplement is £100 (double room for single use). Room upgrade is £80 in total. Not included are your travel to and from the trip, all suppers, travel insurance. The group will not exceed 16 people, and we will divide into two smaller groups wherever possible.
To register
Please complete the online registration form, having read our terms and conditions and pay a deposit of £600 per person via bank transfer once you have received the confirmation email. Please note your place is not confirmed until we have received your deposit.
If you have any queries, please email [email protected] or call 01379 871800 (302)
