Cotswold Farm
All Saints Church
Cotswold Farm
Rodmarton
Wilson Gallery Cheltenham
Cotswold Farm Library
Cotswold Farm
Gardens at Cotsworld Farm
The Wilson, Cheltenham superb Art Gallery
Guided tour Rodmarton Manor
Selsley and Sapperton Churches
Join Prof. Anne Anderson and Dr Scott Anderson and explore the legacy of the Arts & Crafts Movement of the early 20th century, inspired by William Morris, in a series of visits that illustrate this influential movement’s philosophy of design and local creativity, best shown in the Cotswolds. Highlights of the tour include the impressive The Wilson, Cheltenham's Art Gallery and Museum which is home to a superb Arts & Crafts collection and a special visit to Cotswold Farm, a privately owned Arts & Crafts style house which was originally designed by Sidney Barnsley.
Available Departures |
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| 18 - September - 2025 | £ 625.00 | Travel Info Book Now |
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Provisional Timings |
Day 1: Arrive independently at the Blunsdon House Hotel, Swindon from 15.00. This evening there will be a welcome reception, dinner with wine and a talk by Prof. Anne Anderson - ‘Arts and Crafts in the Cotswolds’.
Day 2: Cotswold Farm and The Wilson, Cheltenham
The first visit of the day is to Cotswold Farm, privately owned by John and Sarch Birchill who will guide you around their beautiful Arts & Crafts home and gardens, which was extended by architect Sidney Barnsley. We enjoy a light lunch here (included), then we head to the very impressive The Wilson, Cheltenham’s Art Gallery and Museum which houses a superb Arts & Crafts collection. This evening there will be a second talk from Prof. Anne Anderson - ‘Inventing the Cotswold Style: Gimson and the Barnsleys’ and buffet dinner in the hotel restaurant.
Day 3: Rodmarton Manor, All Saints Selsley and Sapperton Church
This morning we will visit the Arts & Crafts Rodmarton Manor where we will have a guided tour. Rodmarton was completed in 1929 and was one of the last great country houses to be built using traditional methods of construction – one of the Arts & Crafts movements’ ideals. After a light lunch (included) we will visit All Saints in Selsley, a church designed by GF Bodley. Whilst here we will have a short talk on the Gothic Revival style of the church and a look at its remarkable stained glass windows that were supplied by Morris, Marshall, Faulkner and Co., the predecessor of Morris and Co. in the 1860s and to Sapperton Church, burial place of many leading Arts & Crafts protagonists. Return to the hotel for approximately 16.30.
NB: Exact order of itinerary may vary according to local conditions and tour manager's discretion.
Please note: Post tour extra nights are available at a supplement.
Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 40 passengers.
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
Blunsdon House Hotel, Swindon
Located on the edge of the Cotswolds in the village of Broad Blunsdon near Swindon, the four-star family owned Blunsdon House Hotel offers comfortable, individually decorated and tastefully furnished bedrooms with ensuite bathroom, TV, mini bar, safe and tea & coffee making facilities in the room. Other facilities at the hotel include two restaurants, bar, and a health and lesiure club including gym and swimming pool. Complimentary car parking is available at the hotel.
Blunsdon House Hotel Website
Your Lecturers
Prof. Anne Anderson
Prof. Anne Anderson author, broadcaster, Lecturer and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, was a senior lecturer at Southampton Solent University for 14 years, specialising in the Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau and Modernism. Anne's career as an international speaker has taken her all over the world and her TV credits include the BBC's Flog It!. Anne has received a rapturous response from or customers at the many Travel Editions UK lectures and tours as well as a host of tours overseas and her knowledge, wit and enthusiasm bring her beloved subjects to life in whatever location she finds them.
Dr Scott Anderson MA, PhD, FNAVA, ASFAV (Associate of the Society of Fine Art Auctioneers)
Scott is a University Senior Lecturer in the History of Art and Design and is an Honorary Fellow of the National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers. He is a specialist in Victorian and Edwardian art, architecture and antiques and is a consultant expert for the BBC2 'Flog It!' programme. Scott is an Accredited Lecturer of The Arts Society and has lectured extensively to various societies, special interest groups and educational groups throughout Britain. He has extensive tour guiding experience in Britain, European locations such as Paris, Berlin, Vienna and New York.
Please note that all our UK tours start and finish at the relevant hotel.
You can normally check in from 3pm onwards but hotels will always be happy to store your luggage if you arrive earlier in the day.
For full details of how to get to the hotel, directions and the nearest train station, please click on the hotel website or call our office for details. These will also be sent automatically with your confirmation.
The welcome reception and first evening dinner / talk will commence at about 6pm - full details will be sent with your joining instructions about 10 days prior to the arrival date.
Anne Anderson is such a wonderful guide, so very very knowledgeable, full of fun and fascinating facts. The bedrooms were wonderful the grounds lovely the food excellent And all the timings worked out very very well I have no complaints at all or suggestions for improvement.
Review by Bennett who travelled 19-September-2024
Anne and Scott were both very knowledgeable and friendly.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 19-September-2024
Review by Anonymous who travelled 19-September-2024
A well organised and informative tour. We will certainly book another Travel Editions tour in the future.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 19-September-2024
Review by Anonymous who travelled 19-September-2024
Both Tour Manager and Academic Guide were exceptionally well informed and enthusiastic.
Review by Price who travelled 19-September-2024
Restaurant service was very slow on the second evening. Three days would be better than two. The prep and travel feels out of proportion.
Review by Warren who travelled 19-September-2024
Travel Editions feedback:
Thank you for your feedback and your comments about the restaurant service will be fed back to the hotel and our apologies for this. It is a hard balance to get the duration of these trips correct and this is something that we review on a regular basis.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 19-September-2024
The tour manager and the expert were incredibly knowledgeable, and welcoming. It was a very enjoyable two days.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 19-September-2024
We had booked this tour specifically to be on a tour led by Prof Anderson as she is an absolute mine of information. It is such a stimulating pleasure to be accompanied by her and we will look out for anything next year that she is guiding.
Review by Brooking who travelled 10-October-2019
A very interesting tour, especially Cotswold Farm, so hope the next generation of the family will welcome tours in the future.
Review by anonymous who travelled 10-October-2019
This tour met the high standards that we have come to expect from Travel Editions. The visit to Cotswold farm was particularly special.
Review by Mansbridge who travelled 10-October-2019
Review by anonymous who travelled 10-October-2019
Excellent guiding by Anne, as ever, great transport by Jo and the Cotswold Farm was a real highlight. Blundesden Manor Hotel was a disappointment but fine for a couple of nights
Review by OSullivan who travelled 10-October-2019
Review by anonymous who travelled 10-October-2019
An excellent tour which we thoroughly enjoyed. The hotel restaurant was also excellent, as was the service.
Review by Anonymous who travelled 11-October-2018
Very good tour in particular the two visits to the private houses where we had lunch and were shown round by the owner. One criticism it would be much better to have the evening lectures after the evening meal. Senior citizens would prefer not to be eating at 9.30 pm.
Review by Birks who travelled 11-October-2018
Review by Anonymous who travelled 11-October-2018
Enjoyable and interesting holiday. Tour manager very well informed but at times cold have been briefer. Final afternoon perhaps a little thin. It would have been interesting at least to see the houses where arts and crafts people had lived in Sapperton, even if we could not go inside. Hotel pleasant but we had a continuing problem with a WC that did not flush properly - not cured despite raising it with staff.
Review by Price who travelled 11-October-2018
The picture on page 37 is not Selsey church. Anne Anderson did not give either of the tevening alks. The dinners were not buffet style & hotel locations mentioned in the final notes are inaccurate. A handout summarising the history and architecture of Cotswold Farm would be useful. There was too much detail to memorise. Rodmarton & Selsey have guide books on sale. The route should be agreed in advance with the coach company and not improvised on the day. I always include the numbers of the OS Landranger and Explorer maps in my tour notes. OS grid references are helpful. It took some time to locate Cotswold Farm.
Review by Mrs L Hollamby who travelled 15-September-2016
We enjoyed the trip very much. There was some slight confusion about seeing the non-Arts/Crafts parts of The Wilson in Cheltenham. The lunch at Rodmarton Manor was rather sparse!
Review by Mrs Hilary Silk who travelled 15-September-2016
The photo in your brochure was not of Selsley church. The written description of the tour was OK. Scott and Prof Anne Anderson were just fantastic, knowledgeable but relaxed. However, the evening talks should have been given by Anne.
Review by Mrs L Hollamby who travelled 15-September-2016
The places we visited were full of interest - they were very well chosen
Review by Mrs Catherine Foot who travelled 15-September-2016
We finally managed to get our break after having to cancel two previous holidays. Had you not held our original deposits over this period, it would have cost us far more for our break. Cannot thank you enough for that. Many thanks . "Great break & Superb service".
Review by Mrs Melanie Asquith who travelled 15-September-2016
A wonderful tour which further inspired our love of the Arts and Crafts movement. Our tour guides, Anne and Scott Anderson were extremely knowledgeable on their subject and combined this with a friendly and approachable manner. The hotel was comfortable and the food excellent. We loved all of it but it was a particular privilege to see Cotswold Farm which is not generally open to the public. Iona made us fell very welcome visitors. We are looking forward to planning another trip.
Review by Mr John Gray who travelled 15-September-2016
Review by Mrs P Chattin who travelled 15-September-2016
I had to ask to be moved to another room after the first night at the Blunsdon House Hotel. The first room had a bed like a board, was incredibly hot with only an old noisy fan and the ceiling wallpaper was peeling off. Also the loo would not flush properly. The room I was moved to was excellent by comparison.
Review by Miss Suzan Swinchatt who travelled 15-September-2016
