15 members met up at the historic Wilton House a few miles outside of Salisbury on Monday 23^rd June 2025. We had booked for the 12:00 guided tour so we gathered in the café prior to the start for a coffee. Our guide gave us an outline of the house’s history and how the family had owned the estate for more than 450 years. Wilton House was originally an abbey, which after the Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries was given to William Herbert, 1^st Earl of Pembroke whose family still live there, the current incumbent being the 18^th, Earl.

As we progressed around the house, we walked down a number of corridors lined by statues that seemed familiar as they have been used in many films over the last 30 years. The house has had additions and remodelling by both Han Holbein and Inigo Jones and is a very impressive Grade 1 listed structure. Internally the house has a set of very impressive State Rooms. The Cube and the Double Cube room are the most spectacular as they are 30ft and 60ft long respectively, both 30ft wide and high. Both rooms are full of artwork that was either painted by Van Dyck when he was in residence (one portrait of the then Pembroke family covering one wall 30 ft wall). The house also displays art works by a number of other famous artists including Han Holbein, Rubens and Breughel. The rooms are packed with spectacular furniture all created for the house and the ceilings are painted with beautiful frescoes. One bookcase by Chippendale is alleged to be valued  at £20 – £30 million!

On completion of the tour of the house we returned to the Café for an excellent lunch and then spent a couple of hours walking in the gardens alongside the River Nadder and visiting the Old Riding School where the current Earl displays his collection of cars, old and new. The river has a Palladian bridge which became the template for many similar bridges to be built in other large houses in the UK.

Feedback from the members attending was overwhelmingly positive with remarks like I never realised that the art and house would be of that quality so near to where we live. After spending the best part of 5 hours we headed for home after a most enjoyable day.

Kevin Barter

A total of 12 Questers joined our annual trip to the seaside this year as 3 cancelled at short notice. The weather was very nice and we all did a bomb-burst and went our separate ways.  The current Mrs Duncan took me to an Amusement arcade which didn’t amuse me in the least as I lost all my money playing the 2p tipping point machine. To be fair, we had saved up our pennies over the winter so we must have spent around £3 in total (a lot of money for us Jocks!)

We dined in one of Bournemouth’s finest restaurants (Spoons), the food was quite good really. I’d like to publicly thanks the passengers for returning to the bus on time for our journey back to Andover and also Robert who got us there and got us back safely – thank you.  I enclose a bad photo (the only one from Bournemouth which I didn’t take!”

Pete

We have a guided tour of Wilton house booked for 15 people on the 23^rd June at 12:00. The tour will last about an hour.

The guided tour will include access to the house (famous for the double cube room with its Van Dyk paintings) and gardens. The cost will be £16.50 for concessions (over 65) and £19.00 if this doesn’t apply. Please let me know If you are 65 or under or I will assume you are entitled to the concession.

This is a self-drive trip, if you need a lift please indicate in your response to me and I will endeavour to arrange a lift with the U3A members attending.

There is no organised lunch for this trip but there is a café onsite and a sample menu at this Wilton House site is at this link

There is also a Blue Diamond Garden Centre nearby which also has eating facilities. More information can be found at this link

If you wish to come on this trip, please advise as soon as possible as the trip is restricted to 15 persons it will be on a first come, first served basis. No money should be paid just now but I will send the successful applicants details of how to pay by BACS.

If you have any questions on this trip, please contact Kevin Barter at kevin.barter2@ntlworld.com or 07974 111551