This tour is currently sold out.
The ICAA is pleased to partner with Classical Excursions to present this once-in-a-lifetime tour of Derbyshire, England. During the course of this program, participants will have the special opportunity to tour some of the county's most exquisite private residences and architectural sites.
Traveling by private motor-coach from London, tour participants will be greeted in Derbyshire with a daily rush of private tours, luncheons, teas, and dinners. The tour's overnight accommodations are at the Marriott Breadsall Priory Hotel, where participants will also enjoy a lecture by architectural historian Oliver Gerrish. The tour also includes a stay at the elegant Cavendish Hotel located on the Chatsworth Estate, Baslow, the ancestral home of the Devonshires.
To ensure the safety of our community, the ICAA is requiring that all participants of its travel programs receive the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot (aside from those eligible for a medical or religious accommodation).
This tour is arranged by Classical Excursions. Please note that a registration form and deposit must be submitted to Classical Excursions and a confirmation of receipt must be received from Classical Excursions in order to be considered registered for this program. Payment of the $500 donation to the ICAA prior to registration does not guarantee placement on the trip. To inquire about registration for this program, please contact Lani Summerville at [email protected] or 413-446-8728.
A fully tax-deductible donation of $500 per person is required to participate in this travel program. Please note that this donation is non-refundable except in the case that this travel program is cancelled by the organization. All travel program participants have the opportunity to receive a complimentary Individual level membership for one year to the ICAA.
Chatsworth
This tour includes a trip to Chatsworth, and a special visit with the Duke which will include a tour of the house's private apartments. First built by Bess of Hardwick in 1522 and rebuilt in the 17th century, this estate's State Rooms are now shown as never before with magnificent original furniture and gold and silver pieces. The vast gardens were designed by "Capability" Brown and Sir Joseph Paxton.
Haddon Hall
This program includes a visit to Haddon Hall and private reception with Lord and Lady Edward Manners. In addition to visiting this castle, which historian Simon Jenkins has called "the most perfect English house to survive from the Middle Ages," participants will enjoy a tour of the gardens with renowned garden designer Arne Maynard.
Hardwick Hall
Participants will enjoy a tour of Hardwick Hall, one of the most spectacular houses in England. Built for Bess of Hardwick, Hardwick Hall is splendidly and vigorously Elizabethan, possessing a seemingly endless array of shimmering windows. The High Great Chamber, for example, is sumptuously decorated with Brussels tapestries of Ulysses beneath a plaster frieze in color of the Hunt of Diana. The Long Gallery, says Simon Jenkins, “is the apotheosis of Elizabethan architecture,” having three bays filled with glass.
Tissington Hall
This program includes a private visit and lunch at Tissington Hall hosted by the owner Richard FitzHerbert, descended from ancestors having lived there since the 15th century. The Hall represents a blend of succeeding centuries of first-rate decor and furnishings.
Renishaw Hall
This program includes a private tour at Renishaw Hall and its gardens with the owners. At one time it was the home of the Sitwell aesthetes, Osbert, Edith and Sacheverell. Centuries of style personify this country house: a Jacobean Smoke Room in bright red with yellow paneling, an Adamesque dining room added in 1793 in soft pink, and a Regency wing containing the ballroom and drawing room in which hangs that splendid John Singer Sargent portrait of the three Sitwells.
Kedleston Hall
This tour includes a visit to Kedleston Hall to view its extraordinary interiors and furniture by the great Robert Adam.
Casterne Hall
This program includes a private welcoming lunch and visit to Casterne Hall, owned by the Hurt family since the 16th century.
Melbourne Hall
This program includes a visit to Melbourne Hall, which began as a mini-cathedral and was rebuilt as a private house in 1629. The Kerrs, Marquesses of Lothian, inherited the estate in the 19th century. Here, the emphasis will be on viewing the extraordinary gardens and the exterior of the house.
Catton Hall
This tour includes a a private tea at Catton Hall, which was begun by architects James Gibbs and William Smith of Warwick. The dining room of the house is decorated with Rococo plasterwork, musical trophies, and classical doorcases.
Chatsworth House (Pixabay)
Haddon Hall (Wikimedia Commons)
Hardwick Hall (Wikimedia Commons)
Kedleston Hall (Wikimedia Commons)
Reinshaw Hall (Wikimedia Commons)
If you would like to register, you may contact the travel operator organizing the program. Please note that a $500 donation per person to the ICAA is required in order to participate in each travel program.
Your $500 donation helps to further the ICAA’s goal of advancing the practice and appreciation of the classical tradition in architecture and the allied arts by supporting its varied educational programs, including continuing education courses, college workshops, the Summer Studio in Classical Architecture, New Heights, and many more.
Yes, a donation of $500 to the ICAA is required for each travel program you register for. The donation is required for each person attending a tour.
You can make your $500 donation to the ICAA online, or you can download, complete, and mail this form to the ICAA. You can alternatively fax a copy to 212-730-9649. You may also call 212-730-9646 x109 or email [email protected] to make a donation. Donations must be made separately from the registration fee.
No, membership is not required to attend an ICAA travel program. However, complimentary Individual membership to the ICAA is included with your $500 required donation.
For full itinerary and more information, contact [email protected], 860-926-4895. Due to the exclusive nature of our tours, some private locations or visits may be omitted from the ICAA's website.
Over the past several years, the ICAA has travelled to destinations including Paris; Andalusia; Atlanta; Barbados; South Africa; Chicago; the Netherlands and Belgium; Scotland; the French Riviera; Morocco; the Italian Lake Region; Charlottesville; Naples; and New Delhi, among many other locations. The ICAA is always looking to diversify its travel offerings. If you have a suggestion or location you would like to see added, please email [email protected].