(Newswire.net — February 6, 2014) Worcestershire — The leader in walking tours in the Cotswolds, Cotswold Walks offers travellers a chance to follow in the footsteps – and see the home – of noted designer William Morris.
Cotswold Walks, a locally-owned, well-established walking tour company that has over 20 years of experience showcasing the region to visitors, shares the best of the Cotswolds – with an expert’s knowledge and an insider’s perspective. The Arts and Crafts Holiday is one such walking tour.
“Many of our guests arrive with a passion for the English Arts and Crafts Movement,” says owner Andrew Guppy. “But what they experience on our walking tour is nothing short of a dream come true for William Morris aficionados.”
At the heart of the tour is a visit to Kelmscott Manor, country home of William Morris, and the ‘Earthly paradise’ that provided the inspiration for so many of his designs. The enchanting Manor and gardens are tucked away in a tiny hamlet close to the River Thames, and is filled with furniture, textiles, and wallpapers by Morris and his friends.
William Morris was passionate about the Cotswold countryside, and led many expeditions to its picturesque churches and villages. Guests will visit a range of places with special links to Morris, including Broadway Tower, Selsey church, and Bibury village, considered by Morris to be ‘the most beautiful village in England’. Guests will have the chance to follow in Morris’s footsteps and walk through water meadows to the famous group of weavers’ cottages known as ‘Arlington Row’.
Some of Morris’ most famous followers chose to settle in the Cotswolds, with one group, led by the visionary C.R. Ashbee, making their base in Chipping Campden; furniture-makers and architects Ernest Gimson and the Barnsley brothers settled in the idyllic village of Sapperton. Guests will visit the Old Silk Mill in Chipping Campden, home of Ashbee’s Guild of Handicrafts, where the workshop of Harts Silversmiths has remained almost unchanged since the 1900s.
Garden design also plays an important part in the Arts and Crafts movement, and there will be visits to Hidcote, famous for its series of ‘outdoor rooms’, and Kiftsgate Court, the creation of three generations of imaginative women gardeners.
Other highlights of the week include a guided tour of the outstanding Arts and Crafts collection in the Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum and a viewing of the Gordon Russell Furniture Museum in Broadway. At Buscot Park, guests can see the Briar Rose sequence of paintings, created by the leading Pre-Raphaelite artist, Edward Burne-Jones, and learn about the remarkable friendship between Burne-Jones and William Morris.
Guests stay in luxurious, historic hotels, starting the week at the Dormy House in Chipping Campden before moving on to the Lamb Inn in Burford. All hotel meals are included, and there will be plenty of leisure time for exploring Chipping Campden and Burford – two of England’s most picturesque country towns.
The expertly-guided Arts and Crafts Holiday Tour has two dates available for 2014, starting on May 11th and on August 24th. Each tour runs 6 nights/6 days.
For more information, availability, and reservations, please contact Cotswold Walks at http://www.cotswoldwalks.com/arts-crafts, info@cotswoldwalks.com by phone from the UK: 01386 833799
01386 833799
Photo complements of Kelmscott Manor