• Donate
  • View Cart
  • My Account
  • Members’ Area
    • Publications
      • Royal Oak News
      • Magazine Discounts
    • Travel
      • Heritage Circle Tours
      • Britain Tours 2023
      • Other International Trips
      • Hotels and Accommodation
      • National Trust Rentals
      • Royal Over-Seas League
      • In and Around London Map
  • Programs & Events
    • Spring 2023 Lectures and Tours
    • Winter 2023 Lectures and Tours
    • Fall 2022 Lectures and Tours
    • 2023 Annual Benefit
    • Past Annual Benefits
  • Impact
    • 2023 – 2024 Campaign
    • Royal Oak Conservation Studio
    • Recent Campaigns
    • 2021 Grants
    • The Nigel Seeley Fellowship
    • The Damaris Horan Fellowship
  • Stories
    • Houses & Buildings
    • Gardens & Parklands
    • Art & Furniture
    • Nature & Wildlife
    • Cooking & Traditions
    • Families & People
    • Events & Galas
    • News & Announcements
  • About Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Job Opportunities
    • Press
    • FAQ
    • About The National Trust
  • Support Us
    • 2023 – 2024 Campaign
    • Membership
    • Heritage Circle
    • 2023 Annual Fund
    • Lecture Support
    • Legacy Circle
    • Partners
    • Ways to Give

The Royal Oak Foundation

  • Donate
  • Buy a Membership
  • View Cart
  • My Account
  • Members’ Area
    • Publications
      • Royal Oak News
      • Magazine Discounts
    • Travel
      • Heritage Circle Tours
      • Britain Tours 2023
      • Other International Trips
      • Hotels and Accommodation
      • National Trust Rentals
      • Royal Over-Seas League
      • In and Around London Map
  • Programs & Events
    • Spring 2023 Lectures and Tours
    • Winter 2023 Lectures and Tours
    • Fall 2022 Lectures and Tours
    • 2023 Annual Benefit
    • Past Annual Benefits
  • Impact
    • 2023 – 2024 Campaign
    • Royal Oak Conservation Studio
    • Recent Campaigns
    • 2021 Grants
    • The Nigel Seeley Fellowship
    • The Damaris Horan Fellowship
  • Stories
    • Houses & Buildings
    • Gardens & Parklands
    • Art & Furniture
    • Nature & Wildlife
    • Cooking & Traditions
    • Families & People
    • Events & Galas
    • News & Announcements
  • About Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Job Opportunities
    • Press
    • FAQ
    • About The National Trust
  • Support Us
    • 2023 – 2024 Campaign
    • Membership
    • Heritage Circle
    • 2023 Annual Fund
    • Lecture Support
    • Legacy Circle
    • Partners
    • Ways to Give

Stories

In God's Own Country: A Memorable Trip through Yorkshire

October 9, 2015

This September, Royal Oak Board members visited Yorkshire on a tour of National Trust properties. After glowing reviews of the trip, we decided to post our itinerary here – use it to plan your own visit to “God’s Own Country.”

Your Royal Oak membership entitles you to unlimited admission to all the National Trust properties listed. Not a member yet? Join today! Join Now

Our own trip was coordinated by Alex Youel, Tour Director and Managing Director of Your Membership Matters. Alex was invaluable in our planning and wrote this reflection. Learn more about Your Membership Matters here.

By Alex Youel

Royal Oak Directors enjoy a guided tour of Beningbrough. Borrow their itinerary to plan your very own tour of York! Photo courtesy of Cathy Thornton

Royal Oak Directors enjoy a guided tour of Beningbrough. Borrow their itinerary to plan your very own tour of York! Photo courtesy of Cathy Thornton

Each September Royal Oak’s Board Directors visit heritage places in the UK, starting in London and then moving on to a different nation or region. This year we visited the county of Yorkshire, which we were told by the locals is known as ‘God’s Own County’.

Royal Oak Board of Director members on the steps of Beningbrough, York, as part of the 2015 Board Tour.

Royal Oak Board of Director members on the steps of Beningbrough, York, as part of the 2015 Board Tour.

Before leaving London however, members of our Membership Committee first took trips to two National Trust places close to London and which both receive American visitors – Claremont Landscape Garden, SW of London, and Ham House and Garden on the River Thames close to Richmond. At Claremont we learnt from Head Gardener Adam Carveth of ambitious plans to recreate a bridge to the lake island. At Ham, where ROF grants have previously supported the conservation of silk wall-hangings, we not only met the recruiting team and enjoyed a tour of the house but also sampled some 17th-century-style ale in the cellars!

Short trips to Carlyle’s House and 575 Wandsworth Road, both still in London, on the Monday afternoon whetted our appetite for the journey to Yorkshire the following morning – by train from King’s Cross to Wakefield, then on to Nostell Priory for lunch and a house tour. Nostell is famous for its wonderful collection of Chippendale furniture, which we were able to study in some detail courtesy of our expert guides. This matched our 2015 theme of supporting the National Trust’s furniture collections.

York Minster's facade. Photo courtesy of Marilyn Fogarty.

York Minster’s facade. Photo courtesy of Marilyn Fogarty.

We stayed at the very comfortable Middlethorpe Hotel and Spa which is one of three hotels given in recent years as a magnificent gift to the Trust by Historic House Hotels. On Wednesday we enjoyed tours of York Minster and nearby Treasurer’s House, where final preparations were underway for an exhibition in partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) on the life of actress Vivien Leigh, star of Gone with the Wind. After a relaxing tour of Middlethorpe’s gardens we prepared for the National Trust-hosted tour and dinner at Beningbrough Hall, just outside of York. We were fortunate indeed to be able to enjoy dinner in the Great Hall, which hasn’t been used in this way for over 30 years.

On Thursday we visited Nunnington Hall, where besides touring the house we enjoyed some excellent tea and cakes, Castle Howard (courtesy of the Hon Nicholas and Victoria Howard, who joined us for lunch and led us on the afternoon’s private tour of the family Mausoleum), and lastly Bishopthorpe Palace, courtesy of the Archbishop of York and Palace Warden David Atkinson.

At Harewood House on our final day we were greeted by Lord Harewood and given a specially devised close-up tour of the splendid Chippendale furniture there, rivaling Nostell’s. After lunch we set off for a lightning visit to England’s longest-fronted country house, Wentworth Woodhouse. Our guide Robert gave an unforgettable tour of this enormous but troubled house (currently up for sale), which concluded our memorable visit to ‘God’s Own County’.

Interested in more travel suggestions on your next trip to the UK? Take a look at our other guides:

  • Autumn
  • Furniture
  • Sussex
  • Ireland
  • Christmas
  • London Theatre
  • 7 Wonders of the National Trust

Share this...
Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on pinterest
Pinterest
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
Linkedin
Post navigation
Previous StoryNext Story

Search the Blog

Filter by Category

  • Houses & Buildings
  • Gardens & Parklands
  • Art & Furniture
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • Cooking & Traditions
  • Families & People
  • Travel & Tours
  • Events & Galas
  • News & Announcements
  • Membership
  • 2023 Annual Fund
  • Heritage Circle
  • Legacy Circle
  • Royal Oak Lecture Support
  • Ways to Give
  • Partners
  • Restoring Bath Assembly Rooms
  • Royal Oak Conservation Studio
  • About Us
  • Board of Directors
  • Staff
  • About The National Trust
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

general@royal-oak.org
lectures@royal-oak.org
T: 212.480.2889 | 800.913.6565

Copyright © 2023 The Royal Oak Foundation. All rights reserved.
20 W 44th Street, Suite 606, New York, New York 10036-6603

This website uses analytical and tracking cookies to improve your user experience and for statistical purposes. By continuing to browse on this website, you agree to the use of such cookies.