Click on a region below to see just a selection of fantastic days out to enjoy with your Art Fund card and see some of the wonderful treasures Art Fund members have helped to buy.
North West | Wales | West Midlands | East Midlands | East Anglia
Central Southern | London | South East | South West
Scotland
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Duff House,
Banff, is a magnificent country house gallery in the care of the
National Galleries of Scotland. The permanent collection contains a
variety of paintings and furniture, including pictures by El Greco and
Raeburn, chairs by Chippendale and old tapestries.
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Bowhill House and Country Park, Selkirk, has an
art collection featuring works by Canaletto, Gainsborough and Reynolds.
Its fine rooms display tapestries, exquisite French furniture, Sevres and
Meissen porcelain and silver. Outside, miles of paths meander through
beautiful woodland and alongside rivers. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £8) |
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Falkland Palace, Falkland, was the country
residence and hunting lodge of eight Stuart monarchs, including Mary,
Queen of Scots. Built in the 16th-century the palace is a fine example of
Renaissance architecture. It is surrounded by gardens created in the
1950s. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £10.50) |
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The Hill House, Helensburgh, is Charles Rennie
Mackintosh's finest domestic creation. It was commissioned in 1902 by the
Glasgow publisher Walter Blackie, who wanted an individual home. He asked
Mackintosh to design not only the house and gardens, but much of the
furniture and interiors too. Members - FREE (full-priced adult- £8.50) |
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Northern Ireland
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Florence
Court, Enniskillen, is one of Ulster's most important
18th-century houses. Set against a stunning backdrop of the Cuilcagh
mountains, the building features exquisite Rococo plasterwork and a
collection of Irish furniture. The house is the former home of the Earls
of Enniskillen and many family paintings and artefacts have recently been
returned there. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £5) |
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Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh, tells the
story of emigration from Ulster to America in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The open-air museum features authentically furnished Old and New World
buildings, enlivened by demonstrators going about their everyday tasks in
traditional costume. Outside, the Ship and Dockside Gallery displays a
full-size reconstruction of an early 19th-century sailing ship of the type
which carried the emigrants across the Atlantic. Members - FREE (full-priced adult- £6.60) |
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Northern England
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Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, is located in a
beautiful Georgian villa set on the edge of the Lake District. The gallery
houses a fine selection of British art, including works by George Romney,
who spent his final years in Kendal. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £5.75) |
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Wallington, Morpeth, is a mansion set amid
extensive parkland and gardens. The fine interiors of the house set off a
series of Pre-Raphaelite paintings by William Bell Scott illustrating
Northumbrian history. There is also an intriguing Museum of Curiosities
and the grounds feature a lawn dotted with stone griffin heads and a
hidden garden. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £10.20) |
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Dove Cottage and Wordsworth Museum, Grasmere,
was home to the Romantic poet William Wordsworth and his family from 1799
to 1808. Inspired by the landscape of the Lake District, Wordsworth wrote
some of his finest works here. Many pieces of his furniture and portraits
are on display. Members - FREE (full-priced adult- 7.50) |
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Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, houses a
collection of European fine and decorative arts from 1400 to 1875. The
collection has a particular emphasis on French arts and Spanish paintings,
but there are also some fine examples of Italian paintings, English
furniture and European ceramics and textiles. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £7) |
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Yorkshire
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Yorkshire
Museum, York, contains some of impressive archaeological
finds, including a wealth of Viking and medieval treasures. The museum is
set amid ten acres of botanical gardens in the heart of
York. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £5 |
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Lotherton Hall, Leeds, has an extensive
collection of fine and decorative arts from the 18th, 19th and 20th
centuries. The impressive costume gallery houses a collection of
historical dresses augmented by works from modern designers such as Zandra
Rhodes and Vivienne Westwood. Members - FREE (full-priced adult- £3) |
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Whitby
Museum holds a permanent collection of 500 paintings,
including Victorian and earlier watercolours and oils. The gallery houses
a large collection of George Weatherill watercolours and paintings by the
Staithes Group of Artists. |
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Burton Constable Hall, nr Hull, is a large
Elizabethan mansion with nearly 30 rooms open to the public. The interiors
of faded splendour are filled with fine furniture, features a collection
of scientific instruments. Members - FREE (normal price - £6) |
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North West
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Gawthorpe Hall, nr Burnley, is a 17th-century
country house with a stunning riverside location. It was home to the
Shuttleworth family for over 300 years and features Rachel
Kay-Shuttleworth's extensive textile collection. The opulent period rooms
beautifully depict the lifestyle of an aristocratic Victorian
family. Members - FREE (full-priced adult- £4) |
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Lyme Park, Stockport, is a Tudor house which
was transformed into a lavish Italianate palace in the 18th century. The
house is set amid a tranquil Victorian garden and vast medieval deer park,
with a woodland estate for visitors to explore. Members - FREE (full-priced adult- £8.10) |
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Judges’ Lodgings, Lancaster, is the city's
oldest townhouse, dating from the 17th century. The house originally
belonged to witch-hunter Thomas Covell and displays a wealth of furniture,
porcelain, silver and paintings. There is also a recreation of an
Edwardian schoolroom featuring a collection of toys and
games. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £3) |
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Fleetwood Museum is situated in the town's
former Customs House, designed by the famous 19th-century architect
Decimus Burton in 1803. The museum brings to life the story of Fleetwood
and the surrounding Lancashire coast. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £3) |
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Wales
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Penrhyn Castle, Bangor, is a 19th-century
fantasy castle set in beautiful grounds with a Victorian walled garden and
views over Snowdonia. The contents include a furniture and art collection
along with a dolls museum, a railway museum and extensive Victorian
kitchens. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £9) |
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Brecknock Museum and Art Gallery, Brecon,
houses rare early medieval objects along with galleries devoted to the
rural life and natural history of the area. The varied exhibition
programme features the work of contemporary artists living and working in
Wales. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £1) |
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Tredegar House, Newport, is a 17th-century
mansion set in a beautiful 90-acre park. Here you can take a guided tour
of the impressive state rooms and servants' quarters, enjoy boating on the
lake, or explore the surrounding woodland. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £6.25) |
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Tenby
Museum and Art Gallery is located in the remains of Tenby
Castle. Its galleries are devoted to the geology, archaeology, natural,
maritime and local histories of Pembrokeshire. There is also a collection
of fine art including works by local artists (notably Augustus John and
Gwen John) and visiting artists. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £4) |
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West Midlands
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Jackfield Tile Museum, Telford, celebrates the
British decorative tile industry from 1840 to 1960. Visitors can see the
original gas-lit trade showroom and explore period room settings with
beautiful tile panels, including an Edwardian underground station and a
children's hospital ward. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £7.40) |
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Ford Green Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, is a
17th-century house and period garden with a collection of textiles,
furniture and ceramics. The grounds feature an original 18th-century
dovecote. Members - FREE (full-priced adult £2.50) |
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Wroxeter Roman City shows what life was like in
the fourth largest Roman city in Britain. Though much of the city remains
underground, the municipal baths and walls are impressive. The museum
provides a fascinating glimpse of life in Wroxeter in the second
century. Members - FREE (full-priced adult £4.20) |
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Shakespeare's Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon,
is housed in the restored building in which Shakespeare was born and lived
with his family. The house provides a fascinating insight into Elizabethan
life, containing original and replica items that would have adorned it
during the Bard's time. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £11.50) |
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East Midlands
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Normanby Hall, Scunthorpe, is a beautiful
Regency house designed by Sir Robert Smirke in 1825 for the former Dukes
of Buckingham. Explore the elegant rooms and learn about Lincolnshire's
rich rural history in the Farm Museum. The surrounding grounds have a
walled garden, a deer park, a miniature railway and extensive
woodland. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £5.10 |
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Woolsthorpe Manor, nr Grantham, is a small
17th-century manor house which was the family home of Sir Isaac Newton.
The physicist formulated some of his major works here, and an early
edition of his Principia is on display. Visit the orchard, which
includes a descendant of the famous apple tree, or explore the Science
Discovery Centre and Young Newton Exhibition. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £6.10) |
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East Anglia
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Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery was built
by the Normans as a royal palace 900 years ago and is one of the city's
most famous landmarks. Formerly used as a prison, it now houses a host of
treasures from fine art and archaeology to natural history. The castle
boasts the world's largest collection of ceramic
teapots. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £6.20) |
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Stained Glass Museum, Ely, offers an insight
into the fascinating story of stained glass. Housed in Ely Cathedral, the
museum contains an outstanding collection, from copies of works by Raphael
and Sir Joshua Reynolds to pieces by modern artists such as Evie Hone and
John Piper. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £3.50) |
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Ickworth, Bury St Edmunds, is a Georgian house
that was built by the eccentric 4th Earl of Bristol. The house has a
distinctive oval design, set amid Mediterranean-style gardens and
18th-century parkland. The collection features some important Old Master
paintings. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £8.30) |
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Wimpole Hall, nr Royston, is Cambridgeshire's
largest Georgian mansion. The grand interior features work by Gibbs,
Flitcroft and Soane, while the extensive wooded park was landscaped by
Bridgeman, Brown and Repton. The grounds come complete with a folly, a
Chinese bridge and a tranquil lake. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £13.30) |
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Central Southern
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Christ
Church Picture Gallery, Oxford, houses an important
collection of Old Master drawings and paintings, including work by artists
such as Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Rubens. The collection is
particularly strong in Italian art from the 14th to the 16th century,
featuring paintings by artists including Filippino Lippi, Tintoretto and
Veronese. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £3) |
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Wrest Park, nr Luton, has 90 acres of formal
gardens which provide a fascinating insight into the history of gardening
styles. Inspired by the gardens of Versailles, the early 18th-century
grounds are famed for their formal design. Highlights include the
pavilion, bath house and a vast orangery. Members - FREE (full-priced adult- £5.20) |
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London highlights
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Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery houses a
highly varied collection, including a superb array of Impressionist and
Post-Impressionist paintings, among them world-famous masterpieces by
Cézanne, Van Gogh, Manet and Renoir. There are also impressive holdings of
Old Master paintings and drawings, Renaissance and modern sculpture,
ceramics, metalwork, furniture and textiles. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £5) |
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Kensington Palace has been a royal home for
over 300 years. The State Apartments feature paintings, furniture and
other works of art from the time of William and Mary to that of Queen
Victoria, and the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection includes dresses worn
by The Queen and Diana, Princess of Wales. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £12.50) |
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The Wernher Collection at Ranger’s House
features medieval and Renaissance works of art purchased by the diamond
magnate Sir Julius Wernher (1850–1912). The collection offers a glittering
display of silver and jewels, paintings and porcelain, arranged within the
panelled interiors of a graceful 18th-century mansion. Members - FREE (full-priced adult- £5.70) |
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Foundling Museum tells the story of London’s
first home for abandoned children, which opened in 1739. William Hogarth,
one of the original governors, encouraged leading artists of the day to
donate works to the home, with the aim of attracting wealthy benefactors.
Today the collection features works by Gainsborough, Hayman, Hogarth,
Reynolds, Roubiliac, Rysbrack and Wilson. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £7.50) |
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South East
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Ditchling Museum houses a collection of
calligraphy, printed works, weaving, silverwork and local history objects.
Artists and craftspeople represented include Sir Frank Brangwyn, Ethel
Mairet and local children's author Raymond Briggs. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £3.50) |
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Charleston, nr Lewes, was a focus for the
association of artists, writers and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury
Group. The interior of the house features murals, furniture, ceramics,
paintings and textiles produced by the members of the Group. The
collection also includes work by Renoir, Picasso, Derain and
Sickert. Members - FREE (full-priced adult- £9) |
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Osborne House, East Cowes, was the favourite
residence of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The house was redesigned
and embellished by architect Thomas Cubitt, who added a pair of Italianate
towers which dominate the grounds. The opulent interior features
sculptures, portraits and frescoes. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £10.20) |
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Royal Pavilion, Brighton, has lavish interiors
which combine Chinese-style decorations with magnificent furniture and
furnishings. Adorned with gilded dragons, carved palm trees and imitation
bamboo staircases, the Palace's unique style mixes Asian exoticism with
English eccentricity. Daring and inventive colours feature throughout, and
there are many original items on loan from HM The
Queen. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £9.50) |
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South West
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Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, houses a fine
collection of ceramics, jades, bronzes and other treasures from China,
Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia. The museum has almost 2,000 objects
dating from 5000 BC to the present day, including a large jade collection
and fine bamboo carvings. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £5) |
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Penlee House Gallery and Museum, Penzance, has
a wide-ranging collection which includes fine and decorative art,
textiles, archaeology and photography. Among its best-known paintings are
works by artists of the Newlyn School and the Lamorna
Group. |
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Lydiard
House, Swindon, is an ornate Palladian country house set in
260 acres of parkland. The house belonged to the St John family for more
than 500 years, and is one of Wiltshire's finest small stately homes. The
elegant ground-floor apartments include family portraits and
furnishings. |
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Dorset County Museum, Dorchester, records the
cultural, social and natural history of the county. Its collection
includes Roman mosaics, Thomas Hardy manuscripts and fossilised dinosaur
footprints. The museum also has a diverse art collection including works
by Gainsborough and Thornhill. Members - FREE (full-priced adult - £6.50) |
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