CS:

80

Five Centuries of English Country House

During the week we shall trace the development of the English country house from the mediaeval hall through to the Victorian mansion. Taking a century a day, we shall explore the makings if the mediaeval house, move on to the Elizabethan era, then through the age of Inigo Jones to the Palladian England before spending a morning looking at the huge diversity of styles which flourished in the 19^th Century. Each morning will be spent in the classroom followed by a visit to a house contemporary with the morning’s lecture.

CS:

81/82/83

The Pre-historic Landscape from Avebury to Stonehenge

Wiltshire is remarkably rich in relics of pre-history.  A different aspect of our past will be explored each day following brief introductory slide presentations.  We will look at earthworks, tombs and the remains of temples from the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age within a 20 mile radius of Marlborough (by minibus) and speculate on the mysteries of these ancient cultures and the reasons for their often spectacular choice of sites.  Be prepared for some walking over rough ground (hill-top sites were popular) and bring waterproof clothing!

CS:

84

Art and Design in the late Medieval Church

This well illustrated course explores the art and architecture of the late medieval church. We will study developments in style, iconography and symbolism from the 12th to the 16th century through various media - stained glass, wall paintings, burial monuments, Purbeck, alabaster and wood.  Medieval art is rich and varied and has a fascinating history. This course will place both the art and architecture against wider social context of the period. The lectures are themed and designed to enable students to develop skills in identification, interpretation and dating. Case studies include Kempley church (wall paintings), the De La Beche tomb (alabaster) and the Wilton Diptych (personal devotional art).  This is a stimulating course which will appeal equally to those with some knowledge of the subject and also to beginners. All lectures are classroom based.

CS:

85/86

Divining Ancient Sites

This course is a blend of history, mystery and magic as we explore prehistoric and other sites around Marlborough.  Why did our ancestors site their settlements and monuments in this vicinity?  Who were they?  Why is Wiltshire and the Marlborough/Avebury landscape the centre of the earliest important building by our forbears?  With divining/dowsing we will attempt to uncover some of the mystery, for all of the ancient sites exude ‘power’, ‘force’, or energy lines which we can find.  You will release skills you never knew you had and uncover further questions, some of which will be unanswerable.  A course for the doubting as well as the convinced.  Be sure you can walk well and can tackle rough tracks.

CS:

87

Age of Elegance in the 18th Century

The 18^th Century was an era of great political, economic and social stability. This stimulated a huge injection of money and energy into creating great houses, Augustan landscape and works of art. During the course of the week we shall explore different facets of the arts and the architectural developments of this century. We shall spend dome mornings in the classroom and visit some of the great developments of this period.

CS:

88

Churches Great and Small

There are many interesting churches in the neighbourhood of Marlborough and further afield in Wiltshire, and the surrounding counties.  On this course we will visit a wide variety of buildings from smaller, unpretentious village churches to larger more stylish ones.  All the main stages of mediaeval English ecclesiastical architecture from Saxon and Norman to the Perpendicular period are represented locally and will be studied.  We will visit a selection of churches, all within easy reach by minibus, culminating in a visit to the lovely Cotswold church of Fairford with its renowned series of stained glass windows.

CS:

89

The Making of Wiltshire - Rocks and Landscapes Explained

The rocks beneath the ground contain evidence of past environments. This course will look at these and show how, during its long history, our planet Earth has always undergone constant change - including the evolution of plants and animals.  Wiltshire’s present landscape is the result of these changes - this will be demonstrated throughout the course and especially during trips out (by minibus) on the last two days.

Be prepared for some walking over rough ground and bring waterproof clothing!