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To book any Courses, Lectures and Concerts please contact Dillington House Bookings Office via email or telephone so we can discuss your requirements. 01460 258613. dillingtonbookings@somerset.gov.uk

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All courses (563)

Advanced Crochet Workshop – COURSE FULL

25 September 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Add dimension to your stitchwork and create more texture in your crochet. Learn the secrets of blending colour whilst working with groups of stiches, clusters and spikes! Develop your skills…

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An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy

3 July 2023 5 July 2023 -

Focusing on the two main schools of Chinese philosophy, Confucianism and Taoism, this course will explore their foundations, their key thinkers, including Lao Tzu and Zhuang Zhou, as well as…

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An Introduction to Interior Design

7 June 2023 8 June 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

A home is like a good book, it should tell the story of who you are and contain all of the things that you love. This course will guide you…

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An Introduction to Letter Carving in Wood

14 July 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Come and learn the principles of how to carve letters in wood and go home with a roman numeral you have carved in oak or a single word sign. Stephen…

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Ancient Egypt’s Theban Tombs of the Nobles

17 July 2023 19 July 2023 -

This sumptuously illustrated course will be a comprehensive exploration of the Tombs of the Nobles open to visitors on Luxor’s west bank. We will examine the design and decoration of…

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Before the Normans Came: The World of Anglo-Saxon England

11 September 2023 13 September 2023 -

Over a period of nearly six centuries Anglo-Saxon England grew to become one of the richest, best administered and culturally dynamic Kingdoms of Western Europe. The aim of the course…

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Beginners Crochet Workshop

24 July 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Master the basics of crochet on this one-day workshop. Learn how to create a basic chain and simple crochet stitches. The day is very hands on and you will be…

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Beginners Knitting

15 May 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Start your journey into the wonderful world of knitting. You will be guided through the basic techniques of cast on and cast off, the first knit and purl stitches and…

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Beginners Photography Weekend Workshop

14 April 2023 16 April 2023 -

A relaxed and fun weekends experience of practice and theory to enable everyone to understand their camera and improve their photography skills.  Suitable for anyone with an interest in photography,…

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Blots on the Landscape Painting Workshop

20 June 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Have you ever wondered exactly how (and when) a seemingly random mark on a piece of paper becomes something we recognise? How do the sublime brushstrokes of JMW Turner or…

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Bobbin Lace

11 June 2023 16 June 2023 -

This course will suit all abilities of bobbin lacemakers from those just starting through to advanced. It covers English laces and many from the continent including Belgium, Spain and Russia.…

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Book of Hours: Pop-up Book Workshop

12 September 2023 14 September 2023 -

Brightly coloured and decorated Books of Hours were popular in the Middle Ages and as a result, they are the most common type of surviving medieval illuminated manuscript. On this…

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Bookbinding

27 March 2023 31 March 2023 -

This course for intermediate students is designed to develop the skills of those who have followed the beginners’ introductory course and are ready to proceed to rebinding a hardback book…

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Bookbinding

5 June 2023 9 June 2023 -

This course for intermediate students is designed to develop the skills of those who have followed the beginners’ introductory course and would like to pursue the craft further. Students will…

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Bookbinding – A Spread of Star Books

25 September 2023 27 September 2023 -

Come and play with folded paper using the simple concertina (accordion) structure flowing into more complex dynamic and delightful pieces. We’ll use cut, stuck and sewn multi-layering to construct star…

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Bookbinding: Cloth Case Book Repair

2 May 2023 4 May 2023 -

Do you have some cloth bound books in need of attention? Our focus on this course will be the repair and conservation of cloth case books including dry cleaning, paper…

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Botanical Drawing of Spring Flowers in Coloured Pencil or Watercolour

3 April 2023 6 April 2023 -

Taking inspiration from the gardens at Dillington, on this studio based course we will learn about drawing and colouring spring flowers of your choice, either in the popular and realistic…

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Botanical Illustration of Summer Flowers

10 July 2023 13 July 2023 -

Taking inspiration from the gardens at Dillington, on this studio based course we will learn about the precise and detailed art of botanical illustration. No experience of art or botany…

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Caravaggio: His Art and Life

14 April 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Caravaggio had a brief and violent life, but his wonderful pictures contrasting dark and shade still resonate with artists to this day. We look at nearly every picture that he…

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Chinese Brush Painting – Lotus Flower and Fish in Meticulous Style on Silk for Intermediate and Advanced Students

31 May 2023 1 June 2023 9:00 am - 5:30 pm

There are two main styles in traditional Chinese brush painting techniques: freehand style and meticulous style. The meticulous style, in Chinese “Gongbi”, literally meaning “tidy”, Gongbi work is painted on…

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Contemporary Still Life/Flower with Water-Soluble Oil Two Day Workshop

1 April 2023 2 April 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

This course is designed for those wishing to create still life art with a contemporary twist. It is not for those who wish to create exact replicas. This course will…

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Country Hares and Foxes Needle Felting Workshop

5 June 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Love wool? Then you’ll love needle felting! Fibre artist Carla Taylor of The Mousehole Woolery will guide you step by step through the basic techniques of needle felting as well…

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Deir el-Bahri: The Marvelous Monument of a Female Pharaoh

4 September 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

The pharaoh Hatshepsut’s memorial temple at Deir el-Bahri on Luxor’s west bank was her greatest monument. So much can be learnt about her reign, the ideology of Egyptian kingship and…

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Deir el-Medina: A Very Special Ancient Egyptian Town

24 April 2023 26 April 2023 -

Explore archaeological evidence, architectural remains, and written sources to build up a picture of what it would have been like to live in the Ancient Egyptian town of Deir el-Medina,…

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Diaghilev’s Women: Four Women of influence in a man’s world

5 April 2023 6 April 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Day One: Diaghilev’s Women: Tamara Karsavina and Bronislava Nijinska. Wednesday 5th April 2023 Tamara Karsavina was beloved by all. A product of Russia’s Imperial Ballet, she danced with Nijinsky in…

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Dillington String Quartet Coaching Weekend

22 September 2023 24 September 2023 -

Once again, we are thrilled that the members of the Coull Quartet have agreed to return to Dillington House to lead this extended weekend of coaching for pre-formed string quartets…

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Disney at 100 – Singing Workshop

8 June 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Walt Disney transformed the world of entertainment, charming young and old alike with his fantastical stories, whimsical characters and catchy tunes. In it’s centenary year, let’s celebrate Disney’s extraordinary musical…

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Dormouse Needle Felting Workshop

3 April 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Fibre artist Carla Taylor of The Mousehole Woolery will guide you step by step through the basic techniques of needle felting as well as sharing lots of tips and tricks…

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Drawing Essentials Workshop

9 May 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

From Da Vinci and Durer to Gehry and Gormley, creativity begins with drawing. As children, when we pick up a crayon and draw, we discover a liberating and potent way…

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Egypt’s Romantic Ramesseum: A Ruined Temple and its Fallen Colossus

9 June 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

The archaeological site known today as the Ramesseum is one of Egypt’s most romantic of ruined temples: home to colossal fallen statuary, inspiration for Percy Bysshe Shelley’s sonnet ‘Ozymandias’. This…

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Embroidered Hare Pouch

11 April 2023 13 April 2023 -

This lovely pouch is put together using a collage of different fabrics, and then embellished with hand embroidery. A variety of stitches will be used, and could include sequins, small…

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Embroidery Techniques on Leather for Bookbinding

4 September 2023 6 September 2023 -

You can add very attractive surface decoration, texture and colour to books with simple techniques such as applying coloured leather onlays and sewn detail. From embroidered outlines to fully appliquéd…

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Evening Lecture – From Powder to Piracy: The Bankes Family of Dorset

21 August 2023 8:00 pm -

The Bankes family have lived in Dorset at Corfe Castle and Kingston Lacy since the 17th century, actively participating in 350 years of eventful history. A 3-year project at the…

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Exploring Patterns with Blocks and Thermofax Screens Workshop

25 July 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Learn about the traditional skill of Indian Block Printing with images of block printing around Jaipur, handling hand printed fabrics and hand carved blocks. You will print tissue paper, card…

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Exploring Prehistoric Avebury with Dr Nick Snashall

5 July 2023 7 July 2023 -

The quintessentially English village of Avebury is home to one of the most extraordinary megalithic complexes on the planet. On this course we will delve into the long history of…

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Festive Copper Foil Stained Glass Workshop

18 September 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This course introduces students to the copper foil method of stained glass making. Often referred to as the Tiffany method, after Louis Comfort Tiffany. This method is used to make…

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Festive Copper Foil Stained Glass Workshop

19 September 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This course introduces students to the copper foil method of stained glass making. Often referred to as the Tiffany method, after Louis Comfort Tiffany. This method is used to make…

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Finishing Knitting Techniques

26 June 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This session is perfect for any knitter who would like to improve the finishing aspects of their work. We will learn the importance of taking time to complete your projects.…

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Finishing Knitting Techniques – COURSE FULL

27 March 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This session is perfect for any knitter who would like to improve the finishing aspects of their work. We will learn the importance of taking time to complete your projects.…

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Friday Lunch & Lecture – The Cult of Gloriana : Art, Music and Personality at the Court of the Virgin Queen

14 April 2023 1:00 pm -

Elizabeth I was the most remarkable woman of a remarkable age.  Her reign was one of the great creative periods of English history – literature, music, art, architecture and overseas…

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From Sutton Hoo to the Wilton Diptych: A Journey Through English Medieval Art and Culture

14 April 2023 16 April 2023 -

This course will take a journey through the English historical and cultural landscape,  covering a period of time from the 7th to the late 14th centuries. As signposts, it will…

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Get to Know Your Overlocker

3 July 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

On the surface overlockers seem very complicated machines, however understanding how they work will increase confidence in all aspects of using them.  This course is suitable for those who already…

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Get to Know Your Sewing Machine

7 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

If you have recently bought a sewing machine or have never really understood how to use all the stitches and feet that came with your sewing machine, then this is…

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Get to Know Your Sewing Machine – COURSE FULL

13 April 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

If you have recently bought a sewing machine or have never really understood how to use all the stitches and feet that came with your sewing machine, then this is…

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Give the Paint a Chance

15 April 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

This course will appeal to those with an interest in watercolours, abstract art, modernism, composition, expressive painting, landscape and urban art. ‘Give the paint a chance. Give the brush a…

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Give the Paint a Chance

29 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

This course will appeal to those with an interest in watercolours, abstract art, modernism, composition, expressive painting, landscape and urban art. ‘Give the paint a chance. Give the brush a…

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Going West: Migrating Musicians

31 March 2023 2 April 2023 -

During the nineteenth and early 20th centuries, there were great waves of migration from various parts of Europe to the ‘New World’ of America. Among those migrants were many talented…

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Great British Artists – The Hampstead Connection: Day Trip to Sandham Memorial Chapel at Burghclere with Dr Jan Cox

24 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This course is part of Dillington Discovery Summer week. The house of the Carline Family at 47 Downshire Hill in Hampstead was a mecca for artists between the wars. Richard,…

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Great British Artists – The Hampstead Connection: Great Art from Richard Hilda and Sydney Carline with Dr Jan Cox

25 August 2023 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

This course is part of Dillington Discovery Summer week. The house of the Carline Family at 47 Downshire Hill in Hampstead was a mecca for artists between the wars. Richard,…

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Great British Artists – The Hampstead Connection: Mark Gertler His Life and Art with Dr Jan Cox

23 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This course is part of Dillington Discovery Summer week. The house of the Carline Family at 47 Downshire Hill in Hampstead was a mecca for artists between the wars. Richard,…

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Great British Artists – The Hampstead Connection: Richard Nevinson His Life and Art with Dr Jan Cox

22 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This course is part of Dillington Discovery Summer week. The house of the Carline Family at 47 Downshire Hill in Hampstead was a mecca for artists between the wars. Richard,…

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Great British Artists – The Hampstead Connection: Stanley Spencer His Life and Art with Dr Jan Cox

21 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This course is part of Dillington Discovery Summer week. The house of the Carline Family at 47 Downshire Hill in Hampstead was a mecca for artists between the wars. Richard,…

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Great British Artists: The Hampstead Connection with Dr Jan Cox

20 August 2023 25 August 2023 -

This course is part of Dillington Discovery Summer week. The house of the Carline Family at 47 Downshire Hill in Hampstead was a mecca for artists between the wars. Richard,…

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Guitar Summer School

30 July 2023 5 August 2023 -

After 28 years under the dedicated stewardship of Peter Rueffer, the Dillington Guitar Festival has gone from strength to strength.  We are pleased to announce that from 2021 the Eden…

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Highland Cow Needle Felting Two Day Workshop

24 July 2023 25 July 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Fibre artist Carla Taylor of The Mousehole Woolery will guide you step by step through the basic techniques of needle felting as well as sharing lots of tips and tricks…

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Indian Block Printing for the Home

14 April 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Learn about the traditional skill of Indian Block Printing with images of block printing around Jaipur, handling hand printed fabrics and hand carved blocks. You will print tissue paper, card…

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Indigo/ Shibori Dyeing Workshop

11 September 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

An introduction to a fascinating natural dye technique suitable for beginners. Indigo dye originates from the plant indigofera tinctoria and the dye is extracted from the plants leaves. In the…

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Intermediate Photography Weekend Workshop

30 May 2023 1 June 2023 -

The weekend starts with brief introductions of each participant and a favourite image. Ideal for someone with an interest in photography and who wishes to technically and visually improve their…

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Lace Knitting

19 June 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Classic lace knitting is a very traditional method of creating delicate and intricate work. During the day we will work up small samples of this technique, staring with the simplest…

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Learn to Machine Sew Piped & Zipped Scatter Cushions

12 June 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Scatter cushions are used so much as decoration and for function in most peoples homes, used to bring an accent colour into a room, as a design feature, also practically…

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Leatherwork – Make a Backpack: Two Day Workshop – COURSE FULL

6 July 2023 7 July 2023 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

Learn how to make your own Leather Backpack using beautiful Italian Vegetable Tanned Leather. After an introduction to Leather and its types and uses, you will begin by cutting out…

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Limited Palette Painting in Watercolour

20 August 2023 25 August 2023 -

This course is part of Dillington Discovery Summer week. We frequently use a far greater variety of colours in our painting than is necessary.  As a result we lose not…

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Lino Printing Workshop

24 April 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This is a fun and relaxed workshop learning this traditional print making technique in the form of lino printing. Create your own unique Lino blocks that you will take home…

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Lino Printing Workshop

24 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This course is part of Dillington Discoveries Summer/Autumn week. This is a fun and relaxed workshop learning this traditional print making technique in the form of lino printing. Create your…

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Looking after the Poor in the 1800’s – Studies from West Country Workhouses

22 May 2023 9:00 pm - 4:00 pm

The stigma of the workhouse took a long time to die, many of these buildings were still being used by the NHS until recently. We will look at the origins…

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Make a Lampshade with Screen Printing Design

23 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This course is part of Dillington Discoveries Summer/Autumn week. Suitable for beginners Zara will support you at every stage to achieve your hand printed fabric that will be made into…

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Make a Simple Dress in a Day

9 May 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This course is suitable for anyone who has basic sewing skills, is keen on dressmaking and would like to learn the techniques to make a simple dress from a commercial…

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Making a Leaded Stained Glass Panel: Two Day Workshop

17 July 2023 18 July 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

This two day course will enable you to create your own stained glass panel using the traditional method of combining coloured glass with lead. Stained Glass is an ancient art…

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Making a Leaded Stained Glass Panel: Two Day Workshop

8 August 2023 9 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

This two day course will enable you to create your own stained glass panel using the traditional method of combining coloured glass with lead. Stained Glass is an ancient art…

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Making a Leaded Stained Glass Spectrum Stick for the Garden

14 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Using the traditional method of combining coloured glass with lead, this one day workshop will enable you to create one colourful stained glass spectrum stick which can be hung in…

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Miss Angel: 18th Century Artist Angelika Kauffman

4 September 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

The Swiss-born artist, Angelika Kauffman was one of the most celebrated painters in Europe in the later 18th century. We will survey Kauffman’s career in detail from her peripatetic early…

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Mobile Phone Photography Workshop

3 July 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

A relaxed and fun day’s experience of practice and theory to enable everyone to understand their mobile camera phone and improve their photography skills, covering simple techniques for taking fantastic…

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Modular Knitting – Squares

30 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Master the fascinating technique of modular knitting. Working with limited stitches and simple shaping you can create intricate pieces of work. It is a relatively simple method of the craft…

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Monday Lunch & Lecture – `A Five Year Old Could Do That`: Trying to Make Sense of Modern Art

26 June 2023 1:00 pm -

Maybe we have all been guilty of scoffing that a modern work of art looks as though a child could have done it. Is that true? Is it fair? Is…

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Monday Lunch & Lecture – `The Shakespeare of Painting`: The Life & Work of William Hogarth

22 May 2023 1:00 pm -

William Hogarth’s name is familiar to many of us. Even the adjective `Hogarthian` suggests an artistic theme that is rumbustious in its content but sophisticated in its style. This fully…

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Monday Lunch & Lecture – Building a British Masterpiece: The Story of John Constable’s `Haywain`

24 July 2023 1:00 pm -

This is arguably one of Britain’s most famous pictures and it has become a cherished and popular treasure of The National Gallery’s collection. But how did Constable decide upon its…

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Monday Lunch & Lecture – God’s Architect: Antoni Gaudi

10 July 2023 1:00 pm -

This lecture will survey the life and work of one of Spain’s celebrated architects, the Catalan Antoni Gaudi. He is best known today for the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, though…

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Monday Lunch & Lecture – Much More Than Merely Matchstick Men: The Profound Art of L S Lowry

27 March 2023 1:00 pm -

Lowry’s work is so familiar to many of us that we may overlook his remarkable productivity and talent when we see his deceptively simple matchstick men. This well-illustrated talk seeks…

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Monday Lunch & Lecture – Portraits in Stone: The Great Cathedrals of Medieval England

11 September 2023 1:00 pm -

Over a five hundred years the great medieval cathedrals of England were built.  In terms of resources called upon, space covered, design and craftsmanship employed, this period marks the greatest…

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My Ancestor was Transported to Australia: Penal Transportation to Australia

15 May 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

These illustrated lectures will consider the phenomenon of transportation in detail and will be built around the experiences of various individuals including the lecturer’s ancestor who was sent to Australia…

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Photography – Architecture

21 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

This course is part of Dillington Discoveries Summer/Autumn week. A relaxed fun day’s practical photography experience of the Architectural Photography. The day starts with brief introductions by each participant and…

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Photography – Landscape

18 September 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

A relaxed and fun day’s experience of practice and theory to enable everyone to understand their camera and improve their photography skills. The aim is to take photographs of local…

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Photography – Landscape

22 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

This course is part of Dillington Discoveries Summer/Autumn week. A relaxed and fun day’s experience of practice and theory to enable everyone to understand their camera and improve their photography…

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Photography : A Guide to ‘Close Up’ Photography

23 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

This course is part of Dillington Discoveries Summer/Autumn week. A relaxed fun day’s practical photography experience of the intimate world of ‘Close Up & Macro’ photography. I will base the…

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Photography: Picture Perfect Portraits and How to Take Them

24 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

This course is part of Dillington Discoveries Winter/Spring week. A relaxed fun day’s practical photography experience of the Art of Portraiture Photography. The day starts with brief introductions by each…

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Printing with Leaves using the Heat Press

7 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Enjoy a day exploring dye sublimation using a heat press to create unique and exciting designs.  You will be carefully guided through the different stages by demonstrations and will begin…

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Printing with Leaves using the Heat Press

22 May 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Enjoy a day exploring dye sublimation using a heat press to create unique and exciting designs.  You will be carefully guided through the different stages by demonstrations and will begin…

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Printing, Foiling and More with a Heat Press

21 September 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

A day exploring colour, images, design and patterns with the heat press.  You will prepare your own dye papers and use sublimation papers combined with textures, images and plant material…

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Printmaking Taster Day

21 April 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This is a fun and relaxed workshop experimenting with a range of traditional relief printing techniques including monoprinting, block printing, collagraph and lino printing. On the day, you will be…

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Put the Right Colour in the Right Place

21 July 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

“The gravest immorality is to try to finish what isn’t well begun. But a picture that is well begun may be left off at any point.” Sir Matthew Smith (1879…

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Recorder Consort Course

22 May 2023 24 May 2023 -

This is an ensemble course for upper intermediate level recorder players. We shall play as a conducted ensemble, exploring music in many different styles and from all periods of music…

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Richard The Second : The Music of Richard Strauss

22 September 2023 24 September 2023 -

For much of his lifetime, Richard Strauss (1864-1949) was best known as a star conductor. As his music became known, he was initially dubbed ‘Richard the Second’ because of his…

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Roman Blinds Sewing Workshop

11 September 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Roman blinds are a great way of dressing a window, giving a simple uncluttered look. This course will cover all the techniques and stitches required to make a lined and…

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Running Hare Needle Felting Two Day Workshop

29 August 2023 30 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

On this exciting two day needle felting workshop fibre artist Carla Taylor of The Mousehole Woolery will guide you step by step through the basic techniques of needle felting as…

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Sensation Fiction

16 June 2023 18 June 2023 -

This course will study three works of sensation fiction.  Sensation fiction took the literary world by storm generating pleasure and disquiet in equal measure. The course will consider Mary Elizabeth…

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Singing for Larks

1 September 2023 3 September 2023 -

Singing with others is an exhilarating and liberating experience that everybody can enjoy. Singing for Larks workshops, run by Faith Watson, are based on the tradition of learning songs by…

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Stencil Screen Printing Workshop

2 June 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

During this course, you will learn the basics of textile screen printing using a stencil method. Inspiration for your hand cut paper stencil will come from exploring the beautiful grounds…

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Stumpwork Embroidery Inspired by Tudor Textiles with Annette Bolton

20 August 2023 25 August 2023 -

This course is part of Dillington Discoveries Summer week. Stumpwork is a three-dimensional embroidery technique which became very popular in the 16th and 17th centuries and was used on book…

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Sunday Concert with the Coull Quartet

24 September 2023 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

The magnificent Coull Quartet offers a rare combination of maturity and freshness and we are delighted that once again they are returning to Dillington House. Programme details to follow. Concert…

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Surface Textile Design Workshop

12 April 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This is a very inspirational day where you will work on pre knitted swatches, we will practice our embroidery stitches, add applique, embellish the surface in various ways including beads,…

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The Age of Discovery – In Search of the Northern Passages

20 May 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

From the beginning of our modern age navigators and their merchant backers baulked at the long detours required to round the great Capes of Good Hope and the Horn and…

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The Architecture of Elegance: Country Houses, Towns and Cities from the Tudors to the Georgians with Philip Wilkinson

20 August 2023 25 August 2023 -

This course is part of Dillington Discovery Summer week. The period for the 16th to the late-18th centuries was a time of huge change in English architecture. The rise of…

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The Art of Kantha Hand Stitching – COURSE FULL

10 May 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Kantha is a Bangladeshi word for rags. It is also the name given to a form of stitching used to make quilts and covers from the good parts of old…

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The Crimean War

24 July 2023 26 July 2023 -

In October 1853 the Russian invasion of a neighbouring country, on the pretext of protecting a threatened minority, prompted a military intervention by Western powers.  The war, which dragged on…

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The Dillington Book Club 02/05/2023

2 May 2023 10:30 am - 1:30 pm

For this month’s Book Club, we will be discussing Animal Farm by George Orwell published by Wordsworth Classics. Includes coffee and lunch.

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The Dillington Book Club 04/04/2023

4 April 2023 10:30 am - 1:30 pm

For this month’s Book Club, we will be discussing Connemara Mollie by Hilary Bradt – published by Bradt Travel Guides. Includes coffee and lunch.

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The Dillington Book Club 06/06/2023

6 June 2023 10:30 am - 1:30 pm

For this month’s Book Club, we will be discussing Under the Net by Iris Murdoch published by Vintage Classics. Includes coffee and lunch.

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The Guns of August

24 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

The Guns of August written by Barbara Tuchmann was published in 1962 and read by President Jack Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs fiasco for which he accepted responsibility.  The…

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The Poor We Always Have with Us

14 April 2023 16 April 2023 -

Sickness, age and bad luck have always left members of the community vulnerable to poverty and hunger. Equally constant, however, over many centuries, have been the efforts of the national…

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The Stuart Hanoverian Connection: Who are the Royals?

4 September 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Who are the Windsor’s, is a question often asked. 1951 was the last full year of the reign of King George V1, 70 years ago. For many the present Queen…

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Three Dorset Towns: Lyme Regis, Bridport and Dorchester

19 June 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

A look at three Dorset towns from 1760 – 1930, how they developed in their different ways. Lyme became a seaside resort with fossil hunting becoming a popular hobby. Bridport,…

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Thursday Lunch & Lecture – Animal Passions: Animal Subjects in British Art from Marmaduke Cradock to David Shepherd

31 August 2023 1:00 pm -

We are undoubtedly a nation of animal lovers and five centuries of our art reflect a passion for animals that artists from few other countries worldwide have ever bettered. Whether…

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Watercolour – Beside the Sea – Pushing the Boundaries

15 June 2023 18 June 2023 -

Focusing on all things ‘sea-sidey’ – fish, rockpools, beach huts, sand/water patterns, lobster pots, shells – whatever inspires. An opportunity to experiment with different techniques and media that work with…

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Watercolour Revision

11 April 2023 13 April 2023 -

Some watercolourists get stuck in a rut and produce perfectly competent paintings that lack freshness and originality. Why is this? A major cause is the “ too much syndrome “.…

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West Country Migration to North America in the 1800s

24 July 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

The 1800s saw a massive exodus of people from the West Country going to the USA and Canada, for a better life. Who were those people who left these shores…

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Wet Felt Making and Silk Paper Making Workshop

29 June 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

A day exploring natural fibres to create felted fabric and silk paper, in the morning we will work with merino tops which are soft and delicate to make a strong…

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What to do with your DNA results?

17 April 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

The session will look at DNA results from Ancestry and My Heritage. How can we use these results to help us in our family history research, break down some brick…

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Willow Bee Sculpture Workshop

18 September 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Join local Somerset artist Jo Sadler of ‘Forged n Willow’ to make a 3 foot wide flying willow bee. Jo will guide you through each step to create your sculpture…

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Willow Bee Sculpture Workshop

3 April 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Join local Somerset artist Jo Sadler of ‘Forged n Willow’ to make a 3 foot wide flying willow bee. Jo will guide you through each step to create your sculpture…

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Willow Chicken or Cockerel Workshop

15 May 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Join local Somerset artist Jo Sadler of ‘Forged n Willow’ to make a wonderful 2 foot high chicken or cockerel for your home or garden. Jo will guide you through…

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Willow Deer Sculpture Workshop

5 September 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Join local Somerset artist Jo Sadler of ‘Forged n Willow’ to make a 4 foot high willow deer with a basic metal frame. Jo will guide you through each step…

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Willow Deer Sculpture Workshop – COURSE FULL

21 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This course is part of Dillington Discoveries Summer/Autumn week. Join local Somerset artist Jo Sadler of ‘Forged n Willow’ to make a 4 foot high willow deer with a basic…

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Willow Hare Sculpture Workshop – COURSE FULL

19 June 2023 9:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Join local Somerset artist Jo Sadler of ‘Forged n Willow’ to make a wonderful 3 foot high Willow Hare for your home or garden. Jo will guide you through each…

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Willow Peacock Workshop – COURSE FULL

3 July 2023 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Join local Somerset artist Jo Sadler of ‘Forged n Willow’ to make a 4 foot long willow peacock for your home or garden. Jo will guide you through each step…

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Willow Pig Workshop

22 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This course is part of Dillington Discoveries Summer/Autumn week. Join local Somerset artist Jo Sadler of ‘Forged n Willow’ to make a wonderful 2 foot high, 3 foot long willow…

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Women Artists of the 1500’s

21 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This course will focus on some of the many women who worked as painters and sculptors in the 1400s and 1500s. These will include the portraitist, Levina Teerlinc, who came…

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Women Artists of the 1600’s

22 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Many women found fame and a measure of fortune as artists in Europe in the 17th century including the Flemish painter, Michaelina Wautier, and Dutch woman, Judith Leyster. In the…

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Women Artists of the 1700’s

23 August 2023 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

This course is an in-depth survey of women artists in many countries across Europe, who worked as painters and sculptors from the Middle Ages until the early 1800s. We will…

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