Courses, Lectures and Talks at Dillington
What's on
Scroll
Filter results
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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,…
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,…
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,…
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,…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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.
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.
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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 “.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…