Carole, our Outings Secretary, has arranged a visit to Stotfold Watermill on Thursday 11th June at 10:30 am.

Stotfold Mill is a restored Grade II listed watermill on the River Ivel in Bedfordshire, featuring the widest overshot corn mill waterwheel in the UK. Following a 1992 fire, it was rebuilt by volunteers and now operates as a visitor attraction, producing stone-ground flour, alongside an adjacent Nature Reserve and wildflower meadow.

Programme

On arrival, at 10:30, you will be taken to the Ivel Room on the second floor where you will be shown a presentation on the smart board about the History of the Mill. 

The group will then be divided into three sub-groups to be taken round the three floors by a guide who will explain how everything works. The machinery will be working, producing flour and oats.

After the tour, there will be an opportunity to purchase items from the shop, including bags of flour and oats.

Then, you will come to the Tea Room which will be set up to serve your Tea/coffee and toasted tea cake (£5.00) if you have chosen to pre-order these refreshments. 

Sitting together to enjoy the refreshments while chatting is a good way to meet other members in an informal setting. It is hoped that many participants will opt for that opportunity.

Timing: the guided tour is expected to take 90 minutes.

Cost of the visit: £4.00 per person for the guided tour; or £9.00 per person opting also for the Tea/coffee and toasted tea cake.

Transport: self-arranged. Free parking is available in the Nature Reserve.

Accessibility: there are designated disabled bays in the car park; please note that the paths there are generally wide, but can be gravel, grass, wet, or uneven. A lift provides access to all three floors and there are accessible toilets. Mobility scooters are not permitted inside the mill, but a manual wheelchair is available. 

To book a place on this visit: please email Carole giving the number of participants in your group. For each person in your group, also provide a full name and whether or not that person wishes to pre-order the Tea/coffee and toasted tea cake. We will need to have at least ten participants ordering these refreshments. 

Carole’s email address: theartssocietynh.outings@gmail.com

Payment: please pay by bank transfer by 21st May or by card at the 7th May lecture between 10:20 and 10:50.

Bank payment details:

• Account name: the Arts Society North Hertfordshire 
• Bank account number: 71397516
• Sort code: 40-43-36
• Reference: your surname and postcode (e.g. SMITHSG6SW3)

Cancellation: please note that we will not be able to refund payments in case of cancellation made after 28th May. 

The Outings Secretary, Carole, has arranged a free visit to The Church of St Mary the Virgin in Baldock.

Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the original church on the site, dated to about 1150, was built by the Knights Templar before being largely rebuilt in about 1330 by the Knights Hospitaller.

Carole will meet the participants in the church at 11 am on Thursday 23rd April.

The group will be taken around by Mr Mike Maddox who is married to the vicar – he is very knowledgeable about the history of the church and the people buried in the churchyard. He is also organising for participants to have refreshments after the visit. A donation will be made on your behalf by the Committee.

To book a place, please email theartssociety.nh@gmail.com with “Outing to Baldock” in the subject, your full name in the body of the email, and the names of others in your group if applicable. Your email will be acknowledged.

Please note that transport to Baldock is self arranged.

Ashwell is a picturesque village with an interesting past. It has a wealth of architecture spanning several centuries. This visit will focus on two venues: the Ashwell Museum and St Mary's Church.

The Ashwell Museum collection is housed in an iconic Grade 2* listed Tudor timber-framed building with a modern extension. The Museum is not normally open during the week but will open specially for us in the morning. The Church of St Mary's dates almost entirely from the 14th century. It is renowned for its ornate tower and the medieval graffiti carved on its walls.

In each of these two venues, we will be given a talk and a tour.

Transport: self-drive. Whilst parking can be a challenge in Ashwell a special arrangement has been made for participants to park free of charge at the Bushel & Strike pub (15 Mill St, Ashwell SG7 5LY). Please note that the pub will be closed on the day of the visit. 

Programme:

10:15: meet at the Museum

10:30 to 11:20: visit of the Museum

11:20 to 11:30: walk to St Mary's Church

11: 30 to 12:15: visit of the Church

Refreshments: optional tea/coffee and biscuits will be on offer at the Church (£2.50 per person to be paid on the day, card payments accepted). The village has two pubs offering lunch on Tuesdays.

Total cost for the two guided tours: £8.00 per person.

Booking: to book one or more places, please email theartssociety.nh@gmail.com with Ashwell in the subject.

Payment: by bank transfer or by card on 2nd October at the Membership table between 10:20 and 10:50.

Bank details:

Name of Account: The Arts Society North Hertfordshire

Sort Code: 40-43-36   Account Number: 71397516

Reference: your surname and postcode (e.g.SMITHSG6SW3)

When completed, please confirm the transaction by emailing theartssociety.nh@gmail.com

Jason Valentine, Manager of the Broadway Cinema and Theatre, is offering us a free guided tour of approximately one hour for a group of up to 8 participants. The tour will start at 09:00 a.m.

N.B. Health and Safety: there are many stairs and no lifts on this tour. It is therefore not suitable for anyone with mobility issues or vertigo.  

To book a place, please email theartssociety.nh@gmail.com with Back Stage in the subject.

Transport: self-arranged

The North Herts Museum is delighted to be exhibiting work by the internationally known potter Abdo Nagi (1941-2001). Born in Yemen, Nagi spent his early childhood as a goatherder. Aged twelve, he walked to Aden, where he found domestic work, coming to Letchworth with his employer in 1967. After taking O- and A-levels in art, he became pottery technician at Hitchin College, and from there gained a ceramics degree at Middlesex University. Abdo Nagi spent his life in Letchworth, perfecting his pottery shapes and glazes, from early domestic wares to elegant stoneware vases and dishes with metallic rims. His work has been increasingly sought after since his death in 2001. The exhibition includes pieces from the museum collections and many private loans.

By special arrangement, and before we look at the exhibition that she has curated, Ros Allwood will give us an introductory talk about Abdo Nagi and his work.

To book a free place on this group visit, email theartssociety.nh@gmail.com with Abdo Nagi in the subject. Places are limited to 30, so please book early.

The event will start at 10:00 a.m. Please arrive at the museum at least 5 minutes beforehand.

Transport: self-arranged

This quirky, impressive Grade 2* listed building, designed according to the Arts and Crafts Movement, has been designated as one of the 'great historic buildings of North Hertfordshire'.

Historical background: it was built by Miss Annie Jane Lawrence as an Open-Air School and Theosophical Meditation Centre.

The building opened on 28th January 1907 – the unique design is said to have come to Miss Lawrence in a dream and she employed the architect William Harrison Collishaw to bring it to reality.

What is offered on this visit?

The Cloisters will give us a 2-hour guided tour including a questions and answers session.

The likely cost is £10 per person.

An extra option has been offered to us: a combined event of afternoon tea at 12:00 and guided tour at 2 pm. This option will require a minimum of 20 participants each paying £25.

Venue: The Cloisters, Barrington Road, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 3TH

Booking: to apply for a place, email us at theartssociety.nh@gmail.com with “Cloisters” in your subject.

Please indicate 1) how many will be in your group and 2) how many of you would like the afternoon tea should there be enough takers.

Payment: once we know whether we have enough participants for the visit to take place, we will update the payment information.

Shephalbury Manor and its grounds in Stevenage have been home to The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre in the UK for over two decades. The beautiful Victorian gothic manor which was built in 1865 now stands alongside the newly-constructed Coptic Orthodox Cathedral of Saint George. The Cathedral presents a delightful meeting point between ancient and contemporary Coptic design and culture set within a British context.

Bookings for the visit are now closed.

The Coptic Orthodox Church Centre
Shephalbury Manor
Broadhall Way, Stevenage UK
SG2 8NP

Directions by Road from North Hertfordshire

Take the A1(M) to Stevenage. At junction 7, take the A602 exit to Stevenage/Ware. On the A602, go straight across 3 roundabouts. At the 4th roundabout, take the 4th exit (U-turn) and stay on Broadhall Way/A 602. Take the first left into ‘Shephalbury Park’. Then turn right. Finally, turn left to take the single lane to ‘Coptic Church Orthodox Centre’. The Coptic Centre is left of the ‘Sports Academy’.

This outing is the perfect opportunity for Bawden fans and those new to the subject to have a close-up look at the extensive Edward Bawden collection. Works from the collection, including some that have never been on display before as well as old favourites, will be introduced by The Keeper of Fine and Decorative Art.

Start time on 19th September: 11:00 am

Duration of the  session: 1½ hours

Cost:  £12.90 per person (concessions £10.35)

Address of the Higgins: Castle Lane, Bedford, MK40 3XD

For Sat Nav use: MK42 9XF

For directions and car parking, click here. Then, at the bottom of the website page, in the ‘Contact us box’, click on ‘How to find us’ >

The archive session can only take place if there are at least ten participants but there cannot be more than 15.

Email theartssociety.nh@gmail.com if you would like to attend.

Information about Edward Bawden 

Edward Bawden, CBE RA (10 March 1903 – 21 November 1989) was an English painter, illustrator and graphic artist, known for his prints, book covers, posters, and garden metalwork furniture. Bawden taught at the Royal College of Art, where he had been a student, worked as a commercial artist and served as a war artist in World War II. He was a fine watercolour painter but worked in many different media. He illustrated several books and painted murals in both the 1930s and 1960s. He was admired by Edward Gorey, David Gentleman and other graphic artists, and his work and career is often associated with that of his contemporary Eric Ravilious.

Edward Bawden was married to the potter and artist, Charlotte Bawden (née Epton). Together they were principal members of the Great Bardfield Artists, a community of artists influential in the art scene of England during the mid-20th century.

(Image credit:‘The Higgins Bedford © The Edward Bawden Estate’).

In our endeavour to provide you with visits to local venues, we have identified the British Schools Museum in Hitchin as one that may be of interest to many of you. This independent museum, in a Grade 2 Listed building, specialises in Victorian education. Started around 1810 as a school for the poor which aimed to follow the teaching principles established by Joseph Lancaster, it prides itself in having a unique monitorial school room built in 1837, a gallery classroom added in 1853, a headmaster's house built in 1856, and a new school building for infants and girls dating back to 1857.

Number of places: for the guided visit to take place, we will need a minimum of 10 participants. Maximum number of places: 40

Timings: the visit will begin at 10:00 am. please arrange to arrive and assemble from 09:50 am.

Cost: £10 per person

Booking: to reserve a place, please click here. This will open a new email addressed to the Arts Society North Hertfordshire; please complete this and send.

Booking will close on Friday 15th March.

What is included: refreshments (tea/coffee and cookies), a guided tour, a Victorian lesson, viewing of the classrooms and headmaster's house. The visit is expected to last from 2½ hours to 3 hours.

Payment: bank transfer is the preferred option and further details will be sent to applicants by email.

Payment by card will only be available at the lecture of Thursday 7th March before 10:50 am.

Venue: the British Schools Museum, 41-42 Queen Street, Hitchin, SG4 9TS

Car parking: St Mary’s Square car park (SG4 9TN, short stay, 300m walk) and Woodside car park (SG4 9SG, long stay, 650m walk).

More details of car parking in Hitchin can be found here.

Lunch: for a group of up to 12, and at extra cost on the day, the museum café could provide food that has been pre-ordered on arrival at 10 am. For a larger group, and also at extra cost, a buffet could be ordered by the caterers before the day of the visit. Further information will be given when we know how many would like lunch at the museum café.

Following our successful visit to the North Herts Museum recently, our Society is arranging another visit for Thursday 21st March next year.

Of the various events taking place at the museum, we are inviting members and guests to come together to visit the exhibition "Camden Town to Garden City: work by Gilman, Gore and Ratcliffe". This is a major exhibition of paintings and drawings by three artists who worked in Letchworth in the years before World War 1, with loans from museums across the country including Tate, the Government Art Collection, and the National Museum of Wales.

Our visit will include a talk especially arranged by your society. There will be no charge.

We trust that this will be a welcome opportunity to engage socially with other Society members. However, if this date and time are not convenient for you, we hope that you will be able to support the North Herts Museum by visiting the exhibition at another time.

This visit is now fully suscribed. If you are interested in putting your name down on our waiting list in the case of places becoming available later, please contact us at theartssociety.nh@gmail.com

The nearest public car park (3 min walk on Google Maps) is the Lairage Multi-storey (Bedford Road, Hitchin, SG5 1GN). It costs £1.25 for the first 2 hours before 3 pm and £1.30 after 3 pm.

We shall meet at 10:50 am at the museum itself (14 Brand Street, Hitchin, SG5 1JE) for the talk to start at 11:00 am.

Details of the North Herts Museum, this exhibition, and other events can be found on their website (North Hertfordshire Museum (northhertsmuseum.org).

Our society is arranging a visit to the National Army Museum storage collection in Stevenage for the 16th of November. We plan to meet at 10:30 a.m. there.

The National Army Museum (NAM), established by Royal Charter in 1960, collects and preserves over one million items relating to the history and heritage of the British Army and other Land Forces.  The museum gallery is located in Chelsea, London, however, much of the museum's collection is held at its storage centre in Stevenage where we plan to visit.

The Stevenage collection, which is open to the public by appointment, holds a huge array of objects; including uniforms (over 80,000), badges, regimental colours, books and periodicals, as well as some equipment and vehicles.  The storage centre is also responsible for several conservation projects supported by volunteers. These include helping to preserve uniforms, labelling and repackaging of collections, transcribing conservation reports, scanning collections information, and improving collection descriptions.

For our visit, the collection staff will give a guided tour around the storage centre, and as part of the tour will be setting out some of the collection objects for our closer inspection. Our guided tour will last approximately 45 to 60 minutes.  The visit is free – there are no charges for visiting the storage centre or for the guided tour.  For those who may be interested in supporting the conservation activities, the collection staff will be happy to discuss where volunteers can help across their various projects. 

Members who would like to join this outing are asked to let us know in advance by emailing theartssociety.nh@gmail.com, no later than Friday the 3rd of November.  A final reminder will be given at our November lecture on the 2nd of November.

Getting There

There is parking at the storage centre (address to be provided in due course). As parking is limited at the site the committee team will endeavour to work out parking numbers based on the responses we receive. We would be grateful if you would let us know via our email address theartssociety.nh@gmail.com if you would be willing to offer a lift to other members.

The site is also 15 minutes' walk from Stevenage rail station.

The Letchworth Open annual art exhibition showcases the work of over 400 emerging and amateur artists from across Hertfordshire and its surroundings. Free entry. For more details, click here.

The exhibition takes place at the Broadway Gallery, 2 The Arcade, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 3EW; for details on how to get there, click here.

We plan to visit as a group on Thursday 28th September at 10 a.m. Please, meet at 9:55 a.m. inside the Arcade, between Nationwide and the Three Magnets pub.

To book your place, please email theartssociety.nh@gmail.com by 20th September.

Following our visit to the North Hertfordshire Museum in Hitchin, the society is arranging a visit to the Royston Museum in June.  The Royston Museum displays the history of this old town on the junction of the Icknield Way and Ermine Street, the Roman road from London to York.  It contains exhibits ranging from early archaeological discoveries through to artefacts relating to everyday life from the early twentieth century.  On our visit we will be guided by a curator to tell us more about the exhibits than the signage will reveal.

The Museum is currently displaying an exhibition, ‘Back to School’ exploring Royston’s schools from the beginning of the twentieth century through to the 1960’s. Part of the exhibition is on the upper floor of the Museum, to which there is no step-free access.

Our guided tour will last about 30 minutes.  The tour will be free of cost to Society members.  Members will be free to view the exhibits in their own time after the conclusion of the tour.

If there is sufficient interest, we can extend the visit to include a look at the Royston Cave, a small cave excavated under the middle of the town, for purposes that are the subject of speculation.  Its walls are decorated with primitive carvings.  There will be a cost of about £8 to £10 per person to enter the cave, which will be opened specifically for us.  The cave is about 100 metres walk from the Museum.

The Museum is in the centre of Royston at 5 Lower King Street, SG8 5AL (see this link).  There is no parking at the Museum itself; the nearest car park is at Princes Mews, SG8 9AZ.  The railway station is about eight minutes’ walk away.  Trains for Royston leave Hitchin at 10.07, arriving at Royston at 10.25, or at 10.14 for a 10.31 arrival.  The return fare for a Senior Citizens Railcard Holder is currently £5.05.  Trains from Letchworth leave seven minutes after the Hitchin departure.  There are trains at least every 30 minutes in the return direction.  There is no effective bus service at suitable times from Hitchin or Letchworth to Royston.

Members who are thinking about joining us on this outing are asked let us know in advance.  The contact is Chris Thomas, at chrismargaretthomas@gmail.com.  Please advise if you wish to add on a visit to the Royston Cave at additional cost.

We are excited to announce we shall be arranging a group guided tour on Thursday 19th January at 1:30 pm to visit an exhibition at North Herts Museum in Hitchin. The exhibition features over 60 new works by James Willis (watercolours) and Carl Laubin (oils) on architectural and landscape themes.

One of the featured artists, James Willis, has kindly offered to guide us around the exhibition. The guided tour will last about 45 minutes.

As with our recent outing to view the Letchworth Art Society Autumn exhibition, we hope this will be a welcome opportunity to engage socially with other Society members. If this date and time are not convenient for you, we hope that you will be able to support the North Herts Museum at another time.

Details of the North Herts Museum, this exhibition and other events can be found on their website Exhibitions North Hertfordshire Museum (northhertsmuseum.org)

To book your place, please contact us at theartssociety.nh@gmail.com

The nearest public car park (3 min walk on Google Maps) is the Lairage Multi-storey (Bedford Road, Hitchin, SG5 1GN). It costs £1.25 for the first 2 hours before 3 pm and £1.30 after 3 pm.

We shall meet at 1:25 pm at the museum itself (14 Brand Street, Hitchin, SG5 1JE) for the tour to start 1:30pm.