Jane Ramsden has kindly arranged a private tour of Birdsall House & Gardens for The Arts Society Helmsley at 1030 a.m. on Tuesday 14 May 2019.
Birdsall House (YO17 9NU) is situated about 5 miles south - east of Malton.

It has been continuously in the possession of the Willoughby family since 1719 when a Thomas Willoughby sought shelter from a snowstorm there and met and later married Elizabeth Sotheby who was to inherit the property from her parents. For almost 500 years it was a private family home and it was opened to the public for the first time only last year.

"Despite its Tuscan porticoes and imposing parapets, its gilded portraits and Grand Tour trophies, this stately house is surprisingly homely and welcoming. There are no silken ropes or 'private' signs, only a scattering of teasels on the sofas to stop visitors perching on fragile heirloom upholstery":property section of The Sunday Times, 24 March 2019.

The Willoughby family owned two other stately homes in Nottingham and Warwickshire but these were sold in 1923 and the best of their treasures transferred to Birdsall House. Highlights include furniture by Thomas Chippendale and Gillows of Lancaster; paintings include a Joshua Reynolds and an unbroken line of Willoughby family portraits from 1579.

Our morning tour will start with coffee and biscuits in the dining room followed by a talk on the history of the house and the family and a tour of its rooms. The gardens will be open to us. If the weather is good you may want to bring a picnic. If you would prefer a pub lunch Jane can reserve some tables at a local, the Blacksmith's Arms in Westow. For those interested in church buildings the Birdsall parish church is a fine example of Victorian architecture.

The cost will be £15 per person, reduced from the usual £18. Lunch is not included. If you would like to reserve a place, please contact Jane at:
jane7ramsden@hotmail.com
or
01944 768323