Bedford Park, 150 years’ young this year, is of course the first garden suburb, a utopian community dependent on railway transport into the nearby city, and planned like a fan with the handle, the fulcrum perhaps, as Turnham Green Station. But the UK is rich in other model developments, not just in garden suburbs such as Hampstead or Letchworth, but also particularly in the ideal, often countrified, village attached to a factory. Bournville near Birmingham was established by the Cadbury family to house workers at its chocolate factory, as was New Earswick outside York, founded by the Rowntrees; Port Sunlight on the Wirral was built to house workers at the eponymous soapworks, and Saltaire, outside Bradford, equally eponymous and the earliest of these, was founded by Titus Salt in 1851, to house his cloth workers away from the noisome slums of Bradford, just as George Gilbert Scott’s Akroyden in Calderdale, founded by the remarkable benefactor Colonel Akroyd in 1855, housed his workers in the countryside away from his works in Halifax.
Each of these developments is a reminder that not all Victorian industrialists were Thomas Gradgrinds from the world of Dickens’ Hard Times. These men were concerned, just as was Jonathan Carr at Bedford Park, to improve the living conditions for those for whom they built. Houses would be built without fetid basements, with gardens and nearby allotments, and would be extremely attractive to look at and to live in, with good-quality brick or stonework and endless variations on themes of gables, dormers, balconies and chimney stacks. Indeed one of the delights of taking a tour like this is to work out what exactly is the particular combination of features that make these places, (and Bedford Park) so very attractive, hugely varied in style as they are, from Tudor to Dutch, Gothic to ‘Queen Anne’.
Bournville 1893
There was more to such model villages than well-designed cottages though. Just as Bedford Park had its own Club, so these model villages too had their own social clubs, dining rooms, games rooms, lecture rooms and cricket pitches. Akroyden had its own Working Mens’ College, and Port Sunlight its own Art Gallery. Of course all villages were distinctly patriarchal, as indeed was Bedford Park in its early days.
While taking our little Grand Tour, we are able to enjoy some of the delights of such great cities as Liverpool and York, where we visit both Cathedrals, almost equally magnificent though separated in date by nearly a thousand years, along with the Lady Lever Art Gallery at Port Sunlight, the Bankfield Museum at Akroyden, and the Heritage Museum at Letchworth. In York we can even see medieval architecture that inspired other architects of such model villages and indeed Bedford Park itself.
On our way back to Turnham Green we visit Letchworth, proudly declaring itself to all arriving at its station as First Garden CITY (we ask ourselves why a city?), home of the first roundabout, quite extensive front gardens, and a temperance pub. We end with Hampstead Garden Suburb, brainchild of Henrietta Barnett and her husband Samuel Barnett, who had been responsible for Whitechapel Art Gallery and Toynbee Hall in the East End. Like Letchworth, the principal architects of Hampstead were Barry Parker and Sir Raymond Unwin, both notably influenced by Bedford Park. It will be fascinating to see what they took from their forerunner the pioneer, and what they chose either to enhance or to leave out.
OUR ITINERARY
Tuesday 16 September
Leave from St Michael’s church for Bournville. Coffee (or hot chocolate?!) in Bournville Cafe. Architectural walk with Nicholas Friend exploring Bournville. Lunch in a good local restaurant before leaving for Port Sunlight, arriving there in late afternoon. Refreshments in the Bridge Inn and short introductory walkabout before driving the short distance across the Mersey into Liverpool to the four-star Hope Street Hotel, just near Royal Albert Dock.
Wednesday 17 September
We make a brief morning visit to Liverpool Cathedral before having coffee in the Philharmonic Dining Rooms, perhaps the finest Victorian pub (with the most spectacular loos) in the UK. We then drive back to Port Sunlight for a more detailed architectural walk, lunch in the Lady Lever Art Gallery and an afternoon gallery visit to their extensive collection of Victorian paintings by Burne-Jones, Rossetti, and Holman Hunt with Nicholas Friend. After tea we drive to Liverpool for overnight in four-star Hope Street Hotel Liverpool.
Thursday 18 September
We leave for New Earswick, York, arriving mid-morning for coffee. Architectural walk followed by lunch there, followed by brief visit to 13c Cathedral and Shambles, one of the best-preserved medieval streets in Europe and an inspiration for the Arts and Crafts architecture seen in garden suburbs. Overnight in the fine four-star No 1Hotel York, immediately outside the West Front of the Cathedral.
Friday 19 September
We leave for Saltaire, arriving mid-morning for coffee. After an architectural meander we take lunch in Salts Diner and then leave on the short drive to Akroyden, near Halifax. After seeing the quality of George Gilbert Scott’s architecture there, we have a short visit to Bankfield Textile Museum in the village, housed in Colonel Akroyd’s grandiose house. Then we drive down to spend the night in the George Hotel Stamford in Lincolnshire, the finest of English coaching Inns in the finest of English coaching towns. Brief optional evening architectural walk in Stamford.
Saturday 20 September
Leave for Letchworth and coffee in Miss Green Fingers. Architectural walk and private bus tour, returning for lunch to Miss Green Fingers. After lunch we leave for Hampstead Garden Suburb where we spend a gentle hour before continuing on to Bedford Park, where we expect to arrive around 5pm.
Cost, including travel by executive minibus throughout, four nights’ accommodation in four-star hotels chosen for their comfort and interesting surroundings, all breakfasts, morning coffees, lunches, afternoon teas and dinners with wine, (dinner in private room in the George at Stamford) all entry fees, tips, service and VAT: £1584 per person sharing a room, Single Room Supplement of £387.
Deposit
To book, please kindly read the Terms and Conditions below, and send a deposit of £250 per person, either by bank transfer using the details beneath, or by phone with a credit or debit card to our Bookings Manager Henrietta MacPhee on +44 7940 719397, or by Paypal using the instructions in the ‘Booking Information’ below. If by bank transfer or Paypal, please then email henrietta@inscapetours.co.uk with your name and address indicating
a) that you have paid your deposit and
b) whether you will be sharing a room or would like a single room.
Final payments are due eight weeks prior to each tour.
Thank you so much.
BOOKING INFORMATION
The Good Life has been developed by Louise Friend and will be presented by Nicholas Friend. Cheques are not a viable option at this time. Instead, please make your payment to Friend&Friend Ltd by bank transfer to our account with Metrobank, bank sort code 23-05-80, account number 13291721 or via PayPal to nicholas@inscapetours.co.uk, or credit/debit card by phone to Henrietta on 07940 719 397. She is available Tuesdays or Thursdays 2-5 pm.
How to Set Up a PayPal account::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Click on this link: https://www.paypal.com/uk/home
In the upper right-hand corner of the screen, click “Sign up.”
On the following screen choose “Personal account” and click “Next.”
On the next page, you’ll be asked to enter your name, email address and to create and confirm a password. When finished, click “Next.”
Click “Agree and create account” and your PayPal account will be created.
How to Connect your Bank Account to your PayPal account:::::::::::::::::::::::
Log on to your account and click the “Wallet” option in the menu bar running along the top of the screen.
On the menu running down the left side of the screen, click the “Link a credit or debit card”.
Enter the card information you wish to link to your PayPal account and click “Link card” for debit card.
How to Send Money::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Log on to your account. Click Send & Request.
Enter the email address of the person you wish to send money to: nicholas@inscapetours.co.uk
Type in the amount you wish to send, click continue then press ‘Send Money Now’.
INSCAPE CULTURAL STUDY SOCIETY 