Register for our upcoming online tour: Writers, Artists and Other Notable People of Chelsea, London⁠ ⁠ 📚 Chelsea is a vibrant and creative London neighborhood where the artistic spirit has thrived for generations. On this captivating virtual tour we will explore the tales of Oscar Wilde, whose wit and charm enchanted the Chelsea salons; delve into the world of Bram Stoker, the mastermind behind “Dracula,” whose imaginative mind found inspiration amidst Chelsea’s creative atmosphere; and visit the masterpieces of renowned painters like John Singer Sargent and James McNeill Whistler, who found solace and inspiration within Chelsea’s picturesque streets. Witness the places that kindled their creativity and be transported back to a time when Chelsea was a hotbed of artistic expression. To deepen our exploration, we’ll visit the historic Physic Garden, a place with strong ties to Chelsea through the influential botanist, Hans Sloane. We will also visit Thomas Carlyle’s home, preserved by the National Trust. Stephen Benson will take us on a tour through Chelsea’s bohemian past, and we will be immersed in the lives and works of the brilliant writers, visionary artists, and remarkable individuals who have called Chelsea their home.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 💻 LIVE⁠ Tuesday, November 7 | 2:00 p.m. ET⁠ Online via Zoom Webinar⁠ ⁠ 📀 RENT⁠ From Wednesday, November 8 to Monday, November 27⁠ Rent the recorded tour to watch at your leisure ⁠ ⁠ ➡️ Click on our link in bio to register for the online tour!⁠ ⁠ Use code INSTAGRAM to get a 10% discount!⁠ ⁠ #NationalTrust #UK #England #NationalTrustProperties #EnglishHouses #EnglishGardens #EnglishHistory

Register for our upcoming online lecture: Treasures in the Midlands, Staffordshire Country Houses⁠ ⁠ 📚 Historian Oliver Gerrish will speak to Royal Oak about several country houses in the UK county of Staffordshire. All of these stately homes started out as smaller manors, and were extended or rebuilt as family fortunes improved. Often, when families were raised to a peerage, they hired noted architects and designers to work on home renovations. William Anson, an ancestor of the Earls of Lichfield, in 1624 owned one example, Shugborough Hall. In 1693, the existing manor house was demolished, and a three-story building was built; while in the mid-18th century the house was extended on either side with pavilions. At the turn of the 19th century, as the family fortune skyrocketed, architect Samuel Wyatt remodeled the house and added a portico for the first Viscount Anson.⁠ ⁠ Other Staffordshire houses were similarly transformed with family money. Jacobean Ingestre Manor passed through marriage to the Chetwynd family. Their descendants were raised to the peerage in 1733 as Baron Talbot, and later as Earls Talbot. The 2nd Earl, Charles Chetwynd Talbot then hired one of the foremost British architects of the era, John Nash, to renovate Ingestre. Georgian-style Chillington Hall is the third to be rebuilt by the Giffard family on the same site. Their original plan was to hire Robert Adam in the 18th century. However, it was Sir John Soane who designed two new wings, an entrance front, and portico with Ionic capitals. Mr. Gerrish will illustrate and talk about these houses and also show later examples, including Arts & Crafts style Upmeads, built in 1908 by Edgar Wood, for a distant member of Gerrish’s family.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 💻 LIVE⁠ Thursday, Nov. 2 | 2:00 p.m. (ET)⁠ Online via Zoom Webinar⁠ ⁠ 📀 RENT⁠ From Friday, November 3 to Monday, November 27⁠ Rent the recorded lecture to watch at your leisure ⁠ ⁠ ➡️ Click on our link in bio to register for the online lecture!⁠ ⁠ Use code INSTAGRAM to get a 10% discount!⁠ ⁠ #NationalTrust #UK #England #NationalTrustProperties #EnglishHouses #EnglishGardens #EnglishHistory

Register for our upcoming online tour: Eternal Elegance, Unveiling London’s ‘Magnificent Seven Cemeteries’⁠ ⁠ 📚 Step into the intriguing Victorian era with Royal Oak on a virtual tour of London’s 19th-century municipal cemeteries, known as the “Magnificent Seven.” As London’s population grew during the early 19th century, local parish burial grounds became dangerously overcrowded and threatened public health—decay even seeping into groundwater. In 1832, Parliament passed an act encouraging the establishment of suburban cemeteries outside of London. Architects called for cemeteries inspired by the design of Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, a garden cemetery that included memorials to WWI, mausoleums, and private commemorations in a landscaped park-like setting.⁠ ⁠ The Magnificent Seven started with Kensal Green, in Kensington and Chelsea, which opened in 1833. Designed by Richard Forrest, it features grand memorials and carved stone symbols which echo the legacies and stories of the remarkable individuals laid to rest within their grounds. Rob Smith will explain about the development and history of London’s seven municipal cemeteries. He will illustrate the intricate memorials, deciphering and explaining the hidden meanings and artistic nuances that make up the Victorian language of remembrance. He also will explain how rural cemeteries, before the development of public parks, were meant for public use and provided a place for people to enjoy the outdoors and sculptural art. Finally, Mr. Smith will discuss the eminent figures of art and literature, and the pioneers of industry and innovation, who are honored in these parks.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 💻 LIVE⁠ Wednesday, October 25 | 5:00 p.m. ET⁠ Online via Zoom Webinar⁠ ⁠ 📀 RENT⁠ From Thursday, October 26 to Monday, November 27⁠ Rent the recorded tour to watch at your leisure ⁠ ⁠ ➡️ Click on our link in bio to register for the online tour!⁠ ⁠ Use code INSTAGRAM to get a 10% discount!⁠ ⁠ #NationalTrust #UK #England #NationalTrustProperties #EnglishHouses #EnglishGardens #EnglishHistory

Register for our upcoming online lecture: The English Arts & Crafts Country House⁠ ⁠ 📚 Some of the most influential architects and designers of the past 150 years – William Morris, Philip Webb, Richard Norman Shaw, and Edwin Lutyens – are associated with the Arts & Crafts movement, or the ‘Domestic Revival’ as it was known in the 19th century. They were drawn to the movement’s central premise: that design in an industrial age was ugly, mechanistic, and dehumanizing, and that honest construction and individual craftsmanship showed the way forward.⁠ ⁠ There was one place where these dreams and ideals came together – the English Arts & Crafts country house, which was at once a family home, as well as a symbol of excellence. Houses like Standen, designed by Arts & Crafts architect Philip Webb, stand together with romantic masterpieces such as Wightwick Manor, or smaller gems like Ernest Gimson’s Stoneywell. These houses exemplify a historical moment when designers dared to say that Beauty and Truth mattered, and that to have one without the other was morally wrong.⁠ ⁠ In this lecture, author Adrian Tinniswood OBE celebrates the movement’s dedication to the total work of art; its joy in simple vernacular buildings. He will honor its greatest achievement, in which all those abstract notions become real – the Arts & Crafts country house in England.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 💻 LIVE⁠ Tuesday, Oct. 24 | 2:00 p.m. (ET)⁠ Online via Zoom Webinar⁠ ⁠ 📀 RENT⁠ From Wednesday, October 25 to Monday, November 27⁠ Rent the recorded lecture to watch at your leisure ⁠ ⁠ ➡️ Click on our link in bio to register for the online lecture!⁠ ⁠ Use code INSTAGRAM to get a 10% discount!⁠ ⁠ #NationalTrust #UK #England #NationalTrustProperties #EnglishHouses #EnglishGardens #EnglishHistory

Register for our upcoming online lecture: 300 Years of Joshua Reynolds, The Painter & the Painted⁠ ⁠ 📚 The Art Newspaper lauds Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), the founding president of the Royal Academy of Arts, as the “the preferred portraitist of the 18th century’s ‘great and good’.” Reynolds portraits are ubiquitous in English country houses and feature heavily in the collection of the National Trust. As galleries and museums worldwide commemorate Reynolds’ 300th birth Anniversary, the National Trust is hosting an exhibition at Saltram.⁠ ⁠ This exhibition, running until October 31, pays homage to the artist’s deep-rooted connection with the Parker family during the 18th century. However, the NT’s collection transcends a singular household. Known for inventive compositions and capturing subjects’ essences, Reynolds’ portraits exemplify his exceptional talent. Today, the NT cares for an extensive Reynolds’ collection at their properties, including 76 oil paintings, 607 print copies, and 77 written works. The NT’s unwavering commitment to preserving these treasures is evident this year, with several portraits undergoing meticulous conservation at the Royal Oak Conservation Studio.⁠ ⁠ Senior National Trust Curator, John Chu, will lecture to Royal Oak members on the expansive Reynolds Collection safeguarded by the National Trust. Mr. Chu will discuss some portraits’ restoration at the ROF studio and he will also explore Reynolds life and his enduring legacy⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 💻 LIVE⁠ Tuesday, Oct. 17 | 2:00 p.m. (ET)⁠ Online via Zoom Webinar⁠ ⁠ 📀 RENT⁠ From Wednesday, October 18 to Monday, November 13⁠ Rent the recorded lecture to watch at your leisure ⁠ ⁠ ➡️ Click on our link in bio to register for the online lecture!⁠ ⁠ Use code INSTAGRAM to get a 10% discount!⁠ ⁠ #NationalTrust #UK #England #NationalTrustProperties #EnglishHouses #EnglishGardens #EnglishHistory

Register for our upcoming in-person lecture in Philadelphia: Knole, A Private View into One of Britain’s Great Houses⁠ ⁠ 📚 The Sackvilles have inhabited Knole, one of Britain’s greatest houses, for more than 400 years. In his talk, Robert Sackville-West, the 13th generation of the family to live at Knole, will take Royal Oak members on a personal tour of this “calendar house,” with its legendary 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances, and seven courtyards.⁠ ⁠ Lord Sackville will illustrate the smoldering spirit of Knole, from the state rooms—with the finest collection of 17th c. Royal Stuart furniture in the world and outstanding tapestries—to the private apartments filled with portraits by Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Sir Peter Lely, and Reynolds. He will include a trip behind-the-scenes into the labyrinth of cellars and show attics filled with family mementos. He will describe his ancestors who inhabited his family home—the grave Elizabethan statesman, the good-for-nothing gadabout at the seedy court of James I, the Restoration rake, the 3rd Duke of the ancien régime—who inhabited his family home and were described by Vita Sackville-West (born at Knole) as “a race too prodigal, too amorous, too weak, too indolent, and too melancholy.”⁠ ⁠ Lord Sackville will talk about the way his family has shaped and furnished the house, and describe how Knole itself has shaped the Sackvilles, influencing their lives and their relationships up to the present day. The stunning images of the interiors were taken by Ashley Hicks for Knole: A Private View of One of Britain’s Great Houses, published by Rizzoli 2022.⁠ ⁠ 👥 IN-PERSON⁠ Wednesday, October 18 | 6:30 p.m. (ET)⁠ The Union League of Philadelphia⁠ 140 South Broad Street⁠ ⁠ ➡️ Click on our link in bio to register for the in-person lecture!⁠ ⁠ Use code INSTAGRAM to get a 10% discount!⁠ ⁠ #NationalTrust #UK #England #NationalTrustProperties #EnglishHouses #EnglishGardens #EnglishHistory

Register for our upcoming in-person lectures in NYC and Chicago: Celebrating the British Countryside, From the Archives of Country Life⁠ ⁠ 📚 Delve into the heart of country living as we journey through the enchanting landscapes, magnificent houses, and breathtaking gardens that epitomize romantic Britain. From the quaint and charming villages with flower filled hedgerows in the Cotswolds, to the panoramic views across the Yorkshire dales; from the grand English country houses, to the heather filled Scottish Highlands; each landscape demonstrates the beauty and romance of English countryside living that has captivated Royal Oak members and Anglophiles. For over 125 years Country Life magazine has been renowned for its unparalleled access to castles, palaces, private estates, and the incredible gardens that dot the British countryside.⁠ ⁠ John Goodall, Architectural Editor of Country Life for 16 years, will offer an intimate glimpse into the soul-stirring beauty of the English countryside as captured by the lens of Country Life, and immortalized in his latest book published by Rizzoli in 2023. Mr. Goodall will illustrate British houses and gardens, revealing their architectural splendors, and also show the change of seasons across Britain’s landscapes. Join us for a stunning visual tour of the dramatic scenery as well as the quiet, private country corners of Great Britain.⁠ ⁠ 👥 IN-PERSON NEW YORK CITY⁠ Monday, October 16 | 6:00 p.m. (ET)⁠ The General Society Library⁠ 20 W. 44th Street, NYC ⁠ ⁠ 📀 RENT⁠ From Tuesday, October 17 to Monday, November 13⁠ Rent the recorded lecture to watch at your leisure⁠ ⁠ 👥 IN-PERSON CHICAGO⁠ Wednesday, October 18 | 6:30 p.m. (CT)⁠ The Newberry Library⁠ Ruggles Hall, 60 West Walton Street⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ➡️ Click on our link in bio to register for the in-person lectures!⁠ ⁠ Use code INSTAGRAM to get a 10% discount!⁠ ⁠ #NationalTrust #UK #England #NationalTrustProperties #EnglishHouses #EnglishGardens #EnglishHistory

Register for our upcoming in-person tour: NYC, Five Points and the Immigrant City⁠ ⁠ 📚 Gone but hardly forgotten, Five Points, in Lower Manhattan, was a hive of crime, corruption, and poverty in the 19th century (as shown in the film Gangs of New York). Adjacent to Mulberry Bend and Bandit’s Roost, images of these twisting streets and slums are forever captured in photographer Jacob Riis’ groundbreaking work, How the Other Half Lives. The depicted poverty in his photos scandalized social reformers. The neighborhood was visited in 1842 by the novelist Charles Dickens and presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln in 1860. Despite these attempts at reforms. Five Points was renowned for its riotous gangs, gambling dens, crowded tenements, and houses of ill-repute.⁠ ⁠ Architectural historian Matt Postal will lead Royal Oak into this once notorious location and explore its ever-changing history. He will talk about the history of the neighborhood when it was mostly Irish, paying particular attention to how the streets were transformed by progressive social policies, as well as the subsequent arrival of Italian, and later Chinese immigrants. We will begin our exploration in front of the Italianate-styled New York County Court, now known as the Tweed Courthouse, then will traverse Foley Square and visit Collect Pond Park. Next, stopping to view The Tombs, a monumental 1930s Art Deco jail complex designed by Harvey Wiley Corbett, we will explore Columbus Park, containing landscape architect Calvert Vaux’s final work, a restored 1897 pavilion.⁠ ⁠ 👥 IN-PERSON⁠ Thursday, October 12 | 10:30 a.m. ET⁠ Meeting Place: Southwest corner Centre Street and Chambers Street, across from Municipal Building⁠ ⁠ ➡️ Click on our link in bio to register for the in-person tour!⁠ ⁠ Use code INSTAGRAM to get a 10% discount!⁠ ⁠ #NationalTrust #UK #England #NationalTrustProperties #EnglishHouses #EnglishGardens #EnglishHistory

Register for our upcoming in-person lecture: Beyond King’s Mistress, Henrietta Howard and Marble Hill⁠ ⁠ 📚 Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk, left an exquisite legacy to her extraordinary life. Born in 1689, she displayed remarkable resilience, overcoming early hurdles such as the loss of her parents and financial constraints. Her journey was significantly influenced by her marriage to Charles Howard. Beyond her connection with the King, Henrietta cultivated relationships with literary luminaries like Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, and John Gay, showcasing her role as an arts patron. While Howard’s history as the King’s mistress is, widely known, recent restoration efforts at Marble Hill, situated serenely along the river Thames in Twickenham, shine a light on her story. These efforts explore her early marriage and ascent within Georgian society.⁠ ⁠ The garden’s revival, partially envisioned by Charles Bridgman, adds a botanical dimension to her legacy. Marble Hill itself stands as a testament to neo-Palladian architecture, influenced by renowned Italian architect Andrea Palladio. Crafted by Howard, the villa provided respite from the bustling atmosphere of 18th-century London. The architectural composition blends classical elements with Howard’s unique perspective. Wendy Monkhouse, Senior Curator at English Heritage will explore her creation and her journey through early 18th century life at court, and her role as a gifted patron.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 👥 IN-PERSON⁠ Wednesday, October 11 | 6:00 p.m. (ET)⁠ The General Society Library⁠ 20 W. 44th Street, NYC ⁠ ⁠ 📀 RENT⁠ From Thursday, October 12 to Monday, October 30⁠ Rent the recorded lecture to watch at your leisure ⁠ ⁠ ➡️ Click on our link in bio to register for the in-person lecture!⁠ ⁠ Use code INSTAGRAM to get a 10% discount!⁠ ⁠ #NationalTrust #UK #England #NationalTrustProperties #EnglishHouses #EnglishGardens #EnglishHistory

Register for our upcoming online tour: A Room of One’s Own – the Homes of Virginia Woolf⁠ ⁠ 📚 Guide Stephen Benson will give a digital tour of the London and country residences that shaped the life and works of one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, Virginia Woolf. He will showcase the homes where Woolf lived, and explore the physical inspiration and the socio-cultural context that influenced her writing.⁠ ⁠ First, he will illustrate Woolf’s childhood home where she was born in 1882, 22 Hyde Park Gate in Kensington. This elegant Victorian townhouse set the stage for the writer’s formative years, and it was here that her writing passion began to blossom. Next, he will explore the Gordon Square home in Bloomsbury where Virginia and her friends, including the renowned painter Vanessa Bell, lived during the early 20th century. ⁠ ⁠ Stephen also will show the locations where Woolf’s iconic works “Mrs. Dalloway” and “To the Lighthouse” were written. While her London homes influenced a significant part in Woolf’s literary life, the English countryside also inspired her creative process. Monk’s House in Sussex, the charming country cottage she shared with her husband Leonard, played a vital role in her personal and literary development. ⁠ ⁠ Now owned by the National Trust, Monk’s House exudes a sense of tranquility and is surrounded by lush gardens; a peaceful retreat that no doubt inspired many of Woolf’s writing moments. Royal Oak is thrilled to present this digital tour, a literary pilgrimage, to allow us to look at Virginia Woolf’s physical past and gain a deeper understanding of the inspiration for her literary legacy.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 💻 LIVE⁠ Tuesday, October 3 | 2:00 p.m. ET⁠ Online via Zoom Webinar⁠ ⁠ 📀 RENT⁠ From Wednesday, October 4 to Monday, October 30⁠ Rent the recorded tour to watch at your leisure ⁠ ⁠ ➡️ Click on our link in bio to register for the online tour!⁠ ⁠ Use code INSTAGRAM to get a 10% discount!⁠ ⁠ #NationalTrust #UK #England #NationalTrustProperties #EnglishHouses #EnglishGardens #EnglishHistory ⁠

Register for our upcoming online tour: From Smokestacks to Seascapes, Discover South Wales⁠ ⁠ 📚 Join Royal Oak on a virtual tour through South Wales that highlights its contrasting facets of industry vs. natural landscapes. Transformed by the industrial revolution, Wales’ regional mines and factories once fueled global progress, consequently enriching towns in the area. Tour guide and historian, Rob Smith will lead us on a digital tour through the remnants of Wales’ industrial past, gaining insight into the ingenuity that shaped the modern world. We will look up and down the streets of Cardiff and Swansea, both urban centers that flourished from Wales’ industrial legacy. Now they stand as vibrant cultural beacons with stunning museums and centers for the arts.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 💻 LIVE⁠ Thursday, September 28 | 5:00 p.m. ET⁠ Online via Zoom Webinar⁠ ⁠ 📀 RENT⁠ From Friday, September 29 to Monday, October 23⁠ Rent the recorded tour to watch at your leisure ⁠ ⁠ ➡️ Click on our link in bio to register for the online tour!⁠ ⁠ Use code INSTAGRAM to get a 10% discount!⁠ ⁠ #NationalTrust #UK #England #NationalTrustProperties #EnglishHouses #EnglishGardens #EnglishHistory ⁠

Register for our upcoming online lecture: Munstead Wood, Gertrude Jekyll’s Home and Garden⁠ ⁠ 📚 In June 2023, the National Trust in the UK announced their acquisition of an important Grade I listed house and garden—Gertrude Jekyll’s home at Munstead Wood. One of the most important garden designers of the early 20th century, Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) was a prolific writer, skilled businesswoman, and a hugely influential horticulturist. She was the first woman to be awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s prestigious Victoria Medal of Honour.⁠ ⁠ Jekyll designed exquisite gardens at Hestercombe, Deanery Gardens, and Lindisfarne Castle, among others, often collaborating with architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. Jekyll lived at Munstead Wood from the 1890s until her death in 1932. During that time, she created a woodland garden with under-plantings of flowers and shrubs that could be viewed via a series of walks. ⁠ ⁠ Jekyll also introduced at least 30 new varieties of plants in her garden, previously unfamiliar in the UK. She once said of Munstead Wood “My garden is my workshop, my private study, and a place of rest.” Landscape historian and author Judith Tankard will discuss Jekyll’s home and garden, including the designer’s legendary theories on color, planting and design. She will show some of Jekyll’s own photographs and scrapbooks to demonstrate Jekyll‘s brilliance and lasting influence on garden design.⁠ ⁠ Andy Jasper, Head of Gardens at the National Trust, created a video for Royal Oak members to speak about this important acquisition to the NT’s Garden portfolio. He will discuss the NT’s plans for the garden restoration and opening Munstead Wood to the public so that they can experience this unique house and garden.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 💻 LIVE⁠ Wednesday, September 27 | 2:00 p.m. (ET)⁠ Online via Zoom Webinar⁠ ⁠ 📀 RENT⁠ From Thursday, September 28 to Tuesday, October 31⁠ Rent the recorded lecture to watch at your leisure ⁠ ⁠ ➡️ Click on our link in bio to register for the online lecture!⁠ ⁠ Use code INSTAGRAM to get a 10% discount!⁠ ⁠ #NationalTrust #UK #England #NationalTrustProperties #EnglishHouses #EnglishGardens #EnglishHistory