Monday 1st June - Friday 5th June 2026

The TASP Holiday next year is to Devon. We will be staying at a hotel in Torquay which overlooks Torbay, and we will be visiting Exeter Cathedral; Powderham Castle; Buckland Abbey; Cotehele; Killerton and other historic houses.

Click here for the brochure.

Jane Austen and Winchester College

2025 is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth and to mark this No. 8 College Street, Winchester, where she spent the last weeks of her life, is open to the public for the first time.
We have organised an hour-long guided tour of Winchester College starting at 3pm. Winchester College, founded by William of Wykeham in 1382, is a famous school and a heritage site. The tour will focus on the school’s history and medieval architecture.
Tea/coffee and cake will then be served at the Wykeham Arms followed by a private guided tour of 8 College Street starting at 5pm and lasting for about an hour. There are many artefacts, displays and exhibitions to see at both venues.
 

Jane Austen and Winchester College

2025 is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth and to mark this No. 8 College Street, Winchester, where she spent the last weeks of her life, is open to the public for the first time.
We have organised an hour-long guided tour of Winchester College starting at 3pm. Winchester College, founded by William of Wykeham in 1382, is a famous school and a heritage site. The tour will focus on the school’s history and medieval architecture.
Tea/coffee and cake will then be served at the Wykeham Arms followed by a private guided tour of 8 College Street starting at 5pm and lasting for about an hour. There are many artefacts, displays and exhibitions to see at both venues.
 

MATTBLACKBARN – Hambrook – Wednesday 18th June 2025
Please see https://www.mattblackbarn.co.uk/  for full information about the site.
We are planning a visit to this sculpture design studio, workshop and gallery.
It starts at 10.30 a.m. and includes tea/coffee on arrival. The cost is £10 per person. There is a limit to the number, so please book early to avoid disappointment.
Please e-mail tasp.honsec@gmail.com to book your place and you will be sent instructions for how to pay.
We will see the work of two very different sculptors, work in progress and finished pieces displayed in the gallery as well as outdoors in the extensive grounds. Please wear sensible shoes as the paths are gravel and grass and can be uneven and slippery when wet.
 

 

Our next Tour will be to Greenwich and South East London for 4 days from 18th May 2025.

We will see: Down House; Greenwich (The Royal Observatory, Queen's House & The Painted Hall); Eltham Palace; Dulwich Picture Gallery; Red House and Windsor.

4 days from £789; single room supplement £89

For more information, please contact janehussey@btinternet.com

Our next visit will be on Monday 20th May to Goodwood House.

Arrival 10.15-10.30 with coffee or tea on arrival followed by a guided tour lasting approximately 1 hour. The cost is £25. This is self drive. 

There will be an option to have lunch at the Goodwood Hotel Bar and Grill which will be self-funded. 

We need a minimum number of 15 for the visit to go ahead. 

If you wish to join the visit please email portsdownoutings@gmail.com 
by Friday 22nd March indicating also if you would like to stay for lunch. Payment and lunch details will then be sent out. 

Following her fascinating talk to the Society in July, Alex Hildred (Head of Research) will guide us around the museum, with a break for a sandwich lunch.

We will meet at 10.45pm and finish around 3pm. Please arrange your own transport.

A tour of Chawton House, Chawton and buffet lunch has been arranged. It is understood that there is still hesitancy joining a coach so this will be self drive.
Coffee on arrival, guided tour of the house followed by a buffet lunch.  

With guided tour to include the newly refurbished saloon (am).

The Royal Pavilion, built by George IV, using the architect John Nash, contains The Saloon recently restored to its original dazzling splendour as well as a magnificent banqueting room. 

Visit www.brightonmuseum.org.uk/royalpavilion

The guided tour of the Brighton Museum will feature the Top Ten favourite/recent exhibits.

Bowood is a grade 1 listed Georgian country house with interiors by Robert Adam and a garden designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown.  It has been the home of the Landsdowne family since 1754.  The "big house" was demolished in 1955 for economic reasons.  However, the remaining house is still large and is open to the public with rooms, paintings and sculpture on dispay.  One room was the laboratory of Joseph Priestley who discovered oxygen there in 1774.

The private walled garden has four distinctly different one-acre squares.  A truly special experience as you walk through the secret door.

£55 or £45 for HHA members.

Stratfield Saye House has been the home of the Dukes of Wellington since 1817.  Given by a grateful nation to the victorious Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, it was to rival Blenheim Palace, home of the Dukes of Marlborough.

The visit will be exclusive to our Portsdown group.  The tours will be in small groups.  There will be a 'rolling' lunch supplied by the farm shop.  There is a choice of menu that will need to be pre-ordered.

£50 or £38 for HHA members.

This outing will take place on Wednesday 20th June 2018​​​

This outing is only open to full members at present.

​The outing will feature a guided tour of St Nicholas Church at Moreton to view the windows engraved by Laurence Whistler the pre-eminent glass engraver of the 20th century.  The church is also the burial place of T.E.Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia).

​The other featured visit will be to "Sculpture by the Lakes".

​Set in 26 acres near Pallington Lakes, the park has been created by Simon Gudgeon to display his work.  His vision was to create an environment that blends nature's beauty with inspiring works of art, free from the constraints of enclosed spaces of a traditional gallery.

​The itinerary is:

​08.00 Leave ASDA Bedhampton, stop at Ringwood for a comfort break

​10.30 Visit St Nicholas Church, then to Dorchester for lunch

​14.30 Visit Sculpture by the Lakes

18.30 Return to ASDA Bedhampton

The price is £37.50 per person, please pay by cheque or OBT as explained in the ticket book.

David Coleman, Outings Organiser  01243 378839  pdfasouting@gmail.com

​This is a repeat of the outing being held on Tuesday 31 October 2017 which is now fully booked.

The Charterhouse was built in 1371 as a Carthusian monastery.

In 1611 Thomas Sutton founded a School and an Almshouse for 80 Brothers.  The school moved to Godalming in 1872.  The Brothers remain in London to this day.

In January 2017 The Charterhouse opened its doors to the public for the first time since its foundationin in 1348.

There will be time to visit the new museum.  At 14:15 we will have a private tour conducted by one of The Brothers.

Next door to the museum there is a cafe 'Thackeray's at Charterhouse' serving hot lunch specials from 12:00.

The Charterhouse was built in 1371 as a Carthusian monastery.

In 1611 Thomas Sutton founded a school and an Almshouse for 80 brothers.  The school moved to Godalming in 1872. The Brothers remain in London to this day.

In January 2017 the Charterhouse opened its doors to the public for the first time since its foundation in 1348.

There will be time to visit the new museum.  At 14.15 we will have a private tour conducted by one of The Brothers.

Next door to the museum there is a cafe 'Thackeray's at Charterhouse' serving hot lunch specials from 12.00.

www.thecharterhouse.org

​Please note this outing is now fully booked.  A further date has been arranged for Tuesday 23 January 2018.

May or June 2017 - date to be confirmed.

The Longford Castle collection, formed by successive generations of one family, is one of the finest in the United Kingdom. It includes paintings by van Dyck, Claude, Teniers and Hals, together with British pictures by Reynolds and Gainsborough, as well as oriental porcelain, Brussels tapestries and exceptional 18th century English and continental furniture.

The castle is only open to visits for 28 days per year. Visits can only be booked in February each year. We have a provisional booking for May or June 2017.

We visit Kelmscott Manor the Cotswold retreat of William Morris and his family, friends and colleagues.

www.sal.org.uk/kelmscott-manor

After refreshments, there is a 30 minute talk and a free flow tour of the Manor. There will be room guides to assist.

After a break for lunch (not included) we visit Avebury where you will be free to visit The Stone Circle, Avebury Manor (NT), The Alexander Keiller Museum (NT) or the Circles Cafe.