Come to Sussex for Opera, Art and History!

We are delighted to have arranged a three day trip to Sussex over the weekend of 31st October to 2nd November with the highlight being a performance of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro at Glyndebourne followed by dinner at the Glynbdebourne theatre restaurant.

Also   * A guided tour of the Watts Gallery - George Frederick Watts the renouned Victorian artist.

          * A guided tour of the Royal Pavilion, Brighton.

          * A visit to Charleston House - the country retreat of the Bloomsbury group.

          * Two nights half board acommodation at a 4 star seafront hotel in Eastbourne.

          *  CLICK HERE for more details and a booking form. 

          *  Cost of the trip - £699 (based on two people sharing a twin a double room). There are 15 double and 5 single rooms available and they will be allocated on a first come/first served basis on receipt of your cheque for the £100 deposit each (NB To make sure that we may reserve your seat at the Opera your deposite is required before  April 30th)

'Decoding History's Art'

Romantics, Rebels and Reformers: Art in the Age of Empire and Industry

Join us with art historian Dr. Geri Parlby as we delve into the radical artistic transformations of the Victorian era.

One day weekly for five weeks starting in February 2026 (10.30am to 3.30pm) at the Museum of Somerset, Taunton TA1 4AA.

Course fee £150.

New participants are welcome - no prior knowledge required - only a love of art and history. Open to ALL!

Thursday February 19th 2026. The last of the Romantics. From the animated art of Landseer to the dreamlike visions of Alma-Tadema, Leighton and Dadd.

Thursday February 26th 2026. Art for the People. The rise of Realism and plein air painting with Courbet, Millet and Bonheur.

Wednesday March 4th 2026. The Beautiful Revolt. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's challenge to academic norms.

Thursday March 12th 2026. Rebels, radical and Crafts. Further evolution to the Arts and Crafts movement and the work of Morris and Burne-Jones as they fight industrialistation.

Thursday March 19th 2026. Art with a Social Conscience. See how Watts, Fildes, Herkomer and Holl used art to confront the harsh realities of industrial life.

To book a place, please contact the course organiser Sarah Merchant - sarah.swstudydays@gmail.com or phone 07896094742

Visit to the Shoemakers Museum February 2026

A  group of members visited the new Shoemakers Museum in Street.  Housed in a spectacular building in Clarks Village, this fascinating museum tells the story of how Street became a model for ethical industry, innovation and progressive thinking.  We learnt stories of activism, housing, education and the people who turned a rural village into a global brand’s home. We were privileged too to visit the archive which holds a fascinating collection of not only shoes but advertising and promotional material dating back from the Edwardian era to the present day.  A very interesting and worthwhile visit.

Photographs from the visit are in the Gallery.

On a sunny June day the society visited Halswell House, Goathurst.  We started with an excellent lunch and a history of the house with Roy Bolton. After many years on the ‘At Risk’ register, Halswell House (Grade 1 listed) and its landscape park (Grade 2 listed) are being restored by the new owner, Edward Strachan. The house, described by Pevsner as ‘the most important house of its date in the county’ was mentioned in Domesday Book and parts of the Tudor and Elizabethan manor house remain behind the Baroque North front with its well-proportioned and high-ceilinged rooms. When Sir Charles Kemeys Tynte inherited the estate in 1747, his principal interest was in the grounds and garden and he created a landscape park contemporary with those at Stowe and over the hill at Hestercombe. Some splendid buildings, follies and vistas still remain and after the tour of the house and an excursion to the roof, we drove down to the Temple of Harmony and walked through the newly planted Mill Wood to the grotto and restored Bath Stone Bridge.  The very interesting and enjoyable day ended with a glass of sparkling wine in the temple.

Photographs are available in the Gallery

These art bags are being distributed to the children of families currently using the food bank’s critical services.

The initiative was made possible by the society using the substantial amount of money raised through raffles at monthly lectures over the year.  A further community grant has been made from the Arts Society Head Office to the society which will be used for more art bags to be distributed through the Nelson Trust who provide support for vulnerable women and their families.

Each bag is filled with a variety of creative materials including pencils, stencils, a watercolour set, a sketch pad, coloured cards and much more. They are designed to inspire and bring joy to children of all ages.

Felicity, Deputy Manager of the Taunton Foodbank, said “The art bags have been really well received and clients have gone away delighted with them”.

A group from The Arts Society Taunton enjoyed a very successful tour of Northern Italy in October.  We were based at Lake Garda and enjoyed an itinerary including Mantua, Verona, Venice, Vicenza and Padua.  The weather was not the best but a few rainy days didn’t affect our enjoyment of the many highlights of the tour.  Memorable were the Ducal Palace in Mantua and the Palazzo Te with the astonishing ‘Room of Giants’ and the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua with the beautiful Giotto frescoes depicting the life of Christ.  On the free day we could explore the villages surrounding Lake Garda by boat.  The local wines from the vineyards surrounding Lake Garda were much appreciated especially the Lugana and Valpolicella. 

In lovely September sunshine a group of members from the Arts Society Taunton enjoyed a visit to Powderham Castle home of the Earls of Devon near Exeter.  Our excellent guide Andy related the history of the castle as well as many fascinating stories behind the family portraits.  Our tour ended with a delicious lunch in the beautiful music room.

Our Society recently created a Trail of Discovery along the heritage West Somerset Railway. Using the trail as you travel from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead you can discover the art, heritage and culture of this old Great Western Railway branch line. You can enjoy a nostalgic and relaxed ride, back in time, through lovely countryside, study the railway and its preserved industrial heritage, or stop and study the wonderful historic places that can be easily accessed from its stations.

Our West Somerset Railway Trail can be downloaded here

Members and guests enjoyed a very pleasant day out on the West Somerset Railway in July.  The day had been rescheduled as on the original date in June, filming was taking place at Bishops Lydeard Station for Netflix.  Look out for The Seven Dials Mystery next year with Helena Bonham-Carter and Martin Freeman.  Our day was luckily uneventful and free of rain.  The WSR staff were very attentive and we appreciated Chris Austin’s introductory talk at the Gauge Museum and his knowledge of the history of the railway as he chatted to us en route to Minehead.  We enjoyed a delicious cream tea on the train at the end of the day.

We held a very successful Special Interest Day on Art Deco in March with Pamela Campbell-Johnston.

She took us through the development of the style and its height in the year 1935.  Pamela also brought along a selection of objects for members to study and handle.  The day was fully booked and we welcomed visitors from other societies.  We are looking forward to our next Special Interest Day on The British Empire and Imperial India with John Stevens on 21 November.

The Arts Society Taunton recently donated £500 to Selworthy Special School for art materials.  The donation was made up of an Arts Society Community Grant of £250 and a further £250 was donated from our own funds.  The children made amazing use of the materials and held an exhibition of their work.  A member of staff commented that the materials really unleashed the children’s creativity.  Here is just a small sample of the excellent exhibits.

Members enjoyed a stimulating and entertaining day with Arts Society lecturer and antique expert Janusz Karczewsk-Slowikowski.  He traced the development of the chair from ancient times through to the end of the nineteenth century and we learned a huge amount not only about the construction of chairs but also their social significance.  Members brought an amazing variety of their own interesting chairs which Janusz examined and commented on.

Church Recording at Churchstanton was completed on 1st November 2020.