THE GREAT BRITISH TOUR AND HISTORIC DECORATION

Oliver Gerrish offers tailor-made tours with exclusive access to great country houses and British lifestyle. 

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Historic Decoration was founded in 2016 by interior designer and consultant Caroline Percy and architectural historian and consultant Oliver Gerrish. Our series of study days at Syon House, Salons at Brunswick House, four day course and tours aim to explain and define the many and varied aspects of the history of British interior design and to explore the options available to assist in the restoration and reinterpretation of historic interiors today.

the Great British Tour

Sample Tour

Day 1

Iford Manor – one of England’s most beautiful manor houses and home to the private Cartwright collection of art and furniture. Tour conducted by owner William Cartwright-Hignett of the house and garden, which is the world famous work of Harold Peto.

Lunch at Iford

Afternoon tour of Bath, Englands finest Georgian city, to include; The Royal Crescent, Bath Abbey, The Roman Baths and The Pump Rooms.

Day 2

High Glanau Manor – one of Wales’s best examples of an Arts and Crafts house and garden. Created by the first Architectural Editor of Country Life Magazine, Henry Avray Tipping, the house was rescued by the Gerrish family. Helena Gerrish, author of the celebrated ‘Edwardian Country Life’ will lead the tour and host lunch. H.R.H the PRINCE OF wales came to high glanau as part of his annual summer tour to wales in 2015.

Afternoon visit to Tintern Abbey. this great ruin helped to start the picturesque movement in British architecture.

Day 3

Chillington Hall – home to the Giffard family for nearly a thousand years. A masterpiece of Smith of Warwick and Sir John Soane. Home to Pompeo Batoni’s famous Giffard portraits, amongst other things. Charles giffard will conduct the tour.

Lunch at Chillington

Afternoon visit to Weston Park, ancestral home of the Earls of Bradford. Curator Gareth Williams will conduct the tour.

Day 4

Tissington Hall – ancestral home of the Fitzherbert family and one of Derbyshire’s most picturesque stately homes. Sir Richard Fitzherbert will lead the tour.

Lunch at Tissington

Afternoon visit to Renishaw Hall, home of Alexandra Sitwell. This house was the centre of the lives of England’s most famous twentieth century literary dynasty, the Sitwells. The house has fascinating associations with John Piper and the composer William Walton.

Day 5

Catton Hall – home to the Neilson family, and to the lady who Byron wrote of ‘She walks in beauty, like the night’. A grand Georgian stately home, which will be shown to us by Mrs Robin Neilson

Lunch and relaxed afternoon at Catton

Evening champagne and canapés followed by a private opera performance and dinner in the Great Hall.

Day 6

Boughton House – palace of the Dukes of Buccleuch and Queensberry and known as ‘The English Versailles’. This is one of the greatest treasure houses in Britain.

Lunch at Boughton

Afternoon visit to private art and furniture dealer.