Events for 2026
Special Chippendale Tour with Adam Bowett
£10.50 - 4th June, 14:00pm
It's that time of year again when we celebrate Thomas Chippendale's Birthday! Join us at Temple Newsam House, Leeds, for a special Chippendale tour with our society chairman, Adam Bowett.
This engaging tour brings Chippendale's craftsmanship, creativity and story vividly to life. Through Temple Newsam’s and the Chippendale Society’s remarkable collections, you’ll uncover the skill, innovation and lasting influence behind some of the finest furniture ever made.
Go beyond the galleries with exclusive access to original Chippendale designs and rare archival materials, offering a unique insight into 18th-century design and the life of the man behind the furniture. Whether curious or passionate, this tour promises insight, inspiration and discovery.
Pre-booking is required for this tour as places are limited – please call or email to check availability and book your place.
Phone: 0113 336 7460
Email: temple.newsam.house@leeds.gov.uk
Holmes Antiques, Howarth
£20 - 3rd June
Chippendale Society members David and Christian Holmes have invited us to study their extensive collection of 17th and 18th-century furniture at their premises in Haworth’s famous Main Street. Holmes Antiques is a long-established family business, specialising in fine quality oak, mahogany and walnut furniture. David and Christian will share with us their extraordinary knowledge and experience, infused with a lifelong belief in quality, originality, colour and patina.
Morning coffee on arrival has been booked at the nearby Cobbles and Clay cafe. Afterwards, we will drive to Ilkley to enjoy a light lunch at the home of Chippendale Society member Jonathan Sutton, with an opportunity to study some of his antique furniture and other decorative arts. This is a self-drive event, and places are limited to 16.
Manchester Art Gallery and the John Rylands Library
£35 - 9th July
This visit begins with a behind the scenes tour of the furniture collection at Manchester Art Gallery, led by Curator Jennifer McKellar and Chippendale Society Chairman Dr Adam Bowett. Among the highlights are furniture by Thomas Chippendale senior and junior, as well as by their great rivals, John Mayew and William Ince. After lunch, we will have an opportunity to view the Gallery’s fine art collections before reconvening at the nearby John Rylands Library. The library was commissioned by Enrique Augustina Rylands in memory of her husband John. It was designed by the celebrated architect Basil Champneys and opened in 1900. It now houses an extraordinary collections of early books and manuscripts as well as more recent material such as the papers of Elizabeth Gaskell. Our tour here will be led by Dominic Marsh of the John Rylands Library and Chippendale Society conservator Tim Phelps. Tim has worked extensively at Rylands over many years and has unrivalled knowledge of this unique building and its fittings, and these will be the main focus of our visit. Attendees should travel to Manchester by car or train; all venues are within 15 minutes’ walk of Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria rail stations, where buses, trams and taxis may be found. The walk between the Art Gallery and John Rylands Library takes about 8 minutes. The cost is £35, to include lunch, and places are limited to 20.
Bowes Museum and Raby Castle
£72 - 5th August
This event begins at 10.00 am with a curator-led tour of the Bowes Museum, focussing on the furniture collection. The wide-ranging collection includes fine upholstered furniture from Gilling Castle, with its original woollen needlework upholstery. There is also an outstanding textile collection here. From the Bowes we drive a few miles to Raby Castle, the medieval seat of the Neville family, later acquired by the Vane family and extensively renovated in the 19th century. It remains the home of Henry Vane, Lord Barnard, and his family. Lunch will be provided in the Vinery, after which a guided tour of the Castle take us through to about 4.00 pm. Members will then be free to wander the gardens or take tea in the café. We hope to be joined for both tours by Rupert McBain, furniture conservator and advisor to both the Bowes Museum and Raby Castle.
Study Tour to Edinburgh
£765 / £865 - 21st - 24th September 2026
This year’s autumn tour will be based at the MacDonald Houston House hotel, a former 16th century tower house set in 22 acres of grounds a few miles to the west of Edinburgh. It will be led by Chippendale Society committee member David Jones, the leading authority on historic Scottish furniture and an authority on Chippendale’s work in Scotland. As usual we will travel by Hargreaves coaches driven by our outstanding driver, John Farren. We will travel from Yorkshire to Paxton House. Then over the course of the tour we will visit National Museum of
Scotland, Arniston House, Newhailes, Hopetoun House and more!
The cost of this tour is £765 per person sharing a double room or £865 for a single occupancy. This includes all coach
travel, dinner, bed and breakfast at Houston House hotel, all admission fees and tours. A deposit of £100 is required by
15 June 2025 and the balance of £665 for a person sharing a double/twin room and £765 for a single occupancy will be payable by 20 July 2025.