Day Visits
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Monday 3rd March 2025 (booking Thursday 16th January 2025). Cost £41.00. Coach departs from The Henley Rugby Club at 9.00am and departs from Spencer House at 3.30pm, arriving in Henley at approximately 5.30pm subject to traffic.
Please note that Day Visits require a good level of mobility as there is nearly always a fair degree of walking, often with steps and sometimes on uneven ground. Please ask for more information if it is a concern. Scroll down for more details of the day. Spencer House, London - A Private Palace in the Heart of St James's, London Members will be treated to a private viewing of the house with guides to escort us around the eight state rooms. Spencer House was not just a family home and a venue for entertaining; it was also a private art gallery where the Spencers could show off some of the most prized objects of their collection. The executive coach will depart Henley Rugby Club at 9am and we propose to be back in Henley by 5.30pm. As there are no food or drink facilities at the venue , we suggest you bring a drink with you on the morning coach trip. The tour will end by 12.30 leaving you free to plan the rest of the day - shopping in Jermyn Street, lunch with friends in St James's, further culture with a trip to the National Portrait Gallery or just a gentle Spring stroll through Green Park. Everyone will need to be back at the coach by 3.30pm.
 View of Spencer House, circa 1800
Ever since its creation for the First Lord and Lady Spencer between 1756 and 1766, Spencer House has been widely admired as one of the most beautiful houses in London. The main façade overlooking Green Park is faced in Portman Stone and consists of a giant Doric Portico. The pediment is topped with statues of three gods - Ceres, Bacchus and Flora - resembling a classical temple dedicated to hospitality, love and the arts.
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Thursday 8th May 2025 (booking 20th March 2025). Coach departs from The Henley Rugby Club at 9.00am. Cost £44.00 per person. Please note that Day Visits require a good level of mobility as there is nearly always a fair degree of walking, often with steps and sometimes on uneven ground. Please ask for more information if it is of concern. Beaulieu, Home of the Montagu Family. So Many Treasures to Explore Something for Everyone at the Home of the Montagu Family
There are so many treasures to explore at Beaulieu:
The executive coach will depart Henley Rugby Club at 9am and we propose to be back by 5.30. As there are so many attractions to enjoy within the estate, the day has been designed for you to wander round freely. A visitor map will be provided to help plan the day and there’s a monorail and veteran bus to take you round the grounds.
The freshly refurbished Brabazon Restaurant offers a wide variety of hot and cold food and there is a catering kiosk for coffee and cakes and another for ice-creams. There are numerous picnic tables and benches throughout the grounds should you wish to bring your own picnic.
Please be mindful that some areas will be less accessible to visitors with mobility impairments and although the grounds are largely flat there are uneven surfaces and natural hazards such as tree roots.
Tickets for this wonderful trip are priced at £44 per person.
Any queries please contact gaye.hudson@outlook.com.
Overlooking the Beaulieu River millpond, Palace House has been in the Montagu family since 1538 and is now a rare example of a fine Victorian country house.
 Lord Montagu with one of his Classic MGs in March 2007 Colombia Electric 1901, one of the first electric vehicles in the National Motor Museum From the earliest motor carriages to classic family saloons, the world-famous National Motor Museum has one of the finest collections of cars, motorcycles and motoring memorabilia in the world.
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Thursday 17th July 2025. Travel by coach. Booking Thursday 15th May 2025. Please note that Day Visits require a good level of mobility as there is nearly always a fair degree of walking, often with steps and sometimes on uneven ground. Please ask for more information if it is a concern. Knole House, Kent A stunning house, full of treasures, owned by the same family for 400 years. One of the fifth largest properties in England, the house has seven acres of roof and 400 rooms. In the1400s it was owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, then a Royal Palace, and latterly the Sackville’s family home. From the beginning it was designed to impress, containing the rarest and most well preserved collections of Royal Stuart furniture, paintings, objects and textiles. The conservation department is also open for us to view their activities.
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Wednesday 22nd October 2025. Booking Thursday 18th September 2025. Please note that Day Visits require a good level of mobility as there is nearly always a fair degree of walking, often with steps and sometimes on uneven ground. Please ask for more information if it is a concern. Leighton and Sambourne Houses, London Ornate Studio Homes in London of Two Victorian Artists. Two Victorian Wonders  Leighton House
Step into a painter’s world in the house and studio that Frederick Leighton (1830 - 1896 ) built, lived and worked in. Gorgeously decorated and hung with many of his paintings his home embodies the Victorian idea of how a great artist should live.
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Usual Booking Procedure for Day Visits
1. Bookings are taken prior to the morning and afternoon lectures at The Henley Rugby Club, usually 2 months before the actual visit. The exact booking dates are available on our Website and printed in the annual calendar given to all members of The Arts Society Henley on renewal of their subscriptions in November.
2. Except when advised otherwise, bookings open at 09:30 in the morning and 13:30 in the afternoon. Places are filled quickly for popular outings so it is advisable to arrive early.
3. Bookings are only taken for the visit advertised that day and only accepted on receipt of payment by card or cheque (payable to TASH).
4. Members may book for themselves and one other member, except for the Andrew Davies Tours when it is single bookings only. You will be required to fill in a Contact Form and provide your name, email address, mobile and home telephone numbers and an emergency contact name and number. If you are booking for someone else, it would be helpful if you had these details, otherwise they will need to be posted.
5. Telephone and email reservations are not accepted until after the first booking date.
6. The coach departs from The Henley Rugby Club, Marlow Road, Henley (opposite the entrance to Phyllis Court). There is car parking on site (payment by debit/credit card only). You will be informed of the relevant departure time when you book. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the departure time. Please note that the coach is not able to wait for late arrivals.
7. Cancellation: payment will only be refunded if the place is taken by someone on the waiting list. Please note that places may not be taken by non-members except by prior agreement.
9. Please do not hesitate to get in touch by email or telephone if you have any queries. I am happy to help and want you to have an enjoyable day.
If you wish to get in touch prior to the visit, you can email me at
judith@wargrave.me or phone 07939 062321. On the day of the visit please phone 07939 062321
Judith Stephenson-Hodges
