A visit to Rugby and Ashby Manor House.

Text and images by Carolyn Gifford

Rugby Art Gallery was hosting two exhibitions focusing on the landscape and natural materials. ‘Woven from the field’ showcased both practical baskets woven from willow by Sue Kirk and more abstract willow forms. Alongside them were textile artist Rosalind Stoddart’s handwoven pieces made with alpaca fleece dyed with natural plant dyes. Not only are the alpacas her own, she also grows a wide range of plants to use as dyes.

 

 

‘Found in the fields’ features prints by Carry Akroyd, inspired by the poet John Clare. Across a wide range of printmaking techniques and based on close observation of the landscape, flora and fauna, Carry’s work often quotes words and phrases from Clare, whose poems were reproduced below.

 

 

 

Both exhibitions are on until 15th November, and well worth a visit.

 

 

 

We also visited Ashby Manor House, which dates back to the Norman Conquest. A mellow stone building, it's set alongside the  Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Leodegarius (Ledger) and other stone buildings around a wide courtyard. It was the home of Robert Catesby and he and his fellow conspirators may have formed the Gunpowder Plot in an upstairs room of a small half-timbered house close by. The Manor House itself has had various modernisations and extensions but the most significant was by Sir Edwin Lutyens, who spent over thirty years on the house and its gardens. 

 

Friday Focus special event on 12th September 2005

 

 

A special talk on FRIDAY 12 SEPTEMBER is The Bridgeman Sculpture in Jephson Gardens by Chloe Johnson, Collection and Engagement Manager. Chloe will host a screening of the Bridgeman Sculpture film at the ROYAL SPA CENTRE CINEMA at 1.00pm followed by a short talk by members of the Bridgeman family and the film maker, Andrew David Barker followed by a Q&A session. Refreshments will then be available. This screening is free, all welcome.

Read our blog to see images of the statue being installed, here

 

Rugby Art Gallery and Ashby Manor House, Northants.

 Really important to note please: If you pay by BT it is essential to let Judy know you have paid and where you are boarding the coach otherwise you won't be on the list!
judyandtony@phonecoop.coop or 423033

 

 

FRIENDS OF LEAMINGTON SPA ART GALLERY & MUSEUM

 

TRIP TO RUGBY ART GALLERY & MUSEUM &

ASHBY MANOR HOUSE, ASHBY ST LEDGERS, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

TUESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2025

 

Organiser – Judy Ross  423033  Contact on day 07580388659

 

Leaving Newbold Comyn at 9.15am with a pick up opposite the Spa Centre a few minutes later.

 

We are closer to home for this trip and go straight to Rugby Art Gallery.  There are currently two exhibitions showing in the Gallery, Found in the Fields expressed in lithographs, linocuts and screen prints and Woven from the Fields showing willow weaving and textiles.  The local history and archaeology galleries will also be open.  There is a cafe called Pickle and Pie at the Art Gallery where morning coffee and lunch can be bought.

We leave Rugby at 1.30pm to travel to Ashby Manor House where we will have a tour of the house and will then be able to wander in the garden.  The Manor is mentioned in the Doomsday Book but the house probably dates back to the 13^th century when it came by marriage to the Catesbys.  One of the most notorious of whom was Robert Catesby who was a major player in the Gunpowder Plot.  It is thought that the conspirators met in a room at the house which we can see.  There were demolitions and rebuilding the latest of which was work by Sir Edward Lutyens on both the house and garden.  Lutyens also did work in the village.  Nearby to the house is the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Leodegarius which will be open the afternoon we are there.  The church was built sometime in the 14^th and 15^th centuries.  It contains stained glass windows, memorials and wall paintings from the 14^th to 16^th centuries which were uncovered in 1929.  Tea and cake will be provided at the house which is included in the price.

Leaving at 4.30pm

 

EITHER fill in the booking form & return with cheque, made out to Friends of Leamington Art Gallery, to Judy Ross, 28 Binswood Avenue, Leamington Spa, CV32 5SQ.

 

OR pay by Bank Transfer

HSBC Friends of Leamington Art Gallery  a/c 90360244 sort code 40-27-06 Reference – your name

 

If you pay by BT it is essential to let Judy know you have paid & where you are boarding the coach otherwise you won't be on the list!  

 

judyandtony@phonecoop.coop  or 423033

 

…............................................................................................................................................................

 

RUGBY ART GALLERY/ ASHBY MANOR HOUSE

 

Reserve …........ places at £38.00  each      Cheque for £.................. enclosed.

 

Name ….........................................................................................................................................

 

Phone/Mobile .................................................... Email....................................................................

 

Boarding coach at Newbold Comyn or Spa Centre …..........................................................................      

 

FLAG TALKS 2025/6

 

Talks held in Dormer Conference Centre, Dormer Place, Leamington Spa.  Admission £3 members and £5 guests which includes coffee/tea/biscuits.

 

14 OCTOBER 7.30pm

Jeff Watkin – Concealment & Deception: The Art of the Camoufleurs of Leamington Spa 1939-1945

 

 

18 NOVEMBER 7.30pm

Trudy Hillier – History of Pantomime

 

 

Wednesday 17 DECEMBER 2.30pm

Helen Castor – The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II

and Henry IV

 

 

Wednesday 14 JANUARY 2.30pm

Simon Gulliver – Arts and Crafts Gardens

 

 

Wednesday 18 FEBRUARY 2.30pm

Dr. Graham Twemlow – Chiltern Landscapes, Art & Design

in the Chilterns

 

 

Tuesday 17 MARCH 7.30pm

Lewis McNaught – Returning Heritage, Informing the Restitution Debate

 

 

Tuesday 14 APRIL 7.30pm A.G.M. followed by

Adam Wood – Victorian Crime in Leamington

 

 

GUESTS ARE VERY WELCOME

Our August newsletter is out now.

There’s plenty to catch up on in our August newsletter!

Paul Baker took over as chair earlier in the year and introduced himself and gave us dates for some of the Winter Talks Programme - final details of speakers etc to follow., but there is a Friday Focus on 12th September you might like to note as it will be held in the cinema at the Spa Centre, where a film showing the Bridgeman sculpture of the Unknown Refugee recently installed in the Jephson Gardens, along with short talks by Dr Jane Bridgeman, and Professor Michael. Film maker Andrew David Barker will also be there.

Another date for your diary! Flag will be at the Leamington History Group Heritage Day on 13th September in All Saints Church, between 10 am and 3 pm.

Other features in the newsletter are details and images of our trips this year; a review of Unravelling History: Unpicking the collections and reworking textile tranditions by Annabel Rainbow who co-curated the exhibition with Abigael Flack, Curator of Social History; and an update on gallery news from Chloe Johnson and Vicki Slade, Collections and Engagement Managers.

 Dates for your diary: 

Tuesday 14th October 2025 7.30pm

Tuesday 18th November 2025 7.30pm

Wednesday 17th December 2025 2.30pm 

 

Wednesday 14th January 2026 2.30pm

Wednesday 18th February 2026 230pm

Tuesday 17th March 2026 7.30pm

Tuesday 14th Aril 7.30pm

 

 

Our trip to Royal Holloway College, University of London

The Royal Holloway College was founded over 170 years ago by two Victorian social pioneers who wanted to make a difference and is formed from two colleges, Bedford College and Royal Holloway College, founded by Thomas and Jane Holloway.

The colleges were among the first place  in Britain where women could access higher education.

"Bedford College in central London opened its doors in 1849. It was the first higher education college in the UK for women and counts the novelist George Eliot and the first female doctor, Dr Elizabeth Blackwell, among its early students. 

In 1886, Royal Holloway College in Surrey was opened by Queen Victoria. By 1900, the colleges became part of the University of London, later merging in 1985 to form what is now Royal Holloway". 

Read more about the Flag trip below.

"Our trip to Royal Holloway College yesterday was a very interesting and enjoyable day. We had a guided tour of the founder's building and ornate Victorian chapel and the picture gallery where we had a lovely lunch followed by a talk on the paintings and finished up with tea and cake"!  (text and photos by Cherry)

 "Astonished"!

 

An amazing building!

A very enjoyable trip yesterday to Royal Holloway College, University of London.  Having been astonished by the building that greeted us on arrival the start of our tour, the Chapel, was even more stunning.  The excellent tour including the quads, Dining Room and Reading Room was full of information about the history of the college and buildings.

Finishing in the Picture Gallery with lunch and a talk about this unique collection of Victorian pictures collected for the college by its Founder, Thomas Holloway and his wife Jane.  The one picture we'll all remember is the one that is still covered, to this day, with a Union Jack flag during exams in the Picture Gallery! (Text by Flag Secretary)

 

Founder, Thomas Holloway and his wife Jane

 

More images of the day from Cherry.

 

Did someone mention tea and cake? 

 

 A better look at some of the paintings (image with permission)

 

The beautiful Chapel

 

 

Bit of a fabulous ceiling!