A rare opportunity to visit Ditchley Park and study the main rooms has been specially arranged for the Attingham alumni Ditchley Park has provided an idyllic retreat for royalty and power since Elizabethan times. The present house was built in 1720 for the 2nd Earl of Litchfield by James Gibbs, Henry Flitcroft and William Kent, with furnishing completed after his death in 1743. The estate passed to the 11th Viscount Dillon in 1776 and remained in the family until 1933 when the house and contents were put up for sale. For a brief but crucial period (1933-48), it was owned by Ronald and Nancy Tree (later Nancy Lancaster) who redecorated the house and entertained Sir Winston Churchill among other famous guests. Since 1958 the house has been run by the Ditchley Foundation and holds residential conferences and events.

The cost of the day is £30 to include coffee on arrival and a two-course buffet lunch Numbers are limited to 20.

Closing date for booking: 26 March 2024 In the event that the trip is oversubscribed there will be a ballot.

Members will be notified whether they have a place by 5 April 2024

To register for a place, please contact Bridget Garza Griffin: