our courses
The Attingham Summer School
The Attingham Summer School 2025
28 June -13 July 2025
Since its foundation in 1952, THE ATTINGHAM SUMMER SCHOOL has enjoyed outstanding success and is highly regarded by museums, universities and historic preservation societies throughout the world for its careful selection of members, and sustained academic standards
The School has three main purposes:
To EXAMINE the architectural and social history of the historic house in Britain and its gardens and landscape setting.
To STUDY the contents of these buildings – their paintings, sculpture, furniture, ceramics, silver, textiles and other applied arts – as well as the planning, decorative treatment and use of the interiors.
To STIMULATE debate on problems relating to the conservation and presentation of the country house and its contents.
The 72nd Attingham Summer School, a 16-day residential course directed by David Adshead and Tessa Wild, will visit country houses in Sussex, Oxfordshire, Derbyshire, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire. From West Dean, our first base, we will study, amongst other houses and gardens: the complex overlays of Arundel Castle, the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Norfolk; Petworth House, where the patronage of great British artists such as Turner and Flaxman enrich its Baroque interiors; Parham, a fine Elizabethan house in an unrivalled setting; Standen, an Arts and Crafts reinterpretation of the country house and Broughton Castle, a moated and fortified manor house with a chapel first consecrated for Christian worship in 1331.
In the Midlands a series of related houses will be examined: Hardwick Hall, unique amongst Elizabethan houses for its survival of late 16th-century decoration and contents; Bolsover Castle, a Jacobean masque setting frozen in stone and Chatsworth, where the collections and gardens of the Cavendishes and Dukes of Devonshire span more than four centuries. Other highlights include Robert Adam’s crisp neo-Classical interior and Fishing Pavilion at Kedleston Hall.
The final part of the course will explore the rich estates and collections of Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire. Our itinerary will include the superb state apartments created for the visit of William III in 1695, fine collections and landscaped gardens at Boughton House – ‘the English Versailles’; Burghley House, a great Elizabethan ‘prodigy’ house, with its striking Baroque interiors, outstanding collections and Capability Brown-designed landscape; and Deene Park, originally built as a medieval manor house and aggrandised and remodelled by successive generations of the Brudenell family since 1514.
Course Director, The Attingham Summer School
Course Director, The Attingham Summer School
Course Coordinator
Enrolment and Fees
NB. Much of the information below is applicable to non-US applicants only. US-based applicants for the Summer School must apply and enquire about scholarships through the course page on the American Friends of Attingham website.
The cost of the residential course is £5,300. This includes accommodation, breakfast, lunch and most dinners. Tuition, admissions and travel by private coach during the course are also included. Accommodation throughout will be in single-occupancy rooms with en-suite facilities. The standard of the accommodation varies throughout the course. Not included is the costs of drinks, laundry, guide books and membership of the National Trust/Royal Oak Foundation, which is obligatory.
Applications
The deadline for applications is Friday 31 January 2025. All candidates will be notified by the end of March 2025 if they have been awarded a place. Payment of fees in full will be due by Wednesday 30 April 2025, and should be made by bank transfer. Participants are strongly advised to insure against cancellation, as no refunds will be made following payment, unless the place can be filled by another suitable candidate. In such a case, an administrative fee of £150 will be made.
Scholarships for applicants from countries other than the USA or Australia
Applicants who are unable to meet the fees are first encouraged to approach their institutions for full or partial financial assistance before applying for the course. Some scholarship funding through The Attingham Trust is available thanks to the generous support of various individuals and charitable foundations. Any candidate wishing to apply for a scholarship must complete the scholarship application at the bottom of the application form and provide details of his/her current salary.
Any queries can be directed to Sabrina Silva:
Scholarships for applicants from the USA
US Applicants seeking scholarship support should apply directly to the American Friends of Attingham using the specific scholarship form, available online at: www.americanfriendsofattingham.org/courses/summer-school
Scholarships for applicants from Australia
For applicants from Australia seeking scholarships, please refer to: www.coplandfoundation.au by Thursday 28 November 2024.
French Porcelain Society Scholarship
Applicants who are members of the French Porcelain Society and have a professional or academic interest in ceramics are eligible for the French Porcelain Society Summer School Scholarship. All such applications should be sent to The Attingham Trust. Applicants for this scholarship should state clearly that they are an FPS member.
Silver Society Scholarship
Applicants who are professionally or academically involved in the world of silver are eligible for the Silver Society Summer School Scholarship in memory of Timothy Arthur Kent. All such applications should be sent to The Attingham Trust, stating that this scholarship is being applied for. Applicants can be of any nationality but need to be resident in the UK. They do not need to be members of the Silver Society.