Visits
Written by Roy Bolton
Halswell House is currently undergoing a large-scale restoration and so cannot be open to individual visitors at this time. However we are always very pleased to host interested groups who would like to learn more about the historic buildings or have an insight into a restoration project.
Upcoming Visits
2017
Monday, 25th September – Country Land and Business Association Group Visit
Monday, 9th October – Historic Houses Association Group Visit
Past Visits
2017
Sunday, 10th September – Heritage Open Day at the Temple of Harmony
Thursday, 10th August – Enmore and District WI Summer Party
Women of the Enmore and District WI gather at Halswell House for their summer party
Tuesday, 11th July – Picnic for Family and Goathurst
To mark the completion of the exterior of the Tudor Manor Edward hosted some family and friends for an afternoon lunch. With mid-July promising summer weather a bouncy castle, archery, laser clay pigeon shoot and other outdoor festivities were arranged to accompany a day of walks around the parkland and Mill Wood. Sadly the gods of the Somerset weather had other ideas so the assembled had to huddle around a fire inside while a gale battered anyone who ventured out of the house. None of this seemed to dampen the enthusiasm of the hardy guests.
Monday, 26th June – Somerset Building Preservation Trust Annual General Meeting
Wednesday, June 7th – Bob Croft Visit
Bob Croft, County Archaeologist and his team visit after his Heritage Landscape Walk tour of Cothelstone Hill, to view the on-going digs by Marc Steinmetzer at Halswell House.
Saturday, May 20th – Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society Group Visit
Sunday, May 14th – BBC Radio Visit
Ann Manders is interviewed by BBC Radio show Clueless, as the Temple of Harmony is used as a clue on one of their broadcasts
Wednesday, May 3rd – Bath University Masters Degree Teaching Course Visit
The students at Bath University continue their educational visits to Halswell House for historical digs and excavations
2016
Sunday, 11th December – Historic England’s Somerset Conservation Officer’s Group Visit
Friday, 28th October – Halswell Topping Out Party
To commemorate the completion of the roof over the Elizabethan Manor House, Edward Strachan hosted a Topping Out Halloween Party at Halswell House
Monday, 17th October – SAVE Britain’s Heritage Visit to Halswell by Henrietta Billings, Emily Lunn and Mike Fox
Sunday, 11th September – Heritage Open Day Visit at the Temple of Harmony
Thursday, 18th August – U3A Visit
Friday, 10th June – Tipple at the Temple
Saturday, May 7th – Wiveliscombe Civics Society Visit
Friday, 29th April – Bath University Master Degree Teaching Course Visit
The students at Bath University continue their educational visits to Halswell House for historical digs and excavations
Saturday, 23rd April – Oxford Graduates Architectural Society Group Visit
All Souls College, Oxford, 1598. Nicholas Halswell was Proctor of the college in 1480 as was Hugh Halswell in 1627. Ten Halswell men in total were at the University of Oxford in the years between these All Soul’s posts. The Tudor Knot Garden being created at Halswell House is based on the designs at All Souls when the Halswell’s were there.
Monday, 8th February – Tree Presentation with Somerset Gardens Trust
The group at the Tree Presentation event.
Monday, 18th January – Mill Wood Tree Planting with Somerset Gardens Trust
Ann Manders, Simon Bonvoisin, Ian Dier and Edward Strachan at the Tree Planting
2015
Saturday, 19th September – Somerset Gardens Trust 25th Anniversary
Saturday, 11th April – Folly Fellowship Visit
Wednesday, 18th March – Bath University Masters Teaching Course
Students from Bath University, led by Dr. Marion Harney, visit Halswell House for their Master Degree Course
2014
Tuesday, 11th November – Edward’s Birthday and the Reopening of Halswell
Thursday, 9th October – The Georgian Group
