Morris to Mackintosh

Leave your home on an overnight flight to London.

Arrive in London, a vibrant city with a rich cultural history that spans nearly two millennia. Check in to our elegant 5-star boutique hotel, ideally located in beautiful South Kensington. Meet your Frank Lloyd Wright hosts and fellow travelers. We begin with the magnificent home and studio of painter Frederic Leighton. The lavish “private palace of art” is decorated from floor-to-ceiling by a wealth of artwork and sumptuous finishes of beauty — including decoration by Walter Crane and tiles by William De Morgan — and represents the highest ideals of the British Aesthetic Movement, out of which the Arts and Crafts Movement grew. End the day at the Holy Trinity Church on Sloane Square, heralded as the “Cathedral of the Arts and Crafts Movement” by Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman. It is one of the few churches in the UK that is regarded as “a total work of art”— ‘gesamtkunstwerk’ in German. In the evening, get to know your fellow travelers during cocktails and dinner at the hotel.
The Kensington, London | Dinner

After breakfast at the hotel, stroll to the nearby Victoria & Albert Museum, founded in the wake of the Great Exhibition of 1851 in celebration of the ingenuity of British manufacturers. Our visit starts with a brief look at the Medieval galleries — which served as inspiration for William Morris and his contemporaries — before exploring works by leading British Arts and Crafts luminaries whose work we will explore in-depth in the coming days. After a light lunch in the beautiful William Morris-designed Green Dining Room, depart by bus for the William Morris Gallery, housed in the Grade II* listed 1792 Georgian Water House and Morris’ family home during his teenage years from 1848 to 1856, to learn more about this great man.  

In the afternoon, visit the newly-opened V&A East Storehouse to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1935-1937 office for Edgar J Kaufmann — one of the most celebrated twentieth-century objects in the V&A’s collections. It retains all of its original woodwork, furniture, carpets and textiles and was thoroughly restored before installation. Return to the hotel. Your evening is free to enjoy London’s exciting dining and nightlife.
The Kensington, London | Breakfast, Lunch

“…Kelmscott…a heaven on earth…” – William Morris  

After breakfast at the hotel, we bid farewell to bustling London. Crowds, concrete and traffic soon give way to the rolling, verdant hills of the famed English countryside of the idyllic Cotswolds region. After lunch, enjoy an in-depth private tour of Kelmscott Manor, a listed Grade I limestone manor house which was William Morris’s country home from 1871 until his death in 1896. Morris so loved the house’s setting, traditional craftsmanship, and its organic relationship to the garden — that he chose to be buried at nearby St. George’s Church. Here, the fascinating lives of Morris, his wife Jane and long-term guests, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti — artist, poet and founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood  —come alive amidst the beautiful collection of artwork, books, and Morris & Co. furniture and decorations. 

Then, proceed to the storybook-perfect town of Chipping Campden, where the Arts and Crafts movement flourished at the start of the 20th century after Charles Robert Ashbee relocated his Guild and School of Handicraft there from London’s East End in 1902. Check into your country-style hotel, which features lovely gardens and a spa. Your evening is at leisure to explore the small but sophisticated town — home to charming pubs, artisanal delis and restaurants — just steps from our hotel.
Cotswolds House Hotel & Spa | Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, set off to explore several important Arts and Crafts era homes and gardens. Our first stop is Hidcote Manor Gardens, one of the most influential Arts and Crafts gardens in Britain, with its linked “garden rooms” of hedges, rare trees, shrubs and herbaceous borders. The extensive garden was created for his mother by American-born Lawrence Johnston between 1907-1922. 

Next, visit Rodmarton Manor, constructed in 1909 using only traditional building methods and local materials, and described by Charles Ashbee as “…the single best example of the Arts and Crafts movement.” After lunch on the grounds, we will be welcomed by owner John Biddulph before seeing the home, garden and excellent collection of original Arts and Crafts style furniture on our own. Return to Chipping Campden for further exploration, including visits to the Court Barn Museum and Hart Silversmiths, established in 1907 and the last remaining Guild of Handicraft workshop, now in its fourth-generation. Your evening is at leisure.
Cotswolds House Hotel & Spa | Breakfast, Lunch

Depart after breakfast for Wightwick Manor (1887-1888) designed by architect Edward Ould for paint manufacturer Theodore Mander, a firm believer in the tenets of the Arts and Crafts Movement. The spacious manor is furnished to the highest standard with wallpaper, textiles and furnishings by Morris & Co. and boasts an important collection of paintings by Edward Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and G.F. Watts. You will have time to have lunch on your own, visit the gallery, or explore the gardens. Then, depart Wolverhampton for the storied Lake District and Ambleside, one of the region’s most charming towns on the shores of Lake Windemere. Check into our Grade II-listed country house retreat and relax during a group dinner at the hotel’s award-winning restaurant.
Rothay Manor | Breakfast, Dinner

In the morning, set off to explore the work of two influential architect-designers; starting with M. H. Baillie Scott’s magnificent Blackwell House (1901)—which survives in a remarkable state of preservation, retaining almost all of its decorative features, including stained glass and furniture by Baillie Scott himself and metalwork by W.A.S. Benson. German architect Hermann Muthesius described Blackwell as “one of the most attractive creations that the new movement in house-building has produced” and credited Baillie Scott with “the new idea of the interior as an autonomous work of art.” Next, visit nearby Broad Leys, one of C.F.A. Voysey’s finest works. The substantial hipped roof of Westmoreland slate is balanced by three towering bow windows that overlook Lake Windermere.  

Next, drive to Lake Coniston and Brantwood, the home of influential Victorian critic and writer, John Ruskin. After lunch at Brantwood’s Terrace Coffee House and Restaurant, you will have ample time to wander the estate and its many splendid gardens. Return to the hotel for an evening at leisure. Explore nearby central Windermere, take a hike along a wooded pathway, or take in the view from the hotel’s many decks and windows. Return to Ambleside for an evening at leisure.
Rothay Manor | Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, journey over the English/Scottish border to Glasgow, a city rich in Victorian and Art Nouveau architecture and the birthplace of architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Upon arrival, enjoy cream tea at his iconic Willow Tea Rooms. First opened in October of 1903 for tea merchant Catherine Cranston, it quickly gained popularity, especially amongst women, as a place to gather. The lavishly designed building contains many original features and was fully restored, largely to Mackintosh’s original designs, between 2014 and 2018.  

In the afternoon, visit the Hunterian Art Gallery for a special visit with introduction by Curator Joseph Sharples, followed by a free flow visit in small groups of the Mackintosh House — a meticulous recreation of the architect and his wife, Margaret MacDonald’s home — with interiors featuring their own furniture. Then, check into your centrally located hotel. Your evening is free to enjoy as you wish in vibrant central Glasgow.
Hotel Dakota Glasgow | Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, travel to Helensburgh for a pre-opening visit to Mackintosh’s finest residential commission, Hill House. Designed in 1902 for publisher Walter Blackie, it is a consummate expression of Mackintosh’s visionary design philosophy. The interior was conceived as a total environment, and Mackintosh designed everything from the built-in wardrobes and furniture to the lighting and fire tongs. The exterior of local sandstone and Portland cement could not stand up to the west coast Scottish weather over the decades, and the house is currently protected by a metal mesh enclosure which will allow the house to dry out gradually over 15 years, during its much-needed conservation.  

Return to Glasgow to see more of Mackintosh — and work by other important Scottish luminaries — at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Housed in a massive 18th Century mansion, the extensive collection also includes art and artifacts from Ancient Egypt to the modern-day. Don’t miss the floor-to-ceiling pipe organ, installed by Lewis and Co. for the Glasgow International Exhibition in 1901.  

Our day ends at the ground-breaking Mackintosh Church at Queen’s Cross (1888-89). The simple, yet warm and inviting interior — filled with beautiful stained-glass windows and delicate, Japanese-inspired decorative carvings — shows the young architect’s genius. Return to the hotel to freshen up for our gala Farewell Dinner at House for An Art Lover, based on Mackintosh’s 1901 design and built between 1989-1996. The entire first floor is reserved exclusively for us.
Hotel Dakota Glasgow | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The journey ends after breakfast. Or extend your journey to Edinburgh or beyond.

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Daily Itinerary subject to change.