The Attingham Summer School 2027

June 26 – July 11, 2027

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 and metalwork, 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 74th Attingham Summer School

The Attingham Summer School, a 16-day residential course directed by David Adshead FSA and Tessa Wild FSA, will visit country houses in Sussex, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire. From West Dean, our first base, we will study, amongst other houses and gardens: 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 interiors and Fishing Pavilion at Kedleston Hall, and the superb state apartments created for the visit of William III in 1695, fine collections and landscaped gardens at Boughton House – ‘the English Versailles’.

Based near Shrewsbury, the final part of the course will explore the estates and collections of Shropshire and Staffordshire. Our itinerary will include the house after which the Attingham Trust is named and where the first Summer School was held in 1952: Attingham Park, renowned for its neo-classical interiors, early 19th-century Picture Gallery created by John Nash, and Reptonian park. Alongside other private houses and collections, we will also visit Weston Park, built in 1671 for Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham and seat of the Earls of Bradford for successive generations. Here we will study Weston’s superb picture collection with works by John Michael Wright, Sir Peter Lely and Anthony van Dyck; the Temple of Diana by James Paine; and the Capability Brown landscape.

Enrollment and Fees

The USD course fee for this residential course is pending. The fee includes accommodation, breakfast, lunch, and all but a few dinners. Tuition, admissions and travel by private coach during the course are also included. Participants are strongly advised to insure against cancellation, as no refunds will be made following payment, unless another suitable candidate can fill the place. In such cases, an administrative fee of $200 will be billed.

Accommodations vary throughout the course and include standard university rooms, but all bedrooms are for single occupancy and have en-suite facilities. Not included is the cost of transportation upon arrival to or departure from the UK, as well as drinks, laundry, or guide books purchased throughout the course. Accepted members are also required to purchase a membership with the Royal Oak Foundation, and will be asked to show their card at certain National Trust properties.

The course will co-directed by David Adshead and Tessa Wild and course coordinator Lorna Gartside (interim).

Applications

The deadline for applications is January 29, 2027. All candidates will be notified by the middle of March 2027 if they have been awarded a place. Click the button below to begin your application.

2027 Summer School Application

Applications Open Soon

Deadline: January 29, 2027

Scholarships

In addition to general enrollment, some scholarship assistance granted by the American Friends of Attingham is available for qualifying candidates thanks to the generosity of various individuals and charitable organizations.

Any candidate wishing to apply for a scholarship must complete the American Friends of Attingham Scholarship Application Form by clicking the button below. Please follow the instructions on the form to apply for financial assistance. Anyone awarded full scholarship funding from The American Friends of Attingham will be strongly encouraged to make a personal contribution of $250 to the Class of 2026 Scholarship Fund.

Scholarship Application From

Applications Open Soon

Deadline: January 29, 2027

Image Credits: (Above) Drawing Room, Weston Park, Staffordshire © The Weston Park Foundation. (Below) Attingham Park, Shropshire © Wehha, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.