The Grand Tour returns across Derbyshire
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire are set to become cultural tourism destinations once again this spring, as season three of The Grand Tour opens on 24 March.
Four of the UK’s most respected cultural institutions unite again to host a varied programme of exhibitions – Nottingham Contemporary, Chatsworth, Derby Museums and The Harley Gallery Welbeck – the collaborative programme will give visitors the opportunity to view the existing classic art collections as well as exciting new work by leading contemporary artists, explore the rich architectural heritage of the area and enjoy the stunning landscapes, gardens, cities and towns of both counties.
The third season of The Grand Tour focuses on creation and discovery, exploring the region’s strong industrial heritage and legacy. The programme’s leading exhibitions invite visitors to use their senses to explore time, discovery and progress.
Chatsworth has been home to influential British artist Linder Sterling as its first artist-in-residence. During her six-month residency, Linder has immersed herself in estate life of today and of days gone by. An exhibition, ‘Linder, An Artist in Residency’ (24 March – 21 October) showcasing new pieces created during her stay, will invite visitors to use their senses to explore the past and present of Chatsworth, featuring incense created from the estate, images on textiles as well as recorded oral histories and musical compositions.
Linder’s residency has also informed a major new artist-curated exhibition at Nottingham Contemporary (24 March – 17 June) called ‘The House of Fame’. Linder’s largest retrospective in the UK sees some of her iconic photomontages and performances from over the last 40 years, accompanied by a collection of her influences and wide-ranging collaborators, collating art and architecture, fashion and theatre, music and design.
The Harley Gallery’s exhibition ‘Half in Shadow: Half in Light’ (24 March – 30 June), is a collaboration with the British artist Clare Twomey, exploring life on the historic Welbeck estate through a series of lithophanes. The lithophanes, inspired by a tea cup that the artist saw in the V&A Museum, will be lit from behind to reveal contemporary life on the estate, through the lens of the past, present and future.
Derby Museum & Art Gallery’s exhibition ‘The Art of Industry: From Joseph Wright to the 21st Century’ (24 March – 30 June) will look back at the region’s industrial history and manufacturing landscape through both historic artefacts and contemporary artistic interpretation. Derby-born artist Joseph Wright’s ‘An Iron Forge’, painted in 1772 and now in the Tate collection, will return to the city for the first time since the 18th century to be displayed alongside works by Ford Madox Brown, L. S. Lowry, Graham Sutherland and Sir Edwardo Paolozzi.
As in previous seasons, the Grand Tour will extend beyond these four venues with a host of fringe venues providing endless opportunities for the culture tourist to experience a broad range of art.
Jo Dilley, Managing Director, Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire, the area’s official tourist board, said:
“The Grand Tour offers staying visitors the ideal opportunity to discover Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire’s wealth of classical and contemporary culture, built heritage and beautiful landscapes during short breaks to experience the best of both counties.
“Previous seasons have demonstrated that, when key venues collaborate, art and culture can be used as an effective catalyst to bring in more tourists and heighten both areas’ profiles as vibrant visitor destinations for the benefit of both the local and regional economy.”
Comfortable hotels abound in both city and country in the Peak District and Derbyshire. The Cathedral Quarter Hotel offers a four star boutique stay in Derby, while The Devonshire Arms Beeley or the Devonshire Arms Pilsley are both situated in peaceful and picturesque villages on the Chatsworth estate. Experience the true spirit of The Grand Tour at The Cavendish Hotel in Baslow, also on the Chatsworth estate, which has a unique collection of more than 300 artworks from the Devonshire collection, from fine art to 20th century graffiti. All its luxuriously-appointed bedrooms have magnificent views over Chatsworth’s parkland.
Dining out is a gourmet delight. Highlights in Derby include Terroir Bistro, which won the accolade of Restaurant of the Year in the Derby Food and Drink Awards 2017, and The Old Bell Hotel, Derby’s oldest hotel, bar and restaurant. Further north is award-winning Fischer’s Baslow Hall at Baslow, on the fringe of the Chatsworth estate, famous for its Michelin-starred fine dining experience. Luxurious and stylish with impeccable service, the restaurant is renowned for head chef Rupert Rowley’s inventive modern British cuisine.
Wider tourist attractions in the Peak District and Derbyshire include historic houses such as Haddon Hall, Hardwick Hall near Chesterfield and Kedleston Hall near Derby, fascinating underground caverns in Castleton and Buxton and family attractions such as exhilarating cable car rides and much more at The Heights of Abraham in Matlock Bath and the pioneering industrial history of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Garden lovers should make a date in their diaries for the second annual RHS Chatsworth Flower Show (June 6 – 10).
More information is available on The Grand Tour website – www.thegrandtour.uk.com
