We are delighted to invite our Yorkshire Branch members to this year’s Yorkshire AGM at Carlton Towers.
 
Dating back to the 17th Century, Carlton Towers is a truly magnificent stately home and country estate, set in the heart of the Yorkshire countryside. It is the family home of Lord and Lady Gerald Fitzalan Howard, under whose stewardship the 250-acre estate is following regenerative farming practices. The family has introduced a herd of long horn cattle, beehives and a vineyard, which produces over 2,000 bottles of sparkling wine each year and are planning to open the estate further with horse trails, mindful nature exploration, and wild swimming in the lake.

The original Jacobean hall of 1614 was extended in 1842 by Edward Welby Pugin to give the impressive Gothic Victorian house you will see on the day. The rich interior decoration is primarily the work of Yorkshire-born John Francis Bentley, best known for his ecclesiastical work, which includes Westminster Cathedral. Today the house is both a family home and welcomes guests for weddings, dinners, exclusive stays and corporate events.
 
Following the AGM Mark Bright, Estate Director, will talk about the development of the estate and after lunch Lord Gerald will discuss the history of the house and the estate's experience of regenerative farming. Our members will then be given the opportunity to have a private tour of the house and vineyard.

The full programme for the day will be as follows;

10:00am           Registration in the Venetian Drawing Room with tea and coffee

10:30am           Formal AGM in the Picture Gallery followed by talks from: 
                                                  - CLA President, Gavin Lane  
                                                  - Our sponsor, Wrigleys Solicitors
                                                  - Carlton Towers Estate Director, Mark Bright

12:00pm           Pre-lunch drinks served in the Venetian Drawing Room
 
12:30pm           Two course hot lunch served in the Venetian Drawing Room

2:00pm             A talk from our from our host, Lord Gerald followed by a tour of Carlton Towers and the Vineyard

3:00pm             Tea and coffee in the Venetian Drawing Room

4:00pm             Event concludes

We thank the Fitzalan Howard family for kindly hosting the event and Wrigleys Solicitors for their generous sponsorship.
 
Please note that due to the historical nature of the building, there is no access to the house except via the stairs. We regret that there are no lifts or ramps, except for the ramp in place to enable access to the tearoom and disabled toilet.
 
Given part of the tour will take place outside, please ensure you have appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear.

Priority is given to Yorkshire members. We have a waiting list in operation for members outside this region. Please call the office to go on the waiting list on 01748 907070.