Tour highlights:
Beautiful architecture of nearby Leeds
Stay at the stunning Elmbank Hotel
1930’s themed station of Pickering (2025 only)
William Morris designs at Scarborough church
Discover York and Leeds’ elegant embrace of Art Nouveau, where sinuous lines and organic forms ripple across stained glass, sculpture and ironwork. Travel through city and coastal towns to reveal how this movement flourished here – from the quiet beauty of a seaside church to gallery walls and architecture detail shaped by nature and imagination.
This new tour idea from Professor Anne Anderson is based in historic York at the Art Nouveau styled Elmbank Hotel. As well as visits to nearby Leeds and Scarborough to view Art Nouveau architecture and design, the tour includes a rail trip from the 1930s themed station of Pickering to Whitby.
Available Departures |
From |
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| 21 - October - 2025 | Limited Availability | Travel Info On Request |
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Provisional Timings |
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| 23 - June - 2026 | £ 799.00 | Travel Info Book Now |
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Provisional Timings |
Day 1: Arrive independently at the Elmbank Hotel, York from 15.00.
This evening there will be a welcome reception, private dinner with wine and a talk by Professor Anne Anderson: 'Leeds and York: Art and Industry'.
Day 2: Whitby and Scarborough
This morning we coach to the 1930s themed railway station of Pickering, where we take the North Yorkshire Moors Railway one-way to Whitby. On arrival we have free time to explore independently and time for lunch (own expense). In the afternoon, we visit St Martin-on-the-Hill Church in Scarborough, where a church guide will lead a tour of this remarkable building, known for its Pre-Raphaelite connections. Here we’ll see William Morris-designed stained glass windows and wall paintings by leading Pre-Raphaelite artists. Second talk from Anne this evening: 'Pre-Raphaelites in Yorkshire'.
Day 3: Leeds City Art Gallery and Lotherton Hall
We start our touring today at Leeds Art Gallery with its interesting collection of modern art as well as being home to the Henry Moore Institute, a world-recognised centre for the study of sculpture. Anne will then guide a walking tour taking in the Art nouveau architecture around the Victorian Quarter, including magnificent shopping arcades, such as the County Arcade, Leeds Town Hall and the Corn Exchange. After free time for lunch (not included), we head by coach to Lotherton Hall, a fine Victorian country home and chapel which was home to the Gascoigne family from 1825 until it was gifted to the city of Leeds in 1968. It is a charming house, and a visit here gives a taste of the lives of both the English upper classes and their servants. Return to the hotel for approx 17.30.
NB: Exact order of excursions may vary according to local conditions and tour manager's discretion
Please note: Post tour extra nights are available at a supplement.
Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 31 passengers.
Tour Grading: This tour has been graded as moderate due to the amount of walking involved, and standing for viewing at each attraction. For further information, please visit the mobility page on our website, or call our team.
Please note that in 2026, we have changed the itinerary slightly as follows:
Day 2: Whitby and Scarborough
This morning we visit St Mary’s Church in Whitby for a free-flow exploration of this historic site, accompanied by our guide, Anne Anderson. We then continue to the Whitby Museum and Pannett Art Gallery, where the group will enjoy a special talk from the curator on the Jet and Jet Jewellery Collection (subject to confirmation). Afterwards, there is free time to explore the museum and view the collection, with access also to the Pannett Art Gallery. Following this, we enjoy free time for lunch (not included), before rejoining the coach for Scarborough. In the afternoon, we visit St Martin-on-the-Hill Church, where a church guide will lead a tour of this remarkable building, known for its Pre-Raphaelite connections. Here we’ll see William Morris-designed stained glass windows and wall paintings by leading Pre-Raphaelite artists. Second talk from Anne this evening: 'Pre-Raphaelites in Yorkshire'.
INCLUDED
NOT INCLUDED
Elmbank Hotel
Located in historic York, the Elmbank Hotel boasts one of the UK’s finest and most complete Art Nouveau collections, including stained-glass, beautiful murals, and detailed stencils. The hotel provides a restaurant, bar, and fitness centre, and stylish bedrooms with modern amenities including en-suite bathroom, TV, WIFI, and tea/coffee making facilities.
Parking: Elmbank Hotel has on-site parking for 10 cars charged at £10 per night. Alternatively you may park in the Car Park at the Mount School, located next to the hotel, postcode YO24 1EJ, the cost of this is £18 per 24hrs.
With a first degree in archaeology and a PhD in English, Anne was a senior lecturer in Art and Design History at Southampton Solent University for 14 years from 1993 to 2007. She specializes in the Aesthetic Movement, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau and Modernism. She has published several books, including The Perseus Series, which accompanied the Edward Burne-Jones exhibition held at Tate Britain (2018), and Art Nouveau Architecture (2020). She has also published over 50 articles in respected academic journals.
Anne has curated four national exhibitions, mostly recently Beyond the Brotherhood The Pre-Raphaelite Legacy (2019-20). American fellowships held include the Huntington Library, CA and the American Antiquarian Society, MA. She has lectured for The Arts Society, The Art Fund, the V&A Learning Academy, the National Trust and Christies’. Her career as an international speaker has taken her all over the world, including Spain, Germany, New Zealand, Canada and the USA. She undertook her sixth lecture tour for Arts National Australia in 2024. She has also lectured on several cruise ships, Swan Hellenic’s Minerva, the Spirit of Adventure and the Hebridean.
Anne has received a rapturous response from our travellers at the UK lectures and tours, as well as a host of tours overseas, and her knowledge, wit and enthusiasm bring her beloved subjects to life in whatever location she finds them.
Please note that all our UK tours start and finish at the relevant hotel.
You can normally check in from 3pm onwards but hotels will always be happy to store your luggage if you arrive earlier in the day.
For full details of how to get to the hotel, directions and the nearest train station, please click on the hotel website or call our office for details. These will also be sent automatically with your confirmation.
The welcome reception and first evening dinner / talk will commence at about 6pm - full details will be sent with your joining instructions about 10 days prior to the arrival date.
"Seeing the windows in St Martins church in Scarborough was fantastic! Everything was great, the hotel was beautiful, and Anne & Scott were really helpful. Thankyou for a really lovely holiday." Lynn Gausden, June 2025
"I loved visiting the Scarborough church Arts and Crafts windows. The customer service provided during booking, and on the trip, was also fantastic. I would definitely recommend!." Rose Lewis, June 2025
"I chose this tour because all of the places we visited were completely new to me. The heritage train journey was one of my favourite parts, followed by Leeds Art Gallery and Arcades." Ms T, June 2025
"St Martin on the hill was a great experience. The tour manager and lecturer were also great, and very knowledgeable. Thankyou!" Mr T, June 2025
"The hotel was beautiful, the rooms far surpassed my expectations! The meals were also lovely, and the tour managers/ lecturers too. I would definitely recommend!" Avril Bruton, June 2025
"The leaders were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic which made the trip even more interesting. We loved the fact the hotel was close to the city centre, as this meant we had shorter journey times, and more time to explore." Vanessa Bennett, June 2025
