ART AND HISTORY TOURS ACROSS GREAT BRITAIN

Dr Elizabeth Norton

Dr Elizabeth Norton is an historian, specialising in the Tudor period and queenship. She has degrees from the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford and a PhD from King's College London, where she has taught History.

She is an author, and is also regularly featured on television. She was a member of the BBC and CNN's live commentary teams for the coronation of Charles III and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

Jane Tapley

Jane Tapley is a Blue Badge Guide specialising in literary tours on Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens. For the past forty years she has been the Special events Organiser at the Theatre Royal in Bath and regularly interviews authors about their biographies of many writers she includes in her tours. 2026 is the 50th anniversary of Agatha Christie's death so Jane is expecting a busy year of touring.

Maddie Hewitson

Maddie Hewitson is an art historian who specialises in modern British art history covering painting, sculpture, and the decorative arts from the mid-19th to mid-20th century. She completed her PhD at the University of York in 2020 and is currently a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the University of Birmingham.

Maddie loves sharing stories of art and heritage with our travellers and loves the conversations an unique work of art can inspire.

Mark Baldwin

Mark Baldwin, a Cambridge and Imperial College graduate, lectured in civil engineering for 15 years before moving to Shropshire to expand his publishing business. He has authored eight books on WWII Intelligence and Codebreaking.

For nearly 30 years, he has lectured internationally on the Enigma machine, including over 50 talks for Travel Editions, and has spoken across Europe, North America, and on cruise ships.

Dr. Owen Emmerson

Dr Owen Emmerson is a social and cultural historian and author of four books. He worked as the Castle Historian and Assistant Curator of Hever Castle for six years. He has appeared in seventeen TV documentaries about the Tudor era, and consulted on the BBC adaptation Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.

He is currently writing a full history of Hever Castle, and a cultural history of the Tudor Queens.

Robin Cairns

Robin Cairns has spent over forty years in the public eye—writing, performing, and compering. He now hosts events at Glasgow's Britannia Panopticon and organises the Scottish National Poetry Championship. As a tour guide, he shares his passion for Scottish history, art and literature, covering figures from Mary Queen of Scots to Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Robin and his wife Karen warmly welcome you to join their upcoming tours.

Nicholas Merchant

Nicholas Merchant has been a tour lecturer for tours in the UK and Europe for Travel Editions for over 15 years. Prior to this, he ran his own book business, worked for Sotheby's and was the West Yorkshire representative for the National Art Fund.

His knowledge, wit and erudition illuminate any visit and his tours are informative, interesting and, above all, entertaining. Join Nicholas on one of our Country House tours in 2026.

David Hurrion

David has over 40 years of gardening experience, with a background in botanical science, garden design, and horticulture. He's an accomplished teacher, journalist, and Associate Editor of BBC Gardeners' World Magazine.

A respected speaker and RHS Designate Judge, he's designed for top UK garden shows and travelled globally to every continent (apart from Antarctica!) to pursue his passion.

Dr. Nicola Tallis

Dr Nicola Tallis is a historian, author, and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Specialising in jewels of late medieval and Tudor England, she has curated, lectured, and appeared on BBC, Channel 4, and Channel 5, and has spoken at major events and venues. Passionate about making history enjoyable and accessible to all, Nicola loves leading tours and sharing her enthusiasm with our travellers.