Yorkshire Philosophical Society

Event Information

Thursday 21st September 2023

Meet at 10 am in the car park at Sledmere

Cost £47.50 per person (includes entrance fees and lunch)

Sledmere is the home of the Sykes family, situated approximately 25 miles to the east of York on the Wolds. The House is set in ‘Capability Brown’ landscaped gardens, is grade 1 listed and has many features of interest both within the house and in the grounds, including a Rare Breed conservation Farm Park, farm shop featuring locally sourced products, garden centre and heavy horses.

After gathering in the car park, we will start our day at 10.15 with a tour of the house including the ‘Turkish Room’ designed by Sir Mark Sykes and featuring intricate and colourful tiles brought back by him from Armenia, followed by a tour of the Walled Garden. We will then have lunch in a private dining room. Details of the menu will follow.

After lunch we will be joined by the curator of the Wagoners’ Museum, Martin Watts, who will show the group two short films; one of the last three Wagoners discussing their lives in the 1914-18 war; the other, made with the help of the children of Sledmere School, demonstrates the use of the horse ambulance – ie an ambulance for horses – in World War One. There will then be an opportunity to see the very small museum set up to tell the story of the wagoners recruited by Sir Mark Sykes to serve in WW1 as part of the infrastructure, the wagons the museum has recently acquired and the heavy horses needed to pull them. Finally there will be a short walk to the Wagoners’ Memorial designed by Sir Mark Sykes where the iconography telling the story of the wagoners will be explained.

It is anticipated that the afternoon events will end at 4pm.

Transport will be by private car and we would urge those wishing to attend without their own transport to contact Dorothy Nott or Margaret Leonard to help arrange lifts. Cost to include lunch is £47.50.

Please apply to Dorothy Nott on wattnott@btopenworld.com or 01904 676288 for further information and/or to reserve a place.

YPS terms and conditions apply. See the website https://www.ypsyork.org/groups/social-group/yps-activities-booking-terms-conditions-2/  or ask at the Lodge