Gentlemen Clothiers: Box House and Longford’s House

Continuing this general theme, our final speaker this season will be Thoss Shearer whose visit to Stouts Hill this summer was oversubscribed and much enjoyed by members fortunate enough to gain a place. Thoss was a senior civil servant in Whitehall and then a director in the Government Office for the South West. A lifelong interest in architectural history has extended to garden history, the two combining in the Gentlemen Clothiers project which Thoss is coordinating.

The title of this lecture is ‘Gentlemen Clothiers: Box House and Longford’s House’. Two brothers, initially working in the same mill, built two very different houses and created two very different landscapes, one of which had become overgrown within a wood and has been rediscovered as a result of the project.

A guided walk is provisionally planned to follow in next summer’s programme of visits.

We look forward to welcoming many of you to St Luke’s Hall, Cheltenham, for this varied series of lectures. Do remember that guests are always welcome and please do spread the word about GGLT and our programme amongst friends and members of other organisations who might also find something of interest here.