EXCURSIONS 2026
Book for these at our monthly get-together on the first Wednesday in the month at the Parish Hall, Bow Street. Book from 1.30pm. Meeting starts at 2pm.
When booking Excursions please have your cheque written out ready. Cheques should be made payable to "Guisborough University of the Third Age" and on reverse should include the following information - name of the excursion, person attending, contact phone number, u3a membership number and preferred pick up point. Please remember to bring your membership card with you. If you are paying in cash please present your membership card with the following information noted on the reverse, contact phone number and preferred pick up point.
If you have not completed your cheque prior to coming to the meeting please use the red table AT THE SIDE of the booking table to do so. Thank you.
EXCURSIONS OPEN FOR BOOKING
Bookings have now opened for the March, April and August excursions.
Wednesday 25th March 2026 - Beyond the Barricade at Billingham Forum (evening performance). Cost £40.00. This is the UK’s longest running musical theatre concert and features 2 hours of music from the West End and Broadway, including music from Phantom of the Opera, Lion King, West Side Story, Miss Saigon, Blood Brothers, and ends with a spectacular finale from Les Miserables. The coach will leave Fountain Street car park at 6pm and thereafter St. Paulinus, The Avenue. For queries please contact Pauline Warrington on 07855 751869.
Thursday 23rd April 2026 - Ampleforth Abbey and Orchard. Cost £37. Ampleforth Abbey is truly unique - a living and vibrant monastic community surrounded by 1,200 acres of beautiful Yorkshire countryside. The visit will include a tour of the orchard followed by tastings of their apple juice and cider. After a break for lunch there will be a guided tour of the Abbey Church. There will be the option of attending the 10 minute sung service at 1pm. The coach will depart Fountain Street car park at 10am and thereafter St. Paulinus, The Avenue. Please also note it will be necessary for guests to provide meal choices when booking. You may have a look at the menu on Ampleforth’s website. For queries please contact Pauline Warrington on 07855 751869.
Thursday 21st May 2026 - Cragside, Rothbury, Northumberland. Cost £45 (without National Trust membership), £24 (with National Trust membership). Cragside House sits at the heart of an enormous, landscaped garden. With spectacular vision, Victorians William and Margaret Armstrong transformed the grounds from a bare moorside into a fantasy mountain landscape. An extraordinary Victorian house, gardens and woodland – a wonder of its age.
Discover the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. The gardens are incredible – one of the largest rock gardens in Europe leads down to the Iron Bridge which in turn leads to the Formal Garden. You’ll discover towering trees, overflowing flower beds, trickling burns, dramatic water cascades as well as engineered lakes that were created to harness the power of water. Explore the Rock Garden, Formal Garden and Pinetum, and experience a grounds covered in millions of trees and rhododendrons.
Please note that in many places the terrain can be uneven with steep footpaths and steps and, at times, these can be muddy. We therefore recommend you wear sturdy footwear and take care as they can be slippery at any time of the year.
The coach will leave Fountain Street car park at 8:30am and thereafter St Paulinus, The Avenue. There will be a stop near Morpeth for coffee and we plan to arrive at Cragside at approximately 11:30am. We plan to leave Cragside at 4pm arriving back in Guisborough at 6:30pm. There is a reduced fee for National Trust members but you must show your card on the day.
For queries, please contact excursion coordinator Moira Stokoe – 07719 698954. Booking will commence at March meeting.
Thursday 18th June 2026 - Littlethorpe Manor and Gardens. Cost £32.00. We will begin the day in Ripon where there will be time for you to explore this Cathedral city and have lunch before moving on to Littlethorpe. Littlethorpe Manor Gardens are situated in the small village of Littlethorpe on the Southern edge of Ripon. The gardens comprise of several distinct areas including The Walled Garden, The Sunken Garden, and Lime Avenue and Pond. The basic structure of the grounds were set out when Mr and Mrs Thackray purchased the property in 1985. The garden as seen today has been developed since 1998 with the appointment of Eddie Harland, Head Gardener. It is Eddie Harland who will take us on our tour of the gardens. Following our tour of the gardens refreshments of Tea/Coffee and cake will be served. (Please notify when booking of any dietary requirements). The coach will depart Fountain Street car park at 11am and thereafter St. Paulinus The Avenue. We will arrive in Ripon at approximately midday. We will depart Ripon for Littlethorpe at 1.45pm allowing you time to explore Ripon and get lunch. (Ripon has a beautiful Cathedral and three interesting museums). For enquiries please contact Pauline Warrington on 01287 610690 or 07855 751869. Booking commences at the April meeting.
Saturday 15th August 2026. We are planning a visit to Kynren at Bishop Auckland, leaving Guisborough at 5.30pm. Expected cost £60. Kynren is an epic outdoor theatre spectacle taking audiences through iconic moments from England’s past – from Boudicca’s battles with the Romans to Vikings, Tudors and the fate of Charles I. With a cast and crew of 1,000 on a breathtaking 7.5 acre stage, you’ll see awe-inspiring stunts, incredible horsemanship, dazzling pyrotechnics, and jaw-dropping special effects. From 2 tickets left - to excursion has proved popular so we have reserved an additional 10 tickets
The excursion has proved so popular that we have reserved an additional 10 tickets. In order to secure your ticket we will continue to take bookings at the March meeting with a £20 non-refundable deposit.
FORTHCOMING EXCURSIONS
8th July - Kiplin Hall. Historic house and gardens. Booking will open at May meeting.
Thursday 17th September - Burton Agnes Hall and Gardens. Guided tour of the house and access to the gardens. Booking will open at July meeting.
For all Excursions please book at the monthly meeting or contact one of the excursion organisers- Pauline 01287 610690 or Moira 07719 698954
Our monthly get-together takes place at 2pm on the first Wednesday of every month in St Nicholas Parish Church Hall on Bow Street, Guisborough.
You can join, renew membership and sign up for activities, hear our latest news, with a chance to comment, and take time for conversation with refreshments afterwards.
Please also view our 'GROUPS' pages to find out about the many groups which meet weekly or monthly.
Saltburn District u3a also runs excursions.
Guisborough u3a’s November excursion was to Newcastle. Members admired Fenwick's Christmas window - a Christmas Carol. Visited the Laing Art Gallery and started Christmas shopping. A small group also walked around the old town, admiring the architecture, visiting St Nicholas Cathedral and viewing the Castle. Despite the dreadful weather everyone enjoyed their day.
Guisborough u3a enjoyed a really interesting tour of Rokeby Park a Palladian home near Barnard Castle. A hidden gem in the Durham countryside.
