Amanda Hutchinson
Profile updated 31/05/23
Regional Qualification(s):
South East England, London
Language(s):
English
Phone Number(s):
+44 (0)7710 269032, +44 (0)1892 870222
Website:
Read more about me:
Contact guide
Introduction:
As a perpetual student of history and art I love royal, ceremonial, historic, artistic and architectural London. Further afield I indulge my passions for beautiful and interesting buildings, gardens and countryside while exploring world famous and less well-known gardens, castles, cathedrals, stately homes, picturesque villages and scenery throughout the South East of England and beyond.
I work mainly with small private groups, families, friends travelling together etc. I aim not just to take you to the headline highlights but to show you how to get around and give you ideas for exploring further in your own time.
Apart from walking - which is the best way to see many parts of London - we can take buses, the Underground 'Tube', river boats and black taxi cabs. For those with less energy or mobility I can arrange a chauffeured vehicle option.
My private guided tours outside London include day trips to Windsor Castle, Canterbury, Dover Castle, Hampton Court Palace, Oxford and Cambridge Universities, Blenheim Palace.
I also specialise in tours around gardens, castles and stately homes including Anne Boleyn's Hever Castle, Leeds Castle, Winston Churchill's Chartwell, Great Dixter and Sissinghurst Gardens as well as 'Off The Beaten Track' tours of the beautiful countryside of South East England.
I am a graduate in History and Art History from the University of Cambridge and have 2 'kids' in their twenties and a couple of dogs.
Personal Interests:
| Royal & Ceremonial London, Art History & Architecture, Georgian London |
| Castles and Gardens Tours, Town and Village Walks, The Tudors, Winston Churchill, Kent’s castles, cathedrals & stately homes |
| Windsor, Hampton Court, Oxford, Canterbury, Dover, Hastings, Rye |
| Family and Special Interest Groups, highlight or themed itineraries, walking, car or coach tours |
Special Interests:
| Art/Paintings & Sculpture | Trained to explore and interpret art I enjoy guiding around galleries and exhibitions. For twenty years I commissioned and developed corporate and public art collections. |
| Castles & Palaces | I love to share the magic and secrets of the sites of some of the most dramatic, romantic and tragic moments in English history. |
| Architecture | Working part time for an architect while living in a timber framed Tudor house I enjoy exploring both contemporary architecture and historic buildings. |
| Churches & Cathedrals | I have always enjoyed choral singing and revel in the soaring music filled spaces of cathedrals and the intimacy of small stained glass be-jewelled churches. |
| Regional Tours | Defensive Coast, Fruits of The Garden of England, Historic Royal Progresses, Gardens for all Seasons, Picturesque Villages, Contemporary Art & Architecture, Charles Dickens, Hidden Gems. |
| Countryside | The South East's beautiful countryside and coastline, studded with wooded valleys, ancient forests, patchwork fields, vast marshes and quiet country lanes offer wonderful touring opportunities. |
| Gardens | I have worked with the designer of three gold medal Chelsea Flower Show Gardens and am interested in the history of garden design and designers. |
| History & Prehistory | An avid historian, my favourite topics include The Middle Ages, Tudors, Queen Victoria, Sir Winston Churchill, domestic and social history, Kent and the Royal Family. |
| Stately Homes & Country Houses | I live within five miles of Penshurst Place, Hever Castle, Knole and Chartwell and just a few more from Ightham Mote, Sissinghurst and Scotney Castle. |
| Other |
Endorsements:
2012 Venues
Additional Qualifications:
MA Hons Cambridge University History/Art History
Driver Guide:
No
