Spend a Bookish Weekend with Us in a Country Manor House

Manchester, England and Llangollen, Wales... here we come!

Trevor Hall in Llangollen, Wales

Hello, friends!

A new mini-episode of Strong Sense of Place is in your podcast player right now — and we’re feeling pretty giddy about it!

We can finally talk about the Top Secret Very Exciting Project™ we've been working on behind the scenes. Brew a cuppa and take a listen in your favorite podcast player or on our website.

For centuries, nobles and ne'er-do-wells have gathered on country estates for a bit of leisure, a lot of sumptuous food, sparkling conversation, and general good cheer. You're invited to join us at Trevor Hall for a modern take on the traditional manor house weekend.

Together, we'll make ourselves at home in this historic Georgian mansion surrounded by the picturesque North Wales countryside. We'll talk about books, share gourmet meals in the Great Hall, play parlor games, ramble in the Welsh hills, listen to stories by candlelight, and be dazzled by an illusionist from London.

Our weekend begins in Manchester, England — a UNESCO City of Literature. We'll take over a boutique hotel in the city center where we'll enjoy an evening pub meetup, spend the night, and start our morning with a breakfast fry-up. Then we're off to the Elizabeth Gaskell House for a private tour of the Victorian villa where the author wrote her classic novel North and South (and entertained literary friends like Charlotte Brontë and Charles Dickens).

After a restorative tea-and-cake break, we'll ride together via private motor coach — just over an hour — through the rugged countryside to Llangollen, a charming historic town on the River Dee in North Wales. Our destination: Trevor Hall.

The Hall sits on a wooded hilltop overlooking green slopes dotted with sheep and horses. After a tour of the house and gardens, we'll ease into country living in the Hall's luxurious (and tastefully eclectic) rooms. With literary activities, entertainment, and surprises planned throughout the weekend, you're sure to be delighted — and have plenty of time to connect with old and new bookish friends.

• Get complete details about the weekend and eyeball the photos here.

• Listen to the podcast announcement.

• For early access to tickets, join our Patreon.

• Visit our Manor House Destination page for dozens of manor house book recommendations, poems, and more.