3 Night Experimental Portraits Holiday in the Yorkshire Dales
Challenge and extend your ideas about what makes a good portrait and learn different ways of building structure under the guidance of our experienced artist tutor, Catherine MacDiarmid. Working from both life and photographs, you’ll practice observation, tone, structure and colour as well as experimenting with different drawing techniques and processes to capture likeness and character. You’ll also be taken through the work of portraits by various artists to draw inspiration and explore ideas. You’ll have plenty of time to practice and interact with the other artists in the group, perhaps critiquing each other’s work.
What you’ll love
- Enjoying guidance and support from a professional artist
- Learning how to compose a portrait from scratch
- Experimenting with different drawing techniques and processes
- Understanding observation, tone, structure, and colour
- Venturing out into the fresh air if the sun is shining
What’s included
- Expert tuition
- Loan of wooden A3 art boards
- Comfortable en-suite accommodation in our country house
- Cream tea on arrival day
- Cooked or continental breakfast every morning
- Daily packed lunches
- Three-course evening meals, plus tea & coffee
- Easy-to-follow routes, maps, and information available in our Discovery Point if you want to explore independently
Trip Notes
Easy to download as a PDF, our trip notes provide detailed information for every holiday. Please click below to find the trip notes for your departure date.
All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take alternative routes or adapt the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.
You're welcome to check in from 4pm onwards. Enjoy a complimentary cream tea on arrival.
There will be full days practising your chosen discipline with breaks throughout the day for a cup of tea (or two!) and lunch. Most tuition and practice will take place inside the house, but if the sun is out, we may head into the grounds to take advantage of some fresh air.
In the evenings, you can relax in the house lounges and bar, socialise with other guests or take part in a wide range of house activities.
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before making your way home.
Newfield Hall
Looking every inch the baronial mansion, Newfield Hall sits in two acres of grounds near the village of Malham at the southern base of Yorkshire Dales National Park. Given it was this very landscape which inspired Wordsworth to write a sonnet and Charles Kingsley to pen The Water Babies, the countryside views are as gorgeous as you’d imagine. You’ll also have plenty of sightseeing greats within easy travelling distance, most notably Malham Tarn, Janet's Foss, Gordale Scar, Malham Cove, and The Dry Valley of the Watlowes. And then, of course, there’s Yorkshire’s famous trio of summits: Pen-y-ghent, Whernside, and Ingleborough, collectively known as the three peaks. Stay at Newfield Hall and experience the exceptional service of a VisitEngland ROSE award winner. Find out more about the latest accolade awarded to our country house in the Southern Yorkshire Dales by reading our latest blog.
Rooms
Designed with your comfort in mind, Newfield Hall has 46 well-appointed guest rooms available in three categories: Classic, Premium, and Superior.
Classic Rooms are comfortable en-suite guest rooms, ideal for a peaceful night's sleep. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, and shower gel), and a TV.
Premium Rooms are more spacious en-suite guest rooms. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers, and comfortable mattresses.
Superior Rooms are even more spacious en-suite guest rooms offering upgraded views of the surrounds. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers, and comfortable mattresses.
We love: The guest rooms spread across the main building and the tastefully converted coach house. Rooms 3 and 6 are both corner rooms offering original features and large bay windows overlooking the gardens and beyond (Room 6 has its own telescope).
The Choose Your Room service is available at our UK country houses, allowing you the option of choosing and confirming a specific room for an extra charge of £30 per room. This is subject to availability. Upgrade supplements apply.
Check in & check out
You are welcome to check in from 4:00pm at the earliest. On arrival, you’ll enjoy a complimentary cream tea and get to meet your fellow guests, our HF Holidays Leaders, and the rest of the friendly team.
On the day of departure, we kindly ask all guests to check out by 10:00am. You’ll be asked to settle your bill prior to leaving. You may, of course, make a charitable donation to our HF Holidays Pathways Fund if you wish. Please note that we only accept card payments.
Room supplements
| Superior | Premium single | Premium double/twin | Choose your room |
| £25 pppn | £20 pppn | £20 pppn | £30 per room |
About your stay
A warm welcome
We want you to feel comfortable from the moment you arrive. You’ll find a welcome pack in your room with guest registration forms, menus, order forms for dinners and picnic lunches, the Wi-Fi password, and the front door code. Our houses are locked at night, so we recommend noting the Duty Manager’s number on arrival in case of an emergency (or getting locked out).
Evening entertainment
While evening entertainment varies from house to house, the HF Holidays Big Pub Quiz held after dinner on Wednesdays is a weekly staple. Your HF Holidays Leader may be around for tips on guided and self-guided walking routes as well as visit-worthy local attractions.
Walks talks
Our HF Holidays Leaders host guided walking information briefings before dinner on arrival days. This is followed by a group Walks Talk for information on the following day’s walking delights (held before dinner every evening). Self-guided walking guests are, of course, welcome.
The walking day
Prior to setting off on walks, your HF Holidays Leader will run you through a short safety briefing. There’s also an up-to-date weather forecast on display at the house to ensure you have appropriate clothing and footwear. If you choose to do your own walks or are on a self-guided walking holiday, we ask that you please complete an Independent Walker Card each day. These can be found near the Discovery Point in the house.
Food & drink
Led by experienced chefs, we serve a wide range of dishes made with fresh and seasonal ingredients. We always aim to source the best produce available and use home-grown herbs and vegetables from our own gardens whenever possible. Additionally, we have a licensed bar with beers, soft drinks, and a superb selection of spirits. Full-board comes as standard and includes a cream tea on arrival and a hearty breakfast on departure day.
HF Holidays understands the importance of managing allergens effectively to ensure food is safe for guests with food allergies. Whilst we are always able to confidently inform guests which allergens are present in our ingredients and dishes, we are unable to guarantee absolute freedom from the 14 main allergens in our kitchens. Vegetarian and vegan menu choices are available. If you have allergies, food intolerances, or any special dietary requirements, please inform our reservation team at the time of booking.
Accessibility
For accessibility and assistance information, please contact our expert team on 020 3974 8865 or view the accessibility information online for Newfield Hall
Getting to Newfield Hall
Find out more about this location including travel details and room types.
More InformationEssential information
If you have to buy anything, your leader suggests that you buy the best quality you can afford for all your equipment.
- A3 sketchbook
- At least 2 x sheets (A3+) of coloured pastel paper
- Clips or masking tape to attach paper to a drawing board
- Ruler and scissors
- Willow charcoal
- Putty rubber
- Soft pencils or graphite
- Colour pastels - hard or soft
- White conte - hard pastel
- A good photo of your portrait subject, plus an A4 colour copy of it that you would not mind chopping up – these should be of the whole head, quite large on the photo, detailed and in focus, and preferably with good, natural light.
- Tracing paper - good to have but might not be used
Optional Extras
- iPad/tablet with images of people from which you can work
- Fixative - to fix charcoal and pastel drawings
- Mirror for self-portrait
Wooden A3 drawing boards are available to borrow from the country house
Newfield Hall Calendar
- Guided Walking
- Self-Guided Walking
- Special Interests
- Unavailable to Book
Catherine MacDiarmid
Catherine MacDiarmid is a skilled artist and life drawing tutor whose work has exhibited widely. Her portraits have been featured in the BP Portrait Award collection, as well as the Sky Portrait Artists of the Year exhibition, 2014. An elected member of The Lakes Artists Society, Catherine’s artwork focuses on the human form, exploring expression and movement in both drawing and painting. As an expert tutor for our special interest breaks, she hopes to inspire guests with fresh approaches to life drawing.
Guest reviews
All holidays are subject to availability. Supplements may apply.
Non-member fee: £30 per person.
All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take an alternative route, or vary the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.
Holiday prices
| Date (Start - End) | Itinerary | Double / Twin Room | Single Room | Notes / Offers | Trip Notes | Book | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ||||||||
|
09 Feb - 12 Feb 2024 3 nights |
Art
Single Call to Enquire
Double Call to Enquire
|
Call to Enquire | Call to Enquire | Trip Notes | ||||
|
01 Nov - 04 Nov 2024 3 nights |
Art Single from £459 £399 Double from £459 £399 pp |
from £459 £399 pp |
from £459 £399 |
Save £60 Per Person | Trip Notes | Book Now | ||
3 nights
from
£459pp
£399pp
On offer
or call 020 3974 8865
For group bookings of 10+ guests click here