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Socratic Club Guided Tour of Leighton House - 6th October 2024

Dr George Gross



We had a superb tour of Leighton House, the former home of Victorian artist Frederic, Lord Leighton. It is truly a masterpiece of design and artistry. Built between 1866 and 1895, the house features an exquisite collection of art and is renowned for its stunning Arab Hall, complete with intricately tiled walls and a magnificent water feature.


Our tour took us from Art to Architecture, History to Travel, Science to Mathematics, English to Arabic, and from the Medieval to the Victorian and Edwardian. It was a remarkable experience delving into this extraordinary residence. 


The group of junior and senior Socratic members asked a tremendous array of questions and we had a special moment when another Leighton House administrator/member of the public asked us 'what school we were from' - not only could they not comprehend the club format (that we were not a school), but they were also flabbergasted at the quality of questioning and attention to detail from our students. It was a wonderful moment and a great tribute to all those students taking part in our museum trip. 


We concluded proceedings as ever with debates covering three topics/questions: 

'Why do we look after some buildings and not others?'; 'Is it ok for art to imitate/copy designs from around the world?'; 'Who decides what art is?'


Well done all for such excellent contributions. We much look forward to our next museum excursion! 

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