MADRESFIELD Court near Malvern was the setting for Evelyn Waugh's book, Brideshead Revisited.

He called it ''an enchanted palace'' and said it was an aesthetic education to live within the walls.

On July 15, the society visited the Court and gasps of astonishment came from members as the coach rounded the corner and the magnificent Gothic Victorian house came into view.

The Court was rebuilt by the Victorians around a medieval core in the medieval style. It was the home of the Lygons and the Beauchamps and descendents still live there, so it has been in the same family for about 900 years, now occasionally open to the public.

Much of the furniture is French as the family went to France just after the Revolution when there was a great deal of splendid furnishings going for a song as most of the aristocracy had either had their heads chopped off or had fled the country.

The next outing is a day-long trip on Saturday, September 2 to Kenwood House, near Hampstead Heath and with stunning views across London.

This is one of the beautiful Robert Adam houses and was created in the 1700s for the great judge, Lord Mansfield. The surrounding parkland with its lakes and woods was influenced by Humphry Repton and among the paintings are those by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Turner, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Van Dyck and Lely.

For more details, call the secretary on 541317 or a committee member on 542516.