The Grand Tour Exhibition
- Published:
- 01 May 2026
The current temporary exhibition at A la Ronde, on the theme of ‘The Grand Tour’ is on display upstairs in the house from 3rd March to 1st November. The full story of the Parminter Grand Tour, examples of souvenirs the group brought back, and an 18th century travel book are on display alongside a playable Grand Tour board game.
The Grand Tour was seen as a rite of passage for upper class young men. It served as an immersive education in art, architecture, and continental sophistication. Women also undertook these journeys, but a few as independent travellers.
On the 22nd June 1784, Jane Parminter, her sister Elizabeth, their cousin Mary, and another companion, perhaps Louisa Comebrune a distant relative set off on their own tour. Their experiences abroad would later inspire the design and spirit of their future home.
On 23 June 1784, the party embarked from Dover aboard a Packet Service ship carrying mail, freight and passengers. Jane describes the crossing in her diary:
“arriv’d at Calais half after three, a most charming passage; sick twice but did not spoil my enjoyment”
The party explored Abbeville and Chantilly, followed by a week in Paris. Their itinerary included stops at the Tuileries Gardens, Les Invalides, and the Gobelins Tapestry factory.
In the summer of 1786, the party undertook an extraordinary feat; they climbed Mont Buet, a 3,096-metre peak in the French Alps. Their sister Elizabeth, unwell at the time, stayed behind. Later recognized as the first recorded female ascent of any mountain above 3000m, their efforts went largely unnoticed until a 1957 article in the ‘Alpine Club Review’ by Gavin de Beere.
Contemporary Alpine historian Marc-Théodore Bourrit described their ascent,
“Three English ladies (Miss Parminters) have mounted the top of Buet… they were four hours passing over the snow before they arrived at the summit.”
Guided by M. Berenger and Jean-Baptiste Lombard, the climb was arduous, with Bourrit noting unusually heavy snowfall. Their success was exceptional—not only for its physical demands, but for defying the social norms of the time. In an era when mountaineering was still in its infancy, nearby Mont Blanc was only summited for the first time that same year.
The route beyond Dijon is unknown, however, family story suggests that the party continued south, inspecting Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and possibly Spain and Portugal.
Family tradition suggests the design of A la Ronde was inspired by the church of San Vitale in Ravenna, famed for its dazzling 6th-century mosaics. In the 18th century, poor roads meant Ravenna could only be reached by boat from Venice.
We don’t know precisely when the group returned. Jane was back in London by June 1791 to oversee the administration of Elizabeth’s will.
Jane and Mary Parminter looked to settle near to their family in Devon and purchased 20 acres of farm land outside of Exmouth in November 1796. They built a home that reflected their tastes and values, developed on the continent.