Springtime at Church Farm

After the long haul of winter we are finally beginning to see the first signs of Spring here. Bulbs are coming out all over the garden and we can hear lambs calling to their mothers in nearby fields.

The weather has definitely taken a warmer turn and we have seen lots of wonderful blue skies and bright sunny days.

Thoughts are turning to the garden and planning what needs to be done this year. Visits to the the Whitehall Garden Centre at Lacock will almost certainly be on the agenda soon.

The farm is buzzing with tractors preparing the ground for spring planting of crops and at last the evenings seem to be lighter, making longer days for everyone. Lackham College near Chippenham is running special Lambing Weekends, which are always a delight, especially for the children.

Our local Charity event , the Bath Half Marathon took place on a gorgeous sunny Sunday. They had a record number of runners this year and the winner beat the world record.

Our next big sporting occasion is the Badminton Horse Trials, which runs from 4-7 June, with a grassroots event prior to that. The 3 - Day Event is always busy, with people attending from all over the world.

Easter is quite late this year with Easter Sunday falling on 8th April. Lots of the local pubs and restaurants are offering special Easter deals e.g Biddestone Arms and Methuen Arms. Corsham.

After that we host the Chippenham Folk Festival, which is always over the last weekend in May and attracts guests from the UK and Europe. This is always a really popular festival and really unites all the surrounding communities.

In line with other parts of the country our local village Biddestone is starting to make plans for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. We have been granted an extra bank holiday, making a nice break over the first weekend in June.

For the musically inclined, there is also the Womad Festival at Charlton Park, which takes place at the end of July and is truly a global event.

If you want any more information about any of the above, please look at www.visitwiltshire.co.uk

Lets hope this will be a good Spring and Summer and that the weather will be kind.

Summertime at Church Farm Hartham

We are now in mid-summer and at last the weather seems to have improved.

We have enjoyed some really gorgeous hot, sunny days and have been able to sit in the garden and eat al-fresco, which is always a treat.

The men have all been very busy on the farm in the last 2 weeks. All the barley has ripened quickly with the blast of sun and there has been a race to harvest the corn and get the bales made and collected. Thankfully the rain held off just long enough this weekend, to allow them to get everything safely stowed in the barns.

The dairy cows are enjoying freedom out in the fields and feeling the lush grass under their feet. Apart from the inevitable biting insects, they seem to be very content at this time of year.

Roy the collie dog has had a bout of heat stroke - he just does not know when to give in during the hot weather and doesn't have the sense to lie in the shade! Luckily restored today and belting round the pick-up as usual.

There are lots of Gardens open round here, in the National Gardens Scheme and they are lovely to visit for a potter and usually a nice of cup of tea and piece of home-made cake.

Also all the National Trust properties are open for visitors and their gardens are wonderful at this time of year. Try The Courts at Holt, Iford Manor at Bradford on Avon and Dyrham Park at Dodington - all well worth a trip.

The school children are all broken up now and families are having summer holidays. Lacock village is very popular with all ages. Our foreign guests are all fascinated by the old buildings and the unspoilt treasures to be seen there.

Stonehenge and Avebury are also a must if you are visiting Wiltshire. In addition there is the West Kennet Longbarrow and The Sanctuary, next to Silbury Hill. So for all history lovers you should spend a couple of days in the area to visit all the unique sites in this area.

Bath is always busy and is alive with visitors from all over the world. This summer there is a new exhibition in the newly re-furbished Holborne Museum and there are also new collections at the Bath Fashion Museum.. Not to be missed at the American Museum at Claverton is their 50th Anniversary celebration of Hollywood Icons and features Marilyn Monroe's costumes and dresses. So there is plenty to keep visitors entertained.

Early Summer at Church Farm

We have just had a marvellous run of summery weather, which has been great for guests, but not so good for the farm. We are desperate for rain for all the grass and the arable crops. The farmers are just about to start cutting silage, which feeds all the stock in the winter months. However the grass crops are quite thin due to the long droughty conditions this spring; so the silage crop will not be very good this year.

The unseasonal dry, warm Spring has however meant early flowering Roses in the garden and lots more colour in the borders.

The Badminton Horse Trials were a great success this year, with the lovely weather bringing visitors from all over the world. We are now eagerly awaiting the Chippenham Folk Festival which takes place near here on the May Bank Holiday at the end of the month. There are always lots of events over that weekend from Castle Combe Motor Racing to Open Gardens, Lacock Scarecrow Hunt, Bath Horse Racing and Craft Fairs. All the National Trust properties in the area are now open and the gardens are magnificent.

If you are looking for a country break for Half-Term, look no further than Wiltshire with all its attractions. Come and stay with us at Church Farm, near to Bath, Lacock and Stonehenge and enjoy the peace and quiet and the wonderful countryside.