Time for Wiltshire Blog

Having been battered by hail and thunder on my way to Colerne, my mood brightened as I drove up the beautiful tree lined drive to Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa. On this occasion I was headed for the Cookery School, and know I could have gone in the entrance nearer that building, but can never resist the stunning drive!

Sometimes work can be really tough… of course I found it a real chore when I was invited along to discover the facilities of the Halcyon Spa within The Bishopstrow Hotel, on the outskirts of Warminster! (Ok, I know – a lot of my friends had serious job envy too after hearing this!)

Chippenham, a market town in north Wiltshire, has recently been awarded the prestigious Purple Flag status for the high standard and safety of the town centre at night. A major contribution to attaining this award was the refurbishment of the Neeld Community and Arts Centre, so I was really pleased to have the opportunity to visit the Centre, and experience more of what Chippenham has to offer the evening visitor, on Friday night.

What better way to spend a rainy and windy February weekend than a visit to one of Wiltshire’s indoor attractions! With this in mind, we planned our first instameet of 2016 with Igerswiltshire at Boscombe Down Aviation Collection at Old Sarum (just a couple of miles outside Salisbury).

2016 is a leap year and 29th February is traditionally the day on which a lady can propose. If you are thinking about popping the big question then here are some different ways or places to propose in Wiltshire…

Are you looking for things to do with the little ones over the February Half Term? We’ve put together ten suggestions on things to do or visit within Wiltshire that are family-friendly.

Straddling the border of Wiltshire and Gloucestershire lies the Cotswold Lakes. This unique area was formed by gravel excavation which has resulted in over 150 lakes.

On a cold January day, I made a short hop across the Wiltshire border to the Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens. Unlike many attractions, the Wildlife Park and Gardens are open all year round with the exception of Christmas Day.

Crossing the heart of Salisbury Plain, I travelled to the village of Imber. So what, you may be thinking? Well, Imber’s a bit different to other Wiltshire villages in that it sits in the heart of Salisbury Plain and in 1943 the villagers were evacuated to allow the military to use the area as training grounds in the war efforts.

An unseasonably warm Friday, December evening found Mr H and I heading to the panto! Stopping en route at Swindon Designer Outlet for some bargain Christmas presents in lovely festive surroundings, we arrived at the Wyvern Theatre in time for a warming drink to get us in the mood for the panto.

So for the start of this week the weather would have been perfect for a spot a star gazing, with clear skies and crisp evenings I had my fingers crossed that my night of star gazing in the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) would be like this too! Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans… I headed to the Larmer Tree gardens in the pouring rain, dressed up in my waterproofs hoping that the weather would make a turn for the better.

Salisbury Plain sits in the heart of our county and is a little known area despite it being around the same size as the Isle of Wight. On a Monday in December, we joined Salisbury Plain Safaris for a trip to this mystery land…