Press release 18 May 2015
WHAT’S ON IN WILTSHIRE MAY HALF TERM & BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND
18 May 2015
With a wide range of events, new exhibitions and festivals taking place across Wiltshire, there is no better time to visit Wiltshire than this May half term and bank holiday weekend.
The county boasts exceptional history and heritage, stately homes and gardens, arts and culture, food and drink, shopping and nightlife all with a very warm welcome. Plus it is only 90 minutes or less from the centre of London.
VisitWiltshire has highlighted some festivals, art trails and exhibitions, attractions and special offers that are timeless pleasures for visitors to the county over the next few weeks.
Fantastic Festivals & Events:
Ageas Salisbury International Arts Festival, is taking place from Friday 22 May – Saturday 6 June, when Salisbury will resound with artistic encounters of every shape and form, from music to circus, theatre to comedy, with artists from over 20 nations taking part. For further information and booking details visit www.salisburyfestival.co.uk
Chippenham’s biggest annual event – Chippenham Folk Festival, now in its 44th year is a participatory festival promoting and presenting some of the best in English folk song, music and dance There will be over 200 individual events and workshops, all in one weekend from Saturday 23 – Monday 25 May. For further information visit www.chippfolk.co.uk
The Swindon & Cricklade Railway are running their ninth Real Ale & Cider Festival on Saturday 23 – Monday 25 May. The event takes place at Blunsdon Station, Wiltshire’s only standard gauge Heritage Railway, and attracts beer and railway lovers alike. Visitors can journey on the railway with steam trains running on the Saturday and Sunday and diesel trains on the Monday.
Gurston Down plays host to some utterly compelling motorsport action on Saturday 23 – Sunday 24 May. Watch the contenders accelerating from a standing start down the hill to over 130mph in under five seconds before taking on the intimidating Hollow Bend at well over 100 mph, followed by the 25mph hairpin bend, then the climb to 150mph + finish! The 967 metre twisting course is all over in just 27 seconds – truly breath-taking! www.gurstondown.org
Exquisite Trails & Exhibitions:
Artists and craftspeople from all over south and west Wiltshire are preparing to open to visitors for the 8th biennial Wylye Valley Art Trail, taking place from Saturday 23 – Sunday 31 May. There are over 300 artists taking part across 75 venues including painters, printmakers, potters, furniture makers, glass makers, photographers, jewellers, sculptors and many more! For further information visit www.wvat.co.uk
The Salisbury Museum, situated in Cathedral Close, will mount the first ever exhibition devoted to J M W Turner’s drawings and paintings of Salisbury Cathedral, the city and its surroundings. Turner’s Wessex: Architecture & Ambition Exhibition runs from Friday 22 May – Sunday 27 September.
Amazing Attractions:
Tractor Ted’s Little Farm located at Bowood House & Gardens enables children aged 2 - 6 to find out more about life on a farm. Don’t miss the Tractor Ted’s Big Machines Weekend on Saturday 23 – Monday 25 May.
Be a brilliant inventor at Lacock Abbey & Fox Talbot Museum with the Mad Inventors Club running from Saturday 23 May – Sunday 31 May. Join a wacky hands-on self-led family trail around the abbey grounds and find out if you can be as much of a clever clogs as Fox Talbot, who created the first photographic negative and changed the way we saw the world. Complete the challenges to prove your genius and win a special sticker. Normal admission rates apply. NT members and under 5s go free.
Longleat Safari & Adventure Park will open their new attraction Dinosaurs Alive: A Prehistoric Adventure on Friday 22 May in time for the half term! Enter the extraordinary realm of dinosaurs in this amazing new prehistoric adventure. Visitors can immerse themselves in the lost world of these giant reptiles as they follow the themed trail to track down a host of incredibly realistic, animatronic dinosaurs. Complete the prehistoric experience by unearthing fossils in ‘Dinosaur Dig’ Camp!
Superb Special Offers:
Salisbury Escape Room: Magna Carta Challenge, is a real-life physical adventure game where you must pit your wits against fiendish puzzles and clues to recover the stolen Magna Carta and escape within an hour. Players must be observant and use their critical thinking skills. Sessions are £60 for a team of up to 6 players. Special Offer half term offer - £10 off for families of up to 3 adults and children up to a maximum of 6 people. Valid from Friday 22 - Sunday 31 May.
Chiseldon House, Swindon are offering special rates from Sunday 24 – Wednesday 27 May. From £80 double occupancy room, plus 10% discount at McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Swindon, free parking, high tea and bed and breakfast. Subject to availability, advance purchase only. 10% discount applies to participating stores. Contact: Welcome@Chiseldonhouse.com Tel: 01793741010
The Harrow at Little Bedwyn are offering FREE New Zealand wines matched to the Michelin starred tasting or gourmet menus when you book for lunch or dinner on Wednesdays – Fridays up until 31 May. Subject to availability, not valid in conjunction with any other offer, for new bookings only. Please quote ‘New Zealand FREE Wines’ when you book. Contact: office@theharrowatlittlebedwyn.com Tel: 01672 870871.
Jasmine Cottage, Steeple Ashton is offering this beautiful 3 bedroomed self-catering cottage at a special rate of £699 for the half term week from Saturday 23 to Saturday 30 May. This includes all fuels, wood for the fire, and bed linen, plus free Wi-Fi is available. Contact: stay@jasminecottage.co.uk or Tel: 01380 888211
• VisitWiltshire’s website is a great place to find out about the diverse arts, culture and heritage events around the county: www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/whats-on. Just be sure to double check dates and times as these can be subject to change. Follow us on Twitter @VisitWiltshire #timeforwiltshire and like us on Facebook.
• For accommodation options from luxury hotels to farm stay, guest houses to glamping. See www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/accommodation for further information and www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/offers for all VisitWiltshire’s special offers. Please note that all offers are subject to availability and terms and conditions may apply.
For further information or to arrange a press visit contact Florence Wallace, PR Manager, flowallace@visitwiltshire.co.uk or tel. 01722 341309 or 07436 588860.
Note to editors: VisitWiltshire was established in August 2011 and is the official Tourist Board for Wiltshire. It is a private sector membership organisation representing over 600 partners. VisitWiltshire's priority is to grow the county's Visitor Economy by raising awareness of the destination and generating additional tourism visits and spend. Wiltshire's Visitor Economy currently generates an estimated £1.5billion and supports over 28,000 jobs.