press release 27 September 2016
Top 10 Reasons to visit Wiltshire this Half Term
There are many reasons to visit Wiltshire, so as the days get shorter and the leaves begin to fall, VisitWiltshire’s top 10 list will give you plenty of ideas to keep the family busy this half term.
1. Autumn beauty at its best!
Stourhead is one of the most iconic of the National Trust’s gardens and is truly spectacular during the autumn. Make an autumnal walk around the estate and call the leaf line for daily updates on the colours. A little stroll over the border is Westonbirt – The National Arboretum with around 15,000 trees from all over the world and a play trail for families.
2. Bird spotting at the Cotswold Water Park
Head to the Cotswold Water Park, near Cricklade during October to spot the migrating birds. Look out for special bird watching events taking place here in addition to guided walks, workshops and more.
3. Behind the scenes tour at Wadworth Brewery
Book onto a Wadworth Brewery tour and go behind the scenes to see some of the winter beers being prepared and sample some of the different tipples in the bar after your tour. Don’t miss the shop where you can purchase beers and souvenirs or perhaps an early Christmas present or two?
4. Discover Wiltshire’s magnificent stately homes and gardens
Many of the county’s stately homes and gardens close near the end of October, so don’t miss seeing them this autumn! Capability Brown landscaped gardens at Bowood House and Gardens, Abbey House Gardens in Malmesbury which boasts 5 acres of gardens and 1,000 years of history and Great Chalfield Manor near Bradford on Avon are all worth a visit! In the Close in Salisbury you’ll find Sir Edward Heath’s home Arundells and National Trust’s Mompesson House, and nearby at Tollard Royal the beautiful Larmer Tree Gardens.
5. Discover Salisbury’s ghosts and ghouls
Ever wondered about the paranormal and the ghostly goings-on in Salisbury? Now’s your chance to discover more as the Salisbury City Guides run their Spooky Weekend over Halloween. Walks usually start from outside Salisbury Information Centre and cater for a variety of ages with walks specifically aimed at younger children too.
6. Halloween Half Term at Old Sarum
Take your little horrors to wander the creepy castle, discover ghoulish goings-on and haunted happenings whilst hearing about Old Sarum’s creepy residents. Spooky crafts and fancy dress! Tickets from only £2.50 per child.
7. Book a tour of the 17th century Merchant’s House
Situated on Marlborough’s historic High Street, the home of Thomas Bayly the Merchant’s House is a special and unusual visitor experience. Demonstrations of costume making, needlework, live period music and historic paint conservation.
8. Halloween themed cookery course at Vaughan’s Kitchen
Give your child the firm foundation, skills and knowledge required to grow into a competent and confident cook. Courses run on 29 October for Mini Chefs with garlicy eye balls with slimy dip and ghostly fancies or Young Chef’s Academy with pumpkin and lentil soup, bread bowls and ghostly fancies.
9. Join in the anniversary celebrations at the Salisbury Playhouse Open Day
Celebrating their 40 year anniversary in Salisbury, the open day will allow visitors to go behind the scenes and find out more about this working producing theatre. Find out how the theatre is continually changing and adapting to new ways of creating drama with exhibitions, tours and interactive activities. 29 October free event.
10. Autumnal apple celebrations The Big Apple at the American Museum in Britain
Press your own apple juice, take part in apple-inspired crafts and listen to the story of Johnny Appleseed on 28 October. Child prices from £4.50, drop-in for ages 3 years +.
Autumn Break Special Offers
Beeches Farmhouse ‘Farmyard’ B&B in Bradford on Avon is a delightful 18th century farmhouse built of local mellow limestone sympathetically restored to its former glory. They are offering three nights for the price of two this autumn from £75 per room per night.
Fosse Farmhouse Cottages, four star self-catering holiday cottage is located near the historic Roman Fosse Way in the picturesque Castle Combe valley. The stables, The Garden House and The Dovecote are idyllic Cotswold stone properties which sleep 2 – 6 people. A 10% October half term discount is available now, quote VisitWiltshirebargain when booking.
Walnut Tree Lodge, Warminster, offers unique accommodation – a Shepherd’s Hut - near to the lakes of Shearwater and Longleat. Enjoy the quaintness of time gone by in an amazing space but with modern facilities. Suitable for a two at a bargain price of only £35 per night this autumn.
There is so much more to see and do in Wiltshire this half-term! Don’t forget to check out the VisitWiltshire website - it’s a great place to find out more:
• What’s On - www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/whats-on
• Accommodation - www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/accommodation
• Special Offers - www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/special-offers
Please note offers are subject to availability and terms and conditions may apply. To keep up to date follow us on Twitter @VisitWiltshire #timeforwiltshire and like us on Facebook.
For further information or to arrange a press visit please contact Florence Wallace, Travel Trade & PR Manager, flowallace@visitwiltshire.co.uk Tel: 01722 341309 or 07436 588860
Notes to editors:
VisitWiltshire is the official Destination Management & Marketing Organisation for Wiltshire representing 600 partners. It is a public/private sector membership organisation with our main funder being Wiltshire Council. 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 29,000 jobs.
Images for Autumn can be downloaded from our Flickr gallery via this link https://www.flickr.com/gp/129320754@N03/h153r9 . Photos may be used in print and/or online for the promotion of tourism to Wiltshire and any photos used must be credited to www.visitwiltshire.co.uk, unless otherwise stated in the title of the photo. Full terms and conditions can be found here.