Make time for Wiltshire

Gardens … 2016 sees the 300th anniversary of the birth of master landscaper Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. Many of Britain’s great houses owe their pastoral settings to his groundbreaking vision, and his creativity is still inspiring gardeners today. In #Wiltshire, Bowood House, Longleat, Corsham Court, Wilton House, Lacock Abbey, and Old Wardour Castle all have connections with Brown. 

There are many other stunning gardens in Wiltshire including Iford Manor and The Peto Garden, Larmer Tree Gardens, Lydiard House & Park, Abbey House Gardens, Heale Gardens and Arundells. Wiltshire is also home to many National Trust gardens such as Stourhead, Great Chalfield Manor, and Mompesson House.

Stonehenge and Avebury are magical places shrouded in history. If you stand on Salisbury Plain at sunrise or sunset, it’s easy to understand why the ancient Britons believed Stonehenge was special. Its orientation on the rising and setting sun is one of its many outstanding features, but why it was built in this way remains a mystery. 

Wiltshire is home to archaeology collections of outstanding national importance. Salisbury Museum has three major exhibitions planned for 2016, and together with the Wiltshire Museum in Devizes, visitors immerse themselves in the full Stonehenge and Avebury story.

There are opportunities to access the expertise of the museum staff who have a detailed understanding of Wiltshire’s archaeology and who care for internationally important finds from these iconic sites. There is a unique opportunity to see Marden Henge – the third super henge in Wiltshire - being excavated as part of an archaeology tour being run by Wiltshire Museum in July.


Market towns & and medieval Salisbury … Wiltshire’s historic towns and villages have something unique to offer. Market towns include Bradford on Avon, Amesbury, Cricklade, Malmesbury, Corsham, Calne, and Marlborough. Quintessentially English villages such as Castle Combe and Lacock are often used as filming locations. Salisbury was one of the top ten cities in the world to visit according to Lonely Planet last year. Home to Salisbury Cathedral and Magna Carta, Salisbury Museum, The Rifles Berkshire & Wiltshire Museum, and Mompesson House … all within a stone’s throw from each other.

Food & drink … Local breweries include Wadworths and Arkells, the latter a family brewer since 1843 with many pubs around the county. Award-winning restaurants in the county include Red Lion Freehouse, East Chisenbury, the Harrow at Little Bedwyn in Marlborough, and the Manor House at Castle Combe.

Wiltshire's visitor economy currently generates an estimated £1.5 billion a year and supports more than 28,000 jobs.
www.visitwiltshire.co.uk 

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48411817@N04/11327286036">2013 Holiday Train - Midway Station</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">(license)

Make time for Wiltshire this Easter

THERE will be Easter Trails at Old Sarum and Lydiard Park, and the annual Easter egg hunt at Stourhead Gardens. 

Salisbury Cathedral will be running an Easter trail, plus craft events for children.

Imber Church, now under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust, will be open on April 3, 4, 5, and 6, with an egg hunt on Easter Sunday. This will be a rare opportunity to visit the ‘lost’ village of Imber in the heart of MOD-controlled land on Salisbury Plain.

And to spot the first signs of spring, there will be garden walks at Bowood, the Peto Garden at Iford Manor, and Larmer Tree Gardens.

www.visitwiltshire.co.uk

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Picture Credit: "Easter bunny" by Lesekreis (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Turner’s Wessex

AN exhibition in Salisbury Museum this year will throw new light on the earliest work of JMW Turner.

Turner first visited Salisbury in 1795 – when he was 20 – and later returned to paint an area that captivated him as an artist. 

His depictions of Stonehenge in particular proved to be among his most atmospheric works, and he produced a series of watercolours of Salisbury. 

The exhibition – which runs from May 22 to September 27 – will also chart Turner’s fascination with the wider Wessex region – including the area of Wiltshire around Salisbury, and the Dorset coast.

www.salisburymuseum.org.uk

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Picture Credit: courtesy of salisburymuseum.org.uk

On the trail of Magna Carta …

VISITWILTSHIRE and Salisbury Cathedral have created a two-day Magna Carta tourist trail to increase domestic and international tourism in Wiltshire.

The trail includes Salisbury Cathedral and Magna Carta, Stonehenge, Avebury, and Trowbridge. 

It is one of six special trails, each covering different aspects of the Magna Carta story as part of the commemoration of the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta in 2015.

Momentum has been building in anticipation of June 15, exactly 800 years after King John put his seal to Magna Carta, as presented to him by barons at Runnymede on the Thames near Windsor. 

Magna Carta is widely regarded across the English-speaking world as the first key document in an historical process that led to the establishment of constitutional law in England and beyond. 

It influenced the early settlers in New England and inspired later constitutional documents, including the United States constitution.

Salisbury Cathedral is home to the finest preserved of only four remaining original 1215 Magna Carta, to be re-displayed in an interactive exhibition for 2015.

The trails, lasting from two to four days, are detailed in a new leaflet and dedicated website. They are deigned to be self-guided, and suitable for both British and foreign visitors.

www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/magnacarta

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