Celebrate in Season on the Great West Way

from Great West Way Travel Magazine | Issue 02

From Easter egg hunts, to the fun of the summer shows, to being immersed by illuminations at Christmas - whatever it is you choose, there’s always a perfect season for discovering the Great West Way.

You can celebrate throughout the year while touring the Great West Way - with special events for every season. National Trust properties are a great way to enjoy Easter with the family, while in the summertime you won’t struggle to find entertainment with a beautiful view. Autumn is a wonderful time to enjoy the countryside with golden tree walks and Halloween train rides, while the festive season is full of Christmassy days, and evenings, full of magic, fireworks and joyful laughter.

**Family enjoying a day out at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum**

HAVE AN EGG-CELLENT EASTER

You can’t beat a spring nature walk on Good Friday or Easter Monday and they don’t get much better at this time of year than following the Bath Skyline Family Discovery Trail. A fun-packed two-mile stretch of the Bath Skyline loaded with activities. Discover magical doors in the Long Wood elf and fairy foray, hunt for geocaches, complete a series of '50 things' challenges or just let off some steam playing in the woodland play area.

Celebrate the arrival of spring as the Lindt Gold Bunny Hunt returns to Hampton Court Palace in April. Explore the palace and its stunning gardens through an adventurefilled treasure hunt. Lindt Gold Bunny is hidden all around the palace - where monarchs through the ages have indulged their sweet tooth!

Bounce into spring by decorating a ceramic bunny in cheerful spring-like colours, or join in the fun of an Easter wreath workshop and create your own arrangement using seasonal flowers at Shaw House, on the outskirts Newbury - one of the best-preserved Elizabethan mansions in England. Or for a Quirky Easter Quiz Trail and a great day out, or even an overnight stay (landmarktrust.org.uk) don’t miss Beckford's Tower and Museum, Bath. Built between 1826 and 1827, Beckford’s Tower is an extraordinary building that was once home to one of the greatest collections of books, furniture and art in Georgian England and now stands as the only surviving example of William Beckford’s great architectural achievements.

Easter just wouldn’t be Easter without going on an Easter egg hunt, and the Great West Way’s National Trust properties are a great place to find them. Explore Prior Park Landscape Garden in Bath and enjoy your chocolate in the intimate 18th-century landscape, where one of only four Palladian bridges of this design in the world can be crossed. In Berkshire, visit Basildon Park, an 18th-century house which survived the threat of being demolished after the Second World War, and today sits proudly in 400 acres of historic gardens and parkland - or discover the story of West Berkshire in the museum of the same name. While in Wiltshire, Harry Potter fans will love the Easter trail at Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum and Village, once home to William Henry Fox Talbot, inventor of the photographic negative. Just make sure you have spotted the cloisters which doubled as part of Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone before you leave! Nearby, pop into the award-winning Wiltshire Museum or Roves Farm is bound to be a great family day out come rain or shine!

SUMMER SOCIAL

Whether you’re a royal fan or just want to experience a traditional English day out, Royal Ascot horse races in June and Henley Royal Regatta in July should be on your summer agenda. Going to a music festival in a muddy field is a rite of passage in the UK - a pair of jazzy (preferably glittery) wellies are essential! There's Reading Festival in August, one of the biggest, WOMAD at Charlton Park, Wiltshire in July, Love Saves the Day at Eastville Park, Bristol in May, and NASS in Bath - a music festival with skating, BMX and street art.

If opera and classical music is more to your taste, visit Iford Arts at Belcombe Court and enjoy listening in 45 acres of Cotswold parkland and gardens. Bookworms will love the Swindon Festival of Literature in May, and for film, dance, theatre and more the Devizes Arts Festival in June is a must. A country show is a great way to learn more about country life in England. Given the rural nature of much of the touring route, there’ll be plenty to choose from, but one of the biggest is the Royal Bath & West Show in May/June.

Due to the abundance of fresh homegrown produce along the route, you’ll also find lots of food and drink festivals to attend too. The Great British Food Festival at Bowood House in August, Bristol Food Connections in June, and The Big Feastival in the Cotswolds in August are some of the biggest but you’ll find lots of smaller ones in villages and towns too.

Want something really different? Dare to bare all for the Bristol World Naked Bike Ride in June! Not everyone’s cup of tea perhaps, but it’s for a good cause: raising awareness about road safety for cyclists.

If you’re visiting in May, try to get tickets for Pint of Science. These informal yet informative science events take place in pubs around London, Reading, Bath, Bristol and beyond. While you enjoy a pint, scientists will fill you in on their latest research findings on topics ranging from human biology to robotics.

Meanwhile the fields are ablaze with colour, wildlife is abundant and blooms fill the air with wildflower perfume at Stoke Common Meadows, in Cricklade. Nearby, at Lower Moor Farm, Oaksey Moor Farm Meadow ruddy darter and four-spotted chaser dragonflies can be seen hovering above the pond. And if in Devizes, take a walk in Peppercombe Wood's picturesque ancient woodland and listen out for birdsong from chiffchaffs, wrens, black caps, and tits.

AUTUMN HARVEST

From classic pumpkin carving and ghost stories to afterhours ghost tours, National Trust properties make a fantastic day out for some Halloween magic. Try the Halloween Trail at Tyntesfield, near Wraxall, and make the most of the autumn colour with walks across the estate. In Wiltshire, Stourhead’s vistas are sure to be highlighted with burnished leaves, or try Bowood House & Gardens, halfway between Calne and Chippenham, 100 acres of beautifully landscaped ‘Capability’ Brown Parkland and enjoy pumpkin hunts to freaky face painting. Visit Dyrham Park, near Bristol and Bath, where you might also witness one of nature's most majestic happenings as the bucks battle it out for the top spot of master buck in their annual deer rut. Or you could creep down into the cellars and meet a coven of witches, and a few wizards, at Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire's Spooktacular Halloween. If you’re visiting in October, celebrate Halloween at Legoland, Windsor and enjoy their annual fireworks spectacular, or book a ghost train and visit the bat caves at Longleat Safari Park. You could scare yourself silly during Fright Night at Bristol Zoo or visit a Halloween Twilight Tour of Lansdown Cemetery, Beckford’s Tower and Museum, Bath. Or join in the fun of Windsor’s annual Halloween Pumpkin Party at Windsor Royal Station including the Mr Marvel Magic Show - frightful free fun for all the family!

CHRISTMAS CRACKERS

At the most magical time of the year, nothing feels more festive than a market, and there are arguably none more well-known in the UK than Bath Christmas Market, with its magical Regency backdrop providing the perfect setting for a mulled wine and a mince pie. This year will be the 20th Bath Christmas Market, and in addition to the usual festivities, there will be lots of celebratory activities taking place to mark the occasion. Try also Bristol Christmas Market, Windsor and Berkshire Christmas Fairs, and the beautiful Christmas Market in the grounds at Blenheim Palace, just a short detour off the route. Sip a mulled wine, pick up unique hand-made gifts, or sample local produce. Beautifully decorated for the season you might like to celebrate Christmas in style through the ages at Stonor Park, Henley-on-Thames, which will be sparkling with gorgeous candlelit displays, roaring open fires and a magnificent 20ft Victorian-decorated Christmas Tree in the Gothic Hall. Discover an Enchanted Christmas at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, or at Longleat's Festival of Light, the UK’s original, biggest lantern festival. Watch hundreds of breathtaking, illuminated lanterns, set in over 30 acres of splendid ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped grounds transform the Estate as darkness falls.

Step back in time into a classic Christmas from England's past as you explore Victorian Christmas Weekend at SS Great Britain in Bristol. The iconic ship SS Great Britain is transformed into a Dickensian winter scene where you can meet Victorian characters, shop for seasonal gifts and indulge in festive food and drink.

And Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without a festive trip to the theatre - Bristol Hippodrome or Theatre Royal Bath perhaps? A Christmas show or pantomime is an essential part of any traditional English Christmas, so be sure to pick up a Christmas programme from the Watermill Theatre, Newbury, the Barn Theatre in Cirencester, Pound Arts Centre in Corsham or head to the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon.

For a heartwarming traditional Christmas, why not sing in a carol service in front of Windsor Castle, or enjoy the seasonal atmosphere at the Hampton Court Palace ice rink, a wonderful way to get into the festive spirit, with spectacular views of the Thames-side Tudor palace.

Discover an enchanted wonderland of light and magic during Christmas At Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury or discover the glittering spiral trees, and dynamic laser projections which illuminate the iconic Temperate House at Christmas at Kew, Richmond.

Or why not put the sparkle in your family Christmas by enjoying the annual Christmas Extravaganza and Carol Concert in Hungerford, or the season of lights and lanterns in Devizes with their annual Lantern Parade & Christmas Festival.

PLUS DON'T MISS!

Travelling the Great West Way is all about discovering the real England, and alongside the picturesque sights and seasonal events there are all sorts of quirky customs and traditional events that you can discover in this vibrant swathe of England too!

Wassailing

An ancient pagan celebration performed in January to encourage fruit trees to give a healthy harvest. This ancient tradition still takes place in certain village orchards, particularly in cider producing country - and there is plenty of cider country along the Great West Way!

Morris Men

Morris Men are one of the most well known of England's ancient traditions. Troupes of Morris Men dress in white with bells and ribbons and dance traditional dances together, with much slapping of knees and hitting of sticks! You'll likely see Morris Men at local fairs and festivals taking place along the Great West Way - a reminder that you're undoubtedly in England.

Hocktide

The charming Berkshire market town of Hungerford is reputed to be the only place in England where locals still dress up to celebrate the medieval festival of Hocktide. The residents of Hungerford throw themselves into the many customs surrounding Hocktide, which takes place annually after Easter, including dressing up, decorating their houses, welcoming the 'Tutti Men' and exchanging oranges and kisses.

Swan Upping

In Windsor, the ancient custom of 'Swan Upping' takes place in July each year, with uniformed 'Royal Swan Uppers' travelling in traditional rowing skiffs on the Thames to assess the health of the local mute swans, which are by tradition the property of the British monarch.

Oxford Traditions

Within easy reach of the Great West Way is the university city of Oxford, which has a whole host of quirky customs and traditions of its own, including penny throwing, May day singing, and boat burning.

Don't forget to tag #GreatWestWay so we can see your pictures along the route!