NEARLYWED NEWS

COTSWOLDS HIDEAWAYS ANNOUNCE WOODLAND EXPERIENCES

Cotswolds Hideaways and Cotswolds National Landscape have announced dates this spring for their popular rural skills and experience weekends set to take place locally across the regions, telling the story of the Cotswolds. Why not book a stay in a hand-picked Cotswolds Hideaways cottage, pictured, and make the most of a mini-moon in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty?

The Call of the Wild - Woodland Experience involves gathering wood for a fire, log splitting with axes, charcoal burning and cooking a meal outdoors in a stunning Cotswold wood that was once part of the estate of Henry VIII. The dates are Sat 16th April, Sat 30th April, Fri 13th May, Sat 28th May, Fri 10th June and Sat 25th June 2022.

Outdoor-loving couples planning a mini-moon in the region will love the Fossils & Fun - Cotswold Stone Experience where they can discover the origins and secrets of this historic stone and how it has shaped the story of the Cotswolds. A fossil hunt will reveal ancient sea creatures from the Jurassic period when the area was a warm tropical sea and those creatures are now encapsulated in the stone. Guests can even try their hand at fossil hunting and finders, keepers! Set in a stunning quarry off the beaten track, they’ll also get to see the lengths the quarrymen went to, even going underground. They can also experience dry stone walling, using the stone to make this iconic landscape feature. The dates are Fri 8th April, Fri 22nd April, Fri 6th May, Fri 20th May, Fri 3rd June and Fri 17th June 2022.

The one-day Foraging and Wild Foods Course will see guests try a range of seasonal wild foods while exploring the Cotswolds countryside, learning about some key principles of foraging, plus matters of safety, and a little about the laws regarding harvesting wild food.

The two-day Dry Stone Walling Course will see participants building a wall that will remain part of the Cotswolds landscape for the next 100 to 200 years. They’ll learn about dismantling walls, stone sorting, laying foundations, building up the wall, adding and dressing the different types of stones and how to use the necessary tools. The dates are Sat 16th to Sun 17th April, Sat 7th to Sun 8th May, Sat 19th to Sun 20th May, Sat 28th to Sun 29th May, Sat 11th to Sun 12th June and Sat 23rd to Sun 24th June 2022.

For more information and to take advantage of 10% off, turn to page 13 or visit www.cotswoldshideaways.co.uk/cotswolds-nationallandscape

Church Cottage Coach House, Hawling Long Barn

Nearlywed NEWS The latest news from around both counties

SOMETHING NEW We’ve created our very own County Wedding Magazines YouTube channel, providing our readers with plenty of wedspiration from venue tours to dream dresses. Catch up on beauty reviews and how-tos from our beauty editor and peek behind the scenes of styled shoots featured in our titles past and present. You can even be a fly on the wall at some real weddings and you’ll also find local supplier interviews packed with tips and tricks.

We’re adding more content all the time, so why not hit SUBSCRIBE so you never miss a thing? It’s your one-stop shop for wedding vidspiration! Simply head to YouTube and search County Wedding Magazines.

Paxton & Whitfield, the UK’s oldest cheesemonger with a store in Bourton on the Water is celebrating its 225th birthday this year and needs help from its customers! The company’s archives were destroyed in a fire at its Jermyn Street-based shop after World War II and its records were lost forever. This year the Paxton & Whitfield team is embarking on a project to piece together the cheesemonger’s heritage to mark this milestone birthday.

The company is inviting customers with a memory, story, or photo from recent or past times to email history@paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk. For every story it publishes, it will plant a tree as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy project (https://queensgreencanopy.org). This is a unique tree-planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee this year which invites people from across the United Kingdom to plant a tree for the jubilee.

James Rutter, managing director of Paxton & Whitfield, says, “We’re looking forward to hearing the memories and stories that our customers would like to share with us. From a small cheese stall in Aldwych, London to our internationally renowned business today, Paxton & Whitfield has always championed the best in artisanal British and Continental European cheeses. We’ve been through two World Wars and have successfully adapted to countless changes in cheese and retail trends in more than two centuries of trading; including most recently the Covid-19 pandemic.”

James continues, “We pride ourselves on the quality of the cheeses and fine foods that we retail, our customer service and the exceptional experience that we offer. As we go forward into this year of celebration for the company, we will be hosting unique anniversary experiences and launching some exclusive new collections, to commemorate this remarkable achievement.”

To find out more, visit www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

RAISE A TOAST Enjoy a gin cocktail this Easter that can be created using the varieties available in The Cotswolds Wildflower Gin Miniature Gift Pack, £16.95. Inspired by the glorious grasslands of the Cotswolds, The Cotswolds Wildflower Gin Set is the perfect gift for any gin lover and includes three 50 ml bottles of Cotswolds No 1 Wildflower Gin, Cotswolds No 2 Wildflower Gin and Cotswolds No 3 Wildflower Gin. At 41.7% ABV, all three expressions have their distinct flavour profile and are delicious served with soda or tonic as a spritz.

To shop, visit www.cotswoldsdistillery.com EDITOR LOVES

It’s safe to say that our wonderful wedding industry looks set to thrive again this year and the new wedding collection from Paperchase will allow couples the opportunity to save a few pennies while not scrimping on quality. There’s everything from place cards and invitations to scrapbooks and even doughnut stands. Highlights include the Wedding Bucket List Journal, £15, the Wedding Project Folder, £20, and the Wedding Day Invites, £15, which come with 10 invitations, RSVP slips, envelopes and sealing stickers.

Prices range from £2 to £30 with stores across Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. To find out more and to shop, visit www.paperchase.com/en_gb

THE WARDROBE

WALLED GARDEN WEDDINGS

A newly launched wedding and events venue in the heart of historic Salisbury.

The Wardrobe is a secret hideaway located to the rear of the Rifleman’s Museum. It is situated in the tranquil setting of the cathedral close and the wonderful garden leads down to the banks of the river Avon. With the rolling countryside beyond, it is difficult to imagine a better location within the Salisbury city limits for any outdoor event, be it a wedding reception, celebration or garden party.

The walled garden is totally enclosed and private covering over half an acre. It also has numerous specimen trees including one of the finest copper beach trees in Wiltshire.

The walled garden can be privately hired for your wedding, party or event. A marquee will be positioned in the beautiful garden (your choice of style) and we can accommodate up to 150 guests. For smaller numbers a reduced sized marquee is available.

The on-site caterer is the award-winning Vanilla Catering & Events.

Vanilla’s key ethics are attention to customer service and the use of top quality local ingredients. These result in bright, modern food styles presented with attention to detail in an unfussy yet friendly manner. A bespoke menu is created for each client and a complimentary wedding planner is provided to run your special day.

An interesting fact: did you know why we are we called The Wardrobe?

The original building on the site was constructed in 1254. It was rebuilt in the 15th century and was used to store the robes of the Bishop of Salisbury; hence it was known as the “Bishop’s Wardrobe” or “The Wardrobe”!