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What's on in the countryside
Check out our pick of the events on in the countryside this month. Compiled by Catherine Butler.
Event of the Month
Country Living Christmas Fair
11-15 November
The Business Design Centre, Angel, London
Everything you need to have a beautiful Christmas, from decorations for your home to the tastiest Christmas puddings in our food hall. As usual there will also be hundreds of stands dedicated to home design, with Country Living favourites Dee Puddy Garden and Interiors, Glover and Smith, Jan Constantine, Nutscene and Pachacuti plus many more.
Other events around the country:
Half Term Spooky Fun
Ends 1 November
Hever Castle, Kent
Children can enjoy a pumpkin trail, walks, games, workshops and scary stories.
The Borde Hill Witches
Ends 1 November
Borde Hill, Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Intrepid Explorers can take part in Borde Hill's Spooktacular Hung and search for the hair-raising clues hidden by the witches that lead to the enchanted house. Once inside, dare to put your hand in the bubbling cauldron to pull out a trick or treat!
Wild Autumn Art Exhibition
Ends 1 November
Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway, Exbury, Southampton, Hampshire
This exhibition staged in the Five Arrows Gallery will feature work by artist Peter Thwaites who will be exhibiting original works and prints and will also have cards and calendars for sale on certain days.
The Enchanted Garden
Ends 1 November
Brodsworth Hall and Gardens, South Yorkshire
Enter a magical world for a bewitching night-time experience as the gardens are illuminated to become a place of enchantment.
Contemporary Tapestries for Interiors
Until 15 November
The Harbour Gallery, Le Boulevard, St Aubin, Jersey
New textile art from Lisa MacDonald, featuring the largest work she has ever made.
01534 743044
Christmas at Chatsworth
1 November - 23 December
Chatsworth House, Derbyshire
See the house transformed to evoke the much-loved stories of Hans Christian Andersen. The Snow Queen, the Princess and the Pea, the Little Mermaid and the Ugly Duckling are just some of the classics that will feature in the grand rooms of the house. Meanwhile the Farmyard will be a hive of activity with seasonal storytelling and the popular family nativities featuring the resident farmyard animals. There will also be Christmas choirs, festive hymns and Father Christmas will be roaming the estate every weekend in December.
Haunted Hever Evening Ghost Tours
1, 4, 5 and 6 November
Hever Castle, Kent
6.30pm
Experience the darker side of the castle with new and old chilling tales of its mysterious past involving accident, beheading, suicide and cold-blooded murder. Once the tour is complete you can continue to soak up the Halloween atmosphere in the Moat Restaurant over a reviving three-course meal.
Keyhaven Birdwatch
4 November
Keyhaven, Hampshire
9.30am-12.30pm
The third in the regular autumn, winter and spring series of short walks with Steve Lankester to see the early winter arrival of birds in Keyhaven and Pennington marshes. Meet in the car park at Keyhaven by the sea wall.
Help for Heroes Fair
4 November
Hampton Court, Herefordshire
This exciting Christmas Fair held at this 15th Century manor in Herefordshire will be filled with local arts, crafts and food. There will also be locally made furniture and fireside stools, while local sculptor Miranda Michel will be showcasing her equine and wildlife statues.
Paraphernalia Fair
5 November, 3 December
Lyndhurst Community Centre, Lyndhurst, Hampshire
10am-4pm
Fireworks at Pendennis
5 November
Pendennis Castle, Cornwall
6-9.30pm, Adults £4, Children £2
A spectacular firework display at the castle. Gates will open at 6pm, where a range of music and entertainment will be laid on for you. Pirate FM will be there providing the music and there will be plenty of hot food, drinks, donuts, fair ground rides and much, much more. All proceeds from the event will be be donated towards local charities.
Portrait of a Village: People of Platt
6-7 November
Platt, Kent
An exhibition of photographs that captures community life in a small rural Kent village.
Charity Fashion Show
6 and 7 November
St Mary's School, Shatesbury, Dorset
A charity fashion show featuring fashion lines from Day Birger et Mikkelsen, Odd Molly, Pink Soda and others. The even is to raise money for Julia's House, the children's hospice in Poole, Macmillan Cancer Support and the Ragalla Aid Project of Sri Lanka. The clothes will be modelled by upper sixth pupils, a few of which will also be showing off their own Eastern-influenced designs. Tickets available to buy for £20 each from Peaches and Crème, Turnbulls Delicatessen and St Mary's school, Shaftestbury.
www.st-marys-shaftesbury.co.uk
Axbridge Farmers Market
7 November
The Square, Axbridge, Somerset
9am-1pm
Around twenty stalls selling a range of local produce including fish, bread, seasonal fruit and a fair trade stall.
Kenilworth Bonfire Gala
7 November
Kenilworth Castle, Kenilworth, Warwickshire
5.30pm
Once again fireworks and lights will bring the skies above Kenilworth to life. With more than 12,000 visitors, the event has become one of the most popular public shows in the Midlands. It's held in the grounds next to Kenilworth Castle, and set against the historic and dramatic backdrop of the ruins
Bonfire Night at the Museum of East Anglian Life
7 November
Museum of East Anglian Life, Stowmarket, Suffolk
6.30pm
The bonfire will be lit at 7pm, with a dazzling fireworks display starting at 7.30pm. Visitors will also be able to see traction engines in steam, and a selection of old-fashioned amusements from an old East Anglian fairground family.
Christmas Festive Gift Fair
7-8 November
Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, Northumberland
Adult £6.50, Child £3.50, 10am-4pm
Beat the Christmas rush! Full of specialist crafts and unique gifts this Festive Gift Fair is the perfect opportunity to start your Christmas shopping early and pick up a few unusual presents not available on the high street.
Lustre 2009
7-8 November
The University of Nottingham's Public Arts Centre
Lustre is an arts and crafts show featuring hand selected designers from across the country including jewellery makers, textile designers, ceramicists, glass blowers, woodworkers, leatherworkers, furniture makers and metal workers.
Sunnyfield Farmers Market
7, 14, 21, 28 November
Sunnyfields, Jacobs Gutter Lane, Totton, Southampton
9.30am-3pm
A weekly market with various local and regional producers. There is also a bouncy castle, laser clay pigeon and occasionally, archery.
A Winter's Tale exhibition
7 November - 31 December
Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Carmarthen
A collection of work by local and national artists and makers, all of whom use story-telling and narrative to inspire their work.
Handmade@Chelsea 09
Chelsea Old Town Hall, London
11-14 November
Featuring crafts from jewellery designers, ceramicists, furniture makers, and metal workers.
Beaulieu Christmas Fair
13 November
Beaulieu, Hampshire
Find Christmas gifts and stocking fillers at this festive fair. There will be food, books, CDs, antiques, jewellery, wreaths, accessories and much more.
10am-2.30pm
Keynsham Farmers Market
14 November
High Street, Keynsham, Somerset
Regular stallholders include Somerset Cheese Company, Stockland Farmed Venison, Pure Pigs, The Great Cake Company, Box Bush Farm Apple Juice and more.
Christmas Market
14 -15 November
Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, Sussex
Find that perfect gift or treat at a traditional Christmas Market set in and around the museum's historic buildings. There will be dozens of stalls with arts, crafts, food and unusual gifts. Broadcaster and novelist Kate Mosse will be signing copies of her latest bestseller 'The Winter Ghosts' on both days from 11am to 1pm.
The National Glass Collector's Fair
15 November
The National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham
10.30am-4pm, £5
More than 100 exhibitors of antique and contemporary glass.
Castle Carey Farmers Market
17 November
The Market House, Castle Carey, Somerset
Regular stallholders include Taylor's Traditional Bakery, Wootton Organic Dairy, Mere Fish Farm and the Thoroughly Wild Meat Company.
Somerset House Ice Rink
17 November - 24 January
Somerset House, The Strand, London
The open air ice rink at Somerset House reopens for another season, and this year it is celebrating its tenth birthday.
Reindeer Trail
21 November
Kenwood House, Hampstead, London
Free, 11am-4pm
Take part in a fun reindeer trail to help you get into the festive spirit or find some gorgeous gifts for that special someone with 10% off in the shop.
Farmers Market
21 November, 19 December
Montacute House, Somerset
10am-2pm
Held within the beautiful old stbles of Montacute House, visitors can enjoy the special theme of apple, cheese and chutney with plenty of delicious local produce to buy.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk; 01935 823289
Craft Fair
21 November
Old Milton Road, New Milton, Hampshire
11am-4pm
Jewellery, ceramics, woodwork, metalwork and textiles are among the crafts on sale at this annual event. There will also be mulled wine, live entertainment and family workshops.
Festive Falconry
21 November
1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield, Sussex
10am-4pm, Adults £6.70, Child £3.40
Join Raphael Falconry as they re-create the role of royal falconers and hawkers at Christmas time in Plantagenet England. Hunting with trained birds of prey was the favourite winter sport of medieval kings and nobles, but it was also an activity essential to the supply of fresh game for the Christmas Feast. Learn how hawks were trained to catch specific birds and animals for the royal table. Plus learn about the seasonal traditions of medieval falconers and the history of some of our most popular Christmas birds.
Christmas Market
21-22 November
Hestercombe Gardens, Nr Taunton, Somerset
£3
More than 60 stalls to purchase your Christmas shopping from as well as live music, chestnuts and mulled wine.
Limited Edition Print Exhibition
21 November - 28 November
Beside the Wave Gallery, Falmouth, Cornwall
This limited edition print exhibition highlights some of the best pieces exhibited in 2009 and provides an opportunity for customers to expand their collection of work by some of the gallery's core artists. New limited edition prints published exclusively by Beside the Wave will be available from the following artists: Emma Dunbar, Amanda Hoskin, Paul Lewin, John Raynes, Andrew Tozer, and Richard Tuff. Andrew Giddens, who dramatically captures the breaking waves of the Lizard Pennisula, has proved a popular addition to the gallery this year and we are delighted that we will have new prints in stock from him. Alongside these they will have a large range of woodcuts by Andrew Waddington as well as a small collection of etchings by Richard Dinnis.
Spirit of Scotland
21 November - 6 December
The Pollyanna Pickering Gallery, Brookvale House, Oaker, Matlock, Derbyshire
A major exhibition of new original work by Pollyanna Pickering inspired by the wildlife of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
Contemporary Craft
22 November
Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, near Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
10am-4pm, £3
This large craft and gift fair will be showcasing artists and designers who will be selling their unique handcrafted wares.
www.craftshoppingexperience.co.uk
Bath Christmas Market
26 November - 6 December
Bath
This festive market will be based in 123 wooden chalets set around Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths selling unusual gifts, decorations and crafts. Mulled wine and mince pies will be served, while Christmas carollers will add to the festive cheer.
Burnham on Sea Farmers Market
27 November
High Street, Burnham on Sea, Somerset
A lively market featuring produce from seasonal plants and vegetables, apple juice and artisan breads.
Reading Room Open Days
27-28 November
Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham
Friday 1-4pm and Saturday 10am-4pm
Be among the first to view the fabulous Reading Room at the very pinnacle of the museum with its stunning views across the Dales. The room will be open to the public for the first time to mark the 140th Anniversary of the laying of the Museum's foundation stone.
library@thebowesmuseum.org.uk; www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk
Christmas Shopping at Tintagel
28-29 November
Tintagel Castle, Cornwall
Adults £4.90, Child £2.50, 10am-4pm
Explore the castle then visitors can get into the Christmas spirit in the Castle shop with a 10% discount on everything.
Christmas Shopping and Fairy Trail
28-29 November
Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire
10am-4pm, Adults £5.50, Child £4.70
Grown ups can shop for Christmas gifts, exclusive to English Heritage, while the children are occupied with some festive fun as they search for the mini model Christmas tree fairies concealed within the Abbey ruins. Successful fairy hunters will be rewarded with a tasty prize!
Poultry Show
28-29 November
The Royal Agricultural Showground, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire
With nearly 5000 exhibits representing more than 130 breeds of large fowl, bantams, ducks, geese and turkeys. The ideal event to visit if you keep your own poultry or are thinking of starting a flock.
Christmas Open Studio
28-29 November
Cherry Cottage, Back Lane, East Clandon, Surrey, GU4 7SA
11am-4pm
Ceramicist Terri Smart and textile artist Iona MacKenzie are holding a special Christmas Open Studio. Terri's work is inspired by the flora and fauna that surrounds her cottage, while Iona's textile pictures are based on the North Down hills that overlook the village.
Beaulieu Abbey Church Advent Carol Service
29 November
Beaulieu Abbey, Beaulieu, Hampshire
6.30pm
This service starts in darkness and, as the choir moves West to East (from darkness to light), is then lit by candles given to each member of the congregation. The Beaulieu Abbey Choir and the congregation sing Advent Carols in preparation for Christmas.
Christmas Spectacular
29 November
Frome, Somerset
12 noon, free
The pretty town of Frome is putting on a Christmas Spectactular with Christmas lights, carol singing, music and a breathtaking firework display.
Festive Night at Cheddar Gorge
4 December
Cheddar Gorge, Somerset
6-9pm
See the village decked out in its Christmas finery, enjoy seasonal entertainment including bands and carols, pick up presents from the Christmas market and craft fair and take a candlelight tour of Gough's Cave.
Cheddar Parish Council 01934 743217
Dunster by Candlelight
4-5 December
Dunster, Somerset
This annual event turns back time in the medieval village of Dunster by lighting its streets with candles. The festival starts off at 5.30pm on the Friday with the atmospheric landtern lighting procession. There will also be Morris dancers, hand bell ringers, a brass band and more.
www.dunsterbycandlelight.co.uk
Santa Express on the West Somerset Railway
5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 23 and 24 December
Adults £10, Children £10
Travelling from Bishops Lydeard to Williton and return, the Santa Express is a heritage train journey for all the family to enjoy. Tuck into mince pies and other seasonal refreshments, meet Father Christmas and receive a present.
Dulverton by Startlight
6 December
Dulverton, Somerset
Enjoy street entertainment, shopping, falconing, magic and Father Christmas with a horse-drawn sleigh.
Gallery Talk - Director's Choice
10 December
The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co Durham
2.30pm
Join the museum's director, Adrian Jenkins, for this gallery talk to complement Goya: The Year of Despair.
Arts and Crafts for Christmas
13th December
10.30am -3pm
The Old School, Mill Hill, Nettleham, Lincoln
The ideal opportunity to find last-minute and extra special artisan- made gifts at this fair based in restored Victorian schoolrooms. Free admission and seasonal refreshments will be available.
Christmas Market at The Bowes Museum
20 December
The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co Durham
10am-4pm
This outdoor market held on the museum terrace is packed with stallholders from the local farmers' market to seasonal crafts. There will also be entertainment and Santa in his grotto.
Burning the Ashen Faggot
24 December
Luttrell Arms, Dunster, Somerset
Every year on Christmas Eve the Luttrell Arms in Dunster burns the ashen faggot. This old Christmas tradition found in Somerset, is similar to the Yule log, where ash sticks are bound together with a series of green ash and hazel withies and placed on the fire. Each time a binding bursts, a round of drinks is ordered.
Regular Fixtures
Millie's Market
1st Saturday of each month
The Village Hall, Pontardulais Road, Penllergaer, Swansea
9.30am-1pm
Selling local foods and crafts, the aim of this market is to bring tradition back in to the community. They support local charities each month and breakfasts and refreshments are served.
The Flower Barn
Open all year
Tuesday - Saturday 10am-5pm, closed Sundays and Mondays.
Country Living for the home and garden.
(www.norpar.co.uk ; 01277 374968)
Artist's Studios at Hylands House
Open all year
Hylands House, Chelmsford, Essex
Visitors to Hylands Estate can now appreciate the skill of local craftspeople in the newly restored Stables Centre. Currently there are seven local artists appearing at the centre on Sundays and Mondays throughout the year. Visitors can watch them undertake their craft work and purchase the finished products. Work includes silver, ceramics, textiles, paintings, glasswear and stonework.
(01245 605520. For information about Hylands House call 01245 605500 or visit the Chelmsford Borough Council website at www.chelmsford.gov.uk/hylands).
Artone Contemporary mixed media by Gallery Artists
The John Russell Gallery, Ipswich, Suffolk
Gallery opening hours Monday - Saturday 9.30am-5pm
A continually changing, mixed exhibition running alongside the featured solo show, this is the year round show case for The Gallery's entire portfolio of artists.
(www.artone.co.uk; 01473 212 051)
PLEASE NOTE: WHILST EVERY CARE HAS BEEN TAKEN IN COMPILING THESE LISTINGS, WE ADVISE YOU CALL IN ADVANCE BEFORE SETTING OUT TO ANY OF THESE EVENTS, AS THEY MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR ALTERATION.
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In this month's issue of...
- A sense of style: 50 great decorating ideas to create the country cottage look, plus win £40,000 to transform your home
- Going, going gone! Bidding for bygones at a rural auction
- Comfort food: celebrate Bonfire Night with soups, chestnuts & homemade sausages
- Champions of the crafts: meet the Artisan Awards winners
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