The Cotswolds Conservation Board is proud to be holding its first ever Living Landscape Festival, marking the 50th anniversary of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
National Trust’s stunning 17th-century Lodge Park in the Cotswold country estate of Sherborne in Gloucestershire will play host to the Cotswolds Living Landscape Festival on Sunday 18 September from 10:30am to 4pm. Adults £4 and children £1.
The festival part funded by the Big Lottery Fund marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Cotswolds as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, one of England’s largest protected landscapes.
Visitors will be treated to a wide choice of stalls, from independent local food and craft producers to some of the Cotswold’s best crafts men and women, providing an array of options for the public to find the perfect take home item.
The Cotswolds Living Landscape Festival aims to be a great day out for families, those who enjoy the countryside, walking and rural crafts. See hedgelaying, stone and wood carving, dry-stone walling, flax making, spinning and weaving demonstrations throughout the day.
Wallers from the Cotswolds, Cumbria and Yorkshire will battle it out against each other in the annual Cotswolds Dry-Stone Walling Competition sponsored by Smiths of Bletchington, showcasing the best of their skills at the traditional rural craft to claim the award of ‘Best Cotswolds Dry-Stone Wall 2016’ and £500 cash prize.
In the very tasty Edible Cotswolds area, food and drink producers include: FWP Matthews, Craft Drinks Company, The Tewkesbury Mustard Company, Larder & Tuck Box, The Little Pickle and Jonathan Crump Cheese, representing produce from across the Cotswolds AONB.
Cotswold artists Rupert Aker, Alexandra Woods, Trudi Hayden, Ronny Loxton, photographers Craig Churchill, Jo Dixon, ceramicist Pamela Shellard and glass artist Beverly Todd will be exhibiting their works inspired by the Cotswolds landscape along our very own Arts & Crafts Way. Lechlade Craft Barn will be running crafty activities for kids including making your very own Cotswold Lion sheep.
Down on The Farm meet the Cotswold Lion sheep and alpacas and see a collection of vintage tractors that have worked the Cotswold landscape and then why not pop into The Ebrington Arms for a refreshing pint of Yubby Bitter.
In the Wild Cotswolds zone meet teams from the Gloucestershire and Worcestershire Wildlife Trusts, and see displays by the Cirencester & District Beekeepers, Chipping Norton Amateur Astronomy Group and Gloucestershire Geology Trust.
Local music acts will take to the stage celebrating the heritage and culture of the Cotswolds. Performances by Oxfordshire’s Rufus Goodlove, Wiltshire’s Talis Kimberley and Gloucestershire’s Brimstone, FolkLaw, Edd Donavan, Ragged & Old Morris and Nathan Jones Allstars Big Band.
While you sit and enjoy the performances; Hook Norton Brewery, Cotswolds Distillery and the Woodchester Valley Vineyard will be ready to take your drinks order. Hook Norton Brewery will be selling their Cotswold Lion and the Cotswolds Distillery with their famous Cotswold gin, both products raising funds for the Cotswolds AONB in this 50th anniversary year.
Northleach’s Cotswold Lion Café will be serving tea and homemade cake throughout the day, Seven Mile with be serving up homemade gourmet local beef burgers, Nolan Brook with their famous pulled Cotswold hogget wraps from their farm near Mickleton and a rare breed pig roast from Hill Top Farm with their reared Middle White pigs.
After eating you might want to try and walk it all off again, so why not join the Cotswold Voluntary Wardens on their free guided taster walks through the beautiful setting of Lodge Park and into the stunning Cotswold landscape. There are also three walking routes from Lodge Park for visitors to explore. You could also try out a TerrainHopper, an electrically powered off road scooter with its extreme off-road capabilities.
Cotswold Electric Bike Tours will be running short tours from the festival site for visitors to experience their state of the art electric bikes that will help power you through the beautiful Cotswold countryside and villages. Go Cotswolds will be running short excursions by mini-bus through the Cotswolds landscape exploring ‘the hidden Cotswolds’. Both relaxing ways to explore this area of outstanding natural beauty.
Launching at the festival is a new book titled ‘The Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ written by Sian Ellis, photographed by Nick Turner and designed by Nick Darien-Jones. Marking the 50th anniversary of the AONB the book celebrates the landscape of the Cotswolds, its architecture, customs and culture. Available to purchase for £14.99 from the Cotswolds AONB stall.
Entrance to the festival is £4 for adults and £1 for children available to purchase online prior to the event or on the gate on the day. Entry fee also applies to National Trust members. There is an additional fee to enter the Lodge Park building. Proceeds from the festival will help the Cotswolds Conservation Board conserve and enhance the Cotswolds AONB. Dogs are welcome as long as they are kept on a lead. A non-smoking festival site, however there will be a designated smoking area.
Free on-site parking available. Entrance to the festival site from the A40 between Northleach and Burford only.
To book tickets online and for more information please visit www.cotswolds-nl.org.uk/festival or on social media: www.facebook.com/cotswoldslivinglandscapefestival or www.twitter.com/cotswoldsfest