A free weekend for #1000 for 2011 !

Between now and the end of 2010 we anticipate taking our 1000th booking on a 2011 weekend event. To celebrate this event we would like to reward the person who books the 1000th place and pays their deposit with a free place on a 2 night course and whilst they are here they will receive a box of chocolates and bottle of bubbly in their room. We would also like to reward our 999th and 1001st bookers with a £50 gift voucher.

To make your booking call 033 3456 8580 !

Special Offers, Last Minute Discounts and new courses from Farncombe Estate

Foxhill Manor - Farncombe Estate - the perfect Cotswold Wedding venue

To request a free brochure call Ellie Jones on 033 3456 8580 or email elliej@farncombeestate.co.uk

Julia Baker

Julia Baker is a highly qualified and experienced clinical aromatherapist with her own practice at home in Lapworth Warwickshire. Her work includes treating clients with a variety of conditions, doing massage in the workplace, teaching short courses and giving talks to groups. Julia is a member of the International Federation of Clinical Aromatherapists and chairwoman of one of their regional groups. She coordinates regular training meetings for them. Julia holds a qualification as an Aromatologist. This more medical use of essential oils involving neat topical application and internal use is unusual in the UK but well known in France. Practitioners of aromatology need detailed knowledge of essential oil chemistry and of safe blending techniques.

For more information about Julia Baker visit her new website http://www.juliabakeraromatherapy.com/

For more details on workshops and courses with Julia please visit our website
here or call 033 3456 8580.

The new Farncombe Estate Nature Diary Calendar has arrived !

The new Farncombe Estate 2011 A4 Calendar has arrived and limited numbers are available for sale.

Cost £8.00 including postage and packing.

For more details ring Lesley on 01386 858000 or email enquiries@FarncombeEstate.co.uk

Try something new in 2011 - Day Courses in the Cotswolds at Farncombe Estate

A series of 1-day short courses (usually 9.30-4.30) in subjects from Digital Photography to Perfumery, Quilting to Life Coaching, Gardening to Wine Tasting. The full list of day courses is given on our website here.

1-day course fees include refreshments and a 3-course lunch.

Day students can also stay overnight - price includes 3-course evening meal and full English breakfast. To check availability call 01386 854100 or email Stay@FarncombeEstate.co.uk

Expert tuition, fabulous surroundings - Painting Courses in the Cotswolds 2011

From 1 day courses to longer painting breaks, choose from : Acrylic Painting, Watercolour Painting, How to Draw / Paint Portraits, Oil Painting, Landscape Painting, Drawing with Pen & Wash, Silk Painting, Coloured Pencil Techniques, Drawing Caricatures, Drawing Animals, Still Life Painting, Life Drawing & more ...

Click here to view the list of forthcoming painting courses in the Cotswolds or call 033 3456 8580.

Creative Writing courses in the Cotswolds

In the inspiring environment of Farncombe Estate - bring written words to life!

Our Creative Writing courses will help you develop your skills, gain a deeper appreciation or put a work and its author into their historical context.

Some weekends also include performance or theatre visits.

Click here for the full list of our Literature & Writing Courses in 2011 or call 033 3456 8580 for more details.

Sounds of Simon and Garfunkel 11-13 November

Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel met at primary school; starting their musical journey together in the imaginatively named 'Tom and Jerry' band in the mid 1950's before becoming one of the most influential musical duos of the Greenwich Village folk rock scene in the 1960s. In a tempestuous creative relationship that lasted 5 years, they produced 5 albums of memorable songs and the soundtrack to the iconic film The Graduate. Known for their close vocal harmonies, finely-crafted melodies and evocative writing about New York, there are many treasures to discover as we join experienced vocalist Jo Sercombe for a weekend of fun, relaxation and great songs as we sing our way through Simon & Garfunkel old favourites and lesser known tracks. Suitable for male and female voices, some harmony singing experience is advisable but you don't need to be able to read music notation.

Book well in advance for this weekend course at Farncombe with Jo Sercombe - 11-13 November 2011 - call 033 3456 8580 or email enquiries@farncombeestate.co.uk

Sounds of Simon and Garfunkel - Singing Courses

Drawing Pets & Animals with Pencil : 1-day course

This is a one day course aimed at beginners and/or students with some experience of using graphite (lead) pencil as a drawing medium. Using photographs supplied by the tutor, the students will be taught skills and techniques such as basic pencil drawing and shading, drawing fur, eyes, ears and noses. The skills and techniques learnt on the course can be used to draw effective and realistic pictures of your favourite pets and wildlife subjects too. The course will also cover all the tools and materials that can be used with graphite pencils. The aims of the course are to introduce the students to the many different skills, techniques and subjects to do with pets and wildlife and how to draw them using graphite pencil from photographs supplied by the tutor.

This one day course takes place at Farncombe Estate on 8 January 2011 with Jonathan Newey - to check availability call 033 3456 8580 or email enquiries@farncombeestate.co.uk

Pet/Animal Techniques with Graphite (lead) Pencil - Art Day Course - Day Courses

Sheep on the Hills - Wool on their Backs - A History Weekend Course at Farncombe

The medieval wool trade and woollen cloth manufacture impacted on the English landscape particularly that of the Cotswolds as sheep from this area contributed significantly to the economic strength of medieval England.

Wool was one of the main sources of England’s prosperity in the middle and early post-middle ages. Historical sources and evidence from the landscape tell us about the value of wool production, exports to Flanders and Italy; fortunes made from the wool trade survive in the form of the great wool churches, earthworks, place names, pack routes to the ports and homes of the wool merchants and clothiers

Discover more on this weekend course with Graham Winton 26-28 November 2010

Sheep on the Hills - Wool on their Backs - History, Family History & Architecture

London: Portrait of a City with William Tyler

London has been our most important city since Roman times. We shall trace the story of this great city from that moment through to the present day. We shall take an overview of this long history whilst also focussing in on specific events in that story, such as the city's development in The Middle Ages as an economic powerhouse, and the development of local government in the same period. Later we shall see the role of the city in The Civil War of the 1640s, and the development of banking. More modern times will see the rise of and decline of The London Docks and London during the Blitz. Along the way we shall meet a rich galaxy of characters and personalities.

We only have 3 places for this course 9-11 December 2011 - to enquire about booking call 033 3456 8580

London: Portrait of a City - History, Family History & Architecture

Wedding at Farncombe Estate - Discover more at our Wedding Fayre 2011

We will be holding our first ever Wedding Fayre on 30 January 2011 at Foxhill Manor on the Farncombe Estate.

For more details please call 033 3456 8580 or email elliej@farncombeestate.co.uk

For request more details visit our website

Reflections of Venice in Watercolour - Painting Course with Paul Weaver

Venice continues to inspire thousands of artists with its magnificent architecture, canals and atmospheric light. For anyone considering a painting trip to this magical city this course will get your creative ideas flowing. Paul will guide you through his techniques for simplifying complex architecture, the colourful weathered walls, canals, reflections, bustling squares and narrow streets in a free, impressionistic style. All reference provided.
Aimed at intermediate level students.

Farncombe Estate - Reflections of Venice in Watercolour - Click here for further details

Last chance to book for Le Week-End Francais !

A weekend with a group of Francophiles, keen to discuss in French not only what is happening in France today, but also to explore the political, literary and artistic importance of the inter-war years,1918-1939, our focal point for this weekend. This will be introduced and developed by your tutor and visiting speaker.There is no set reading list,but you may find it helpful to have done some purely optional background reading before the course.Some suggestions will gladly be sent to you on request.

There will be an opportunity for you to tell us in a short presentation (max 5 mins) what interests you specially about this period,or more generally what French books, films etc you may have seen or read recently.

Course takes place with Celia Weber at Farncombe 20-22 May 2011 - enquire online or call 033 3456 8580.

Le Week-End Francais at Farncombe Estate - click here for further details

Laughter Workshop - Last chance to book !

Laughter is the music of the soul. During a laughter session, through a collection of exercises, you will experience a heightened sense of well being, feel relaxed, with a reduction in stress levels and experience an uplift of energy. Laughter boosts your immune system, and increases positivity & creativity. Most importantly, it reduces stress. You will leave the workshops feeling both relaxed and energized. You don't have to possess a sense of humour to attend, as the brain cannot differentiate between 'real' laughter and structured laughter. The effects on the body are just the same, as it releases the 'feel good' endorphins. You will take away simple techniques to use anytime. Laughter breaks down barriers and unleashes inhibitions, teaching you to be playful and reconnected with your sense of self.

Workshop takes place 9th April 2011 - enquire online or call 033 3456 8580.

Laughter Workshop at Farncombe Estate - click here for further details

Valerie Oxley's Botanical Illustration course - Drawing and Painting Spring Flowers - Last chance to book !

A delightful course for people who would like to capture early spring flowers in pencil and watercolour paint. Each stage carefully explained and demonstrations will be followed up with individual tuition. Suitable for beginners as well as those with some experience who would like to improve and refresh their techniques. The course will include a session on colour theory and how to mix and match colours accurately to obtain a lifelike representation of the plant. Composition and placement of the plant on the page will be discussed. No previous experience of art or botany is required to enjoy this course.

Course takes place 15-17 April 2011 - enquire online or call 033 3456 8580.

Botanical Illustration - Drawing and Painting Spring Flowers at Farncombe Estate - Click here for further details

Castles of Britain: A Guide to Exploration and Interpretation

Beetling ramparts, mighty keeps, palatial halls - Britain's medieval castles are still among the most awe-inspiring structures in the land. But that's not the whole story - a castle was a home, a business, an expression of lordship and even a fashion accessory. This course aims to get under the skin of castles, by seeing them in the wider context of society, politics and the overall history of fortification. An excursion will be included, and scores of beautiful slides to convince you that here are come of mankind's greatest architectural achievements. We see how the focus gradually shifted from displays of military stregnth to an expression of economic mastery. The political evolutions from Norman to Tudor times explain this. It's all about rulers, and the way they present themselves to their subjects, castles are manifestos in stone, which can be read like a book.

Castles of Britain: A Guide to Exploration and Interpretation is a 3 night course tutored by Tim Porter at Farncombe 22-25 July 2011.

Enquire online or call 033 3456 8580.


Farncombe Estate - Castles of Britain: A Guide to Exploration and Interpretation (3 nights) - Click here for further details ...

Farncombe tutor Debbie Siniska on Channel 4 TV with Kirstie Allsopp

Farncombe Estate tutor Debbie Siniska will be appearing on Kirstie Allsopp's Channel 4 television series, "Kirstie's Homemade Home".

Following numerous requests via Twitter, the TV production company were searching for a rag rug tutor and Debbie was approached to demonstrate the craft.

Filming took place in London and Debbie's home studio, and a rug commissioned by the programme will appear in her new book, "Rag Rugs, Old into New, the art of creative textile recycling" available from December 2010.

The new series of Kirstie's Homemade Home will be broadcast on Channel 4 from 2nd November 2010. Debbie and the rag-rug will be featured in the last episode of the series teaching Kirsty how to do "proggy".

For more details about Debbie visit Farncombe's website or to order her new book visit http://www.debbiesiniska.co.uk/