February 2019 at Stourton

Did they ask? Did you say Yes?

 Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Stourton Estates. We expect a few of you may have popped the question so congratulations to all those newly engaged couples out there.

If you are looking for a wedding venue with a difference then take a look at us. At Stourton Estates you can build your own unique wedding day and we provide some beautiful scenic views to create the perfect setting for your special day. Whether you want a small, intimate occasion or a large, lavish day we can help you to achieve it.

The great thing about holding your wedding reception at Stourton Estates is that you can have the day you truly want with as much or as little support from us as you like. You can choose from a variety of locations across the estate for your marquee or tipi setting. We have beautiful lake and deer park views from our Old Hall Lawn site or you can be nestled within the woodland of our arboretum. We also have our very own safari style marquee, beautifully converted water tower and camping field.

We don’t only host weddings.  Whatever your event or special celebration we can cater for your needs and create you a bespoke package.

If you would like more information on our venue hire then please contact Julie Pounds in the estate office who will be only too happy to talk you through what we can offer and book a time in for you to come and take a look for yourself.

Our 2019 Events

We are delighted to now be able to announce our calendar of events for 2019. Keep an eye on our website, Facebook or Instagram for more news about each event and for more information about how you can purchase tickets.  All our events are dog friendly so please feel free to bring your well-behaved dog with you.

Sunday 19th May- Wolds Walking Festival & Open Day

This year’s events begin on Sunday 19^th May with our Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival Open Day.  We will be hosting a number of different walks, both guided and self-guided across the estate as well as putting on refreshments.

Saturday 1st June – Pop-Up Pub Night

On Saturday 1^st June we are very excited to announce our first ever Pop-Up Pub Night in our converted Water Tower pub.  We will be serving local ales, and delicious Lincolnshire food as well as hosting a pub quiz.

Friday 14th – Sunday 16th June – Family Camping Weekend

At our ever-popular family camping weekend you will be able to enjoy a circus skills school and Tony Buter’s Animal Encounters in our camping field along with some evening entertainment – possibly even some dance classes too! Perfect for ‘new’ and seasoned campers and caravanners alike.

Friday 9th – Sunday 11th August – JoeFest presents Beyond the Woods

This music festival will be showcasing some of the best music around and from further afield, with camping available – full details & tickets at www.joefest.co.uk

14th September – Autumn Festival and After Party

This will be the third year of running this special event. On the Saturday we will celebrate the season with fabulous stalls, crafts, demonstrations, workshops, activities and locally produced food and drinks. As well as live music throughout the day and our wonderful headline act, Elliott Morris, at the After Party in the evening.  Camping will be available for both the Friday and Saturday nights.

20th October – Pumpkin Sunday Funday

We will be hosting our Pumpkin Sunday Funday with Deer Rut Safaris and activities for the whole family to enjoy in our arboretum.

Friday 1st & Saturday 2nd November – Enchanted Woodland Light Show

This event was so popular last year that we simply had to run it again.  Come and enjoy a magical light show within the arboretum.  It’s a great (and quiet) alternative to a firework display so is perfect for children and dogs! We will be serving food and refreshments for you to enjoy as you walk around the spectacular show of lights.

Saturday 7th December – Christmas at Stourton Estates

Come and enjoy a festive deer safari, browse our selection of freshly cut Christmas trees and enjoy refreshments.

On The Farm

There is a joke between farming folk that all arable farmers are on holiday between October and March… in fairness both Ken and Oli have taken holidays during this time but it’s not all they do honestly!

There is a lot of maintenance going on behind the scenes; we currently have our plough and our fertiliser spreader in pieces being repaired for the spring campaign. We are also busy at this time of year scaring pigeons away from the growing oilseed rape crop and monitoring all crops coming into the spring.

Over the next couple of weeks we will be applying our first application of nitrogen fertiliser to the winter crops. We have some ploughing to complete in readiness for next years’ sugar beet crop. With around 160 hectares of spring barley and 80 hectares of sugar beet to drill, we have a busy 8 weeks ahead of us. We hope to make a start drilling barley in early March.

In the last newsletter we were loading out sugar beet for delivery to British Sugar in Newark. We delivered 1000 tonnes during January and are now waiting to lift our final 12 hectares which will be delivered into the beet factory at Newark in the middle of March, this field will then be drilled with spring barley.

The spring barley we grow is all for malting, we are very proud to be part of the Molson Coors growers group supplying barley to be used in beers such as Doom Bar and Carling.

Hopefully when our next newsletter is released we will be making good progress with our spring campaign. Let’s hope we don’t receive another ‘beast from the east’ in the meantime…

 Deer Diary – Antlers On Location

At Stourton Estates we de-antler our male Red Deer once a year, usually at the end of August.  We do this once the antler growth stage is complete and there is no longer a functional nerve or blood supply. The removal process is quick and painless. The main reason we de-antler our boys is to protect the deer from injuring each other whilst out grazing and to prevent them getting themselves in antler related predicaments.  It’s easy to get a set of antlers stuck in fencing, this causes the deer to panic and try to escape which in turn can cause the deer serious injury. It also protects us as their handlers should any deer require veterinary attention etc.

We do leave the antlers on our main stags Winston and Jack and allow them to shed theirs naturally.  Our antlers have been used for a range of amazing projects – some people have purchased them for dog chews, some are used to create whistles, hand notches for sticks and some clever people have used them for interior design and lamp projects.

This fine set of antlers are very well travelled. They have been ‘on the road’ for 4 months with Emily Barratt, the designer, to Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, for two productions by Hammerpuzzle Theatre of The Velveteen Rabbit and The Old Curiosity Shop.

The antlers formed part of a set used for both productions with a dream like hanging ceiling of props creating a different effect for each production where “Everything is meticulously executed from the music which carries the mood to the lighting and simple but effective use of props”. What an adventure they’ve had!!

Please put our events in your diaries as we would love to see you. If you ever have any questions about any of our events, products, or information about hosting a party within the estate please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Helen & Antony

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