January 2019 At Stourton Estates

A very belated ‘Happy New Year’ from all of us at Stourton Estates.  We hope that 2019 is treating you well so far and that you are keeping on top of those resolutions.  We have a new year’s resolution to share with you! We always have so much happening on the estate;  from ’behind the scenes’ work to prepare our logs and landscaping products, preparing for our events, woodland management, deer husbandry,  farm work,  school trips, (the list is endless)  and we want to get better at sharing all this exciting stuff with you, hence our first blog post!  So our resolution is that we will aim to post at least once a month to share the goings-on on the estate!

Reviewing and planning for the year ahead

We are currently very busy reviewing and reflecting on all the activities and events we held on the estate last year and putting the finishing touches to our event calendar for 2019.  This will soon be ready to share with you.  Keep a look out on Facebook/Instagram and the website as we announce our events.  Also please feel free to join our mailing list.  We send regular emails containing information about events and how to book etc.  If you want to start receiving these emails simply email us via our contact form on site and we will add you to our mailing list.

Ground works and upgrades

We purposely keep our events calendar clear until early spring as we take the time to carry out work on the estate.  As our events grow in number and popularity we are making strides to improve the facilities on the estate to make sure that access for our visitors is as easy as possible and that their needs are catered for when they are here.  In the last few months we have created a purpose built car parking area in the woods which is properly surfaced to hard standing.

Last year we also invested in a Safari tent as a semi-permanent structure to provide cover for event visitors.  So far the Safari tent has hosted numerous school visits, acted as a cafe, bar and an area for stall holders at our Autumn Festival. We have decided that the tent would be even more useful and brilliant if it was sited differently, so ground works are currently underway to prepare the area for the tent’s new home where it will have a wooden floor as well as fabulous views down to the deer parks and lakes beyond.  This Safari tent is available to hire for private parties and weddings and will be in situ from May 2019. Please contact us for more information.

On the Farm

Winter is traditionally a quiet time on the farm as the drilled crops for 2019 grow through. So far winter has been mild and the crops are looking very well.  This doesn’t mean however that work is not constantly ongoing.  We have been busy harvesting our sugar beet crop which is currently stored and in the yard and is being transported to British Sugar at Newark where is will be turned into a whole range of sugar products, the most famous being the Silver Spoon brand.

Deer Diary

The Red Deer are still enjoying life outdoors in our beautiful parkland surroundings. If the weather gets too chilly the calves born last year will come into the crew yard to give them a bit more shelter over the winter. Hopefully the hinds are pregnant from the rut in the autumn & now carrying their calves to be born in May / June.  The hinds and stags will stay outside in the natural shelter of the woodland whilst the weather is cold – however being from the Highlands in Scotland they are well used to a far harsher climate than we have in Lincolnshire!

We hope you’ve enjoyed our first blog post. Please keep checking back with us as the year goes on for more information about our events, products and estate life. Plus you can always follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Helen and Antony x