All action at Bowood this August
From an Ibiza dance party to Tractor Ted Diggers & Dumpers weekend, Bowood House and Gardens will be buzzing this August. Here’s the line up of events to look forward to…
Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th August – Bowood Proms Weekend
- Classic Ibiza Concert – the Urban Soul Orchestra and DJ Goldierocks will be bringing some of the biggest dance tracks from the last 20 years to life at Bowood House and Gardens on Saturday. A chill-out set gets the open-air classical dance party started. As the sun goes down, the vocalists and USO’s dynamic musicians will ramp things up for the evening to break into festive-club mode with accompanying lasers. classicibiza.co.uk
- Great British Prom – music from the home nations will ring out across the Capability Brown parkland. The National Symphony Orchestra, led by world famous conductor Anthony Inglis, will pave the way and be joined live on stage by renowned artists such as soprano Philippa Healey, Classical Brit Award-winning Welsh vocal group Only Men Aloud and The Band of the Home Counties Pipes & Drums. A spectacular fireworks finale will be choreographed to the music. Saturday revellers and Sunday concert goers can bring their own picnics and/or take advantage of onsite street-food vendors and bars. www.greatbritishprom.co.uk
Both evenings run from 6pm-10.30pm, £35 per person in advance/£38 on the night). For full event details and tickets visit www.revival-productions.co.uk or call the event box office on 01630 674342.
Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th August – Tractor Ted’s Diggers & Dumpers Weekend
Bowood’s second special Tractor Ted weekend of 2017 comes with a brand new spin to it. The daily lure of Tractor Ted’s Little Farm at Bowood goes into full throttle over these dates as the UK’s favourite little green tractor, Tractor Ted, launches its very first ‘Diggers & Dumpers Weekend“. Children and older fans of big construction and farm machinery will have the chance to discover them at close quarters: climbing on board a dumper truck or sitting in the driver’s seat of a digger, for instance.
The fun and big machine action doesn’t stop there though as Tractor Ted and construction partners, MJ Church, will be putting on an exciting arena display of construction vehicles. The machinery will be put through their paces – who knew that a digger could have all four wheels off the ground and still stay upright?
There’ll be fun farm-related activities from welly-wanging and tractor and trailer rides to a visit to Tractor Ted’s Little Farm to meet the residents including pigs, lambs and pygmy goats. Perhaps there’ll be the chance to watch a chick hatching…
11am-5pm. Entrance as part of House & Gardens’ admission price.
Friday 25th August – Bowood 25th Anniversary Pro-Am Golf Tournament
2017 sees the Bowood Estate celebrating the silver anniversary of its 18-hole championship golf-course. Bowood Golf’s Pro-Am tournament on Friday 25th August will be the perfect way to mark the anniversary and highlight how Bowood’s fabulous all-weather, 18-hole golf-course encourages, delights and challenges players of all levels.
In association with Heineken, the event will feature ‘Order of Merit’ professionals from the PGA of England & Wales in the South West and there’ll be £2,000 worth of amateur prizes to be won.”
Teams will comprise three amateur players and one professional (the pros can be allocated to teams by the PGA, if required). The day will include 18 holes of golf, a two course lunch and a complimentary four-ball voucher (to return and play at Bowood on a future date) per team among a full day’s package offered with the £290 + VAT entry price per team.
More details can be found at: www.bowood.org/events and those wanting to enter should contact the Proshop team on 01249 823881 or email proshop@bowood.org. The Proshop will also be happy to advise if a professional player is sought for your team.
Saturday 26th – Monday 28th August – Great British Food Festival
Returning for its second year at Bowood, The Great British Food Festival will now stretch to a third day, taking place over the Bank Holiday weekend. A foodie family day out, over 50 top artisan producers, hot food, real ale and wine bars, craft and gift stalls will be showcased and live music will add to the atmosphere also.
Producers representing the best in local, seasonal and speciality food and drink will be drawn together to present a taste of the best of Wiltshire and Great British produce – sample, enjoy and buy. Great Britain’s amazing mix of exotic cultures and cuisines will be represented too: Thai, Mexican, Asian as well as pulled pork, prime steak, and the best local burgers and sausages all get a look-in!
The main Chef Demo area will be welcoming local and TV chefs – including Great British Bake Off finalist, Val Stones – across the three days and there will be regular Artisan Foodie talks too. New attractions this year will include a ‘plant-your-own’ area for kids and ‘cooking-in-a-camper’ demos.
10am-5pm. £5-25 bookable online at www.greatbritishfoodfestival.com
Alongside these special additional August treats, the 2,000-acre Capability Brown parkland, Adventure Playground, a Walled Garden guided tour, ‘Priestley & Patronage’ exhibition or The Laboratory where Dr. Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen gas are among the many daily lures for all ages to enjoy at Bowood House and Gardens in the normal course of things through until the end of October.
With Bowood Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort – just a mile away from the House and Gardens and also within Capability Brown’s parkland – visitors can stay overnight in the 43-bedroom hotel or the resort’s four-bedroom Queenwood Lodge (available for private hire) with use of spa facilities and admission to the House and Gardens included in the bedroom rate.
August bedroom rates at the hotel start at £170 per night (based on two [people sharing a double/twin room and with breakfast included) while the starting rate that month for Queenwood is priced from £165 per person, per night based on eight guests and to include dinner (food only) and breakfast.
For more details on upcoming events at Bowood, visit: www.bowood.org/events/
Bowood House & Gardens is open daily between 11am-6pm with last admissions at 5pm. Individual entrance tickets for 2017 start at £7.50 per child aged 2-4 and go up to £12.50 per adult (13 years +), with family tickets (four people with a maximum of two adults) at £37.50 for the day.
Bowood House & Gardens. www.bowood.org/bowood-house. Tel: 01249 812102.
Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort www.bowood.org/bowood-hotel Tel: 01249 822228.
