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Here’s our great line-up of events as at January
2009. New activities may be added during the year –
do check our website for updated information. We've
lined up an exciting range of extra events to lure you
back again and again!
But remember - there's plenty to do at Picton Castle
every day! Our 40 acres of woodlands, with nearly 2
miles of paths, are a treasure trove of woodland plants.
And it's worth a visit just to have lunch in Maria's!
Mediterranean salads, hot meals with Spanish style with
a glass or two of wine and beer, or really awesome homemade
cakes and delicious coffee are a great reward after
a brisk woodland walk.
The children's woodland trail is free; all they have
to do is find the clues, solve the riddles and win a
mini prize! The real maze is a challenge for all the
family and the adventure playground is brilliant fun.
(see visitor information for
opening times).
For further information about our events,
phone us during office hours (Mon - Fri, 10am to 5pm)
on 01437 751 326 or email info@pictoncastle.co.uk.
October
November
OCTOBER
Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th - H.O.P.E. Charity Auction of Arts & Antiques
H.O.P.E. presents its first auction of art and antiques in aid of Multiple Sclerosis at Picton Castle this autumn. Come along on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning to browse through the sales items or come and bid on Saturday afternoon. Take home a treasure and help a very worth charity in the process. Top of page
Sunday 25th - Castle, Gallery and Restaurant open for Half Term
For the first time, Picton Castle opens during October Half Term. It's a great time to take in rich autumnal colours in the 40 acres woodlands, then warm up in the castle restaurant. Top of page
Sunday 25th October – Maria’s Tapas Masterclass and Wine Tasting
We’ve persuaded our ebullient restaurateur Maria to present a masterclass on making easy tapas and party food. Trust Director Dai will join her with advice on what wines could accompany her masterpieces. Learn all about it, then eat it and drink it! £20 per person includes demo in the Lecture Theatre followed by light tapas lunch in the restaurant. Please pre-book – the Lecture Theatre only seats 50. Phone 01437 751326 Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm. Top of page
Wednesday 28th - Family Fun Day - Halloween at Picton
Get ready for Halloween by joining Karlos on a haunted castle tour or making your ghoulish mask with Heidi. Included in the normal entry prices are organised games, Nature Trail, pictures to paint, adventure playground and traditional maze. There's an additional charge for castle tours, bouncy castle and face painting. Top of page
Saturday 31st October - Halloween - Spooky Stories and Scary Suppers.For the first time, we present g-g-g-ghostly tales in the Great Hall inside the castle and scary suppers in the Castle Restaurant. The two-course menu’s still being created in the laboratory…er, Maria’s kitchen… but she’s experimenting with dodgy delicacies like ghoul pie and gloopy pudding. See you there? Two sessions of storytelling in the castle at 6.30pm and 8.30pm, each followed by supper. Numbers strictly limited so pre-booking essential Stories eerie and thought-provoking – not aimed at young children. £25 per person. Top of page
Thursday 29th - Garden Club Get Together
It's the last meeting of the year for Picton Castle's Garden Group. By purchasing an enhanced Season Ticket, Garden Group members get to attend four meetings a year, led by Head Gardener Roddy Milne who picks different seasonal subjects - such as pruning, propagating or wildlife gardening - to focus on each time. It's a great way to share a few hours with like-minded horti-people, learn more about gardening and enjoy Picton's magnificent gardens. And there's always a free cup of delicious free-trade coffee from the Restaurant on every visit for Season Ticket Holders and Garden Group Members. Open only to members holding the combined Season Ticket/Garden Club membership. Top of page
Sunday 1st November – Find the Picton Grail; A Walking Treasure Hunt with a Fantastic Prize!
Devised by the fabulously inventive Ekkes Sisters, this walking treasure trail will take you to parts of the garden you probably don’t know exist! They’ve lived their lives at Picton, first as daughters of late Head Gardiner Leo Ekkes and now as gardeners in their own right. Test your own ingenuity and powers of observation. You could strike lucky and win the Picton Grail – a fabulous piece of original art by surreal ceramicist Paul Roche. The trail starts at 12 noon, with lunch at Maria’s at 1.30pm Top of page
NOVEMBER
Sunday 1st - Last day of October Half Term opening Top of page
November - Behind the Scenes Guided Tours. Weekends Only, from 11.30am to 3.30pm
Available Saturdays and Sundays only, from 7th November to 22nd November, from 11.30 to 3.30. For the first time, see the private chapel in the medieval castle, plus bedrooms in the castle and Georgian wing. Sadly the bedrooms have seen better days but, despite the less than romantic evidence of death watch beetle and damp, they retain decorative features that hint at grand lifestyles in times gone by. Please be aware that these rooms are upstairs so not accessible for those with mobility problems - our apologies. Top of page
Friday 6th November: Spectacular Bonfire & Fireworks AND a Country & Western Hoe-Down!
There’s loads of fun lined up for all the family, with huge bonfire and spectacular fireworks, followed by toe-tapping music by the UK’s No 1 Shania Twain Tribute Act and the brilliant Ridgeway County band. Book now to avoid any queues! Adults £12.00; Under 12s £6.00; Families £30.00. Transaction fees apply. Advance booking now on Ticketline (08444 771000) or online at www.ticketweb.co.uk . Tickets available from the Picton Castle shop from Saturday 24th October between 10.30 and 4.30pm; and on the night. Top of page
Saturday 7th November: 'The Art Of Collecting Antiques'.
 A Lecture Lunch with trust director Dai Evans. Dai was formerly property manager at the National Trust’s Petworth House, giving him ample opportunity to indulge and evelop his passion for antiques. If you have an item which you would like identified, bring it along for a session after lunch. Dai cannot give valuations because of the insurance implications but can at least help you decide whether it’s worth getting a professional valuation! Starts 11.00am with welcome coffee and biscuits; Lecture starts 11.30am; lunch at 12.30pm; afternoon session identifying your treasures (no valuations). £15 per person for lecture and lunch. To book, phone 01437 751326. Top of page
Sunday 8th November - Maria Goes French.
Join restaurateur Maria for a French lunch of gutsy, indulgent food designed to delight. Pre-book please. £15.00 per person (£12.50 for season ticket holders): includes 3-course meal and entry to gardens. To book, phone 01437 751326. Top of page
Saturday 14th November: 'The Romance of the Welsh Castle'.
A lecture lunch with Matthew Willaims, curator of Cardiff Castle. Matthew is a leading expert on the work of William Burgess and lectures widely on architecture and design history. After lunch, a guided tour of the castle by Matthew and Dai Evans, Picton Castle Trust director. Starts 11.00am with welcome coffee and biscuits; lunch at 12.30pm; afternoon guided tour of castle with Matthew and Dai. £15 per person for lecture and lunch. To book, phone 01437 751326. Top of page
Sunday 15th November - Maria Goes Italian.
Maria's Italian lunch promises to be magnifico!! Pre-book please. Per Person price of £15 includes three-course mail and entry to gardens (£12.50 for season ticket holders). To book, phone 01437 751326 Top of page
From 16th November to 16th December - Christmas parties available.
Pre-book your Christmas lunch at Maria's. Available for groups of 10 - 60, at £25 per person. Price includes four course meal (starter, buffet main course, pudding and cheese), with half a bottle of wine per person and coffee. To book, phone 01437 751326. Top of page
Saturday 21st November - A Potted History of Picton Castle Garden'.
A Lecture Lunch with head gardener Roddy Milne. For those with a love of historic gardens, the interest lies as much in the past as the here and now. Roddy claims to be able to spot a grant old garden from miles away, simply by clusters of telltale treetops. Join him for a leisurely story of Picton Castle’s lovely gardens. Starts 11.00am; lunch at 12.30pm. £15 per person for lecture and lunch. To book, phone 01437 751326. Top of page
Sunday 22nd November - Maria Comes Back to Spain.
Whew! Maria returns to her roots and presents a special Spanish luncheon menu. Please pre-book. Per Person price of £15 includes three-course mail and entry to gardens (£12.50 for season ticket holders). To book, phone 01437 75132 Top of page
Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th - Indoor Christmas Market
For the first time, the public rooms of the castle will be decorated and open to visitors during the Christmas market, with a log fire going in the beautiful white marble fireplace and twinkling Christmas lights in the Great Hall. Dozens of stallholders will crowd into Picton Castle art galleries and medieval undercroft to present what has fast become West Wales' most stylish Christmas market. Designer clothes, handmade jewellery, festive food and unique stocking fillers are all on offer so take a break from ordinary shopping and have fun at Picton Castle! Santa’s Grotto and Karlos the Clown make it great for kids too! £3.00 entry for adults includes free mug hot chocolate or mulled wine; children free. Top of page
Saturday 5th December: Christmas Wreath Making Workshop
 Join Karen and Elsa for a fun day and learn how to make spectacular Christmas wreaths, then lunch at Maria’s. All materials supplied. Bring an apron and secateurs … and gloves – holly’s spiky! Timing: 10.00am coffee, biscuits and welcome; 10.30 workshop starts; 11.30 coffee break; 11.45 workshop reconvenes; 1.00pm lunch with glass of wine. Price £18 per person (Season Ticket holders £15) Top of page
Saturday 12th December - Christmas Music in the Great Hall with the John S Davies Singers.
Join renowned conductor John S Davies and his Singers for Christmas Classics in the Great Hall – a real treat of fabulous music in a beautiful space. Concert starts 7.30pm and costs £14 per person (£12.50 for season tickets holders); optional pre- and post- performance two-course buffet available at 6.00pm and 9.00pm for £10, including a glass of wine. Limited space makes pre-booking essential. Mince pies and mulled served in the Great Hall from 7.00pm. For tickets phone 01437 751326. Top of page |
