You will find a wide range of crafters in the courtyard offering glass, ceramics, woodturning, handmade soap, jam making, blacksmith, spinning and every craft in between. We only accept crafters that design and make their own work so you are guaranteed to find something unique each time you visit.

 Combine that with the best of local folk music and dancers together with food at the Creamery Cafe, Scotty’s Donkey and animal park, Playbarn, Piglets Toy Shop and an award winning farm shop all in one visit! Free parking, free entry to craft fair

The post Craft Fair, Sunday 2nd June appeared first on .

The post Apley Cookery Club – Breadmaking, Saturday 25 May appeared first on .

• Traditional and Modern Machinery
• Bread making
• Butter Churning
• Barbecue & Bar
• Scotty’s Donkeys & Animal Park
• Guided walks around the nature trail by our estate farmer
• Neill Mapes, Wood turning
• Welly Wanging
• Pig racing
• Bouncy Castle and much more

Here are a few pictures from last year…

The post Open Farm Sunday, Sun 9 June appeared first on .

The post Apley Market Gardeners – First Produce Day appeared first on .

• Getting to know farmland birds and their songs (bring your binoculars if you have them!) (if outside)
• Threats faced by our familiar summer visitors (if inside)
• Tracking Cuckoos with solar-powered tags: what have we learned? (if inside)

Bookings: enquiries [at] apleyfarmshop [dot] co [dot] uk or 01952 730 345 – or just turn up.

2^nd Tuesday of every month: Next talks: 11 June, Lord Gavin Hamilton, 9 July, Terry Merchant, Forester & Arborist – Tree talk.

Ian Ellis is already known to some people locally, having previously led a Dawn Chorus walk in Apley Park in aid of Stockton Church. He lives in London, but as a friend of Peter & Sue Middleton has often visited Norton & got to know the Apley countryside.

Ian has been a member of the RSPB for over 30 years having initially joined its ’Young Ornithologists Club’ aged 8.  For the last 7 years Ian has also undertaken voluntary national survey work for the British Trust for Ornithology, to monitor the ups and downs of Britain’s breeding birds.

Part of the proceeds from this walk will be donated to the BTO’s “Out of Africa” appeal, which aims to find out why some of our most familiar summer visitors are declining.  Go to http://www.bto.org/support-us/current-appeals/out-africa for more information.” 

The post Bird Watching Talk, Monday 13 May 2013 appeared first on .

• May Half term runs from Saturday 25 May to Sunday 2 June & Pigg’s Playbarn will as usual be running the following activities:
• Tuesday 28 May, 9.30-5pm: Plant a sunflower & try to grow the tallest one at home (bring in your photo)
• Thursday 30 May, 12-3pm: Teddy Bear’s Picnic on Skylark Nature Trail (booking required)
• As always, excellent value, included in the usual entry fee
• Suitable for children aged 1-11 yrs

The post Pigg’s Playbarn’s activities, May 2013 appeared first on .

Jean’s work has appeared in numerous local and national publications most notably Shropshire Life, Photography Monthly, Farmers Weekly and the International Garden Photographer of The Year Annual. She has won and been short listed in many photographic competitions including the finals of The British Wildlife Photography Awards, Garden Photographer of the Year 2009, and Travel Photographer of the Year 2010. Also in 2010 she was named winner of The Princes Trust Calendar competition.

Any profit made from the exhibition will be donated equally between the Severn Hospice & St Luke’s Hospice in Plymouth.

The post Jean Macdonald photo exhibition in The Creamery appeared first on .

The post Tuesday Talks & Lunches 2013 – Free appeared first on .

• Gorgeous local crafts make perfect presents !
• Come along to our monthly Craft Fairs – Sunday 2 June & Sunday 7 July.

Open Wed to Sat 9.30-4.30pm, Sun 10-4pm. Tel. 01952 730 848. ange [at] chezhippo [dot] co [dot] uk

The post Craft Fairs… First Sunday of every month appeared first on .

Lunches will be served 12.30-2.30pm, then Cream Teas from 2.30-4pm. If it’s fine weather, our Courtyard seating will be available.

As usual, we’ve kept it seasonal & of course, as local as possible.

The adult menu is £16.95:

Leek, ginger & parsnip soup, finished with a cheddar crisp & chunky bread

Warm goats’ cheese and sweet beetroot tartlet, with sautéed curly kale & bacon

Smoked Salmon & Prawn Mousse, dressed with lemon marmalade

Melon sweet poached pear (vegetarian option)

***

Roast leg of Shropshire lamb, with dauphinoise potatoes, baby leeks, served with plum red wine jus & mint jelly

Medallions of pork on a black pudding mash, garnished with caramelised apples & honey mustard sauce

Baked sweet potato filled with crunchy butternut squash ragu, with a vine of balsamic glazed, roasted cherry tomatoes (vegetarian option)

***

White & milk chocolate cheesecake

Fig & honeycomb baked alaska

Irish cream crème brulée

***

Apley Farm Shop cheeseboard (£4.95 supplement)

The children’s menu (£7.50pc) includes some favourite foods, which are of course at the same time healthy !

Leek, ginger & parsnip soup, finished with a cheddar crisp chunky bread

Melon sweet poached pear (v)

***

Roast leg of Shropshire lamb, with creamy mash, baby leeks, served with a mint gravy

Sliced poached chicken breast with crushed new potatoes spring greens & a cheesy sauce

Tomato penne pasta

***

Fresh Fruit salad with cream

Fruit jelly with ice cream

The post Mothering Sunday.. Sunday 10th March appeared first on .