Hovingham Village Market takes place again next weekend (Saturday 7th September) starting at 10.30am and going through to 1.30pm.

More details can be found on their website and why not check out their Twitter feed too.

Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September 2013, 10am – 5pm, the Yorkshire Arboretum at Castle Howard.

The Wye Valley Axemen will be headlining at the 5th annual Wild About Wood Festival at the Yorkshire Arboretum. Apart from the marauding axemen, there’ll be a wide range of activities and craft demonstrations for all the family. Have a go at archery or paddle a coracle on the lake!

For full details and admission prices, read on…

WELSH AXEMEN TO INVADE YORKSHIRE!

The Romans did it in the 1st century AD, the Vikings did it in the 8th, and Harald Hardrada met a grisly end when he tried it at Stamford Bridge in 1066. Invading Yorkshire is not for the faint-hearted! But a group of Welshmen, armed to the teeth, plan to try, at least for a couple of days in September.

The Wye Valley Axemen will be marauding in Ryedale at the 5th annual Wild About Wood festival at the Yorkshire Arboretum, Castle Howard on the 14th and 15th September. There’ll be daily displays of dazzling lumberjack skills as the team use incredible strength, speed and accuracy to reduce huge chunks of timber to wood chips and sawdust with razor sharp axes and saws. They claim to be visiting Yorkshire in peace – but we’re not so sure!

Visitors to the event can also get more closely acquainted with nature in the Discovery Zone where the whole family can take part in a wide range of free activities and workshops. Go on a minibeast hunt, make a musical instrument from nature’s abundant materials, learn about the amazing world of mammals or get up close and personal with spiders, slugs and snails!

Liberate your inner Bear Grylls and try shelter-building or, for those in a more creative frame of mind, see what art can be created from the arboretum floor.

Visitors can also try paper-making and watercolour painting, take a turn at wallops (we’re assured it’s a game!) or take a free mini-tour of the arboretum, which will offer a glimpse of the beauty and ecological importance of this very special place. For the more intrepid there’s the opportunity to paddle a coracle on the arboretum’s lake, unleash that inner Robin Hood on the have-a-go archery range, or get a bird’s eye view of things and climb one of the arboretum’s magnificent trees.

There’ll be a wide range of traditional craft demonstrations to watch too including pole lathe turning, heavy horse logging, willow weaving, blacksmithing, wood carving and charcoal burning. Or stand well back as the chainsaw carvers create their masterpieces and the mobile sawmill powers up and creates a lot of noise and sawdust!

There are also daily birds of prey displays, live music throughout the weekend, and a delicious variety of locally sourced food and drink to enjoy – everything from a delicious hog roast, to delectable cakes, to pizza cooked in a train (yes really!). It might be a little early for Christmas shopping, but you’re sure to find something to tempt you amongst the dozens of arts and crafts stalls.

The Wild About Wood festival runs at the Yorkshire Arboretum from 10am-5pm on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September 2013. More information is at www.wildaboutwood.org

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Admission prices, which include all arena displays, craft demonstrations, Discovery Zone activities and arboretum tours, are Adult £8, Child (3-16) £5, Infants (under 3) Free, Family Ticket (2 adults & 2 children) £21, Concessions (Senior citizens/NUS) £6.

For more information about Wild About Wood please explore: www.wildaboutwood.org or contact [email protected]

The Yorkshire Arboretum and Ray Wood are gardens of the Castle Howard Arboretum Trust, an independent charity established to maintain and protect these unique collections. Founded in 1997 as a partnership between the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Castle Howard, the Trust’s patron is HRH The Prince of Wales.

The Yorkshire Arboretum is located adjacent to Castle Howard and is open from 10am – 4pm every day from March – November, with extended opening to 6pm at weekends from May – October. Admission is £6 for adults, £3 for juniors (12-16) and £15 for families. Under 12s are admitted free. Find out more at www.yorkshirearboretum.org

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Anna Porter, Marketing Manager

The Yorkshire Arboretum

Tel: 01653 648598

Email: [email protected]

The Grapes is having a party on Saturday 17th August  to celebrate their 1st anniversary!  There will be food from 6pm and live music from 8pm.