Past Events

Join us for a workshop on home composting here at Asthall Manor Kitchen Garden (opposite Asthall Manor) Complete beginners through to keen amateurs all welcome. In this all day workshop you will learn the basics of different composting systems alongside a bit of helpful theory. You will also carry out some fun, practical work to apply your learning and to help keep us warm. Good, home-based or community-based composting is one of the key but often missing links to achieving…

Join us for a workshop on soils here at Asthall Manor Kitchen Garden (opposite Asthall Manor) Complete beginners through to keen amateurs all welcome. In this all-day workshop you will learn the basics of different soils and soil life alongside a bit of helpful theory. Bringing a sample of your own garden soil, you will learn how to identify its type, characteristics and needs. You will also carry out some fun, practical work to apply your learning and to help…

We are pleased to announce that Asthall will be opening its gardens for one special day this summer, in the aid of The Oxford Samaritans. Oxford Samaritans first opened in 1963. Now with around 170 volunteers in an average month, they spend 800 hours on the phone, answering 2,500 phone calls.  They are open 24 hours a day to provide confidential emotional support to anyone who may be experiencing feelings of distress or despair; including those that may lead to…

As this retreat day was so successful in October and has attracted a lot of interest, Delia is running it again in November.  This retreat day will focus on moving towards a more mindful approach to life.  It will especially help you develop a meditation practice that helps deepen your heart qualities and also manage the unconscious mind-chatter that influences our mood (for better or worse) without us being aware that how we feel is connected to the content of…

Join us for a workshop on the benefits of gardening with wildlife here at Asthall Manor Kitchen Garden. Complete beginners through to keen amateurs all welcome. A thriving and diverse population of insects and animals, big and small is key to the growing of healthy, nutritious (aka tasty) food. Healthy wildlife means healthy plants means healthy people. In this all-day workshop you will learn the fundamental benefits of gardening with wildlife while growing food for people. You’ll develop an understanding…

An acrylic landscape painting workshop where the force of abstract colour is a guiding principle. Explore how the structured areas of colour in Brewster’s work are inspired by the Dorset coastline and learn how his mark making techniques and textural use of acrylic can capture the essence of the landscape rather than a detailed representation. All materials provided except for an some A4 cartridge paper for notes and preparatory sketches, an A3 canvas or canvas-board, and landscape photographs as an…

Looking for something special in the way of half-term entertainment? Ceilidhs for Everyone presents a family-friendly afternoon of dance which will weave the tale of The Three Little Pigs to live music from The Bees Knees in the beautiful ballroom at Asthall Manor. Designed so that everyone young and old can join in together, we look forward to welcoming the whole family. Please pay what you can: £5 per ticket will help us to break even, a little bit more…

Join us for a workshop on Winter Fruit Pruning here at Asthall Manor Kitchen Garden. Complete beginners through to keen amateurs all welcome. In this all-day workshop you will learn the basics of winter fruit pruning to encourage the health, vigour and cropping of your fruit trees and bushes. This will be achieved through learning some useful theory alongside some fun, practical work to embed your learning during the day. This will be followed up with some useful resources to…