Upcoming Events

Join us for a workshop here in Asthall Manor’s Kitchen Garden on how to take effective cuttings from your fruit, vegetables and herbs. Complete beginners through to keen amateurs all welcome. In this all-day workshop you will learn the fundamentals of different cutting techniques alongside a bit of helpful theory. This will include understanding and making softwood cuttings, root cuttings, plant divisions and layering. During the workshop you will carry out some fun, practical work to embed your learning, taking…

Join us for a workshop on low intervention beekeeping 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 keeping healthy bees in a low intervention, chemical free manner with a bit of helpful theory. We will look at different approaches ranging from hands off bee hosting through to low interference honey harvesting. Conventional beekeeping emphasises beekeeper inputs and beekeeper control. We will be looking at bee-centred…

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…

The voice of nature : 3 days of inspirational music in Asthall church this Spring from May 23 -25th presented by the Oxford Chamber Music Festival and artistic director Priya Mitchell. Concerts, workshops and lots of spontaneous uplifting music making based on music connected to nature and the natural world. There will also be a very special event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Oxford Chamber Music Foundation and will include a visit to the magical gardens…

The Mitford sisters were writers, travellers and political archivists with dramatically differing views. Following their previous sell-out success, In The Footsteps Of The Mitfords returns, as Scary Little Girls and Chipping Norton Theatre bring the experiences, opinions and relationships of the celebrated sisters to life through their letters, fiction, and memoirs. All in the stunning setting of their childhood home, Asthall Manor, near Burford. Booking essential, dress for all weathers and bring footwear you can explore in! The walk includes…

Join us for a workshop on home composting 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 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 the growing of healthy,…

Hippocrates, the founder of Western Medicine, was famous for saying, ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’. In a world of fast food, processed food and obesity as an epidemic, food as medicine is now more important than ever. But is eating ‘vegetables’ enough? How can we make sure that we are getting the most nutrition possible out of our plants? Join Jean Smith, social anthropologist and keen vegetable grower, for Let Food be thy Medicine. On…

Pedalling from venue to venue with all of their set, props and costumes on the back of their bikes, the HandleBards are a four-strong troupe of actors who are spending the summer bringing environmentally sustainable Shakespeare to venues across the UK. Join the troupe at Asthall Manor for a bicycle-powered production of Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ like you’ve never seen before. In usual HandleBards style, expect riotous amounts of energy, a fair old whack of chaos, and a great…