2010 Special Offers

Curl up by the fire and relax this winter at the Tudor Farmhouse Hotel. Start off the New Year taking advantage of one of our special offers. We are offering 3 nights for the price of 2 for new bookings in January and February on Sunday to Thursday inclusive.

Alternatively, our Winter Warmer offer is for two nights on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis and includes a complimentary hamper of local goodies in your room including locally made chocolates, preserves and drinks, a glass of sparkling prosecco each before dinner, a complementary newspaper and full English breakfast delivered to your room each morning. For more details on the offers available please visit our website at:
www.tudorfarmhousehotel.co.uk/specialoffers

Winter Owl Evenings

We had a poster come through from the International Centre for Birds of Prey based in Newent and it sounded so interesting that I thought I would share the information with you. You will see the owls at the natural time of their lives – in the dark, and watch them fly at night. It makes for an exciting evening. The tickets are £18 for adults and £10 for children and includes:
A guided tour of the owls by torchlight
Hot mulled wine and Hog Roast
Flying demonstration with small owls indoors
Outside flying demonstration of owls to finish

They are taking place now through to December 19th on every Friday and Saturday evening from 6.30.
Remember to wrap up warm and take a torch. Tickets must be booked in advance.
For more details phone 01531 820286 or visit their website:
www.icbp.org.uk

Local Jams & Honey

We have just started serving a new local jam at breakfast from Kitchen Garden. We have gone for their organic marmalade and strawberry jam.

In addition we have started serving Hudnalls Apiaries’ Forest of Dean Honey. Hudnalls Apiaries is based in St Briavels, about 3 miles away from the hotel and Kitchen Garden are based in Stroud. Both are available to buy from reception.

You can find more information from their websites:
www.kitchengardenpreserves.co.uk
www.hudnallsapiaries.co.uk

Perrygrove Railway

Perrygrove Railway Museum Train

Last weekend Matthew and I went to Perrygrove Railway. Matthew loves trains and it is a really sweet railway with different play areas suitable for different ages as well as the trains. You can do a treasure hunt as well – although Matthew is still a bit young for it. They do a series of events through the year, from enthusiasts events to the Hunt for Father Christmas. I must book my tickets – Matthew will love it. I also love the fact that it is really well priced. For more information, visit their website:
www.perrygrove.co.uk

Matthew holding tightly onto his ticket

NOVEMBER 2009 LAST MINUTE OFFER – 3 FOR THE PRICE OF TWO

Get away from it all for THREE nights Bed and Breakfast or Dinner Bed & Breakfast for the price of TWO. Offer is valid Sunday-Thursday inclusive for new bookings during November 2009.

Please call 01594 833046 quoting the reference “November 3 for 2″.

Attic (single occupancy) £120 B&B £170 DBB
Barn £180 B&B £280 DBB
Garden £180 B&B £280 DBB
Character £260 B&B £360 DBB
Cilgerran Suite £300 B&B £400 DBB
Cottage Suite £320 B&B £420 DBB

Clearwell Caves

The beautiful cavern at Clearwell Caves

Many people will have heard of Clearwell Caves. They were voted the ‘Best Family Attraction in Gloucestershire’ by the Good Britain Guide 2003. The Caves are part of an extensive natural cave system surrounding the Forest of Dean and have been worked for ochre (natural paint pigment) and iron ore since the Neolithic period over 5000 years ago. Mining has created a cave/mine complex consisting of many miles of passageways, with hundreds of caverns. At Clearwell Caves, nine impressive caverns are open to visitors, with mining and geological displays throughout.

The wonderful atmosphere in the caves is never more evident than for the annual candle – lit Halloween party for 300 people. Colin & I went a few years ago – dressed as cartoon characters (we left it quite late to organise any costumes!) – and had a wonderful time. It really is highly recommended.

We also love the caves at Christmas, and have gone every year (even before Matthew was born). It is always beautifully decorated and the children can visit Father Christmas and choose a toy. There is also a craft fair. Then the last section of the caves is used to illustrate a story. It is always beautifully done and throughout the caves are “presents” marked with names. It’s always a challenge to find your name. Colin and Matthew always do better than me!

The Entrance Churn at Clearwell Caves

Even if you haven’t visited Clearwell Caves, you may have already seen it as in the past few years, the cavern has been used by the BBC to film four separate Dr Who episodes, two Merlin episodes and also Dalziel and Pascoe.

Clearwell Caves does provide an unusual day out for all the family as well as an exciting underground experience for all ages. We will post more information on any special events they hold throughout the year but in the meantime please visit their website for more details:
www.clearwellcaves.com

Goats Cheese Panacotta

We had guests in for lunch this week who enjoyed the Goats Cheese Panacotta so much that we gave them the recipe. Like many people, they had never had a savoury panacotta. So I thought I would share the recipe with everyone. Here it is. Let us know how you get on with it if you make it. It is yummy!

250g Goats Cheese
250ml Cream
250ml Milk
1 sprig Thyme
1 sprig Rosemary
Salt & Black Pepper
2 and a half leaves of Gelatine (softened in cold water)

Place ingredients in heavy bottomed pan (except gelatine). Melt the Goats Cheese into the liquid over a low hear. Bring to the boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the gelatine and pass the mixture through a sieve. Place in your moulds and chill.

Kathy Lewis

We try to utilise as much local produce as possible, and the art hanging in the hotel is no exception. We love Kathy’s work and having it hanging in the Tudor Room is great as Colin and I don’t have enough wall space for all of Kathy’s pictures that we love. Soon after we arrived in Clearwell, I asked Kathy to paint a picture of the hotel for my parent’s wedding anniversary. The original takes pride of place in their house, whilst there is a print hanging in reception (as well as in our house!).

Tudor Farmhouse Hotel by Kathy Lewis 2004

We currently have Lavender Landscape hanging in the conservatory. It perfectly complements the room and we are secretly hoping it won’t sell! I want to keep it all for myself!

Lavender Landscape: currently hanging in the conservatory

Kathy is a Northern Ireland born, award winning artist who has enjoyed a growing reputation for a fresh, honest and uncontrived approach to her work. She has been living in the Forest of Dean for the past thirty years and has had a base at Taurus Crafts near Lydney for the past seven.

Kathy outside her shop in Taurus Crafts

Working mainly in watercolours and oils, and largely self taught, her paintings are held in numerous private collections in the UK and abroad. She prefers watercolours because she loves the unpredictability of the medium. She takes her sketchbook with her wherever she goes and is always looking for interesting places, buildings or objects which excite her.

Kathy says: “I am fortunate that my art has been there for me through different times. It absorbs and obsesses me and I think strangely protects my mind from the neurosis of Parkinson’s and the shaky hand.”

For more information or to see more examples of Kathy’s work please visit her website:
www.kathylewis.co.uk

We did it!

And they are away....

Well we did it! Thanks to Gordon’s hard work the raft floated, and it was paddled down the river (which was moving very quickly) by Gordon, Kath, Colin, Meshell, Sarah and Tony. The plan was for the team to swap over half way down the river, but we had had so much rain that the river was quite high and moving far too quickly. We knew when we got to the halfway point that a swapover was not going to be possible, so unfortunately Cheryl, Blaine, Brook and Julia will have to wait until next year. The boat in front of ours actually capsized at Redbrook, where the changeover had been due to take place. Luckily no-one was hurt, but our team had a job avoiding hitting those that had gone overboard. We didn’t win any prizes but according to Kath that’s because there were no musical prizes on offer! Apparently they sang the whole way.

Everyone that went on the raft loved it and there is already talk of a staff canoe trip so that everyone can enjoy being on the river. Gordon is planning improvements to the raft for next year and I think we will have to field two rafts next year or at least build an extension to the current one. We hope it will become an annual event, and this year we expect to have raised more than £400 for St David’s Foundation Hospice Care. Our huge thanks to Gordon for building the raft, Kath for her organisation and Paul (Meshell’s husband) for organising the transportation of the raft. Here’s to next year!
You can still donate at:
www.justgiving.co.uk/tudortiddlers

Cheryl paints Kath's face before the race

Going past Redbrook and an overturned opponent

The Tudor Tiddlers

Welsh Wine!

We currently sell a bottle of Welsh wine both by the glass and by the bottle, which we love. It is produced by Colin and Judith just 5 miles away from the hotel at Parva Farm, Tintern. It is the Bacchus 2006, and it has won a silver award in the 2008 UK wine of the year competition and more recently has been awarded a commended in the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Tintern Parva Vineyard are holding a “Turn up and Tour” on Wed. 16th Sept. at 2.30p.m. as one of the fringe events of the Abergavenny Food Festival. It is a guided tour of the vineyard followed by a tutored wine tasting and Welsh cheese tasting. The cost is £7.50 per person. Sensible footware is recommended as the grass can be wet and slippery. Any queries please call Judith Dudley on 01291 689636.

Parva Farm Vineyard, Tintern