You arrive at The Royal Oak this afternoon where you can settle into your luxury room or maybe familiarise yourself with the farm estate and the local area.
Tonight you will joined by James and Kathryn and the rest of the group for drinks in the pub and a delicious two course meal .
Kathryn will explain everything that Eastbrook Farm has to offer and the flexible programme we have created for you with huge emphasis on total flexibility!
After dinner James will discuss all things photography and wildlife and concentrate on areas of specific interest to you so you can get the most out of your stay .
If you are a photographer and looking for expert tuition from James during your stay at Eastbrook then please let us know the areas you are most interested in prior to arrival so we can tailor make the experience for you.
Details of camera equipment is also helpful
2 course meal at The Royal Oak, Bishopstone near Swindon
After breakfast we head out into the estate with a variety of activities available for you. Take your pick from any of the following which we can do as a group or individually .
Woodland Hide / Photo Tuition / Guided Walks / Farm Safari / Self-Guided Walks around the estate or along the nearby Ridgeway / Macro Photography in the wild flower meadow / individual use of pop-up hides for use anywhere on the estate
We'll meet up at lunchtime for a packed lunch out in the field and after we all get back later in the afternoon we can get ready for an evening in the " Wild Restaurant" Having met up in the pub, we will walk or drive to a remote part of the estate where we will enjoy an al fresco meal surrounded by nature ( weather permitting of course! ) If the weather isn't kind to us we will simply swap this experience to the following night.
Recorded Species on the farm estate
Mammals;
Roe Deer, Fallow Deer, Muntjac Deer, Fox, Badger, Hares, Rabbits, Weasels, Stoats – otter have been caught on camera traps too.
Birdlife;
Red Kite, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, Merlin, Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Little Owl, Heron, Little Egret, Kingfisher, Raven, Carrion Crow, Rook, Corn Bunting, Warblers, Yellowhammer, Yellow Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Skylark, Bullfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Blackcap, Pheasant, Red Leg Partridge, Grey Partridge, Starling, Swallow, Linnet, Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow
Insects;
Common Blue, Brimstone, Red Admiral, Peacock, Meadow Brown, Marble White, Six-spot burnet, skippers, fritillaries, weevils, crickets, grasshoppers, dragonfly, crane fly, oil beetles, countless bees and pollinators
Plant life
Oxeye Daisy, Knapweed, Birdsfoot trefoil, red clover, lady’s bedstraw, orchids (bee, pyramidal, common, spotted, fragrant), poppy, corncockle, cowslip, scabious to name a few.
Bed and Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Evening Meal and all activities
After another hearty breakfast we head back out into the estate with its many choices of nature-based activities and we can spend time exploring the farm in Eastbrook's famous red Land Rover and hear all about how the organic farm practices have had such a positive impact on the local wildlife as well as producing delicious food for the restaurant and shop.
We'll meet up at lunchtime again to enjoy our packed lunch out in the field and after we all get back later in the afternoon we can get ready for our last evening meal in The Royal Oak where we can discuss our experiences over the last 2 days and share photography and wildlife highlights.
Farm Safari and all other activities
Packed lunch and 2 course evening meal in The Royal Oak
You are free to enjoy everything the Farm has to offer this morning, stay on and enjoy lunch in the pub or stay another night if you haven't had enough!
Braekfast
Eastbrook Activities
