Days Out for the Girls

Shop till you drop

The market town of Ashby de la Zouch has unique shops and courtyards to wile away a few hours shopping before trying out one of the many tearooms and cafes for a well earned coffee and homemade cake, the Giggling Goblin in Mill Lane Mews has a Folk and Poetry club on the 3rd Tuesday in every month . Indoor Market open daily. Farmers Market every 3rd Saturday in the month.

Coalville has high street shops such as Costa Coffee, New Look, Argos and more in the Belvoir Centre and a friendly indoor market on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.  Also the home of the local radio station Hermitage FM pop into their coffee shop for a warm welcome or even learn to knit with their knitting circle.

Castle Donington High Street is tucked away and just waiting for you to discover the many delights this medieval town has to offer. Farmers Market every 2nd Saturday of the month.

Contact the Tourist Information Centre at Ashby on 01530 411767 for more details.

 

                                     

Workshops, Courses and Homecrafts.

A whole range of courses are on offer in North West Leicestershire or why not visit one of our specialist shops to buy everything you need to make it yourself. 

Cake Decoration courses are available at Sugar and Ice in Coalville, telephone 01530 817210 or you can buy the bits and create your own celebration cake.

Bangles and Tat can design jewellery to compliment an outfit or you can visit their shop in Ashby de la Zouch and choose the materials to design and make your own  They also have a brilliant range of yarns and knitting patterns. Knitting kits are even available on line.

                                       

Sliksilver Jewellery at Sable Studio Gallery and Art Academy at Moira Furnace Craft Centre have workshops throughout the year where you can make quality hand made silver jewellery.

Alison Victoria School of Sewing  offers courses on pattern drafting, beautiful corsets and bridal wear and much more. The courses are held above the Fabulous Fabrics Shop in Market Street, Ashby de la Zouch.

Monks Den Crafts in Ashby de la Zouch hold workshops for card making and scrap booking.

              

If you are really adventurous Greenwood Days have Traditional Woodland Craft courses in furniture making, Willow Garden features and even coracle making!

Nice and fresh with a local flavour

There’s nothing to beat fresh fruit and vegetables, and here in North West Leicestershire you can pick your own according to the season.

Look out for fresh cut asparagus from mid April and during the summer months pick your own fruit choosing from 3 acres of  strawberries, raspberries along with gooseberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, blackberries, loganberries and autumn fruiting raspberries.  Broad beans are also available for pick your own at Cattows Farm, Swepstone Rd. Heather, LE67 2RF. Telephone, 01530 264200. For those who want a more leisurely way of getting your " five a day " Cattows Farm Shop offers a wide range of local produce, whilst a visit to the adjoining tea room/restaurant is not to be missed!

Buy wild and exotic mushrooms from the chill cabinet at The Mushroom Basket on Normanton Road near Packington. The Mushroom Basket is a real “Farm Shop” and not just a “Shop on the Farm”, where visitors can buy a full range of Exotic mushrooms picked fresh daily off the farm, (and get advice on how to use them). Also on sale is Normanton Pedigree Hereford Beef, Normanton Lamb, and Free-Range Eggs all of which are produced on our farm just a mile away at Normanton le Heath. Additionally other mushroom related products such as cookery books etc are also on sale.

                                      

Award Winning - Manor Organic Farm Shop  at Long Whatton, LE12 5DF,   offers a wide range of organic produce, including organic meat, organic vegetables, organic poultry and organic bread from their own bakery. The farm beef comes from its stock of a local rare breed of cattle, the Longhorn, and the lamb is from its pedigree herd of Lleyn sheep. And for Christmas they have their own organic turkeys reared on the farm. Open from Wednesday – Saturday.

                                                   

Hill Farm at Packington offers the opportunity to meet rare breed animals, such as pure bred Canadian bison, alpacas, red deer and mangalitza pigs. Hands on involvement is always welcome. Farm shop stocked with home produced meat, homemade pies, jams, chutneys, homemade cakes and cream teas. BBQ meat packs available.

                                          

 

For further information on buying local produce in the area check out the National Forest Food Guide

Somewhere Nice to picnic

 

Now you've shopped, pack a picnic basket. We’re right in the middle of the National Forest and we’ve got some really nice places to picnic. Try:

The Castle ruins at Ashby de la Zouch - Runner up in the 2009 Warburton's Britain's Best Picnic Site Awards. It’s so picturesque; you should bring your camera. Take the audio tour if you’re keen to learn the history or you could just chat to the custodian who’ll tell you lots of interesting stuff.

Snibston Country Park, one of Coalville's many surprises. Picnic tables nestle in the idyllic woodland glades of an arboretum close to a pretty fishing lake. Car parking and cycle trails provide easy access. An audio tour available from the Museum tells you about the grand house that once stood in this mature woodland garden.

Calke Abbey, Ticknall – with acres of beautiful deer park to explore and the house that time forgot. If you think you’ve got clutter, the collections in this house will amaze you.

Moira Furnace and Craft Village, Moira – mooch around the little shops, take your dogs for a run and then relax next to this iconic 18th Century blast furnace on the banks of the tranquil Ashby Canal with regular boat trips(check times). Picnic tables, toilets, café and car parking all available. 

Grace Dieu Priory, Thringstone – Park your car in the Bulls Head on the A512 and walk through the shady woodland trail to a picturesque ruined priory and picnic in the grounds. If you come at dusk it gets quite spooky. You have been warned. (Regular ghost walks arranged.)

Sence Valley Park, Ibstock – take your binoculars and enjoy bird watching at this lakeside woodland park with spectacular views into this countryside bowl. Free access to car parking, toilets and picnic tables.

 

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