Three fabulous sunny days for the third consecutive Art at Alscot, an exhibition by 15 individual artists brought together by Sarah Methuen, part part of Warwickshire Open Studios, Summer Art Weeks.
A huge thank you to the hundreds of people who came along to show their support.
Alscot's Summer Garden Party
Alscot is not only about our current team and the work we do today — it’s also about the incredible contributions of those who helped shape the Estate’s evolving future and community, and continue to support.
In late June, we were delighted to welcome some of those individuals back to Alscot for a garden party hosted by Emma Holman-West.
The sun shone — as did the guests — for a wonderful afternoon celebrating connections to the Estate, whether through residence, employment, or service, past or present.
Guests enjoyed the immaculate, blooming historic gardens, followed by a traditional afternoon tea — a fitting tribute to Alscot’s rich history and vibrant community.
Students Activity Day at Alscot
This photo captures the genuine enthusiasm and curiosity that the Croft Prep. School students have for nature-based activities at Alscot. Tom Genders hosted his fourth consecutive activity day on Alscot's Biodiversity Net Gain site — 47 acres of land carefully managed to restore and enhance grasslands to provide plant and wildlife habitats, over a minimum of 30 years. The site offsets habitat loss caused by development elsewhere in the region.
The day was filled with engaging, hands-on experiences, including:
• Orienteering – Map reading and native tree identification
• Foraging – Searching for plants (supposedly) for Mr. Genders’ lunch
• Team building – A practical, problem-solving STEM challenge
And no doubt Tom Genders demonstrated his abundant knowledge and keen ear, to identify various bird song.
P.S. Mr. Genders did not actually eat any of the foraged plants!
Introduction to Regenerative Farming
Yesterday, it was the wider estate team’s turn to be introduced to Alscot’s regenerative farming journey.
While farming isn’t something we’re all involved in on a daily basis, it’s certainly something that unites us—after all, we all rely on food to live!
Our regenerative farming project began as far back as 2020, but it wasn’t until 2024 that we took a major step forward by sowing the fields with legume fallows and herbal leys—our first move toward improving soil health.
This year, the sheep have already benefited from this diverse and nutritious plant system, enjoying protein-rich forage. We’re now excited to be planning for cattle grazing, either later this year or in the next.
The 3–5 year conversion process, designed to produce nutrient-rich animal feed, is regenerating the land - improving the soil structure and quality, and laying the foundation for future organic food production, including heritage wheat and vegetables.
The team was introduced to regenerative agriculture not just through presentation and discussion, but by walking the land itself. We visited a variety of fields—each with different crops, shaped by different conditions—and had the chance to observe and learn directly from the landscape.
The word “wholesome” is often overused, but in this case, it truly captures the spirit of the day.
To learn more, view our ‘Home Farm’ page on the website, follow us on social media, sign up to our newsletter or contact us!
Breeding Bird Survey Records Positive Results
The clear highlight of our recent breeding bird survey was the recording of a Corn Bunting at Alscot. To give this rare and charismatic species the best chance of success, we’re leaving the nesting field completely undisturbed until the young have fledged. Fortunately, our naturalist—from Wiltshire—brings a wealth of experience working with landowners and farmers to support this enigmatic bird.
Alscot Estate Cricket Friendly
We may not have a resident team at Alscot, but that certainly didn’t stop us! A huge thank you to all the members of the Alscot community who put on their whites and gave a fantastic performance in this year’s Estate match against Warwick Cricket Club. The goal for the evening was to have fun – and we certainly did – but that didn’t stop some real skill from shining through.
Well done to both teams for a brilliant game, but a special shout-out to Alscot – a brand-new team of players who had never played together before. You really put on a great show!
A fantastic game with an amazing turnout — the crowd was buzzing, the food was delicious, the drinks were flowing. Huge thanks to everyone who came to support and enjoy the cricket friendly. Warwick took the top slot again this year, but Alscot will definitely be back for the challenge to gain the cup, next year!
In addition to the fun £1,002.22 was raised for the club.
Visual Results of Regenerative Farming
The vibrant display we’re now seeing is the result of sowing Herbal Leys and Legume Fallow last September—an important step in our journey to regenerate the soil and transition to organic status. The crops are creating some magnificent colour – the purple flowering Phacelia and red Crimson Clover being most visible at this time of year.
Soil samples have recently been taken across the arable and permanent pasture fields, and sent off for analysis. This will help us to build a valuable baseline dataset as the regenerative farming system develops.
Visit Art at Alscot Friday 27-Sunday 29th June.
Warwickshire Open Studios Summer Art Weeks is coming back to Alscot!
Visit Art at Alscot between Friday 27-Sunday 29th June.
Since 2000, Warwickshire Open Studios has gained an outstanding reputation for helping visual artists and designer makers, across the Warwickshire and Coventry area, connect with art lovers who enjoy, buy, commission and participate in their work.
The aim is to make art accessible for all – therefore WOS welcome artists of all ages / abilities / mediums and encourage a diversity of venues. Over a 16-day period, over 400 registered artists open their homes, studios and pop-up exhibitions to the public. Alscot Park being one of them!
From Friday 27th June the historic garden at Alscot Park will be open for the third consecutive year, for the three day event, where 15 talented artists will be on site exhibiting their art.
Read The Latest Copy of The Alscot Eye
Regenerative Farming at Alscot: Driving Research & Collaboration
Since Alscot began practicing regenerative farming across approximately 715 hectares of Alscot agricultural land, the project has sparked widespread interest, both locally and nationally, as we work to enhance soil health—a fundamental component of ecosystem services, human wellbeing, and ecological balance. We are actively collaborating with leading organisations and researchers to provide valuable evidence on the wider impact of soil health on society.
Community Matters
Since announcing our commitment to regenerative farming at an Alscot community event in June 2024, we successfully met our target of implementing practical changes on the land by September of the same year. We were therefore delighted to be invited to share our progress and insights with the local community at an event on 2nd April.
Alscot presented the project to a full house at Clifford Chambers Village Hall. The event, hosted by Wild About Clifford in collaboration with Preston Environmental Group (PEG), was a testament to the strong local interest in nature recovery and environmental initiatives.
Trevor Acreman, Chair of Wild About Clifford, was keen for us to engage with group members and neighbours and share the details of our work, including what they might observe in the area and what potential benefits they will experience over time. The event was well received and we hope to continue our mutual engagement.
The full details of our regenerative farming journey is available to view HERE.
Celebrating Success at the West Midlands Tourism Awards!
It’s been a fittingly exciting English Tourism Week at Alscot.
On Tuesday 18th March, we had the privilege of attending the West Midlands Tourism Awards at Edgbaston Stadium, proudly representing Stay at Alscot in the Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year category. These prestigious awards, run in association with Visit England and the Awards for Excellence, recognise businesses that meet high industry standards across all areas, including, product development, marketing, sustainability, systems, and more—culminating in an in-person assessment by an expert panel.
Bird, plant and wildlife surveys
As part of our sustainable land management practices, we conduct baseline surveys and carefully monitor improvements in soil health, plant life, and wildlife diversity. Surveys across grasslands, woodlands, water bodies, and arable land are now well underway, helping us build a valuable dataset for the future.
A recent bird survey, carried out on the 5th and 6th of March, yielded encouraging results. A diverse selection of waterfowl was recorded, including teal, gadwall, mallard, snipe, moorhen, and little grebe. In the woodlands, red kites were observed nesting, while fieldfare and redwing thrushes—winter visitors to the UK—were noted both in the woods and on some grasslands. These birds were busily feeding, storing energy for their migration back to mainland Europe.
Alscot Community T20 Cricket Friendly at Alscot Park
On Thursday 29th May, we are hosting the annual Alscot Community T20 Cricket Friendly at Alscot Park, and we would love for you to be part of it!
As well as a great game of cricket, Warwick V Alscot, there will be an opportunity to purchase BBQ food by Alscot based Warwickshire Wild Game and drinks from our very own in-house bar, The Baby Bell.
Beecham Farmhouse is selected as an Airbnb Luxe property.
Airbnb Luxe is the luxury tier of Airbnb and is a curated selection of the world's most extraordinary properties that go beyond standard holiday rentals. They are thoroughly vetted luxury rentals with 5-star-everything. To achieve Airbnb Luxe status, the property must go through a detailed inspection process by a 3rd party evaluator who are looking for a cohesive, elevated design throughout the entire home, comfortable, inviting interior and exterior spaces and luxury amenities and an overall environment that are in pristine condition.
We are delighted with this accolade, which comes just over a year after we launched Stay at Alscot as a brand new business. There are two extraordinary properties within the Stay ay Alscot portfolio, Beecham Farmhouse and Locke’s Cottage.
For further details visit https://www.alscot.co.uk/stay