Course admin

Times: Full day and morning courses start at 10am and finish at about 4.00 pm. You can arrive any time from 9.45am. 

How to find us:  Our postcode BA80HR will bring you to the farm drive on Throop Rd.  Come up the drive and follow the signs to the left fork,  through a gate into a large grassy area.  Park on the gravel area, avoid the grass which can be boggy in wet weather. Follow the yellow signs to the butchery. Coffee and biscuits will be waiting for you.

Arriving by train: Empire Farm is just 7 minutes walk from Templecombe station, which is on the Waterloo-Exeter line. The service takes just over two hours from Waterloo. If you are coming down by train the night before and staying locally, then it is probably wise to book a taxi to meet your train, as there is no regular taxi stand at the station (list of taxis below). Also, ask if they can pick you up in the morning to get you to the course. There is a bus that serves the station, running between Wincanton and Sherborne.

Click here for station information.

What to bring Please bring appropriate clothing for the course you are taking.

Butchery courses: We provide aprons and gloves. Warm clothes are recommended.  The butchery is unheated and, even in summer, it can be quite chilly, so bring warm layers. Please wear sturdy shoes with good grip for butchery courses whatever the weather. Sandals are not recommended for any of our courses.  Refreshments are provided but you will need to bring your own lunch

Gardening courses: these will be outside for part of the day so please come suitably equipped –  unless it has been wet you won’t need wellies. Sturdy outdoor walking shoes will be fine, there may be some long grass but no mud. These courses are based in our conservatory so you need a change of footwear as we don’t want outdoor shoes in the house. Don’t forget a water bottle, suncream, waterproofs etc. Refreshments, light lunch and afternoon tea are provided on these courses. 

Dietary requirements: Please let us know in advance if you have any special dietary requirements or allergies.

Accessibility: please note that the butchery is located on the first floor and there is a steep flight of stairs.

Staying locally There are a number of places to stay within a few miles of Empire Farm if you need to stay the night before a course or your course is part of a weekend away.

The nearest Travel Lodge is by the A303 junction  at Wincanton.

Travel by train and stay with a tutor

If you are attending one of the butchery courses, you could arrange to stay with the tutor, David Coldman who offers B&B to anybody on his  courses. He lives 5 mins from Yeovil Junction station and about 20 mins from Yeovil Pen Mill station,  and if you are travelling by train he can arrange to can pick you up and drive you to the farm.  

Things to do in the area

Many people ask us if there is anything for their partner to do while they are attending the course. The answer is a resounding “YES”! In fact, people who come down for a week’s holiday complain that there is not enough time to see everything. There are many National Trust houses and gardens, museums, visitor centres as well shopping at the Clark’s village near Street, the towns of Glastonbury, Sherborne, Wells, Shaftesbury, or a little further afield perhaps Bath, Salisbury or Bournemouth. The award winning The Newt, with its extensive gardens  is just 10 minutes away. Alternatively, they could simply relax and unwind on a Spa Day at Holbrook House near Wincanton, or the Spa at Longleat Center Pa