2. With a heritage spanning nearly one hundred years,
Sparsholt College is home to some of the finest facilities in
the country for training in rural pursuits. These facilities are
available to you to try your hand at a new skill or perhaps
develop a long-held interest.
The leisure programme brings together the best aspects
of living in the heart of Hampshire. Connecting with the
countryside around us and developing knowledge and
empathy with rural life brings an extraordinary sense of
wellbeing.
Each area has top class facilities to enable you explore your
interest and talents in a practical way. With small groups
of like-minded people, our expert staff will guide and
encourage you in a relaxed and friendly environment.
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3. The joy of owning and caring
for animals is expressed in
our understanding for their
needs and welfare.
These courses are designed
to help you get closer to your
furry friend.
Course Day Duration Time Cost
Backyard chickens and ducks
A basic guide to keeping chickens and ducks
Saturday 10 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £30.00
Saturday 31 March
Safe Snakes
Handling and caring for reptiles
Saturday 10 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £30.00
Furry friends
Handling and health checks for guinea pigs and rabbits
Saturday 10 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £30.00
Saturday 21 April
Dangerous dragons
Handling and health checks for lizards
Saturday 31 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £30.00
Rodent run
Accommodation and enrichment for rodents
Saturday 31 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £35.00
Saturday 21 April
Creepy Critters
Handling and caring for invertebrates
Saturday 21 April Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £30.00
Dog Agility
Fun and fitness with your dog on Thursday evenings
Thursday 19 April 8 weeks 6.30pm - 7.30pm £95.00
First Aid for dogs and cats Saturday 25 February one day 9.30am - 4.30pm £95.00
Saturday 7 April
Saturday 2 June
Saturday 4 August
Animal Care
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4. Course Day Duration Time Cost
Introduction to fish keeping
Planning and starting an aquarium at home
Saturday 31 March Half day 9.30am - 12.30pm £40.00
Keeping a marine aquarium
Setting up and maintaining a marine aquarium at home
Saturday 10 March Half day 9.30am - 12.30pm £40.00
Get your pond ready for summer
Basic maintenance, plants and fish
Saturday 21 April One day 9.30am - 3.30pm £85.00
Introduction to Fly Fishing, including fly-tying and casting Saturday 21 April Half day 9.30am - 12.30pm £45.00
Course Day Duration Time Cost
Sausage making
Perfecting the art of delicious sausages
Saturday 25 February One day 10.00am - 4.00pm £86.00
Make your own venison burgers
Creating delicious burgers from Sparsholt venison
Saturday 31 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £34.00
Saturday 21 April
From the field to the plate, the
provenance of our food is key to flavour,
welfare and keeping rural skills and
traditions alive. These courses will enable
you to make a connection with the
produce at its freshest.
Aquatics and Fishing
Artisan Food
Sparsholt’s National Aquatics Centre
is where the industry comes to train.
These courses provide practical
support, insider tips and cutting-
edge knowledge to bring the beauty
of fish into your home.
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5. Dappled natural woodland,
a fresh-water lake, inquisitive
sika deer: these courses allow
you to immerse yourself in the
fundamentals of our natural
surroundings.
Course Day Duration Time Cost
Moo Oink Baa: farm livestock for young and old
A guided walk of cattle, pigs and sheep
Saturday 10 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £24.00
(£12 for children)
Saturday 31 March
Saturday 21 April
Native trees
Identifying trees and their secret world
Saturday 21 April Half day 9.30am - 11.30pm £30.00
Wildflowers and butterflies
Identify Hampshire’s natural treasures on a guided walk
Saturday 21 April Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £24.00
Managing a smallholding
Planning, livestock, crops and small business management
Monday 23 April Two days 9.30am - 4.30pm £175.00
Shotgun safety for adults
Care and safe management of your sporting gun
Wednesday 6 June Half day 1.30pm - 4.30pm £69.00
Shotgun safety for 14-16 year olds
Introducing safe handling of sporting guns
Wednesday 6 June Half day 9.00am - 12.00pm £69.00
Conservation and Managing the Land
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6. Course Day Duration Time Cost
Horse handling
Catching, leading and grooming with confidence
Saturday 10 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £35.00
Saturday 31 March
Saturday 21 April
Horse Husbandry
Practical skills to care for a horse
Saturday 28 April One day 10.00am - 4.00pm £45.00
Lungeing horses
Technique and equipment
Saturday 10 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £35.00
Saturday 31 March
Saturday 21 April
Horse health
Basic first aid and health
Saturday 10 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £35.00
Saturday 31 March
Saturday 21 April
BHS Horse Owners Level 1
Covering the BHS syllabus and preparation for exams
Saturday 3 March 3 Saturdays 10.00am - 4.00pm £185.00
BHS Horse Owners Level 1
Covering the BHS syllabus and preparation for exams
Saturday 5 May 3 Saturdays 10.00am - 4.00pm £185.00
BHS Horse Owners Level 3
Covering the BHS syllabus and preparation for exams
Saturday 16 June 3 Saturdays 10.00am - 4.00pm £185.00
Using Olympic-training standard
facilities, our courses in horse
management will enable you to
develop a deeper knowledge of
horses and get the most from
your riding experience.
Equine Centre
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7. Course Day Duration Time Cost
Soft fruit and fruit tree pruning
Pruning trees and soft fruits to improve yield
Saturday 10 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £35.00
Propagation for beginners
Improve your growing skills with propagation techniques
Saturday 10 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £35.00
Hanging baskets
Planting and maintaining beautiful baskets
Saturday 31 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £35.00
Saturday 21 April
Make a bird box for your garden
Build your own bird box from local timber
Saturday 10 March Half day 9.30am - 11.30pm £35.00
Saturday 31 March
Spring lawn renovation
Renovate your lawn ready for summer
Saturday 31 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £35.00
Saturday 21 April
Lawnmower preparation for the new season
Prepare your petrol lawnmower for the summer
Saturday 31 March Half day 9.30am - 12.00pm £35.00
Basic chainsaw maintenance
Maintaining your chainsaw for safe and efficient use
Saturday 31 March Half day 9.30am - 11.30pm £35.00
Famous as the home of Radio
4’s Gardeners’Question Time,
the Potting Shed nestles quietly
in the corner of the horticulture
department.
Covering several acres you can
wander among the Hampshire
collection of fruit trees, the green
houses, flower beds and exotic
plant house.
Gardening and Horticulture
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8. Sparsholt College
Countryside Day
Saturday 19 May 2012
A great day out for all the family at Hampshire’s leading college for
the land and environment. Come and explore the whole campus
and experience each of our learning areas in action, as well as
demonstrations, a wide range of local crafts and produce and find
out about the courses on offer at Sparsholt College.
Wessex Wedding Fayre
Saturday 25 March 2012
Bringing together Hampshire’s finest wedding suppliers
to make your special day. Canapés, a glass of bubbly and
a gift bag for every bride.
Hampshire Food Festival
1 - 30 July 2012
Celebrate local food and farming during the annual Hampshire Food
Festival. With around 100 different events held across the county,
there’s something for everyone.
The perfect gift
Gift vouchers are available for all our
leisure courses, the perfect gift idea for
friends and family. Call 0850 850 0916.
How to book
Online at www.sparsholt.ac.uk
Contact: leisure@sparsholt.ac.uk
0850 850 0916
Sparsholt College Hampshire,
Winchester SO21 2NF
Winchester SO21 2NF
0850 850 0916 leisure@sparsholt.ac.uk www.sparsholt.ac.uk
at the heart of Hampshire's rural community
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