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Show your Love This Valentine’s Day with a little Help From Our Valentines Gift Guide 

The history of Valentine’s Day is not straightforward! There are some suggestions its first origins lie in a Pagan festival and some estimate that there are more than 30 Saint Valentines and even a few Valentinas. What is certain is that the first Valentine’s Day card dates to 1415 when the Duke of Orléans wrote a card for his wife while prisoner in the Tower of London. Both Shakespeare and Chaucer allude to romantic links to Valentine’s Day, Chaucer in his Parlement of Foules. It was only in the 1900s that Valentines Cards started to be mass produced. Whether or not you celebrate Valentine’s Day, we all enjoy the opportunity to treat someone we love. 

How are you going to go that extra mile for your loved one this year? Be it for your partner, mother or father, an excuse to say “I love you” to your children, or a thank you to a special friend, there are many ways we can show our love. Our Valentine’s gift guide is here to help you navigate the often overwhelming choices available to us all! 

• Time together: many of us are time poor – and what better way to show our love than taking some time out, and sharing an experience. Something as simple as a walk or shared activity immersing ourselves in natural beauty is a simple pleasure that will make our loved ones feel really special. Our Farm Trail meanders through spectacular countryside with views to both the South Downs and Hangers. Our beautiful deer will lift everyone’s spirits – particularly if you take the time to feed them! 
• Chocolate! Who can resist a beautifully packaged sweet treat. We have a wealth of exceptional chocolate available from the Farm Shop. From our Patisserie fridge you can handpick a selection supplied by local chocolatier Nobel & Stace chosen specifically for your loved one. 
• Wine: whether your loved one prefers a sparkling wine or a delicious rose, white or red wine, you can find a selection of wines in our Farm Shop. If something pink is key, you will find some exceptional rose sparkling wines sourced from our local vineyards, as well as the increasingly popular Pink Gin. 
• A special meal:  while our launch Dinner Series event celebrating Valentine’s Day is already fully booked, perhaps your loved one would like to be treated to a special breakfast or mid week lunch, family weekend treat or a spectacular roast? The Grazing Rooms offers exceptional seasonally inspired dishes from breakfast to lunch and tea.
• Cards and gifts: with a variety of beautiful cards available in the Farm Shop and Visitor Centre, sometimes the smallest gesture can give our loved ones joy. Perhaps a little gift is more appropriate, the Visitor Centre has a large variety of gifts from locally produced candles to mugs and cuddly toys, you’ll even find some goodies for your pet! 

Whatever you decide, don’t forget that like Chaucer and Shakespeare in years gone by, some thoughtful words on a card are often the best way to say I Love You.