Our Story
Hello! We are Martin and Kate Bankes, and we have been lucky enough to call Copsegrove our home together for the last 30 years, whilst Martin has a few more years under his belt, and has been here since he was a twinkle in his father’s eye!
The Early Days
The farm has been in the family for 60 years, and has now increased to 320 acres of pasture, species rich grassland, and woodland and is home to a rich diversity of wildlife, whilst being contentedly grazed by our herd of pedigree Welsh Black cattle.
Having met at Uni in Liverpool, we both headed back south to study a little more, Martin in garden design and Estate Management, and Kate in Secondary Science teaching.
Much to the bewilderment of both sets of parents, we got married in a woodland in the middle of the farm, on the one sunny day of a very wet July back in 1998, with the dragonflies doing circles above our heads. A few years later, with a couple of lovely toddlers in tow, (Holly and Archie), we bought 4 highland cows, and invited Bisley Blue Coat School to visit, meet the cows and make dens in the wood we married in……and the rest is history!
The highlands became Welsh blacks, and the schools became numerous and from further afield. With the farm now well established, and the toasted marshmallows at Copsegrove having become much sought after, we were able to turn our attention to the beautiful but rather battered farmhouse with the idea of creating an exceptional destination for multi generational families and groups of friends to come together, relax, and enjoy the peace and tranquility of Copsegrove.
Covid hit as we started renovations, but our bubble of brilliant and dedicated surveyors, builders, plumbers, electricians and landscapers worked tirelessly on and incredibly the project was completed a year later. We welcomed our first family as our guests in July of 2021 under a partnership which we began with Unique Homestays, and the house has been continually enjoyed ever since by a fabulously diverse array of people from all over the world and all walks of life, celebrating 1st to 90th birthdays , engagements, weddings, reunions, and hosting corporate away stays, and well being retreats.
A Peek Into The Past
2021
Martin, promising to pause projects on the farm to enable us to catch our breath, then promptly began to quietly “pootle” inside the old stone grain barn sitting rather majestically above the farm house. He finally came clean having removed the old grain bins, revealing the most beautiful building and space inside. And so the next vision began to form……..! After a year of hard graft on the barn walls, the roof, the incorporation of a catering kitchen and loos, combined with the construction of bespoke chandeliers and wall lighting (using repurposed components from the grain kit), together with a monster fire grate, the barn was ready to be shared with people!
2023
It was at this point that we began to talk in depth with the brilliant and wonderfully creative local chef and friend Ian Ballantyne about the idea of putting on a feast for people, using our own beef and other locally sourced foods, that would celebrate the season, and the spirit of coming together over tasty food, and to create an atmosphere where everyone felt warmly welcomed and relaxed.
Our Feasts Are Born
As a trio with a shared excitement, energy and enthusiasm , we then spent a month preparing a menu, selling our first tickets, hiring tables, chairs, crockery, cutlery, the whole shebang…….whilst Martin adapted the Bull pen in to a very rustic quirky bar! On Thursday October 12th 2023, we welcomed 57 guests, and Ian put on a magnificent menu of 7 courses, 6 of which showcased our beef! It was fabulous! So we did another….and a few more……and so the journey has continued and evolved, and it’s been a hoot! We have all loved meeting and welcoming people from close by and from afar, and have been lucky enough to work alongside a group of fabulous, hardworking and fun people, who form our feast team, and who help us pull it all together each feast night.
The kit is now our own, the bar has running water, the food is even more delicious and varied, and we love to welcome all sorts of different musicians to our evenings, as well as the occasional bit of theatre, sometimes planned and occasionally spontaneous!
The barn has shown itself to be a gorgeous place for gatherings and celebrations, with beautiful features, a quirky unique charm and a real warmth in its walls. The acoustics for live music, whether that be folk, or jazz, harp or even bagpipes are fabulous, and the barn lends itself to being a very special music venue too.
Watch this space……….!
Meet The Copsegrove Team
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