AVEBURY'S Natrional Trust shop has been given a spruce up.

On Tuesday 19 March, National Trust staff, volunteers and local residents celebrated the reopening of the National Trust shop in Avebury with a glass of bubbly and an opportunity to have a look around and chat to the team.

After 18 years of wear and tear the shop now has a fresh new look and a wide range of gifts and souvenirs.

Diane Vickers, Retail Manager, said: “After a hectic few days of emptying the shop, cleaning, painting and re-stocking the shelves, it’s now been transformed into a beautiful new retail space. Our products are shown off beautifully on the specially lit units and the whole space has a more inviting and airy feel about it that just makes you want to linger and browse. Our visitors are already commenting on how lovely the shop is now.”

In particular, the Trust is pleased to show off one of their new ranges, the ‘Sutton Lane Meadow’ range of products. These are a grasslands theme based on one of the local sites that the Trust look after which is located near Chippenham. This little known site SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interests) consists of three meadows, tucked away and unassuming most of the year, but in May it comes alive with countless native and some rare wildflowers.

The National Trust has based their new range of gift products on the stunning flowers that grow there which includes four types of orchids. There are currently gloves, bags and scarves available in this design, with further items appearing later in the year.

Diane continues “The Sutton Lane Meadows range is really wonderful. It’s the first time we’ve had a range of products based on one of the sites our team look after – I can’t wait to see the rest of the items as they come in throughout the year - and even better, the money raised from the shop helps to look after special places like these.”

Readers may be interested to know that there are guided National Trust Ranger walks around Sutton Lane Meadows when the flowers are in bloom in May. Further information can be found at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-lane-meadows.