PRINCE Charles had a chat and a chuckle with the owners of the Ramsbury estate yesterday.

After a whistle-stop tour of the brewery, His Royal Highness enjoyed a snifter of vodka and a taste of the gin which was brewed and distilled onsite.

He also spoke to excited schoolchildren from Ramsbury Primary School, who were making

containers for cowslips which, when planted, will attract rare Duke of Burgundy butterflies.

The conservation project is one of many made possible by grants from the Prince’s Countryside Fund.

The royal visit ended with a trip to The Bell at Ramsbury pub at the village square, where cheering crowds greeted the Prince of Wales and a band of musical youngsters played Christmas carols.

Matt Saxton, general manager of the Bell, met Prince Charles when he popped in to say hello and meet the tenants who rent farmland on the Ramsbury estate.

Matt said: “It’s amazing and exciting, he told me how much he enjoyed visiting the brewery and suggested trying a whiskey with Earl Grey and honey.”