AN ACCOUNTANT is following his nose with the first perfume inspired by Wiltshire beauty spot Barbury Castle.

Stanley Bolden has been interested in aftershaves all his life.

But the 59-year-old from Wroughton has now made the jump from consumer to producer with a fragrance based on the Iron Age hillfort that towers over his home village.

He told the Adver: “I’ve lived in Wiltshire for some years now. One of thing things about the county is its beautiful countryside.

“It’s not just visually beautiful – it’s the smells of the countryside. I thought I’d create a fragrance that was a reflection of nature.”

He worked with Cotswold perfumer John Stephen, who has created fragrances for the Royal Family.

The result was Pan – named after the Greek god of nature and all things rustic. As a perfume, Stanley described the cologne as complex. It has top notes of lavender, lemon and bergamot, followed by cardamom, coriander and black pepper. Finally, there are hits of patchouli and ambergris.

Turning perfumier is a new venture for Stanley. He studied economics at university, qualified as an accountant and now works in Hungerford – commuting every day from his home in Wroughton.

While the day job is going through figures, his passion is perfume.

“Most people like to smell nice. I’ve enjoyed different aftershaves and colognes. I felt I’d like something a little more woody,” he said.

“I had been thinking about creating a fragrance anyway. I’d also been looking for a challenge in life.”

Barbury Castle is where he goes to think. And he did plenty of that while he was working on the Pan fragrance.

The perfume is made at the Cotswold Perfumery in Bourton-on-the-Water. It is funnelled into engraved bottles made to Stanley’s design before being labelled and boxed.

Stanley has invested £25,000 of his own cash in the scheme, with 1,000 bottles of the high-end perfume to sell.

Asked how it felt to hold the first bottle of Pan in his hands, Stanley said: “Very exciting. Quite a thrill, really. I’d done all the design of the packaging – the whole concept. It’s quite a thrill to bring something to the market. It’s very satisfying.”

Designed originally for men, the fragrance also seems to be proving a hit among women. If it takes off, Stanley said he would consider developing alternative scents.

Pan is available to buy online via barburycastle.com. £50 RRP.