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A lasting show For a glorious burst of late-owering colour, nothing beats the dahlia
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OUNDED HEADS OF deep velvet reds and purples contrast with spikes of rich golden yellow and burnt orange to give a cascade of autumn colour. This glorious display of nature’s rainbow comes courtesy of one single, extraordinary flower: the dahlia. This is a plant that delights with colour and shape, each proud green stem bearing a crown of simple, vibrant beauty. Dahlias were first introduced to Britain in 1802 and quickly became fashionable with the English gentry. Since then they have become the epitome of cut-and-come again flowers, and a traditional garden essential. Since they are not naturally hardy, growing and maintaining dahlias is time consuming though incredibly rewarding, as Geoff Hoyle’s garden proves. He and his wife, Heather, showcase these flowers to perfection at their home, in Bredbury, Cheshire. Their display is a true visual feast and the result of a 20-year labour of love. Originally, the 55 metre-long plot was split in two, and consisted of a vegetable garden and a lawn. But this all changed when Geoff was given some dahlias by his father. “I had such fond childhood memories of working in the garden with my father who loved dahlias,” says Geoff. “When he was getting towards the end of his life, he gave me a few tubers to look after and that’s how it all began.” The seeds had been sown to put Geoff on the path to becoming an exceptional grower. The allure of the plant, he says, is down to the sheer variety of its colour, shape and size.
Geoff and Heather Hoyle in their garden in Bredbury, Cheshire
Colourful bedding such as begonias are planted to coincide with the dahlias’ flowering
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Dahlias have an extended flowering season, continuing to flower well into October
“When bright flowers bloom Parchment crumbles, my words fade The pen has dropped” Morpheus, the god of dreams
It’s the reason why his original vegetable patch and lawn gradually diminished as the surrounding flowerbeds grew to accommodate more and more dahlias. The garden is still split roughly in half, by a line of dividing trellis. In the first half, nearest the house, a path cuts through the lawn, flanked on either side by deep borders, packed with dahlias jostling for space. On the other side of the trellis, a perfect circle of grass is completely surrounded by rising ranks of dahlias, giving an enclosed feel – a feature Heather designed. The plants are impeccably set out in strict height order, tallest at the back, sloping down to lower growers at the front. This is achieved with a rather unusual method, and nothing is left to chance. “I have a big plan,” Geoff explains. “Everything is on a spreadsheet and at the end of each year I measure how tall each variety grew. Then I organise them by height so I know where to plant them next year. It’s the most important thing: I don’t have a colour scheme, just a height scheme.” In front of the dahlias are colourful bedding plants, such
Geoff’s collection illustrates the breadth of variety of dahlias. This vivid scarlet is ‘Marion Storer’
‘Mayan Pearl’ is a light pink with distinctive twisted petals and is an excellent flowerer
as begonias, rudbeckia and marigolds – plants that will specifically coincide with the dahlias’ flowering. “We open for the National Gardens Scheme in September, so I’m aiming for a specific date to get everything looking right,” Geoff says. “It’s easy with the dahlias because I know they’ll be in flower, but I try to get all the bedding plants timed as well. They have a much shorter season.” Just after the first frosts of the year, Geoff lifts each plant so the tubers can spend winter safely nestled in compost and boxes in the greenhouse. In spring, cuttings must be taken of the new shoots once the tubers have been started into growth, then each new plant that results is planted outside once the risk of frost is over. Staking, tying in and constant deadheading at the height of the flowering season keep the plants looking good before the dahlias are lifted again. With 300 plants made up of around 150 varieties, this is not a low-maintenance garden and Geoff’s collection is a feat of skill and dedication. He tries out new varieties every year – propagating the plants to grow a few more each time. ›
The soft rounded head of ‘Lakeland Autumn’ is complemented with delicate salmon pink flowers
By contrast, the more showy ‘Sorbet’ has sharp-pointed white petals with vibrant hot pink tips
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English holly (Ilex aquifolium ‘Pyramidalis Fructu Luteo’) Fiery autumn foliage colours complement the muted yellow berries of this seldom seen evergreen, which can be grown as a large shrub or small tree
Little gems Trees and shrubs prepare to yield a fresh beauty – branches adorned with jewel-like berries and fruits 26
Mulberry wine (Gaultheria mucronata, syn. Pernettya mucronata) Growing male and female forms of this acid-loving shrub close to each other guarantees a mass of gleaming berries from mid-summer through to spring
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OUNTIFUL BERRIES ARE the jewels of the autumn garden, glistening in the low sunlight as late summer flowers slowly fade. It’s the berries of deciduous trees and shrubs that often glow most brightly, complementing fiery autumn foliage colours to create a spectacular seasonal display. While gleaming red berries may initially be the most prolific in gardens and hedgerows, more unusual colours predominate as autumn turns slowly to winter. The simple reason for this is that it’s shiny red berries that first capture the attention of birds. Berries are a vital food source for many native and visiting birds, particularly in the winter, and it seems that birds will invariably choose to eat red ones first, stripping branches of holly, hawthorn and yew in a matter of hours. Perhaps it’s because red berries are easy to spot in among hedges and garden borders or because they’re the sweetest of the many crops available. Either way, if you want to hang on to bright berry colours in the garden for as long as possible, consider plants with pink, purple, yellow, orange or even black berries. Perhaps Euonymus europaeus with its flamboyant magenta and orange berries, or Clerodendrum trichotomum with metallic blue berries that glow in autumn sunlight. Berry-bearing trees and shrubs will produce more fruit and hang on to it for longer if they’re grown in a sunny, sheltered spot, rather than in shade or an exposed location. Varieties with unusual berries, in colour and form, will make them much less tempting to birds while still appearing highly decorative to our eye. ›
Beauty berry (Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’) As its leaves become tinted with golden purple, they are joined by large, dense clusters of vivid violet bead-like berries which continue to thrive long after leaf-fall
Barbary (Berberis macrantha) This lax-growing deciduous shrub looks most effective when several specimens are grown together. Bare branches laden with berries create striking floral arrangements
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Crab apple (Malus trilobata) This unusual crab apple has distinctive maple-like leaves which turn burgundy in autumn. Red-flushed green berries are only produced after a hot summer
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) Harvest the ebony berries of our native blackthorn to make to make your own sloe gin – though beware the spines!
(Cornus alba Sibirica) Dogwood provides superior colour for the autumn garden. Neat clusters of small white berries emerge at the centre of russet-toned leaves. Next, come the vivid crimson stems
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Photography: Gap Photos
Dogwood
Photography: Gap Photos
Rowan (Sorbus Astrid) Richly coloured berries begin to form in September and often last well into winter. Let them ripen fully and then use them to make rowan jelly
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The spirit of tradition
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In the heart of rural Somerset, the home of the English apple, Julian Temperley has revived the ancient art of cider brandy-making
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N THE HEAVY dew of an autumn morning the pale sunshine creeps along the rows of ordered apple trees, their branches droop with red fruits, ready to drop. Once nature takes its course, the fruit will be the key ingredient for an ancient British spirit that has been embraced by artisan cider maker, Julian Temperley. Driven by a passion for heritage and history, Julian has spent years dedicated to bringing back the centuries-old tradition of producing cider brandy. A drink that historically graced the dinner tables of the wealthy English classes, it all but disappeared when a tax on spirits was introduced in the 18th century. After reading and learning about the process, Julian says that making the brandy at his small-scale cider farm in Somerset became “a personal quest” for him. It has also been a task that has demanded skill and great patience. “It takes so long to make cider brandy – up to 20 years – you must be totally committed to making it work,” he explains. “We were reluctant to abandon the principles of artisan cider making, and decided it should be possible to create an intense, apple-flavoured spirit to sell alongside the cider, so we decided to try distilling.” He and his wife Diana grow around 40 varieties of apples on their farm next to Burrow Hill in Somerset and have been respected traditional cider makers since the mid 1980s, but their venture into cider brandy wasn’t always straightforward. After facing a long, frustrating battle to
Julian Temperley and a bottle of his Somerset Cider Brandy, produced at his family farm in Somerset
gain it, the drink now has the vital full appellation contrôlle status, which means that Somerset cider brandy is officially defined by the region it comes from. The orchards at Julian’s farm are proudly traditional. The trees are mature and fully grown, as opposed to the short-lived or high-density dwarf or bush fruit trees that are found in many modern, commercial orchards. He does not use pesticides and the grass in the orchards is kept short by a herd of grazing sheep. Making the brandy begins in October, after ripened apples have been allow to fall to the ground and rest on the grass. This is the true and traditional method of cider making – allowing the apples to ferment on the ground rather than turning the juice into concentrate. “By law, we must include at least 20 varieties of apple in each bottle, which have been grown in non-intensive orchards,” says Julian. “Allowing the apples to ripen on the ground is essential to our process. Fermentation begins when they fall, as starch is converted to sugar. You get more juice and more sugar this way which makes for a better quality.” When the apples are gathered and washed, the process of making the brandy begins. The method Julian uses is contained in an ancient almanac, The Treatise of Cider, published in 1668, which has a passage referring to the discovery of cider brandy. “…And you may after due fermentation extract spirits, vulgarly called Brandy, in great plenty, and very excellent…”. ›
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By law, each bottle of cider brandy must contain 20 varieties of apple
Above: Julian’s orchard is proudly traditional. The copper stills containing the fermented cider
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To make this “excellent” brandy, the juices from all the varieties of apples must be perfectly blended. English apples are classified as bitter-sweets, sweet, sharps and bitter-sharps and getting the balance right is a tricky business. Stoke Red, for example, is a tiny bitter sharp apple, and Harry Masters Jersey has a bittersweet flavour. Once crushed and blended, the juice from the apples is fermented in oak vats for six months to become cider. This is then kept in one of two gleaming old copper stills to distill, which removes the colour from the liquid and produces a condensed, pure spirit known as eau de vie (water of life). By order of Customs and Excise, the stills with their valuable contents are highly protected behind armour plated glass and 68 locks and seals. The liquid is then stored in wooden barrels, a crucial part of the process during which the brandy absorbs the subtle flavours of the oak. “The making of good brandy is a question of time and barrels,” Julian says. “Different wood imparts different flavours, “so a tasting is exciting as it is always full of surprises. We have to blend those barrels to get the right taste. Legally, though, once it has been put into a barrel it has to sit for at least three years.” The barrels are stored in another tightly secured barn-like room called a ‘bond’ until they soften and mellow. Then Julian and his distiller Tim Edwards will begin blending the contents of the barrels to make their specific brandy. “We do it mostly by nose: if you tasted it all you would end up very drunk,” Julian says. “This stuff is 60 per cent alcohol, which is extremely strong!” They also consult other people during testing. “We usually include one or two women because they have a different, and often better palate than men,” Julian says. When the time is right, the cider brandy is brought down to bottling strength by adding distilled water to the liquid. “We then cork it, label it, and it’s ready to sell.” The brandies are bottled at three years old, fives year old, 10 years old and a small amount at 15 years old. The eau de vie, the clear spirit extracted from the stills, is also bottled
To make cider, apple juice is fermented in oak vats for six months
A selection of Julian’s ciders
“Let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps” Louise Erdrich, The Painted Drum
and sold, along with number bottles known as ‘specials’, such as a cherry and almond flavoured brandy using morello cherries grown by Julian’s neighbour. Every summer, Julian takes his customised ‘cider bus’ on the road to various festivals, including the Glastonbury rock festival, a few miles down the road. “It is a wonderful way to get feedback from customers,” he says. And though the success of the business continues to grow, Julian is still tremendously passionate about his craft. “We were the first small commercial distillery and I think we have changed people’s thinking,” he says. “Cider making has a proud past in this country and it’s our job to go as far as we can in the opposite direction to the mass producers. “We can claim to use the best practices, and we have 1,000 years of history and provenance behind us.” “Besides, there is nothing more beautiful than an English cider orchard, and it’s just a complete joy to sit drinking a glass of cider brandy with friends.” Photography: Alamy; Rex Features
• Words: Fiona Cumberpatch • Photography: Mark Bolton
CONTACT The Somerset Cider Brandy Company and Burrow Hill Cider, Pass Vale Farm, Burrow Hill, Kingsbury Episcopi, Martock, Somerset TA12 6BU Tel: 01460 240782. www. ciderbrandy.co.uk. Open every day except Sunday, 9am-5.30pm
Cider brandy custard Flavour homemade custard with apple brandy and serve hot or cold over a comforting warm apple pie Ingredients • 300ml whole milk • 300ml single cream • 1 vanilla pod, halved with seeds scraped out and reserved
• 7 large egg yolks • 50g golden caster sugar • 100ml Apple brandy
Heat milk, cream, vanilla pod and the vanilla seeds to a boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 20mins, then remove the vanilla pod. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale. Add to the milk mixture and whisk to combine. Cook gently until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the apple.
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Ripe for the picking Plump and heavy with hearty goodness, pumpkins and squashes are now in abundance
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he rich, vibrant colours of their thick, sturdy skins are synonymous with autumn; their ample, weighty bodies full of nutritious goodness. In the kitchen, pumpkins and squashes are an incredibly versatile seasonal staple. Ideal for soups, they can also be used to create a simple, tasty side dish and are substantial enough to be the main ingredient of a hearty main course. Make the most of this year’s harvest with these delicious recipes ›
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Pumpkin bread Makes 1 large loaf
2 tsp fennel seeds
400g pumpkin flesh, cut into 2cm cubes
7g sachet easy blend yeast
500g strong white bread flour
approx 150ml water
1½ tsp salt
beaten egg, to glaze
Place the pumpkin cubes in the top of a steamer and steam for 10min or until very tender. Mash well until smooth and set aside to cool. Place the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the fennel seeds and yeast. Add the cooled pumpkin purée and enough water to mix to form a soft pliable dough. Knead well for 10min. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and loosely cover with clingfilm. Leave in a warm place to rise, approx 1 hour or until doubled in size. Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured surface. Knock back and lightly knead. Shape into a round ball and place on an oiled baking sheet. Cover loosely and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, approx 45min. Brush the bread with beaten egg to glaze then with a sharp knife make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes across the dough. Bake at 200ºC/gas mark 6 for 40min or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Pumpkin & pear soup Serves 6 900g pumpkin flesh, cut into chunks 1 large onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 40g butter 1 tbsp mild curry powder 600ml vegetable stock 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme 2 pears, peeled, cored and sliced 2–3 tbsp double cream (optional) 300ml milk salt and freshly ground black pepper 50g Stilton or other English blue cheese Heat the butter in a large saucepan and sauté the pumpkin chunks, onion and garlic for 10min. Add the curry powder then stir in the stock and thyme. Bring to the boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 30min. Place the pear slices in a small pan with 2tbsp water. Cover and cook gently for about 10min until very soft. Purée in a liquidiser or food processor. Stir in the double cream, if using, and set aside. Remove the thyme sprigs, purée the soup and return to the pan. Add the milk and heat gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the soup with a swirl of pear purée and crumbled Stilton on top.
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Pan-fried squash with sage Serves 4 1 butternut squash approx 24 fresh sage leaves 4 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil 50g butter salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cut the butternut squash in half, scoop out and discard the seeds. Peel the squash and cut into chunks or thin wedges. Chop approx one-third of the sage leaves. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the whole sage leaves. Cook for 1–2min until crispy, remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Add the butter to the pan and stir in the chopped sage. Add the squash and cook over a low heat for 15–20min or until the squash is tender. Serve with the juices from the pan poured over then garnish with the crispy fried sage leaves. ›
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Gently curling with golden tips, these biscuits are a clever idea for autumn baking
Edible leaves These delicate leaf-shaped biscuits make an unusual accompaniment to afternoon tea 54
Ingredients • 115g unsalted butter, softened • 95g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting • 30g dark brown soft sugar • pinch of salt • vanilla pod • 2 egg whites • 250g plain flour
Press out the leaf shapes then lay each one on a rolling pin, pressing the pastry lightly so it forms a rounded curve
1. Combine the butter, icing sugar, dark sugar and salt in a bowl and beat until both colour and texture lighten. Slice the vanilla pod in half and use the back of the knife to scrape the seeds into the bowl.
The biscuits will keep for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container
2. Add one egg white and whisk for 2min until the mixture thickens. Add the second egg white and whisk for a further 2min until the mixture thickens again.
3. Fold the flour into the mixture with a metal spoon, adding more until the mixture is no longer sticky. Dust a surface with flour and lightly knead the dough. Divide the dough into two and wrap each half tightly in cling film. Chill in the fridge for 30min. 4. Heat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. Dust a surface with icing sugar, roll one batch of dough very thinly to a thickness of between 1mm and 2mm. Press out the leaf shapes with the cutters, and lift each one with a knife on to a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Place some biscuits upside down with their icing-sugared surface facing upwards. Bake, one tray at a time, for 4 to 6min or until the tips of the leaves turn golden. Remove from the oven and, working quickly, use a spatula to lift a biscuit and lay it over the rolling pin. Press the biscuit carefully so it rounds a little over the pin and leave to set for 30-40sec. Return the tray to the oven for 1min to reheat the remaining biscuits, and repeat the process until all have been shaped. If the biscuits break, roll the remaining dough a little thinner or bake for a shorter time. • Photography: Richard Faulks • Design: Emma Kendell
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A scattering of conkers and maple leaves are arranged on a linen table cloth. To prevent their edges curling, the leaves have been pressed under a heavy book. A jar of lichen-covered twigs makes a simple centrepiece
Jewels from the woodland oor 58
A single conker and a maple leaf on a plain napkin are used to create place settings
This hanging decoration is made by drilling a central hole in three conkers then threading with ribbon
• Photography: Richard Faulks • Styling: Emma Kendell
Conkers gathered on a country walk are a natural way to bring seasonal decoration to the home
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Knitted minatures Beautifully detailed, these models of favourite British dog breeds can be made in just a few evenings
The finished knitted dog measures 15cm long and 12cm high
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ERFECTLY POISED, with authentic inquisitive faces and perky tails and ears, these knitted minature dogs can be made by any knitter who can do knit, purl and loopy stitches. The pattern for the West Highland terrier can be found on page 135, and to download the pattern for the Pointer (right), visit www.landscapemagazine.co.uk/ craft-projects. Patterns for more breeds, including the Border Collie (far right) can be found in the Best In Show books by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne.
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MEASUREMENTS • Length: 15cm (6in) • Height to top of head: 12cm (43⁄4in)
MATERIALS • Pair of 23⁄4mm knitting needles • 4 spare 23⁄4mm knitting needles or small stitch holders or safety pins • Tiny amount of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply in Black 404 for nose and eyes
• 20g (3⁄4oz) of Rowan Kildsilk Haze in Cream 634 (cr) used DOUBLE throughout • Small amount of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply in Hessian 416 (he) for collar
The recommended yarn is Rowan Kildsilk Haze in cream. A tiny amount of black is needed for the eyes and nose
The pattern for this minature Pointer can be downloaded for free from our website
The book has patterns for a range of breeds, such as this Border Collie
To download the Pointer pattern for free, visit www.landscapemagazine.co.uk/crafts Taken from the books Best In Show: Knit Your Own Dog and Best in Show: 25 More Dogs To Knit by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne, published by Collins & Brown. www.bestinshowbooks.com. To order a copy of either book for only £8.49 each (RRP £12.99), including free UK p&p, call 0844 5768122 and quote reference CH1755.
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Juicy, freshly picked blackberries, plums and pears are now ripe and ready to create delicious sweet treats
Fruits of the harvest Upside down plum tart Serves 6 50g blanched hazelnuts 125g plain flour 25g icing sugar 150g butter 2 free-range egg yolks 75g golden caster sugar 8–10 plums 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
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Place the hazelnuts in a food processor and blitz to finely chop, add the flour and icing sugar and blitz again. Then add 75g of the butter cut into cubes. Process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and mix to a soft dough, adding a little cold water if required. Cover and allow the pastry to rest for 15min. Roll the pastry out on to a lightly floured work surface to a 25cm circle. Place the pastry on a baking sheet, and chill until required. Place the remaining butter and sugar in a 23cm
frying pan with an oven-proof handle and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture begins to caramelise and turn into toffee. Remove from the heat, cut the plums in half, discard the stones and arrange the plums cut side up in the pan. Sprinkle with the rosemary. Lift the pastry over the plums and tuck the edges down into the pan. Bake in a preheated oven, 200ºC/gas mark 6 for 25–30min until the pastry is crisp and golden. Leave the tart in the pan for 5min, then turn out on a warm plate.
Rich rice pudding with plum compote Serves 6
1 tsp arrowroot
400g plums
600ml full cream milk
2 cinnamon sticks
225g short-grain pudding rice
10 cardamom pods
3 medium egg yolks
150ml sweet dessert wine
75g caster sugar
To make the plum compote, stone the plums and cut into thick slices. Place in a saucepan with 1 cinnamon stick and 4 crushed cardamom pods. Add the wine and heat gently until the wine comes to a simmer, then for another 10–15min or until the plums are tender. Do not overcook or the plums will break up. Mix the arrowroot with a little water to form a paste and stir into the plum compote, cook for a few seconds more until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Place the milk, remaining cinnamon stick and crushed cardamom pods in a pan and bring gently to the boil. Turn off heat and allow the flavours to infuse while you part cook the rice. Place the rice with 600ml water in a large pan and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15min or until the water has been absorbed. Strain the milk into the pan, discarding the spices. Cook gently, stirring frequently for 15min or until the rice is tender and the milk is thick and creamy. Mix together the egg yolks and the sugar. Add a little of the hot rice to the eggs and mix well. Pour this mixture into the pan and cook for a further minute, stirring constantly. Serve the rice pudding warm or cold with the compote spooned on top.
Pear and blackberry cake Serves 6–8 2 small firm, ripe pears
150g light muscovado sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
3 free-range eggs
1 piece stem ginger, finely chopped
200g self-raising flour
150g softened butter
icing sugar to dust
150g blackberries
Peel, core and dice the pears. Toss in the lemon juice and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition, adding 1tbsp of flour with the last egg. Sift the remaining flour into the bowl and fold in. Add the diced pears and sliced ginger and fold in. Spoon into a greased 20cm-deep round cake tin and level the top. Arrange the blackberries on top of the cake and gently push a little way into the batter. Bake at 180ºC/gas mark 4 for 50–60min or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 5min. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and serve cold, dusted with icing sugar.
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Forest of gold Autumn brings its magic to the leaves and footpaths of the Ashridge estate on a spectacular walk in the heart of the Chilterns
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Bathed in a low, golden light, the ancient oak and beech trees form a spectacular canopy
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he HOME OF chalk ridges, manicured valleys, uniquely important nature reserves and one of the largest and healthiest expanses of broadleaf woodland in the country, the Ashridge Estate looks spectacular at most times of the year, but is surely at its finest now. With the turn of autumn, the ancient oaks and beeches are flecked with low golden sunshine, and their falling leaves transform a lattice of footpaths into an elegant mosaic of orange, red and gold. A perfect starting point for an eight-mile walk into the estate where the counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire meet, is the village it cradles: Aldbury.
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Redolent of a Cotswold idyll, Aldbury is hewn in golden stone that gleams in the autumnal sunshine. It also stays resolutely in a previous century, blessed by its village green, weeping willows, manorial houses and centrepiece duck pond. There are rich layers of history here, whether you find it in the well-preserved 16th-century stocks and whipping post, or in the grand Tudor and Stuart houses which have passed through generations of aristocracy. You might also find it in the village’s two venerable alehouses, The Greyhound and The Valiant Trooper: the latter is said to have acquired its name after the Duke of Wellington stopped in to discuss battle tactics with his commanders prior
to his campaign against India’s Maratha Empire in 1803. From Aldbury, walking with the village pond on your left, a bridleway leading from Toms Hill Road heads east into the woods of Ashridge. It climbs a steep bank – a reminder that this is the heartland of the Chiltern Hills, which roil their way across this landscape in dramatic scarps and long, low ridges. Immediately the woodland is spectacular, and during late summer, mists creeping among the trunks and boughs, while a pallid sun filters through from the outside world. At the top of the ridge stands the 108ft Bridgewater Monument. The Dukes of Bridgewater were several generations
The balcony at the top of the Bridgewater Monument offers views across the whole estate
Now autumn’s fire burns slowly along the woods, And day by day the dead leaves fall and melt, William Allingham, Day And Night Songs
of the Egerton family, the masters of Ashridge for over 300 years. This grand monument remembers the Third Duke, Francis Egerton, a mining magnate and passionate engineer hailed as “the father of inland navigation”, who created new waterways which opened up trade and industry across the country before steam railways took the mantle. His masterpiece is the Bridgewater Canal in Manchester. On selected weekends you can climb the monument’s 170 steps and stand on the balcony at the top, staring out across the vast golden canopy of the Ashridge estate, looking down on Aldbury. From the monument, heading north, the path stays within the woodland of Ashridge for the better part of almost two
miles. The estate’s herds of fallow deer can be seen grazing among the trees, and from September to November they are in rut, the males bellowing and battling in their bid to claim their prize. Watching them is endlessly absorbing: the stags’ breath writhing across the thick air, the crack and tattle of clashing antlers, and that almighty roar issuing from the beasts’ raised gullets. At the northern apex of the walk is Ivinghoe Beacon. This grand chalk scarp forms a junction for two of Britain’s most ancient trade routes – the Icknield Way emerging from Ashridge, and the Ridgeway, which starts its journey high on the beacon before galloping 87 miles south west to Avebury in Wiltshire. ›
Aldbury has a well-preserved history. These stocks date from the 16th century
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