Life flourishes on the riverbank The art of the lacemaker
Exploring the heart of the Peaks
Yorkshire daffodils | Camellias | Garden ponds | Lamb | Spinach | Almonds | Lace craft | Herdwick sheep | Felt chickens | Pine martens | Dyed eggs | Violets
Spring’s gentle promise
Mar / Apr 2013
Issue 07 | Mar/Apr 2013 | £3.90
LandScape - Life at nature’s pace
www.landscapemagazine.co.uk
Mar / Apr 2013 £3.90
Life at nature’s pace
A carpet of gold Hidden in the heart of the North York Moors, the Farndale valley with its famous daffodils offers the perfect walk for welcoming springtime
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Wild daffodils growing by the River Dove in spring, Farndale, North Yorkshire
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Exotic earlies Camellias are among the first plants to bloom in spring and bridge the gap between winter and summer beautifully
Camellia williamsii hybrid ‘EG Waterhouse’, an evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves and double, pale pink flowers in mid-spring
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Quiet stillness There are few more soothing things to do in a garden than sit in the sunshine beside a pond
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aving a pond of any sort adds another dimension to gardening and another avenue for creativity. Water is an art form, relaxing and pleasing to the eye and its presence opens up exciting possibilities for growing plants that thrive in a wet environment. Whatever its size, shape and contents, a pond is life-enhancing and each type comes with its own unique features to complement any style of garden and the tastes of the gardener. If you have a garden pond you would be proud to see in a future issue of LandScape, please email the team a photograph to landscapemagazine@bauermedia.co.uk
focal points Unique garden features like this wrought iron wagon wheel add a personal flourish to a pond. Anything with an interesting shape or texture will age and weather to provide a focal point. Stone or marble sinks, millstones or ceramic pots can be recycled. A small, submersible water pump can be added to create movement in the water or a cascade into the pool.
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WILD AND NATURAL A wild garden pond blends in naturally with the surrounding environment and provides habitat for a wide range of insects and amphibians. Its uncultivated appearance belies the close attention needed to ensure the best conditions for life to flourish. Size is immaterial but depth is important as most wildlife will inhabit the shallow borders. On the other hand, a deep section is also necessary to shelter pond creatures in freezing weather.
Large and spacious A larger pond offers the opportunity for grander and more adventurous planting. Trees, shrubs and larger aquatic plants like ferns and ornamental rhubarb that will cast attractive reflections in the pond’s surface. A big pond also gives the scope to raise ornamental fish that need the depth and surface area that it can afford, and protection from predators. A large body of water is also slow to change in temperature and so will not suffer so much from the growth of invasive algae that can choke plants and inhibit fish.
fountains of water A fountain opens up a world of inventive ways to add the music of bubbling, splashing water to the garden. The original fountains of ancient Greece and the Middle East were simply functional: a way of delivering water from a spring or an aqueduct to city dwellers. In the 6th century the first multi-spouted fountain was constructed in the market square in Athens. It was the Romans who brought fountains into the domestic garden and discovered how to create a vertical jet of water using a source of water higher than the fountain. Many Romans fed water from a lake or river in the mountains down channels to their villas. ›
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Tender spring lamb The delicate flavour and succulent texture of new season lamb needs little to enhance it • Recipes: Jacqueline Bellefontaine • Photography: Food & Foto
Classic roast leg of lamb with Shrewsbury sauce Serves 4-8 1 whole garlic bulb, plus 1 garlic clove 1 onion A few sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary 2.2kg leg of lamb Salt and pepper 2 tbsp flour 450ml light fruity red wine 150ml lamb or chicken stock 3 tbsp redcurrant jelly 1 tbsp mild mustard 2 tbsp lemon juice (optional) Cut the single garlic clove in half and rub the leg of lamb all over with the cut ends, then rub the base of an ovenproof dish. Cut the garlic bulb in half. Slice the onion and place in the centre of the roasting dish with the fresh herbs and the halved garlic bulb. Place the lamb on top and season with salt and pepper. Add 150ml water to the dish. Roast in the oven (200ºC/gas mark 6) for 1 hour. Decrease the cooking time by about 15-30min if you prefer your lamb more on the pink side and increase by 15min for well done. Add a little more water if the dish dries out to prevent the juices from burning. Remove the lamb from the dish, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest while making the sauce. Spoon off any excess fat, though with spring lamb you should not have too much. Place the dish on the hob over a low heat and add the flour, stirring well to lift up any of the juices from the base of the dish. Gradually stir in the wine and stock. Add the redcurrant jelly and mustard and cook, stirring until the jelly has dissolved. Then allow to simmer for 10min, stirring occasionally. Stir in half the lemon juice if desired and season to taste, adding a little more lemon juice if required. Carve the lamb and stir any juices into the sauce before serving the sauce alongside the lamb.
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Fresh leaves of spinach An early crop of tender spinach is ready to harvest in April and can be eaten raw or used in a range of recipes
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pinach is an edible flowering plant that is thought to have originated in ancient Persia. Spinach oleracea is the Latin name for common spinach and it belongs to the Amaranth family, which contains saltbush and hop sage. Iron and vitamin rich spinach first appeared in England and France in the 14th century and gained popularity quickly because it appeared in early spring when other vegetables were scarce. It has a bittersweet taste and its strong colour is often used to dye pasta green. Spinach is a versatile vegetable in cooking, adding just the right amount to soups and roulades, and chicken and cheese dishes alike. ›
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Almond delights One of our most familiar nuts and also the most versatile with its unique taste and texture
Almond and coconut tarts Makes 8
100g ground almonds
350g butter
100g coconut flakes
250g sugar
8 tbsp raspberry jam
300g flour
20g flaked almonds
5 medium eggs
Icing sugar for dusting
1 lemon
Flour for the work surface
Dice 200g butter for the pastry. Beat 100g sugar, the flour, 1 egg and the diced butter until smooth. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface, about 3mm thick. Cut out 8 circles (14cm) and put them into tartlet tins (11cm). Refrigerate for 30min. Prick the tartlet bases with a fork several times and bake in a preheated oven (175â—ŚC/gas mark 4) for about 15min. Separate one egg and beat the egg white. Take the tartlets out of the oven and brush the bases with egg white. Bake the tartlets for a further 2min at the same temperature. Meanwhile, wash the lemon in hot water, pat dry and grate off the peel in fine slivers. Beat 150g butter and 150g sugar together with an electric whisk, until creamy. Add 3 eggs one by one, as well as the remaining egg yolk, and mix well. Stir in the ground almonds, coconut flakes (leaving a little for decoration) and the lemon gratings. Divide the raspberry jam amongst the tartlets. Divide the nutty paste mix among them and smooth down. Sprinkle the tops with flaked almonds and coconut. Bake the tartlets for a further 20min. Remove them from the oven and leave in their tins for 15min, then take out and leave to cool. Dust with icing sugar and sprinkle over the remaining coconut.
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Almond and cranberry shortbread Makes about 32 biscuits
225g plain flour
225g butter
50g flaked almonds
125g dried cranberries
100g ground almonds
100g sugar
Fat for the tin
Chop the cranberries up finely. Mix the flour, ground almonds and cranberries together. Dice the butter. Knead the flour mixture, sugar and butter together. Grease an oblong spring form tin (33cm x 23cm). Put the shortbread mix in the tin and press down. Prick several times with a fork. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds. Bake in a preheated oven (150â—ŚC/gas mark 2) for about 35min. Remove from the oven, leave to cool and cut into fingers.
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Doddington Hall was designed by Elizabethan architect Robert Smythson in 1595
Head chef Andy Humphreys has the luxury of deciding what is grown in Doddington’s kitchen garden
& From the kitchen garden
regional
seasonal
A rich harvest of fruits and vegetables are served up in style at the
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fifteen-minute drive away from the bustling Cathedral city of Lincoln, through the flat countryside the area is renowned for, stands Doddington. Going through the gate house into the walled courtyard of this 16th century hall takes the visitor back four centuries. The uninterrupted view of the elegant, mellow brick mansion hasn’t changed a jot over the years. The hall is surrounded by a mix of formal and wild gardens, including a two-acre kitchen garden that was brought back to life for the benefit of visitors to this much loved ancestral family home. In 2006 the walled kitchen garden, which had been largely out of use since the 1950s, underwent a restoration. Today it supplies the cafe and restaurant with freshly grown vegetables, fruit and herbs. The focus is on produce, including chard, quinces, redcurrants, whitecurrants and sprouting broccoli. A family affair The owner, Claire Birch, together with her husband, James, has run the 1,500 acre estate since 2006 when it passed down from
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her father Antony Jarvis, who still lives there, and her late mother, Victoria. The hall has seen 400 years of unbroken family occupation. It was designed in 1595 by one of England’s foremost Elizabethan architects, Robert Smythson, and the brick building with its garden maze has never been sold. To cope with the expense of running such a large estate, the Birches created a restaurant and cafe within their home. A passion for food Andy Humphreys has been head chef at Doddington since 2011. He is equally passionate about his work for the cafe, which can seat up to 100 in fine weather when extra tables are put outside, and the 50-seat restaurant. The atmosphere in both is informal. Though the light, airy cafe is mostly self-service, the waiters and waitresses in black aprons and green and black striped ties bring out hot food to the pine tables. In the restaurant, which is inspired by a hunter’s lodge, servicing staff wear the same ties and slightly smarter aprons to serve ‘fuss free delicious food’ to
The restaurant’s atmosphere is relaxed and rustic, while the cafe is bright, modern and cheery
Jars of Doddington’s homemade preserves
The deli at Doddington sells much of the estate’s homegrown produce
Elizabethan Doddington Hall
Goat’s cheese and chive parfait with saffron pickled cauliflower and caramelised walnuts
Goat’s cheese and chive parfait Serves 6-8 500g goat’s cheese log, crumbled 3 leaves of gelatine, soaked in cold water until soft
diners seated on leather chairs at dark wood tables. “It is always a warm, cosy environment,” Andy says. Seasonal produce Andy enjoys good relationships with the gardener and estate gamekeepers, who supply birds and beef from the Lincoln Red cattle kept there. “The kitchen gardener visits three times a week and tells us what he’s got coming up and to discuss ideas for next season,” he says. “Working here is a rare opportunity. Not many chefs have the luxury of being able to choose what is grown for them on the premises. It is quite an organic atmosphere.” • Words: Carole Richardson • Photography: Clive Doyle
Contact Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire, LN6 4RU; 01522 812 505, www.doddingtonhall.com
400ml white wine, reduced by half, with a sprinkling of thyme and star anise 1 handful of golden raisins, soaked in sherry 1 pack of fresh chives, chopped 500ml double cream 250ml white wine vinegar ½g of saffron 200g sugar Cauliflower florets 100g walnut halves Place the goat’s cheese in an electric mixer. Add the gelatine to the hot reduced wine. Pour onto the cheese and mix. Add the raisins and chives. Add the cream and mix until thick. Pour into a lined terrine mould for cutting slices, or a bowl if you wish to shape between two spoons. Set for 3-4 hours in the fridge. For the accompaniment, boil 250ml of white wine vinegar with 250ml of water, the saffron and 100g sugar. Add the cauliflower and leave to cool. Make a little caramel with the other 100g sugar, add the walnuts, and tip on to a heatproof mat to set. Arrange with the cauliflower and parfait.
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Felted flock This family of felt chickens is an easy-to-make spring craft project • Design: Lucinda Ganderton • Photography: Richard Faulks
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Sturdy wire legs hold the baby chick in the egg steady
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his is the best time of year to start raising poultry. However, once they’ve been made, this chicken family won’t require as much care as their real-life counterparts. All five designs are made by cutting out and hand sewing felt body parts together with cotton. Each chicken is stuffed with polyester toy filling to shape the body, wings and tail. The stripy hen’s body is made from an old knitted wool jumper that has been felted by washing at 90⁰C. This matts the fibres together to produce a thick, versatile fabric that doesn’t fray when cut. The chicken feet are created by cutting lengths of garden wire with pliers, bending it into shape and then binding several strands of thick yellow cotton around each toe.
DOWNLOAD PATTERN Details and full instructions can be found on our website: www.landscapemagazine.co.uk
Red felt is used for the hens’ combs and wattles, and small black beads for eyes
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When tightly wrapped around smooth beach pebbles, the central motif and pattern of a doily is highlighted
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Intricate patterns With their attractive weaves, a collection of lace doilies make wonderfully simple decorations. It only takes a little imagination to transform these ornamental mats into miniature works of art • Photography: Tom Bailey • Styling: Emma Kendall
Doilies can be made into dishes by soaking them in sugar water then placing them over a bowl to shape. Once dry they are stiff enough to use
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Nature’s designs
Patterned with the print of garden leaves and tinted with natural hues, these springtime eggs are fun to create • Photography: Richard Faulks • Styling: Emma Kendall
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You will need • 1 dozen very fresh duck or hens’ eggs (fresh eggs will sink in the dye whereas older eggs will tend to float up to the surface and dye unevenly) • 10 onions • 2 pints (1.2 litres) cold water • 5 tbsp vinegar • 3 tbsp salt • A pair of 10- or 15-denier nylon tights • String or twine • A handful of ferns or leaves • Absorbent kitchen paper • Saucepan (an old pan, or one that won’t stain) • Bowl (preferably glass as it won’t stain) • Scissors • Needle
A piece of nylon is used to cover the egg and hold a delicate leaf in place, before it is immersed in natural dye
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he egg has been a natural symbol of new life and rebirth throughout civilization. In fact, in Chinese mythology the universe began as an egg. In Christian Europe in medieval times, eggs were included in the luxury foods that penitents gave up for Lent. At the end of the fasting, eggs were painted to be used as decoration and eaten at feasts to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. These pretty hens’ and duck eggs can either be cold-dyed and then blown to make delicate decorations, or they can be boiled in the onion-skin dye and served for Easter breakfast. The natural dye is harmless and won’t penetrate the shell’s membrane. ›
Dye from onion skins produces a sienna colour similar to brown hens’ eggs. Dyeing white duck eggs will create a light sienna shell with a white pattern, and dyeing brown hens’ eggs will produce a dark sienna shell with a lighter sienna pattern
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Elusive climbers Young pine marten kits emerging from the nest at this time of year can mean a thrilling encounter with this once endangered creature
The pine marten’s throat patch changes colour depending on the season, from cream to yellow or orange
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Deforestation has meant a reduction in tree holes available for nests and food storage
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s night falls in an ancient pine forest in northern Scotland, a rustling can often be heard in the dry needles and a dark shape seen loping between the tall trees. There are many iconic animals that can be readily seen in the Highlands – a red deer stag in a quiet glen, for instance, or black grouse on a winter moorland. However, for the fortunate, there is increasingly the chance of an encounter with another attractive, fascinating creature. This is the pine marten, a member of the mustelid family that includes stoats, weasels and badgers, and it is one of the UK’s recent mammal success stories. The youngsters now dispersing from their natal den to establish their own territories have a much greater chance in life than they would have had in earlier times. The marten occurs in eight species in Europe, Asia and the Americas. It is the European pine marten, Martes martes, that is found in Scotland. It lived in considerable numbers all over this country for thousands of years. But in the 200 years leading up to the turn of the last century, it declined to just a small number of animals in the most remote places. The reasons for the pine martens’ original decline were three-fold. Gradual deforestation across the country from medieval times meant that a vast number
The pine marten is normally a nocturnal animal but it can be seen during the day – usually after a spate of bad weather when a mother is forced to find food for her young
of the tree holes that the animals used for nesting disappeared. At the same time, very many were killed for their pelts. Theirs is perhaps the finest, warmest coat, weight for weight, of any mammal. Lastly, when organised game shooting became popular in the 19th century, they were trapped by gamekeepers keen to prevent predation of their gamebirds. Although they are classed as carnivores, studies of the pine martens’ eating habits in the Highlands tells a truer story. There their food is mainly beetles, deer carrion and field voles. In fact, the full range of a pine marten’s diet is extraordinary and can include reptiles, amphibians, birds’ eggs, fish, earthworms, molluscs and a wide range of fruit, berries and fungi. In the autumn they have been seen leaping up to grab the clusters of fruit
from rowan trees. The consumption of these berries has led to an alternative name for the animal of ‘sweetmart’, due to the smell of its fruity droppings. It cannot be denied that part of the pine marten’s bad reputation with gamekeepers lies in the fact that they occasionally prey on domestic birds such as ducks and hens. However, a responsible owner will contain their birds at night when the animals are most active. The effect of these many human encroachments on the pine marten’s world led to its eventual confinement to mainly uninhabited parts of the Highlands. Legal protection The pine marten success story began when it was listed as a protected species in the 1979 Bern Convention on the ›
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An adult bottlenose dolphin at Chanonry Point on the Black Isle, in the Moray Firth in Scotland
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Bottlenose surfacing off the Lleyn Peninsula in North Wales
Intelligent and charismatic, Britain’s bottlenose dolphins’ friendly disposition and ‘smiling’ faces captivate a human audience
O Above: marine mammal expert Dylan Walker, who is based in Hove, East Sussex. Below: Chesil Beach at Portland, Dorset, where a dolphin named Georges is a visitor
ne encounter with a bottlenose dolphin off the coast of Dorset is unrivalled in the memory of one of the most experienced marine mammal observers in Europe, Dylan Walker. Dylan’s all-consuming passion for whales and dolphins has led him to a career as a field naturalist, conservationist and tour guide. He never passes up a chance to watch cetaceans, around the UK and all over the world. “I arrived just after dawn at the eastern end of Chesil Beach,” he says. “Its name is derived from the Old English ceosel or cisel, meaning gravel or shingle, and it’s a magnificent 18 mile long, 660ft wide and 50ft high barrier beach. It was a glorious day and I couldn’t resist the urge to take off my shoes and socks and walk across the smooth pebbles to the shore. I was hoping to meet Georges.” Georges is a bottlenose dolphin who arrived off the Dorset coast in 2002 after he followed a trawler across the Channel from France. Since then he has become something of a celebrity, regularly visiting the coastline around Weymouth. Dolphins like Georges are described by scientists as solitary sociable dolphins – individuals that live in isolation, rather than in a pod with other dolphins. Often they actively seek the company of humans. Although this behaviour is not clearly understood, there have been several examples in the UK in recent years. “On Chesil Beach that morning, in the few seconds it took me to stand in two feet of water,” says Dylan, “Georges appeared from around the headland and raced towards me at full speed. He carved a beautiful arc at the water’s surface as he came to a halt in front of me and our eyes met. That brief moment remains one of my most treasured memories of all the times I have spent with whales and dolphins. “To this day I have no idea how Georges was able ›
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A LADY BREWER Catherine Maxwell Stuart is carrying on the long and honourable tradition of alewives in her ancient home beside the River Tweed in Scotland
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Catherine Maxwell Stuart has perfecting the Traquair recipe for real ale
Transferring barrels from the store at the Traquair Brewery
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f you were going to associate any drink with Scotland’s oldest inhabited house you might pick a fine wine or perhaps a renowned local Tweedside whisky like Dalmore. But the liquor closest to Catherine Maxwell Stuart’s heart is beer – traditional-style historic ale unlike any other in Britain. Traquair House, situated on the banks of the River Tweed a few miles from Peebles, is best known for the ales made in its tiny cobblestoned brewery, tucked away down steps by the riverbank. Catherine and her team produce bottled beers such as the House Ale and the coriander-infused Jacobite Ale, with the aid of traditional equipment and ingredients. A history of ale brewing For Catherine, her love of ale brewing began back in the early 1960s when her father, Peter Maxwell Stuart, stumbled upon a collection of old oak mash tuns, a copper heating vessel and 19th century wooden stirring paddles, all hidden in an outhouse at Traquair. “In the early 20th century, the house was lived in by my great-uncle, who also had a summer house in Yorkshire,” says
Catherine. “A lot of things were just packed away and much of our history forgotten about. Traquair was the perfect example of a house that hadn’t been messed about for 200 or 300 years. When my father walked into the brewhouse it was just a repository for family junk and old champagne bottles! We knew it must have been forgotten, because of all the copper in the heating vessel. If anyone had known about that in the War it would have been melted down for munitions.” Catherine is one of the latest in a line of women at the heart of British brewing. Since at least the 11th century alewives, known in Scotland as broustaris, were in charge of brewing in the family home. By the 12th century this had extended into commercial alehouses but a large proportion of the beer makers continued to be women. In 1509 the brewers of Aberdeen were recorded. They numbered 152 and they were all women. Traquair dates back to at least 1107, when Alexander I of Scotland signed a royal charter there. It was a hunting base for Caledonian royalty keen to gallop around its 100-acre estate. Over nine centuries the four-storey, white-stoned house has welcomed 27 Scottish kings and queens, plus ›
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Hardy fell wanderer For centuries Herdwick sheep have been shaping the Cumbrian landscape, but they were almost lost to the Lakes 12 years ago
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Herdwick sheep have been farmed in the Lake District for more than 1,000 years
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pring weather in Britain is unpredictable but in the central fells of the Lake District it’s even harder to second guess. At lambing time at Yew Tree Farm there’s as much chance that the newborns will have to endure driven sleet as enjoy sunshine. In the heart of Borrowdale, Yew Tree Farm has some of England’s tallest peaks as a backdrop. Close to the village of Rosthwaite, the farmhouse stands in the broad, flat valley bottom surrounded by its best land, small fields hemmed in by sinuous stone walls. The position of the farm and the walls make it a comparatively sheltered spot, but hard weather can still be a problem. It can snow in Borrowdale in April and even later. If that happens then the walls offer only a little shelter to newborn lambs.
they are born somewhere between black and slate grey, often with a white face, ears and legs. As they grow the fleece gets lighter, so in spring the fields around Yew Tree Farm are busy with stone grey ewes with their near-black lambs. They also have character, says Joe. That spirit of independence. “I do sheep dog trialling for a hobby. If you’re running a sheepdog trial and the sheep wanders off, any other breed will usually come back without anybody doing too much,” he says. “But if a Herdwick goes off on its own you need to get it back quick, because that sheep will just keep going.” › Farmer Joe Relph’s busiest time is the spring lambing. His day begins at five in the morning and won’t end until nearly midnight
Lambing season Now is the busiest time of year for farmer Joe Relph. “At lambing time a normal day for us starts at five o’clock and we keep working until 10 or 11pm at night,” he says. “We don’t bother them too much after dark, they’d rather be left in peace. If there is a ewe lambing late on we might go and peep over the wall to make sure it’s alright, but it’s better to leave them to themselves.” Joe’s ewes are not your average sheep, they are Herdwicks, the Lake District’s traditional hill breed. Herdwicks are, he says, an independent lot. They look a little different, too. Short-legged and stocky,
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Heart of the Peaks
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Left: the majestic Ramshaw Rocks in the White Peaks of the Derbyshire Peak District
The rough limestone geology of the Peak District National Park has shaped the countryside, villages and people within it
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he Peak District National Park is dramatic, varied and beautiful. It’s an oasis surrounded on all sides by big industrial cities – Manchester to the north, Sheffield to the northeast, Derby and Nottingham to the southeast, and Stoke-on-Trent to the southwest. Although it is an upland region, largely above 1,000m, there are surprisingly few distinct peaks. The name actually comes from an Anglo-Saxon tribe called the Peac who settled in the area in the 6th century. They worked as miners, craftsmen, farmers and hunters and lived in small villages surrounded by fields. All of these occupations continue to provide livelihoods for the local people, and the area is still dotted with picturesque villages. The Peak District is split into three geologically distinct areas. The majority of the area’s towns and villages lie in the White Peak, a limestone landscape characterised by plateaus cut through with deep-sided valleys, largely used as grazing land. To the north this limestone is capped by millstone grit, a coarse sandstone that allows little drainage, resulting in plateaus filled with bog and peat moorland. Dark in colour and largely uninhabited, this area is known as the Dark Peak and lies to the north and east of the Peak District. The Southwest Peak is an area of heather-covered moorland with occasional gritstone escarpments and valleys. The National Park was the UK’s first, established in 1951. Following access agreements with landowners, 555 square miles were opened to visitors. Some 16 million people live within an hour’s drive of the national park, and still make up the majority of visitors – 25 per cent of them come from Sheffield alone. For the inhabitants of the park, tourism fast became the principle industry, supporting shops and pubs, galleries and country houses. It also brought about the restoration of industrial buildings such as the Cromford and Masson ›
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