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BEAUTIFUL OLD HOMES

DECOR ATING & SHOPPING

GARDEN ANTIQUES INSPIRATION & VINTAGE

RENOVATION & MAINTENANCE

PERIODLIVING BRITAIN’S BEST-SELLING PERIOD HOMES MAGAZINE

Dream homes

From an atmospheric medieval manor to a charming country cottage

MARCH 2021

Botanical

beauty

Decorate with verdant greens and nature inspired motifs

PLUS… ANTIQUE TEAPOTS LATEST RANGE COOKERS TILED FLOOR CARE WALL PANELLING IDEAS

GROW YOUR OWN

Enjoy a bountiful crop from the smallest of gardens

Kitchen inspiration Recipes for creating your perfect design – rustic farmhouse, vintage industrial or classic elegance

Illustration Sarah Overs Photograph David Lloyd

Editor’s Letter

iving in a beautiful period property is a real joy to experience, and the stuff of fantasy for those who aren’t so lucky. What could be more evocative than imagining your predecessors sharing the same heart-soaring sense of home as they stepped through the front door? Yet, while you get to enjoy the house’s charm and quirks, as a responsible owner it is also your job to look after it properly and ensure any adaptations or extensions are handled with sensitivity, so that it can be equally cherished by future inhabitants. Heed the wise words of Arts and Crafts luminary William Morris: ‘We are only the trustees for those who come after us.’

One of the most contentious issues when it comes to ‘improving’ period houses is the windows, as they are often the key defining exterior element. Over the last half-century, a huge number of originals have been ripped out and replaced with incongruously shiny white uPVC frames, and it’s a shameful loss of so much architectural history. If you are thinking about replacing your windows because they are shabby or inefficient, please first consider whether they could be expertly restored and thermally upgraded. Of course, nothing lasts forever, so if you must replace them – or have inherited inauthentic designs – then choose with care. We’ve provided plenty of inspiration and advice in our guide to buying windows (page 101). It’s a big investment, but get it right and you will love your home just that little bit more than you already do.

One area of a period property that it isn’t always possible to authentically update is the kitchen – unless you fancy eschewing mod cons and slaving away over a cast-iron range. Unfortunately, an ‘authentic’ kitchen simply isn’t compatible with modern life, so the goal is to create a design that complements the house’s era while offering 21st-century performance and flexibility for your family. In this issue, we highlight some dream kitchen looks that will work for almost any type of property, whether your taste is classic elegance or country rustic (page 92).

Finally, this month the magazine is celebrating the oncoming of spring. From stunning real homes (from page 34) and essential gardening inspiration (from page 119) to fresh, leafy decorating ideas that will awaken the senses (page 22), it’s all designed to help you to shake off what has been the darkest winter in recent memory. With the changing of the seasons, perhaps we will turn a corner and begin to reclaim our lives. In the meantime, I hope you find lots to savour in this issue.

Melanie Griffiths Editor, Period Living

Period Living 3

Decorating & shopping

13 19 20 22 99

Journal We round up the latest news and interiors offerings

Homes

34 46

Shop for footstools Put up your feet while giving your room a stylish centrepiece ON THE COVER

ON THE COVER

57

Botanical design

Embrace the serenity of nature with these leafy hues and prints

66

Range cookers

We bring you the latest styles, perfect for a traditional kitchen

Little house on the prairie ON THE COVER

Explore Sarah Hill’s Oxfordshire dormer bungalow extension filled with decorative touches

Spring shopping Pretty homeware and accessories inspired by our feathered friends

Features

74

ON THE COVER

Marking time

Anne and Glyn Powell-Evans’ Elizabethan manor house has a remarkable story

Made in Britain

81

Antiques journal

84

This farming life Be inspired by this stunning Dutch dairy transformation

A wartime relic has made a bright and unusual coastal home ON THE COVER

a view

We visit Lorna Singleton’s workshop where she creates authentic swill baskets

Discover the latest antiques trends and hear collectors’ stories ON THE COVER

Tea for two

Marc Allum looks at the fascinating history of teapots

133

March journal

135

Exploring castles

141

Food journal

143

Recipes

The outlook is good

Room with

See Gill and Nick Snow’s awardwinning kitchen extension

34

28

The best activities to get you out and about this month

Take a look this country’s most impressive fortresses

Eateries, edibles and kitchen essentials for keen home cooks

Take a culinary tour and experience the food of Florence

84

Cover Photograph Jody Stewart Styling Karen Darlow Period Living 7

46 Advice & inspiration

89 92

House journal New products and expert advice for improving a period home ON THE COVER

Kitchen design

Whether timeless farmhouse, classic elegance or industrial chic, find out how to get the look

101

Guide to windows

106

Project journal

110 115

Find the best designs for your home, plus buying tips

Gardens

119 123 130

Regulars

Garden journal The latest garden products and horticultural advice ON THE COVER

Garden advice

Grow your own fruit and vegetables no matter the size of your garden or patio

Pippa’s plot Period Living’s Style Editor shares her passion for flowers from her Cotswold allotment

11 44 153

Your journal We share our readers’ letters and photographs

Subscription offer This month save 50 per cent on a subscription to Period Living

Stockists Where to find all the suppliers featured in this issue

Be inspired by a stunning home renovation ON THE COVER

Design details

Conservation expert Lee Bilson explores the design evolution of wall panelling ON THE COVER

Health check

Expert Roger Hunt advises on how to maintain tiled floors

130

66 123

Readers’ letters, projects and views on the magazine

STA R

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I’ve been really interested in seeing what other Period Living readers have created during lockdown, so I thought I’d share my new hobby, too. During the past few months, I have been busy painting bespoke bird boxes. Here is one that I painted, showing a friend’s house. Hope you like it! Dawn Paish

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ALL ATWITTER

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FLOR AL FANTASY

INSPIRING HOMES

I have tried a lot of different magazines over the years, but Period Living is definitely the best. The January issue was absolutely gorgeous – full of energy and inspiration from start to finish. I loved the colours of the pictures and the styles of the houses.

I didn’t think it possible to be able to imagine smells from a magazine, but in each room I could smell the food, the wine, the books. I finished decorating my house nearly two years ago, but after reading the January issue, I am ready to pick up the paint brushes and start again. Vera Wills

Reading the article ‘New year new prints’ in the January issue – particularly the part about ‘using statement prints in bedrooms’ – inspired me to send in a picture of my bedroom. I chose the floral wallpaper to go with a carpet that I had fallen in love with, and it covers all four walls. I then decided to paint all of my furniture to complement the new paper, paying close attention to the handles. I also decorated a plain white lampshade to match the room’s décor and made the cushions from a beloved jumper that had shrunk in the wash. Carole Williams

Get in touch: periodliving@futurenet.com

This month’s star letter writer wins this beautiful Petal teatowel block-print craft kit from designer Molly Mahon, worth £38.50

NEW SPACES, OLD CHARM

I love Period Living as it covers such a variety of subjects.

Although we do not have a period home (we built it ourselves 50 years ago), many of the articles still apply to us, particularly the upcycling and revitalising of furniture, which we did a lot of when we were younger as we couldn’t afford to buy new in those days. Anne Kimber @periodlivingmagazine

@PeriodLivingMag

@period_living Period Living 11

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Discover fresh ideas for decorating, from new paints and papers to folksy handpainted artworks

ring t Sp o

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Create happy, uplifting spaces by teaming warm neutrals with pops of sunshine yellow, sky blue and natural prints. Choose walls in Little Greene’s French Grey and pair with upholstery in Vanessa Arbuthnott’s Gypsy Garland in Smoke, £59 per m, and French Ticking in Dark Hay/Smoke, £57 per m, finished with a cheery still life painting by Rose Arbuthnott.

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Period Living 13

BLOOMING LOVELY Introducing Dot and the Dandelion, a Bristol florist whose beautiful fresh garden and everlasting bouquets are true works of art. Fuelled by owner Flicky Wallace’s floral passion, Dot and the Dandelion offers flower arranging for events and weddings, but also specialises in sustainable dried bouquets to spark joy throughout the year. Treat yourself to this mini Viola bunch, £35, a bright and colourful dried posy made up of rodanthe, setaria and lavender complete with vintage tin.

D r

f deligh o t s p The first of the o

winter bulbs to bloom, the snowdrop is symbolic of hope, and it’s this pure white droplet flower that is the focus of Susie Watson’s spring awakening trend. Available across new table linen, jugs and mugs, from £18.95, the design will bring an uplifting pop of life to the breakfast table or morning coffee.

FAIRYTALE FLORALS

Lovers of vintage Scandi florals, take note – Swedish wallpaper brand Sandberg has launched a new collection inspired by the interiors of the historic Löfstad Castle, a 17th-century château in Sweden. A treasure trove of archive papers, the castle has remained unchanged since the death of its former owner Emilie Piper (18571926), who renovated the property between 1905-1906 with the aim of recreating the romance and grandeur of the 18th century.

After her death, Emilie bequeathed the castle and its contents to Östergötlands Museum.

Comprising 10 designs, Sandberg’s Löfstad wallpaper collection sees many originals from the castle reinterpreted by the Sandberg design studio in an elegant, muted palette.

Taking the name of the castle’s owner, this Emilie design is a delightful, whimsical paper based on an original 1860s example that conjures summer meadow scenes. Available in four colours, priced £101 per roll. To respect the authenticity of manufacture, most of the papers are surface printed using traditional methods.

News

EYE ON DESIGN Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene, reveals the inspirations behind the new Stone paint palette in collaboration with the National Trust What inspired the Stone collection?

Recently, we’ve seen a shift away from cooler greys to warmer, more natural tones, often termed the ‘new neutrals’. As we are all spending more time at home, we’re looking to create a haven that exudes cosiness, and that we enjoy spending time in. The Stone capsule collection encompasses these warm, natural colours, which can be used in combination for a harmonious finish or with bolder, earthy tones for a more contemporary look. It is a coordinated collection of 36 natural colours comprising 22 new additions to the Little Greene palette, together with 14 shades from our archives.

Walls in Nether Red; doors and chest of drawers in French Grey Dark

What research was involved in developing the paint colours?

We completed a research project visiting over 100 National Trust properties across the UK to compile a shortlist of colours. Our colour specialists took readings from various properties with a spectrophotometer and analysed them to uncover colours from the past that we could incorporate into the capsule collection. Some of the colours have been taken directly from readings of real stone, such as ‘Nether Red’, which was taken from the bare sandstone walls from Nether Alderley Mill, a 600-year-old flour mill in Cheshire.

Image (bottom) Insects on Hogweed, date unknown, © Mary Newcomb Estate

Why the transition to warmer, more earthy tones?

Natural colours are often the ones that we feel most comfortable with using in the home as they are reminiscent of the tranquillity of the outdoors.

We’ve seen almost a decade of grey, so people are now beginning to look for those warmer tones.

Insects on Hogweed, Mary Newcomb

This isn’t about a return to magnolia or beige, these are natural tones for a timeless interior. As we’re spending so much time at home, it’s more important than ever to turn it into a sanctuary.

What advice do you have for people looking to use the colours to decorate a period home?

All our colour cards feature a period key, so you can see which era each shade originates from.

This can be really useful if you’re looking to create a scheme that is in-keeping with the age of your property. I would say, though, focus on how you would like the space to make you feel rather than current trends or the history of the space. The Stone palette works really harmoniously for classic neutral schemes, but can also be combined with stronger highlights of colour if you’re looking to create something a little more contemporary.

Paint swatches, anticlockwise from top: Arras; Nether Red; Scullery; Elysian Ground; Castell Pink; Travertine; Lute; Book Room Green; Baluster; Pompeian Ash, all £48.50 for 2.5ltrs of Absolute matt emulsion

NATURAL SELECTION Little known but hugely talented, artist Mary Newcomb (1922–2008) created beautiful paintings rooted in the natural world, a selection of which will form an exciting new retrospective at Compton Verney. Curated in partnership with the Crane Kalman Gallery, Nature’s Canvas will showcase over 50 works, extracts from Mary’s writing and work by artists that inspired her. Coming to art later in life after a career in science, Mary lived in East Anglia, where she managed a small farm with her husband.

Here she became immersed in rural life and her work is a poetic vision of a fascination with the seasons and life’s simple pleasures. 13 February – 13 June.

Entry from £10 including to grounds and house.

Period Living 15

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Throughout March the Oxford Ceramics Gallery will showcase Pioneering Women, an exhibition featuring 40 works by 10 pioneering female artists in celebration of their contribution to the development of contemporary ceramics. With a focus on the ceramic vessel form, the show will feature works by the likes of Lucie Rie and Ladi Kwali to Bodil Manz, Magdalene Odundo and Jennifer Lee. Visitors can expect to see a wide range of ceramic techniques with vessels on display ranging from Japanese clay work and the domestic pottery forms of Denmark, Korea and Nigeria, to works influenced by European movements such as Bauhaus and Postmodernism. 14 February – 27 March.

Bronze vase with sgraffito, porcelain with manganese glaze, Lucie Rie

Stoneware lidded jar, Inger Rokkjaer

Outridge high-fired earthenware, with slip, poured and painted glazes, Alison Britton

TALENT SPOT

Reverse glass painting of Staffordshire dog, £110

Imagined Chinoiserie Plate, gouache on handmade cotton rag paper, £220

Miniature reverse glass painted birds, £35 each

Imagined Cat Plate, gouache on handmade cotton rag paper, £220 Reverse glass painting of Bloomsbury tulips inspired

by Rodmell (home of Virginia Woolf), £360

Bringing a fresh perspective to the historic technique of reverse glass painting, Emily Maude’s beautiful artworks imbue a feeling in folk art fans akin to a child’s glee at pressing their face against a colourful sweetshop window. Little glossy frames into fantastical cabinets of curiosity, her still-life compositions feature colourful birds nestled in branches, lustreware jugs bursting with garden flowers, Staffordshire dogs staring up from patterned tablecloths and all manner of collectable objects. ‘I’ve always been fascinated with the home and antiques,’ says Emily.

Some items you’ll find on her own dresser, others are inspired by visits to museums. Indeed, it was a visit to a favourite museum in France that sparked the idea for glass painting. ‘I have visited France in summer since I was little and have always loved Musée Laduz; a folk art museum in Burgundy,’ says Emily. ‘Once, the owner Jacqueline Humbert invited us to her studio, and that’s where I saw her wonderful glass paintings. There are also amazing examples from Ukraine that I love.’

Living in Brighton, Emily also finds inspiration in the chinoiserie-covered walls of Brighton Pavilion.

It was at Brighton University where Emily studied Illustration. After graduating she worked as a freelance illustrator for several years, mostly in black and white, until a freak accident saw her hand badly damaged and caused her to lose creative confidence.

Emily continued to work as a buyer for the shop at Westminster Abbey, but set her artwork aside.

However, after a rejuvenated flash of inspiration, she has returned to art brighter than ever with her naive and playful paintings, channelling a new-found energy and a vibrant palette she had always admired but used sparingly in her previous work.

When she isn’t painting or parenting, you’ll likely find Emily hunting fleamarkets – at home and in France – for vintage frames to finish her works.

Pieces start at £30 for a H8xW5cm gouache painting on handmade paper. (emilymaude.com)

News

Sofa in Jokhang Tiger Velvet by Johnson Hartig/ Libertine for Schumacher, £550 per m

Images (Schumacher) Paul Costello/OTTO

SPARK THE IMAGINATION British textile brand Tori Murphy has released a new collection of fabrics and soft furnishings, Adventure Land. Conceived during the 2020 lockdown, the colourful, eclectic mix of prints is a celebration of creativity and the result of Tori letting her imagination run riot.

‘Adventure Land is a curious mixture of memories of boarding school in the 1990s and life in lockdown,’ says Tori. ‘Both experiences taught me the value of finding one’s own fun; that adventure is a state of mind.’ Embodying the belief that creativity is more important now than ever, the collection includes homeware and kitchen textiles handmade in Nottingham, as well as cotton and merino wool by the metre. Oblong Sweetie cushions in (clockwise from top) Blazer Stripe, Repton Chevron and Whistler, £75 each.

COLOUR CONFIDENCE Fall in love with pink as Annie Sloan adds a hot, energetic shade to her Chalk Paint collection.

‘Capri Pink is inspired by the vivid pinks that populate folk palettes around the globe, from Mexican textiles to Pakistani truck art to Romany gypsy caravan interiors – bright pinks have been turning heads for centuries,’ says Annie.

‘It’s a true hot pink with depth and energy; provocative yet captivating.

Use it as an accent colour alongside cool-toned brights, with reds and pinks for tonal symphony, or buffer with warm cocoa-toned hues for sophisticated elegance.

Named after the upscale Italian island resort, Capri Pink will inject glamour, confidence and joy.’ £21.95 per 1ltr of Chalk Paint.

NEW ON THE BLOCK

This March sees the esteemed American design house Schumacher bring its vibrant style to British shores with the opening of its first UK showroom in London’s Design Centre Chelsea Harbour. Founded in 1889 by Frederic Schumacher, opening its doors for the first time in NYC, the company imported exquisite fabrics from Europe and pioneered the production of luxury textiles in America, partnering with the finest names in design. Still family owned today, the company continues to offer a curation of the finest fabrics and papers for decorating, as well as launching its own designs for fabric, wallpaper and trim every month. New names at its UK showroom include Molly Mahon, A Rum Fellow, Neisha Crosland and Veere Grenney.

Period Living 17

Wood Warbler reverse glass painting, £110, Emily Maude

Netherfield wallpaper in Aqua/Sky Blue, £230 per roll, Osborne & Little

Shopping

Handmade swallow mosaic, from £48, China Jack

Lochbuie Chinoiserie coasters, £28 for 4, Club Matters

Jennifer Collier handmade bird book binoculars, £40, Made by Hand Online

Bird dinner plate, £28, Montes & Clarke

Large round Tea Caddy handpainted Bamboo Song Birds lampshade, £906, Besselink & Jones

Taking T akingg

flight

As the spring skies come alive with the sight and song of British and migrating birds, be inspired to decorate with this flock of beautiful interior finds

Unity Coombes Sèvres Birds original framed painting, £265, The Shop Floor Project

Feature Pippa Blenkinsop

Perched wooden bird ornament, £95, Oka

Greenfinch lampshade, from £69.50, Lorna Syson

Golden Oriole mini tray, £8, Avenida Home

Birds Stork half-pint mug, £19.95, Emma Bridgewater

Robert Gillmor Two Jays cushion, £29.99, We Love Cushions

Bonne Maison Steel Birds socks, £16, Coffee & Cloth Madeleine Floyd Bird Song cotton teatowel, £6.83, Wayfair

Put your feet up Take the weight off after a long day and give your living room a stylish yet practical centrepiece with this pick of footstools, pouffes and ottomans

Hampton large round Pouffe in Mountain Grey, £179, Made

Bedham footstool in Mulberry Lomond Red/Plum velvet, £1,732, Sofas & Stuff

Ripley Regency footstool, £464.50, The Dormy House

Shimmer footstool in Plush Blush velvet, £449, Sofology

Rupert stool in Harry Rust linen, £435, Neptune

Black/Natural jute pouffe, £80, Next

Jardim banquette footstool in Pattern velvet, £249, DFS 20 Period Living

Bobbin storage footstool with light wood base in Opulence Teal velvet, £199, John Lewis & Partners

Fez tufted stool in Katalin Stripe linen, £570, Mind the Gap

Albany ottoman in GP&J Baker Stirling Stripe Taupe fabric, £3,450 excluding fabric, Lorfords

Feature Pippa Blenkinsop

Coleridge footstool in Pure Navy linen, £600, Oka

Box ottoman in Pierre Frey Pueblos fabric, from £925 plus fabric, David Seyfried

A new leaf

SIMPLE PLEASURES Above: Nourish body and soul by getting close to nature and foraging for sculptural branches to turn a dining area into a whimsical setting.

Decorating with neutral tones and natural materials makes the perfect backdrop for verdant seasonal displays. Set the scene with The White Company’s Soren linen tablecloth with a lace-inspired pattern, £75, and napkins, £25 for a set of 4, then finish with jute woven placemats, £12, Symons bone china tableware, from £12, ribbed domed candle holders, from £15, and seagrass Mawes ceiling shade, £145.

SUSTAINABLE STYLE Right: The need to protect our planet means it’s important to be conscious consumers and to consider what impact our purchases have on the environment. Designed with nature in mind, the new Pioneer sofa, from £1,499 for a four-seater at Sofology, features zero foam, recycled fillings, 100 per cent recyclable springs, sustainably sourced timber, and is covered with fabric made from recycled yarns. With a Scandi silhouette, it looks brilliant in Plain Sage and teamed with timber panelling, vintage collectibles and plenty of plants for a modern-rustic look.

22 Period Living

Feature Pippa Blenkinsop

As spring awakens and the trees come into bud, be inspired to breathe new life into your home by decorating with fresh leafy prints, nature’s soothing shades and thoughtful furnishings

Decorating

BOTANICAL HIDEAWAY Immerse yourself in natural delights by dining alfresco or taking shelter in the leafy sanctuary of an abundant glasshouse. Vanessa Arbuthnott’s Fern and Dragonfly linen in Lichen, £57 per m, makes a fitting tablecloth for a spring spread.

Decorating

Photograph Kasia Fiszer Styling Pippa Blenkinsop

ROOM TO GROW In turbulent times it’s important to take a moment for yourself, and what could be better than a peaceful afternoon enjoying a good book surrounded by glorious garden views? A beautiful complement to a conservatory setting, this armchair upholstered in Leaves fabric by budding designer Abigail Bury, would look equally show-stopping in a traditional living room.

Printed with Abigail’s handpainted artwork, the fabric is available by the metre at £66, or over cushions, from £49.

DELICATE TRAILS Swedish wallpaper brand Sandberg has taken inspiration from the 17th-century Löfstad castle for its latest collection of romantic prints. Featuring elegant wisteria trails synonymous with late spring, this Hedvig design makes for a harmonious backdrop to everyday spaces. Pictured in Honey, it costs £93 per roll at Wallpaper Direct.

HERITAGE GREEN A bright avocado green discovered in an 18th-century Georgian farmhouse, Farrow & Ball’s Yeabridge Green, £67 for 2.5ltrs of Estate eggshell, would make a timeless choice for kitchen cabinets.

We love it here teamed with crisp marble worktops and rustic handblown glassware from Bungalow DK.

KITCHEN REFRESH Natural prints are a brilliant way to inject life into a kitchen. New from the Sanderson Brewers Edit, this Etchings & Roses wallpaper in Botanical Green, £79 per roll, would lift spirits whatever the weather. Balance the design with cabinetry in Sanderson’s Graphite, £47 for 2.5ltrs of Active emulsion.

VERDANTLY VERSATILE At home in the living room of a Georgian townhouse to the close quarters of a cottage scullery, Neptune’s Olive shade, £38 for 2.5ltrs of emulsion, is ideal if you’re looking for a moodier feel.

A fitting partner to rustic terracotta and natural wood, it would also look great teamed with pink or coral for an English eccentric look.

26 Period Living

Decorating

CLASSIC ELEGANCE A master of timeless style, Colefax & Fowler is the go-to brand for romantic botanical prints. New from its Jardine Florals collection, Greenacre features distinctive fan-like gingko leaves with dancing blossoms to produce a contemporary foliage design, and is available across wallpaper, £115 per roll, and fabric, £85 per m.

For a vintage botanical bedroom try using this Leaf Green colourway wall to wall, as well as on a quilt, chair and valance.

Swiller

queen

One of the last remaining specialists making swill baskets, woven with coppiced oak, Lorna Singleton practises her ancient, endangered craft from a workshop in the heart of a Lake District forest Words Heather Dixon | Photographs Jeremy Phillips

28 Period Living

Made in Britain This image: Lorna works from a converted stable block at the visitor centre at Grizedale Forest in the Lake District.

She made the stool where she sits to peel the strips of wood with a basic craft knife Opposite: Lorna’s Eggy basket design, an oval swill basket.

Swills are from the Furness area of South Cumbria; otherwise known as Spelk baskets, traditionally they were used for rinsing cockles in Morecambe Bay

S

urrounded by whorls of pale wood shavings, billets stacked haphazardly against the walls and stake bundles propped against an ancient work bench, Lorna Singleton is in her element. Here, in the organised chaos of her workshop in the heart of the Grizedale Forest in the Lake District, Lorna spends her days creating and making beautiful handwoven oak swill and splint wood baskets, traditional to the Lake District, as one of the few full-time ‘swillers’ left in the country.

Her beautifully made products are in constant demand among the tourists who file past her door in the forest’s popular visitor centre and in the heart of summer, when the forest is at its busiest, she spends much of her time sharing her passion for the craft while she works. But Lorna’s favourite time of the day is spent walking through the quiet forest where she selects her woods and reconnects with the natural world which, she says, gives her an ‘inherent sense of place’.

Lorna’s craft has brought her full circle back to the area she calls home. She grew up in a village less than 20 miles away where she developed a keen

30 Period Living

This image: Lorna manages and coppices her own oak in Grizedale Forest, only taking what she needs to create her traditional handwoven swill baskets

sense of the environment and conservation. She left to study social anthropology and archaeology at the University of Manchester, where she volunteered for conservation work, and then, after a brief and unlikely period dealing with personal injury claims for an insurance company, she realised she had to get out of the city and back to her roots.

She signed up for a coppicing apprenticeship with the independent charity organisation, the Bill Hogarth MBE Memorial Apprenticeship Trust, which involved three years of intensive tuition in coppice woodland management and crafts, including making oak gates and furniture. Around the same time, Lorna enrolled on a basket-making course with the renowned Cumbrian ‘swiller’ Owen Jones, as she continued to expand her experience and knowledge. By the time she graduated in 2013, though, Lorna had suffered a back injury and had to take a year off to recuperate.

It gave her time to reconsider her future and formulate a decision to switch from coppicing and furniture making to basket weaving, which was where she felt most at home.

‘It starts with my passion for the oak,’ says Lorna. ‘I love the sensory elements – the feel and smell of the wood – and the entire process of taking the wood from the forest and turning it into something beautiful and useful.’

In 2014 Lorna found a workshop where she set up a small business, and then in 2019 she moved into the stable block at Grizedale visitor centre, where she now works full-time making baskets using age-old methods.

The process begins in the forest, where Lorna selects her coppiced oak and takes it back to the studio to cleave it into six to eight lengths. From these she creates the taws, or weaver’s strands,

Clockwise from top left: Using leather from an old seat cover to protect her knees, Lorna pushes the craft knife down the length of a strip of wood to remove the bark and reduce the strip to a depth and evenness she can work with; swilling involves using a bodkin to split the green wood along the grain into strips, which are

softened in boiling water, and sections are then further divided into even thinner strips, no thicker than four millimetres; Lorna uses a draw knife to hone down the surface of the long strands; handles and rims are made from assorted materials, including cedar, bark, willow, elm and ash; she gradually builds up the base layers of

a basket; a bodkin and knocker are used to make the weave as tight as possible – called ‘knocking back’; strips ready to be hand-woven into baskets – ‘oak is stronger than many materials,’ says Lorna. ‘There is only so far that wood can be influenced, so you have to work with the material and it plays a part in deciding what I make’ Period Living 31

which are dressed and planed to remove the ridges and create a smooth, even depth. ‘I don’t use the heartwood so the billets are used to fuel the boiler,’ says Lorna. ‘The boiler is a long metal tank full of water, which is fire heated from underneath. The taws I use to make the baskets are then softened overnight in the boiling water.’

The strips of wood are then dried in loops at the back of the workshop until Lorna is ready to use them. At that point, she takes them down to the local stream where she weights them to the bed of the beck with rocks and leaves them overnight to soften again so they can be further split and woven the following day.

Using a bool – a rim made of steamed hazel – and a former, she weaves the ribs in and out, constantly tightening and adjusting as she goes along, until she is happy with the results. Most baskets take at least three hours to create and prices range on average between £60 and £300. Some of the more expensive ones are finished with leather lids or shoulder brackets created from oak-bark tanned leather – a long, gentle process that protects the natural fibres of the hide.

‘I am not into angles and precision,’ says Lorna.

‘I like things to develop organically, for the wood

Above: Lorna made the shave horse using traditional methods Right: Her little oak bag design is based on the shape of fishing baskets, and has a strap made of naturally tanned leather. Lorna creates her swill baskets using time-honoured hand tools and techniques.

32 Period Living

Her designs are based on the traditional patterns from the region, as well as collaborating on contemporary applications for this historic practice.

Swill basketry has recently been designated as a critically endangered craft by the Heritage Crafts Association

to take its own course. When I’m in the forest or immersed in the actual weaving process I am completely absorbed in what I’m doing and everything else around me fades away. It is a very physical way of life, but also a very creative way to live, especially being so close to nature and everything it has to offer. I only just manage to make a living from it, but this is where I am happiest,’ she continues.

As one of only a small number of full-time basket weavers in the UK, however, Lorna faces a major challenge to keep this endangered craft alive. ‘I feel very strongly about passing on the tradition, so I have been teaching and running courses in basket weaving to encourage more people to take it up, either as a hobby or even to consider it as a way of earning a living,’ she says. ‘At a time when we are beginning to truly understand the impact nature has on our future, and the balance we need to maintain, it’s more important than ever that ancient crafts like this – crafts that are in tune with the natural world - are not only kept alive but encouraged to thrive.’

To find out more details about Lorna’s work or to buy a basket, visit lornasingleton.co.uk

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE Six miles from the dreaming spires of Oxford is a well-kept secret – a vast stretch of unspoilt farmland with a small dwelling where Sarah Hill has made her home, filling it with treasures and inspired, decorative touches Words Charlotte Colville | Photographs Brent Darby

This page: Sarah’s house was a dormer bungalow, which she extended at the rear with a singlestorey playroom and bedroom, and at the front on two floors. The open skies and proximity to nature are the things that Sarah loves best. ‘Not only is the house filled with light on a sunny day, but on clear nights the moonlight pours through the windows, bringing a secret, peaceful glow,’ she says Opposite: The kitchen is a cosy, relaxed space filled with treasures from Sarah’s travels, including a kingfisher painting from Zimbabwe.

A rustic table from Summers Davis Antiques in Wallingford is teamed with stools from a school science lab. The clock is from Sainsbury’s

34 Period Living

Extended Dormer Bungalow

lone, at the end of a long, dusty track is a little settlement with only the sounds of nature disturbing its peace. ‘When I tell people that I live in the middle of nowhere, a few miles from Oxford, they think I’m joking,’ laughs Sarah, who was as surprised as anyone at the discovery of this hidden gem of a spot, a mile or so from the nearest village.

The tranquillity appealed to Sarah at once. No noise, no roads, no neighbours. It was a rare place of unbelievable calm, surrounded on all four sides by nature. Sarah, mother of two and grandmother of five, knew that there would be rowdy family gatherings ahead but that overall this place would bring great peace.

‘It was a modest dormer bungalow,’ recalls Sarah, ‘consisting of rather poky rooms with low ceilings,’ but none of this fazed her. Instead it presented a project and a challenge, and gave her an opportunity to unleash her creativity. What she hoped for was to turn this house into a large, open-plan living space for family and friends to visit while at the same time ensuring it was cosy when she was at home alone. She also needed to raise the ceiling heights where possible and ensure that any extension made the most of the views and brought the sun streaming right into the middle of the house throughout the day, along with the ever-changing landscapes and skyscapes.

When Sarah moved into the house there were three rooms upstairs and three downstairs. It didn’t take her long to work out how it could be extended and improved. After a bit of toing and froing with the planning office, who were adamant that roof lines would not be raised – ‘in case the non-existent neighbours complained!’ jokes Sarah – a plan was agreed on. Certain internal walls were to be knocked out, the staircase replaced, a twostorey extension added at the front and large singlestorey extensions to the back and side of the house.

The end result was to be a huge open-plan living space and entrance hall downstairs with a striking dividing staircase. This would open the ceiling and give a sense of space, height and light – three things that Sarah had instantly found lacking in the old layout. An understated kitchen would take up half of the ground-floor extension, with a large dining 36 Period Living

area at the front, with a run of windows giving views of the surrounding farmland. Huddled under the staircase would be an informal cosy seating area centred round a wood-burning stove. A small dining room and sitting room were knocked through to make a light-filled living room, with glass on three sides. At the back, single-storey, high-ceilinged extensions created a playroom, utility, and a ground-floor en-suite bedroom.

‘It’s a bottom-heavy sort of place,’ says Sarah, ‘which is why I added a bedroom downstairs.’

There were originally three rather unsatisfactory upstairs bedrooms, but Sarah’s plan turned two of these into cosy and compact rooms for her grandchildren and the other into a dressing room leading to Sarah’s bedroom (the upper half of the extension). At its end is a Juliet balcony whose doors open to gaze over sweeping farmland presided over by a huge and ancient oak tree.

An amazing transformation has taken place, and today it’s hard to imagine how this space could ever have been dark and poky. What brings this unusual and inspiring house to life is the imagination and creativity poured into it by its effortlessly artistic owner. ‘But I’ve just thrown together old bits and bobs,’ says Sarah. And while this may be true, it is this very lack of ‘design’ that gives her house such character. Where someone might spend a fortune on a kitchen, Sarah simply tasked her builders to create something low-key and practical, with simple drawer units from Buildbase, and scaffold boards as worktops. Sarah has an eye for saving abandoned gems, gladly giving a new home to all manner of things, including disused school science lab stools, a kitchen sink dumped outside a refurbished Cornish house, and even some retro sofas discarded by a storage warehouse. She also upcycles and finds uses for well-loved but no longer needed pieces of furniture, such as her own children’s cot which, having been dismantled, now serves as a trellis for climbing roses.

The pièce de résistance must be what Sarah modestly calls ‘the garden shed’. Sure enough, there is a humble shed across the track, crouched beside an ancient barn. Inside, the most enchanting hideaway imaginable is revealed. A miniature coal and wood-burning stove is flanked by wicker chairs, an old kettle sits on the hearth, behind is a jumble of old pine desks and cupboards. A chandelier and an array of pretty ceramics complete the scene.

Sarah has turned this everyday shed into something magical and unique and is so at home here that, if the house is overspilling with guests, she occasionally beds down on a mattress on top of the largest storage cupboard, waking up in this cosy space with southerly views over the fields.

The guests, friends and family members who flock here time and again are testament to the home’s remarkable appeal. ‘I may not have neighbours, but I’m rarely alone here for long,’ says Sarah. ‘Whenever there is a day when the rumble of tyres does not disturb the peace, I still have the birds, hares, deer and the 360-degree views for company, which is, quite simply, bliss.’

Extended Dormer Bungalow Left and below: Sally turned her garden shed into a studio, having moved it to make the most of the view.

She stencilled the blinds and painted flowers and butterflies around the fireplace. The tiny stove came from the guard’s van in a goods train. The white and turquoise vases are

by Tamsin Levene

THE STORY Owner Sarah Hill (above) lives here. She has two grown-up children and five grandchildren Property A former dormer bungalow in a rural setting in Oxfordshire surrounded by fields and farmland and with an old barn. The house originally had three bedrooms and three rooms downstairs What she did Sarah had a two-storey extension built at the back of the house, and two further single storey extensions. This created sufficient space for a large, open-plan kitchen living room and dining area, an additional downstairs bedroom, playroom and utility room, and a double staircase

This image: It’s hard to imagine that this bright, open-plan space was ever cramped and dark Left: In the extension at the back of the house is a utility room.

The Welsh dresser came from Sarah’s daughter’s flat.

For a similar shoe bench, try Etsy

Period Living 37

38 Period Living

Extended Dormer Bungalow This image: Sarah enlarged the original hall and had the ceiling raised to bring in more light, adding a new double staircase. A cosy seating area around a Stovax wood-burner helps to divide the space.

Retro red sofas were ‘rescued’ from outside an old storage unit Right: Meet ‘Iris’, a maid painted by a well-known English artist holidaying in

France. The stone guinea fowl is from Zimbabwe, the log baskets were a gift from a friend and the hanging cupboard was Sarah’s grandmother’s.

The shelves were made for the kitchen but ended up here instead Bottom: Sarah wanted a huge dining room table and found an old tailor’s workbench. The green glass vase was from Crooked Horn Antiques

Period Living 39

This spacious living room was created by knocking down the wall between the old dining room and sitting room. Sarah bought the fireplace from a shop in Faringdon, and her mother bought the rug in Zanzibar in 1953. The

checked sofa was found abandoned in a field in Cornwall, and the striped chair has been covered with a pair of old curtains.

The builders made the bookcases from leftover planks found in a garage.

Sarah fashioned her own

wall sconce candle holders from two bevelled mirrors that she’d had for years, with old piano sconces fixed to the wall below. The handsome old Shakespeare volumes were handed down by Sarah’s mother

Extended Dormer Bungalow

Above: The downstairs bedroom has a vaulted ceiling, and doors to the garden. The bedhead was an old church pew, the eiderdown is from Brackley Antiques, and the floral cushion is from Ikea Top: French doors make the most of the views 42 Period Living

from the master bedroom in the front extension. The bedspread and table were Sarah’s grandmother’s and the yellow cushions are from TK Maxx Right: Sarah updated the bathroom with a new bath, basin and taps. For similar, try Victoria Plum

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Period Living 45

The central timbered façade of Great Tangley Manor dates from 1584, though the core of the Grade I-listed home is much older. Arts and Crafts architect Philip Webb and his pupil George Jack each added a wing to the house. On the far right of the picture is an Anglo-Saxon wall, with an arched opening

Britain’s Oldest Home

MARKING TIME

There has been a dwelling on the site of Anne and Glyn Powell-Evans’ home since 1016, long before the Elizabethan manor house was built. Each passing century has left its legacy here; royal visitors, and illustrious architects and designers all adding to the remarkable story Words Karen Darlow | Photographs Julia Currie

Clockwise from top left: Anne has gradually redesigned and replanted the whole garden in the Arts and Crafts spirit. There has always been a sundial here – this contemporary design was Anne’s 25th wedding anniversary present to Glyn; the covered walkway, designed by Philip Webb, leads over the moat to the front door. The Arts and Crafts origins of the bridge are plain to see in its simple structure; an oval window was added to the house to mirror the holes in the wall around the garden; important visitors to the house signed their names on the windows. These are among the oldest, dated 1672, but King George V and Queen Mary, and George VI all added their marks. Architect Edwin Lutyens and garden designer Gertrude Jekyll also visited the house and admired it greatly; the home’s original timbers are dated 1582, when the frame was built; looking through Webb’s walkway – the front door can be seen at the far end; Anne and Glyn with labradoodle Arlo. The couple have three children and six grandchildren

48 Period Living

Britain’s Oldest Home

Period Living 49

imbered, moated and with a visitors’ book that reads like a Who’s Who of the past thousand years, Great Tangley Manor is thought to be Britain’s oldest continuously inhabited house.

The story begins in 1016, when a Saxon dwelling existed on the site, believed to have belonged to King Harold’s younger brother. Domesday Book records that the ownership of the manor transferred to Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, a halfbrother of William the Conqueror. The end of the 1100s almost brought the end of Great Tangley when a fire nearly razed the house to the ground.

It was rebuilt as a medieval hall house, and it’s said that King John used it as a hunting lodge and came here after signing Magna Carta. The Elizabethan era brought more changes, and in 1584 it became the magnificent timbered manor still standing today.

Great Tangley remained a magnet for famous and influential visitors, many of whom left their calling cards in an unusual way, as current owner Anne Powell-Evans explains: ‘Visitors would etch their signatures into the windows, and these can still be seen in the original glass. The oldest signature is John Carrill’s, dated 1633, and the 17th-century diarist John Evelyn made his mark in 1641. A little later in history there were more royal visits, and King George V and Queen Mary both signed the windows of the dining hall with a diamond ring.

Other visitors to Great Tangley were not so keen to advertise their presence. ‘During our renovations we discovered a priest hole in the study fireplace,’ says Anne. ‘This was thought to be a Catholic household and in the 1650s the priest would have dropped into the hiding place from the floor above, in an attempt to escape Cromwell’s men.’ It was an astonishing find and Glyn was keen to open it up but Anne’s instinct, as always, was to tread lightly on the secrets of the past. ‘The day after we found the priest hole, every single clock in the house stopped at 12.40am – and we have about nine clocks,’ she says. ‘I took that as a sign that we should leave well alone, and even though I don’t believe in ghosts – at least not the wafty white ones – there’s definitely a strong historical presence here. In the old nursery, people have heard children whispering. And the thick oak door to the study has been known to 50 Period Living

swing open on its own with no one there, even when the latch was firmly fixed shut.’

Even with the weight of its history to hold it back, the house hasn’t stood still. New wings were added in the 1880s, by then owner Wickham Flower, who employed architect Philip Webb to extend the house and to advise on the garden design. His great friend, William Morris, supplied some of the furnishings. Webb, Morris and Flower founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) and thanks to their involvement, this ancient building escaped the heavy hands of other Victorian developers. Webb’s Arts and Crafts influences are easy to pick out. The timber-roofed bridge over the moat, and the panelled library and music room, were all designed by Webb, while the interiors furnished by Morris are still visible today.

Anne and Glyn’s connection with Great Tangley began in 1997. ‘We were looking for a bright, light barn, but the chance to own this historic property was too good to pass up,’ says Anne ‘We already knew the house, and I’ve always loved history, so it seemed the right thing to do, even though it didn’t exactly fit our brief.’ The house had been divided in two in 1959, so at that point the couple owned half of the manor. It was in good condition, with its original timbers, windows and roof, but Anne and Glyn have had to work hard to keep it that way. Of all the repairs that have taken place on Glyn and Anne’s watch, surely the most significant restoration was to reunite the two halves of the manor when their neighbour died in 2005. ‘He was a delightful old gentleman and had been very keen that we should buy his half of the house,’ says Anne. ‘Goodness knows why, but we did it.’ She laughs it off, but it was a decision founded on love for the house and its history, and driven by Anne and Glyn’s desire to do the right thing by all who have loved and cared for the property before them. ‘We’ve never regretted it, not for one minute. In some ways I feel the house doesn’t belong to us, it belongs to the community,’ she explains. ‘We’re caretaking it, and we’re just a little blip in a thousand years. It’s our job to maintain it as best we can, in the way that the people who built each bit would wish it to be maintained.’

The plan for the second half of the manor was to run it as an occasional holiday let and to host events to help fund the ongoing repairs. Anne and Glyn renovated the kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms in the guest accommodation. They also added a glass-box extension to enclose a courtyard garden at the back of the house, working closely with English Heritage on their plans, which won them a design award. The ethereal, almost-ghostlike glass walls gently reference the centuries of signatures in the older leaded panes, but Anne won’t be inviting her visitors to etch their names. Under Anne and Glyn’s custodianship the house continues to look to the future. ‘There’s always something that needs repairing and all these things require some level of sacrifice,’ says Anne. ‘But we don’t mind because we love it so much and it’s so lovely to be here.’

Britain’s Oldest Home

THE STORY Owners Anne and Glyn Powell-Evans live here with their labradoodle Arlo. Anne runs half of the home as a luxury holiday let and events setting (greattangleymanor.co.uk). Glyn is an entrepreneur Property The Grade I-listed house is a few miles south of Guildford, Surrey, and has ten bedrooms and eight acres of gardens. The main timbered section was built in 1584, but the core of the building is older. One wing was added in the 1880s by architect Philip Webb and another by his pupil George Jack in the 1890s What they did The couple owned one side of the house at first, then bought the other half. It was in good condition, with original timbers, windows, floors and roof. They updated the holiday accommodation, and built a glass-box extension to enclose a courtyard garden

Above and right: The kitchen was created in the 1900s, when the old outbuildings were restored. Anne and Glyn chose simple, handmade

wooden cabinets, designed and fitted by Seymour Kitchens Top right: An old cash register is a talking point in the dining hall

The original Arts and Crafts dining hall was designed by Philip Webb. Its timber beams are believed to have come from the Spanish Armada fleet. The internal windows were added when a new wing was built in the 1880s and the limestone flooring also dates from that time. The two chairs were bought with the house and the stove is from Jøtul

52 Period Living

Britain’s Oldest Home

Next to the grandfather clock is an original William Morris hanging.

Morris based his design on the plants he saw in the garden, and called it Great Tangley. The baronial-style light fitting was also put up

by Morris in the 1880s

Above: A bedroom in one of the oldest parts of the house, dating from the mid-1500s. The bed is a 17th-century oak design sourced from Victorian Dreams Right: Decorative panelling designed

by William Morris in one of the reception rooms. There was once a minstrels’ gallery above the fireplace, but this was filled in and turned into a bedroom in the 1880s Opposite: The library still looks exactly as it did in the 1880s when it was designed by Philip Webb and furnished by William Morris

Dutch Dairy Farm The living room is in the old barn and has the original vaulted ceiling.

The floor tiles are from Jan van IJken architectural salvage in Eemnes, originally from a French monastery.

Lisette was waiting for the right spot for the stained-glass windows, bought years ago. Many of the other accessories are from her shop, Tussen Koe & Kroonluchter

THIS FARMING LIFE Almost a century ago, Willem’s grandfather drove across Holland to buy a farm. Now Willem and his wife Lisette live there and are keeping his entrepreneurial spirit alive Words Wilma Tjalsma | Photographs Joyce Vloet/CocoFeatures.com Period Living 57

THE STORY Owners Willem and Lisette live here, with their sons Huib, 12, and Mans, nine, Labradors Fons and Frits, and 350 dairy cows. Lisette also runs a brocante and guest house (logeerderijkoekroonluchter.nl) Property The barn was built in 1900 by wealthy oyster fishermen and bought by Willem’s grandfather in 1930. Willem and Lisette now run the farm What they did The couple renovated throughout. They replaced rotten windows and added a shower room, created a kitchen island with materials salvaged from the cowshed and converted a barn into their family living room with reclaimed floor tiles and glass doors

amily history is everything to Willem; it is at the very heart of both his work and his home life. It all started in 1930, when Willem’s grandfather got in his car and drove across Holland to look at a barn that was for sale. It belonged to a group of oyster fishermen who had decided to invest their plentiful wealth in building the barn and clearing the moorland around it to grow flax. ‘Grandma did not like the idea at all, but Grandpa saw the potential and stuck firmly to his plan,’ says Willem. ‘He bought the barn and started a mixed farm with cows, pigs, chickens and all the other livestock you would find on a farm in those days.’

Years later, Willem’s father and his wife took over the farm. They moved into the house where the farm manager used to live, and that’s where Willem and his sisters were born and grew up. ‘There were stables, a coach house and an office all crammed in the rest of the building, and there were lots of rooms in the barn that were used for storage,’ says Lisette.

Most of the barn had been converted into a house by the time she and Willem moved in and took over the farm, but it was all badly in need of attention.

‘On dark winter nights, when Willem and I sat on the sofa in the living room, the candles blew out!’ says Lisette. ‘The window frames were so rotten that the wind blew right through them.’

The couple decided to thoroughly renovate and update the farm. Rotten window frames were replaced with traditional-style new ones. The suspended ceiling was removed to reveal a beautiful curved ceiling underneath. Then the wall between the former living room and the coach house was demolished. ‘That’s how we created this great living area and it was the ideal spot for a large open-plan kitchen,’ says Lisette. ‘And the empty old barn on the other side of the hall turned out to be the perfect place for my brocante.’

The smaller house where Willem grew up was also updated. ‘It had been permanently let to tenants for years and was a bit drab and in need of a boost,’ says Lisette. ‘We had almost finished renovating it, when we realised how nice and light it was – with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside, the meadows and the cows – and we thought it was a shame to rent it out again.’

The couple decided that turning it into a guesthouse would be a much nicer use of the little 58 Period Living

house. So Lisette and Willem are now the proud owners of a farm, a guesthouse and a brocante – appropriately named Tussen Koe & Kroonluchter (Between Cows and Chandeliers).

Lisette’s passion for brocante goes right back to her childhood when her mother used to scour all kinds of fleamarkets looking for old pottery and unusual bric-a-brac with stories to tell. ‘Of course, as a young girl I didn’t always want to follow her around looking for “old junk” as I called it in those days,’ says Lisette. ‘But our house was always warm and welcoming, and my mother had a talent for creating a lovely relaxed atmosphere and cosiness.’

Years later she and her mother opened a brocante together and when Lisette moved to Willem’s farm she eventually started her own brocante there.

Lisette remembers Willem’s home being rather empty when she first met him. ‘I used to drive down to see him for the weekend with a bulging bag of groceries and my car loaded with furniture and accessories,’ she says. ‘So little by little this house became a home.’ Once the house was furnished, Lisette moved in with Willem and, of course, with all her treasures around her, she immediately felt right at home.

These days Lisette has a full-time job looking after the family, farm, guesthouse and shop. Yet somehow she still makes time to hunt for brocante.

‘That’s the nice thing about selling things, there is always room for something new,’ she says.

‘Recently I noticed a sturdy steel cabinet in a skip.

I rang the bell to ask if I could have it and then went home to get my son to help. It’s made an eyecatching display unit in my shop. Often these are the best treasures – unexpected gifts when you’re not really looking for anything at all.’

A few times a year Lisette and Willem organise special events. It can be something big, like the two-day Winter Farm Fair where different stallholders fill the garden, barns and farmyard; or a cosy ‘Koe’ster day’ where people can browse the brocante in Lisette’s store; or a petting day where Heidi, the farm’s most docile and domesticated cow, is on hand for cuddles. ‘I really like welcoming visitors to our farm,’ says Lisette. ‘This beautiful house deserves to be enjoyed and shared. Willem and I live here so happily with the boys and we’re trying our best to take care of the farm and keep it in good shape for the next generation.’

Dutch Dairy Farm

Left to right, from top row: Lisette and Tiger the cat; a treasured collection of flower paintings, which Lisette says makes her cheerful every day; Labrador Frits takes a nap in the kitchen; the old farm buildings date from 1900 and Willem’s grandfather took over the farm in 1930; some of Lisette’s antique porcelain; the living room is still furnished with things from Lisette’s shop, including this vintage coat rack. Most of the accessories are for sale; portraits of Lisette and Willem’s sons Huib and Mans, by local artist Gerrie Mathijssen; the garden around the farm is divided into a series of outdoor ‘rooms’ with beech hedges – a wonderful place for the chickens to scratch about

Period Living 59

Above: The bespoke kitchen cabinets were fitted by a local carpenter about nine years ago. Willem and Lisette recently decided to add a statement island workspace topped with a natural stone slab that came from the cowshed – the animals’ water troughs used to stand on it. Now restored, it makes an indestructible worktop. In the early 1900s, when the farm was newly built, flax would have been laid out to dry in the attic above the unusual vaulted ceiling.

Nowadays an Aga keeps the whole house pleasantly warm. For similar industrial-style pendant lights, try Industville Left: Lisette embraces the farmhouse look with brocante finds, mixing in sturdy fittings such as these metal doors. For similar, try Crittall. The floor tiles were here in 1930 when Willem’s grandfather bought the farm.

The embroidered chair was found on the Dutch online auction site Marktplaats Right: Lisette found the dining table in an old barn nearby and Willem refurbished it in a single afternoon. Most of the chairs are secondhand. The chandelier is from Lisette’s shop, Tussen Koe & Kroonluchter (Between Cows and Chandeliers)

60 Period Living

Dutch Dairy Farm

62 Period Living

Dutch Dairy Farm

Above left: By introducing as much glass as possible in their renovations, Lisette and Willem have kept the space light and bright Above right: A glazed cupboard is packed with pretty antique china and glassware Right: It’s hard not to linger in this hallway, which is full of interesting finds picked up at fleamarkets and auction houses. The walls are painted with Mild Bean from Flexa Pure.

Little Greene’s Rolling Fog shade is similar Left: The metal chairs in the kitchen are the iconic Fermob chairs from the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris; try The Worm that Turned for similar. One of Lisette’s shop’s cabinets is put to good use displaying special treasures

Period Living 63

Above left: Various items in the main bedroom, such as the table, mirror, chandelier and Madonna statue, are from Lisette’s shop. The lilac bedspread is from House in Style and the cushions are from ‘t Hoogehuys in Belgium Above right: Tailors’ dummies keep guests company in the spare room. Lisette has collected them over the years at various fleamarkets. The walls are painted in Flexa Pure’s Heartwood Left: The study space in Huib’s bedroom with an old table and a chair, one of a set of four found in a brocante. The wire rack on the wall comes from Lisette’s shop. Walls are painted in Flexa Pure’s Real Tundra. For a similar lamp, try Ikea

64 Period Living

THE OUTLOOK IS GOOD A wartime relic has made a bright and unusual coastal home for Evelyn McNamara. Her inspired renovation is perfectly matched by its views of sea and sky Words and styling Penny Crawford-Collins | Photographs Philip Lauterbach

Unique Seaside Hideaway A mix of old and new furnishings softens and adds character to the utilitarian space – a renovated Nissen hut built in 1948. Evelyn found the secondhand Chesterfield sofa on Adverts.ie; try Thomas Lloyd for similar. It’s topped with a throw from TK Maxx and pouffe from Aldi.

The glass cabinet is from Ikea. To create a focal point in the open-plan living room, Evelyn chose a doublesided Heta Kosi stove, and had it enamelled in white by H&F Cast Iron Ranges. It was installed by Waterford Stoves and sits on a curved marble plinth, which she had specially made by Leinster Stone in Kilkenny

THE STORY Owner Evelyn McNamara, a wedding and portrait photographer, and her Lurcher rescue dog, Laya Property A Nissen hut built in 1948 intended for military use, at Rathmoylan Cove, Waterford, Ireland.

The hut consists of two bedrooms, one of which is a mezzanine, an open-plan living-kitchen and dining area, and a wet room What she did The whole hut was opened up and the outside WC was converted into a wet room and incorporated into the hut. It was rewired, replumbed and heavily insulated, and new windows, doors and floors were fitted

hildhood dreams of renovating an old military lookout hut by the sea stayed with Evelyn McNamara, who now lives in the corrugated half-cylindrical steel structure. Located in picturesque Rathmoylan Cove on Evelyn’s family land, it was designed by engineer Peter Norman Nissen and built in 1948 for military use.

‘Over the years I have gathered many ideas for it from Remodelista and Pinterest, and as I’ve travelled around a lot I’ve picked up inspiration and pieces that I knew would suit the structure,’ says Evelyn. ‘When I finally started work on the hut three years ago, it was painted top to toe in yellow.

It was very damp, full of sandhoppers, and there were plants growing through the floor. It had one small window looking onto the beach but I always wanted to take down the interior walls and put in glass doors to maximise the beach views.’

Evelyn took advice from a structural engineer, who assured her that the walls could safely be removed as all the weight was on the six steel struts.

She confidently embarked on the renovation, initially removing the internal partition walls and a fireplace that took up too much room. This gave her the shell for the open-plan kitchen-diner.

Next, huge French doors were fitted to provide the all-important beach views, and the hut was transformed. ‘The height and the open-plan design make it feel much lighter and bigger than I ever imagined it would be,’ she says. ‘It’s now the perfect balance of functionality and calmness.’

Evelyn also rewired and replumbed, insulated the floor, and re-sheeted and insulated the inside roof. To give the main room a focus, she fitted a small double-sided Heta Kosi stove, which sits on a curved marble plinth.

An old outside toilet has been reconfigured as a smart wet room, complete with polished concrete walls, floor and ceiling, and brass fittings. ‘The new full-length glass door has great views of the sea and allows direct access to the beach. It’s so practical as it means I don’t have to walk all the way through the house in my wetsuit or swimming togs.’

Evelyn wanted room for visitors to stay so she came up with the idea of building a mezzanine into 68 Period Living

the loft space above the master bedroom. This is accessed by a wooden ladder from the living area.

‘I designed the mezzanine around the height of a vintage Art Deco chemist door – my favourite find,’ says Evelyn. ‘I got it in an auction and was so nervous that I wasn’t going to get it that I had to let my mother take over the bidding.’

Working with a setting like this was both a challenge and a delight. ‘This place is all about the views and I wanted the perfect balance between the inside and outside space,’ explains Evelyn. ‘I built a patio that leads onto the beach. The Himalayan granite I chose has red tones that reflect the colour of the cliffs in the cove. It gets the sun from early morning and throughout the day, so it’s perfect for alfresco dining.’

The unusual home is the perfect showcase for her photography, which is dotted around and includes beautifully atmospheric framed wedding shots and children’s portraits. Her creativity shines through with the interiors and interesting touches like the exposed copper piping and tap locks used for her taps, the wrought-iron fish handles on the doors, and the stone sink on a wooden cabinet.

‘I’m a bit of a globetrotter and I lived in India for a while,’ says Evelyn. ‘I brought back many treasures from my travels over the years, which I stored in my mother’s attic. When I finally had the chance to put them into my own space it was fun to see how they all worked so well together, particularly with newer pieces from high-street stores.

‘Whether it’s sunny and calm or wild and stormy, the proximity to the sea makes you feel like you are actually on the beach,’ adds Evelyn.

‘I am so pleased with the way it’s turned out. I find it an inspiring, comfortable and welcoming space and my friends love to visit. It’s been great working on a small build like this. I’ve had all the elements of a big build but on a bite-size level – I’m ready for a bigger project now.’

Unique Seaside Hideaway

Top: The idyllic setting for Evelyn’s beach hut home Above: A large corner sofa, picked up in a secondhand shop, provides a relaxing spot to enjoy the views.

The flooring is from Murphy Larkin and Evelyn brought the rug back from a trip to Islamabad Left: The kitchen is fitted with simple Ikea cabinets, a Hotpoint cooker and a Nordmende fridge freezer. Quirky creative ideas, such as using copper piping as taps, have been introduced throughout the hut Period Living 69

Above: The Art Deco chemist door was picked up in an auction at Antiques Ireland. ‘I just fell in love with it. I was determined to make it fit somewhere and built the mezzanine around it,’ says Evelyn Above left: There was no option for wall cabinets in this kitchen; the curved walls are the stars Left: There was originally a small entrance porch to the hut, so Evelyn made it slightly larger and fitted a salvaged door. The old settle has been restored by Evelyn’s mother, but was bought in an auction at Antiques Ireland.

Colourful floor tiles from Best Tile make a striking statement Right: The large glass doors open up onto a patio with stunning beach views. The inside dining table and chairs were left in the hut. ‘I picked up the chandelier for a song – it’s from Bali, along with the buffalo skull,’ says Evelyn.

The garden chairs are from B&Q

70 Period Living

Unique Seaside Hideaway

Above: A mezzanine guest room has been slotted into the loft above the main bedroom Left: Muted colours give a calm, fresh feel to the main bedroom.

The bedstead was an auction find, the chest of drawers is from Ikea, and the chandelier, curtains and cushions

72 Period Living

were all sourced on one of Evelyn’s many overseas trips Below: It was once an outside toilet but the wet room is now part of the hut. The window doubles as a door so Evelyn can step off the beach and shower without walking through the living space

ROOM WITH AVIEW If your home backs onto fields and woodland, it makes sense to be able to enjoy the landscape while you cook, eat and relax. That’s exactly what Gill and Nick Snow had in mind when they designed their award-winning kitchen extension Words and styling Karen Darlow | Photographs Jody Stewart

The spacious kitchen-diner runs right across the back of the house. Gill and Nick called in builder Graham Judd of RCJ Property Services to do the work. The cabinets from the old kitchen were too good to throw away so were reused, with an extra length of granite worktop and some additional matching cabinets sourced from Kitchens Unlimited. Fired Earth’s Carnival Oro wall tiles are the statement pieces here and the lights are Dar Ray pendants from Lighting Direct. The table is from Oak Furnitureland and Gill covered the chairs with ticking

Kitchen Extension

Far left: There’s no hint of the contemporary extension from the front – it’s a typically Kentish home and once had its own orchard Left: Gill and Paddy outside the new kitchen

THE STORY Owners Gill and Nick Snow live here with their dog Paddy who’s a sprollie – a springer-border collie cross. The couple’s three daughters no longer live at home. Nick runs his own publishing business and Gill is a retired solicitor Property Built in 1928 in the Weald of Kent, the house originally had just three bedrooms but now has five What they did Extended in two phases to create an open-plan kitchen-diner with a small home office area and adjoining living room. The couple salvaged units from the old kitchen, and sourced matching additional cabinets

ntil four years ago, Gill and Nick’s kitchen was a dark room marooned in the middle of the house with no view to speak of and not nearly enough space for entertaining. ‘Cooking for a crowd meant being away from all the fun,’ says Gill, ‘and it never felt like the heart of the home.’

Then there was the question of where to store Gill’s kitchenware, not to mention a growing gallery of art, and the furniture she has reupholstered.

The new kitchen is so striking and cleverly thought out to take all these factors into consideration, that it won Period Living’s 2020 Kitchen of the Year Award. Good looks like these don’t happen by accident, however, and it took 11 years to get it just so. ‘We bought the house because we had fallen in love with the amazing view from the back garden and the sense of being right in the countryside,’ explains Gill, ‘but it took two extensions to get the kitchen looking exactly how we wanted it, and to finally do justice to the view.’

To make the house work for their family of five, Gill and Nick initially extended across the whole back of the house. ‘It hadn’t been touched for years. The kitchen was tiny and there were only three bedrooms so we knew we’d have lots to do,’ says Gill. The house is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty so the couple were relieved when planning permission was secured and the family decamped to rent a house nearby for seven months.

Two bedrooms and a family room were added, plus a utility room and extra space in the kitchen.

The first phase of work almost doubled the size of the house and served the family well for 11 years and, as Gill explains:‘It was great, except that we still had a dark, rather inconvenient kitchen and a dining room that we hardly used.’ It was time for a radical rethink and another planning application.

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‘I really wanted the kitchen to be much more the heart of the home, so we got plans drawn up to knock through the dining room to the kitchen and built a glazed extension to make the most of the views,’ says Gill. The family lived without a proper kitchen for four or five months as the work took much longer than expected. ‘And it cost more than we thought too,’ adds Gill. ‘We called in a builder we’d used in a previous house and the build went smoothly, but it wasn’t a straightforward job. It involved incorporating the upstairs bay windows and drainage, and we had to have a lot of steels because we were opening up the whole of the back of the house. All in all, the second extension was quite an engineering feat.’ The results are dramatic.

The huge open-plan space is zoned and the new floor-to-ceiling glass doors ensure that the view is the main focus from every part of the room. ‘It has really transformed the house,’ says Gill.

There are smaller scale transformations, too. The old kitchen cupboards have been repurposed, with extra units added to fit the new space. ‘They were handbuilt wooden cabinets so I wasn’t going to just throw them away,’ says Gill. ‘But the company that made them had gone out of business, so I trawled the internet before finally tracking down matching units in a kitchen shop in our nearest town!’

Gill chose contrasting shades for the cabinets and island, but still felt there was something missing. ‘Everything was grey and pale and subtle,’ she says. ‘I loved it, but I felt it needed a bit of punch, and I thought these mustard tiles would be ideal.’ We couldn’t agree more, and for anyone who can turn their eyes away from the striking tiles for long enough, there’s the view to enjoy. ‘I never tire of coming in here and staring out at the beautiful landscape,’ says Gill. ‘In the summer it’s airy with the sliding doors open, but in winter it’s cosy and warm, even if there’s a gale blowing outside.’

Kitchen Extension

Gill came up with an ingenious solution to upcycle the island unit from the old kitchen, which had an oak table attached. She got a carpenter to cut the table up and turn it into a breakfast bar on brackets.

He also made the open display shelves, now full of travel souvenirs. The aluminium glass doors and roof are from ALUK, fitted by Glaze, and the floor tiles are Jura beige limestone from Stone Vale Masonry.

A plate rack, from The Plate Rack Co, is painted in Stiffkey Blue to match the island; the cabinets are painted in Purbeck Stone, both Farrow & Ball. The range cooker is by Stoves, the blue casserole is a cocotte by Staub, the chopping board is from Kagu Interiors and the clock is from Ikea; pendant lights, as before. The sink and tap are from the old kitchen

Above: The larder from Kitchens Unlimited is one of only three new cupboards Gill and Nick needed to buy.

The vegetable drawers, just seen, were made by hand and came from a car-boot stall. Gill reupholstered the armchair in Linwood’s Arboreal velvet, a print that reflects the woodland view Left: The American Shaker dresser was an auction buy and was dark wood before Gill painted it blue. The tureens, teapot and plates were also auction finds, bought to supplement Gill and Nick’s Blue Denmark dinner service, which was a wedding present Right: The neat home office has an antique desk bought at Watsons Auctions and a vintage chair that Gill reupholstered. The wire rack was a present from daughter Lucy, and the Russian modernist painting was a gift from Nick, bought at auction. For a similar yellow desk lamp, try John Lewis & Partners. Dried craspedia flowers supplied

by The Flower Shop 78 Period Living

1930s Czech bohemian 12-arm emerald green overlay chandelier with handpainted floral decoration and gold accent bands, Salisbury Antiques Centre

News from the antiques and vintage world, from fairs to collectors’ stories

GREEN ANTIQUES

Rob Watson, founder of new online antiques, vintage and art marketplace Antiques Boutique, is on a mission to make the sustainable world of antiques more accessible by connecting buyers to hundreds of UK dealers. ‘The growth in conscious consumerism and ethical concerns about massproduced homeware has seen a rise in demand for items that can stand the test of time. Antiques are increasingly appealing to a broader audience and the aim of Antiques Boutique is to make buying them as easy as possible.’ (antiquesboutique.com)

Feature Alice Roberton Images (curator’s pick) courtesy of Trustees of the Natural History Museum, (bottom left) Large original 19th century French confit pots with yellow glaze, Lichen Garden Antiques at decorativecollective.com

Left: Late-19thcentury Louis XVI-style green painted Fauteuil, £1,350 for a pair, Marlborough Antiques & Interiors Right: Rare Derby porcelain candlestick depicting Liberty, from a pair, £2,145, The Fancy Fox WHAT’S HOT Jane Walton, owner of Decorative Collective and The Hoarde, highlights the beauty of French confit pots ‘French confit pots have become desirable decorative items in recent years, however they were an everyday necessity hundreds of years ago as a source of storing food, usually meats and liquids. To help preserve and keep its contents cool for longer, the unglazed half of the pot would be buried in the earth. Made by hand, each has its own character. They come with a unique glaze and in wonderful variations of “pot belly” forms.

As a collection they make a visual impact, but a single pot used as a vase will add rustic goodness to a table.’

CURATOR’S PICK Dr Mark Carine, principal curator in charge, algae, fungi and plants at the Natural History Museum’s Herbarium, tells us what has recently piqued his interest ‘The herbarium at the Natural History Museum holds over five million plant specimens, from microscopic diatoms to seaweeds, lichens and mosses up to huge sections of the trunk of the giant sequoia – the tallest tree in existence. The collection is global in coverage and has been assembled over more than 400 years – our earliest dated collection was made in 1603.

I’m currently interested in a specimen of St Helena ebony, collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander on the Endeavour voyage in 1771. It’s the last known record of the species, which has been extinct for 250 years. I am involved in a study that is extracting its DNA to understand its genetics and evolutionary relationships – working with the collection is a real privilege.

Most of our specimens are dried, pressed and mounted on sheets.

Some are housed in mahogany cabinets that date from the opening of the museum in 1881, but most are protected in metal cabinets. Visitors to the museum’s Darwin Centre can see some of our herbarium collections. Parts of our General Herbarium are on

Clockwise from top: Sloane Herbarium; Dr Mark Carine in the Natural History Museum’s General Herbarium, Darwin Centre; St Helena ebony specimen; Desmarestia ligulate (seaweed) specimen

view, as is the Sloane Herbarium collection, which was assembled between the 1680s and 1750s by physician and naturalist Sir Hans Sloane. These are bound into large volumes – 265 in total.’

IN FOCUS

Left: 1960s F pattern from Trefriw Woollen Mill

WELSH TAPESTRY BLANKETS Instantly recognisable for its woven double-cloth fabric and colourful geometric double-sided design, the Welsh tapestry blanket is an iconic piece in Welsh textile heritage with a history going back centuries. The 19th and early 20th centuries saw tapestry produced in north Wales, where the large mills at Trefriw, Penmachno and Caernarfon produced heavyweight unfringed blankets using semi-automatic power looms for domestic use and to satisfy an upmarket tourist industry. A boom in postwar working-class tourism saw the mills of south-west Wales producing double cloth and adding thick fringes on two sides, as was the fashion.

Traditionally woven in contrasting colours, their tone was turned up and bright colours became popular. While there were varying patterns, the traditional Caernarvon is the most iconic with its repeating series of pixelated squares, spikes and dots. The mills in south-west Wales opened shops and supplied the department stores of Swansea, Cardiff and London, and Welsh tapestry blankets sold in their thousands alongside the fringed Carthenni, a simpler, single-cloth wool blanket in pastel checks and plaids. Having seen a huge rise in popularity over the past few years, Welsh tapestry blankets are becoming harder to source and prices have risen. Blankets of the 1930s to the 1970s command prices upwards of £300, while older handwoven examples can carry much higher price tags. It’s advisable to buy these prized blankets from a specialist who can provide provenance and care advice. Jane Beck Welsh Blankets is one of the most reputable collectors and suppliers in the UK. (welshblankets.co.uk)

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Above: 1960s Caernarfon Welsh tapestry blanket.

A popular reversible, pure wool Carthen in bright pastels

The much-loved Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair, usually held in Battersea three times a year, has launched a virtual format, Digital Decorative. Accessed via decorativefair.com, the platform will offer interactive 3D virtual tours, allowing you to walk through the showrooms of 70 excellent dealers with 360-degree viewing. There will also be the ability to zoom in to inspect details of items and there’s even a measuring ruler to judge dimensions of any item shown.

Digital Decorative also features gallery windows displaying images of stock to make browsing easier.

a

Above: George III period cabriole leg dresser base, c.1770, S&S Timms Below: 1950s Janine Abraham & Dirk Jan Rol wicker chair from a pair at Fiona McDonald

ir

Images (Blankets) Jane Beck (welshblankets.co.uk), (opposite) Beth Smith

Left: Mid-century Derw Mill version of an earlier Hannah Jones & Sons Peony design from Penmachno Mill

Fun of the f

TALKING SHOP With spring in the air, it’s the ideal time to enjoy a day out at Petersham Nurseries. Beautiful lifestyle destinations inspired by nature, the stores in Richmond and Covent Garden offer a celebration of the seasons peppered with an exquisite selection of decorative antiques for the home and garden. Both locations feature displays of hand-picked antique furniture, mirrors, chandeliers, garden furniture and urns alongside a wealth of familiar and unusual plants. Be sure to take a shopping break at one of the on-site cafés and restaurants, which serve delicious food inspired by the kitchen garden. (petershamnurseries.com)

Below left: 1960s candycoloured blanket from the Derw Mill, Carmarthenshire.

Copied from Trefriw’s F pattern

by Freda Williams and referred to as the Liquorice Allsort pattern

Antiques

MEET THE COLLECTOR BETH SMITH What I collect: The peacetime counterparts

– civilian figures and animals – of the familiar lead or ‘tin’ soldiers. I only collect lead figures, which means they were produced before the 1960s when the use of lead for children’s toys was phased out. From the late 19th century the UK led the way in the production of hollow-cast lead toys, and it was a process invented by the aptly named William Britain Jr. in 1893 that revolutionised the production of toy soldiers. I mainly collect the Britains branded ones.

Why I collect: Collecting is such a fascinating impulse;

I’ve always felt it and imagine I always will. As a child I loved completing sets, always had a sticker album on the go and had a room full of boxes, jars and baskets containing bought and found objects. You can always spot a collector on a beach – we’re the restless ones trawling for shells, smooth glass or the perfect pebble!

From top: Britains garden items including individual flowers and trellis, produced between 1931-1940; pieces from Britains popular Home Farm series produced from 1923 onwards including wishing well and dovecot

How I collect: I bought my first piece around ten years

ago and I had no idea what I was starting. I was at a textile fair browsing the stalls when I found a tiny metal lamb in a basket of orphaned objects. I did some research and found that it was part of a huge range of figures produced by the company Britains; I was hooked. I now have around 60 key figures in my collection but I have hundreds in stock for my antiques business All Things Counter (allthingscounter.com), sourced mainly at auctions and fairs.

My collection highlight: My current collection highlight

is a circus. I’ve made a little circus ring from part of an old chandelier and it’s perfect for displaying the elephant and tigers, the equestrian performer on her Liberty horse and the clowns with their performing dogs – it’s an absolute delight!

Right: Milkmaid with yoke, John Hill & Co, c.1930 Below: Beth’s prized Britains circus figures, c.1950, alongside clowns, ringmaster in green and performing dogs by toymaker Charbens, c.1935

Above: Teapots decorated with oriental scenes, such as this ‘Chinese Musicians’ design, which sold at Bonhams for £446, were popular in the 18th century Below: The Royle’s patent self-pouring teapot with a pump-up pressure-driven design was made by Doulton

Tea for two Antiques Roadshow specialist Marc Allum dips into the history and investigates the allure of the often disregarded and seemingly humble teapot

T

he introduction of tea to the West in the 16th century, largely by Portuguese merchants, transformed the traditional Eastern origins of the drink into a highly desirable European commodity.

Although firm evidence dates tea drinking back

84 Period Living

some 2,000 years, it is thought it could in fact originate to over 3,000 years ago in the Yunnan region of south-west China.

The Chinese initially enjoyed a monopoly on the supply of tea to the West, but in the 17th century the British introduced tea – as we know it – to

Images (Whieldon) Gift of Mrs Russell S. Carter, 1944, Met Museum; (Royle's) Gildings Auctioneers

Above: Dating from 1757-60, this Worcester teapot in the ‘Warbler’ pattern, sold at Bonhams for £573 Right: Quirky Thomas Whieldon teapots are highly collectable, Met Museum Below: This Castleford Pottery-style teapot, c.1810, imitates the design of silver pots, the reliefs following the neoclassical tastes of the time, Top Banana Antiques

Antiques

Images (Dresser) sold in 2011 for £3,125, Christies; (crabstock) British Museum

Above: A typically decorated Chinese export Qianlong enamelled porcelain teapot, dating circa 1780, 1stDibs Right: This Whieldon-type chinoiserie teapot, embossed with three different scenes, sold for £6,250 at Bonhams

Above: Teapots were made in a variety of materials, including silver – George IV sterling silver pot, 1stDibs Below: Made in Staffordshire in 1760, this salt-glazed stoneware pot has a crabstock handle and spout

Above: Dr Christopher Dresser’s famous 2278 electroplated teapot, made

by James Dixon & Sons Below: An example of a Qianlong period Qing Dynasty famille rose décor teapot, c.1770-1795, £633 at 1stDibs

Left: A naive, folk-like late Victorian Measham Ware or Barge Ware pear-shaped teapot, Courtyard Antiques Below: The Willow pattern, often attributed to Spode, has enjoyed enduring popularity from the Victorian era into modern times

Period Living 85

India, and its production and consumption spiralled exponentially, both indigenously and throughout the world. This trade was largely controlled by the East India Company, and along with this increased consumption came the Western ‘ritual’ of tea preparation necessitating the teapot. The earliest used in Europe were Chinese porcelain examples.

A fine tradition Tea was, of course, very expensive and heavily taxed, making it the preserve of the wealthier classes. As a result, they also required similarly expensive accoutrements. It wasn’t until the very early 18th century, however, when Meissen discovered the secret of making porcelain that European production of such teapots began.

They were modelled on Chinese examples and, while buying an early Meissen teapot dating from circa 1715 could easily cost you £10,000 from a specialist dealer, a Chinese one from the same period might only be £300-500.

As the consumption and trade increased so, too, did the development of teapots and teaware. Many of my favourites date from the 1760-90 period, the Qianlong period in China. A typically decorated polychrome famille rose example, with a scene of a Mandarin in a garden with a ‘crabstock’ handle and spout, might cost around £400 at auction.

Such pots come in a number of different styles, being globular, ovoid with straight sides, or even moulded in designs, but somewhat more fascinating are the developments in the competing contemporary British ceramics, such as the work of masters like Thomas Whieldon and Josiah Wedgwood. Their short collaboration from 1754-59 spawned new and interesting designs and colourways, and ‘Whieldon’ ceramic teapots, in their often quirky cauliflower and pineapple designs, are highly collectable and expensive.

They were also heavily copied by some of the other Staffordshire factories.

Teapot buying: what to look for THE ‘CRABSTOCK’ HANDLE OR SPOUT is a naturalistic

form based on a branch and can be found on many 18th-century teapots. Crabstock is actually a wild apple tree used as stock to graft upon.

EPBM IS A MARK commonly found on Victorian and Edwardian tea and coffee pots. It stands for Electro Plate Britannia Metal. The metal is a cheap pewter alloy but with an antimony element. It has a smooth finish and took plate well, but is not overly resilient and deteriorates and dents easily. EPNS or Electroplated Nickel Silver is far more durable, the base being an alloy of nickel, zinc and copper.

THE AUCTION MARKET has been flooded in the last few years with reproductions of Christopher Dresser teapots. Often erroneously catalogued as Art Deco, they can be fun but are generally cheaply made.

PERHAPS THE MOST FAMOUS CHINESE SHIPWRECK cargo is that known as the Nanking, a vast haul of Chinese porcelain that went down with the Dutch East India Company ship, the Geldermalsen. It left Canton in 1750 and was loaded with all manner of wares destined for the European market. It was sold by Christies in 1986. If you want to make your tea in a piece of history, there were hundreds of teapots on board and you can easily purchase an original example for around £200-300 online.

Many similar wrecks have been discovered since.

AUCTIONS CAN BE A WONDERFUL PLACE to source teapots. Mixed lots from house clearances often contain an interesting assortment of items and my best Castleford teapot was found in such a lot.

It is always worth a good rummage.

Silver service Teapots were made in a variety of materials and silver was an obvious choice for wealthier imbibers.

Such items often reflected ceramic counterparts and vice versa, so it is not uncommon to hear a ceramic teapot referred to as ‘silver shape’, or to see a silver teapot with ceramic attributes. Georgian silver teapots are not rare, but the maker and design are obviously important markers for their values. A standard 1780 oval serpentine example with bright cut engraving and an engraved cartouche, together with an original ovoid stand, might meet £500-600 at auction. Condition is paramount, though, as many are dented and repaired, which significantly decreases their value.

Ceramic look-alikes include ‘Castleford’ teawares, often of hexagonal form with moulded panels in white stoneware or black basalt; the teapots were much copied and are ubiquitously called Castleford. A commemorative Admiral Howe and Lord Nelson example will typically cost £300-500 at auction.

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Tea for all The democratisation of the teapot became more obvious into the 19th century, when the affordability of tea, the creation of faster transport and access to markets, across a greater social spectrum, meant that there was an increased demand for cheaper teaware. The myriad Staffordshire factories churned out huge quantities of transfer-printed teapots, and the late 18th century saw the creation of rather legendary designs such as the Willow pattern.

Often attributed to Spode, its enduring pattern has graced many a manufacturer’s wares and is commonly seen on Victorian Staffordshire teapots. It has become enshrined in popular culture and this is largely due to the Minton factory’s advertising in the late 1840s enshrining a dramatic romantic fable in which a Mandarin puts his daughter and her humble lover to death.

Antiques For its tea wares, the Meissen factory relied heavily on Chinese porcelain shapes and decorative motifs as there was no real precedent in European ceramics.

Decorated with two chinoiserie scenes, the teapot seen in this set, 1725, was first recorded in the Royal Collection in 1927

In the Victorian period particularly, mass production ensured a steady supply of new forms and technologies. With the advent of electroplating, cheap silver-plated teapots, often made on low quality alloys such as Britannia metal, could grace any parlour. They usually formed part of a fourpiece set and these days nobody wants them, so are extremely cheap at auction.

Royal commemoratives have their own cohort of collectors but a popular monarch, such as Queen Victoria, fuelled a huge market in patriotic items with countless anniversaries and events. Teapots marking her 1887 Golden Jubilee come in so many shapes and sizes, but many are simply too common to be worth much in monetary terms. This tradition of making Royal collectibles continues; modern designers and manufacturers such as Emma Bridgewater often have excess demand for some of their editions. Her Diamond Jubilee (1952-2012) teapot for Queen Elizabeth II usually makes a healthy £100 in the collectors’ market.

Image (Meissen) © Royal Collection Trust

Form and function I have a passion for the rather quirky and garish productions known as ‘Measham Ware’. Also known as Barge Ware, these creations were typically ordered by people who lived and worked on canal barges and could be purchased at the shop of Annie Bonas on the Measham Canal Bridge. They were made at Church Gresley in Derbyshire and production ceased around 1910. Teapots are a speciality and some are almost 50cm high. Their streaky brown glaze, impressed personal messages

and commemorations, and colourful applied decoration, stands them apart in teapot terms.

Expect to pay £200 for a large date-stamped teapot.

Such naive ‘folk’-like teapots are charming but the teapot itself has also enticed some of the world’s greatest minds into tackling its various idiosyncrasies. The ‘dripping spout’ is a perpetual niggle and the Royle’s self-pouring patent teapot was one of many attempts to overcome this; John James Royle’s clever pump-up pressure-driven design became very popular in the Victorian period.

It was made in countless different decorative styles

by Doulton and also in ‘metal’ by James Dixon and Sons. Doulton examples will sell for around £100.

But it is the idea of form and function – ideals that can so easily be counter-productive - that has enticed some of history’s greatest designers to reinvent the teapot. Dr Christopher Dresser (1834-1904) tackled the teapot on several occasions and his stylish electroplated, angular creations made by James Dixon & Sons, were undoubtedly way ahead of their time in anticipating the designs of the Art Deco period. His famous spherical ‘2278’ can usually be purchased at auction for around £3,000-5,000, but there are also plenty of reproductions available at around £100-200.

In the main, teapots feel like a great leveller.

Whether you drink ‘builder’s’ tea or a delicate herbal concoction, the teapot can be purely functional, a humorous novelty, or an icon of design, but the same principle will always stand: its remit is to make a drink that has endured for thousands of years.

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ak o s us o u Designed in

Su mp t

METRO MAGIC With their sleek, angular shape and glossy finish, metro tiles have been a firm favourite in period homes for decades.

CTD Tiles’ Poitiers range features a handcrafted aesthetic and traditional glazed finish, which catches the light. Plus, the tiles’ elongated rectangular shape means they can be positioned in a variety of formations for a unique look, such as chevron, herringbone or brick bond. Available in the new colours of Green, Indigo and Bordeaux, prices start at £49.99 per m2.

collaboration with interior stylist Susie Atkinson, Whitewater is the latest addition to Drummonds’ range of luxury baths.

A reimagining of the classic cast-iron slipper bath, it features a dainty silhouette and tapered feet, perfect for adding timeless charm and indulgence to a period home. Available in four bespoke exterior finishes, including painted, polished, primed or raw iron, it is priced from £3,792.

NOT JUST FOR PANDAS

traditio n n o

Reinventing the st traditional style of Shaker

Tw i

Bamboo is one of the most versatile and sustainable materials that can be used in the home. Able to be transformed into everything from fabric to flooring, the plant takes just five years to fully replenish and its regrowth is actively encouraged by cutting. Woodpecker Flooring continues its celebration of this impressive material by adding two new herringbone designs to its Oxwich bamboo range. With a higher tensile strength than steel, the flooring also features a grain pattern almost indistinguishable from hardwood, making it ideal for flooring. Prices start at £82 per m2.

cabinetry, Mereway Kitchens’ new Cambridge range combines the iconic panelled doors with a super-slim design and smooth painted finish. It is complemented by a host of new colourways, including Indigo Blue, Sea Green, Midnight Green, Dark Walnut, Bleached Walnut, Bronze, Nautic Oak and Burnt Bronze.

Prices for the Cambridge kitchen, shown in Indigo Blue, start at £14,000.

Period Living 89

ASK THE EXPERT Douglas Kent, technical and research director at the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), answers your queries

of the old clay pantiles QSome on the roof of our barn need

WITH THE FLOW

Drop Three marks the final instalment of Original BTC’s Drop light collection – a series of designs that mimic a droplet of water as it falls through the air.

With a conical top and flattened shade, Drop Three sees the droplet falling, then flattening as it hits the ground. Originally designed in 2001, the light was deemed too challenging to make and so removed from the original collection. However, after two decades of work in the Stokeon-Trent bone china factory, the sculptural shade has been brought to life, using an intricate two-part slip-cast mould and liquid clay. Remaining unglazed, the glow of the light emphasises the natural beauty of the bone china, and positioning the bulb high within the shade celebrates the translucency of this elegant material. Prices start at £389.

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KEEP IT CLEAN

If 2020 taught us anything, it was the importance of cleanliness. Johnstone’s new range of matt paint has been formulated to have an antibacterial finish. Tested against MRSA and E.coli, the paint is designed to provide protection for the typical lifespan of a painted wall and restricts bacterial growth on the surface. Ideal for use in kitchens and bathrooms as well as other rooms of the house, it comes in a curated palette of ten shades, including Forest Stroll, above. Priced from £23 for 2.5ltrs.

can I do with a lime Q What plastered ceiling that has minor surface damage?

Small pockmarks and similar can be filled with new lime plaster or proprietary interior filler gauged with whiting. The former is preferable where repairs will be limewashed. Another method is to conceal blemishes under lining paper providing there are no important historic finishes. Where areas of plaster, especially those of historic importance, lose cohesion and turn powdery, specialist techniques can be employed. can I fix an undulating old Q How floor with some loose slabs?

Undulations add character to old floors so, except when dangerous, are best tolerated. If necessary, isolated uneven stones may be rebedded in coarse sand or hydraulic lime mortar and any concern about instability in the subfloor should be investigated and rectified if required. Likewise, it is important to reset rocking slabs, before they crack.

If you have a renovation question for Douglas, email periodliving@futurenet.com*

Feature Holly Reaney *We do our best to answer all queries, but cannot guarantee a response

DECO DELIGHT Tile and stone specialist Ca’ Pietra has collaborated with independent British designers Elle & James, to create five new styles of industrially inspired concrete basins.

With a hint of Art Deco thrown in for good measure, the basins include a worldfirst hexagonal design, the Ferla – available in ribbed, linear and classic – alongside the fan-shaped Sienna and rectangular Piazza.

Personalise your space by pairing your favourite design with one of the 22 different colourways. Prices start at £694.80 for the Ferla linear, above.

replacing. Do you have any tips?

Replacement pantiles should match the existing ones as closely as possible. Substituting with concrete pantiles, plain tiles or, as is sometimes done, profiled steel decking is undesirable, as is the replacement of handmade pantiles with machine-pressed ones. If you need to retile the whole roof, reuse the maximum number of sound old pantiles.

Replacement pantiles can be mixed with old ones across the roof or reserved for less visible areas. If you are just patch repairing, carefully sourced secondhand pantiles provide a better fit than new ones.

G E T

T H E

L O O K

Dream kitchens Reinvent the engine room of your home with our guide to creating three iconic styles Feature Holly Reaney

Timeless beauty The simple squared panel style of Shaker cabinetry is one that suits almost any kitchen. Painted in a deep forest green shade and paired with oak worktops and brass accessories, this design by John Lewis of Hungerford, from £25,000, creates a warm and cosy heart for this Victorian home.

Classic elegance

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haracterised by sophisticated painted cabinetry and sleek finishes, this enduring look complements homes from almost every era. Its beauty stems from its simplicity – think Shaker-style cabinets in a rich shade of blue, green or grey, accessorised by understated metallic handles and natural surfaces.

The design is often centred around a kitchen island, maximising prep space and offering versatility for entertaining. Minimalism is also key, so uncluttered worktops, perhaps showcasing a beloved appliance and a vase of flowers, leave plenty of room for cooking fabulous meals.

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Statement surface For a simple change that can totally reinvent your space, invest in a new splashback.

These Art Deco-style Achilles fish tiles, in varied shades of teal, would add a burst of colour and texture. £40 per m2 from Walls & Floors.

Kitchens Luxurious finishes A pared-back design allows statement materials to really shine through. Here, cabinetry painted in a beautiful soft blue offsets the magnificent marble splashback and worktop. The scheme is perfectly complemented with a traditional butler’s sink, while Perrin & Rowe’s Athenian mixer tap in aged brass with porcelain handles, £948, adds a warm accent.

Image (Perrin & Rowe) Laura Butler-Madden/Patrick Butler-Madden

Dress to impress The humble dresser started life as a practical storage solution, but has now become a statement piece for a classic kitchen.

Mirroring the elegant style of the room’s cabinetry, this dresser from Sustainable Kitchens features large glazed doors to show off crockery and cookware, transforming storage into décor. Dresser price is available on application.

Cooked to perfection

Sitting pretty

Praised for its reliability, cast-iron cookware is the go-to for many home chefs, and you can’t beat Le Creuset. This 29cm oval casserole dish in Deep Teal, £260, is great for batch cooking comfort food and looks lovely when not in use.

Bar stools are an essential companion to a kitchen island.

Sweetpea & Willow’s Eichholtz Avorio design, £500, has a sumptuous velvet seat, inviting people to relax and chat, and transforming the preparation station into a social hub.

Let in the light Small, dark kitchens are often the curse of period homes. However, a sensitive extension offers an ideal solution. Adding patio doors floods the room with light, while positioning your kitchen island facing towards the garden provides an everchanging view while cooking.

Pick a nature-inspired shade for cabinetry to create harmony between the outside and in.

This kitchen by Herringbone costs from £25,000.

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Farmhouse charm

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rioritising flexibility and practicality, and brimming with warmth and character, the farmhouse look takes inspiration from centuries of kitchen designs. Centred around a wooden table, island or butcher’s block, the room is much more than somewhere to prepare a meal – it is an inherently social space where the family can gather. For a relaxed look, opt for freestanding furniture, which is more authentic for period homes and also creates a versatile layout that can be altered in future.

Usually made from solid wood, freestanding units can either be painted or left bare for a traditional feel. In the future they can be repainted or sanded and reoiled to give them a fresh lease of life.

There is no standard template for a farmhouse kitchen, and your personality and unique style is integral to its design. So let your accessories take centre stage, whether cherished vintage kitchenalia displayed above a mantelpiece or a collection of china in a dresser. These key details will transform a functional space into the true heart of the home.

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Finely crafted

Perfect for fireside relaxing or set around the kitchen table, Windsor chairs are a staple of farmhouse style. This handmade ash Georgian chair, £617 by Batheaston, will become a future family heirloom.

Archive design Covering the walls with a heritage print in a warming colour lends a homely feel to the space. Ben Pentreath’s recolouration of William Morris’ designs sees the Willow Bough wallpaper given a new life in Tomato and Olive, £79 per roll at Sanderson. Its red hue brings out the rich tones of the wooden furniture, while mismatched fabrics, also from the collection, give a laid-back look to upholstered chair seats.

Kitchens Carved character With handcrafted, freestanding cabinets made from sustainable hand-planed English oak, this Jack Badger kitchen oozes rustic charm. Its intricate carved details add unique character, while hard-wearing worktops made from local Derbyshire gritstone have been paired with a ceramic butler’s sink, to complete the farmhouse look. Priced £18,600 for a freestanding sink unit with worktop and tap.

On the range The heart of every farmhouse kitchen, a range cooker traditionally heated the home as well as providing a space to cook. This Everhot 110 in Marine Blue, £9,265, is powered by a 13-amp plug, providing a sustainable update on the classic cooker. Like the conventional range, it is designed to be left on, keeping the kitchen warm while always being ready to cook; however, the 110 can also be turned off with the flick of a switch, meaning you won’t overheat in the summer.

Mix and match Combining blue and cream solid wood cabinetry with a mix of granite and wooden worktops, and a freestanding butcher’s block, this bespoke kitchen by Hill Farm has an eclectic look that appears to have evolved over time. The versatile space is set around a quintessential farmhouse table, and can be adapted for a family’s needs, from cooking to sharing meals. Prices for similar designs start at £23,000.

Image (Jack Badger) Adrian Lambert

Touch of whimsy Add interest to a farmhouse kitchen with tiles featuring illustrated natural motifs.

These decorative designs from Original Style’s Birds, Bugs and Animals collection, from £14.95 per tile, feature embossed motifs and pair with matching plain wall tiles.

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Vintage industry

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ndustrial kitchen style is all about championing the materials used in the room’s creation - think exposed stone, galvanised steel and unpainted wood. Shunning boldly painted cabinets and mass-produced products in favour of natural materials and rustic finishes, lends an authentic, stripped-back aesthetic that is increasingly popular for period homes. Taking a romantic view of historic factory design, industrial style sees artefacts such as lighting, taps, furniture or even reclaimed tools, becoming statement pieces.

Offering a more modern aesthetic, this style is particularly well suited to new kitchen extensions, especially those with Crittall-style patio doors, or conversions that honour the property’s industrial heritage.

Natural selection Designed around a central island reminiscent of a workbench, Devol’s Haberdasher’s kitchen, from £30,000, embraces the organic personality of the room. Its rustic wooden cabinetry stands out against the whitewashed ceiling and walls, while a more elegant marble butler’s sink and copper-topped island add elegance and warmth to the design. Simple Creamware pendant lights over the countertops, £200, also from Devol, complete the industrial look.

Industrial design integrates well with modern technology and appliances. Featuring clean lines and a stainless-steel finish, Bertazzoni’s Professional range cooker, £5,389, provides a practical heart to the kitchen. This spacious 120cm electric range has a digital programmer for perfect cooking, as well as six gas burners, so you will never be short of hob space.

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Image (Devol) Our Food Stories

Sleek sophistication

Kitchens

Maximum impact Mixing materials and textures is a great way to add depth to your design. In this kitchen by The Main Company, deep-coloured cabinetry creates a muted backdrop for a showstopping island, which combines a concrete worksurface with a copper-backed baseboard for a subtle touch of glamour. Mismatched pendant lights and Art Deco-inspired tiles add a playful edge.

Complete kitchens start at £25,000.

Bright idea An icon of industrial design, the Coolicon lampshade has been a stalwart in factories since in 1933. Its enamel exterior adds colour to the room while its vented design keeps the bulb cool, extending its lifespan. Available in 12 colours, including Sky Blue, the small Coolicon shade costs £125 at Loaf.

Practical display Open shelving is the ideal way to add personality to your space. This utilitarian-inspired Tamba hanging unit, £99.95 from Nkuku, has sustainable mango wood shelving and an iron-frame exterior with hanging hooks, ideal for displaying mugs or accent copper utensils.

From the earth With its warm russet tones and rustic texture, terracotta flooring provides the perfect foil for an industrial scheme, preventing it from feeling cold and clinical. These handmade tiles are £40 per m2 from Floors of Stone.

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Range Cookers

990 wood-burning range cooker in Pastel Green with hot-water boiler, £7,795, Esse

Dolce & Gabbana Divina Cucina Victoria single oven in Maiolica with gas hob, POA, Smeg

Co oki ng

Classic Beaune dual-fuel range in Rose Quartz with two ovens, induction hob and warming drawer, £4,600, Lacanche

60 electric range cooker in Teal with two ovens and induction hob, £5,485, Everhot

Classic Deluxe 90 dual-fuel range cooker in Regal Blue with gas hob, £2,299, Rangemaster

s t a o p rm u

355M solid-fuel cooker in Aubergine with simmering plate, two ovens and can heat water for eight radiators, £6,635, Rayburn

Majestic Milano dual-fuel range cooker in Coral with cast-iron Coup de Feu and gas hob, from £13,695, Ilve

Falcon 1092 Deluxe dual-fuel range cooker in Cherry Red with four ovens, gas hob and wok ring, £4,159, AO

Feature Holly Reaney

Give your kitchen a charming centrepiece with a range cooker that marries classic good looks with 21st-century functionality

Restart dual-fuel range cooker in black and brass, with two ovens and gas hob, £8,076, Officine Gullo

Heritage Series dual-fuel cooker in black with three ovens and gas hob, £4,619, Bertazonni

HR1956 G dual-fuel cooker with two ovens, warming drawer and gas hob, £16,299, Miele

Stoves Richmond Deluxe gas range cooker in Classic Cream, £2,149, John Lewis & Partners Period Living 99

Windows

Above: Window restored with handmade, double-glazed sashes and draught-proofing system, from £900 per window including installation, Ventrolla Above right: Flush casement window with slim double glazing in listed cottage, prices on request, Timber Windows Right: Accoya triple casement window with top lights and pre-antiqued lead bars, price on application, Timbawood

Perfectly framed Discover how to care for original windows, or replace inauthentic designs with more period-appropriate versions to complement your home Feature Holly Reaney

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our windows are the eyes of your home, flooding it with light and character; the right design can easily be regarded as one of its best features. This is especially true if the originals are still in place, as they possess a rich and unique personality that is inextricably linked to the property’s history. Where period windows are still intact, it is vital to preserve them. However,

many houses have had their originals stripped out and replaced with uPVC versions during post-war renovations, fuelled by the desire for modernisation and energy efficiency. Thankfully, many homeowners now favour a more sensitive approach, investing in traditional materials and expertly crafted, authentic designs to return the lost charm to their homes. Make the right choice for your property with our guide.

Period Living 101

What are the different styles?

Which material is best?

There are two main types of windows found in period homes: sash and casement. Timber sash windows are usually found in Georgian and Victorian homes and feature two ‘sashes’ – frames holding the glass – which slide vertically in grooves, operated by a weight and pulley system concealed in a timber box. Windows in Georgian homes usually feature multiple panes of glass (typically eight-over-eight or six-over-six) due to the lack of larger glass panes, with elegant slender glazing bars, while technological developments meant that by the Victorian period two-over-two and one-over-one configurations were popular. Meanwhile, casement windows, which open on hinges like a door, span many centuries, found in medieval homes to the present day. They can be timber or metal and made up of one or more panes – or ‘lights’ – depending on the era. These may be divided by wooden glazing bars or they may feature a leaded design, typical of the earliest glazed windows.

HARDWOOD, such as oak, is the traditional go-to material

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for windows. However, its durability, with a lifespan of around 60 years, comes at a price, upwards of £350 per m2.

SOFTWOOD, such as pine or redwood, costs less than hardwood – between £200 to £350 per m2 – and offers a similar look when painted, but it will need replacing after about 30 years.

MODIFIED TIMBER has become the preferred material of many window manufacturers in recent years. The timber is treated with either heat or chemicals for superior strength and rot resistance. Accoya is the best known option, and is 60 per cent stronger than hardwood with a lifespan of around 80 years.

ENGINEERED TIMBER has also become an increasingly popular choice. Here, sections of weaker wood are kiln dried then glued together to create a single piece with enhanced strength and stability at a lower cost than solid hardwood. uPVC was a common material for post-war renovations due to its affordability and durability, but it is an inauthentic choice for period homes. While there are a few high-quality

Windows Clockwise from far left: Period casement windows with bonded sapele glazing bars, from £1,700, Scotts of Thrapston; Homelight residential leaded steel windows, from £600 per window, Crittall; new Accoya spiral-hung sash windows with obscure arctic glass, £2,300 each, The Sash Window Workshop; bespoke windows with casement aperture in Architectural Bronze completed with original

leaded lights and stained glass, price on application, Bronze Architectural Windows; part-15th-century oak windows with traditional lead, from £960 each, Deacon & Sandys; engineered redwood bay sash window with Accoya linings and double glazing in an antique lead pattern, from £6,000, George Barnsdale; four-piece faceted bay window in engineered sapele, from £3,500, Lomax & Wood

designs available, they can be expensive and it is important to be very careful should you choose to go down this route.

ALUMINIUM is favoured for its lightweight and slim sightlines and is particularly popular for large windows, where the lack of weight is beneficial. Aluminium frames usually have a spray-painted or powder-coated finish that will need to be reapplied during its lifetime.

STEEL is a low-maintenance window material with impressive durability. In many cases, the windows will be able to outlast the building into which they are installed. It is worth noting, however, that they need to be galvanised and painted or powder-coated before installation. Steel is also a sustainable choice, with companies like Clement producing windows made from 100 per cent recycled steel.

BRONZE offers a traditional and luxurious material for windows. Seen as a long-term investment, it comes at a high price, but many homeowners fall in love with its beautiful appearance. With regular maintenance bronze windows can last for several hundred years.

Should I repair or replace?

You should always repair original windows where possible.

Even though they may look past saving, perhaps suffering with rot and broken glass, you will be surprised by the transformation that an expert restorer can achieve. Repairs will also come at a fraction of the cost of purchasing new – expect to pay around £500 per window, in comparison to upwards of £1,000 each for a sensitive replacement. If your windows are beyond professional repair or have fallen victim to an inappropriate post-war renovation, look to your neighbours’ windows, especially if they have originals, to discern which style is authentic to the property.

Do I need planning permission?

Most period homeowners will not need planning permission when replacing inauthentic designs or installing like-for-like windows. However, if your home is in a Conservation Area then you will need to make sure that the designs are as close to the originals as possible, while owners of listed homes Period Living 103

Left: Restored sash windows, fitted with draught-proofing and Accoya shutters based on the original design, from £3,600 each, Bath Bespoke Below right: Standard springbalanced triple sash window, from £4,200, Westbury Windows Below left: Bespoke steel bottle-neck windows with vertical pivots, £2,160 for the pair, Clement

will need to apply for listed building consent to make any alterations to the windows.

Whether or not you require permission, it is vital that the new windows are compliant with the building regulations, so ensure that the installer is registered with FENSA. Once the work is completed you will receive a certificate in the post, which you will need should you come to sell the property.

period homes. If you have stained-glass or leaded windows and your home is not listed, then encapsulating it can be a great option. Here, the stained glass is removed, cleaned and placed between glazed panes, creating a clean and protective environment for the glass while also increasing the security and thermal efficiency of your home.

What are the glazing options?

Trickle vents are added to let fresh air enter the house and stale air leave without opening the windows. While they can be unsightly, they are often specified to ensure that windows meet building regulations. This means that if your current windows have them, your replacements will also require them. Fortunately, there are companies that are able to include them discreetly; for example, fitting the vents into the head of a sash window box. If your current windows do not have them, though, then the replacements don’t necessarily need to have them either.

For the most part, original windows will be single glazed.

At face value this is often considered undesirable due to the glass’s thermal inefficiency; however, expert draughtproofing and fitting discreet secondary glazing will help to keep your house warm without impacting the windows’ authenticity or the building’s fabric. If you are fitting secondary glazing in a listed home, it is worth checking with local conservation officers and be sure that you select a reputable supplier who has experience of working with 104 Period Living

Should I have trickle vents?

Home sweet home Claire Lake tells us how she and her husband, Ed, breathed new life into their 20th-century home Tell us about your home We live in a late Edwardian

house in Manchester. It is a ‘Cheshire lock semi’, which is a unique style to this area that means it is an L-shape, interlocked with our neighbours’ house. When we viewed the house, we instantly fell in love with it. Even though it hadn’t been touched for at least 30 years and needed a lot of work, the period features just shone through; it was clear that it was going to be a beautiful house once the work was completed.

What condition was it in when you moved in? Terrible!

It needed replumbing, partial rewiring, and every room needed replastering and then decorating.

How did you feel about taking on the project? Our

BEFORE

Above: The kitchen had a chalet-style design with low ceilings and orange cladding on one wall, which was completely at odds with the house. It also had an old gas fire that needed to be removed Left: Part way through the renovation, the false ceiling frame revealed the true height of the room

Did you have a vision for what the house would look like?

We had a fairly clear idea of the style we wanted.

We were determined to respect the house’s original features, while also putting our more modern stamp on our home.

Where did you start? When we moved in, our two

priorities were the windows – as none of them were double glazed so the house was freezing – and the kitchen. It took a bit longer to source builders and design plans for the kitchen, so while we organised that, we did the boring things like rewiring, replumbing and reinsulating the roof.

How did you keep the property’s heritage intact? We

were careful that the wooden sash windows were repaired rather than ripped out. We had the leaded lights in all of the windows repaired and encapsulated in the glazing. In the main sitting 106 Period Living

DURING

Feature Holly Reaney

previous home was a Victorian terrace, and we learned basic decorating skills while we lived there.

We also built an extension on that house so we had a bit more confidence when we came to start here. We are quite handy, so did lots of the work ourselves; we enjoy doing it and find it quite fun.

Project Journal room, we installed a Victorian-style marble fireplace in place of the horrible gas fire. Also one of the ceilings on the first floor had the original paper, which we had repaired rather than replastering the ceiling.

Which room saw the biggest change? The kitchen is

now unrecognisable. It had been built to a chalet style, complete with orange wood cladding. The ceiling had been dropped by about three-and-ahalf foot and one of the windows had been blocked up. It was dark and definitely didn’t suit the house, so we ripped it out and started again. We also removed the gas fire and uncovered the original fireplace, which now houses the range cooker.

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

Above: Claire’s house is a ‘Cheshire lock semi’, which is unique to this part of Manchester Above left and left: Taking part of the adjoining room created space in the bathroom for a shower, while rearranging the sanitaryware let Claire include her much-loved double sink Below: Raising the ceiling height, repainting and removing the gas fire, transformed the kitchen into a bright and airy space

What was your hardest decision? We decided not to

have a kitchen island so that we could extend our kitchen table when family visit. I found that quite hard as my husband didn’t want to follow the traditional kitchen design and instead wanted to create a more flexible space. However, I think he was right as when it is just the four of us the room feels really spacious, yet we have hosted 16 adults plus children around the table.

Tell us about the bathroom The bathroom was awful

when we moved in; it was disgusting and there was an old carpet in there, so it needed gutting. It was quite a narrow space and it took me ages to figure out how we would get a bath, a walk-in shower and a double vanity in there – all things I really wanted.

In the end, we knocked down part of the wall and took some of the space from the adjoining bedroom, which we use as an office. I did want a cast-iron roll-top bath, but the builders were concerned about the weight, so we chose a lighter design. I am actually very pleased with how the bathroom turned out, because I was worried we wouldn’t be able to fit everything in.

Were there any surprises? We made a brilliant

discovery in the living room when we pulled up a small bit of the carpet, as we found an original parquet floor. Unfortunately, when we took the whole carpet off we discovered that it had been extensively damaged, way beyond saving, and half of it was missing. This meant we had no choice but to take up the original floor and replace it, which was really sad. However, we chose a flooring company that laid it in the traditional block method and we chose the same style of parquet, so it still felt like we were restoring the original character of the house and trying to keep it as authentic as possible.

Do you have a favourite part of the house? I absolutely

love the stained-glass window in the hallway.

When we viewed the property, it was so sad, unloved, cracked and broken, but I remember standing on the landing, looking at it and thinking: ‘I want to buy this house’. Since then, we’ve taken out the window and hired a company to repair and relead it. We then decided to encapsulate it Period Living 107

BEFORE

Left: Restoring the stained glass made a world of difference to the front door Below left: The dark blue paint contrasts beautifully with the stained glass windows Below right: The statement glazed window in the hallway has been restored to its former glory

DURING

between double glazing as it is such a big window.

The glazing both protects the stained glass and keeps the house warm. It was quite an expensive job but completely worth it; a real statement piece.

Tell us about the hallway renovation When we moved

in, the hallway was in a very bad condition, but you could see it had potential. It has a high ceiling as well as lots of original features that we were desperate to save. The wallpaper was all the original design. Between the top dado rail and the ceiling, we had the paper stuck back down and preserved, but unfortunately the paper below the dado rail was too mouldy to save, so we had the lower part of the wall replastered and then painted. We also had the floors tiled and we renovated the front door, both of which made a huge difference.

What’s the story behind the door? The front door is

AFTER

original, and it is a really solid piece. However, it was covered in layers and layers of paint – I don’t think it had ever been stripped back. We must have spent a week with an electric sander, sanding it back to the original wood. Then we found a stained-glass artist in Luxford, who uses traditional techniques, so we worked with him to create a design for the window. We had some old stained-glass panels that our neighbours had rescued to provide inspiration for the glazing, then he made and fitted the glass and we painted the door. Ed was a bit worried about painting it so dark, but I think it looks brilliant. It really makes the stained glass stand out.

AFTER

How did you create the downstairs WC? We have two

DURING

AFTER

Above: The Victorian-style marble fireplace was the perfect replacement for the old gas fire Left: By blocking off the original entrance to the kitchen, Claire created her must-have downstairs toilet, complete with under-thesea wallpaper BEFORE

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AFTER

children, so I flat-out said: ‘I am not buying a house without a downstairs toilet’ – and then we did!

It was absolutely non-negotiable that we would find a way of fitting one in. We opened up a new door to the kitchen from the hallway and closed off the original route – which was a loop behind the stairs. Blocking off the loop created the downstairs toilet. Once we’d done that it was quite easy to install everything. When we first designed it, the toilet had the same decoration as the hall, with metro tiles on the bottom and grey paint on the top. Then after a year, it just felt really boring, so I set about looking for a wallpaper that we both liked. I spotted the fish design in an independent cinema in Manchester and just fell in love with it.

What next? That’s a good question and all budget

dependent! Our basement is the full length of the house, so there is loads of potential there. Ed wants to turn it into a cinema room and a wine cellar, and I want to have a utility room – I’m sure we’ll reach a compromise. We’ve also just had an architect round as we’d like to add a Crittall-style glazed extension onto the kitchen to make it feel brighter and give us a bit more space.

To see more of Claire and Ed’s renovation of their Edwardian home, follow them on Instagram @no_9_lake_house.

D E S I G N

D E T A I L S

PANELLING

Continuing his series looking at how various design elements have evolved over the centuries, conservation expert Lee Bilson reveals the fascinating history of our earliest wall coverings

F

rom its humble origins of providing insulation to quickly becoming a highly decorative feature, wood panelling is one of the most striking features of period homes. There is no better way to add character to a room, which is why it’s important to make the most of original panelling or, where appropriate, add an authentic new design. A vast range of styles can be considered, from Victorian interpretations of medieval panelling to Arts and Crafts wainscoting with an air of Shaker styling.

Design evolution

The earliest forms of panelling were used to merely make a room warmer, but these would not be as you might recognise today as panelling or wainscoting.

They were plain vertical timbers, with no moulding or panels, often decorated to resemble wall hangings.

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As with many practical building choices, the potential for incorporating decoration in the styles and fashions of the day was soon realised.

By the end of the 15th century, linenfold panelling – a decorated and embellished style carved to represent folds of linen – had been conceived. Its popularity spanned the centuries, and it remains a recognised feature of many period homes due to later revivalist interpretations.

The most prevalent style to be developed, though, was a plain, uniform design comprising square or rectangular panels. These were made up of a frame of vertical stiles, with horizontal rails – all tenoned and pegged together. Small square panelling became popular in the later part of the 16th century, with those found in grander country houses often incorporating a frieze detail. My own favourite from the period is the simpler panelling,

Design Details

panel featuring the Latin motto non quam diu sed quam bene, which roughly translates to ‘not how long, but how well’; classically proportioned panelling in Queen Anne home, left unpainted but polished, allowing the natural beauty of the wood to shine through

Images (clockwise from top left) Jeremy Phillips, Jody Stewart, Lee Bilson, Jody Stewart

Clockwise from far left: Intricately carved dark wood design in Victorian home, offset with light walls and bright mid-century furniture; squared Arts and Crafts panelling with high dado shelf, used perfectly to display a collection of blue and white china; decorative

Period Living 111

most often found with an undecorated frieze, or none at all. These early panelling styles were designed to sit directly on the floor, with no skirting. So, if you have panelling of this period and it has a skirting, it was almost certainly a later addition.

The expense of panelling in these earlier periods meant that smaller homes, belonging to the likes of aspiring merchants and yeoman farmers, would typically only have had one or two panelled rooms – the parlour and the bed chamber above. These were the best rooms of a house and were treated as such.

A renaissance in wood

With the arrival of Renaissance inspiration from the continent, came the earliest attempts at classical styling in British homes. It was in the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods that panelling would become a mainstay of homes – Elizabethans choosing square or geometric designs and the Jacobeans increasingly adopting classically based details and proportions.

Often these details would be copied directly from drawings or etchings from studies of antiquarian ruins, affording fashionable notions hitherto unavailable to many. The nature of wood enabled these to be more easily carved and incorporated than with other materials. More intricate details also meant that the joining methods could be better concealed for a coherent finish – applied pilasters were fashioned to provide an architrave, which elegantly concealed the join between panels. These pilasters would go on to become a common feature of Georgian architecture, bringing about more classically respectful attempts than those of the Elizabethans and Jacobeans – and building on the styles of Queen Anne homes. It was through these periods that it was realised that panelling could be used to bring structure and unity to a large space, punctuating walls, emphasising window positions and adding symmetry even in asymmetric spaces.

A very English style

It was in the 18th century that panelling further adopted new, heavily symmetrical forms in line with the fashions of the day. Balance was key.

This panelling was now commonly split into two or three tiers, with a square panel located towards the base of the wall. It was at this time that the dado or chair rail started to be included, too. In deep contrast with the interiors of the Elizabethans and Jacobeans, the panelling would be relatively plain, save moulded edges and carved foliage.

The houses of the elite, however, accompanied these with rich displays of woodcarving.

Along with the advent of the dado rail, came a hugely popular panelling style – wainscoting. It was named after the Danish wainscot oak, which produced large, knot-free boards that were not only considered more attractive aesthetically, but were also easier to work with and less liable to warp than English oak. Most typically, this panelling is characterised by only covering the lower section of a wall, leaving the top section to be painted or papered. This provided an opportunity for adding colour and pattern, and reduced costs of importing 112 Period Living

the timber. This styling can also give you insights into the original use of a space. Where dado rails were incorporated, these were most often at chair height – a common practice in the 18th century, when chairs would have been pushed out to the edges of the space when not in use, such as in dining or other entertaining rooms.

Arts and Crafts

Under the Arts and Crafts movement in the 19th century, panelling again became a staple of English home design. A typical detail employed was the use of dados to divide interior walls, as had been done with wainscoting in the previous century.

But these did not correspond to proportions of earlier periods, instead typified by a higher dado that was often incorporated into panelling, and even a shelf with a frieze above, more akin to what many would recognise as Shaker-style panelling.

Maintenance issues

Panelling or decorative mouldings are often covered with layer upon layer of paint, which can obscure the fine details, and where modern paints were used can cause damage. To bring the details back to life, explore hiring a specialist to remove the layers of paint. They should first perform a historic paint analysis, and if the property is listed, you may require listed building consent.

The best approach to maintaining panelling is to avoid disturbing any sound areas and simply look to carefully clean it or, if needed, replace any broken panels and framework first. If the panelling simply looks tired, then a good clean with methylated spirits – dabbing and rubbing on with a cotton bud and working in the direction of the grain – can work wonders. Make sure you get into all the corners and the details of any mouldings. This should clean the surface dirt and remove old waxes but leave the patina and original colour. Once finished you can nourish the timber with a coat of suitable wax, or my preference is to apply linseed oil gently brushed into the surface.

Bear in mind that panels may have been moved in the past. A useful tip is to check the edges – often the lower (horizontal) edge is a plain chamfer to prevent dust from building up; any moulded edges were for the vertical and top areas. If you spot a plain chamfer anywhere but the bottom and the other edges are all moulded, then the panel has probably been moved.

Inspiring examples

While I haven’t discussed 20th-century panelling, it is some of the most inspiring of all. The panelling to the circular entrance hall at English Heritage’s Eltham Palace is a spectacular show of Art Deco and cutting-edge Swedish design, alongside the marvellous panelled dining room with its geometric and stylised shapes – it is domestic panelling of unparalleled style. Another fabulous example of Art Deco panelling can be found in the Belmont Room of Bettys Tea Room in York, a sumptuous feast of walnut panelling and marquetry work.

Design Details

with blackbean veneer, decorated with marquetry that includes figures of a Viking standing opposite a Roman soldier; linenfold detail and carved characters adorn this well-preserved medieval panelling

Images (clockwise from top left) Mark Scott, Kasia Fiszer, Getty Images, Paul Dixon

Clockwise from left: Classically inspired design above dado rail in this Georgian home; rectangular wall panelling in Jacobean manor; Art Deco entrance hall at Eltham Palace in London.

The walls are lined

Period Living 113

Renovation

HOME MAINTENANCE

Tiled floors Know how to restore and clean encaustic and quarry floor tiles to keep Victorian and Edwardian hallway or conservatory floors looking their best Feature Roger Hunt, author of Old House Handbook

Illustrations Sarah Overs

I

mitating the tiled floors of medieval ecclesiastical buildings, Victorian and Edwardian encaustic, geometric and quarry tiles are both decorative and practical.

Made of fired clay, the tiles were generally laid on a rubble base using a lime bedding. Over time, these floors have often taken on an attractive patina of age but, although hard and durable, the tiles can crack and sometimes become loose. Repairing these floors is a skilled job so, for anything other than minor repairs, it is generally best to call in an expert.

Maintenance checklist O Sweep or vacuum floor surfaces often O Refix loose tiles and repair or replace

missing or damaged tiles

O Monitor large cracks as they may

indicate structural issues O Remove floor coverings that prevent the floor from breathing O Identify the cause and deal with damp to the floor and adjoining walls

Questions and answers Nigel Frost, of Hereford-based flooring specialist The Floor Restoration Company, answers some common questions about tiled floors and the best methods of repair and renovation.

Q

How should dirt, glues, cement and paint be cleaned from the surface?

To clean encaustic tiles, use abrasive scouring pads, a sharp blade and suitable chemicals to loosen and remove unwanted contaminants.

Always carry out a small test patch to establish the best method and to make sure that there is no detrimental impact on the surface of the tile. Tackle a manageable area and don’t try to do it all at once, but do treat the whole floor with each chemical or process, as this will ensure a uniform result.

Q

What products should be used to deep clean tiles?

Use paint stripper cleaned off with white spirit for glue and adhesives, for example deposits left from old carpets or linoleum, solvent-based paint and bitumen. For old polishes and wax, general grime, grease and oil use alkaline stripper, such as Carefree Stripper. While for cement and residual floor screed use brick acid – Period Living 115

subfloor. How easy this will be depends on the adhesive used in the past or whether they are bedded into cement. Some salvage yards stock reclaimed tiles and various ranges of new tiles are also available.

Q

Is it acceptable to use ordinary tile adhesive and grout to refix tiles?

hydrochloric acid. Always follow instructions and wear appropriate PPE.

Standard grey coloured adhesive and grout is generally suitable for refixing tiles. Replacement and loose tiles will need to be ground on the back to reduce the tile thickness by around 2mm to allow for the thickness of the adhesive. If the subfloor is damaged, it should be repaired with a lime mortar before relaying the tiles.

Cleaning of tiles is best done after completion of the repairs and replacement of any missing grout.

Q

Q

Above: Standard adhesive grout is generally suitable for refixing old tiles that are loose, but if the subfloor is damaged this may need repairing with lime mortar

What’s the best finish for tiled floors?

Finishes should be breathable; modern polishes that prevent breathability to the tiles should be avoided. We use LTP matt stone solvent-based seal. The number of coats required will depend on the tile’s porosity and surface texture. Once sealed, floor wax may be applied and burnished with a polishing machine.

Q

How should the tiled floor surface be protected?

There is dampness on the surface of the floor so does it need a damp-proof membrane?

Old floors lack a damp-proof membrane (DPM) in the subfloor. A DPM is not required but maintaining breathability to the tiles is crucial. Sweating of the floor will occur if the tiles are covered in non-breathable coverings, such as rubber underlay or linoleum. Rugs may be laid as long as they are made from a natural material, such as wool or sisal.

White, powdery patches have appeared on the tile’s surface – how can these be treated?

These patches are caused by efflorescence resulting from salt deposits from the soil nitrates and are more prevalent if a non-breathable covering is lifted from the floor. This is because moisture was trapped under the covering, causing sweating. Brush or vacuum them away. Given time to dry out, the efflorescence should eventually subside.

THE FLOOR RESTORATION COMPANY

– period flooring repairs. Tel: 01432 851138; floor-restoration.co.uk LONDON MOSAIC – tile supply and repair.

Tel: 020 8852 2413; londonmosaic.com LTP – supplies a range of tile cleaning and finishing products. Tel: 01823 666213; ltp-online.co.uk MOSAIC RESTORATION COMPANY – tile renovation and design. Tel: 01788 510000; mosaicrestoration.co.uk ORIGINAL FEATURES – tile supplier. Tel: 020 8341 3412; originalfeatures.co.uk ORIGINAL STYLE – tile manufacturer.

Tel: 01392 473000; originalstyle.com SALVO – architectural salvage directory. salvo.co.uk VICTORIAN SOCIETY – publication on decorative tiles. Tel: 020 8994 1019; victoriansociety.org.uk

Where possible try to keep the original tiles and be forgiving of the odd chips and minor cracks. These add character and are part of the history of the house.

It will not always be possible to source the same reclaimed or reproduction tile equivalents. It is best to slowly walk across the floor and decide which tiles are loose and which tiles warrant replacement. Then mark each loose tile and those that need replacing with a sticker.

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Q

manufacturer and supplier. Tel: 01952 884124; cdjackfield.com

Q

Old tiles can be reused where it is possible to lift them carefully from the

Undulations in tiled floors are normally caused by building movement.

Provided the levels are not seriously out of kilter it is fine to leave these as they are. For more serious undulations, it will be necessary to lift the tiles in the affected area and renew and level the substrate using a lime mortar.

Undulations and severe cracking can indicate structural problems to the building, so seek advice if unsure.

CRAVEN DUNNILL JACKFIELD – tile

How should a floor with damaged or missing tiles be tackled?

Q

The floor undulates slightly. Should this be levelled?

Useful contacts

In general, tiles stand the test of time and, after a tiled floor has been treated, it will be easy to maintain, needing just a vacuum and damp mopping with a household washing up liquid and warm water. Install good doormats to catch the grit and debris before it gets a chance to reach the floor; try to use mats that offer some breathability and avoid rubber-backed coverings.

Can existing tiles be reused?

Q

Above: Where possible try to preserve the original floor tiles with their chips and cracks and only replace where necessary

Prepare for the first buds of spring, learn how to grow beautiful blooms, and keep weeds at bay

HANGING GARDEN Handmade by ceramic and surface pattern designer Alex Allday in her studio in the Victorian Middleport Pottery, the new Fusion hanging planter pockets are a lovely way to showcase freshly picked spring stems from your garden.

Available in two sizes, priced from £25, the watertight pockets have a design inspired by traditional patterns and elements of Victorian floor tiles and Eastern floral prints.

CROP COMPANIONS

Feature Rachel Crow Illustration Sarah Overs Cartoon Bill Jones

WHAT: Tomatoes and calendula WHY: Tomatoes will be sown indoors from later this

month, in preparation for transferring outdoors when the plants are ready. Perfect for growing in pots on a sunny patio, tomatoes look wonderful paired with zingy orange or zesty yellow calendulas, not only for the complementary colours, but the daisy-like, joyful flowers will also attract pollinating insects for bigger tomato crops.

PLANTING: Easy to grow, unfussy and prolific bloomers, sow calendulas in spring into moist and well-drained soil or compost and then transplant the little seedlings into the tomato pots.

Deadhead spent blooms to prolong flowering.

GARDEN TREASURES EXBURY GARDENS

Open from 1 March, Exbury gardens in the New Forest is revealing a previously unseen part of its woodland garden. Visitors can learn about native trees on the new river walk, which meanders through the dazzling daffodil meadow, and enjoy the displays of spring blossom in the Japanese cherry tree orchard. Elsewhere, spring colours abound in the River of Gold, a 100,000-bulb colour burst, and in the world-renowned acres of rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas. Open daily, 10am–5.30pm. Entry adult £12.50, child (over 3) £4.50 (Tel: 023 8089 1203; exbury.co.uk) BUZZ ABOUT It was Stephen Avery’s daily ‘commute’ to his garden office and resultant soggy socks and slippers that initially prompted his unexpected career move into the manufacture of slip-on waterproof garden shoes back in 2007. Fast forward 14 years, and his company now produces a range of fun designs to appeal to all tastes. Perfect for spring, the latest Bees pattern is in homage to our treasured pollinators, £31.95, Backdoorshoes.

Period Living 119

me on

Le

Get supports an in place now for the

flamboyant flowers, such as peonies and dahlias, you will start planting from spring. The rust lobster pot plant supports from Harrod Horticultural make a complementary feature in a cottage garden-style border, the natural tones blending in beautifully with the surrounding blooms.

Available in three sizes, priced from £67.

ON THE BOOKSHELF

Sarah Raven has created the garden at her home of Perch Hill in Sussex over the course of the last 25 years, and in each of its cutting, ornamental, farmhouse, oast, herb and rose gardens, she has over the years trialled and tested all the colourful, fragrant plants that have become her hallmark – from divine dahlias, tremendous tulips and aweinspiring alliums, to romantic roses. In her new book A Year Full of Flowers (Bloomsbury, £25), she shares the lessons she has learned, and month by month takes the gardener by the hand and leads them through how to achieve a vibrant, colourful space, with practical tips on planting to pruning.

120 Period Living

Mick Lavelle is senior lecturer in horticulture at Writtle University College* As March advances and the days grow slowly warmer, we can already see the new shoots of spring slowly emerging. Unfortunately, in hot pursuit of all of your treasured garden plants are the ever-present army of weeds; something that will only get worse if you don’t act now.

One of the best solutions is to apply a good layer of organic mulch. This has the triple benefit of not only suppressing all but the most persistent and robust weeds, but it will also help to maintain soil moisture and in the longer term, add much-needed organic matter to the soil. Weeds tend to be persistent and hardy, though, and even after applying a generous layer of material, they can still poke through. The temptation is to add a very thick layer, but this approach may actually prove detrimental to the plants you want to preserve.

A layer of organic mulch should ideally be no less than 40mm deep but never exceed 75mm in depth. Furthermore, it should not cover the crowns of dormant herbaceous plants unless these are subterranean types like hosta or dicentra - nor should it touch the stems of trees, shrubs or other garden plants as they are more liable to rot or root damage, if covered.

An easy way to render your organic mulch more effective is to put a layer of newspaper underneath before spreading it.

Use plain newspaper, avoiding glossy print, and lay it 2 to 3 sheets deep for an optimal effect.

Dampen it thoroughly once laid, before spreading a good 50mm layer of organic mulch on top.

The paper helps to suppress early weed growth, before eventually breaking down and becoming incorporated into the soil’s organic matter. Who could wish for better news than that?

* Writtle University College runs a variety of short, weekend and evening horticultural courses. To find out more visit writtle.ac.uk

EXPERT TIPS...

HOW TO MULCH

Gardens Set aside a small area for a veg plot. Plant modest quantities in neat rows, such as tomatoes, potatoes, kale and fennel. Add in companion flowers to allure useful insects

Image (above) garden design by Tracy Foster

Small-scale

harvesting

When you are short on space, turn to containers, compact beds and vertical surfaces for growing delicious fruit, vegetables and herbs Words and photographs Leigh Clapp

Period Living 123

Above: Everything here is grown in containers of varying sizes and types, from lined baskets and vintage metal tubs to a tiered strawberry pot.

The eclectic smorgasbord includes herbs, such as basil, carrots, beans and even figs, sheltered by a vine-clad lattice screen

Below left: An elevated pot of appetising cut-andcome-again green oak leaf lettuce and endives is both decorative and out of reach of rabbits Below right: Strawberries and peas tumble out of recycled terracotta chimney pots. Plant in a plastic pot, then slot it in

E

dibles can be grown in the smallest of spaces, so you are not restricted by only having a small garden or courtyard.

Carefully planned, you can grow all kinds of crops – from tactile herbs, through to root vegetables and fruit trees – for a small-scale productive garden.

Shady areas are often a problem in smaller gardens, so moveable containers are an ideal choice to find the sunny spots when needed. Edible crops ideally need at least six hours of sunlight, an open spot for good air circulation, protection from strong winds and with soil that is loose, rich and drains well. Small-scale production also allows placement closer to the kitchen for ease of use, an opportunity to create decorative mini potagers, and to pay close attention to any pests and diseases.

With limited space it is sensible to plant compact varieties and vegetables that can be continually harvested, which keeps them producing, rather than ones that are removed completely. So do take advantage of tiny spaces to grow delicious options to add a special flavour or flourish to your meals with that home-grown touch.

Potted produce Tubs, pots, troughs or even hanging baskets can be used to grow edibles. Whatever container you choose, especially repurposed ones, make sure the material is safe and you won’t accidentally leach any chemicals into the soil, such as lead. If using salvage, check if it has had contact with agricultural chemicals or held any toxic substances. You could 124 Period Living

Image (below) garden design by Steven Edney and Louise Dowell

Gardens still use a planter you are not sure about as a cachepot, by placing a safe container inside.

Potted edibles are particularly convenient for a balcony garden. Planting a large container with flowers and a range of crops, such as different salad leaves and chillies, is both decorative and practical.

Regularly harvesting leaves of veg, such as chard, and lettuce planted in groups, will avoid crowding.

Make sure that your crops and containers are compatible with the growth of the plants. Many seed and gardening websites list the best compact crops to grow in a restricted space. In general, containers need to be 10cm wider and deeper than the root ball. Shallow containers – around 30 to 40cm deep – are suitable for shallow-rooted herbs and annual veg, as you can replenish the soil each season when you replant. Larger choices, such as aubergines or tomatoes, do best as one plant per container. Herbs are excellent potted plants, as most require good drainage. With fruit trees, check the variety to match the size, as they will stay in the same pot for a number of years before needing to be repotted. Citrus trees can be grown in pots outdoors in summer and then brought inside during winter, and olives are also content in pots.

With all your containers, place crocks or gravel at the base for drainage, use a good quality, rich potting mix that has plenty of organic material, and water and fertilise regularly for the best cropping.

Window boxes Window boxes are most suited to low-growing edibles, in particular herbs and salad leaves, and need to suit the conditions that prevail at your window. Planting ‘recipes’ to try include a mix of

Above: Strawberries and parsley will grow happily in a sunny spot inside a lined woven willow window box, or you can simply pop them in interchangeable small pots. Make sure that the low-growing plants you choose for a window box suit the prevailing conditions

Below: A small space used creatively can incorporate edibles and ornamentals in joyous abundance, as here, with a standard bay, mixed herbs and salvias backed by apple and pear bushes espaliered on the fence.

Make the most of vertical surfaces for growing

different mints, strawberries interspersed with parsley, or a one-stop salad garden with micro greens, salad leaves, chives, basil and edible flowers. Some herbs will also grow indoors on a sunny windowsill, including basil, chives, parsley, dill, marjoram and chervil.

Vertical planting Cover fences or walls with wire, twine or lattice for beans, peas or espaliered fruit; train vines up pergolas, and create edible screens or step-over edging. Étagères, using old ladders, stacked containers, palettes or metal stands, also offer the opportunity for a vertical veg garden. Pots can be attached to walls or you could use one of the many commercial living wall systems available.

Do some research for a system that suits your location, and experiment with which crops work the best. In general, go for reliable choices, such as clumping and running herbs that regenerate after being cut back hard, red perilla, salad leaves, sugar snap peas, edible flowers and strawberries.

If a wall is in a shady spot it can also be painted white to reflect light back onto a climber.

Raised beds Setting up a raised vegetable bed, filled with good-quality soil, is the most common way to grow edibles. Wood, brick or sleepers can be used to frame your bed, and there are plenty of kits on the market. You may like to plant in neat rows or

Above: A latticed screen can be multi-functional, to hide the working area of the garden while being a support to a range of 126 Period Living

tomatoes. The echinaceas here also have a dual role – being decorative but also attracting beneficial insects to prey on pests

Best crops for small spaces Top row, left to right: SALAD LEAVES AND LETTUCES are easy to grow, great

for beginners and definitely taste better picked fresh. Cut-and-come-again leaves will give you a selection for weeks, months even, and by sowing a succession you can enjoy them through the year.

BEANS, including dwarf varieties, are one of the easiest veg to grow. They need full sun, good drainage and are frost sensitive, so plant after frosts have passed. Choose a pot at least Dia.40cm, and make a tripod using three sticks tied together.

KALE lasts well into winter. Just a few plants are enough to keep you in supply for nearly the whole year. They are frost hardy – in fact a light frost improves the flavour, making leaves that may have become bitter at the end of summer, sweeter.

Second row, left to right: BEETROOT SEEDS are a cluster of four or five separate seeds, so planting a single seed in a 5-litre pot can yield a number of plants. Look for smaller baby beets for growing in containers. Grow in full sun, although they can survive some shade.

CHARD is very productive as well as stunning to look at, and the leaves are cut and come again so won’t leave holes in your ornamental planting.

TOMATOES, especially the mini varieties, grow well in pots, growbags and hanging baskets. Plant young plants in May, water evenly and feed with a tomato fertiliser for continuing cropping.

Third row, left to right: CURRANTS are space saving trained on walls, or can also be grown in containers. They prefer well-drained, moisture-retentive soil, in full sun but tolerate part shade. Water well in dry periods, prune when dormant and harvest them in clusters.

GOOSEBERRY BUSHES can be trained against a wall and do well in a large pot or container with regular watering and feeding. They love a sunny spot but will also fruit in shade and need a free-draining moist soil. Prune annually in late autumn or winter.

STRAWBERRIES are easy to grow in pots, in the border or hanging baskets. They need rich, fertile soil and a sunny spot. Plant bare-root runners in late spring to early summer. Keep the compost moist and feed when the flowers appear.

Bottom row, left to right: BLUEBERRIES need an acid soil to do well so use well-drained ericaceous soil for containers. Don’t let it outgrow the space, and repot into a slightly larger size. Feed with a rhododendron fertiliser and water well. They are self-fertile and you could have a couple in containers that fruit at different times.

APPLES can grow in pots. Select ones that have been grafted onto a container rootstock. M27 is the smallest dwarf size and M9 is still dwarfing but more vigorous. You can also espalier as step-overs, against a fence, or plant into a flowerbed. Options include Fiesta, Discovery, Sunset and Falstaff.

CITRUS TREES, such as lemons and kumquats, can be grown in containers outdoors in summer and over-wintered inside. Mix one part sand or grit to four parts soil potting mix; use rainwater to water.

Above: Build your raised beds to heights that are easy to manage and plant them with a mix of crops.

You can place shallower trays inside to plant into

Below: Some vegetable crops seem too beautiful to be confined to a veg patch, including cabbage ‘Red Drumhead’ with its lovely purple veining

decorative patterns for a mini-potager effect, mixing in some companion planting. Rotating the crops ensures pests and diseases don’t build up, and also makes the nutrients added by one plant available to the subsequent plants.

Among the flowers Think creatively and mix edibles among your flowerbeds. They can blend attractively beside other plants, emulating the traditional potager cottage gardens of the past, where flowers, vegetables, herbs and fruit were planted wherever they fitted. Decorative choices to tuck in include 128 Period Living

frilly lettuces and cabbages, architectural cardoons, runner beans and peas scrambling up tepees – which can be moved each year to minimise disease build-up – shimmering stems of rainbow chard and clouds of feathery asparagus and fennel. An informal scheme, with scattered edibles, allows for staggered cropping and avoids the situation of feast or famine and patches of empty soil.

Dwarf fruit trees can be planted directly into an ornamental bed, valued for their pretty blossom as well as fruit, and intermingled with roses as ideal companions. Smaller edibles, such as chives, parsley and ferny-topped carrots, make attractive edging to garden beds. Perennial herbs look good year-round, such as tactile, handsome sage and ground-covering thyme with its pretty flowers.

Adding veg and fruit among your flowerbeds has a further practical advantage of creating a mosaic tapestry of colours and scents that confuses insect pests, making it difficult for them to find the veg or fruit they want to feed on. Flowering herbs will also attract beneficial insects. Be sure, though, to avoid space-loving edibles that don’t play well with ornamentals, including suckering berries and larger root vegetables.

Successional seasonal cropping Stagger your planting so there is always something to harvest. Longer-term crops, such as cabbages and broccoli, can be interplanted with fastergrowing options, including cut-and-come-again salad mixes, pea shoots, mizuna, rocket and radishes, which are ready to eat from about six weeks from seed. Many crops can be continually picked, including cherry tomatoes, chillies, chard, beans and snow peas.

For north-facing or spaces with less sunlight, try shade-tolerant edibles, such as spinach, chard, kale, rocket, sorrel, Asian and salad leaves, Alpine strawberries, rhubarb, currants, mint, bay, coriander, chives, parsley, chamomile and tarragon. There are many to try. Sow and savour.

Useful resources MR FOTHERGILL’S – lists vegetable seeds for pots and

containers; mr-fothergills.co.uk PLANTS OF DISTINCTION – seeds for tubs and containers; plantsofdistinction.co.uk SUTTONS – seeds for patio gardening; suttons.co.uk GROWING CALENDAR – generate your own fruit and veg growing calendar; gardenfocused.co.uk

Pippa’s

PLOT

Pippa Blenkinsop, a budding flower grower and Period Living’s Style Editor, shares her passion for gardening in monthly notes from her allotment

My happiest memories... have always been in the garden. Whether it was watching my grandfather tend his freesias; summer days running riot around the cottage garden of the 17th-century thatch where I lived as a child; clambering through the wilderness of the fruit cage and gorging on raspberries until my face ran redder than my wellies; or rolling down the long avenue at Hidcote Manor Garden – visions of those days shine brightest in my memory. In my late twenties, after life in London got too much, I returned to Gloucestershire, where tending a small patch of my dad’s village allotment allowed me to dig, sow and grow my way out of anxiety. After three years working that patch, I signed up for my own, anticipating to wait a year at least. As luck would have it, one came up six months later in December 2019, perfectly located a few plots down from my dad’s, next to the water trough and with its own shed. For £27, the price of a meal out, plot 104a and its promise of year-round produce, was mine. Little did I know what salvation that small stretch of earth would bring in its first year; one like no other.

Historically, the purpose... of an allotment was to yield enough produce to feed a whole family.

While I’m a complete foodie, for mine, I had extra plans. I love my home bursting with vibrant blooms; to arrange, to smell, to draw or to give and, as an interior stylist, not a week in summer goes by where I don’t need to stock up on flowers to prop beautiful houses. I’d become disillusioned with the supermarket flower stand – buckets of ruler-straight roses with pert buds, often never to bloom; the tiniest headed tulips and, to my horror, chrysanthemums artificially dyed to give psychedelic petals. Wrapped in cellophane and flown in from overseas, they seem to go against everything nature stands for. There was only one thing for it – to grow my own cutting garden. For me, garden-grown flowers have an irreplaceable charm and there is the chance to grow so many varieties. Deep cup and spray roses might be readily available from boutique London florists, but not often in my area, let alone the likes of zinnias, dahlias, calendula, phlox and cosmos. What’s more, being in harmony with the seasons makes the first bloom of each crop so special. For me, picking my first sweet peas – last year on my birthday in early May – is one of life’s pure joys, their delicious scent heralding the promise of magical summer days.

Late summer views of Pippa’s plot, featuring phlox, antirrhinum, zinnias, dahlias and cosmos

130 Period Living

Having only a tiny patch... of concrete patio at the back of my house, when lockdown came the allotment provided an invaluable escape. It soon became clear that the layout I planned needed to sit somewhere between practical cutting patch and a romantic cottage garden to enjoy with friends and family.

A home-grown bouquet from Pippa’s plot

Rosa ‘Jude the Obscure’ from David Austin

Pondering this in the back of my mind, I set to work with my dad, Jim, clearing the plot. Save for a good number of blackberry bushes and a crop of rhubarb, the land was just overgrown grass and weeds (right).

The patch had been unworked for several years and this, combined with a spell of unseasonably warm spring weather, meant the land was hard to dig. To soften it, my dad and I watered sections at a time, covering with membrane for a day or two and leaving a metre-wide path in the centre for barrows, buggies and wheelchairs. We worked over the land methodically, pulling out any perennial weeds and infestations of wandering couch grass, making sure to use scaffolding planks to walk on to avoid compacting the freshly dug soil.

Images Pippa Blenkinsop

For me the joy of growing... by far exceeds the boundary of my plot: it nourishes the mind, nurtures relationships old and new, and brings hope for tomorrow – not forgetting the pleasure of making someone’s day with the delivery of a home-grown bouquet or homemade fruit cake. I find there is little more pleasing than a mantelpiece lined with colourful vintage vases, enamelware, bottles and tins filled with pickings; selecting the perfect vessel and arranging the contents makes my heart skip a beat. Indeed, I have been known to display a bouquet of cavolo nero in a vase while pondering what hearty broth to add it to. Laurie Lee’s childhood memories of how his mother’s cottage garden overspilled into their Cotswold home in Cider with Rosie never fails to fire my horticultural imagination. ‘Our kitchen extended this outdoor profusion, always crammed with bunches,’ he writes. ‘Almost anything that caught her wandering eye, Mother gathered and brought indoors. In bottles, teapots, dishes and jugs, in anything old or beautiful she put roses, beech-boughs, parsley, garlic, hellebore, cornstocks and rhubarb.’

NOTES...

When choosing an allotment plot, be careful to avoid any that have too many pervasive perennial weeds, as it will be a constant battle.

Consider creating timberedged beds. I planned in five W1xL4m beds to start with, which have proven a great success; they help me plan out my crops and can be weeded over in 30 minutes, which is manageable when working full-time.

March is the time to sow many annual flower seeds under glass.

I recommend cosmos, zinnias and antirrhinum.

Cosmos are easy to grow, come in a range of colours, as singles or with double petals, and look beautifully whimsical in a vase.

I’m looking forward to trying the Apricot Lemonade variety.

Zinnias have amazing petal structures and flower from June to October. I recommend Chiltern Seeds, as they have so many different varieties.

Follow Pippa’s journey on Instagram@pippasplot

‘ Spring is in the air with places to go, things to do and some ideas for future outings

WALK IN JANE AUSTEN’S SHOES

Feature Karen Darlow Images (Regency Week) Jane Austen House Museum; (Brodsworth Hall) ©English Heritage; (Art and crafts) Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo Design for Artichoke, Birds and Squirrels textile early 1880s © William Morris Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest NB dates correct at the time of going to press. Please check before setting out

FINE ART AND CRAFTS A new exhibition at William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow, east London, showcases the work of The Century Guild, an influential group of artists, designers and craftspeople who aimed to bring art and crafts into domestic interiors in equal measure. The Guild’s stylised natural forms and figures were considered the forerunners of Art Nouveau; painting, furniture, sculpture, textiles, wallpaper and metalwork will all be on display. Within Reach of All is due to open 27 Feb–31 May 2021. Visit wmgallery.org.uk for details and tickets.

Lambing time Nothing lifts the spirits quite like the sight of lambs in the spring sunshine, and Cotswold Farm Park in Gloucestershire, run by Adam Henson of TV’s Countryfile fame (pictured with a Poll Dorset lamb), is a great place to see them.

Adam’s father founded the farm to help protect some of the UK’s rare farm animal breeds and it is due to reopen in February 2021 so visitors can meet the latest arrivals. Adult entry is £15 and all tickets must be booked in advance from cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk.

ian gar r o de t c i n Take a tour of the V

s

Well, maybe not Jane Austen’s actual shoes, but you can certainly dig out your best bonnet and empire line frocks for Jane Austen Regency Week, from 19-27 June 2021. Tickets go on sale in February for the annual celebration of our most loved 18th-century novelist. Events take place in Alton and the nearby village of Chawton, Hampshire, where Jane lived and worked, and include a Regency Ball, as well as themed walks, carriage rides and workshops. For details and to book tickets, visit janeaustenregencyweek.co.uk.

magnificent gardens at Brodsworth Hall near Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The Hall was built in the 1860s, and the gardens on the 8,000acre estate have been restored by English Heritage to the original Victorian designs.

The result is a series of grand gardens in miniature, filled with colourful seasonal plantings. Adult entry to the grounds only costs from £8.80, while the house remains closed. Entry for English Heritage members is free, but all tickets must be booked in advance from english-heritage.org.uk

LIVING HISTORY If there’s something a bit familiar about the Weald & Downland Living Museum’s 40-acre site it’s perhaps because Court Barn, home of The Repair Shop, is one of the 50 historic rural buildings here. From a replica Anglo-Saxon hall house to an Edwardian tin church, they all tell the stories of the people who lived and worked in them. Entry (from £14 for adults) must be booked in advance. Visit wealddown. co.uk to check opening dates and times, book tickets, and for details of special events.

Out & About

Capture the

CASTLE Explore these relics of the past and be enchanted by their majesty

Image National Trust /Chris Lacey

Feature Holly Reaney

Bodiam Castle, East Sussex One of Britain’s most picturesque medieval monuments, Bodiam Castle was built around 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge.

A true knight’s castle, it is a fortress, complete with narrow windows from which arrows were once fired, a lookout tower which now offers stunning views of the countryside, and the original wooden portcullis, a rare example of its kind. It was saved from demolition in 1828 by MP John ‘Mad Jack’ Fuller and bought by the National Trust in 1925. (nationaltrust.org.uk) Period Living 135

Eilean Donan Castle, Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland

Hever Castle, Kent The childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the original medieval bailey fortress of Hever dates back to 1270 and was converted into a manor house in 1462. Spanning three floors, it offers an impressive array of antique furniture, Tudor art, and Anne Boleyn’s prayer books, as well as an exhibition of torture instruments. Set in 125 acres, the castle’s gardens host a yew maze, planted in 1904, and a more modern water maze with a folly at its heart – the aim is to reach it without getting wet. (hevercastle.co.uk) 136 Period Living

Images Getty Images

One of the most iconic views of Scotland, this 13th-century castle sits on a tidal island, accessed only by a bridge, at the point where three lochs meet. Flanked on every side by the breathtaking Highland landscape, the stunning castle was rebuilt over four times, reflecting the ebb and flow of Scottish feudal history. Bought for the last time in 1911, it was rebuilt in medieval style, to tell the history and the legends of this enchanting corner of the country. (eileandonancastle.com)

Out & About Castell Coch, Cardiff, Wales As if plucked from the pages of a fairy tale, the circular turrets of Castell Coch, or ‘Red Castle’, emerge from the surrounding russet beech woods as a vision of romantic beauty. Highly decorated, the castle is a masterpiece of Gothic Revival architecture by the architect William Burges, built in the 1870s on the ruins of a 13th-century fortification. The remains can still be seen behind the Victorian façade, which is filled with symbolism telling legendary tales. (cadw.gov.wales)

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Stokesay Castle, Shropshire Built by Lawrence of Ludlow, a leading wool merchant, Stokesay is technically a fortified manor house but is filled with as much history as some of the country’s leading castles. With its eye-catching yellow gatehouse, and stunning views from the South Tower, it has hardly been touched for 700 years, making it a time capsule of the past. Also take the time to explore its Edwardian-style garden which features clipped box hedges interspersed with floral displays. (english-heritage.org.uk) 138 Period Living

Images Getty Images

Home to centuries of kings and queens, and the birthplace of James I, today Edinburgh Castle is a treasure trove of artefacts and exhibitions. A medieval stronghold, complete with half-moon battery dating from the Napoleonic wars, the castle changed hands many times as the Scots and English fought to rule the country. However, the castle has been returned to its medieval splendour, including its red walled banqueting hall, which features one of the most superb wooden roofs in Britain. (edinburghcastle.scot)

Out & About

Bamburgh, Northumberland

Images (Bamburgh) Getty; (Tattershall) National Trust/Arnhel de Serra

Dating back to the 11th century, this Grade I-listed sandstone castle is believed to be the inspiration for Sir Lancelot’s fabled Joyous Garde. The castle has stood stalwart throughout British history, having seen the 13th-century Civil Wars and the War of the Roses, where it became the first British castle to be destroyed by gunfire. It was bought in 1894 by William George Armstrong, who set about transforming it from a ruin into the archetypal castle that still stands today. (bamburghcastle.com)

Tattershall Castle, Lincolnshire This stunning 15th-century red-brick castle, located in the Lincolnshire fens, was designed to impress, showing off the wealth of its owner Lord Ralph Cromwell, Treasurer of England. The castle was saved from ruin and exportation to America in 1911

by Lord Curzon of Kedleston. Its great tower is one of the finest surviving examples of English medieval brickwork, which you can admire while enjoying a serene walk around the castle’s grounds and double moats. (nationaltrust.org.uk) Period Living 139

The latest culinary and cooking releases, and ingredient inspiration for keen home cooks

HOMAGE TO FROMAGE Featuring a vintage design from the Cavillini archive, this lovely tea towel will be too tempting for cheese lovers to resist, £13.99, After Noah.

DOUBLE TROUBLE South African artisan sauce brand company Dr Trouble is selling limited-edition bottles of its Oak Smoked Chilli and African Lemon Chilli sauces, with a percentage of each sale going towards supporting anti-poaching and conservation initiatives in the country. Based on a 125-year-old recipe, and handmade in small batches on a farm in Zimbabwe using organic ingredients sourced from rural villages, the limitededition bottles of the sauce are priced £10 each, available from February.

CHEF’S CUT Chard

Feature Rachel Crow

March’s seasonal ingredient suggestion is from Steve Drake, chef founder of Sorrel in Dorking, Surrey Often underrated, chard is a great alternative to spinach.

This versatile vegetable is packed with vitamins and ideal for a home veg plot as you don’t need to be particularly green fingered to grow it.

Chard has a slightly bitter flavour and you can use both the leaves and the stalks for no wastage. If it is your first time cooking chard, I’d recommend it simply sautéed to get the full flavour profile. To prepare it,

wash and separate the leaves from the stalk. Cut the leaves into ribbon-like strands, and leave the stalks whole. Sauté the stalks first in a little olive oil, to get them tender. Add some thinly sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, then add the leaves for a few minutes. It works perfectly as a side dish.

Set in a Grade II-listed former schoolhouse, Michelin-starred Sorrel offers modern fine dining

COOKING THE BOOKS: NEW RELEASE

Who doesn’t love a one-pot dish? There is no end to the possibilities of what you can create in a single pan, as chef Alan Rosenthal demonstrates in his new book Foolproof One-Pot (£12.99, Quadrille).

Featuring imaginative recipes inspired from around the world, such as Portuguese seafood stew, baked beetroot and pecorino risotto, plus delicious desserts, the creative dishes range from the quick and easy ‘Throw it Together’ chapter, to slow weekend options – and all avoiding mountains of washing up!

SISTER ACT A sibling duo have collaborated on a new range of handmade jams.

The tasty selection of fig, raspberry, apple and salted caramel, stirred and set by Lana, founder of The Hungry Ladybird, come in kitsch 1950s-style jars topped with Fraser Tartan-inspired fabric hats from Petra’s homeware brand. £20 for a two-jar gift set, Petra Palumbo.

Period Living 141

Recipes

F l

s r u o v a

a p s e t h t of

With many dishes little changed since Renaissance times, experiencing the food of Florence is like taking a culinary tour through its history.

Earthy, rustic and simple, in these recipes enjoy the essence of this romantic Italian city Photographs Laura Bamford

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RECIPE

SPINACH AND RICOTTA DUMPLINGS ( gnudi) With a nod to medieval origins, many dishes of Florence reflect the ethos of not letting anything go to waste; the Florentines are masters of thrift. This charmingly named dish means ‘nude’ and refers to the fact that these dumplings are essentially the filling for a popular ravioli dish, minus their pasta coats. They are almost always served in a simple but elegant sauce of sage and sweet, melted butter.

The key to these delicate gnudi is to not use flour inside the dumplings, which can often make them heavy and even gummy. Just a dusting of flour on the outside helps keep their shape and ensures a fluffy, light outcome. Prepare these fresh just before you intend to cook them.

SERVES 4 (MAKES ABOUT 20 GNUDI) O 350g

firm ricotta (see below) O About 1kg fresh spinach O 2 eggs, beaten O Pinch of salt O Pinch of ground nutmeg O 50g plain flour O 50g unsalted butter O 20 sage leaves O 40g grated parmesan, to serve NOTE If you can, buy your ricotta from a delicatessen rather than the supermarket and go for the ricotta that is usually sold by weight and is firm enough that it can stand on its own. With a slightly crumbly texture, this is closer to the real thing that you find in Italy. Tubs of ricotta from the supermarket have an entirely different texture that will affect the result of this recipe. If your ricotta is watery, leave it to drain for an hour before using in a sieve lined with a dish towel over a bowl.

Discard the liquid.

1. First cook the spinach.

Remove the roots and rinse very thoroughly to remove all traces of dirt. Chop the 144 Period Living

leaves and stalks roughly.

Bring a large pot of water – enough to cover the greens – to the boil and add a pinch of salt. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath. Blanch the spinach briefly in the boiling water.

2. Drain the leaves, plunge them into the ice bath and drain again. If you don’t have ice, rinse in cold water instead and then drain.

Chop the greens finely and then squeeze to remove as much water as possible.

3. Make the gnudi by mixing the ricotta, cooked spinach and eggs until well combined. Add the salt and nutmeg. You should have a thick, compact mixture.

4. Place the flour in a bowl.

With floured hands, roll walnut-sized spoonfuls of mixture into the flour to coat them and then place them onto a lightly floured plate or board until they are all ready.

5. Prepare a large pot of simmering, salted water and set over a low heat.

Carefully drop the gnudi, one by one, into the water and cook them for about 4–5 minutes or until they begin to float.

6. In the meantime, prepare the sauce by melting the butter in a frying pan. Add the sage leaves and 2–3 spoonfuls of the cooking water and swirl the pan to create a thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

7. When the gnudi are ready, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and place them in the sauce. Turn the heat to low.

Swirl the pan gently to coat the gnudi in the sauce for 1 minute, and then serve them with grated cheese.

WHOLE BRAISED ARTICHOKES (carciofi ritti) Carciofi ritti – named for the way they are cooked ‘standing up’ – are plump, melting, whole stuffed artichokes, cooked in a simple Tuscan manner until you can cut them like butter. It is the sort of dish you will find at the height of artichoke season (December to March) in the most Florentine of trattorie. They make a very good side dish to accompany a roast, but are equally good on their own as a light meal with some good bread and extra-virgin olive oil

SERVES 4 (AS A SIDE DISH) O 1

lemon, halved whole artichokes O 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil O 2–3 pancetta slices, chopped O 1 garlic clove, finely chopped O 1 French shallot or small onion, finely chopped O 1 handful of celery leaves, finely chopped O About 150ml white wine (or water or vegetable stock) O 2–3 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, chopped O 4

1. Prepare a bowl of cold water with half a lemon squeezed into it – this is to make sure the artichoke does not oxidise or blacken.

Recipes Clean the artichokes by trimming the stems as close to the artichoke as possible so you have completely flat bottoms – keep these aside and finely chop – and removing the hard, outer leaves until you arrive at a layer of tender leaves, pale in colour. Do not be too alarmed if this has drastically reduced the size of your artichoke.

2. Chop the top half of the artichokes off completely and with a teaspoon remove the fluffy inside – if they are younger, tender artichokes there may not be any need to do this. Rub the cut part of the artichokes with half a lemon and place in the bowl of lemon water.

3. Pour the olive oil into a frying pan and place over a low to medium heat.

Gently cook the pancetta, garlic, shallot and celery leaves, along with the finely chopped stems of the artichokes, until the vegetables are soft, but not coloured, and the fat of the pancetta has melted.

4. Gently tease open the leaves of the artichokes from the centre. Arrange the artichokes, cut side up.

This is usually done in an appropriately sized frying pan so they are sitting tightly together and therefore remain upright.

Spoon the pancetta filling over the centre of each artichoke and pour enough white wine into the pan to reach about halfway up the artichokes. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, over a low heat for about 30 minutes or until the artichokes are soft. Test by poking a knife into the side – it should slide in as easily as if the artichokes were made of butter.

5. Serve with some freshly chopped parsley scattered over the top.

CRUMBED BEEF IN TOMATO SAUCE (braciole rifatte) This classic Florentine dish is one of many with the title ‘rifatte’, meaning ‘redone’, a great example of how thrifty Florentines know how to give a second life to leftovers by recooking them with tomatoes.

This is a truly economical main dish, and the cheaper ingredients are actually its best feature. Begin with very thin slices – pound them with a meat mallet if you like to make them even flatter and wider – and a heaping amount of breadcrumbs, which will soak up the sauce and plump up the braciole like sponges. Serve with plenty of sauce and a basket of sliced Tuscan bread.

SERVES 4 O 4

thin slices of lean veal or beef, about 100g per slice O 1 egg, beaten O 65g dry breadcrumbs

O 90ml

extra-virgin olive oil garlic clove, finely chopped O 400g tinned tomatoes, chopped or plum O 250ml homemade beef stock or water O 2–3 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, finely chopped O Tuscan bread (or other crusty bread), to serve O 1

1. Pound the meat with a mallet if desired, to make the slices very flat and wide.

2. Put the beaten egg and the breadcrumbs in two separate shallow bowls.

Dip the meat first in the egg, then coat in the breadcrumbs, pressing down well and ensuring they are well covered.

3. Pour about 60ml of olive oil into a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the meat on both sides until golden brown and crisp.

The timing will depend on your preferred thickness of meat. Set aside to drain on a paper towel.

4. Prepare the tomato sauce. In the same pan you used to fry the meat, heat the rest of the olive oil over a low to medium heat and gently cook the garlic until soft and slightly golden.

Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with your spoon, and stock (or water), then season with salt and pepper.

Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

5. Add the cooked meat to the tomato sauce, making sure they are completely submerged in the tomato sauce. Allow to simmer over a medium heat until the meat becomes swollen with the sauce and the sauce thickens. If it begins to get dry, add more stock (or water) as necessary.

6. Serve the braciole with plenty of sauce, parsley scattered over the top and crusty bread to wipe your plate clean.

CROSTINI WITH PECORINO, PEAR & WALNUTS (crostini con pecorino, pera e noci) This is a very popular combination of ingredients that you will see done in countless ways across Florence, from ravioli to gelato – and for good reason, too. You can try this with a softer style of cheese – such as brie or even gorgonzola – in place of the pecorino.

MAKES 4 CROSTINI O 4 slices of baguette, about 1cm thick O 8 walnut halves O 60g pecorino cheese, sliced O 1 large pear, peeled, cored and thinly sliced O 2 tsp runny honey

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/ 360°F/ Gas 4

APPLE CAKE (torta di mele) This is one of those simple, homely cakes that you imagine everyone’s ‘nonna’ knows how to make and that you will always find, reassuringly, in bakeries, bars and pastry shops all over town. It is also commonly on trattoria menus for dessert, although many Florentines would even eat this for breakfast or a mid-morning snack.

It is not overly sweet, as Florentines don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but you could, if you like, brush a little warmed apricot jam over the top once you take it out of the oven for some shine and an extra touch of sweetness.

SERVES 8 O 2

large golden delicious apples (or other good cooking apple), peeled, cored and sliced 1cm thick O Juice and zest of 1 lemon O 180g sugar O 3 eggs 146 Period Living

O 125g

unsalted butter, softened O 3 eggs O 150ml milk O 300g plain flour O 1 tsp baking powder O Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/ 360°F/ Gas 4 1. Grease and line a 23cm cake tin. Place the sliced apple in a bowl with the lemon juice and two tablespoons of the sugar.

2. Beat the remaining sugar with the butter until pale and creamy, add the eggs and beat very well until you have a thick, pale mixture.

Add the milk and the zest, then fold in the flour, baking powder, salt and half the apple slices, along with the lemon juice to combine.

3. Pour into the prepared cake tin and place the remaining apple slices all over the surface. Bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and springy to the touch.

1. Toast the bread under a grill or in the oven lightly to dry it out and give it some crunch.

2. Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the walnuts in a single layer on top. Toast in the oven for 5–10 minutes, or until you can begin to smell a toasted aroma. Watch that they do not burn, as they will become bitter. Remove from the oven and roughly chop.

3. Top the toasted bread with the pecorino cheese and a couple of slices of pear and place under the grill to melt the cheese.

4. Serve warm, topped with the walnuts, some freshly ground pepper, and a drizzle of honey.

Recipes

ALMOND BISCOTTI (cantuccini) Tuscan dinners most often end with a plate of almondstudded cantuccini accompanied by the local dessert wine, vin santo – perhaps homemade – poured into small tumblers, with much dunking, drinking, eating and lingering. It is the quintessential element that rounds off any meal, whether it is shared among new or old friends at home or offered by friendly and generous trattoria hosts.

In Tuscany they are known as cantuccini – often named after Florence’s

neighbour and the city of their invention, Prato – but they are better known as biscotti (the general Italian word for ‘biscuits’) in the English-speaking world.

The word biscotti comes from the fact that these biscuits are twice (‘bis’) cooked (‘cotto’). The double baking makes them durable, crunchy and the perfect biscuits for dipping into vin santo or coffee.

MAKES ABOUT 36 BISCOTTI O 350g

plain flour sugar O 1 tsp baking powder O 200g

and crack the eggs in – reserve the extra yolk for glazing later. Add the vin santo and honey – warmed, if not runny enough – and beat the wet ingredients with a fork, slowly incorporating the dry ingredients around them until it becomes a dough.

Add the almonds and continue mixing with your hands until the dough is well combined.

3. Shape the dough into thin logs, about 2cm high, 4cm wide, and slightly flattened. Place on baking trays lined with baking paper, at least 5–8cm apart.

4. Beat the extra egg yolk and brush the tops and sides of the logs with the beaten egg. Bake in the oven until golden, about 20–25 minutes. Turn the oven down to 130°C / 110°C fan/ 270°F/ Gas 1.

5. Leave the logs to cool, then slice the logs at a 45-degree angle into 1.5cm slices - use a sharp, heavy kitchen knife that can easily chop through nuts.

6. Place the cantuccini on their sides back onto the baking tray, and bake for a further 20 minutes or until crisp and dry to the touch - but not coloured.

These biscuits keep well when stored in an airtight container – if they are not eaten all at once.

O 125g

whole almonds, chopped roughly in half (or an equal amount of large chunks of dark chocolate) O A pinch of salt O 2 eggs, plus 1 yolk for glazing O 30ml vin santo (if you do not have vin santo, you could substitute another dessert wine or even rum. Otherwise, simply leave it out) O 1 tbsp honey

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/ 360°F/ Gas 4 1. Place the almonds on a baking tray and toast for 10 minutes in the oven, then let them cool.

2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Make a well in the centre

This is an edited extract from Florentine by Emiko Davies (£20, Hardie Grant), with photography by Lauren Bamford Period Living 147

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PERIODLIVING OUT 25 FEBRUARY

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Images Polly Eltes, Leigh Clapp, Joyce Vloet/Cocofeatures, Penny Wincer, David Barbour

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Period Living 153

Hope & glory Happy 150th birthday to the Royal Albert Hall, Prince Albert’s space for the arts and sciences

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he iconic London building has answered to a few names in its time. Prince Albert planned it as the Central Hall of Arts and Sciences but died in 1861, leaving a heartbroken Queen Victoria to lay the foundation stone in May 1867. She announced then that the hall would ‘…bear his name to whom it will have owed its existence, and be called The Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences’. The Saturday Review was far less reverential, and called it ‘a monstrous cross between the Colosseum, Rome, and a Yorkshire pie.’ At the opening ceremony on 29 March 1871, the queen was so overcome to see her beloved Albert’s vision completed that she was unable to speak. There’s been more than enough noise in ‘the nation’s village hall’ since then to make up for Queen Victoria’s silence. Lively (sometimes controversial) renditions of ‘Land of Hope and

154 Period Living

Glory’ from Elgar’s Pomp & Circumstance March no 1, and musicians, artists, sports legends and speakers of all kinds have made themselves heard. The Rolling Stones raised its roof in 1966, Muhammad Ali punched its lights out in 1971, and Professor Stephen Hawking turned the rotunda into a swirling black hole in 1995 – the second physicist to sell out the Albert Hall after Einstein in 1933. Sadly, it looks likely that the hall’s doors will remain shut this spring and its 150th Birthday Concert may be postponed. Pre-Covid 19, the only time the doors closed was during the Blitz, when hope and glory were scarce. When audiences are finally allowed to enjoy the Last Night of the Proms again there’s bound to be an especially poignant chorus of the Royal Albert Hall’s anthem, dedicated to the artists, scientists and keyworkers who have tried to help us through the pandemic.

Words Karen Darlow Image Victorian Woodcut engraving from The Illustrated London News hand coloured (Photo GSinclair Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

In the Picture