Gjjug by Soyaleman

AUGUST 2022 ISSUE 440

Contents 120 38 88 34

Houses & gardens 17

EMPORIUM New ways to introduce elements of country style into your home

LET’S GO RETRO Vintage makes and accessories for an old-fashioned road trip to remember

Features

SLEEPING PATTERNS Decorating inspiration for dream schemes in blissful bedrooms

106

MADE TO MEASURE Despite its size, this listed Warwickshire farmhouse makes a cosy family home

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE Creating a wild pond: tried-and-tested tips from our expert Sally Coulthard

114

HARDCORE HORTICULTURE A wildlife-friendly garden rooted in the rubble of a semi-rural Essex plot

GOING GREENER Our guide to a sustainable life

120

ANCHORED IN A BYGONE AGE Relaxed coastal style in a fisherman’s cottage in St Ives

VIEW FROM HERE Susy Smith on the pros and cons of action-packed holidays

128

FOR THE LOVE OF LAVENDER Attracting bees has been a priority when creating this English country garden

JENNY’S NEW JOURNEY Actor Jenny Agutter on the cream of Cornwall and The Railway Children sequel

10 QUESTIONS WITH… DEBORAH MEADEN The Dragons’ Den judge on talking to the animals and the importance of sustainability

135

GARDENER’S NOTEBOOK How to get the most from your plot this month

23 AUGUST 2022

128 AUGUST 2022 ISSUE 440

Contents 60

ALL HAIL THE QUEEN BEES These female apiarists have the insects at the heart of their lives and work

THE WILD WILD FEST The story behind the forest-based Timber Festival and its organisers

MOVING TO… THE HOWARDIAN HILLS Our series on relocating to the countryside continues

SHOAL SISTERS Set up in Ullapool by two friends, The Seafood Shack is a Scottish success story

NATURE’S CORNERSTONE SPECIES From whales to wolves: superhero animals that could help save the world

FROM FARM TO FORK How Coombeshead Farm in north Cornwall became a destination guesthouse

178

A MONTH IN THE LIFE OF… garlic farmer Colin Boswell, founder of the Isle of Wight Garlic Festival

Wellbeing 139

WELLBEING FOR MIND & BODY Natural tips and remedies to help you feel your best

Food & drink 142

PICNICS IN THE MEADOWS Part two in our round-up of alfresco feasts from chef and food writer Gill Meller

150

YOU SAY TOMATO Delicious dishes featuring the nutritious and ever-so-versatile fruit

AUGUST 2022

142

News, views & events

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY Places to go, things to do and ideas to try in August, plus our guide to weekending in the Wye Valley

21 31

VINTAGE HOME Ideas for creating the look

48 59 81

THE COUNTRY LIVING COLLECTION AT DFS

104 140 155 156

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MODERN RUSTIC How to buy our latest bookazine ARTISANS OUT & ABOUT Meet the craftspeople in our CL Pavilions at country shows this summer

THE COUNTRY LIVING COLLECTION AT DREAMS WHERE TO BUY Stockists in the magazine COUNTRY LIVING HOLIDAYS Exclusive trips

ON THE COVER Relax into summer pages 150, 50, 114 and 128 All you need… page 38 Wildlife pond page 23 Queen bees page 60 What a hoot! page 12 Deborah Meaden page 46 Wye Valley page 14 Dreamy designs pages 106 and 120 Gill Meller page 142 Jenny Agutter page 34 David Gray page 30 COUNTRY LIVING HOME DELIVERY Subscribe to Country Living and delight in the British countryside from the comfort of your home. Details on page 104 COVER CREDIT Photograph and styling by Ngoc Minh Ngo/Taverne Agency

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A note from the editor

PHOTOGRAPHS BY LAURENCE DUTTON; MATTHEW MONFREDI; NATO WELTON

I love the gardens that we feature throughout the year in Country Living. Evocative and dreamy, they provide a source of inspiration and a momentary escape from the humdrum of everyday life. For the past six years, our gardening pages have been expertly produced by talented editor Paula McWaters (below) and I’m sad to say that Paula has decided, metaphorically speaking, to hang up her CL trowel. She will still contribute to the magazine, but plans to spend more time visiting gardens for personal enjoyment. As a relative newbie to gardening, I’m always eager to glean advice from the experts, so I asked Paula to share a final thought. “Be in the moment,” she says. “If you’ve created – or are viewing – a glorious planting combination, just drink it in. It’ll look altogether different this time next year.” Wise words that should be applied to how we live our lives – nothing stays the same for long and we should savour every moment! Passionate and accomplished women feature highly in this issue. On page 60, we meet a swarm of female beekeepers making meads and honey, and inspiring the next generation to look after our precious pollinators (below left). Then, on page 82, we spotlight two friends from Ullapool, on the west coast of Scotland, who run an award-winning business serving fresh fish dishes from a tiny trailer (the queues are legendary, but it’s well worth the wait). Whether you’re off on holiday this month or you’re staying at home, I hope you find time to breathe in the scent of summer and cherish the moment. I will be doing my best to take Paula’s advice and enjoy the glories of the garden.

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A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

PL ACES TO GO, THINGS T O DO, IDEAS T O TRY

August ‘The brilliant poppy flaunts her head Amidst the ripening grain, And adds her voice to sell the song That August’s here again’ Helen Winslow AUGUST 2022

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

August

QUAINT AND CURIOUS… Scarecrow Festival, Kettlewell

The number of seconds an ice-cream van can play its chimes. O Sole Mio, Greensleeves and Match of the Day are the top tunes*

Visit the Yorkshire village of Kettlewell from 13-21 August and you may spot some unusual residents – from Wurzel Gummidge to doppelgängers of A-list celebrities. The annual scarecrow festival started in 1994 as a fundraiser for the local primary school and is now a permanent fixture in the calendar. Wander through casually or follow an official trail: you’ll find the straw-stuffed characters sitting in doorways, fishing in the rivers or poking their heads above the wall. Just make sure you tuck into the homemade tea and cakes along the way. kettlewellscarecrowfestival.co.uk

OF THE BEST...

SENSE OF THE SEASON… Night-scented plants Flowering plants such as jasmine, honeysuckle, tobacco and stocks release their perfumed magic as dusk falls, throwing a veil of sweetness over soft summer nights. Nocturnal pollinators (moths, bats and beetles) are also drawn to this siren song of scent, a lilt of ephemeral loveliness that soothes the senses as the earth sighs and cools at the end of the day.

lavender fields

Places where purple reigns in summer HITCHIN LAVENDER, HERTFORDSHIRE Colours explode in the fields of this family-run farm (hitchinlavender.com). YORKSHIRE LAVENDER, YORKSHIRE Explore this purple oasis, then head to the tearoom for cake and a cuppa with views of the Vale of York (yorkshirelavender.com). MAYFIELD LAVENDER, SURREY Take a tractor tour around 25 acres of organic English and French lavender (right) just a stone’s throw from London (mayfieldlavender.com). SOMERSET LAVENDER, SOMERSET Wander through fields thrumming with cabbage white, common tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies (somersetlavender.com). CALEY MANOR, NORFOLK Their huge lavender collection is run in association with Plant Heritage (norfolklavender.co.uk).

AUGUST 2022

countryliving.com/uk

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

August

EAT THE SEASONS… CHILLIES Little firecrackers heat up ready for picking by the middle of the month. Try mixing mild jalapeños into guacamole or margaritas, or adding fiery Scotch bonnets to beef burgers or savoury rice dishes. Choose from a variety of colours, shapes and sizes – or shop seeds to grow yourself – at southdevonchillifarm.co.uk.

MADE IN Hedgerow Pinot BRITAIN Meunier Rose WITH NOTES OF WILD STRAWBERRIES AND RIPE RED BERRIES, THIS STILL, OFF-DRY ROSÉ PRODUCED BY WAYFARER WINE IN KENT MAKES THE PERFECT DRINKING COMPANION TO SEASONAL SALADS, SEAFOOD AND CHICKEN. PACKAGING IS 100 PER CENT RECYCLABLE, COMPOSTABLE AND BIODEGRADABLE, TOO (£17.99 PER BOTTLE; THEBRITISHWINECELLAR.CO.UK).

BACK FROM THE BRINK …

The field cricket Once, the sound of chirruping crickets was the soundtrack of summer, but 30 years ago, there were fewer than 100 field crickets (Gryllus campestris) left in Britain. While the RSPB warns that the field cricket, one of two native species, is still extremely rare, conservation efforts across the country have since helped. At Farnham Heath in Surrey, there is now a lively colony of 300, while these cacophonous creatures have also been heard belting out the hits at Pulborough Brooks in West Sussex. naturebftb.co.uk

SPOTTER’S GUIDE Owls Mid-summer is the best time to glimpse new parents providing for youngsters

Barn owl

LONG-EARED OWL With their regal ear tufts and orange eyes, these striking native birds often roost in a ‘parliament’ of owls. BARN OWL This heart-shape-faced hunter can sometimes be spotted in the daytime, ‘quartering’ over summer farmland in the search for unsuspecting mice.

Long-eared owl 12

AUGUST 2022

TAWNY OWL Listen for the soft hoots of this woodland bird as they reverberate between boughs on cool, cloudless nights. Find out more at bto.org.

Tawny owl countryliving.com/uk

discover…

Chepstow Castle looks out across the River Wye, once a key crossing between England and Wales. Raised by William FitzOsbern, an ally of William the Conqueror, in 1067, building work continued for six centuries, resulting in a sprawling stronghold that snakes across the limestone cliffs. Visit Britain’s oldest post-Roman ruins to retrace the steps of medieval royalty, including Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine (cadw.gov.wales). Turn the page to read more about the wonders of the Wye Valley.

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

August

WEEKENDERS

Wye Valley

Spacious suites at The Tudor Farmhouse (left) feature crisp linens, rolltop baths and monsoon showers. Dine on dishes such as roasted rump of lamb and herb gnocchi with ingredients from the kitchen garden. The hotel also offers stargazing safaris (B&B from £159; tudorfarmhousehotel.co.uk). For a large luxury holiday let, rent The Chalet. With a cinema and pizza oven, this rural retreat is ideal for weekend get-togethers (sleeps ten, from £750 per night; thechaletsymondsyat.co.uk).

An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Wye Valley straddles England and Wales. Creatives such as Coleridge, Wordsworth and Turner flocked here, taking inspiration from Gothic relics and resplendent riverbanks. Take your own Grand Tour to the verdant valley and you might spot hummingbird hawkmoths, peregrine falcons and even otters.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO For sweeping views of the Wye Valley, from limestone cliffs to ancient yew woodlands, head to Symonds Yat Rock. With walking trails in all directions, choose a circular one-mile mooch through an Iron Age hill fort or an 11-mile trek, including a ride over the river in a hand-drawn ferry (forestryengland.uk). Nearby Puzzlewood is featured in a Harry Potter film. Wander under wizened branches and between mossy rocks and imagine you’ve entered another realm (£8.50; puzzlewood.net). For those with a poetic preference, Tintern Abbey (top right) is a must-see. Explore the ruin, taking in the remains of the cloisters, chapter house and magnificent west windows – or hike up to the Devil’s Pulpit (five miles there and back) to see the abbey in its entirety (entry £6.60; cadw.gov.wales).

WHERE TO EAT The Saracens Head Inn is perched on the east bank of the Wye and is hundreds of years old. Relax by the water with beer-battered haddock and chips washed down with local Tŷ Gwyn cider (saracensheadinn.co.uk). Over in Ross-on-Wye, The King’s Head Hotel is an ancient coaching inn specialising in seafood and game. Order breast of guinea fowl with truffled mash or a fish pie packed with hake, salmon and crayfish (kingshead.co.uk).

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Where to shop Pick up picnic fare at the Forest Deli (above left) in Coleford (forest-deli.co.uk). Choose from a selection of cheeses, chutneys, cakes and quiches all made within the Wye Valley. On the hunt for homeware? Baileys (above right) sells stylish and sustainable products, including 100 per cent recycled glasses and Fairtrade stoneware (baileyshome.com).

countryliving.com/uk

WORDS BY ANNA MELVILLE-JAMES AND LAURAN ELSDEN. INFORMATION CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS BUT MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE, SO PLEASE CALL IN ADVANCE TO CHECK DETAILS. PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; ROB BESANT; GETTY IMAGES; LIVING4MEDIA/SONJA ZELANO; STOCKFOOD. ILLUSTRATION BY ALLIRA TEE

Where to stay

SHOP SMALL

Hand-block-printed colourful Jasmine fabriccovered pendant shade, £54, Winter’s Moon

Furniture maker Peter Lanyon makes these Dew Drop bee homes, from £25, in his Devon workshop using aero-ply and bamboo tubes

Inspired by Cornwall’s wild beauty, St Eval’s hand-poured Amber candle, £13.05, adds a soft, warm scent to lazy summer evenings

Emmeli Kimhi handmakes these delicate paper Icelandic poppies, £25 each from Kip Kiosk

emporium Our handpicked selection of favourite pieces from individual makers, the high street and small businesses

Cornish ceramicist Lauren Fowler designs and handmakes individual clay fish, before joining them together into shoals and glazing them. 11 Cornish Mackerel, £65 framed

The Falmouth table lamp, £60 from the Country Living Collection at Homebase, is made from ivory linen with a textured ceramic base

Lindsay Alker’s extra-wide Bloomsbury wallpaper, £75/m, is printed in England AUGUST 2022

SHOP SMALL

Editor’s choice “Fascinating patterning and veining caused as fallen beech branches start to decay make these tactile vases ideal as smooth, sculptural pieces or to hold delicate dried flowers and grasses.” Alaina Binks, home and crafts editor 18

AUGUST 2022

PHOTOGRAPH BY NATO WELTON

Bottle vases in patterned beech, from £75, Bird & Branch Turnery Co

SHOP SMALL

Find Jane Ziemacki’s linocut prints, including Swans in the Harbour, £60 framed, at Albatross Gallery Porthleven Andrew Martin’s outdoor cushions, £89, are shower- and mould-resistant. This ochre Audley print is by Surrey-based interior designer Sophie Paterson

Blossom & Cherry handmake delightful hair accessories such as this Liberty Capel cotton pinwheel hair bow, £6

emporium Norfolk-based Fenwick & Tilbrook produces environmentally friendly paints in nature-inspired hues. £50 for 2.5L matt emulsion

Bring warm sandstone tones into your living room with this Morland sofa, £1,299 from the Country Living Collection at DFS

Filled with lavender-infused wheat, Botanique Workshop’s linen therapy pillows, from £12.50, can be microwaved or frozen to ease aches and pains

Follow @CLArtisans on Instagram to see more unique products from talented makers 20

FOR STOCKISTS see Where to Buy

AUGUST 2022

COMPILED BY CARA LASKARIS. PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN DUCHARS; GEORGIA RAYBOULD; MATT WREFORD. PRICES AND AVAILABILITY CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS

Handmade in Yorkshire using traditional woodturning techniques, Folie Chambre’s Naked Screw side table, £345, is inspired by 19th-century French barleytwist plant stands

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Our latest edition is full of ideas on how to bring the vintage look into your home – whether you want to curate collections of globes and glass jars or decorate in farmhouse and coastal styles. Plus, our comprehensive sourcebook will help you track down your own treasures

Order a copy at hearstmagazines.co.uk/cl-specials or purchase your copy in selected retailers

Living the GOOD LIFE There has never been a better time to embrace slow living. In our ongoing series, Sally Coulthard shares tried-and-tested tips from her Yorkshire smallholding

THIS MONTH Ponds countryliving.com/uk

AUGUST 2022

Writer and seasoned smallholder Sally shares her Yorkshire plot with sheep, horses, chickens, ducks, an orchard, vegetable garden and a pond ur smallholding sits in a valley, tucked into the bottom of the hillside. For much of the year, the sloping fields gurgle underfoot with water – it’s called Spring Hill for a good reason but when the heavens really open, the rain doesn’t even bother to soak into the soil. It just cascades down the hillside, across the orchard, looking for the lowest point. When we first moved here, the water would collect in one of the fields that sits in the valley bottom and create a vast, shallow paddling pool. Great for the kids, not so good for the sheep or the pasture. So we quickly decided to go with the flow, literally. Rather than fight the water, we created a wild pond where the rainwater could collect. The logistics were fairly straightforward – hire a digger to excavate a ruddy great hole, and then let the rainwater slowly fill it back up. To keep the levels fairly constant and the water from getting stagnant, we also channelled the rainwater from the barn’s gutters to flow into the pond and added an overflow that feeds into a field ditch. Once the pond had filled up with water, I was amazed by how quickly nature took over. Within months we welcomed a whole army of wildlife, both in the daytime as well as secret visitors after dark – from swallows, who do daring skims for insects, to frogs and toads laying spawn by the bucketful. Hedgehogs and deer make night-time forays to the pond edge, their visits only given away by their tracks left in the mud, while wild ducks, moorhens and even the odd kingfisher make an appearance,

AUGUST 2022

especially in breeding season. Bees and other pollinating insects also rely on the pond, including our hives full of honey bees. Initially, we put a few fish in the pond but the heron soon made light work of those. Also, we later discovered that adding fish to a wild pond isn’t always a good idea, as they can eat the other wildlife you’re trying to attract. Over the years, our own ducks and geese have enjoyed access to the pond, too – we built an island in the hope that they’d nest there in safety – but they prefer a pampered life and being put to bed every night in their waterfront hut. It’s probably for the best, as otters, foxes and stoats are all good swimmers. All water brings life. The Wildlife Trusts suggests even a mini pond, made from something like a rubber trug, large plant pot or washing-up bowl, is invaluable, while a 2m x 2m (60cm deep) garden pond is deep enough for overwintering frogs. There is an excellent guide online to creating both large and mini ponds (wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-build-pond) or you can turn overleaf for a simple step-by-step guide. Since we created our pond, I’ve discovered it’s not just wildlife that loves it either. The dog often cools down with a swim on hot days and the kids mess around on a homemade raft, but it’s the quiet, warm evenings that are really special, sitting on a bench watching the damselflies flirt and the pond skaters whizz across the surface. My husband, who’s a gardener, has added lots of plants to the pond over the years – water lilies, flag irises, gunnera, bistort, lesser spearwort – all of which add to the pond ecosystem and provide cover for shy creatures. I suspect I’ve only seen a fraction of all the wildlife that relies on this pond; most wisely, they keep themselves to themselves. NEXT MONTH Sally covers gathering and sorting seeds. Find out more about her smallholding adventures by following her on Instagram @salcoulthard.

countryliving.com/uk

THE GOOD LIFE

Ponds

3 of the best NATIVE PLANTS FOR WILD PONDS

All water brings life. Even a mini pond made from a rubber trug is invaluable

OXYGENATING Hornwort This has dark-green leaves in feathery whorls and is ‘free-floating’, which means it can just be dropped into the water and it will find its own level.

MARGINAL Yellow flag iris Sunshine-yellow flowers, from late spring, and vivid green foliage look picturesque at the water’s edge and provide useful cover for wildlife.

GET THE KIT

FLOATING Frogbit Shade-tolerant, easy-to-grow floating plant with very pretty, tiny white flowers in late summer and small kidneyshaped leaves. Also helps combat algae.

HOW TO CREATE A WILDLIFE POND With photos, illustrations and step-by-step guides, this RHS book teaches you all you need to know. £14.99, waterstones.com

POND EDGE WILDFLOWER SEED MIX This wild-flower seed mixture is great to use in damp areas, such as pond and lake surrounds. £8.95, sowseeds.co.uk

POND PLANTS FOR WILDLIFE COLLECTION A wide variety of seasonal plants, hand-picked to maximise the wildlife attracted to your pond. From £30, rootsplants.co.uk

THE GOOD LIFE

Ponds

7questions …with a pond plant expert

Paul Jarman is the resident pond specialist for Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust

1 2

I’m convinced! How do I start? All ponds need plants and if you don’t live in an existing wetland area, you’ll need to get things going yourself. Eventually, you may be lucky with what other creatures bring in, but if there aren’t pond plants nearby, then algae will get a big head start – that’s a far less attractive option for both wildlife and pond owner.

HOW TO MAKE

A wild pond These relatively simple steps will help you create a haven for wildlife 1 CHOOSE A SITE It should be

sunny or only partially shady. Avoid placing the pond under deciduous trees, which will fill it with leaves in autumn. 2 DIG IT OUT It needs to be 60cm

deep in the centre with a flat shelf (30cm wide), about 20-30cm below the waterline, for plants. Gently slope the sides to allow animals easy access. 3 UNDERLINE Before laying your

pond liner (which can be bought from most DIY shops), avoid it being punctured by putting down a soft layer of sand. Old carpet or pond underlay also works well.

AUGUST 2022

4 LINE IT Gently drape the liner

across the hole, removing any folds. Hold it down temporarily at the edges with rocks or bricks, so you can fill it with water. 5 ADD WATER Ideally leave the

pond to fill with rainwater, as tap water is chemically treated. If you do use a hose, leave it for two weeks to allow the chlorine to evaporate before you start planting. 6 PLANT UP To keep your pond

healthy, plant a mix of marginal, oxygenating and floating plants. Plants For Ponds has a great guide, which explains the best varieties for enticing wildlife (plantsforponds. co.uk/pages/creating-a-wildlife-pond).

What type of plants are we talking? Keep things native – look plants up before you buy. UK-grown options reduce the risk of invasive stowaways, plus they have a smaller carbon footprint. If you’re potting up your plants in baskets, use low-nutrient aquatic compost and lots of gravel to help them draw nutrients from the water.

4 5 6 7

Best time of year for planting? Spring and summer when they’re growing. In autumn they die back to almost nothing.

Anything to watch out for? Bear in mind the size of your pond! Our native water lily ‘Alba’, or a native relative – brandy bottle, for example – requires a larger pond with lots of open water to grow into. Top plants for small ponds? Amphibious bistort is a beautiful alternative for smaller spaces. Yellow flag iris can spread vigorously, so needs to be kept in check.

Your favourite aquatic flower? It’s got to be marsh marigold – it’s one of the first to emerge from a sleepy pond after winter, and that bold yellow flower is like a signal for everything else to come alive. FIND OUT MORE at wildsheffield.com.

MAIN PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREW MONTGOMERY. ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; GETTY IMAGES. ILLUSTRATIONS BY ENYA TODD

One good reason to plant up a pond? Despite being relatively small, ponds can support an abundance and variety of wildlife. Environmentally, they punch well above their weight.

Going GREENER Our quick and easy guide to sustainable living

*OCEAN RECOVERY PROJECT. **UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION/THE JUMP REPORT, WITH ANALYSIS BY ARUP, THE UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS AND C40 †UK BUTTERFLY MONITORING SCHEME

MAKING WAVES

against waste

To counter the estimated 16,000 polystyrene bodyboards dumped in the UK every year*, Cornwall-based company Dick Pearce & Friends is renting out its wooden bellyboards for free at various British beach resorts. Jamie Johnstone has been at the helm of the long-established company since 2010, and is committed to traditional manufacturing methods, sustainability and locally sourced materials. Visit dickpearce.com/pages/surf-wood-for-good for a map showing all UK stockists.

DID YOU KNOW…

“We know what the problems are and we know how to solve them. All we lack is unified action” Sir David Attenborough

…changing the way we eat is the single biggest thing we can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Food production is responsible for a third of global emissions, and cutting down on meat and dairy can significantly reduce our personal carbon footprint. For more simple steps we can take to protect our planet, go to takethejump.org**.

ONE CHANGE TO MAKE

RESCUED WITH RELISH Planning a fancy summer barbecue? Look to Rubies in the Rubble for cut-above condiments made from surplus vegetables that would otherwise have been binned. The award-winning range, stocked by Waitrose, Ocado and Morrisons, includes garlic mayo, chilli onion relish and even banana ketchup (said to go well with grilled halloumi). rubiesintherubble.com

{

Use recycled paint Sixty thousand litres of waste paint will be recycled this year, thanks to Little Greene’s new range. The Re:mix collection has been formulated using unwanted and leftover paint – and offers a matt finish ideal for walls and ceilings, with 20 colours to choose from. littlegreene.com/remix

112% The increase in the population of the heath

fritillary butterfly, thanks to recent conservation efforts†

countryliving.com/uk

AUGUST 2022

Going GREENER Norfolk Wildlife Trust, to organise wardens to patrol during breeding season and to designate protected areas for wildlife.

Yes, The Arc, a track I wrote about curlews, which are desperately endangered, appeared on The Curlew Sounds Project, which came out earlier this year. It’s a collection of curlew soundscapes and songs by a whole range of performers, with proceeds going to the RSPB’s Curlew Recovery Programme.

SO YOUR WORK IS INSPIRED BY NATURE? My recent album Skellig is about a chain of islands off the Irish coast. I’ve used the sound of geese flying overhead in one song. Running on the Waves is about Skomer, an island off Pembrokeshire, and The White Owl was inspired by seeing barn owls in Norfolk.

ALWAYS BEEN MAD ABOUT BIRDS? As a boy living in Manchester, I’d devour books on birds. Moving to Pembrokeshire aged eight blew my mind. We lived in a cottage surrounded by buzzards, grass snakes and lizards. Once, our neighbour took me on his boat to Skomer Island. We saw seals, guillemots, razorbills, gannets, puffins, storm petrels and shearwaters. Those experiences made me who I am.

IS IT HARD TO BE A ‘GREEN’ MUSICIAN?

ASK AN

ECO EXPERT

Touring is a disaster in terms of carbon footprint. I’ll plough profits from mine into seagrass restoration and carbon capture projects. I’ve also banished single-use plastic and taking internal flights. We singers can counter our impact, but we can’t take away the damage we’ve done altogether.

This month David Gray, the singer-songwriter campaigning to save other warblers

ARE YOU ON TOUR OR AT HOME? I’m actually in the middle of the 20th anniversary tour for White Ladder [the chart-topping album that catapulted David to worldwide fame]. We musicians spend a lot of time in studios, hotels and concert venues, cut off from nature (and the ‘wildlife’ backstage never interested me!), so when I’m away, I long for home.

WHERE IS HOME? After the success of White Ladder, I bought a cottage on a nature reserve in Norfolk. I’ve always loved nature and living there allowed me to surround myself with it. Norfolk’s a bird city and in summer it’s full of reed warblers and meadow pipits with little terns and ringed plovers nesting among the sand dunes.

WE HEAR YOU GET WORKED UP ABOUT WARBLERS… Every year, I see birds abandon their eggs when they’re disturbed by visitors stomping through their nesting sites. Dogs are also a big problem. People let them run through flocks that have just flown a thousand miles to be here – I get so furious about it that my wife refuses to walk with me! That’s why I’ve been working with the

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CAN MUSIC MAKE A DIFFERENCE? It’s a very subtle power, but songs present important messages in an eloquent way that can help people feel connected to the natural world. If we celebrate nature in culture, people might care more. We need to write songs, build monuments. If Antony Gormley made a 50-foot curlew sculpture, it would be impactful. I’m campaigning for a bird mural in Hunstanton.

A HAPPY NOTE TO END ON? Miracles can happen! Just look at my career. I was struggling for a decade and came close to quitting. Then White Ladder, recorded on a shoestring budget with no record company behind it, went on to sell more than seven million copies. That taught me never to give up. Change can happen – but we must be tuned in.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Do it today… Listen to the RSPB album. The Curlew Sounds Project is available at curlewsoundsproject.org, where you’ll also find an accompanying podcast series.

Do it tomorrow… Watch your step. If you’re visiting the beach this summer, stick to designated paths so you don’t disturb ground-nesting birds.

Do it this month… Sign up to volunteer with The Wildlife Trusts. From caring for nature reserves to species surveys, there are plenty of roles available (wildlifetrusts.org).

COMPILED BY AND INTERVIEW BY SARAH BARRATT. PHOTOGRAPHS BY GAVIN BATTY; GETTY IMAGES; PARTISAN PR; STOCK FOOD/THE PICTURE PANTRY

YOU’VE FEATURED ON AN RSPB ALBUM…

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PHOTOGRAPH BY RACHEL WHITING. ILLUSTRATION BY MAY VAN MILLINGEN

Susy Smith is in holiday mood as she ponders the highs and lows of an action-packed vacation here are the lying-on-the-beach, soaking-up-the-sun, reading-a-good-book sort of holidays, and then there are the others, where you actually do something. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been very good at the former. I feel guilty about just sitting around “relaxing”. It seems a bit too much like being lazy. I suspect this is a hangover from my upbringing, where it simply wasn’t acceptable to do nothing. My parents were of an industrious generation: hard work was how you spent your time, with only Sunday as a day of rest. In my father’s case, this meant working at his tailoring business six days a week; in my mother’s, it meant housework – cleaning, washing, cooking, shopping, sewing – and much of it before the aid of household appliances. Consequently, I feel I’ve wasted a day if I don’t “achieve” something. I have to admit it makes me quite hard to live with. So, when holiday time comes around, I tend to look for something that will occupy me for most of the day, leaving the evening to relax. Then I can feel I’ve earned my time off. Years before my daughters were born, we bought a run-down cottage with two barns attached in south-west France, and had them converted into a gîte. Every holiday for the next ten years was spent doing DIY, either on our own or with friends to help out with the scrubbing, painting, laying of a terrace, clearing brambles and so on. The house got so damp in the winter that every spring we’d have to paint the same walls as the year before. This task-driven vacation seemed great fun at the time, and at the end of each day I felt I’d earned my gin and tonic and my wine with dinner. Once we had small children, the DIY had to stop. With toddlers around, there was a new kind of non-stop activity! Another good way to assuage my guilt about being idle, I found, was to go on a course and learn something new. While the inability to sit still for long means I have never been great at craft, my lack of patience hasn’t stopped me from trying to emulate the artistry I’ve admired in the work of the talented makers I’ve met over the years. I once went on a basket-making course at West Dean College in Sussex: my plan was to use my variously coloured willow wands countryliving.com/uk

to weave a vessel like the tutor’s, around 12 inches in diameter. Instead, it just kept on growing and growing and ended up more than twice that size. I was very proud that I’d actually finished something, but have to say that it’s never been easy to find space for it wherever I’ve lived. Then there was pottery. I adore a handmade bowl, possibly even more than a basket, especially when the lines around it show how it has been formed on the wheel. Watching an experienced potter effortlessly throwing a vessel at a country fair once, I thought, “I reckon I could do that – it looks so simple.” But I quickly learned that when something appears easy, it’s because the people doing it are incredibly accomplished and skilful. It isn’t often something you can learn in a couple of hours. I didn’t know this when we booked the pottery holiday in Wales. It seemed ideal: a beautiful location on the Pembrokeshire coast, a harbourside pub we could walk to and an expert teacher who was also happy to tease out any latent ability my four-year-old twin daughters might be harbouring. We showed up on the first day and my daughters played around with lumps of clay, turning them into a “bird” and a “tortoise”, while I had a go on the potter’s wheel. What a disaster! The clay all sloped off to one side and as fast as I managed to coax it into a shape, it would all distort and collapse again. After a couple more tries, I admitted defeat and now have even more respect for potters and their expertise. Perhaps, I decided, I need holidays that involve something more physically demanding: I needed to be tired out to be at peace with myself. Thus, a number of activity vacations followed – walking, cooking, foraging, gardening. There was even a brief attempt at horse-riding, which I and one of my daughters enjoyed but I could tell that the six other members of our party were wondering how they’d been talked into it! With relief, however, I am discovering that, as I get older, the prospect of lying on a beach, reading and doing nothing much else, has become a really attractive concept. I don’t feel the same restlessness and guilt at being idle. Perhaps, at last, I’ve worked it all out of my system and can become a happy holiday slouch. NEXT MONTH Susy Smith rejoices in the fact that dahlias have become garden favourites once again. Meanwhile, you can follow her on Instagram @susysmithmacleod.

AUGUST 2022

PROFILE

new

JENNY’S JOURNEY

As Jenny Agutter reprises her iconic role as Bobbie in a sequel to The Railway Children, we join her in Cornwall to talk anarchic grandparenting, feisty dogs and punching Robert Redford INTERVIEW BY LAURA SILVERMAN PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALUN CALLENDER

hen Jenny Agutter watched her new film, she couldn’t help but cry. They were happy tears. The Railway Children Return is a sequel to the original, a film that has long made audiences well up, too, and propelled Jenny to prominence at 17. “That sense of place and those children arriving and that music, it just caught me. I felt an extraordinary nostalgia.” The follow-up, which was shot in Yorkshire in the same spot as the 1970 classic, shunts the E Nesbit story on 40 years. The children are Second World War evacuees. Jenny is still Bobbie, but she is now a grandmother. Has it really been 50-odd years since The Railway Children? “Time has this odd way of playing games,” Jenny says with a smile. “Being on set at Oakworth Station, which looked exactly the same, and seeing the steam train come in, I was taken back in time. So much has happened, but it felt like nothing at all.” Much has happened for Jenny, now 69, including a move to Cornwall, where she lives with her husband Johan Tham, a hotelier, and their dog Sophie. Along the way, Jenny has notched up more than 30 films, from An American Werewolf in London to The Avengers and television work from Spooks to Call the Midwife. But The Railway Children has never been far away. The journey began with the 1968 BBC television adaptation when Jenny was 14, peaked with the Lionel Jeffries film in 1970 and made another stop in 2000, when Jenny played Bobbie’s mother in an countryliving.com/uk

ITV remake: “I’m grateful to have been part of something that has become a classic. It’s something I’m totally proud of.” Early fame was instructive. The 1970 film was a big deal. Jenny wore a Zandra Rhodes dress to the royal premiere, making the front pages. “If you look closely, I misbuttoned it!” she laughs. The next day, on the train to school, people were reading the papers. No one recognised her. “I’ve always enjoyed that element of filmmaking. One day you’re going somewhere glamorous in a limousine and the next you’re doing something ordinary like having fish and chips.” Jenny soon jetted off to Hollywood, and it was only on returning to England in 1990 to start a family that The Railway Children was mentioned again. The video had enchanted a new generation and Jenny began work on her own film about Nesbit. Filming the 2000 adaptation brought “the whole feeling” back, as did the sequel. In Howarth, Jenny met one of the original train drivers also reprising his role and played make-believe with the children between takes. On that first shoot, Bernard Cribbins, who played Perks, the porter, recited limericks to entertain the young cast. “This is a lovely way of making that link to the past,” Jenny says wistfully. “I carry the baton and I pass it on to Beau Gadsdon, who plays the Roberta-type character [the eldest evacuee].” The idea of Bobbie the grandmother might unnerve anyone who still sees Jenny in a smock and beret, but Jenny relished the role: “As a grandparent, you can enter into games with your grandchildren in a way that you can’t with your parents and I’m beginning to feel that.” Jonathan, her son, has recently had a child. “Your parents are the responsible ones. Grandparents can be completely anarchic.” AUGUST 2022

PROFILE

Jenny was born in Somerset, but the family moved to Singapore, Malaysia and Cyprus, following her father, an army officer-turned-entertainment organiser for the forces. She had a happy childhood, with supportive parents who protected her and her brother from the sadness of losing two children to cystic fibrosis. At nine, Jenny went to a boarding school in Surrey that specialised in ballet. “People saw me as a dancer because I was small, and I enjoyed it enormously, but I found this terrible report the other day where a teacher [said] I couldn’t remember the dances. I hadn’t in any way the dedication to be a dancer.” Perhaps teachers spotted her acting potential? “School didn’t encourage me to act,” she says cheerfully. “I could enter into the spirit of playing games easily, but I was very quiet. I wasn’t a performer. I was terrified of going on stage.” Shooting a film felt manageable and, at 11, Jenny got her first role, in East of Sudan. At home, no one treated Jenny like a star. “I think the fact that [my parents] were touched by the entertainment world meant that when I got a role, they were neither terribly worried nor impressed. They said I should enjoy it and thought that would be that.” Parts kept coming and Jenny left school at 17. Then film offers dried up. Her stage debut was in a comedy, The School for Scandal. “I didn’t get a single laugh!” Four years later, at the National Theatre, she worried she had missed out on drama training. “I’ve learned from people I’ve worked with,” she says. Those experiences have shaped Jenny’s life ever since. Before taking a job, she recalls the advice of her childhood publicist. “He’d say, ‘What are the people like? And is the grub good? Are you going to have fun?’ Now, it is the only way I can work. I have to feel like I will be part of a group of people I really like who are doing something I will really enjoy.” Cast and crew soon become family: “Those families have been very, very important and good for me.” Call the Midwife delivers. Jenny has just filmed series 12, out next year: “We’re like a family in that we very much support each other.” While she easily imagined Bobbie’s life off screen, Sister Julianne, her Call the Midwife persona, eludes her. “In a way, I have no real understanding of what Julianne’s about,” says Jenny, a lapsed Catholic. “I understand her dedication to her community and to mothers and babies, but the faith part doesn’t make sense to me. The mysteries, they’re wonderful, but they’re stories.” Sister Julianne has converted her in another way. “I’ve been trying to take on board her sense of acceptance because I’m not very good at that. I like to control things. Now I try to think, ‘How do we deal with what’s present?’” Sometimes the present needs to change, and Jenny campaigns through charities, from St Giles Trust, which helps former prisoners, to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Jenny carries the CF gene, and her niece and great-nephew live with the condition, where

AUGUST 2022

mucus builds up in the lungs. It was Jenny who proposed the CF storyline for Call the Midwife. Her OBE, in the 2012 Birthday Honours, was for charity work.

THE CALL OF THE COAST

In 2020, at the dawn of the first lockdown, Jenny and Johan moved to Cornwall, having spent stretches there over the past 30 years. “This has become our home. I feel happy and peaceful here.” Today, Jenny is in the summer room of their house on the Lizard Peninsula. “It is quite stunning,” she says, looking towards the ocean through the floor-to-ceiling windows. “It’s just magic. I’ve travelled a great deal, but I’m always startled by the beauty. I think this is the most beautiful place in the world.” Jenny likes to walk along the coast from Kynance Cove, where rocks jut out of the ocean, to Kennack Sands with its expansive beach, past clusters of heather. The “wildness” of the cliffs at Kynance are invigorating. “It feels as though man can’t make an impression there. Whatever you do, you can’t touch the elements, the sea and the rocks. You have to respect the landscape.” Sometimes, Sophie, Jenny’s “feisty” wire-haired dachshund, tags along, although Sophie’s short legs make it difficult for her to jete over rocks with Jenny’s grace. Every day in summer, Jenny also goes for a dip. There’s a cove just below the house, where the sun warms the water. Energetic pursuits might call for a pasty or a cream tea. “It’s hard to decide [which one],” says Jenny, weighing them up. “The pasties from Ann’s Pasties in the village are brilliant, but I’ve been trying to eat less beef recently… The winner would be the cream tea. I’m afraid I do it Devon-style – cream first and jam on top.” Jenny has taken “thousands” of pictures of the landscape on her phone. “The light here is absolutely beautiful. I can be inspired by the colours of the ocean or the sunsets or the way the light catches the grass or a single flower.” She also can’t resist a candid photo. “The grandchild features quite solidly, and anything that makes me laugh. Sometimes my husband walks around the garden in his nightshirt – I’ll take a picture and pass it round the family.” Other garden activities include picking nasturtiums and pansies for salads and tending to her padron peppers: “Last year, every one was killer hot.” The growing, cooking and coastal walks are all the more enjoyable after the bright lights of a shoot. Jenny longs to make another Marvel film, enthusing about the stuntwork with typical humour. After rigorous workouts for Captain America: The Winter Soldier a few years ago, she was allowed to do most moves but one: “They wouldn’t let me pull a punch at Robert Redford in case I hit him!” Punching Robert Redford aside, she harbours dreams to direct. “It’s stupid of me not to have pressed to do it earlier. Maybe it’s not too late to start.” Her Nesbit film is pulling in at the station. Might there be time for a quick cream tea? THE RAILWAY CHILDREN RETURN is out now.

countryliving.com/uk

PHOTOGRAPH BY GETTY IMAGES

CHILD STAR

“THE LIGHT HERE IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. I CAN BE INSPIRED BY THE COLOURS OF THE OCEAN OR A SINGLE FLOWER”

Jenny’s TRACK

RECORD 1952 Born in Taunton, Somerset. Grows up in Singapore, Malaysia and Cyprus

1960s Trains at Elmhurst Ballet School, then in Surrey 1964 First film role, in East of Sudan

1968 The Railway Children journey begins when Jenny is cast as Bobbie in a BBC production

1970 Reprises her role for the now-classic film adaptation

1974 Moves to LA for a film career, including Logan’s Run, out two years later

1978 Wins a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor in Equus 1983 Brings out a photography book, Snap: Observations of Los Angeles and London

1990 Returns to the UK. Marries Johan and has a son, Jonathan, now a doctor with his own son, Oliver

2002 Joins MI5 as Tessa in Spooks on BBC One

2010-present Adopts a habit in Call the Midwife 2012 Appointed OBE for charitable services

2022 Recreates the part of Bobbie in The Railway Children Return. Makes a documentary following a theatre group, exploring The Tempest and Caribbean culture

S E A S O N A L I N S P I R AT I O N

Let’s go

RETRO

Travel back in time with our vintage makes and accessories for an old-fashioned road trip to remember WORDS AND STYLING BY SIAN WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRENT DARBY

AUGUST 2022

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Pack up your TROUBLES

Take your time to load the car for a leisurely journey with plenty of pitstops. Think folding chairs, Welsh blankets and a traditional hamper. OPPOSITE Welsh blankets, from £159 each, Jane Beck Welsh Blankets. Moalie wool throw in blue, £50, Ikea. Wicker hamper, £16, Hobbycraft. Vintage camera, from a selection, Etsy. 50 Things to Do in the Wild book, £9.99, Labour and Wait. Small wicker hamper, £10, Hobbycraft. Cushions made from Whitby cotton in Yellow/Ivory and Powder Blue/Ivory, Seaton Stripe cotton in Cerise/ Ivory, all £39/m: all Sanderson, and Arley stripe green cotton, £40/m, Jane Churchill

“Here today, up and off to somewhere else tomorrow… The whole world before you, and a horizon that’s always changing!” Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

S E A S O N A L I N S P I R AT I O N

Carry-on LUGGAGE Keep essentials in this homemade weatherproof backpack. Cut five panels from thick cotton or canvas: two pieces for the front and back (each 30cm x 52cm, plus 18cm sq each for the two flaps), two side pieces (each 15cm x 34cm) and a piece for the bottom (15cm x 30cm). For a contrast lining, use a checked fabric, cutting another panel for the inside front, back and base. Waterproof the whole inside of the bag using a heavy-duty clear PVC cut to the measurements of the front, back, bottom and sides. Pin all the panels together, adding the straps between the layers. We used 58cm lengths of herringbone binding tape doubled up. Sew all the seams together. For a tie fastening, attach some ribbon to the centre of the back flap and front panel.

countryliving.com/uk

AUGUST 2022

S E A S O N A L I N S P I R AT I O N

ALL MAPPED OUT Whatever your journey throws at them, protect paper maps with this simple wipe-clean case. Cut a piece of thick cotton three to four times the size of your folded map. Allow 2cm for seams and room for an opened map to slide in and out. For the protective cover, use a clear PVC vinyl, cutting to the size of the fabric minus the seam allowance. Turn and sew one side of the fabric 1cm in from the edge; pin the cotton and plastic together, folding the cotton fabric over the plastic 1cm in from the edge again. Sew three sides together, leaving the fourth open. Sew ribbon all around, leaving the opening. Finish by sewing contrasting ribbon ties onto the middle edge of two sides so you can fold or roll the map easily. Arley stripe cotton, £40/m, Jane Churchill. Clear PVC vinyl, from £2.99, Jolee Tablecloths. Fern and sage stripe ribbon, £2.70/3m; similar pink and cream stripe ribbon, £2.70/m: both Jane Means

KITTY JAR Make a loose-change pot for tolls and ice creams. Line the inside of a jar with an old map or postcard. Finish with twine and cotton tape. Label with Letraset, stuck on using double-sided tape. Ball Mason preserve jar, £13.99 (four), Lakeland

WIRELESS CONNECTION A vintage-style radio on a folding metal chair sets the tone for a Famous Five-style day out. Vintage folding metal chair, from £58, Baileys. Zinc tray with handles, £28.95, The Danes. Similar berry red Revival iStream 3 radio, £229.99, Roberts. Can opener, £15, Labour and Wait. Natural hessian cloths (pack of four), £8, Hobbycraft

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A scenic PITSTOP Set up your Thermos on a folding table with a proper linen tablecloth – and settle down to savour the refreshments and the view. Vintage folding metal chairs, from £58 each, Baileys. On left chair: similar hat, from a selection, Wear Garson. Zinc tray with handles, £28.95, The Danes. Similar berry red Revival iStream 3 radio, £229.99, Roberts. On right chair: rucksack made from Arley lemon cotton, £39/m; lined in Whitby yellow/ivory cotton, £39/m: both Sanderson. Back straps made from ivory cotton twill herringbone tape, 60p/m, Minions of Craft. Askholmen table, £25, Ikea. Tablecloth made from Sky blue Lithuanian linen, £33.26, LinenDi at Etsy. Cornishware mugs, £15 each, Labour and Wait. Similar recycled water glasses, £2.50 each; enamel plates, £4 each: all Baileys. Bamboo cutlery set, £3.50, The Danes. Similar stainless-steel flask, £30/1.2L, Thermos. Teabags, £1.75, Welsh Brew

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Travel JOURNAL

Create a scrapbook of your travels using a spiral-bound notebook to capture the memories. With thick elastic bands, hold and display old maps, while paper clips can secure waxed brown envelopes for keepsakes. Title the front with Letraset. Spiral-bound Kraft scrapbook, £5/30cm sq; wooden travel decorations, £2.50 (45): both Hobbycraft. Thick rubber bands, £2.99 (16), WHSmith. Vintage maps, from a selection, Ebay. Letraset, from a selection, Amazon. Fabrics, as before

WITH THANKS TO JON WILLIAMS AT BRECON MOTORS FOR THE USE OF HIS CLASSIC MORRIS MINOR TRAVELLER (01874 611721; BRECONMOTORS.CO.UK) AND TO SHEPHERDS FOR THE USE OF THEIR LITTLE SHEPHERDS ICE CREAM PARLOUR

S E A S O N A L I N S P I R AT I O N

IT’S A SCOOP An artisan ice-cream van makes an irresistible roadside stop-off, a chance to pause and plot the next leg of the adventure. Askholmen chairs, £25 each, Ikea. Similar Artiga deckchair, £89, Made. Dried floral wreath, from a selection, Layla Robinson Design. Handmade ice cream, from £7.50/550ml tub (minimum online order £30), Shepherds

FOR STOCKISTS see Where to Buy

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AUGUST 2022

INTERVIEW

6 Is your garden totally wild? I adore flowers, so the garden near the house is cultivated and full of clematis, verbenas and alliums. But we’ve let the fields beyond grow wild. We also restored an old orchard and have a walled vegetable garden. In summer, we’re self-sufficient, even growing our own clementines. It’s lovely to know that everything on my plate has been grown here. Not that I’ve ever cooked a meal in my life. That’s Paul’s area.

DEBORAH MEADEN

1 We only ever see you in the Den. Where do you call home? My husband Paul and I have lived in a Grade II-listed farmhouse in Somerset for 15 years. It’s in the middle of nowhere and the views are like a spa for the eyes. We restored it with the help of local lime plasterers and craftspeople using reclaimed materials. Now, we have solar panels, creating more power than we use. We aim to be carbon neutral.

2 Have you always been a green Dragon? I’ve always adored animals, which made me appreciate the world they live in. Even as a student, it was blindingly obvious to me that we can’t relentlessly consume without having an impact on the planet. At business school, I wrote my thesis on climate change and when I became a Dragon 16 years ago, the others called me ‘Swampy’ because sustainability was so important to me. Now, lots of business owners share my passion. I’m delighted I’m no longer on my own.

7 Is it true you’re vegan? I like to say I’m ‘plant-based’. The trouble with veganism is that you can never be vegan enough. Some vegans tell me off because I sit on leather chairs and wear leather shoes. I also eat eggs from my rescue hens, who pop out eggs for a pastime. It would be crazy not to. The only thing I miss is cheese. I can’t find good vegan cheese. Maybe there’s a gap in the market? I’m always on the hunt for businesses that make eco-friendly products appealing to the masses…

8 Your best ethical investments?

It’s a podcast called The Big Green Money Show. I speak to some of the world’s biggest businesses –such as Nestlé, NatWest and easyJet – about how they plan to reach net zero. I’m sensitive to greenwashing, but real shifts are being made. British Gas wants to warm our homes with hydrogen and heat pumps, while Primark has promised it will only use sustainable materials by the end of the decade. Running 21 businesses, I know how hard it can be, so I applaud them for making changes.

I recently invested in a refillable, natural deodorant brand called Fussy. I’m on a mission to tackle bathroom waste. I’m also looking to support companies that use inventive ways to cut waste like The Little Loop, the rentable children’s clothes company I invested in during the last series of Dragons’ Den. It’s not my only clothes business. I’m passionate about the British wool industry. I own a majority stake in Fox Brothers, a West Country wool mill that’s been going for 250 years. Our cloth is beautiful and expensive, but you can wear it for ever. If holes appear in the material, you just get it repaired. I think wool is going to have its moment again.

4 With 21 businesses, aren’t you chained to your desk?

9 But you’ve stopped shopping for clothes?

Not at all. I don’t have a job in the conventional sense, so I manage my own time. Each day starts with a barefoot walk around our garden. Then I’ll go horse riding and head to my office around 11am. I work hard, but during tea breaks there’s always time for a chat with the animals. As well as retired racehorses, we have sheep, vizslas [medium-sized hunting dogs], cats, countless ex-battery hens, ducks, guinea fowl and geese.

I’ve got enough to last a lifetime, so pledged not to buy any clothes, shoes or bags for 18 months. Now, I’ve pledged not to buy fast fashion ever again. I enjoy wearing things I already own – it’s made me more creative. I’ve worn the same red jacket for three series of Dragons’ Den.

3 Tell us about your latest eco-venture…

10 So do they still call you Swampy?

5 Sounds like a small zoo…

Audiences would have been appalled at me wearing the same clothes 15 years ago. Now they applaud me. So, no, the other Dragons don’t call me ‘Swampy’ any more.

It feels like it! Most of them are rescues. Now, they’re living the life of Riley. The guinea fowl and geese don’t half make a racket and,

THE BIG GREEN MONEY SHOW is on BBC Sounds.

AUGUST 2022

countryliving.com/uk

INTERVIEW BY SARAH BARRATT. PHOTOGRAPH BY ALUN CALLENDER

The Dragons’ Den judge on rescuing animals, growing your own food and why her fellow Dragons called her ‘Swampy’

at this time of year, the land is covered in raw wool from our self-shearing sheep. The birds love it, though. You should see their nests. Swifts, swallows and martins flock to our fields because we don’t spray anything, and we stopped cutting our hedges to provide food and shelter for them. It’s made an incredible difference. We see barn owls, woodpeckers, adders and hares.

“During tea breaks, there’s always time for a chat with the animals”

RU RA L C H I C F O R YO U R H O M E

COUNTRY LIVING COLLECTION AT DFS

MUSTARD

Inspired by the magnificent landscapes of the British Isles, each sofa in the exclusive Country Living Collection at DFS has been designed to bring a touch of rustic charm to every home. With its signature Chesterfield arms and subtle stitched seam detailing, Country Living Woodstock is a truly sophisticated sofa. Its timeless elegance means it will look equally wonderful in both traditional and more contemporary living spaces. Expertly crafted in Britain, Woodstock features a quality hardwood frame with a durable foam core enveloped in a sumptuous, flexible fibre exterior, creating a softer, plumper and altogether more inviting sit. Textured woven-yarn fabric upholstery, in six nature-inspired shades, not only looks and feels wonderful but is incredibly hard-wearing, so you can be confident that Country Living Woodstock will look just as good in the future as it does today.

LILAC

SILVER

MINT GREEN

GREY

NATURAL

See the full Country Living Collection at dfs.co.uk/country-living

HOME INSPIRATION

Sleeping PATTERNS From ditsy prints to stronger geometrics, these dream schemes are sure to create a blissful bedroom WORDS BY CARA LASKARIS PRODUCTION BY BEN KENDRICK CUT-OUTS BY HOLLY RANSOME

AUGUST 2022

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Mix & MATCH

Pattern is back in fashion and loading it into a room for a strong statement is known as ‘pattern drenching’. Mixing designs together or using pattern on big expanses works best in a bedroom, where it can have a cocooning quality. Run a similar thread of colour through all your furnishings to achieve a degree of harmony.

OPPOSITE A strong wallpaper print (Nympheus by GP & J Baker) dictates the colours in the rest of the room at The Craftsman’s Cottage (thecraftsmanscottage.com) 1 Floral candlestick, £30 (two), Anna + Nina at Selfridges 2 Ticking Rose fabric, £132/m, Buchanan Studio 3 Fern handpainted lampshade, £68, Bloomsbury Revisited 4 Ortensia peach and emerald quilt, £200, Lisa Corti 5 Hosta Green active emulsion, £48/2.5L, Sanderson 6 Cerise and fuchsia cushion cover, £60, Amuse La Bouche

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7 Persian Poppy linen fabric, £145/m, Volga Linen

8 Jaipur vase, £69 (three designs), Sophie Conran 9 Using busy patterns in a hall or landing makes a bedroom beyond seem calmer, lighter and airier. Here, a bold Morris & Co pattern, Acanthus, picks up the small star motif and a softly patterned rug 10 Quilts and cushions are perfect for indulging in a medley of vintage florals and appliquéd designs with a degree of clash and contrast 11 An assortment of colours and designs all combine beautifully in this room. A vintage eiderdown and a bedcover that incorporates vintage fabrics mix well with pieces of furniture in bright painted shades

Ascending SCALES

Smaller-scale patterns are less dominant, gentler on the eye and much easier to use when decorating. Alternatively, try a larger-scale pattern and display it in small areas such as on just one wall, a cushion, a valance or half-length curtains.

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3 OPPOSITE A selection of small-printed patterns combines in this bedroom so none of them dominates or overpowers the other 1 A strongly coloured print is used sparingly here on curtains in a dormer window and to upholster the seat of an old Lloyd Loom chair 2 A tiny motif papers this bedroom in the eaves so the space remains calm and spacious despite the design being on all the walls 3 A mid-scale, painterly floral pattern is used in smaller amounts on cushions to

create a decorative focus in this Cornish bedroom

4 Patterned storage boxes, from £32 each, Harris & Jones 5 Carafe, £72 (with tumbler), Petra Palumbo 6 Jaipur Flower wallpaper, £165/roll, Dado Atelier 7 Navy Squares lampshade, £110, Alice Palmer & Co 8 Old Cotswold Blue matt emulsion, £38/2.5L, Country Living Collection at Homebase 9 Blossom stool, £650, John Sankey at Liberty 10 Arya silk cushion, £130, Daughters of Gaea

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H O M E S & D E C O R AT I N G

AUGUST 2022

H O M E S & D E C O R AT I N G

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Dream WEAVERS

With a comforting quality that makes them warm and appealing, woven patterns create subtle textural interest. Their tactile quality ensures they are easy to integrate into bedroom decoration, and can vary from the toning plaid of blanket designs, utilitarian ticking and stripes to a knitted nubbly throw or caned headboard.

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11 OPPOSITE A collection of vintage plaid Welsh blankets has been used to upholster an old armchair and also patchworked together to create a thick lined curtain

1 Handwoven Ixelles cushion, from £148, Pamela Print

2 Vintage Rose lambswool throw, £189, Melin Tregwynt 3 Marino armchair, £1,820, Ercol 4 Linen Press matt emulsion, £38/2.5L, Country Living Collection at Homebase 5 Yule laundry basket, £78, The Basket Room

6 Cottage Embroidery cushion cover, £75, The Conran Shop

7 Kakasi rattan floor lamp, £295, Bloomingville at Design Vintage 8 Tollymore bedframe, £899, Country Living Collection at Dreams 9 This bedroom layers up different textures combining a heritage check with a chunky knit throw and a more contemporary graphic weave cushion 10 Woven stripes make a discreet flash of pattern on this homemade cushion lining with an opening finished with tailor’s tape ties 11 Toast’s Pyjama Stripe ticking bedlinen contrasts with a vivid green Kantha quilt in this barn conversion

H O M E S & D E C O R AT I N G

Defining LINES Strong, crisp patterns have a rhythmic, modern, Scandinavian appearance, often in just one colour, making them more impactful. They can be printed on fabric or paper, or created from a collage of solid colours – as in a quilted design, which has a traditional heritage yet appears contemporary in a clean-lined interior. 1 A one-colour sunflower print makes a striking headboard, customising and softening a plain wooden bedstead 2 This carpenter-made wooden headboard covered with tiles from Smink Studio creates a frieze like a modernist artwork 3 Rita custom headboard, from £1,310, Andrew Martin

4 Glasshouse White matt emulsion, £38/2.5L, Country Living Collection at Homebase 5 Amande coffee cup and saucer, £66, Nicholas Engert Interiors 6 Pino cushion, £39.95, Anno at Finnish Design Shop 7 Traditional quilts are brought up to date with crisp geometrics

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H O M E S & D E C O R AT I N G

8 Altitude Cent cushion, from £320, Pamela Print

and contemporary but at the same time gentle and romantic

9 Terracotta planter, £30, Raj Tent Club

12 While most of the decoration here is in off-whites and creams, a geometric quilt creates an eye-catching focus with its tessellated pattern

10 Lacquer box, £175, Jonathan Adler 11 In a combination of dove grey and mustard, Sanderson’s Larksong wallpaper feels fresh

FOR STOCKISTS see Where to Buy

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CAROLINE ARBER; JAN BALDWIN; MARK BOLTON; CHARLIE COLMER; DAN DUCHARS; CATHERINE GRATWICKE; HUNTLEY HEDWORTH; EMMA LEE; LOUPE IMAGES/SIMON BROWN/LISA COHEN/AMY NEUNSINGER/RACHEL WHITING; JAMES MERRELL; PENNY WINCER; POLLY WREFORD

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AUGUST 2022

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NEW ISSUE ON SALE 26 JULY

Inspiring interiors, innovative designers and makers, plus stylish pieces for the contemporary country home

Order at hearstmagazines.co.uk/cl-specials or purchase your copy in selected retailers

N AT U R E

ALL HAIL the

QUEEN BEES We are fast becoming a nation of beekeepers. Meet the female apiarists leading the field WORDS BY HENRIETTA HOLDER

AUGUST 2022

countryliving.com/uk

The mead-maker SUZIE HUTCHINSON IS ONE HALF OF THE BEEKEEPING PARTNERSHIP NORTHUMBERLAND HONEY CO

Suzie has no formal beekeeping training – she’s learnt from ‘the best’, her husband Luke – but her PhD in molecular nutrition was essential when it came to setting up Northumberland Honey Co. The company produces sparkling meads that, like wine, have vintage and provenance, and her studies gave her a solid understanding of the fermentation process, plus laboratory protocols and sterilisation techniques that help speed up the process. The result is a trio of sparkling meads, their flavours reflecting the migratory lives of the bees she and Luke nurture at 200 apiaries across Northumberland and Cumbria. The bees overwinter in protective valley locations, move in spring to sites with lime trees and clover, and then again to heather-rich moorland in high summer. Spring mead is light and delicate: a rosé version is made by adding hibiscus, while Moorland mead is more deeply flavoured. northumberland honey.co.uk

The honey sommelier PAULA CARNELL KEEPS BEES IN HER CASTLE CARY GARDEN AND HEADS UP THE HIVES AT THE NEWT ESTATE IN SOMERSET, WHERE SHE’S THE HONEY-BEE BUFF Paula’s style of beekeeping uses the lightest of touches – an ethos adopted from her experience of using naturopathy to treat a chronic illness. The natural approach was so effective for her own health, Paula decided to use a similar strategy in her hives. Unlike more conventional apiarists, she doesn’t use smoke to sedate her bees nor does she feed them sugar over winter, instead leaving them enough of their own honey to sustain them. Working intuitively with the rhythms of the bees, she takes care to talk and listen to them. “It’s all about being present,” she says. Paula’s work for The Newt includes bee safaris and honey-tasting sessions: she’s a trained honey sommelier. She travels widely, too, educating the public on the many environmental benefits of her beekeeping practices. paulacarnell.com

Working intuitively with the rhythms of the bees, she takes care to talk and listen to them

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The teaching team THE BEE TEAM, JACQUI COTTAM AND KAREN HARPER, HAVE CREATED A ‘CLASSROOM’ APIARY IN CUMBRIA Passing on her passion for bees is important to Jacqui. Her own beekeeping journey began aged 12, when she was introduced to her teacher’s hives. Years later, she approached Heron Hill Primary in Cumbria, proposing the idea of keeping bees there. Part-time teacher Karen volunteered her partnership, and the Bee Team was born. Every pupil is involved with nurturing the inhabitants of ‘Bee Village’, an apiary of six hives. There are wider lessons to be learnt about the environment and biodiversity, as well as teamwork and practical skills (like woodwork for making the hives’ frames). Such is the success of the project that Heron Hill now has ‘Beacon’ school status – an accolade awarded by the British Beekeepers Association. bee-team.co.uk

The orchard expert LYNNE INGRAM RUNS WESLEY COTTAGE BEES, HER HIVES POSITIONED IN ORCHARDS RICH WITH THE NECTAR FROM APPLE, PEAR AND PLUM TREES When Lynne moved to Somerset in the 1980s, she kept bees, goats, chickens, geese, sheep and a donkey – but it was the bees she liked best. Now she’s a Master Beekeeper, holds a National Diploma in Beekeeping, gives lectures and has a flourishing business selling honey and honey marmalade. She has 20-plus hives across two orchards, plus one on a farm. Like wine, honey has a terroir, and the mix of seasonal forage and soil minerals creates different flavours throughout the year. Within bee-flying distance lie the willow beds of the Somerset Levels for early-year foraging and with the blossom of the fruit trees, they yield a light, fresh spring honey. Summer nectar from bramble-rich hedgerows produces a richer, darker variety. Lynne, who is chair of the Honey Authenticity Network, is also campaigning for better labelling of imported blended honeys, which are often adulterated with sugar syrups. wesleycottagebees.co.uk countryliving.com/uk

AUGUST 2022

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AN INTEREST IN BEES AND BEEKEEPING IS BOTH PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL FOR HER ROYAL HIGHNESS CAMILLA, THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL Camilla has kept bees at her former Wiltshire home for some years, selling her limitededition honey for charity each summer. There are also a couple of hives tucked in among the organic vegetables in the kitchen garden at Clarence House, and 30 more at Highgrove. Two years ago, Camilla became the first president of the charity Bees for Development, which aims to lift communities out of poverty through sustainable beekeeping. In parts of Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Central and South America, families are helped to establish apiaries so that they can earn a living selling beeswax and honey, while the precious and often vulnerable ecosystems in which they live are enriched by the pollinating activities of the honey bees. beesfordevelopment.org

The candle-maker SUSSEX BEEKEEPER LIA MARKWICK HAS MASTERED THE TRADITIONAL ART OF CANDLE-DIPPING BY HAND TO MAKE FULL USE OF THE TREASURES OF THE HIVE Lia has loved ‘all things bee’ since tending hives with her father as a child, but it was only in her early thirties that she gave it a go herself. She now has 20, sited in ancient woodlands and a wild-flower meadow. “I learn something every time I visit a hive, whether it’s about the bees, myself or the environment,” she says. Hand-dipped candlemaking, using the wax caps on the honeycomb, is Lia’s latest venture – she loves the idea of preserving the summer’s wax to give light and warmth to winter days. The traditional method requires dipping lengths of cotton wick 30 times in wax to make one slender dinner-table candle. Having switched on the melting pot in the morning, Lia will still be dipping after dark: 16 pairs of candles take a full day. Her beautiful wares come in a spectrum of natural colours. thesussexbee.co.uk

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THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE proves Camilla isn’t the only royal apiarist: she has installed a hive in the grounds of Anmer Hall in Norfolk, and has even given schoolchildren her own honey. CATE BLANCHETT says she had ‘no choice’ but to take up beekeeping at her home in East Sussex after she was gifted a suit by friend and film director Richard Linklater. SCARLETT JOHANSSON, the Hollywood A-lister, is said to have inspired co-star Chris Hemsworth to start his own bee colony. BEYONCÉ started beekeeping after hearing about how healing honey might help her daughters’ allergies. She now tends to 80,000 bees and makes enough to fill hundreds of jars per year. SYLVIA PLATH started keeping bees in the summer of 1962. A subsequent series of poems used bee behaviour to mirror her fraught marriage to Ted Hughes.

GETTING FROM A TO BEE Three essential steps to starting your own beekeeping journey PREP YOUR PLOT You don’t need much space to keep bees, but you do need plenty for them to forage on. Suburban allotments, rooftop gardens and parks can provide access to a richer variety of flowers and plants than some of our countryside. TAKE A COURSE The British Beekeeping Association (BBKA) has a comprehensive list of courses around the UK and will also be able to advise on kit supplies, secondhand equipment for sale and where to find a healthy bee colony. You might meet some fellow bee-lovers, too. TRY BEFORE YOU BUY Some BBKA local groups have a scheme that allows you to borrow a hive and bees for a short period under the supervision of an experienced keeper (bbka.org.uk).

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; GETTY IMAGES; AMANDA HUTCHINSON/AKP BRANDING STORIES; NATO WELTON; XPOSURE/BACKGRID

The royal crusader

A-LIST LADY BEEKEEPERS

The WILD WILD fest countryliving.com/uk

OUTDOORS

The new breed of festival is all about being family friendly – and it could be coming to a field near you. Sarah Barratt meets the founders of Wild Rumpus, who create extraordinary events in enchanting spaces PHOTOGRAPHS BY NATO WELTON

AUGUST 2022

OUTDOORS

t’s dusk on the first day of Timber Festival and a performer is tiptoeing across a tightrope. Eight paper lanterns illuminate the scene like multicoloured moons. I am among the hushed crowd marvelling at the dreamlike scene. The festival is being held in Feanedock, a 70-acre woodland on the Leicestershire-Derbyshire border. It’s one of several organised throughout the year by Rowan Cannon and Sarah Bird, the founders of Wild Rumpus, a social enterprise creating extraordinary outdoor events. About 6,000 people of all ages are here for the three-day event, wanting to be entertained by circus acts, outdoor plays and a poetry recital from Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, all in natural surroundings. “We want to take people out of their day-to-day lives and put them in spectacular spaces,” Sarah says.

LET THE WILD RUMPUS BEGIN Sarah, previously a bookseller, and Rowan, a project manager, met about 15 years ago as mums in the school playground. They bonded over a love of galleries and museums – not that Rowan would ever take her three sons. “If I took the kids to a gallery, I’d be hissing at them to behave,” she says. “But in nature, we could be ourselves.” Sarah faced a similar challenge when she took her family to Hay Festival every year. She would take it in turns with her

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husband to do a little colouring-in with their three daughters while the other went to a talk. Both longed for an arts festival that put families first. “We wanted an event where families could enjoy culture together in a natural environment,” she says. So they planned one. Rowan and Sarah held their first event, Just So Festival, in 2009 at an old scout camp in Barnswood, Cheshire. It was put together on a shoestring. “Someone would buy tickets and we would book another band,” Sarah says. But the tiny budget had benefits – many festivalgoers brought their own creativity. One man, for example, mentioned he played the drums and ended up hosting a percussion workshop around the campfire. “There’s always been a sense of doing it together – of breaking down barriers between the audience and the artists,” Sarah adds. About 2,500 people came to that event, going home tired but happy. What they didn’t see was what it was like behind the scenes. “It was worse than childbirth in terms of stress, angst and tears,” Rowan says. “We were litter-picking, managing the car park

THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE (From above) Since their first festival in 2009, Rowan and

Sarah have been creating outdoor arts events. Now their families are firmly involved, too

countryliving.com/uk

OUTDOORS

“It is really powerful to be in nature all the time” and, during the night, had to set our alarms every two hours to go on patrol.” But it was worth it in the end. On the way home, families were asking about the next one. Within a year, Rowan and Sarah had quit their regular jobs and started planning another event from their makeshift office – a lock-up behind a garage in Macclesfield, near their homes. Wild Rumpus, a nod to the phrase in the children’s book Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, was born.

OUTDOOR ANTICS Today, many families who attended the early events still come – their two-year-olds now teenagers. “Our festivals are built into the fabric of their year,” Rowan says. “We put on a Christmas event in December and Timber in the summer.” Organising everything, adds Rowan, is now considerably less stressful: “These days, what we do rarely feels like work.” Rowan focuses on design, creating the look of their circus tents, treehouses and light shows, while Sarah works on long-term planning. They are both looking at ways to make their festivals more sustainable by using compost loos and reusable cups. They even encourage audiences to cycle to events. HQ is now a 16th-century farmhouse in the grounds of Rode Hall in Cheshire, where they have been holding Just So since 2011. They have four acres of woodland, allowing the team of 18, in the summer, to work beneath the branches or on blankets in the meadow (the Wi-Fi is excellent). “It is really powerful to be in nature all the time,” Sarah says. “Working outdoors makes us happier and more creative.” Having some outdoor space certainly helped during the pandemic. During periods when groups could only meet outside, the organisers would gather in the wood. But the company still had to adapt when festivals were cancelled in 2020. “The pandemic made us think more creatively about how we could connect people to nature,” Sarah says. Instead of Timber, which would have been held that summer, the pair asked people to record one minute of sound from their local woodland and upload it to a virtual map. They received thousands of recordings from all over the world.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON Last year, Timber was able to go ahead once more, with Rowan and Sarah ensuring social distancing in Feanedock’s open spaces. “It felt daunting, but special,” Rowan says. “It was the first time in over a year that the bands had played live to an

THIS PAGE Wild Rumpus events, from Just So to Timber, connect families to nature through art, music,

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theatre, dance, comedy and workshops in forests and fields. A sense of merriment and discovery is highly encouraged countryliving.com/uk

OUTDOORS

audience. I spent the whole weekend with goosebumps. Who knew we needed to sing and dance and play together so much?” Each event involves up to 100 contractors, plus 150 volunteers, who, in exchange for a ticket, steward crowds, direct traffic and host craft workshops. Rowan and Sarah’s families help out, too. Sarah’s husband and her daughters perform in a band, while Rowan’s eldest son has done a stint with the tech team. “The festivals are as much a part of their lives as they are ours,” Rowan says. After Timber Festival in Feanedock in July, Rowan and Sarah will be preparing for Just So in Cheshire in August. This year, they are also holding a Just So spin-off in Milan, having taken the festival to New Zealand and Brazil in previous years. If you can’t make it to a festival, wherever you’re based, you might want to consider a day adventure instead. One of the team’s other projects this summer is Let’s Play at the National Trust. “It’s about looking at nature differently,” Rowan says. “We’ve built pavilions at nine National Trust sites where families can play together.” Later in the year, at Christmas, families will be able to join illuminated trails designed by Wild Rumpus across Hampton Court and Chester Zoo. “We want to encourage people to be creative and playful all year round,” Sarah adds. “We hope to change their outlook by holding events that are joyous places to be.” JUST SO FESTIVAL runs from 19-21 August. For more on Wild Rumpus, including information on the National Trust pavilions, see wildrumpus.org.uk.

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MOVING TO...

The Howardian Hills Hankering after a life in the countryside? Don’t leave home without our new expert guide for house-hunters ILLUSTRATIONS BY LAURA BARNARD

countryliving.com/uk

AUGUST 2022

M O V I N G T O. . .

The Howardian Hills

Sally Coulthard, her husband James and three daughters have lived in the Howardian Hills AONB for 20 years or a child of the suburbs, coming to rural North Yorkshire for a holiday felt deliciously exotic. We lived where Leeds and Bradford butted up against each other, in a place that was once a mill hamlet but had soon become swallowed up by industry and commuters. Our destination was Gilling, a small village in the heart of the Howardian Hills, and a farm knee-deep in spring lambing. My brother and I would spend two blissful weeks searching for feral kittens among the haybales, bottle-feeding rejected lambs and generally absorbing country life. And, at the end of each day, we’d sit on crates in front of the barn, watching the sunset fill the sky with muddy pinks and oranges. I now watch that same sunset from my own fields, just a mile or so from Gilling and it never fails to affect me. I’ve lived here for nearly two decades now, and still can’t quite believe my luck. After university I went to London, but a serious illness in my mid-twenties sent me scurrying back to my parents’ house. Soon after, they decided to sell up and retire to the same patch of countryside I’d known as a young girl. I followed them, fell in love with a gardener and the rest is history. The Howardian Hills is a place few people have probably heard of. Covering a loose rectangle of about 80 square miles, this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is tucked between

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the North York Moors, the Vale of York and the Yorkshire Wolds. I’ve described it in the past as ‘Goldilocks country’ – not too hilly, not too flat, not too remote, but unspoilt by tourism. It is, indeed, just right. The area takes its name from the Howard family – best known for providing Henry VIII with his ill-fated fifth wife. The family still owns plenty of acres, and the landscape is rich in large country houses, not least Castle Howard but also smaller treasures such as Hovingham Hall and Nunnington Hall. Hamlets and villages, of creamy soft limestone, hopscotch through the valley bottoms and along ridge tops. It was in one of these that my husband and I bought our first home – a tiny cottage with a handkerchief-sized garden. But when our first daughter, and a lively Labrador, joined the family, it became clear we needed more space. We dreamt of moving to a smallholding with barns – somewhere we could live and run a business from. After a few failed bids, I eventually bumped into an estate agent friend who took pity on us and gave us the heads-up on an old pig farm about to come on the market. A few weeks later, and with some gutsy financial overpromising, we’d bought ourselves a rundown 1840s farmhouse, 12 acres of land and a handful of derelict barns. Most people saw it for the wreck it was; we couldn’t see past the spectacular views and the space. Naivety was our biggest countryliving.com/uk

THESE PROPERTIES ARE INTENDED AS A PRICE GUIDE AND MAY NOT BE ON SALE AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION

WHAT YOU COULD BUY

I describe it as Goldilocks country – not too hilly, not too flat – just right

strength – without it, we’d have balked at the years of restoration, cash invested and sheer graft that lay ahead. Despite the hard work, however, we’d have been hard pushed to have landed in a lovelier spot. To the west of us, the town of Malton punches well above its weight, managing to maintain that tricky balance between livestock auctions and decent lattes; its twice-yearly food festival attracts top chefs and thousands of hungry visitors. It also offers a good range of supermarkets and independent shops where I do much of the family’s food shopping (our clan has expanded to include two more daughters and countless animals since the move). To the north, Helmsley caters more for the tourist but does it with great aplomb. It’s easy to walk off a cream scone when you’ve got Helmsley Castle, Duncombe Park and Helmsley Walled Garden within a few minutes’ stroll. For a hit of urban life, we head to York, just 15 miles south. Not only is it one of the country’s most historic cities, with its embarrassment of riches, but it’s got superb rail links and can whisk you to London in under two hours and Manchester in just over an hour. Not that I leave that often; life in the Howardian Hills seems to have plenty to keep me loyal. Or, as one writer gushed: “If Yorkshire really is God’s own county, then the Howardian Hills are the divinity’s chosen estate within it.” Amen to that.

£325,000 THE FIXER-UPPER This three-bed cottage is in need of modernisation but has outbuildings and garden, too. rounthwaite-woodhead.com

£425,000 THE VILLAGE HOUSE Located in Harome, this two-bedroom home is just a five-minute stroll from the pub. rounthwaite-woodhead.com

£485,000 THE WATERSIDE COTTAGE This Grade II-listed property In Hovingham includes a wealth of original features. rounthwaite-woodhead.com

£750,000 THE COUNTRY PLOT Within a walled garden with a barn, this fourbed property would make a grand home. rounthwaite-woodhead.com

M O V I N G T O. . .

The Howardian Hills

All Saints Church in Helmsley is Grade II-listed and dates back one thousand years

Live like a local... 1

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1 THE BOOKSHOP Kemps Books’s reputation precedes it, with many people heading to Malton solely for its literary delights (kemps generalstore.co.uk). Owner Liz Kemp also organises an impressive breadth of book signings, readings and talks from some of the country’s best authors. 2 THE FOODIE STOP Tucked away in a corner of Malton, Talbot Yard (visitmalton.com/ talbot-yard-foodcourt) is an old coaching courtyard transformed into a hub for six artisan food producers. You’ll find an awardwinning macaron maker, an ice-cream parlour, a distillery, a butcher and a baker (but no candlestick

maker). Roost Coffee & Roastery is particularly fine (roostcoffee.co.uk). 3 THE HARDWARE STORE Started by Ralph Yates in 1845, this Malton country store (yatesonline. co.uk) has everything a rural dweller could need, from chicken feed and outdoor clothing to kids’ toys. Ralph Yates & Sons also stocks DIY kit, furniture, electrical goods, bicycles, stoves and footwear. 4 THE PUBS Few villages can boast not one but two awardwinning restaurants. Harome is fortunate enough to have The Pheasant (pheasant hotel.com, shown) and The Star Inn (thestaratharome. co.uk). Both focus on locally sourced

ingredients, boosted by produce from their own kitchen gardens. Pop five minutes into the North York Moors National Park and you’ll also discover The Black Swan at Oldstead (blackswan oldstead.co.uk, shown), another jewel in the region’s culinary crown. 5 THE KIDS’ ENTERTAINMENT Castle Howard (castlehoward.co.uk) has enough to entertain children for hours, including an outdoor adventure playground, while Ryedale Folk Museum (ryedale folkmuseum.co.uk) is everything an open-air, hands-on museum should be. If they’re not tired after that, The Yorkshire Arboretum (yorkshirearboretum. org) has 120 acres and more than six thousand trees to explore.

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The Howardian Hills

HOWARDIAN HILLS

FURTHER AFIELD

40-minute

If you step out into the surrounding countryside, here are just some of the highlights you’ll discover

drive to the beach 16 square miles of woodland 126 miles of public footpaths 5 market towns on your doorstep 6,000 residents 10 primary schools 1 secondary school with Outstanding Ofsted rating

Some of the country’s most rugged and dramatic coastline is within an hour’s reach, including ancient fishing settlements such as Robin Hood’s Bay, Sandsend and Whitby. The journey there is half the fun; head east over the North York Moors either by car or heritage steam train from Pickering. Sutton Bank, an

TRANSPORT LINKS

Iron Age hillfort, sits to the west of the Howardian Hills and offers visitors a panoramic view that James Herriot famously described as ‘England’s Finest’. History buffs often head for one of the many impressive monastic ruins including Rievaulx, Kirkham, Byland and, slightly further west, Fountains Abbey.

North York Moors

TRAINS Malton is served by Transpennine Express (tpexpress. co.uk), which operates between Scarborough, Malton, York, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. York has the quickest route to King’s Cross, London (from 1 hour 47 minutes). BUSES From Malton, there are local buses, plus the Coastliner service (operated by transdevbus.co.uk) through Malton to York and Leeds. See northyorkstravel.info. BIKES The Howardian Hills are a magnet for cyclists. Sustrans National Route 65 crosses the western end (sustrans.org.uk), while the AONB has a free ‘Bike Rides and Rambles’ leaflet (howardianhills.org. uk/out-and-about/cycling).

Robin Hood’s Bay

Fountains Abbey

Next time: find out what it’s like to move to North Shropshire countryliving.com/uk

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; PETER CAIN/4CORNERS IMAGES; SALLY COULTHARD; GETTY IMAGES; CHARLOTTE GRAHAM; VISITMALTON.COM

M O V I N G T O. . .

Artisans AT LARGE Our CL Pavilions will be popping up at country shows across Britain this summer. Come and say hello to talented exhibitors like these

SUSIE WATSON DESIGNS

SAM BAGULEY

BROCK & MORTEN

THE WOOL ROOM

WELLIGOGS

BILL BROWN BAGS

Susie Watson Designs

Sam Baguley

Brock & Morten

The Wool Room

Welligogs

Bill Brown Bags

It was the sight of her wedding china gathering dust that inspired Susie to launch her own homeware brand. Based on the principle of creating beautiful pieces for everyday use, her range now includes everything from furniture to pottery. susiewatsondesigns.co.uk

Aware that the British wool industry was in crisis, a Bradford wool merchant family founded The Wool Room in 2008 with the aim of promoting this remarkable fibre. Now, they produce a range of luxury bedding, which keeps you cool when it’s warm and warm when it’s cool. thewoolroom.com

Despite no formal training, Sam has been painting for 20 years. As well as taking commissions, she produces beautifully dramatic seascapes and paintings of animals, focusing on “what you see in your mind’s eye” rather than photorealism. sambaguleyart.com

When Kim and Ray Annan first founded Welligogs, their wellies, with bright, hand-painted designs, were a hit. Now, they’ve evolved their range to include more sustainable materials, leading to a stylish selection of coats and boots to keep you dry in any weather. welligogs.com

Ben Furness and Kate Brocklehurst both grew up on farms in the Derbyshire countryside. Using their experience of food and agriculture, they’ve founded Brock & Morten, producing high-quality rapeseed oil in a range of tantalising flavours. brockandmorten.com

When he first started his West Sussex-based business, Bill Brown was making folding wooden furniture and using leftover offcuts of fabric to make bags for family and friends. These proved so popular that he now makes them in abundance, along with roll-out beds and accessories. bill-brown.com

JOIN US AT A COUNTRY LIVING SUMMER EVENT Visit the Country Living Pavilion at Tatton Park Flower Show (20-24 July) or Burghley Horse Trials (1-4 September). For more information, see page 137 or go to countryliving.com/uk. To talk to us about selling with CL, email countrylivingshows@hearst.co.uk

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From a tiny trailer on the west coast of Scotland, The Seafood Shack serves up showstopping fish dishes fresh from the sea. Lauran Elsden meets the two friends behind this gourmet go-to PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS TERRY

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t is lunchtime in Ullapool, a pretty village on the edge of Loch Broom on the west coast of Scotland, and a queue is forming outside The Seafood Shack. The Shack might look like an unassuming trailer, whitewashed for that rustic look, but it’s a gourmand destination for those in the know, serving some of the freshest seafood around. Customers at the front peruse the blackboard menu, deciding between creamy Cullen skink, creel-caught langoustines and garlic-buttered crab claws, while a family at a nearby table happily tuck into a platter of plump, pink prawns. Gaelic folk music from speakers at each side of the trailer adds to the convivial atmosphere. “Seafood is the star of the show here and we want it all to come from Ullapool,” says Kirsty Scobie, co-founder of this bright young enterprise. Ockran oysters come from Loch Broom, trout from the local smokehouse, and crabs, langoustines and lobsters from Kirsty’s partner, fisherman Josh Talbot, who takes his boat out from the port. Kirsty says the vast majority of fish caught in Ullapool is shipped out, some ending up in mainland Europe or as far away as Hong Kong and Singapore. “We want to play a part in keeping some of it here,” adds her business partner and pal, Fenella Renwick. Kirsty and Fenella start setting up shop at seven, just in time to catch Josh coming off the boat with the morning’s catch. Gary the scallop diver and Stephen the fishmonger might also drop by with precious supplies. “Our fishermen are awesome,” Kirsty enthuses. “They bring us the freshest fish, even when we haven’t ordered it.” The menu at The Seafood Shack features six or seven dishes a day and changes depending on what’s available. If windy weather stops boats getting out to crab creels, Kirsty and Fenella get creative with what they have, making dishes like tempura-battered monkfish and mackerel pâté. They only use fresh fish, never frozen. “The only thing you’ll find in our freezer is a packet of peas and ice cream for the staff in summer,” Kirsty says.

FLEXING THEIR MUSCLES Kirsty grew up in Ullapool and Fenella in Achmore, slightly further south, and became good friends in 2014, when they were in their twenties. Fenella was on maternity leave from her job as an auxiliary nurse, Kirsty (who has since had a daughter, Nell) was catering for fishing and stalking parties at a THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE The Shack’s seafood – fresh off the boat, then simply cooked to order – draws visitors from far

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and wide, as well as loyal locals. Kirsty and Fenella vary the menu daily according to what’s available countryliving.com/uk

C OA S TA L B U S I N E S S

lodge. “We wanted to do something different, something for ourselves,” Kirsty says. Fenella had helped out at her family’s fish restaurant as a teenager, and this gave the pair an idea. “There wasn’t anywhere in Ullapool dedicated to topquality, sustainable seafood,” she says, “so we conjured up plans to start The Shack.” The pair began crowdfunding to supplement their savings, raising enough to buy a trailer in 2015. The following year, they took it on tour, serving seafood at festivals and fairs throughout the summer, keeping everything cool in refrigerated vans. Acclaim soon came their way. “We took part in a competition for the BBC Food and Farming Awards and one of the judges commended our oysters, saying they were the best they’d ever tasted,” Kirsty says. “It was incredible to hear that Joe’s Ockran Oysters were up there with the best.” In 2017, the pair retired from roadtripping and took up permanent residence back home, a stone’s throw away from the pebble beach and fishing boats.

SHORE THING Ullapool is an idyllic setting. Perched on the shores of a sea loch, the village is surrounded by mountains, including An Teallach, whose sharp sandstone summits pierce the clouds. It’s also a popular pitstop on the North Coast 500, a 516-mile driving route tracking the top of Scotland. “At one time, things were dying down and young people were moving away, but I think that’s changing,” Fenella says. It’s certainly busy at The Shack, which has won a host of accolades, including Best Seasonal Business at the Scotlands Business Awards 2019 and Best Street Food or Takeaway in BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards 2017. “We used to be able to stop for a cup of tea during the wee lull in the afternoon, but now we have a continuous queue,” Fenella says. In summer, The Shack sells more than 600 portions of prawns, with other favourites including haddock wraps, made with lightly fried fillets and a lemon pesto mayonnaise. These go down especially well with children and the seafood-shy. Others enjoy the local delicacy of ‘spineys’, or squat lobsters. “They’re delicious – like prawns but slightly sweeter,” Fenella says. “You have to cook and eat them within 24 hours of them being caught.” At five metres long, the trailer is a cosy cooking environment, with just enough room for prepping, washing dishes and serving food. “There’s only space for five, so everyone has to be pretty easygoing,” says THIS PAGE The Shack’s success depends on local fishermen, whose sustainable methods help secure future stocks and livelihoods

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OPPOSITE Loch Broom is surrounded by mountains, including Beinn Ghobhlach to the west; Fenella sets up from seven each morning

“Seafood is the star of the show here and we want it all to come from Ullapool”

Kirsty, stirring a spicy fish soup and sending the smoky scent of paprika wafting into the air. “In seven years, we’ve never had a tiff,” Fenella says. “We always have a laugh.” In 2020, the pair brought out a cookbook, The Seafood Shack: Food Tales from Ullapool, which won the 2021 National Geographic Traveller Reader Award for Best Food & Travel Book. A few years ago, they even found themselves cooking with the queen of baking . “A TV crew were filming the fishermen and a friend dared me to suggest they stop by The Shack,” Fenella says. “They loved our food and the next thing we knew, we were cooking seafood on the beach with Mary Berry.” The pair ended up on an episode of Mary Berry’s Everyday series. As late afternoon approaches, Kirsty and Fenella prepare to shut up The Shack. The trailer is open every day from April to October, making it an intense few months. “It’s not long before we’re looking forward to the start of the next season and our opening night, where we serve some of our favourite dishes to the locals,” Fenella says, wiping down the blackboard ahead of tomorrow’s menu. The pair spend the rest of the year doing paperwork, fixing up The Shack and spending time with family and friends. So is fish on the menu for Kirsty and Fenella tonight? “I’m having boiled eggs and soldiers!” Kirsty laughs. “We can’t face cooking more seafood at the end of a summer shift.” Customers, however, can look forward to more fish fresh off the boat tomorrow. VISIT seafoodshack.co.uk for opening hours or follow Kirsty and Fenella on Instagram @theseafoodshackullapool.

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AUGUST 2022

Beavers, boars, whales and wolves – conservationist Benedict Macdonald reveals ten superhero species that could help save the world

NATURE’S

species

CORNERSTONE

Until recently, in ecological terms, the planet and its ecosystems were run by species other than humans. Even Britain was formed by the actions of animals. Straight-tusked elephants and hippos shaped the riverine grasslands of the Thames Valley, while vast pods of whales fertilised our coastline. But for thousands of years, we have slowly de-wilded our world and removed nature’s stewards to make way for ourselves. Today, humans are the most important landscape architects in Britain. And while we wreak considerable Benedict Macdonald is a conservationist, writer and former television producer who now works in ecosystem recovery across the UK

destruction, we also restore habitats: creating reedbeds, hay meadows, coppiced woodlands and orchards. But there are entire ecosystems that we cannot recreate. In this department, we could benefit from the help of other, wilder guardians. Cornerstone, or keystone, species shape entire ecosystems by engineering their own living environments – and have been doing so for hundreds of thousands of years. From beavers preventing flooding to honey bees pollinating crops, the following creatures could all play a vital role in saving our planet.

N AT U R E

The elusive LYNX ‘‘Where lynx prevail, foxes will fail,” say the researchers behind an ecological study in Belarus (where these wild cats currently roam). These animals once prowled across Britain, too, keeping foxes and badgers in check. It has long been argued that fox control is necessary for the conservation of threatened wading birds, cranes and harriers, whose eggs are eaten by these cunning creatures. The presence of lynx means that foxes cannot reach saturation point, with a profound impact on our ground-nesting bird populations. When not hunting foxes, lynx also enjoy feasting on roe deer, which can comprise up to 90 per cent of their diet. This could have enormous ecological significance for Britain, where roe deer number half a million, nibbling new tree growth. By culling deer, lynx are custodians of the forests, allowing saplings to grow into tall trees.

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The grey WHALE Twelve-metre-long Atlantic grey whales disappeared from British seas in the 17th century. But their close relatives still inhabit the Pacific. Feeding at great depths, the pressure shuts down many of their bodily functions, meaning whales must defecate at the ocean’s surface where there’s less pressure, expelling huge quantities of iron – ten million times more than the surrounding ocean. Studies show that plankton prosper when fertilised by whale faeces, too – without which much marine life cannot function. What’s more, these tiny marine algae lock away vast amounts of carbon dioxide, revealing that whales could play a significant role in combatting climate change .

N AT U R E

The industrious BEAVER By felling trees surrounding wetlands, these remarkable rodents allow sunlight onto the water, fuelling growth of microscopic life. Stoneflies, mayflies and caddisflies thrive in these conditions, attracting an array of wildlife. The warm, rich waters also create an excellent habitat for tadpoles, frogs and toads, while nearby banks are loved by water voles. Even bats benefit: without branches overhead, they can hunt uninhibited. Beaver ponds are also nature’s oldest salmon farms, with the abundance of fish a gift to otters. What’s more, their dams provide complex flood-prevention systems. Truly, beavers manage wetlands better than even the finest conservationists.

The white-tailed EAGLE Britain’s largest bird of prey, the white-tailed eagle once swooped over the marshes of the Thames, Somerset and Yorkshire. Now, after centuries of absence, they have been reintroduced to the Isle of Wight. While small birds in their realm have little to fear, the same can’t be said of large species. By predating cormorant colonies and heronries, these ‘flying barn doors’ reduce pressure on trout and salmon. This ensures sufficient stock exists to replenish the population. In ample numbers, white-tailed eagles even fertilise the land, by dropping nutritious fish bones from great heights.

The free-range COW While Britain has millions of cows, we have few cattle doing what they evolved to do: roam across wooded landscapes, shaping them as they go. The wild ancestor of domestic cattle, the aurochs used its formidable horns to pull down branches – having a powerful coppicing effect, long before foresters invented similar methods. While extinct, many of the aurochs’ traits live on in old-breed cattle such as Highlands (right), White Parks and Old English Longhorns, who help re-seed more than 230 plant species – spreading them through their fur, hooves and dung.

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The watchful WOLF The most important thing wolves do is plant trees. In the Scottish Highlands, red deer nibble new growth, preventing woodland regeneration. By culling and instilling fear in deer, wolves don’t give them the chance to do this. The presence of wolves, even in small numbers, would transform the northern Scottish landscape in a matter of decades. Huge areas of native woodland would be regenerated, especially pioneer species (the first to colonise barren spaces) such as willow, aspen and birch. Not only would this improve life for Scotland’s eagles but it would also remove millions of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere. Whether we’re ready for wolves is another matter…

AUGUST 2022

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The busy HONEY BEE Our most valuable ally for global food production, this tiny species has an enormous effect. As you read this, millions of worker honey bees are collecting pollen and nectar. Capable of pollinating most known crop flowers, and critical for the pollination of almonds, squash and watermelons, the efforts of these aerial labourers would be sorely missed if they disappeared. Yet the honey bee faces many threats, from pesticides to a lack of nectar. It’s estimated we’ll need £5 billion in the UK to pollinate crops by hand if we fail to take bee decline seriously.

N AT U R E

The rootling BOAR Boars act as nature’s oldest rotational farmers. By rootling for rhizomes and bulbs, then moving to fresh grounds, they enable wild flowers such as foxgloves, which flourish in disturbed soil, to recolonise. Indeed, areas rootled by boar enjoy higher rates of bluebell germination – and orchids, sweet woodruff, wood sage, anemones, primroses, sallow and goat willow also thrive. These, in turn, attract bees and butterflies. Even frogspawn can be found in boar wallows, plus all three species of newt. It might look like a terrible mess at first but after a few years, where boars have been, arid forests are transformed into woodland gardens.

The hungry HORSE Horses once played a significant role in shaping Britain’s grass and shrublands. Hardy herbivores like Exmoor ponies tackle coarse grasses, thistles and thorns, often leaving behind finer forage – freeing up space for new plants to colonise. As a result, horses are fantastic at maintaining open ‘lawn’ and low-sward habitats loved by wading birds such as lapwings and curlews. This ‘lawn’ is not the single-species ‘green’ that we see in so many farmland fields, but a type of shorn meadow, teeming with small flowers, fine grasses and invertebrates.

The formidable GOSHAWK

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; GETTY IMAGES; EDWIN GIESBER/NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

Five times the weight of a sparrowhawk, a goshawk is a formidable predator. In controlling crows and jays, which eat eggs and chicks, goshawks increase the chances of vulnerable birds surviving. Indeed, the threatened hawfinch’s last few strongholds, which include the Lake District and New Forest, are all home to goshawks. This has an impressive knock-on effect, enabling hawfinches to carry out vital woodland services. They are one of few species capable of tackling the oak processionary moth – a danger to oak trees if left uneaten.

CORNERSTONES Wild Forces That Can Change Our World by Benedict Macdonald is published on 7 July (Bloomsbury Wildlife, £17.99).

AUGUST 2022

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FARM FORK to WORDS BY CHARLOTTE VOWDEN PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALUN CALLENDER

RURAL BUSINESS

The seasonal, sustainable fare grown and served at Coombeshead Farm in Cornwall draws the crème de la crème of British foodies. We meet its celebrated chef

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“We gather produce on the day, for that day – everything tastes so much better that way” 98

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RURAL BUSINESS

here are two sets of footprints pressed into the dewy grass. They belong to father and daughter, the latter not quite three years old. Their trail disappears at the edge of a forest, but laughter can be heard as the pair stroll through the woodland they’re lucky enough to call their own. It’s dawn and there’s much to do at Coombeshead Farm, near Launceston in Cornwall, but first there’s this and then there’s coffee. “It’s the early mornings that get me,” explains Tom Adams as he reaches the bottom of his first cup. This is his seventh summer at Coombeshead, the former dairy farm in north Cornwall that he’s transformed into a destination guesthouse, restaurant, café and provisions shop with friend and fellow chef April Bloomfield: “The perk of waking up at 5am is that you get to see things that other people don’t. I feel like I’m snatching time that doesn’t really exist when I take my daughter, Olive, for a walk. The air is crisp and there’s absolute silence.” There is, however, a cockerel, whose shrill clarion shatters the peace. But for guests asleep in rooms within the converted grain store, it’s the smell of fresh bread drifting through their open windows that threatens to rouse them from their slumber. When they do emerge, a homemade, homegrown breakfast awaits, served on locally made crockery in the 18th-century milking parlour. To start, there’s granola and gooey jam, as well as slices of glazed malt loaf and warm chunks of sourdough slathered with home-churned butter and honey from Coombeshead’s hives. Then it’s fresh eggs, hog’s pudding sausages and slowcooked greens from the garden. It’s a feast from farm to fork. By mid-morning, Tom, who grew up on his family’s farm in countryliving.com/uk

Hampshire, is engaged in more productive pursuits. “We gather produce on the day, for that day, as much as possible,” he explains, working through a gluttonous ‘pick list’ in the garden. “Everything tastes so much better that way. I don’t like putting fragile lettuces, radishes and cucumbers in the fridge.” In August, the farm’s most bountiful month, fruit and vegetable baskets groan with produce. From plums to blackcurrants, cep mushrooms to courgettes, there are crops to sate all appetites. But for Tom, it’s a heaving tomato plant that’s the crowning glory. “The smell is otherworldly. We grow eight varieties, but I get stoked about the ‘Large Barred Boar’. They’re huge, gnarly things, which you cut in half, sprinkle with salt and eat like a steak.” His yield supplies the café, farm shop and reservation-only restaurant, which operates a strict, but essential, set of T&Cs. Intrinsically linked to the sustainable, seasonal ethos of the farm, they state that only dietary requirements, not preferences, will be catered for – because courses on the set menu are dictated by what’s produced organically within Coombeshead’s 66 acres. Like it or lump it, it’s a recipe approved by gourmands including Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein and Grace Dent. “It’s as much about giving people a memorable experience as it is cooking dishes that people can recreate at home,” explains Tom, who established his culinary reputation when he founded barbecue restaurant Pitt Cue in London in 2011 aged 23. “The value we place on food has changed immeasurably over the decades. The supermarket is a modern phenomenon and OPPOSITE AND THIS PAGE The farm supplies the café, shop and reservation-only

restaurant, with the menus dictated by what’s produced organically within its 66 acres AUGUST 2022

RURAL BUSINESS

“If Coombeshead can play a small part in a wider conversation about the farm-to-fork movement, that’s amazing”

THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE The farm grows eight varieties of tomatoes: “The smell is otherworldly”

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RURAL BUSINESS

globalisation means people in the UK can buy mangoes in the middle of winter, but that’s not an economy based on subsistence. I like looking out my window and seeing a healthy ecosystem and if Coombeshead can play a small part in a wider conversation about the farm-to-fork movement, that’s amazing.” Anyone inspired to change their eating habits can sign up to a monthly veg box delivery. Launched this year, the subscription is offered from early May to November, while the quarterly ‘A Year on the Farm’ delivery includes storecupboard goodies as well as mealtime treats such as ham hock, guinea fowl and lamb. On his return to the kitchen, Tom pauses to survey the landscape. Wearing coats in shades of rich ruby red and deep chestnut, 14 North Devon cows graze in the valley. Tenants from a neighbouring farm, these grass-cutters moved in to make the most of Coombeshead’s non-arable acres. Wherever possible, Tom collaborates with those who share his passion for producing healthy food responsibly. A flock of Hebridean sheep are at pasture and ducks waddle freely. Playing down the impact of a virus that caused his heart to swell ten years ago, Tom admits the six-month recovery gave him time to take stock. “I’m not great with the hustle and bustle of city life,” he explains, having swapped London for Lewannick with his wife Lottie in 2016. “I wanted a place that had the potential to evolve into something I could hand down to the next generation. When I found Coombeshead, financially it didn’t stack up, but a shortterm loan enabled us to get things running and rural development funding helped us grow. What began as a guesthouse offering dinner cooked on an old Aga has flourished into an enterprise with many moving parts that employs 20 unbelievably hardworking people.” Before dinner service, Tom visits his prized Mangalitzas. One of

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two breeds of pig kept at Coombeshead, they rootle contentedly and grow at a slow pace; a costly endeavour, but their marbled meat is exceptionally good for curing. An hour shy of midnight, Tom is finally able to take five, when coffee, his lifeblood, is replaced by the occasional cold beer. Sitting beneath the stars in the courtyard, he contemplates this and that. Lottie and Olive have long since turned in for the night and he can now indulge in his penchant for tomatoes without interruption. The slices, dusted with salt, twinkle in the moonlight. It will be autumn soon, bringing mulled cider and merriment in front of the fire, but thoughts of winter trigger unease: “When you work so closely with nature, you’re powerless to its hardships and whims.” Earlier this year, Tom lost an entire crop of spring sowings in a storm, four months of work gone in a gust. “It’s moments like that when I need everyone around me; seeing good food, being cooked by good people, then being enjoyed by happy guests, reminds me that there are bigger fish to fry. With time, your skin gets thicker, you adapt and crack on.” Before joining his family, Tom considers what clothes he’ll need for tomorrow. “Primarily cooking, but also mucking out, managing and running around like a headless chicken” demands ensemble changes throughout the day. Coombeshead Farm isn’t just about making a living from the land, it’s about building a legacy – and for that, Tom will do, and wear, whatever it takes. FIND OUT MORE at coombesheadfarm.co.uk. CL readers can receive a complimentary drink if they mention on booking until 26 July 2022.

THIS PAGE Provenance is key – the bread, granola and jam is

all produced on site and even the crockery is made locally countryliving.com/uk

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HOME INSPIRATION

MADE MEASURE

One day it’s a snug cottage, the next a capacious country house. Hollie Moreland’s Cotswolds home is a masterclass in how to scale your space up and down WORDS BY RUTH CHANDLER PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRENT DARBY PRODUCTION BY CAROLYN BAILEY AND BEN KENDRICK

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THE DETAILS WHAT’S THE STYLE? A Grade II-listed farmhouse with six bedrooms WHERE IS IT? In a small north Cotswold village in Warwickshire WHO LIVES HERE? Hollie Moreland, creative director at David Hunt Lighting, her children Ottilie, ten, Milo, seven, and Norfolk terrier Wolfie

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olfie is staying put by the front door. It’s a stiflingly hot August day and the Norfolk terrier knows he’s best off cooling down here on the old flagstone floor. “The hallway comes into its own at this time of year,” says Hollie Moreland, owner of this handsome golden limestone farmhouse overlooking the green in a Cotswolds village. “It’s the only place where you can avoid the heat.” It was in this month four years ago that Hollie moved here with her daughter Ottilie, now ten years old, and son Milo, seven. With its honeyed stone, sweeping drive, inglenook fireplaces and symmetrical Georgian sash windows, it was exactly what she had been looking for. She had only one concern: “As it’s a six-bedroom house, I was worried it would feel too big and draughty for a family of three and one small dog.” Her fears proved unfounded: “The house actually works surprisingly well because it is scalable.” When it’s just the three of them, they use the snug, kitchen, three bedrooms and bathroom – “like a cottage”. When friends and family come to stay, they use the second floor and it becomes a spacious country house. Hollie was keen to keep the original features and layout of the house, working sympathetically with its history. Renovation has been a gradual process. “I have worked room by room for the past two years,” she explains. “You need to live in a space to understand the flow of a property. I wanted to add my own colours but not to do anything drastic as it’s near perfect, especially the layout and proportions of the rooms.” The sitting room was inspired by the William Yeowood curtains Hollie brought from her previous house. “It has a British look with a Swiss twist,” she says. By the time she updated this room, she felt more confident with colour, so decided to introduce a warm orange in the Arlo & Jacob THIS PAGE, ABOVE LEFT Hollie’s plot extends to half an acre and comprises a kitchen garden with raised beds, a cutting flower border and a flower garden

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LEFT AND TOP RIGHT The boot room has striking antler pendants and an old oven built into the wall OPPOSITE The light-filled kitchen is homely but spacious

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Hollie’s considered approach gives her home an intimate farmhouse charm that belies its grand façade

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OPPOSITE A 1970s painting lends a vintage air to the living room THIS PAGE An Emma Bridgewater vase full of stocks brightens a corner table with an arrangement of vintage books

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velvet armchairs and the deep sunset hue of the lampshades. The Swiss feel is due in part to the fine dark beams. Hollie wanted the space to be both formal and relaxed so it could be used by her children as well as for entertaining. “I chose comfortable furniture that the kids can flop onto, and we love sitting round the fire in winter,” she says. The second hall at the rear of the property, once part of the original stables, is a now a multi-purpose boot room and storage space. It features the brick back of the original oven and is painted in Sir Lutyens Sage 302 by Little Greene. With low ceilings in half of the room, Hollie thought it was important to work around its proportions – happily, the space in the eaves has room for a David Hunt antler chandelier, another nod to her penchant for a Swiss alpine aesthetic. Just off the hall is the kitchen, a popular hub thanks to the woodburning stove. The wooden units, more than 30 years old, were still in excellent condition when Hollie moved in. All she needed to do was strip the dark varnished worktops back to their original shade of oak and paint the units in Little Greene’s Limestone. Upstairs, pretty, traditional elements dominate. In Hollie’s bedroom, the bespoke headboard is made with one of Colefax and Fowler’s classic chintz designs, Blue Fuchsia. The made-to-order bedlinen, for which she saved over ten years, is called ‘Coeurs Blue’ and was created by Parisbased company D Porthault. The French aesthetic continues in the three spare bedrooms on the upper floor, all of which feature floor-to-ceiling wallpaper with a cocooning effect. Hollie’s considered approach to decorating gives her home an intimate farmhouse charm that belies its grand façade. “The house is constantly evolving and I am still adding and editing all the time,” she says. “As my children grow up, and our family needs change, the house and its rooms are very much a part of the journey.” FOR MORE INFORMATION on David Hunt Lighting, see davidhuntlighting.co.uk.

THIS PAGE, TOP LEFT The pretty twin room is papered in Bowood by Colefax and Fowler TOP RIGHT Curtains in Colefax and Fowler’s Seaweed fabric give the

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bathroom a fresh coastal feel LEFT AND OPPOSITE The Bower guest room has beams with a latched door and chest of drawers found in an antiques shop countryliving.com/uk

Renovation INSPIRATION Hollie is creative director at David Hunt Lighting. Here are her tips for a statement – but subtle – lighting scheme

Light changes throughout the day and seasons, so look at your rooms at various points through these natural cycles and note where the dark corners are to address this in your lighting plan.

If starting from scratch with a self-build or extension, choose where you would like your light fittings as early as possible so your decisions are incorporated in the plans.

When buying fabric lampshades, consider their interior as well as exterior. Dark colours may feature a reflective reverse to help send back the light into the room.

Wooden lamp bases can be updated with a coat of paint, and shades replaced with those made from beautiful fabrics – I love companies such as James Hare and Colefax and Fowler.

Scour charity shops and vintage stores for light fittings. Ask an electrician to check any secondhand or vintage electrical item before you use it.

THE DETAILS STYLE Experimental garden, where large areas have been seeded with native and non-native perennials and annuals on recycled building materials SEASONS OF INTEREST Spring to the end of summer with later interest from structural landscaping elements SIZE 4 acres SOIL Heavy clay with much of the fertile topsoil removed and replaced with various building substrates of poor fertility

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GA R D E N I N G

Hardcore HORTICULTURE On a south-facing, semi-rural plot in Essex, John Little has thrown away the rulebook to create a wildlife-friendly garden rooted in rubble WORDS BY PAULA MCWATERS PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARAH CUTTLE

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nless you were looking for hardcore to form a base for a new terrace, it’s unlikely that you would think of dumping some brick and concrete rubble or a load of crushed bathroom sanitaryware in your garden. But John Little takes a far more creative approach to the raw materials that are usually sent to landfill. Hilldrop, the attractive four-acre garden he has created with his wife Fiona, with long views down to the Thames terraces in Essex, boasts a profusion of wild flowers and hums with varied insect life. Yet if you poke around at the base of the plants, you may be very surprised by what he has planted into. Unconventionally, John has scraped off most of the relatively fertile topsoil and moved it across the site to Fiona’s raised veg beds, and now all the flowers in the main part of the garden – a mix of native and non-native perennials and annuals, which he sows direct in autumn – are grown in about 20 different recycled materials. So instead of landscaping with shingle or beach cobbles, which might be the obvious choice, John has been introducing piles of builders’ sand and sharp sand, swathes of mixed brick and concrete rubble, crushed chalk and glass and even some leftover waste coal. The resulting effect is both pretty and naturalistic. Chalk downland species, such as small scabious, bird’s foot trefoil and pasque flower, proliferate in these impoverished substrates. Then there are pinks, particularly Dianthus carthusianorum, plus wild carrot, yellow camomile, beautiful blue chicory (Cichorium intybus) and tall violet-blue viper’s bugloss (Echium vulgare), which thrive on hot, dry, low-fertility soils. There’s height, too, with teasels (Dipsacus fullonum) – much-loved by birds, bees and butterflies – and various verbascums. John says he designs in reverse: sowing the whole mix, then editing out seedlings in order to achieve an attractive effect. “Easy and it seems to work,” he says. His main aim with this experimentation is to find innovative ways to increase biodiversity: “Many gardens already have a good mixture of plants, including ones with nectar to attract pollinating insects. But what they might lack is the structural complexity that offers wildlife places to breed, hibernate and bask. By playing with the topography – creating mounds and places to hide – you can rapidly begin to attract a wider range of species to your garden, especially invertebrates. If you want more biodiversity in your wildlife, you need more diversity in your landscape. It’s as simple as that.” He and Fiona bought the south-facing semi-rural site in 1990 and set about building a low-impact

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THIS PAGE, FROM TOP John and his wife Fiona’s Essex garden teems with wildlife and wild flowers, including greater knapweed, lady’s bedstraw, viper’s bugloss, wild carrot and Dianthus carthusianorum. All the garden buildings, including the tool shed, are topped with green roofs OPPOSITE The Douglas fir-built house has a perfect view over the flowers, including fiery orange foxand-cubs

“For more diversity in wildlife, you need more diversity in your landscape”

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house from Douglas fir towards the top of the plot, with huge picture windows and a green roof. This experience caught John’s imagination and after working most of his life in shoe retail, he pivoted towards his hobby of gardening. He then founded the Grass Roof Company (grassroofcompany.co.uk) in 1998, followed by Green Roof Shelters (greenroofshelters.co.uk) a decade later, two companies geared towards increasing biodiversity, particularly on brownfield sites, in public spaces and social housing schemes in urban settings. “The breakthrough moment for me was when I went back to visit a customer I’d built a greenroofed garage for some years earlier,” John says. “I noticed that the crushed granite drive was looking really good – it was covered with a diverse range of plants that had hopped down off the green roof without any particular help from the home owner.” This prompted him to experiment and he has been trialling different substrates at home ever since. On more conventionally fertile garden soil, there’s a moment in spring when weed growth is so rapid that it can quickly feel as though your whole garden is getting away from you. What John demonstrates is that by introducing these poorfertility substrates, perhaps in just one or two areas at first, and choosing plants that are suited to them, you can still get a colourful naturalistic display of flowers but with far less maintenance. “Don’t forget that when you first lay them, they are completely weed-free, so that buys you time,” he explains. You can put a 30cm layer straight over your topsoil (clearing that of perennial weeds first) or scrape the topsoil off to reduce fertility still further. As you sow your perennials and annuals direct, there is no need to bring in soil improvers, compost, pots or seed trays, so there is a low carbon footprint, too. Of course, piles of rubble could look awful if they were scattered randomly, so a designed approach works best. John has used mild steel plate to neatly separate curving path and bed edges: “Containing these ‘waste’ materials within distinct areas – gabions filled with rubble, for instance, or packed sand for nesting solitary bees – legitimises their use in a garden setting.” Structure plays an important role, so he advocates incorporating natural features such as piles of logs, as well as more architecturally defined ones in the form of machined timber posts and round boxes with a series of different-sized holes for solitary bees. Hilldrop is very much an experimental garden but its success speaks for itself. HILLDROP, Laindon Road, Horndon-on-the-Hill, Stanfordle-Hope, Essex, is part of the National Garden Scheme, open occasionally, including 10 July 2022 (ngs.org.uk). Follow John’s work on Instagram @grassroofco.

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THIS PAGE, FROM TOP John’s aim is to find new ways to increase biodiversity, and the unusual mixture of substrates in the garden – which includes reclaimed brick, concrete rubble and sand – make it a haven for plants such as chicory, everlasting pea, and teasel. This in turn attracts a wide variety of bees and other insects OPPOSITE Everywhere in the garden can become a home to the right plant. Even the metal-gridded walkway has thyme growing through it

A BIODIVERSE Tips for GARDEN FROM HILLTOP LIBERATE YOURSELF from the notion that all plants need to grow in fertile soil – they don’t. SOW PERENNIALS and annuals in autumn. We use ER1F wild flower mix for green roofs from Emorsgate (wildseed.co.uk) and Pictorial Skyline for green roofs (pictorialmeadows.co.uk). EDIT OUT less-desirable seedlings as they arise, to leave an aesthetically pleasing mix of plants. DEFINE AREAS with structural details such as posts machined with holes for solitary bees. CREATE A BASKING TRAY for adders, and/or a shelter for toads and newts, by leaving out a sheet of corrugated iron. PLANT MIXED NATIVE HEDGES – hawthorn, field maple, blackthorn, dog and guelder rose and dogwood for blossom, berries and nesting. SORT YOUR SAND Sharp sand is useful for a wide mixture of plants; bricklaying sand is good for solitary bees, as it keeps its shape and doesn’t collapse when they make nesting holes. THINK ABOUT TOPOGRAPHY Mounded materials offer wildlife a variety of environments, – for example, a sunny and a shady side, drier at the top, wetter at the base.

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HOME INSPIRATION

Anchored BYGONE AGE IN A

Just a pebble’s throw from the sea, this former fisherman’s cottage is filled with vintage treasures that evoke a relaxed and timeless coastal style WORDS BY ALICE WESTGATE PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRENT DARBY PRODUCTION BY BEN KENDRICK

THE DETAILS WHAT’S THE STYLE? A 200-year-old fisherman’s cottage with a balcony overlooking the beach WHERE IS IT? St Ives, Cornwall WHO LIVES HERE? It belongs to Paula Craigen and her husband Iain

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THIS PAGE, FAR LEFT Revealing the house’s past life as three separate cottages, an extra staircase leads from the snug up to the green bedroom LEFT The property dates from around 1840 BELOW In the dining space, Paula and Iain pulled up the carpet to reveal floorboards painted in a bluey green. The artwork, Scribbles, is by British artist Clare Cammack OPPOSITE Sourced at a Lancashire reclamation yard, an industrial tool bench is a stylish twist on a kitchen island

his is a house that has been loved for a very long time,” says Paula Craigen. “I have always been drawn to period properties and this one has a particularly beautiful old soul.” She and her husband Iain had been house-hunting in Cornwall for somewhere with a sea view, and this house on the beach exceeded their wildest expectations: “Its balcony is just metres from the waves.” It overlooks Porthmeor Beach in St Ives, where property rarely comes onto the market. Paula and Iain managed to complete the purchase before lockdown, but then couldn’t visit for many months. However, the delay gave them the time they needed to dream up the perfect interior. “The house had been in the same family for 60 years, so we felt a huge responsibility to its previous owners,” Paula says. “It still had lots of original features, and any changes we made had to preserve its integrity and respect its history.” Almost 200 years old, it was once three separate houses in a small courtyard of fisherman’s cottages, one of which was home to fisherman and painter Alfred Wallis. “Wallis would almost certainly have set foot in here,” Paula says. “In fact, we called it Alba House after his painting Wreck of the Alba, which is of a ship caught in high seas off Porthmeor Beach.” To help them start the project, Paula and Iain called in Jess Clark, interiors expert at lettings company Unique Homestays, as they planned to rent out the house before moving in. Jess was similarly smitten. “We didn’t need to lay new flooring or replace the doors,” she says. “Those old bones had to remain the primary focus, and nothing we added should fight them. There are no statement pieces here. Everything blends to create a warm, welcoming and lived-in atmosphere.” Between them they drew up a wish list of vintage items. “Once lockdown was lifted, Iain and I visited reclamation yards and

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“The window seats are designed for reading or wave-watching, and you can drink in the sunset from the balcony”

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The stunning sea view and a Country Living woodburning stove from Charnwood are two of the charms of this cosy sitting area

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OPPOSITE Though colour is used sparingly, shades of pink and terracotta appear in this bedroom in the form of a La Redoute rug and linen by Piglet in Bed. The chandelier is from Cream Cornwall THIS PAGE, LEFT Vintage finds take pride of place around the house BELOW RIGHT Echoing shades elsewhere in the green bedroom, decorator Mark Campbell created a verdigris paint effect on the freestanding bath

Paula’s tips

FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORY OF A HOUSE

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Work with what you’ve got For example, the patched worn floorboards in our house add an air of authenticity that’s impossible to recreate.

Go neutral Plain white walls are the best way to show off everything from vintage prints to modern artworks. It’s what I call the gallery effect.

3 4

Avoid ‘statement’ pieces Elaborate items upstage a rustic setting. Aim for a harmonious blend of colours, fabrics and furniture. Make a wishlist of items and stick to it It’s worth hanging on for the right piece to complete a look. We wanted some specific things – such as aged wooden panels to make headboards for the beds – and it took weeks.

antiques fairs, and went with Jess to Shiver Me Timbers, a salvage specialist in Penzance,” Paula says. “We constantly traded ideas because we were searching for some pretty specific things. It took many weeks, but everything we found brought us one step closer.” Jess adds: “It’s always easier to buy off-the-shelf, of course, but we wanted unique pieces.” Iain, a builder by trade, then moved into the house for six months to bring their ideas to life. He started by lifting the old carpets to reveal a patchwork of floorboards, adding a layer of matt varnish to preserve their patina. “It actually took a lot of work to give the impression that we hadn’t touched the floors,” laughs Paula. “But it was well worth it. They’re rather like a time capsule because they chart everything that has happened to the house – including where every rug was laid – over the years.” Iain also has a background in carpentry and turned benches from an old school science lab into the kitchen cupboards and worktops, and crafted integrated doors for the fridge/freezer and washing machine from antique French louvred shutters. Local decorator Mark Campbell painted all the walls in standard white emulsion – the perfect backdrop for vintage prints and traditional seascapes, plus contemporary pieces by Hertfordshire-based abstract artist Clare Cammack. The sense of a bygone era invites visitors to enjoy life at a slower pace until the couple can live there permanently. “Three of the four bedrooms look out over the beach, so you wake to the sound of the sea,” Paula says. “The window seats are designed for reading or wave-watching, and you can drink in the sunset from the balcony.” Though the house is glorious in the summer, the couple love it equally out of season, when the beaches are empty and the weather is wild. “On a stormy day, you really understand how much the house has withstood over the years,” Paula says. “There’s something extremely comforting about that.” FOR MORE DETAILS about staying at Alba Beach House, see uniquehomestays.com.

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Use reclaimed wood for cupboards and worksurfaces to create a kitchen that’s warm, welcoming and practical. DIY skills are a great bonus: Iain has always been great at making something out of nothing.

VINTAGE HOME 4 This house also appears in the latest edition of Vintage Home, published by Country Living, which is on sale now. To buy your copy, visit hearstmagazines.co.uk/cl-specials.

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FOR THE

of LOVE

lavender Come high summer, this Devon garden dazzles with more than a dozen different lavenders – and buzzes with a multitude of bees WORDS BY PAULA MCWATERS PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK BOLTON

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THE DETAILS STYLE English country garden with adjoining woodland running down to the sea SEASONS OF INTEREST Spring through to autumn SIZE Walled bee garden of about 0.3 acres in 10.5 acres of gardens and orchard SOIL A good loamy soil over clay, much improved with manure over generations

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n a warm summer’s day, a visit to the walled garden beyond Mothecombe House on the Flete estate in south Devon can be an intense sensory experience. The air in this sheltered spot, formerly a cut-flower garden, hangs heavy with the scent of more than a dozen different lavenders and is abuzz with the sound of bees. The dense rows of purple- and violet-flowered bushes march side by side down the gentle slope and, as you drink in the scene, you could easily be forgiven for thinking you have crossed the Channel and travelled to the south of France. Looking at the beauty here today, it is hard to believe Anne Mildmay-White knew little about gardening when she and her husband Anthony took on Mothecombe’s care from Anthony’s mother Helen in 1982. Fortunately, Anne always felt she had Helen’s support. “She was so positive, never tut-tutting at anything I did,” Anne recalls. “Nevertheless, I thought I ought to teach myself a bit about gardening before making any sweeping changes.” Mothecombe House was built in 1710 and has been in the Mildmay family since 1873, with each generation making its mark here. In 1925, Anthony’s great-uncle Alfred brought in Sir Edwin Lutyens to work on the house and garden, refashioning a wisteria terrace along

the back, creating new steps and agapanthus beds and creating two garden buildings that have now become a potting shed and a garden bothy. Helen took over from her late brother in 1950, adding a shelter belt of trees, establishing a fine camellia walk and creating new paths through the woodland to the sea at Mothecombe Beach. By the time it was Anne’s turn, the bones were very much in place but there was much restoration to be undertaken, as the gardens had become overgrown and choked with bindweed. Borders and paths were cleared, the bog garden was restored, new woodland paths were opened up and an array of interesting trees and shrubs was planted, including magnolias, camellias, native hedging and a row of double white cherries. In the cut-flower walled garden, Anne continued to grow wallflowers, dahlias and fruit for some years but, in 2013, had something of an epiphany after reading Professor Dave Goulson’s book A Sting in the Tale, about his passionate drive to protect bumble bees. “As my family will tell you, once I get an idea into my head, I am completely focused,” she says. “As soon as I read that book, I was determined to dedicate this whole walled garden to bees, and fill it with plants that would help them and other pollinator insects to thrive.” With that in mind, her first stop was RHS lavender specialists countryliving.com/uk

10 lavender varieties 1 Lavandula angustifolia ‘Ashdown Forest’ 2 ‘Lullaby Blue’ 3 ‘Blue Mountain’

Downderry Nursery in Kent (downderry-nursery.co.uk), where, with plenty of expert advice, she selected more than a dozen sturdy cultivars of English lavender in a variety of beautiful shades of blue, purple and pale pink. There was some doubt as to whether they would thrive in Devon, as it is relatively wet, but the walled garden has several factors in its favour. The gardens are tucked under one side of a valley running down to the beach, so they are several degrees warmer than the nearby village and are protected from prevailing winds. This part is south-facing and, importantly, on a slope. By planting in rows down the hill, Anne has been able to ensure good drainage. Reduced maintenance was a priority, so she chose to put down Mypex weed-suppressing membrane and plant through holes cut into it. A liberal layer of woodchip was then applied. “Now, we just have to remove the odd weed when we see it,” Anne says. “It is much more manageable than the garden was before.” Anne loves the gentle colour palette the lavenders offer: “Blues, mauves, silvers and silvery pinks are all such calming colours,” she says. “I always find myself drawn to those shades.” In the beds surrounding the lavenders, she has opted for beautiful cottage plants that are also attractive to pollinators and give a soft, airy effect. Ammi majus and Ammi visnaga both feature, along with white foxgloves,

AT MOTHECOMBE

4 ‘Miss Katherine’

intermedia ‘Grosso’

5 ‘Folgate’

8 ‘Abrialii’

6 ‘Beechwood Blue’

9 ‘Hidcote Giant’

7 Lavandula x

10 ‘Sussex’

OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP The Queen Anne house in its summer glory; the gate to the walled garden; Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’ THIS PAGE, FROM TOP Lychnis coronaria and Ammi majus complement the lavender varieties; Knautia arvensis; Gaura lindheimeri ‘The Bride’ AUGUST 2022

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Tall Echium pininana in the summer flowerbeds; Sidalcea ‘Rose Queen’; an Onopordum acanthium (Scotch thistle) seed

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head; Campanula lactiflora ‘Prichard’s Variety’; Ammi majus ABOVE Rows of contrasting lavender plants make a striking sight

pink Lychnis coronaria, pale pink and white Gaura lindheimeri, long-lasting penstemons and scabious. To extend the season for bees, Anne has added muscari, alliums and pulmonarias for early nectar, plus a magnificent Echium candicans, which is smothered in candle-like blue flowers in early April. Later on come agapanthus, Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) and globe thistles (Echinops ritro). The effect has been marked, enhanced by the creation of wild-flower meadows in horse paddocks by Anne and Anthony’s son John and his wife Lily, who took over the running of the Flete Estate in 2019. Representatives from two charities – Bumblebee Conservation Trust (bumblebeeconservation.org) and Plantlife (plantlife. org.uk) – have visited, and a local entomologist helps Anne keep an eye on how many new species of bee she has been able to attract. She is also in the process of creating illustrated information boards for garden visitors – especially children – to learn just how important bees are and what we can do to help them. “I take pre-school children through the garden and they are enchanted,” she says. “When you look closely, you see so many different types of bees. Hopefully we can pique people’s interest to learn more about them.” THERE ARE PLANS for Mothecombe Gardens to be used by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust for bee identification days and bee walks. See flete.co.uk/mothecombe-gardens-history.

Tips on GROWING LAVENDER GO NATIVE English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula x intermedia) is especially hardy, and popular in cottage gardens. GROW IT IN FREE-DRAINING SOIL IN FULL SUN and note that it will thrive in poor, sandy or chalky soil. CHOOSE A SLOPING SITE that will drain easily if you want to grow it on slightly heavier ground. Also, mix in grit to open up the soil structure. CUT OFF ALL THE FLOWER SPIKES after blooms have begun to fade, and take this opportunity to prune the bushes to a good shape. INVEST IN A SMALL ELECTRIC HEDGE TRIMMER – it makes for quick work if you have many bushes to cut. DON’T CUT INTO OLD, BARE WOOD as it will not regenerate. TAKE SOFTWOOD CUTTINGS and grow these on to eventually replace the older shrubs when they become leggy and unsightly.

“I’m drawn to blues, mauves, silvers and silvery pinks – all such calming colours” countryliving.com/uk

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We all need to make more use of flowering shrubs, which are easy to care for and can produce lots of long-lasting colour. Semi-evergreen Lavatera x clementii ‘Barnsley Baby’ has masses of pale pink flowers with a darker pink eye, and blooms from July through to September. Perfect for a container. £11.99 for a 9cm pot or £13.39 for two, from Thompson & Morgan (thompsonmorgan.com).

Gardener’s notebook Gardening editor Paula McWaters tells you how to get the best from your plot in August

f ever there was a month to pause and enjoy your garden, this is it. We are often our own worst critics, focusing on the weeds and overlooking the fresh new blooms, lamenting the missed opportunities rather than celebrating the beauty of our achievements. So this month, I am raising a glass to accomplishment: the seeds that have come through despite slug and snail attack; the climber that has flowered for the first time; the super-sweet tomato harvest that keeps on giving. Remember, visiting friends don’t see your bald patches: they alight on the good things – particularly if you put these under their noses in the form of a few bountiful containers or an eye-catching seasonal shrub. And if you still can’t resist self-criticism, your most valuable tools are a camera and a notebook, to capture anything you might want to change for next year. Our growing spaces, however big or small, are there to be relished, reviewed, celebrated and shared. Follow Paula’s progress on Instagram @paulalifeandsoil.

A good read Although Cinead McTernan is based in Bristol, the smart ideas she explores in City Veg (Bloomsbury, £20) apply equally to country-dwellers with ambitions to grow edibles in the tightest of spaces. Her style is engaging, and the fact that she speaks from experience – having managed to cram a huge variety of produce into a plot the size of two camper vans – makes this an authentic, practical and inspiring read.

To-do list Trim and shape lavender, cutting off the old flower spikes

Take semi-ripe cuttings from shrubs such as cistus, hebe, santolina and viburnum

Collect any ripened seeds and store them to use next year

Liquid-feed chillies, peppers and aubergines weekly

Keep ponds topped up with water during dry spells

Keep deadheading annuals to prolong their flowering period

Sow some parsley to last through the winter AUGUST 2022

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Let it grow

New at The Newt

SOMERSET

The Beezantium apiary and the Story of Gardening mini-museum are the latest additions to the impressive gardens at The Newt in Somerset. Annual membership (with unlimited access) costs £68 or, for a very special occasion, enjoy the Great Garden Escape package, which includes a first-class rail trip from London, tours, talks, tastings and meals, plus membership. For prices and details, see thenewtinsomerset.com.

CAN DO Houseplants dry out quickly in summer and it’s good to be able to keep them hydrated without watering the floor or the furnishings, too. With its narrow spout, this jolly one-litre painted-steel watering can will direct water exactly where it’s needed, and also looks very stylish on your windowsill. £25 from Labour and Wait (labourandwait.co.uk).

Sanguisorbas are stalwarts in the late-summer garden, working in beautifully with other perennials and tall grasses. Sanguisorba ‘Joni’ has maroon flowers that look rather like flying raspberries dancing above other plants in the border. £11.99 for a two-litre pot from Knoll Gardens (knollgardens.co.uk).

However much you think you know about gardening, we can all learn something from the voices of experience. Learning With Experts offers online courses with well-known designers and plantspeople such as Piet Oudolf (pictured) and Dr Noel Kingsbury on their innovative planting techniques, Jimi Blake of Hunting Brook on planting design and Chris Beardshaw on creating stunning containers. You can choose ‘peer option’ from £45 or upgrade to ‘expert option’ to get personal feedback from your tutor. Tutorial notes and videos are included. CL readers can claim a 15 per cent discount before 31 August. Quote code CL2022 when booking. Visit learningwithexperts.com for details.

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HARVEST READY When there are fruits and veggies to be gathered in, a sturdy basket is essential. This one, designed by Sophie Conran, measures 37cm x 26cm and is made of galvanized steel with a detachable beechwood handle. It costs £24.95 from annabeljames.co.uk (0345 548 0210). countryliving.com/uk

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARTINE GOULMY. ILLUSTRATION BY ALLIRA TEE

UPSKILL WITH THE EXPERTS

VISIT THE COUNTRY LIVING PAVILION AT

Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials

1-4 SEPT 2022

The high point of the autumn social calendar is back for the first time since 2019, and it’s better than ever! Highlights include: z Thrilling equestrian sport featuring the very best horses and riders in the world z An enjoyable day out, with exceptional shopping opportunities including the Country Living Pavilion, where you can meet and buy unique items from talented craftspeople and artisans; delicious food and drink; lots of family entertainment, all in the unparalleled setting of the historic Burghley Park z The eventing action on Thursday and Friday includes dressage – elegance, precision and harmony. Saturday’s exciting cross-country event showcases bravery, speed and the essential partnership between horse and rider. The final showjumping phase on Sunday combines the two – accuracy, boldness and the ability to keep cool under pressure.

VISIT OUR MAKERS MARQUEE Come along to our Makers Marquee overlooking the crosscountry course and enjoy delicious seasonal food and drink in our new Country Living Café, in partnership with Fine & Country. You will also find the CL Dog & Owner Lookalike competition taking place here on Saturday at 12pm. To enter, come along to the CL stand and pick up a form.

Online tickets available until 22 August. After that, day tickets available on the gate UP TO 22 AUGUST

ONLY AT THE GATE

PERSON

CAR

PERSON

CAR

Thursday 1 Sept

£22

£12

£24

£16

Friday 2 Sept

£22

£12

£24

£16

Saturday 3 Sept

£38

£12

£48

£16

Sunday 4 Sept

£22

£12

£24

£16

Season entry (all 4 days)

£92

£40

Membership

£295

Forward car pass for all four days, two season admission tickets and one member badge and one guest badge (includes members’ enclosure admission and grandstand admission on Thurs/Fri)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND TO BOOK TICKETS, visit burghley-horse.co.uk or call 0344 581 4980

KELP HELP Described as the ‘superfood of the ocean’, seaweed is rich in vitamins and minerals, particularly iodine, which contributes to improved thyroid function, higher energy levels and healthier skin, hair and nails. It can be tricky to work this wonder food into your diet, though, which is why the new Sea Ór Hair, Skin & Nails Seaweed Food Supplement* (£35) offers a neat solution. With sustainably harvested organic seaweed, plus vitamins A, C and E and biotin, it contains everything you need for mermaid-esque skin and hair.

Wellbeing

F O R M I N D & B O DY Feelgood tips and advice from our health and beauty editor Kate Langrish

Get your summer glow with Liz Earle Superskin Microdermabrasion Polish (£30, lizearle.com). Orange and lemon fruit enzymes dissolve skin-dulling particles, while rosehip seed oil ensures skin is soothed, not stripped.

Everything’s peachy *NOT SUITABLE DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING. IF YOU ARE TAKING MEDICATION OR HAVE EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS, CONSULT A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL BEFORE USE. PHOTOGRAPHS BY GETTY IMAGES

Just one whiff of a fresh peach transports me back to childhood summer holidays in Brittany, the syrupy juice dribbling down my chin before I could wash it off in the sea. Now, science suggests I’m not alone in my affection for this fruity fragrance. A recent study from the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden’s largest medical research centre, revealed that everyone, regardless of cultural background, is drawn to the same smells, with vanilla and fresh peaches coming in at the top two spots. Right now, I’m getting my peachy fix from a spritz of Jo Malone’s Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne (£54, jomalone.co.uk). With a base note of peach, it’s my summer in a bottle.

Shelf help More than any other exercise, pilates has worked wonders on my lower back pain. While I’d recommend joining a class with an experienced teacher, The Little Book of Pilates (Gaia, £7.99) is the perfect accompaniment. As well as explaining the general principles, it provides simple practices that can be slotted into the days between classes.

Protect your eyes by adding a handful of dried goji berries to your muesli. Research shows regular servings may help prevent age-related macular degeneration. countryliving.com/uk

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S L E E P I N L U X U RY W I T H

COUNTRY LIVING AT DREAMS

REST ASSURED Every premium Country Living Collection mattress comes with a 40-Night Sleep Guarantee

The Country Living Collection of premium mattresses at Dreams takes sleep to the next level. Made in the UK using traditional techniques and premium materials, each mattress promises you night after night of deluxe comfort and supreme support. Hand-finished Country Living Hamsterley (above) features at its core a double layer of springs sewn into durable calico pockets. Super-strong, they move independently to support all body shapes and weights for a restful night’s sleep. There are also generous layers of lambswool, hand-teased lambswool and hand-teased mohair, which are the pinnacle of softness and comfort. These luxurious fillings provide warmth in winter and coolness in summer. Finally, the whole mattress is upholstered in 100 per cent natural Belgian damask with three rows of hand side stitching for unparalleled support across the entire sleeping surface. With a mattress this good, bedtime can’t come soon enough.

See the full Country Living Collection at dreams.co.uk/country-living

PICNICS IN THE

meadows

Crudités with tarragon, scallops with sorrel and elderflower cordial with a rhubarb chaser: part two in our round-up of alfresco feasts from the stellar Gill Meller PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREW MONTGOMERY

FOOD & DRINK

eading out on a walk for a destination picnic is a thing of joy – good for both our bodies and our minds. Stomping across fields and over hills – there’s nothing quite like reaching that magical place you’ve been thinking about. You know that when you get there, delicious spoils await – earned with every step and all the more enjoyable for every time you’ve had to stop to catch your breath. Picnicking doesn’t have to mean long walks, though. Sometimes you don’t need to go too far at all. Sharing a sandwich on a park bench is fine. Laying a blanket out at the bottom of the garden can be equally pleasant. Wherever you are, being outside is restful and rejuvenating, particularly when you know you have something good to eat. I’ll happily step out with a basket of sandwiches, but sometimes making more of an effort ensures the experience is extra special. My scallops with sorrel, lemon and primroses can be prepared and eaten outdoors, but you can also make many of the following recipes inside, ahead of time, taking them out into the fresh air for a picnic with a difference. I heartily recommend it. In the summer, I find that food always tastes best when eaten outdoors.

countryliving.com/uk

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SCALLOPS WITH SORREL, LEMON AND PRIMROSES If scallops are really fresh, you can eat them just as they are. No cooking is necessary. They are beautifully refined, delicate and sweet with a gentle suggestion of salinity. Lemon juice brings out even more flavour in raw scallops. Sorrel makes a delightful addition. It tastes like sharp apples, citrus and gooseberries and has a natural affinity with fish and shellfish. I also like to scatter over edible flowers from the garden. Preparation 15 minutes (if not preparing the scallops) Serves 2

THE MONTGOMERY If I stand in the garden on a still, warm summer evening and breathe in, all I can smell are the flowers. The air is silenced with their scent. This refreshing drink is made with elderflower cordial, which you can make or buy, and homemade rhubarb bitters, but you could use Campari if you like. It’s a beautifully clean, light, floral cocktail and just what the doctor ordered after a busy day. Preparation 15 minutes Cooking 10 minutes Serves 1 50ML YOUR FAVOURITE VODKA, CHILLED 50ML ELDERFLOWER CORDIAL PLENTY OF ICE ABOUT 100ML FIZZY WATER 1 LEMON, HALVED ELDERFLOWER SPRIGS (IF AVAILABLE), TO GARNISH FOR THE RHUBARB BITTERS (MAKES ENOUGH FOR 6-8 SERVINGS) 4 NICE PINK RHUBARB STICKS, SLICED INTO 1CM PIECES 3-4 JUNIPER BERRIES, BASHED 2 CLOVES, BASHED FINELY GRATED ZEST AND JUICE OF 1 LEMON

1 Start by making the rhubarb bitters. Place the rhubarb in a pan with 350ml water and the remaining bitters ingredients. Bring up to a gentle simmer and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the rhubarb is soft and pulpy. Allow to cool in the pan – it’ll give the flavours a chance to develop. 2 Pour the contents of the pan into a fine-meshed sieve over a bowl to catch all the juice. Encourage the last few drops through with the back of a spoon. Pour the juice into a small jug or jar and refrigerate until needed. 3 To make the Montgomery, pour the vodka, elderflower cordial and 50ml of rhubarb bitters over plenty of ice. (Keep the remaining bitters to make more!) Give it a stir so it’s nice and cold. Top up with fizzy water to taste. Add a good squeeze of juice from one of the lemon halves and add some thin lemon slices from the other. Serve with a spray or two of fresh elderflower if you have any to hand.

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5-6 LARGE HAND-DIVED SCALLOPS 4-5 SORREL LEAVES JUICE OF 1 LEMON 1 TBSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 1 TSP CASTER SUGAR 2 SMALL SPRING ONIONS, VERY THINLY SLICED SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER A HANDFUL OF PRIMROSE FLOWERS OR ANY OTHER EDIBLE FLOWER

Cook’s note Make sure your scallops are very fresh for this dish. I tend to buy live ones, in the shell, then cut and prepare them myself. However, your fishmonger will happily do this for you if you prefer. To do it yourself, take a thin-bladed knife, such as a filleting knife, and hold the shell upright, with the rounded edge downward on a board and the hinge at the top. If you’re righthanded, the flat side of the shell should face to your right (and to your left if you’re left-handed). Find an opening as near to the top edge of the shell as possible and ease in the knife tip. Keep the knife as tight to the flat of the shell as possible and cut down through the muscle at the point it meets the shell. This will allow you to open the scallop. Run the tip of the knife under the scallop and lift it out of the lower part of the shell onto a board. Remove the orange-coloured roe, the translucent strip of frill and the black gut sack at the back of the muscle. Peel away the very fine membrane that runs around the scallop’s edge so that you’re left with pure, white muscle. Save the roe for frying off separately and freeze the frills for fish stock (they have a lot of flavour). Repeat for all the scallops. 1 Carefully slice each scallop into 3-4 rounds. 2 Remove the coarser stalk from each sorrel leaf, then ribbon the leaves finely with a sharp knife. Place the prepared sorrel in a bowl with the lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, sugar, spring onions and some sea salt and black pepper. Stir well. 3 Take 1½ tbsp of this dressing and turn it through the scallops. Spoon the rest out over two cool, flat plates. Arrange the sliced, dressed scallops over the plate and spoon over any juices left in the bowl. Season with a little salt and pepper. 4 Pinch the petals from the primrose flowers (or other edible flowers) and scatter these over the scallops. Serve at once. countryliving.com/uk

Scallops are beautifully refined, delicate and sweet with a gentle suggestion of salinity

FOOD & DRINK

A LATE-SPRING SALAD New potatoes, eggs and asparagus… is there a holier trinity? If you’re making this gorgeous salad for a picnic, try to bring it together at the last minute, as it’ll always taste better if it’s escaped the icy clasp of the fridge. If you cook the main ingredients about an hour or so before you leave, by the time you reach your destination, everything will be nice and cool, at which point you can finish the salad with the eggs, a scattering of fresh herbs and the remaining dressing. Preparation 20 minutes Cooking 25 minutes Serves 4-6 4-6 EGGS, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE 750G SMALL-MEDIUM NEW POTATOES, SCRUBBED 12 ASPARAGUS SPEARS A BUNCH OF SPRING ONIONS, THINLY SLICED A FEW HANDFULS OF SOFT HERBS, SUCH AS FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, CHIVES, CHERVIL OR BASIL FOR THE DRESSING 2 TSP DIJON OR ENGLISH MUSTARD 2 TBSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 1 TBSP SUNFLOWER OIL 2 TBSP RED WINE VINEGAR OR APPLE CIDER VINEGAR 1 TBSP RUNNY HONEY 1 GARLIC CLOVE, BASHED SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

1 For the dressing, put all the ingredients in a small jug, season and whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside. 2 Bring a medium pan of water to a boil. Carefully add the eggs, bring back to a boil and cook for 6½ minutes. Drain, then run under a cold tap for a minute or so. Peel and set aside. 3 Place the potatoes in a large pan. Cover generously with cold, salted water, set over a high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook for 8-15 minutes (cooking time will vary according to the variety and freshness of the potatoes), until tender. A couple of minutes before they’re ready, snap the woody ends from the asparagus and add the spears to the water. Make sure they are submerged so they cook evenly. After 2 minutes, drain the potatoes and asparagus in a colander, and then carefully return them to the pan. 4 Add the spring onions and spoon over half the dressing, season, gently combine and leave to cool. 5 Peel the eggs and cut them in half with a sharp knife. Arrange the potatoes and asparagus on a serving plate or in a picnicfriendly alternative (I used the lid of a biscuit tin). Nestle in the eggs, roughly tear the herbs (there’s no need to chop them – just remove the coarser stems) and scatter them over. Trickle over the remaining dressing before serving.

A RAISED PORK, CHICKEN AND PARSLEY PIE A pie like this needs to be made the day before a picnic to give everything time to cool and find its place. Preparation 25 minutes Cooking 1 hour 30 minutes Serves 8 200G PORK LARD 500G PLAIN FLOUR, PLUS EXTRA FOR DUSTING 2 EGGS 1-2KG ORGANIC OR FREE-RANGE CHICKEN, WITH GIBLETS 350G FATTY PORK BELLY, CUBED 200G BACON LARDONS OR CHOPPED STREAKY BACON LARGE HANDFUL OF FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, LEAVES PICKED AND CHOPPED A HANDFUL OF CHIVES, FINELY SLICED

CURED FISH AND TOMATOES WITH RED ONION, GARLIC AND THYME Sometimes you’ll taste a combination of flavours that is so good it needs to be revisited time and again. This recipe is inspired by a dish Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall showed me many moons ago. The fish (I like to use wild black bream or wild sea bass) gets lightly cured with a little salt and sugar. This gives it a remarkable texture and depth, but it doesn’t get cooked as such. Tomatoes have a natural acidity that accentuates the sweetness of the fish and slightly affects the texture, in a good way. Serve at room temperature. Preparation 15 minutes, plus standing Serves 2 100G SEA SALT 50G CASTER SUGAR 5-6 THYME SPRIGS, LEAVES PICKED 1 BAY LEAF, CUT INTO RIBBONS 1 TSP COARSELY CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER, PLUS EXTRA TO SERVE 300G-400G WILD SEA BASS OR BLACK BREAM FILLET, PINBONED AND SKINNED 500G MIXED SMALL TOMATOES 1 VERY SMALL GARLIC CLOVE, THINLY SLICED 1 SMALL OR ½ MEDIUM RED ONION, VERY THINLY SLICED 1 TBSP APPLE CIDER VINEGAR 4 TBSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 2 THICK SLICES OF SOURDOUGH OR GOOD COUNTRY BREAD

1 Combine the salt, sugar, half the thyme leaves, bay and black pepper together in a small bowl. Lay the fish on a plate and scatter over the cure – get a little underneath, too. Leave for about 1 hour. 2 Gently rinse away the cure by dipping the fish in a bowl of fresh, cold water. Don’t worry if some thyme leaves and pepper cling to it. Pat dry with kitchen paper, then lay it on a board, skin-side down. 3 Cut 1cm slices, at an angle, from across the fillet. Place the prepared fish in a bowl. Halve the tomatoes, quarter any large ones and add to the fish with the garlic, onion, remaining thyme leaves, vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. Gently turn the fish and tomatoes together. 4 Leave to stand for 10-15 minutes. Carefully turn it all again, lift from the bowl and arrange on a platter. Season and serve with good bread. countryliving.com/uk

1 TSP GROUND WHITE PEPPER ½ TSP GROUND BLACK PEPPER A GOOD PINCH OF GRATED NUTMEG

1 You will need an 18cm-20cm diameter by 7cm-9cm deep pie dish or cake tin. To make the pastry, put the lard and 170ml of water into a pan over a low heat until the fat has melted and the mixture is warm. 2 Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour with ½ tsp sea salt. Crack one of the eggs into a bowl and beat it lightly. Pour the lard and water mixture into the flour. Add the beaten egg and bring everything together to form a dough. Place it on a worksurface and fold four or five times until smooth. Allow to cool in the fridge. 3 While the pastry is chilling, make the filling. Place the chicken on a board. Remove the giblets and use a sharp knife to remove each leg. Divide the drumsticks from the thighs. Carefully remove the chicken breasts. Try not to leave any meat on the carcass. 4 Remove the skin from the legs and breasts – save this and all the bones to make a stock. Cut the leg and thigh meat away from the bones and place in a bowl with the cubed pork belly and lardons or chopped bacon. Trim the liver and heart; add to the other meats. 5 Give everything a good mix, then put through a mincer or chop to a fine consistency by hand. Place in a large bowl and add the parsley and chives, along with the pepper, nutmeg and 1 tsp sea salt. 6 Cut the chicken breasts into 2-3cm cubes and add to the minced pork and chicken. Mix really well, cover and refrigerate until needed. 7 Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan oven) gas mark 4. 8 Set aside a quarter of the pastry for the pie lid. Form the remaining three-quarters into a round and, on a floured surface, roll out into a circle, roughly 35cm in diameter. Lay the pastry in the tin, bringing it up the sides and smoothing out as you go. Leave a slight overhang. 9 Fill the lined tin with the meat mixture, making sure you don’t leave any unfilled gaps. Roll out the smaller portion of pastry. It should have the same diameter as the pie tin itself. 10 Crack the remaining egg into a bowl and beat it. Brush the pastry rim with the egg. Ease the lid into place and crimp the edges together. 11 Use the tip of a knife to make a small hole in the middle of the lid. Set the pie in the middle of the oven and bake for 20 minutes, then lower the setting to 160°C (140°C fan oven) gas mark 2-3. 12 Brush with egg and return to the oven for 1 hour 10 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling is cooked through. Remove and allow to cool; refrigerate for 6-8 hours or overnight before eating. AUGUST 2022

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COURGETTE, CHARD, BASIL, PARSLEY AND GOAT’S CHEESE PASTIES I’ve always loved a proper pasty and they’re absolutely perfect for picnics, but it can be tricky to find a really good vegetable version. So I’ve dreamt up my own recipe, using chard, courgettes, lots of herbs and a little goat’s cheese, although you could use feta or ricotta if you preferred. I’m wrapping the filling up in a rough puff pastry, which is a little lighter and flakier than a traditional shortcrust. Make sure the courgettes aren’t too big. They’ll be firmer and more flavoursome this way. Preparation 20 minutes Cooking 1 hour 25 minutes Makes 4

LEMONY COURGETTES WITH BASIL, BURRATA AND ROCKET Raw courgettes are underrated and understated. They’re under-served and under-eaten but, happily, they’re never undercooked. If courgettes are young and fresh, they’re delicious just as they are, which is why I’ve taken to growing a few in the garden over the summer – it’s the best way to get your hands on them in tip-top condition. They love a bit of flaky salt, lemon juice and good extra-virgin olive oil, but want for little else. Bright, fragrant basil, creamy, rich burrata and bitter, peppery rocket are nothing more than flourishes. Preparation 15 minutes Serves 2-3 4 FIRM, FRESH SMALL-MEDIUM COURGETTES – A MIXTURE OF COLOURS WOULD BE NICE 4 TBSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL FINELY GRATED ZEST AND JUICE OF 1 LARGE LEMON 1 SMALL GARLIC CLOVE, GRATED OR CRUSHED TO A PASTE A COUPLE OF HANDFULS OF PEPPERY ROCKET LEAVES FLAKY SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER A HANDFUL OF BASIL, LEAVES PICKED 1 BURRATA

1 Nick the tops and bottoms off the courgettes with a sharp knife. Use a vegetable peeler to pare nice, thin, wide slices from the courgettes. If you don’t have a peeler that will do this, use a sharp knife instead. Place the ribbons of courgette in a bowl. Trickle in half the extra-virgin olive oil, and add the lemon zest and juice, the garlic and the rocket leaves. Season with sea salt and pepper. 2 Tumble the courgettes together with all these ingredients. Cut half of the basil leaves into ribbons and add these to the courgettes. Give everything another mix. 3 Arrange the dressed courgettes over a large plate or serving platter. Tear over the burrata and season everything well. Trickle over the remaining extra-virgin olive oil and scatter over the remaining basil leaves.

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A BUNCH OF CHARD 4 TBSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 2 ONIONS, HALVED AND THINLY SLICED 2 GARLIC CLOVES, THINLY SLICED 6-8 SMALL COURGETTES, SLICED INTO 1-2CM ROUNDS FINELY GRATED ZEST OF 1 LEMON LARGE HANDFUL OF BASIL, LEAVES PICKED AND CHOPPED HANDFUL OF FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, LEAVES PICKED AND CHOPPED 150G-200G SOFT GOAT’S CHEESE (OR FETA IF YOU PREFER) FLAKY SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER 1 PACK READY-MADE PUFF PASTRY 1 EGG, WELL BEATEN 1 TSP BLACK ONION SEEDS

1 Strip the chard leaves off the stalks and give everything a wash. Roughly chop the leaves and cut the stalks into 1cm pieces. Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and add the stalks. After a minute or two, add the leaves and cook for a further 2 minutes. Drain, allow to cool, then squeeze out the liquid from the leaves. Set aside. 2 Set a frying pan over a medium heat and add half the extravirgin olive oil. When hot, add the onion, garlic and a little seasoning. Sizzle the onions and garlic for 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the courgettes, stir well and cook for 15-20 minutes. You want the courgettes to begin to break down a tiny bit and lose some of their excess moisture, so keep stirring them as they cook. When they’re tender, but still retaining some shape, take the pan off the heat and stir in the chard, lemon zest, basil and parsley and more salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to cool, then crumble in the goat’s cheese and gently mix. 3 Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven) gas mark 6. Roll the pastry out to 4-5mm thick. 4 Use an 18-20cm plate to cut out four neat rounds. Put a quarter of the filling in the lower half of each round, allowing a border of 2cm around the edge. Brush the border below the filling with the egg and fold the pastry over to encase the filling. Crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork to make a tight seal. 5 Brush the pasties with egg and scatter over the black onion seeds and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden. Eat just warm or cooled completely. EXTRACTED FROM Outside: Recipes for a Wilder Way of Eating by Gill Meller (Quadrille, £30).

countryliving.com/uk

I’ve always loved a proper pasty and they’re absolutely perfect for picnics

FOOD & DRINK

Claire Thomson whips up some showstopping suppers starring this season’s most versatile and nutritious fruit PHOTOGRAPHS BY SAM FOLAN

say TOMATO

YOU

TOMATOES WITH PEACHES, GRAPES, FETA AND OREGANO The sweet, juicy fruits flattering the salty cheese and black olives are crucial for the balance in this recipe. Dice the fruit so that it is all roughly uniform in size, and be sure to taste and dress the salad accordingly. Use soft goat’s cheese, Roquefort or mozzarella instead of feta if you prefer. Preparation 20 minutes Serves 4 4 TBSP GOOD OLIVE OIL 1 TBSP RED OR WHITE WINE VINEGAR OR CIDER VINEGAR ½ SMALL RED ONION OR 1 SHALLOT, THINLY SLICED 2 PEACHES, STONED AND DICED INTO 2-3CM PIECES 600G TOMATOES (MIXED COLOURS AND SIZES IS NICE),

TOMATO, CHIPOTLE CHILLI AND OREGANO SOUP WITH FETA AND BLACK BEANS Adding tomatoes to this bean soup brings a velvety, fruity acidity to the creamy weight of black beans. My serving suggestion is lengthy, but in my mind absolutely worth it.

DICED INTO 2-3CM PIECES 200G RED GRAPES, HALVED ½ SMALL BUNCH OF OREGANO OR MARJORAM, LEAVES PICKED 50G FETA, CRUMBLED 50G KALAMATA OLIVES, PITTED AND ROUGHLY CHOPPED

1 In a small bowl, mix together the oil and vinegar and add the onion, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Put to one side to macerate for 10 minutes. 2 Put the peaches, tomatoes and grapes into a large serving bowl. 3 Add the oregano or marjoram, the feta and the olives and spoon over the dressing. Serve immediately.

Preparation 15 minutes Cooking 30 minutes Serves 4 4 TBSP OLIVE OIL 2 ONIONS, FINELY CHOPPED 2 CELERY STICKS, FINELY DICED ½ TSP SALT

800ML CHICKEN STOCK OR WATER, PLUS EXTRA IF NEEDED

7 GARLIC CLOVES, FINELY CHOPPED

TO SERVE 1 AVOCADO, PEELED, STONED AND DICED

2 TBSP CHIPOTLE IN ADOBO, FINELY CHOPPED (OR USE CHIPOTLE PASTE OR 1 TSP SMOKED PAPRIKA AND CHILLI POWDER OR FLAKES, TO TASTE) 2 TBSP TOMATO PURÉE

SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

100G SOUR CREAM 100G FETA, CRUMBLED ½ SMALL BUNCH OF CORIANDER, CHOPPED 80G CORN TORTILLA CHIPS, CRUSHED

400G TOMATOES, PEELED, OR 1 X 400G CAN PLUM TOMATOES 1-2 CHILLIES (HABANERO OR JALAPEÑO), THINLY SLICED 3 BAY LEAVES, SCRUNCHED HOT SAUCE OF CHOICE 1 X 400G CAN BLACK BEANS, DRAINED AND RINSED 1 LIME, CUT INTO WEDGES

1 Heat the oil in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Add the onions, celery and salt and cook for about 10-12 minutes, until soft and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. 2 Add the chipotle (plus any liquid), the tomato purée, tomatoes and bay leaves and cook for 10-15 minutes, until rich and thick. 3 Add the beans and stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Add a splash more stock if you think it needs it, depending on how thick you’d like the soup to be. Add salt and pepper as necessary. 4 Remove the soup from the heat. I like to partially blend it at this point – remove the bay leaves, then use a stick blender in the pan. 5 Serve the warm soup in bowls and top each bowl with chopped avocado, sour cream, feta, coriander, corn chips and chillies. Serve with hot sauce and lime wedges for helping yourselves. countryliving.com/uk

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WHOLE TOMATO KOFTE Ripe whole tomatoes bring seasonal splendour to this Middle Eastern dish. Preparation 20 minutes Cooking 50 minutes Serves 4 50G COARSE BULGUR WHEAT 16 TOMATOES, HALVED HORIZONTALLY 500G MINCED LAMB OR BEEF ½ ONION, VERY FINELY DICED 30G BUTTER 4 GARLIC CLOVES: 3 THINLY SLICED, 1 HALVED 200G PASSATA OR 200G CANNED CHOPPED TOMATOES SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER FOR THE CHOPPED SALAD ½-1 CUCUMBER, FINELY DICED 1 POMEGRANATE, SEEDS REMOVED ½-1 LARGE RED OR GREEN (BELL) PEPPER, DESEEDED AND FINELY DICED

A SMALL BUNCH OF FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY OR MINT, LEAVES PICKED AND ROUGHLY CHOPPED JUICE OF ½ LEMON TO SERVE FLAT BREADS (SUCH AS PIDE, LAVASH OR PITA) 150G FULL-FAT NATURAL YOGURT, SEASONED WITH A GOOD PINCH OF SALT PICKLES ½ LEMON, CUT INTO WEDGES CHILLI FLAKES (PREFERABLY ALEPPO OR URFA), FOR SPRINKLING GROUND SUMAC, FOR SPRINKLING

1 Tip the bulgur into a pan of salted water and place it over a high heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes, until tender. Remove from the heat, drain and leave to cool in the colander. 2 Scoop out the flesh and seeds of the halved tomatoes, reserving them both, along with any juices, in a bowl. Season the cavities with

salt and turn them cavity-downward on a plate to catch any juice. 3 Tip the lamb or beef, the cooled bulgur, the diced onion, 1 tsp salt and½ tsp pepper into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the beater and mix on high speed for about 2 minutes, until sticky and cohesive (alternatively, you can do this by hand). Put to one side. 4 Melt the butter in a saucepan over a moderate-low heat. Add the garlic and fry for about 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the passata or canned tomatoes and any juice from the scooped-out tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for at least 15-20 minutes, until thick and rich-tasting. Remove from the heat and put to one side to keep warm. 5 Preheat the grill to high and preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) gas mark 6. 6 Pour the tomato sauce into a 25cm round baking dish (or something comparable in size). 7 Divide and shape the meat mixture into 16 ping-pong-sized balls. Nestle 1 ball into a scooped-out tomato half and top with another scooped-out half, enveloping the ball. Repeat with the rest of the meatballs and tomato halves. Place each stuffed tomato snugly side by side in the baking dish. 8 Grill the stuffed tomatoes under the hot grill for 3-5 minutes, until beginning to blister and blacken, then transfer them to the oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes to cook through – a little pink is fine for both lamb and beef, so do cook to your liking. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes or so. 9 Combine the chopped-salad ingredients, seasoning to taste. 10 To serve, briefly heat your choice of flat breads under a hot grill, then top with the stuffed tomatoes and chopped salad, along with the seasoned yogurt, pickles and lemon wedges, with chilli flakes and sumac to sprinkle.

FOOD & DRINK

ROASTED TOMATO FALAFELS WITH TOMATO YOGURT, PICKLES, CHOPPED SALAD AND FLAT BREADS Roasted tomatoes give the falafels an extra-moist interior as well as a gorgeous, red-tinged crust. Using half the roasted tomatoes in the falafel mixture and the other half in the seasoned yogurt really ramps up the profile of the tomato. Preparation 25 minutes Cooking 30 minutes Serves 4 500G ISLE OF WIGHT TOMATOES, HALVED, OR USE CHERRY TOMATOES 2 TBSP OLIVE OIL 2-3 GARLIC CLOVES, CHOPPED 350G DRIED CHICKPEAS, SOAKED OVERNIGHT IN COLD WATER, THEN DRAINED 2 SHALLOTS, FINELY CHOPPED 50G SMOKED SUNDRIED TOMATOES, DRAINED AND CHOPPED, OR USE 2 TBSP TOMATO PURÉE 2 TSP GROUND CORIANDER 2 TSP GROUND CUMIN 1 TSP UNSMOKED SWEET PAPRIKA 1 TSP SALT, PLUS MORE TO SEASON NEUTRAL OIL (SUCH AS SUNFLOWER OR VEGETABLE), FOR DEEP-FRYING FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER TO SERVE 100G NATURAL YOGURT TOMATOES, CUCUMBERS AND SPRING ONIONS, CHOPPED INTO UNIFORM DICE AND SEASONED WITH SALT AND LEMON FLAT BREADS, WARMED 1 HEAPED TBSP TAHINI, MIXED WITH A SPLASH OF WARM WATER TO THE CONSISTENCY OF DOUBLE CREAM HOT SAUCE OF CHOICE MIDDLE EASTERN PICKLES (CHILLI, CARROT, TURNIP AND SO ON) A SMALL BUNCH OF FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY, MINT OR CORIANDER, LEAVES PICKED AND ROUGHLY CHOPPED

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1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) gas mark 4. 2 Put the tomatoes, cut side up, in a roasting pan and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with a good seasoning of salt and roast for 15-25 minutes, until very soft and starting to caramelise a little. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Remove the roasted tomatoes from the pan, reserving any liquid to add to the yogurt. 3 Using a food processor, blend the roasted tomatoes with the garlic until smooth. Set aside 100g of this mixture in a bowl, leaving the remainder in the food processor. 4 Add the chickpeas to the food processor, along with the shallots, sundried tomatoes or purée, the spices and salt and blend to a coarse paste. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 5 Heat a 5cm depth of oil in a saucepan over a moderate–high heat and fry off a teaspoon of the mixture to check the seasoning. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper, if necessary. 6 Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan) gas mark 2–3. 7 Mix the reserved blended tomatoes and any tomato roasting juices with the yogurt for serving and season really well with salt. Transfer to a serving bowl and put to one side. 8 Test the oil temperature – you need it at 180°C on a digital thermometer (alternatively, drop a thin slice of ginger or cube of bread into the oil – if it floats and sizzles, turning golden and crisp within 60 seconds, the oil is at a good temperature to deep-fry). 9 The mixture is quite wet and the oil is very hot, so do be careful from here. Using two spoons (one to shape and one to scrape the mixture off ), drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil – it should bubble and fry, turning crisp and golden brown in about 2 minutes. Flip the falafels over to fry on the other side for 1½-2 minutes more. Work in small batches, 3 or 4 falafels at a time, removing the cooked falafels with a slotted spoon and setting them aside to keep warm in the oven while you make the next batch. 10 To serve, pile some chopped tomato salad on to the flat breads, add some falafels, then the tomato-seasoned yogurt, a slick of tahini, hot sauce (if using), and some pickles and herbs.

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A Tomato A DAY…

TOMATO FOCACCIA This is as much a joy to bake as it is to eat. Use cherry tomatoes for optimum results – sliced tomatoes will work, but you won’t get juicy little planets of blistered and sweet tomatoes pockmarking the surface of the bread, some sinking into the doughy dimples, and some not. Preparation 25 minutes, plus proving Cooking 25 minutes Makes 1 loaf 330ML LUKEWARM WATER 7G FAST-ACTION DRIED YEAST 500G STRONG WHITE BREAD FLOUR 6 TBSP OLIVE OIL, PLUS EXTRA FOR GREASING 1 TSP SALT 200G CHERRY TOMATOES, SOME HALVED, SOME NOT ABOUT 8 SAGE LEAVES; OR 3 ROSEMARY SPRIGS, TORN GENEROUS ½ TSP FLAKY SEA SALT

1 Stir together the water and yeast and leave to sit for 5-10 minutes, until foamy. 2 Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture, mixing vigorously, either by hand or using the dough hook, for a minute or so, then add 2 tbsp of the olive oil and the teaspoon of salt. Continue mixing for 10 minutes, or until the dough becomes less sticky, smoother and more cohesive. 3 Brush a bowl with olive oil and tip in the dough. Cover and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for about 1-1½ hours, until it has nearly doubled in size. 4 Brush a deep-sided baking pan with a little olive oil, then tip the

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…keeps the doctor away. Yes, the science is in: tomatoes punch way above their weight when it comes to health benefits. Just one standard-sized fruit (or seven cherries) counts as one of your five a day 1. Cooking actually increases their nutritional value, while serving them with a fat, such as olive oil, makes it easier to absorb their goodness. Grow your own and below are some of the rewards you could reap (just remember to leave the skins on, as most of the nutrients are found there): BETTER HEART HEALTH A large tomato contains around ten per cent of your suggested daily potassium intake and can help to reduce risk of

stroke and heart disease.2 They also contain lycopene, an antioxidant that may increase heart health. STRONGER EYES Lycopene has also been shown to protect eyes from the blue light emitted by digital devices and reduce headaches caused by eye strain. Along with lutein and beta-carotene, also found in tomatoes, it may also protect against age-related macular degeneration.3 LOWER CANCER RISK Diets rich in carotenoids, like lycopene, are generally associated with a decreased risk of some types of cancers.4 IMPROVED WOUND HEALING Tomatoes are high in vitamin K, which is needed for blood clotting.

risen dough into the pan. Pull the dough into shape, towards the edges of the pan, and use your fingertips to dimple it in places. Add about 1 tbsp more of the olive oil over the surface of the dough, cover and leave to prove for 20 minutes. 5 Preheat the oven to 230°C (210°C fan) gas mark 6–7. 6 Add the halved and whole cherry tomatoes to the dough, squeezing some of them deep into pockets and leaving others protruding a little more. Do the same with the sage leaves or torn rosemary sprigs. Sprinkle over the flaky sea salt. 7 Bake the dough in the very hot oven for about 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and puffed around edges. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the underside. 8 Remove the focaccia from the oven and immediately drench it with the remaining olive oil, then allow it to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing. EXTRACTED FROM Tomato by Claire Thomson (Quadrille, £22). Photography by Sam Folan.

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WORDS BY ANNA JURY. 1 ACCORDING TO THE NHS. 2 ACCORDING TO THE CRITICAL REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION JOURNAL. 3 ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY. 4 ACCORDING TO THE MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER

FOOD & DRINK

where to buy

Stockists in the magazine this month A ALBATROSS GALLERY 01326 562828;

C D

albatrossgalleryporthleven.co.uk ALICE PALMER & CO alicepalmer.co AMAZON amazon.co.uk AMUSE LA BOUCHE 020 8851 3451; amuselabouche.com ANDREW MARTIN 020 3887 6113; andrewmartin.co.uk BAILEYS 01989 561931; baileyshome.com THE BASKET ROOM 01608 239482; thebasketroom.com BIRD & BRANCH TURNERY CO birdandbranch.london BLOOMSBURY REVISITED bloomsburyrevisited.co.uk BLOSSOM & CHERRY blossomandcherry.com BOTANIQUE WORKSHOP 020 7833 2811; botaniqueworkshop.com BUCHANAN STUDIO 07725 730088; buchanan.studio THE CONRAN SHOP 0344 848 4000; conranshop.co.uk DADO ATELIER dadoatelier.com THE DANES thedanes.co.uk DAUGHTERS OF GAEA 07813 313768; daughtersofgaea.com DESIGN VINTAGE 01243 573852; designvintage.co.uk DFS 0333 999 9777; dfs.co.uk DREAMS 0800 652 6750; dreams.co.uk

E EBAY ebay.co.uk ERCOL ercol.com/en-gb ETSY etsy.com/uk F FENWICK & TILBROOK 01362 684125; fenwickandtilbrook.com FINNISH DESIGN SHOP finnishdesignshop.com FOLIE CHAMBRE foliechambre.com G GP & J BAKER gpjbaker.com H HARRIS AND JONES 01908 587858; harrisandjones.co.uk HOBBYCRAFT hobbycraft.co.uk HOMEBASE 0333 003 7084; homebase.co.uk I IKEA 020 3645 0000; ikea.co.uk J JANE BECK WELSH BLANKETS 01570 493241; welshblankets.co.uk JANE CHURCHILL 020 7370 4529; janechurchill.com JANE MEANS 01522 522544; janemeans.com JOLEE TABLECLOTHS 0800 118 2857; joleetablecloths.co.uk JONATHAN ADLER 020 7589 9563; uk.jonathanadler.com KIP K KIOSK kiphideaways.com/kip-kiosk L LABOUR AND WAIT labourandwait.co.uk LAKELAND 01539 488100; lakeland.co.uk LAUREN FOWLER CERAMICS laurenfowlerceramics.etsy.com LAYLA ROBINSON DESIGN laylarobinson.com

LIBERTY libertylondon.com LINDSAY ALKER lindsayalker.com LISA CORTI lisacorti.com/en M MADE made.com MELIN TREGWYNT 01348 891225; melintregwynt.co.uk MINIONS OF CRAFT minionsofcraft.co.uk N NICHOLAS ENGERT INTERIORS 01488 657900; nicholasengert.co.uk P PAMELA PRINT pamelaprint.com PETER LANYON FURNITURE peterlanyonfurniture.co.uk PETRA PALUMBO petrapalumbo.com R RAJ TENT CLUB 020 8847 2212; rajtentclub.com ROBERTS 0333 014 2505; robertsradio.com S ST EVAL st-eval.com SANDERSON sanderson. sandersondesigngroup.com SELFRIDGES selfridges.com SHEPHERDS shepherdsicecream. co.uk SMINK STUDIO smink.studio SOPHIE CONRAN sophieconran.com T THERMOS thermos.co.uk TOAST toa.st V VOLGA LINEN 01728 635020; volgalinen.com W WEAR GARSON weargarsonclothing.com WELSH BREW 01792 363391; welshbrewtea.co.uk WHSMITH whsmith.co.uk WINTER’S MOON 01243 781127; wintersmoon.co.uk AUGUST 2022

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HOLIDAYS CRUISES | TOURS | HOTELS In this issue, we’ve cherry-picked our favourite itineraries, giving you the chance to travel in the company of like-minded CL readers. Get ready to be inspired by our experts, explore remote British islands, or step back in time to the golden age of travel on a luxurious day out. Want more for this year and next? Insightful tours? Natural wonders? Fantastic inclusions? Then visit countrylivingholidays.com, get comfortable with a cuppa and start planning your next getaway…

Country Living editor-in-chief

Island hop in the UNTOUCHED HEBRIDES

THE COUNTRY LIVING HOLIDAYS GUARANTEE Low deposits – many of our trips can be booked with low deposits starting at just £75pp. Your money is safe because your trips are protected by one of the following schemes: TTA, ABTA, AITO, ABTOT or the Global Travel Group’s consumerprotection guarantee scheme. Flight-inclusive trips are also ATOLprotected. This government-backed scheme safeguards your money and will assist you if a company goes out of business. If there is any reason why your trip may be cancelled, our experts will be in touch. If you have any questions or concerns, email countrylivingholidays@hearst.co.uk and we will be on hand to help.

Discover the best of Scotland’s islands, including the ‘whisky island’ of Islay and the famous Isle of Mull

rom deserted beaches to dramatic lochs and lofty mountains, the wild beauty of the Inner and Outer Hebrides makes for an unforgettable experience. On this spectacular 11-day cruise of the Scottish islands, you will get to take in the fantastic scenery as you hop from isle to isle. You will stroll along the rugged coastline and see various birds and wildlife, as well as get a taste of what it is like to live on the Atlantic Ocean archipelago while on visits to

whisky distilleries and tweed-weavers. Beginning your journey in Glasgow, you will board the comfortable, modern and environmentally progressive MS Spitsbergen, which will take you to the Isle of Mull. Here, you will visit its capital, Tobermory, where brightly painted houses ring the bay. You will also see Arran, a haven for wildlife; the ‘whisky island’ of Islay; Iona, with its ancient religious connections; and Eigg, with its Iron Age forts. On Hirta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will have the chance to see minke whales swimming nearby.

Meet St Kilda’s feathered residents

OUR TRAVEL PARTNER Tripsmiths partners with leading tour operators and media brands to deliver exclusive travel experiences

Visit Tobermory, one of Scotland’s prettiest ports OUR TRAVEL PARTNER TS TOURS LTD specialises in bespoke expert-led tours and is working in partnership with Hurtigruten, the world leader in exploration travel, to offer unique adventures from pole to pole.

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NEW XIMOS EUM IPSAM 2023 DATES AUTET LATUR, AXIMENIT, FOR THIS SEQUOS RERORE NESTIOS UT SELL-OUT PRO BEATUR SOLUPTAM CRUISE ET

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YOUR ITINERARY DAY 1 Glasgow and board MS Spitsbergen DAY 2 Isle of Arran DAY 3 Islay DAY 4 Isle of Gigha DAY 5 Iona & Treshnish Isles DAY 6 St Kilda & Hirta DAY 7 Stornoway & Shiant Isles DAY 8 Loch Scavaig & Eigg DAY 9 Sound of Mull DAY 10 Colonsay DAY 11 Glasgow and disembark MS Spitsbergen

THE BEST OF THE HEBRIDES The islands have something for everyone, from stunning sea views and skyscapes to kayaking in bays and delicious seafood. You’ll discover the history of ancient clans, Irish missionaries, Viking settlements and lochs painted by Turner. CRUISE ON MS SPITSBERGEN The ship has comfortable cabins, hot tubs, a panoramic sauna and gym. You’ll enjoy all meals, including house beer and wines, fizzy drinks and tea and coffee, in the Aune Restaurant, and Wi-Fi on board.

Fancy exploring Scotland’s islands? Tick off several in one trip

That’s the spirit! Sample Islay’s famous whiskies

EXPLORE GLASGOW Before you depart on the cruise and after you disembark, you’ll have a chance to explore Glasgow. With Victorian and Art Nouveau architecture, plus more than 20 museums and galleries, there’s lots to see. UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES On Islay, you’ll discover the distilleries of the peaty single malt whiskies the island is famous for. In the port of Tobermory, you’ll enjoy a special pub visit. You’ll also see nesting puffins and predatory skuas on the cliffs of the St Kilda archipelago.

THE PRICE From £2,890pp* THE DATES 14-24 April, 24 April-4 May, 4-14 May 2023 TO BOOK Call 020 8131 8421, quoting CL SCOTTISH ISLES For more details and the full itinerary, go to countryliving. com/uk/hebrides *Price based on two people sharing a cabin. Subject to availability. Single supplement applies. Price correct at time of print. Deposit 20%. Balance is due 90 days before your scheduled departure date. Trip 100% protected by ATOL (3584) and ABTA (V7545). Holidays are operated by and subject to the booking conditions of Hurtigruten, a company wholly independent of Hearst UK. This offer is exclusive to Hearst UK and may be promoted by other Hearst brands. Cancellation T&Cs available at hurtigruten.co.uk/practicalinformation/terms-and-conditions

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY GETTY IMAGES; SHUTTERSTOCK

THE HIGHLIGHTS

YOU’LL GET THE CHANCE TO… Spend ten nights spectacular island aboard MS scenery and Spitsbergen, charming towns with breakfast, of the Inner and lunch, dinner Outer Hebrides and beverages Visit Loch included Coruisk, one Spot amazing of Scotland’s birds and wildlife most beautiful in St Kilda and the freshwater lakes Treshnish Isles Enjoy a private Go on a range visit to Duart of included Castle on the Isle excursions of Mull, hosted See the by the clan chief

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Enjoy the Call The Midwife walking tour

E XC LU S I V E TO U R

Sip champagne on the Belmond British Pullman

Ride the classic Belmond British Pullman train and hear a talk by actor Helen George

tepping on board the Belmond British Pullman is like taking a trip back in time to the golden era of train travel, and you will enjoy a journey on it to a fantastic walking tour at the Historic Dockyard Chatham. This special day begins at London Victoria station where you will board the opulent Belmond British Pullman. The vintage train will carry you through the Kent countryside in true style. On board, you will be served brunch and a Bellini cocktail, before arriving at the Historic Dockyard Chatham. There, you will be transported back in time as a costumed midwife takes you on a walking tour, before a light lunch. Actor Helen George will give a talk and Q&A session. The tour comes to an end

MEET OUR SPECIAL GUEST Helen George has played the fun-loving and kind nurse Trixie Franklin in Call The Midwife since 2012. Helen also partnered with Aljaž Škorjanec in the 2015 series of Strictly and reached the quarter-finals.

with a Call The Midwife exhibition, which includes set props and costumes. You will then be welcomed back on board the Belmond British Pullman for a delicious champagne afternoon tea as you enjoy a leisurely journey back to London.

THE HIGHLIGHTS TRAVEL IN STYLE Your train journey will be on the luxury Belmond British Pullman. A three-course brunch and a Bellini are included, as well as a champagne afternoon tea. CALL THE MIDWIFE TOUR Walk in the footsteps of Sister Julienne and Dr Turner, led by your own costumed midwife. Spot iconic locations, such as ‘Chummy’s Hill’, where Nurse Noakes learned to ride her bike. The tour culminates with a Call The Midwife exhibition. MEET HELEN GEORGE Over a light lunch, including cakes and sandwiches, you’ll enjoy a talk by actor Helen George. She’ll share stories from her brilliant on-screen career and answer your questions during a Q&A session. HISTORIC DOCKYARD CHATHAM The Historic Dockyard Chatham has many stories to tell from its 400-year history and houses some of Great Britain’s most iconic ships of yesteryear.

OUR TRAVEL PARTNER TS TOURS LTD specialises in creating bespoke holidays, cruises and rail journeys in the company of experts.

YOUR ITINERARY DEPART from London Victoria station; board the Belmond British Pullman; brunch; arrive at Historic Dockyard Chatham; take the Call The Midwife walking tour; light lunch and talk with Helen George; time at leisure to explore the Historic Dockyard Chatham and naval attractions; board the Belmond British Pullman for champagne afternoon tea and return to London Victoria YOU’LL GET THE CHANCE TO… Enjoy a delicious walking tour brunch and Explore Historic afternoon tea Dockyard during your train Chatham and journey on the its fascinating iconic Belmond naval displays British Pullman at your leisure Hear a talk and ALSO INCLUDED enjoy a Q&A Coach transfers session with from Chatham Helen George station to Historic while enjoying Dockyard a light lunch Chatham and Go on the Call general admission The Midwife to the Dockyard

THE PRICE From £599pp* THE DATES 23 October 2022 TO BOOK Call 020 4579 2498, quoting CL CHATHAM AUG22 For more details and the full itinerary, go to countryliving. com/uk/chathambelmond *Price based on sharing a table of four and subject to availability. This trip will be promoted by select UK media partners. In the case of unforeseen circumstances, expert(s) may be substituted, and any expert-led events and the overall itinerary may be subject to change. Expert(s) will not join you for your full trip duration unless otherwise stated. This is a walking tour with some uneven surfaces; please ensure you wear comfortable footwear. It is wheelchairfriendly, but please advise us in advance if you have any mobility issues and we will accommodate you the best we can.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALAMY

Experience the GOLDEN AGE of travel

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Discover the region’s landmarks, landscapes and history with insight from a former BBC correspondent Visit Hillsborough Castle and Gardens

At Titanic Belfast you can delve into the history of the infamous ocean liner

ix together the warm welcome and the scenery, and Northern Ireland is a beautiful place to visit. Over six days, you’ll be enchanted by the region’s diversity, from its cities to its landscapes, including the Giant’s Causeway and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens. You’ll learn the history that has shaped Northern Ireland, with Kate Adie, who will share her perspective on events that unfolded during the Troubles. See the

MEET OUR SPECIAL GUEST Kate Adie is the BBC’s former chief news correspondent. Kate covered the Troubles for more than ten years, giving her a fascinating perspective into a tumultuous time in history.

Titanic Belfast museum, go on a black taxi tour of Belfast, take the coast road through the Glens of Antrim to Ballycastle, taste whiskey at Old Bushmills Distillery and visit Derry and Armagh.

THE HIGHLIGHTS SPECIAL EVENTS WITH KATE ADIE As a news correspondent, Kate covered the Troubles for more than a decade and will share her perspective during a talk. A TASTE OF IRELAND At Bushmills, the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery, you’ll have the chance to sample some of Ireland’s finest whiskey. NATURAL WONDERS Admire the Giant’s Causeway and take a scenic route that hugs the coast and cuts through the Glens of Antrim. FASCINATING HISTORY From the place where the Titanic was built and launched to the royal residence where peace talks unfolded, you will visit must-see historic locations.

OUR TRAVEL PARTNER TS TOURS LTD specialises in creating bespoke holidays, cruises and rail journeys in the company of experts.

YOUR ITINERARY DAY 1 Belfast DAY 2 Titanic Belfast and city tour DAY 3 Belfast, Antrim and Giant’s Causeway DAY 4 Derry and Enniskillen DAY 5 Armagh and Belfast DAY 6 Depart YOU’LL GET THE CHANCE TO… Enjoy five nights Causeway, in four-star hotels Ulster American in Belfast, Derry Folk Park and and Enniskillen, Hillsborough with breakfasts Castle and and some Gardens dinners included Take guided Learn about tours of Derry Northern and Armagh Ireland’s history Listen to from Kate Adie traditional music Visit the at a famous acclaimed thatched pub, Titanic Belfast with a barbecue and see where dinner the infamous ALSO INCLUDED ship was created Return flights and Take a guided transfers from black taxi tour London to Belfast, of Belfast and transfers Enjoy whiskey and transport by tasting at Old luxury coach with Bushmills Distillery a driver who is Visit the Giant’s also a guide

THE PRICE From £1,240pp* THE DATES 8-13 October 2022 TO BOOK Call 020 4579 2577, quoting CL ADIE AUG22 For more details and the full itinerary, go to countryliving. com/uk/kateadie CL recommends readers CARBON OFFSET all flights. Find info at climatecare.org *Price based on two sharing a room. Deposit 20%. Single supplement: £270. Subject to availability. Tour is operated by TS Tours Ltd, a company wholly independent of Hearst UK. Travel insurance is not included. In the case of unforeseen circumstances, expert(s) may be substituted, and any expert-led events and the overall itinerary may be subject to change. Expert(s) will not join you for your full trip duration unless otherwise stated.

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; SHUTTERSTOCK

Explore beautiful NORTHERN IRELAND with KATE ADIE

EARLY BOOKING ADVISED FOR THIS ANNUAL EVENT

HOLIDAYS E XC LU S I V E TO U R

Stroll around Funchal’s farm market

Experience the floral parades at the Flower Festival

Enjoy a horticultural tour of this island’s many wonderful gardens and see the Flower Festival with the expert presenter and gardener

hanks to its fertile volcanic soil, Madeira is a plant-lover’s paradise, with a range of species – from imported jacaranda trees, orchids and bird of paradise plants to its UNESCO-listed native laurel forest. It has been named the World’s Leading Island Destination at the World Travel Awards since 2015. You’ll visit the wonderful island in time for its famous Flower Festival, when the streets of Funchal are filled with floral floats and parades. You’ll enjoy the company of horticulturist and presenter, Christine Walkden, who will join you before hosting

MEET OUR SPECIAL GUEST Christine has more than 40 years as a horticultural expert, has worked at Kew Gardens and presented TV programmes such as Gardeners’ World, Christine’s Garden, Great British Garden Revival and The One Show.

a talk, and spend a day touring some of Madeira’s finest gardens with you. Funchal, where you’ll be staying, is packed with highlights such as its 15th-century cathedral.

THE HIGHLIGHTS ENJOY THE FLOWER FESTIVAL You’ll be mesmerised by the sights and smells of the colourful festival in Funchal. EVENTS WITH CHRISTINE WALKDEN The gardening expert will join you for an evening reception, give an insightful talk and join you as you explore the Flower Festival and several of Madeira’s beautiful gardens. EXPLORE FUNCHAL Stroll around the Old Town, and wander through tree-lined walkways, lively squares and winding streets. STYLISH HOTEL Your stylish four-star hotel has a relaxing spa and two swimming pools. INCREDIBLE LANDSCAPES Madeira’s east coast features some of the island’s highest peaks and the Ribeiro Frio Natural Park, where you’ll enjoy some of the best views on the island.

OUR TRAVEL PARTNER TS TOURS LTD specialises in creating bespoke holidays, cruises and rail journeys in the company of experts.

YOUR ITINERARY DAY 1 Arrive in Funchal DAY 2 Explore Funchal DAY 3 Eastern Madeira DAY 4 Curral das Freiras, Eira do Serrado and Camara de Lobos DAY 5 Palheiro Gardens DAY 6 Monte Palace Garden, Quinta do Largo & Jardin do Largo DAY 7 Botanical Gardens and Flower Festival DAY 8 Departure YOU’LL GET THE CHANCE TO… Visit the Madeira Visit a winery Flower Festival and take part in with Christine wine tasting Walkden Eat a delicious Hear a talk and afternoon tea at join a drinks the Belmond reception Reid’s Palace with Christine hotel Walkden Visit Porto da Enjoy a walking Cruz and enjoy tour of Funchal a rum tasting Spend seven ALSO INCLUDED nights’ allAll transfers and inclusive at the tours as specified four-star Enotel in the itinerary, Magnolia Hotel reserved seat Enjoy visits at the Flower to some of Festival, all Madeira’s best entrances as gardens, specified in the including the itinerary, services Botanical of a professional Gardens and the English-speaking Jardin do Largo guide

THE PRICE From £1,899pp* THE DATES 3-10 May 2023 TO BOOK Call 020 4579 3025, quoting CL MADEIRA WALK AUG22 For more details and the full itinerary, go to countryliving. com/uk/christinemadeira CL recommends readers CARBON OFFSET all flights. Find info at climatecare.org *Price is per person, based on two people sharing a double room. Single supplement available on request. Deposit £379.80pp. Prices shown are subject to availability and change. Always check the FCDO travel advice, as it includes the very latest information on safety, security, travel warnings and health. For more information, visit gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; SHUTTERSTOCK

Visit MADEIRA’S famous FLOWER FESTIVAL with CHRISTINE WALKDEN

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HOLIDAYS E XC LU S I V E TO U R

Travel through France and Switzerland and enjoy crystal-clear blue lakes and picture-perfect villages

ith its mountains and lakes, the Alps are a great destination for those who appreciate the beauty of nature, and on this trip you’ll have time to soak up the scenery. Your base for the week will be La Clusaz, where you’ll find yourself surrounded by mountain views and traditional chalet-style buildings. You’ll have the opportunity to witness stunning views as you spend a day on the Mont-Blanc Express. You’ll see magical vistas as you travel on one of the world’s most famous mountain rail lines. There’ll be time to explore quaint towns and wander along the shores of Lake Annecy, enjoying its serenity and

calm waters. You’ll spend a day in Aix-les-Bains, one of Europe’s most fashionable destinations, and enjoy a trip to Geneva.

THE HIGHLIGHTS MONT-BLANC EXPRESS Embark on a scenic rail journey that takes you through the Trient Valley, with its forests, gorges and Alpine villages. THE ‘VENICE OF THE ALPS’ Enjoy Annecy’s stunning lake, crystal-clear canals, traffic-free streets, elegant bridges and colourful houses. EXPLORE HISTORIC CITIES Visit Geneva, where you can see St Pierre Cathedral, wander by the lake or visit the city’s museums.

Visit serene Lake Annecy

Discover Geneva’s rich history OUR TRAVEL PARTNER TS TOURS LTD specialises in bespoke and expert-led tours, and is working in partnership with Arena Travel, one of the UK’s leading special-interest holiday companies.

YOUR ITINERARY DAY 1 Travel by Eurostar from London to Paris, then continue by rail to Annecy DAY 2 Stroll around your base, La Clusaz, before exploring Geneva DAY 3 Visit delightful Lake Annecy DAY 4 Ride the Mont-Blanc Express DAY 5 Enjoy fashionable Aix-les-Bains DAY 6 Travel back to Paris; Eurostar back to London YOU’LL GET THE CHANCE TO… Take a return Geneva and journey on the enjoy the Eurostar from dramatic views London to Paris, of Mont Blanc with connecting Explore Annecy, rail journeys the ‘Venice of Enjoy five nights of the Alps’ accommodation Enjoy views on a half-board of the largest basis in the glacier in France, mountain resort the Mer de Glace of La Clusaz at Visit Lake the four-star Hotel Bourget and the Beauregard thermal spa town Ride the of Aix-les-Bains Mont-Blanc ALSO INCLUDED Express from Coach transfers Saint-Gervais-les- throughout and Bains to Chamonix the services of Take a trip to a tour manager

THE PRICE From £1,095pp* THE DATES 4-9 and 18-23 September 2022; and 14-19 and 21-26 May, 11-16 June, 3-8 September and 15-20 October 2023 TO BOOK Call 020 4579 6674, quoting CLMB0622 For more details and the full itinerary, go to countryliving. com/uk/montblanc **Price based on two sharing a room on a 14 May 2023 departure. Single supplement available from £220. Deposit £175pp. Price shown is subject to availability and change. Always check the FCDO travel advice, as it includes the latest information on safety, security, travel warnings and health. For more information, visit gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. Offer is operated by and subject to the booking conditions of Arena Travel, a company wholly independent of Hearst

to beautiful locations at countrylivingholidays.com

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; GETTY IMAGES; SHUTTERSTOCK

Ride the MONT-BLANC EXPRESS and visit beautiful LAKE ANNECY

O U R S E P T E M B E R I S S U E I S O N S A L E F R O M 2 7 J U LY

next month... An autumnal garden that blends into its rural surroundings At home with Ben Fogle in his relaxed family retreat How a sprinkle of seasalt brings drama to dishes NEVER MISS AN ISSUE TURN TO PAGE 104 TO SEE OUR LATEST SUBSCRIPTION OR RENEWAL OFFER

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EMILY ASTBURY Looking for something to adorn your interiors whether it be your personal space or new business area? Emily is a British print designer who works independently to create bespoke artworks and patterns for interior spaces. Emily’s designs will create a statement in any space using bold themes and colours to create luxurious artworks for your space. @eastrosurfacedesign emilyastbury@hotmail.co.uk Freelance Print Designer

Lifestyle essentials Treat yourself MODERN, MINIMALIST FURNITURE Urban Editions presents a collection of high-quality, customisable furniture with a minimalist, midcentury aesthetic designed and made in the UK using sustainable hardwoods. The range includes TV stands, coffee tables, console tables, desks and a unique selection of cabinets for the music enthusiast with a vinyl record collection or Hi-Fi equipment, although these may equally double as a sideboard. Every product is made from solid wood in one of four choices; walnut, oak, iroko and a dark stained ash with multiple size options and leg styles always available. See the full range at TheUrbanEditions.com

WILVERLEY The Absolute King of Swing! Made for the British summer, the Idler Swingseat from Wilverley is a traditionally upholstered swinging garden sofa. Choice of colours, washable marine canvas (all loose covers), spring cushions and a 100% stainless steel foldable frame, so no tools required. The Idler isn’t just a fairweather friend! £2395. One week delivery. Call 01843603462 or visit www.wilverley.com Worldwide shipping.

advertisement feature LAZY SUSAN FURNITURE Lazy Susan specialise in timeless sand cast aluminium garden furniture. Our beautiful sets are designed to inspire you to bring the inside outside and make the most of your garden with friends and family. Each hand-crafted piece is powder coated to produce a lasting and durable finish. Rust and rot-proof, our furniture is maintenance-free and designed to live outside all year. We make your garden look great, and stay that way, for very little effort.

With such a wide range of beautifully crafted designs, you’ll be enjoying the great outdoors every chance you get. You can find the perfect set for your garden, patio or even balcony with an accessible variety of sizes. Finishing touches such as cushions, parasols and accessories are also crafted with durability in mind, so you can find everything you need to create lasting memories at the heart of your garden. www.lazysusanfurniture.co.uk 01243 717 197

Save over 50% on your parasol

Stylish living For you and your home

THE NATURAL GARDEN

THE CORNISH BED COMPANY Using traditional hand casting techniques, THE CORNISH BED COMPANY has been crafting metal beds for almost three decades at their foundry in Cornwall. Their collections feature cast iron, brass and nickel beds, daybeds, four poster beds, dog beds & many more. Visit www.cornishbeds.co.uk and follow @cornishbedco on Instagram to find out more.

More garden designers are looking for a natural feel. While looking beautiful, it also promotes wildlife back into the urban environment. With hundreds of colour, size and texture combinations available from Stone Warehouse the possibilities for creating a stunning garden are endless. With an evergrowing portfolio of gravels, pebbles, cobbles, boulders and rockery, Stone Warehouse is a one stop shop for all your landscaping needs. A friendly and helpful sales team are on hand to offer advice. Visit stonewarehouse.co.uk or call us on 01629 636212.

THE ART OF CLEANING The SEBO X7 Pastel Blue adds contemporary style and superior cleaning performance to your home. This intelligent machine, with its patented Computer Control System, optimises performance by ensuring that the brush is always at the correct height for the floor. The deep cleaning boost function will lift the pile and tease out embedded hair and dirt. It goes flat to clean under furniture and with its LED Search Light, dust really has nowhere to hide. T: 01494 465533 W: www.sebo.co.uk Instagram: @sebo_uk

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NO MORE SUMMER CHAFING

A TOAST TO THE PAST

Embrace the heat of the season without the discomfort of burning thighs. The Big Bloomers Company’s Anti Chafing Slip Shorts are the ultimate summer solution. Designed in Britain and made in Italy using seamless technology, they’re extremely soft, lightweight and breathable – so much so, you’ll barely know you’ve got them on. Sizes UK 8 – 36+ Call 01326 373268 or order securely online at www.thebigbloomerscompany.co.uk

An eclectic mix of antiques and curios from a bygone era. 15% off with coupon: 15TOAST15 Matthew John Cook Tel / Text: 07584 320401 Email: atoasttothepast@hotmail.com www.etsy.com/shop/atoasttothepast

Stylish living For you and your home

CLASSIC AND ELEGANT CUTLERY DESIGNED FOR MODERN LIVING This delightful range is Old English mirror finish stainless steel with dishwasher safe cream handled knives. Exclusive price – Set for six people at £395, this includes six seven-piece place settings (as shown) and two table spoons. A set for four people costs £260. Prices include VAT and UK delivery. www.glazebrook.com Tel: 020 7731 7135.

SUZY HAMILTON We specialise in dresses and complete outfits designed and made in the UK using fabrics of the highest quality including silks, linens, brocades and cotton. Many of our frocks give more than a nod to the spectacular and glamorous styling of the 1950s and 60s. Visit our boutiques in Holt and Harrogate. www.suzyhamilton.co.uk

BUTTON DOLLS Magical handcrafted fairy dolls sewn with love in beautiful rural West Sussex. Made from tea-dyed calico, dressed with beautiful fabric and embellished with trinkets and trims vintage and new, our dolls make special gifts for daughters, mothers and friends. www.buttondolls.com 01903 893266

advertisement feature STYLISH WIDE FITTING SHOES

HANDMADE ESPADRILLES HEAVEN-SENT Celebrate life’s precious moments with BY SHOEDOLLY ShoeDolly espadrilles are so comfortable and easy to wear for any occasion. Whether out and about or relaxing at home you will love the comfort of ShoeDolly. Choose from a gorgeous selection of classic colours. With soft cotton upper and flexible sole. Choice of heel height. Handmade in Spain. £45. Order online at www.shoedolly.com

Christin Ranger’s beautiful Heaven-Sent locket necklace. Available in sterling silver or 18K gold vermeil, each locket is set with a natural moonstone to symbolise light, hope and luck. Presented on a 20” chain with 2” extender. Silver £55, 19K Gold Vermeil £78. (P&P included) Order online at www.Christinranger.com Or call for details 01424 773091

Wider Fit Shoes Ltd offers stylish, affordable shoes to fit you perfectly – whatever your width. Today, they are the leading supplier of wide-fitting shoes in the UK, offering footwear from EE through to 8E fittings. Their entire range of shoes and slippers are adjustable, durable, lightweight and flexible and every purchase is backed by their no quibble guarantee. No wonder they’re recommended by foot health professionals nationwide. For a free, colour catalogue or more information please call 01933 311077 or order securely online at www.widerfitshoes.co.uk Please quote CLX2226M f or 10% off your first order.

Style essentials Look your best DISCOVER FASHION, MADE FOR YOU We all want to look and feel fabulous, now it’s never been easier thanks to David Nieper’s new womenswear collection. Each piece is lovingly crafted in their Derbyshire studios from the finest fabrics. Expert designers and dressmakers create exclusive designs for sizes 10-24, each finished with the greatest of care for quality and style. Dress shown, style 8080. Shop at davidnieper.co.uk or call 01773 83 6000 for a catalogue.

LOOK YOUNGER LONGER REGENTIV SPECIALIST SERUM (WITH RETINOL) This delicate and oh so effective serum for lines, wrinkles, crepey eyes and neck, vertical lip lines, sun damage and much more. Unique formulation of retinol palmitate, aloe vera, vitamin E, SPF, moisturiser – perfect to use twice daily. 35ml £29.95, 50ml £44.95, 105ml £79.95, 200ml £149. To receive exclusive 15% reader discount apply code CL15 when ordering. www.regentiv.com or call 01923 212555 for advice or to order. Please see website for full range and special offers.

CRAFT WORKS GALLERY OF CORBRIDGE Here’s what you need to make summer happen – a lovely range of Sterling Silver jewellery, priced from £24 for the daisy earrings shown here (plus p&p). We also have a full range of silverplated jewellery, and then there’s so much more for you, your home, and your loved ones – from recycled metal animals and birds to eco-friendly cosmetics, bamboo socks, scarves and pashminas, and lots more. Come and have a look at: www.craftworksgallery.co.uk 01434 634500

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Björk Haraldsdóttir Contemporary Handbuilt Ceramics

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In need of a short break?

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A month in the life of… A GARLIC FARMER The Isle of Wight is a garlic hotspot. This month, 25,000 people gather just outside Newchurch for the annual Garlic Festival, which celebrates the harvest. There will be live music, cookery demonstrations and stalls selling local produce. I’ll be selling garlic from my farm nearby, where we grow hundreds of thousands of bulbs every year. We sell thousands of bulbs across 30 varieties. ‘Caulk Wight’, which has a purple tinge, is particularly popular. I helped set up the event in 1983 to raise money for the local school. I was inspired by the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California. Since it began, we’ve raised £250,000 for charity. Garlic is my life. I’ve travelled the world and trekked into Asia’s Tien Shan mountains to find Allium longicuspis, the ‘mother’ of garlic. I’ve also brought back varieties from Ukraine and the Caucasus, later selling them to customers to grow at home. The mid-Seventies heralded a great British garlic boom as Brits were developing a taste for garlic bread and chicken Kiev. By the Eighties, it was said there were more people in south-east England eating garlic than in northern France. Our farm in the Arreton Valley attracts 250,000 visitors a year. We have a restaurant and shop – and also offer walks and tastings. Our black garlic ice cream is a real hit. We sell it in our shop, along with 60 other garlic-infused products, including butter,

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cheese and beer made by a brewery beside the farm. Our products are also in 800 UK farm shops and delis. There are two main types of garlic: hardnecks, which produce a flowering stalk, and softnecks, which don’t. Bulbs are planted from October to February. By April, the fields are full of fresh green stalks. Nothing beats the excitement of harvest, which is from May to August. There’s always a whiff of garlic in the air. Machines lift the bulbs, then hands do the rest, so we employ more than 80 people. Drying the bulbs is the biggest challenge. We use glasshouses to recreate a Mediterranean climate. The garlic has a spring onionlike consistency at first, but within a month its skin will be crisp. I eat my produce every day. Hardnecks like ‘Kingsland Wight’ create strong base flavours, while softnecks like ‘Mersley Wight’ work well in dressings. My wife Jenny and I bake elephant garlic – technically closer to a leek – in foil, then squeeze the cloves to produce a sweet purée. I also enjoy the Ukrainian tradition of eating raw cloves with pork fat and a shot of vodka. The more garlic you eat, the less pungent your breath. The body’s ability to process garlic increases with consumption. Raw apple, lettuce and mint leaves also counter bad breath. The original Isle of Wight garlic is actually French. In 1942, 300 French sailors hosted in Cowes were missing a taste of home, so RAF pilots picked up a couple of sacks of garlic while delivering agents to occupied France. A landlord planted the bulbs, keeping the French happy for the rest of the war. THE ISLE OF WIGHT GARLIC FESTIVAL takes place from 20-21 August (garlicfestival.co.uk).

countryliving.com/uk

INTERVIEW BY SARAH BARRATT PHOTOGRAPH BY JULIAN WINSLOW

Ahead of the Isle of Wight Garlic Festival, Colin Boswell – the UK’s Garlic King – pays homage to this pungent plant

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