1 landscape magazine (january february 2016) r

www.landscapemagazine.co.uk

Life at nature’s pace

£4.25

Jan / Feb 2016

Frost and follies in North Yorkshire A potter inspired by the past

WINTER’S JEWELS

Issue 28 | Jan / Feb 2016 | £4.25

Secret valley’s ancient snowdrops

DOVETAIL GREENHOUSES

GREENHOUSES DESIGNED AND BUILT TO SUIT YOUR GARDEN

N S Greenbank Garden Clarkston Glasgow

dovetailgreenhouses.co.uk 0121 3112900

Life at nature’s pace

Dear reader...

T

HE NEW YEAR has arrived and with it winter’s frosts and snow, ideal conditions for a brisk walk. Not only is it exhilarating to stride along through a landscape bathed in white, breath misting in the cold air, but it is also the perfect excuse to indulge in a mug of rich hot chocolate or home-made soup on my return.

Then, as daylight wanes, an evening in front of the fire beckons. This is the time of year when I use the evenings to finish all the projects that were put on hold as I made Christmas presents. A visit to the wool shop results, as always, in me being unable to resist some of the many yarns filling its shelves. I succumb to the temptation of soft wools in myriad colours every time.

A hooded jacket has been waiting patiently to be completed for two months now. Crochet motifs sit in a bag, ready to be sewn together. They were intended to be a pastel-shaded blanket, but I didn’t make enough. Instead, they will see daylight as two or three cushion covers – equally beautiful and just as useful.

My knitting basket is filled with remnants of yarn. These prove useful when the cat decides he wants to play. I can distract him with a strand of leftover wool, and hope he leaves my current project alone. Watching him pounce and chase a length of yarn is always entertaining – but not when it is attached to a piece I want to finish!

Hilary Scott Editor

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Contents Jan / Feb 2016

84 24

116

110 In the garden

In the kitchen

Craft

10

Secret snowdrop valley

48

Salsify, oysters of the earth

40

Winter rose decorations

16

Importance of cold for plants

54

Lean and versatile venison

66

Knitted Scottish croft

20

Golden stars of Cornus mas

58

Warming puddings

73

Hobby horses from socks

24

Box of early colour

64

76

Homemade candles

28

Structure in a winter garden

Regional & Seasonal: The Pipe and Glass Inn

4

122 54 28 40 Country matters

History and heritage

Regulars

104 Keeping hunt traditions alive

78

Shed of garden treasures

6

Readers’ letters

110 The high-rise nesters

84

Potter inspired by the past

8

Our LandScape

122 Land of mist and marshes

90

The fabric of Scotland

26

Subscription offer

96

Centuries of casting bells

46

In the garden

62

In the kitchen

70

In the home

116 Follies in the Yorkshire frost

132 UK events

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Readers’ Letters Sharing your news and views of country life

A recipe index As soon as I receive my LandScape magazine I head straight to the recipe pages in anticipation of finding a new, seasonal dish to try. It is great to see that there is always a theme, such as the cakes made with vegetables and the squash recipes. May I suggest that an index of recipes at the front or back of the magazine would make it easier to find them in the back copies.

Star Letter Capturing wildlife My wife Margaret’s hobby is to take wildlife photographs and we act as a team. She photographs and I upload the images to her website. I also help spot the subjects. Having been interested in natural history since I was a boy, I am able to suggest where and when to look for particular subjects and, when found, how it might react. This allows Margaret to get into position. This is one of her shots of a wood mouse in our garden.

Olive Masters, Hampshire Blue bouquet

Brian Holland, by email

A dish of praise The Nov/Dec 2015 issue featured butternut squash dishes, of which I have tried one so far.

The roast squash with the mix of goat’s cheese and pomegranate was lovely. It was praised all round. I have already torn out the page and added it to my collection of best recipes.

I read with interest the article on drying hydrangeas in the Sept/Oct 2015 issue. When planning the flowers for my wedding day in early October, I always hoped to use a blue hydrangea head for my bouquet. After reading your feature, I duly set about attempting to dry fresh heads of hydrangea with varying success. However, the day before my wedding I struck lucky and bought a fresh stem from a local florist. As you can see from the attached photo the hydrangea provided beautiful hues. When I was making the bouquet, I included ivory roses, white freesia, rosemary and wheat. The day was filled with mists and mellow fruitfulness and was absolutely wonderful.

Eleanor Baynham, Kent

Sandy McCarthy, by email Getting hooked on cooking I have never bought cookery magazines, choosing LandScape instead for all the beautiful nature scenes and natural crafts. However, I have started trying out lots of your recipes, such as the delicious whisky and beetroot sausagemeat stuffing pictured here. Mine may not have been perfect to look at but, believe me, it was very tasty. Perhaps cooking can become one of my favourite pastimes after all.

Lucy Sobrero, by email Brightening the gloom

Teasing cloth

Here is my garden, looking beautiful in the fading light of a winter’s day. Such a sight is the perfect cure for the winter blues. That, a good walk and a read of LandScape magazine. The fresh air blows away the cobwebs and warms me up, and your magazine restores my energy, shining a bright light on gloomy days.

In the Nov/Dec 2015 issue, there was a pretty picture of teasels hanging in ‘Our Landscape’.

These were not the variety used for fullering. The teasel used on cloth, Dipsacus fullonum sub species sativus, is longer, tougher and has hooks on each spine. It is not native to UK. Until very recently they were grown as a crop in Somerset.

Deborah Fulford, by email

Cilla Platt, by email

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WRITE TO LANDSCAPE We love hearing about how our readers are enjoying the seasons. Write and tell us about a craft project you have been working on, an interesting place you have discovered or an issue about the countryside you want to share. Letters or emails should come with one or two good-sized photos, taken on a digital camera or smartphone. Write to Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA or landscapemagazine@bauermedia.co.uk.

Rehoming a hedgehog After seeing your article in the Sept/Oct 2015 issue about building a hedgehog house, I decided to apply to re-house a rescue hedgehog in my garden. I am now on the waiting list. I have been told that I need to feed him and provide a home.

Your article not only inspired me to look after a hedgehog but showed how to build him a home.

Sue Rollason, Shropshire Gnome creations Lanterns light up the garden I had already picked a large bunch of physalis to dry in a vase when I saw your flower craft article in the Nov/Dec 2015 issue. That, and the autumn sunshine, inspired me to pick a few more and be more creative. I cut some old grape vines to make a wreath base and added crocosmia seedheads to create a starburst around the edge.

I then threaded in a few stems of freshly picked Chinese lanterns. As I look out from my kitchen window, it is beautiful against the weathered wood of my potting table.

Here is my modification of the pine cone gnome design from 2014’s LandScape Nov/Dec issue. I use them as place names for our family Christmas table setting.

Jean Lewis, West Midlands

Rescued from the loft

Melvyn Griffiths, Anglesey

Aromatic end to fleas I loved your idea for using salt to rid carpets and sofas of fleas (Nov/Dec 2015). It’s wonderful to find a completely natural solution that works.

I filled a jam jar with fresh rosemary sprigs from the garden and table salt, left it to infuse for a few days and then sprinkled it. It leaves an uplifting aroma of woody, herbal rosemary.

If you or someone you know are aged between 16 and 24 and are interested in work experience opportunities at LandScape go to www.gothinkbig.co.uk

Editor Hilary Scott Art Director Rachel Hawkins Assistant Editor Katy Islip Production Editor Adèle Donaghie Art Editor Katie Peake Editorial Assistant Victoria Hackney-Williams ADVERTISING – Phone 01733 468000 Group Advertisement Director Trevor Newman Commercial Director Iain Grundy Key Account Manager Kayleigh Nicolaou Sales Executive Amy Woods MARKETING – Phone 01733 468000 Product Manager Lynne Fairburn Brand Manager Charlotte Walsh Direct Marketing Manager Julie Spires Direct Marketing Executive Rebecca Lambert Head of Newstrade Marketing Leon Benoiton PRODUCTION – Phone 01733 468000 Print Production Colin Robinson Printed by Polestar Bicester Distributed by Frontline SUBSCRIPTIONS AND BACK ISSUES To ensure that you never miss an issue and for the best subscription offers visit www.greatmagazines.co.uk.

For subscription or back issue queries please contact CDS Global on Bauer@subscription.co.uk Phone from the UK on 01858 438884 Phone from overseas on +44 (0)1858 438884

Julie Smith, Berks The article about Steve and Alison, the rocking-horse carvers (Christmas 2015) inspired me to bring down from the loft the rocking-horse I made for my grandchildren in 1989. It is oak, with real horse hair for the mane.

LandScape, Bauer Media, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA. Phone 01733 468000 Website www.landscapemagazine.co.uk

STAR LETTER PRIZE This issue’s star letter writer receives a copy of Michelin-starred chef James Mackenzie’s award-winning cookbook, On the Menu, worth £30. Containing over 70 recipes celebrating the best of British food, the book is beautifully illustrated and includes a personalised dedication from James, who runs East Yorkshire’s Pipe and Glass Inn. To find out more visit www.pipeandglass.co.uk.

BAUER CONSUMER MEDIA Managing Director – Leisure and Technology Kim Slaney Editorial Director June Smith-Sheppard Head of Digital Charlie Calton-Watson Group Direct Marketing Director Chris Gadsby Finance Director Lisa Hayden Group Finance Director Sarah Vickery Group Managing Director Rob Munro-Hall CEO Paul Keenan COMPLAINTS: Bauer Consumer Media Limited is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (www.ipso.co.uk) and endeavours to respond to and resolve your concerns quickly. Our Editorial Complaints Policy (including full details of how to contact us about editorial complaints and IPSO’s contact details) can be found at www.bauermediacomplaints.co.uk. Our email address for editorial complaints covered by the Editorial Complaints Policy is complaints@bauermedia.co.uk.

No part of the magazine may be reproduced in any form in whole or in part, without the prior permission of Bauer. All material published remains the copyright of Bauer and we reserve the right to copy or edit, any material submitted to the magazine without further consent. The submission of material (manuscripts or images etc) to Bauer Media, whether unsolicited or requested, is taken as permission to publish that material in the magazine, on the associated website, any apps or social media pages affiliated to the magazine, and any editions of the magazine published by our licensees elsewhere in the world. By submitting any material to us you are confirming that the material is your own original work or that you have permission from the copyright owner to use the material and to authorise Bauer to use it as described in this paragraph. You also promise that you have permission from anyone featured or referred to in the submitted material to it being used by Bauer. If Bauer receives a claim from a copyright owner or a person featured in any material you have sent us, we will inform that person that you have granted us permission to use the relevant material and you will be responsible for paying any amounts due to the copyright owner or featured person and/or for reimbursing Bauer for any losses it has suffered as a result.

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Caroline Glazebrook, by email

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Our LandScape The best of the season to inspire and admire

DERELICT BEAUTY Author Dave Hamilton roved across the whole of Britain to compile his book Wild Ruins, which explores more than 250 ruined monuments. These include abandoned villages, Victorian coastal forts, crag-top castles and industrial ruins.

Pictured is Old Wardour Castle, a 14th century ruin near Tisbury in Wiltshire. This six-sided building was partially destroyed in the English Civil War. Hamilton explores the origins and life of these haunting remains, as well as how and when they fell into disuse and ruin. Alongside the atmospheric photography, his book gives detailed descriptions of how to get to each historic site.

Wild Ruins by Dave Hamilton £16.99, www.wildthingspublishing.com

ICING OF FROST Flowers of common ivy, Hedera helix, grow in globular clusters called umbels, with all the stalks originating from a single point.

These late flowers stay on the plant through the winter, adding to the beauty of the garden when coated with frost.

Ivy has two distinct kinds of foliage, juvenile and adult.

Juvenile leaves are those seen in the creeping or early climbing stages. These young evergreen leaves have three to nine lobes and are up to 6in (15cm) long, depending on the variety.

Later, unlobed adult leaves, coated with fine, fuzzy hairs, develop as the plant achieves height and stability. The juvenile leaves are more likely to be damaged by hard frost, but the plant usually regenerates.

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BRINGING NEW YEAR LUCK Long a part of Hogmany celebrations, the historic custom of first footing takes place in homes across Scotland in the early hours of 1 January. The name refers to the first foot in the house after midnight. A first footer brings traditional gifts including a lump of coal to lay on the fire, shortbread, a black bun and whisky to toast the new year. To arrive empty-handed is considered to be unlucky for the household.

CELESTIAL SHOWERS Winter’s long hours of darkness offer stargazers ample opportunity to study the heavens. Early January is the time of the annual Quadrantid meteor shower. Made up of debris from an asteroid called 2003 EH1, it is visible between 1-5 January, peaking on 3-4 January. In 2016, the best time to look for the Quadrantids is predicted to be after midnight on 4 January. Meteors in this shower may be seen all over the sky, but most appear to fall from the constellation Bootes, close to the North Star. Watching the northern skies at the darkest point of the night, usually between midnight to 2am, is recommended.

From 15-21 February, the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Parks are hosting a Dark Skies Festival. On clear nights, places such as the Ribblehead Viaduct (pictured) in the Yorkshire Dales park are sufficiently far from sources of light pollution for the Milky Way to be seen with the naked eye. Event information is found at www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/darkskies or www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/stargazing.

Photography: Scottish Viewpoint; Derek Finch; Matthew Savage; GAP; Alamy

A HISTORIC DANCE

WRAPPED IN SOFT COLOUR This blanket made from 100 per cent Welsh wool is the work of textile designer Karen Morgan. Designed in her studio in a 200-year-old former flour mill in Preseli, Pembrokeshire, it was made using traditional processes, techniques and looms in a local mill, run by the third generation of one family. The blanket is called Enfys, which means rainbow in Welsh. Measuring 82 x 68in (235 x 200cm) it comfortably fits a double bed or make a generous throw for chilly evenings.

Enfys woollen blanket £120, www.felinfach.com

Each January the Cambridgeshire town of Whittlesey celebrates a historic Fenland plough custom. Straw Bear – or Strawboer – Day, sees a man dressed in a suit of the previous harvest’s best straw. Led by a keeper, the ‘bear’ performs dances for rewards of food and drink. Straw Bear Day was originally held close to Plough Monday, the traditional start of the agricultural year in England.

It is not known when the tradition began, but it was revived in 1980 after dying out in the early 20th century.

Modern celebrations include displays of traditional Morris and clog dancing, plough boys, Mummers plays and live music. Collections are also made to support local charities.

When the festival concludes, the Bear’s costume is ceremonially burned. The 2016 Straw Bear Festival takes place on 15-17 January. www.strawbear.org.uk

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SECRET VALLEY CLOAKED IN WHITE A sheltered Somerset valley glimmers with a carpet of snowdrops that have thrived here for centuries

The petals look like drops of milk, giving the flower its scientific name, Galanthus nivalis. Gala means millk in Greek.

The road that accesses the valley is closed throughout February, but there are numerous ways to explore it on foot via waymarked paths.

I

N THE HEART of Exmoor lies a hidden valley that comes to life at one of the darkest times of the year, as it fills with a shimmering cascade of diminutive white flowers. For just four weeks in February, this special place opens to visitors who flock to see its carpet of beautiful snowdrops. The flowers tumble down the valley sides and cover the ground on either side of the River Avill.

The valley lies less than a mile north of the hamlet of Wheddon Cross, near Cutcombe in Somerset. It provides the perfect conditions for snowdrops. They thrive in the partial shade and nutrient-rich soil of deciduous woodland.

The water that runs through it keeps the soil preferably moist. The River Avill rises on the eastern slopes of Dunkery Beacon, the highest point of Exmoor, two miles away to the north-west. The small, fast-flowing river tumbles into the valley where its clear waters once powered a sawmill that processed larch and oak from the woods.

Today, buzzards and ravens cruise above the woodland, while smaller birds such as great tits haunt the canopy.

The trees that flank the valley slopes are part of ancient

ANCIENT PLANTINGS The snowdrops in the valley date back hundreds of years and are believed to have been introduced by monks from the former Dunster Priory, six miles away. One theory is that this happened in the 13th century. This, however, conflicts with the view of experts at Kew Gardens who say that snowdrops did not arrive in this country from Europe until the 16th century.

Whichever theory is correct, the Wheddon Valley plants are among England’s earliest. For the monks, snowdrops represented the Feast of Candlemas, also known as the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, on 2 February. The flowers are sometimes referred to by the musical name of ‘Candlemas Bells’. The Priory has long gone, victim of Henry Vlll’s 16th century Dissolution of the Monasteries, but its picturesque legacy remains.

The pedicel stands proud above the snowdrops’ pure white petals. The stems rise 6in above the ground.

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A cold winter delays the opening of the snowdrops until February, when visitors are welcome to explore the valley.

woodland that has an unbroken link back to primary forest.

Those along the river are more recent, probably having developed naturally over the past 100 years. The trees are mixed deciduous species, much of it oak.

No one knows precisely how many flowers will appear each season, with climate and weather affecting numbers. In a good year, they spread as far as the eye can see.

“We are completely reliant on the weather which governs how the snowdrops perform,” says Eric Clarbull. He is the chairman of the Cutcombe Parish Council sub-committee that oversees the valley’s annual opening. “If it’s mild in winter, the snowdrops appear too early for the opening. If there’s frost in December or January, it holds them back, helping give a good show throughout February.”

Milk flowers The valley’s snowdrops are Galanthus nivalis. The Latin name translates as snowy milk flower, because they are said to have the appearance of three drops of milk, hanging from a stem.

All snowdrops grow from small, round bulbs and are

perennial. G. nivalis reaches 6in (15cm) or more in height.

The plant has narrow basal leaves from which the stem rises to support a single pendant, honey-scented flower approximately ¾in (2cm) long. This comprises an outer and inner layer with three segments. These are known as tepals, a term used when it is difficult to differentiate between petals and sepals, the outer part of the flower that protects the petals while in bud. At the base is an ovary, which produces seed when the flower has been fertilised.

When the flowers are in bud, they stand bolt upright. A slender stem, known as a pedicel, emerges from the top of the flower stem. When fully open, the flower dangles elegantly from the pedicel. When the flowerhead is gently lifted, it reveals its face which has delicate green markings inside.

These are nectar guides and have more fragrance than the rest of the flower to help draw in pollinating insects.

Once pollinated, the seeds start to form. As the ovary capsule ripens and swells, the weight bends the stalk down until it rests on the ground. Snowdrop seed has an appendage known as an elaiosome. This is a small body rich in fatty i

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The open petals reveal the green nectar guides.

Historic plants For centuries, the snowdrop valley remained a hidden gem, known only to locals. Twenty years ago, the outside world started to hear of its beauty and visitors started to arrive in great numbers. In an effort to control traffic, a park and ride scheme has run for the last 20 years, with the valley road closed to anyone except residents.

A short, circular stroll of about half a mile meanders through the valley floor on both sides of the river, weaving through the snowdrops. The woodland area has no precise boundary, but covers approximately five acres.

Planning for the opening starts in August each year.

A local coordinator is appointed to oversee and organise the volunteers who help run the event, organise the road

14

▯

Words: Simone Stanbrook-Bryne

CONTACT www.wheddoncross.org.uk/snowdropvalley.htm The valley is open 30 January to 28 February 2016.

Eric Clarbull, who manages the opening of the Snowdrop Valley during February.

Photography: Jim Clancy; Alamy; Shutterstock

acids attractive to ants. They visit the ripening pods, carrying off the elaiosomes, discarding the unwanted seed on the way.

Plants grown from seed can take three years to flower.

The other way snowdrops proliferate is by the bulbs splitting, producing bulblets. Over the years the clumps become large. Some may be distributed by foraging mammals such as squirrels.

closure and the bus company contract. At the same time the woodland has to be managed.

“Sometimes bad weather brings down trees across the paths,” says Eric. “These need clearing to ensure safe access to the snowdrops, although the snowdrops’ growing area is left undisturbed. We also need to prevent brambles and other vegetation from overtaking the ground and blocking out the light. The flooding of recent years washed out many bulbs, sending snowdrops downstream where they continue to flourish in the river banks.”

Within living memory, snowdrops from the valley were picked and sold in Minehead, eight miles to the north on the Somerset coast. Today they are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, and picking or uprooting the snowdrops in the valley is illegal.

The valley’s 10,000 visitors a year can enjoy a walk here as an invigorating antidote to the grey days of winter. This confection of tiny constellations is a reminder that spring is not far away.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF COLD Chilly weather is essential for garden plants to put on their best performance the following spring and summer

Crocuses, like other spring-blooming plants, need chilling to force the bulb to sprout. This makes them naturally tolerant of frost and snow.

U

NDER ITS SEASONAL covering of snow or frost, the winter garden appears dead and lifeless. Brave splashes of colour come from witch hazels, viburnums and a few other shrubs. But the majority of the garden seems to be sleeping, waiting for the warmer weather and longer daylight hours.

This is an illusion. The garden never sleeps, and all winter there are subtle but vital changes taking place.

Under the soil, the cold is working its magic on seeds, bulbs and roots. Even the chill winds have a role to play to ensure flowers and fruits appear later in the year. Without the winter cold, gardens would be less beautiful in the summer.

A period of cold weather is essential to many plants and crops. Without it, some would struggle to grow at all, while others would not flower or produce crops.

One example of crops that need a cold spell are fruit trees such as apples, plums and pears. If temperatures remain high, these trees would not come into growth in spring, nor produce flower buds. In a process known as vernalisation, the reduction in daylight initially induces the trees to go dormant. They shed their leaves, which would require too much energy to maintain in winter when they make less food. Then the trees must be exposed to a certain number of days with a minimum temperature, usually less than 7°C. Only when this has happened are they ready to burst into growth and bloom when temperatures rise. This process is designed to ensure this happens in spring, and not in autumn.

The amount of days of cold required is expressed in chill hours. Some require longer periods of cold than others, although the reason for this is not currently known. However, the plants are believed to store the necessary information and pass it on in their genes.

Bulbs in winter Hardy bulbs need different weather conditions at different times of the year to grow and produce flowers.

Flower bulbs are formed in summer, as a result of heat in a process called baking. Root growth is stimulated by the cooler and wetter weather of autumn. However, it is the cold of winter that is needed to stimulate stem growth. Temperatures of 10°C or below trigger the elongation of the flower stem.

Attempts to grow hyacinths or daffodils in the home often results in hyacinths with a clump of flowers crowded in the neck of the bulb or daffodils on dwarf stalks. This is the result of ignoring the bulbs’ need to spend at least 10 weeks in cool conditions, i

LIFE BENEATH THE SURFACE Earthworms are essential to the garden. Their burrows are the pores by which water and oxygen enters the soil, and carbon dioxide leaves. Earthworms eat organic matter in dead plants, breaking it down into smaller pieces. However, they cannot burrow through frozen soil, and are killed by frost. In winter, they stop feeding, and burrow deep in the soil, up to 24in (60cm) down, depending on the soil type. Here they curl up and cover themselves in mucilage, a thick, gluey substance they secrete to keep them from drying out. The worm goes into a sleep-like state called estivation that continues until conditions improve.

While the worms sleep, other soil life carries on. It was once believed that the soil bacteria and fungi were dormant in winter. Recent research, however, has shown that many bacteria still function in temperatures close to and even at freezing. It found that the number of bacteria in the soil could be greater in winter than in summer. One theory is that this is because of the mass of dead plant material that is present in and on the soil. This comes from fallen leaves and decaying roots from annuals and herbaceous plants.

Autumn and winter digging, which exposes these bacteria and causes them to dehydrate, may do more harm than good to the soil fauna. The same is true for soil fungi. Many fungi have beneficial associations with plants. These include mycorrhiza, which help plants extract nutrients from the soil. Others are the first step in breaking down tough organic matter in the soil, releasing nutrients.

They also help form humus, which improves the structure of the soil. It has long been known that sowing a green manure in autumn reduces the leaching of nitrogen throughout winter and opens the soil with its network of roots. It is also now believed that it encourages beneficial fungi in the winter kitchen garden.

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ideally outside below 10°C. There are exceptions to this such as ‘Paperwhite’ and ‘Soleil d’Or’. Native to warm Mediterranean regions, they do not need a period of cold for their stems to grow. It is autumn rain, rather than winter cold, that spurs on these daffodils’ growth.

The foliage of perennial plants, such as the echinacea, crocosmia and aquilegia in the wheelbarrow, die back above ground. This gives them chance to store energy ready for new growth in the spring (above).

Wallflowers will not flower until they have undergone a period of frost (below).

Getting ahead in the race for light In winter, herbaceous plants stop growing and die back.

Instead, they store the carbohydrates they make from water and carbon dioxide from the air in their roots. This provides the plants with a reserve of energy, designed to give them a head start in spring. They store the carbohydrates as starch because this is more concentrated in energy (calories) than simple sugars. Starch is not water soluble, making it difficult to move around the plant in the sap.

The onset of cold weather, however, triggers enzymes in the root to convert the starch back into soluble sugar. This means it can be moved to the growing tips of the plant, ready for early spring’s surge of growth. Once the conditions are right, they are able to push their shoots to the sunlight ahead of surrounding plants such as annuals. This stops the new growth from being smothered by the hundreds of annual seedlings which are germinating at the same time. Peonies and dahlias are both examples of the wide range of plants this benefits. It is also the reason why parsnips taste sweeter after they have been frosted.

Saving the next generation When grown from seed some plants need a cold spell before they will flower. These include biennials such as wallflowers, aquilegias, sweet Williams and onions. Blooming in late spring, they release their seeds in summer. If the seeds germinated immediately, they would flower and set seed as soon as they were big enough. These new seeds would not have time to ripen before winter arrived. The cold weather

DORMANCY

Not only can plants tell when it is getting colder, they can detect the number of hours of sunlight. It is day length that causes plants to enter dormancy, either when herbaceous plants die down or trees drop their leaves. The green chlorophyll in the leaf breaks down in autumn. As these energy factories become less efficient, sugars that are produced in the leaves are converted into brightly coloured pigments such as anthocyanins (red and purple) and flavonoids (yellow).

Trees discard their leaves when winter approaches but most also cover their growing tips with scales to protect them from damage.

A frost encourages parsnips to convert starch into sugar, giving them a sweeter taste (right).

Sedum seeds need to endure a cold spell before they germinate (far right).

STRATIFICATION

Photography: GAP Photos: Alamy

would kill them, with the loss of a whole generation. Instead the plants make healthy clumps of foliage the first year. Then they wait for a sufficient winter chilling before producing flowers. No matter how early in spring these seeds are sown, they will only produce leaves in the first year, never flowers.

The necessary cold period to stimulate flowering can be very short. Several biennial plants, such as parsnips, carrots, beet and onions, are grown as vegetables. The starches and sugars stored in their roots provide valuable food when eaten.

If these vegetables are sown too early in spring, there is a risk of short cold snap while they are growing in April or May. This could fool them into thinking that winter had come and gone, and it was time to flower. At this point the plants ‘bolt’, sending up flower stems and the crop is lost to the gardener.

Sparking germination The biennials above require winter chilling to make them flower. There are other plants, however, that need their seeds to be vernalised before they germinate at all. The seeds undergo a period of dormancy. In some cases, simply the softening of the hard coat by frost and weathering action will allow the seed to germinate. This applies to some lathyrus species including sweet peas.

In other cases, this weathering is linked to the need for a

This is the process whereby gardeners simulate the natural process of vernalisation that some seeds undergo. Large seeds are put into damp sand in a plastic bag or smaller seeds are sown in pots or seed trays. These are either placed in a fridge or left outside over winter so they are chilled to encourage them to germinate. The period of time needed varies from species to species. A plant such as meconopsis, for example, requires six weeks chilling at a temperature of approximately 5°C or less.

cold, moist period. This triggers the seed’s embryo to grow and expand. It breaks through the softened seed coat seeking the sun and nutrients. Seeds do this because if they germinated in autumn, the seedlings would be unlikely to survive the winter. If frost did not kill them, grazing animals, slugs and snails would eat them in the absence of other food. Delaying germination till spring gives every seed a better chance of survival to maturity.

All these processes show that winter is not just a time of frosty beauty. Its chilling weather creates more than a snowy landscape, it plays an essential role in ensuring that the following season is as productive and beautiful as the last.

▯

Words: Geoff Stebbings

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GOLDEN STARS Cornelian cherry’s bright, yellow flowers bring sunshine to a cold garden

G

LOWING WITH A haze of golden colour, a small tree lights up the late winter garden. Clusters of spidery flowers burst from bare stems, creating a cloud of billowing yellow.

At a time when most plants are dormant, leafless and flowerless, Cornus mas makes a real impact in the garden. Its small flowers, approximately 1/6in (5-10mm) in diameter, are produced in umbels of 10 to 25, appearing on the dark brown branches well before the leaves. Each flower has four yellow sword-shaped petals growing in a star shape. These flowers are a source of nectar for early pollen-gathering insects.

A member of the dogwood family Cornaceae, it grows as a freestanding small tree, shrub, or informal flowering hedge, reaching an ultimate height of between 8-13ft (2.5-4m). Growing at a gentle, steady rate, it takes between 10 and 20 years to reach this. It has a spreading, open habit, reaching 15ft (5m) across, making it ideal for smaller gardens. Varieties with variegated leaves grow more slowly.

They need at least two or three years to build up enough branches to give a good flowering display. Fully hardy down to -20°C it is a long-lived tree, reaching up to 150 years old.

Mature examples have attractive scaly, flaking bark in orange and i

Cornus Mas’ clusters of lemon blooms burst forth in late winter. The leaves do not arrive until spring, meaning this early display is unfettered by foliage.

Erect stamen protrude from a frill of four petals.

21

In older trees, the beauty of the delicate winter blooms is juxtaposed by the interest of contorted and gnarled limbs.

Growing and pruning Cornus mas can grow in a lightly shaded position, in almost any soil type. It will, however, flower and subsequently fruit much better in sun. Waterlogged or sodden soil is to be avoided. Young specimens in particular establish better in free-draining ground.

The flowers are produced on the previous year’s wood. Too much pruning can inadvertently remove this flowering wood or spoil the shape. However, because the plants are not that vigorous, they need little pruning. Damaged, dying, dead or misplaced branches are cut out in late winter or early spring after flowering.

After pruning, a handful of general, granular fertiliser such as blood, fish and bone is worked in around the base of the tree. This provides any nutrients necessary to help the tree replenish itself after pruning. A mulch of well-rotted organic matter is then added to keep weeds at bay and conserve moisture in the soil.

In autumn, hardwood cuttings can be planted straight into the ground and should take root by the following spring.

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Propagation Plants are either raised by seed, from hardwood cuttings or by grafting.

While seed-raised Cornus mas can be pretty, they are variable and do not always come true to the parent. They can take up to five years, sometimes more, before flowering. It may be up to 10 years before fruits appear. This is because the flowers often start off being male only, gradually developing male and female parts. For these reasons, it is better to select a named clone that has been propagated vegetatively, by grafting or cuttings.

To propagate Cornus mas, hardwood cuttings of stems just slightly thicker than a pencil are taken. This is done after the leaves have fallen in late autumn. They are trimmed into 6-12in (15-30cm) lengths, cutting just below a bud at the base and just above a bud at the top. These cuttings

are inserted into a tall pot of gritty free-draining compost, burying two thirds of their length. Once the roots are visible through the holes in the pot, the cuttings are potted up. They are planted out either in spring or autumn when they have grown into well-rooted young plants.

Alternatively they can be put into a grit-lined trench in a spare, sheltered part of the garden, burying two thirds of their length. They should root by the following spring and can then be moved or lifted and potted up to grow on.

Planting partners Extra impact is created when Cornus mas is set against the backdrop of an evergreen, such as holly, yew or cypress. Here, its acid-yellow flowers stand out, creating an eye-catching display. This is especially so when underplanted with the earliest bulbs, such as winter aconites and snowdrops.

Growing it in a place where it can be appreciated from the house makes the most of this beautiful early flowerer.

t Words: Clare Foggett

Photography: GAP Photo; Garden World Images; The Garden Collection Illustration: Steven Hall

brown. The leaves are usually a satiny mid to dark green, appearing in spring after the flowers have faded. They often turn mahogany red or purplish in autumn before they fall, depending on the cultivar.

EDIBLE BERRIES

Mature trees become thick with flowers. They stand alone glorious and golden, the only accompaniment that is needed is a sprinkling of underplanting.

Cornelian cherries arrived in Britain from their native central and southern Europe in the 16th century. Once grown in monastery gardens, they were common in many gardens by the 18th century, grown for the edible, cherry-like berries. Glossy and red, the berries gave the plant its common name due to their likeness to Cornelian quartz.

To ensure a good crop of berries, two different varieties are grown close to each other to be sure of cross-pollination. Birds enjoy the fruit so berries may need to be protected from them. A yellow-fruited variety such as Cornus mas ‘Flava’ may prove less popular as birds tend to choose red fruit first.

Ripe fruit hangs well on the tree, becoming more concentrated in flavour and sweetness.

The berries can be used fresh, dried, pickled like olives in brine, made into syrup or preserved as jam. They have a sweet-sour taste, and contain twice the vitamin C of oranges. Mature trees yield an average crop of around 24lb (11kg) of fruit.

The simplest way to harvest in quantity is to periodically give the tree branches a gentle shake once the fruit has coloured. The fallen fruits are then picked up from the ground.

They can be kept at room temperature for a day or two after harvest to sweeten further.

Fruit can vary in shape from oblong to cylindrical and pear-shaped. Normally scarlet in colour, they also range from cream to yellow, orange, dark reddish-violet to almost black.

THE BEST OF THE CULTIVARS ‘Golden Glory’ A prolific flowerer. An RHS Award of Garden Merit winning variety, it produces its showy display of flowers at a younger age than the main species plant.

Height: 8-13ft (2.5-4m).

‘Aurea’ Golden-yellow spring leaves turn a bright lime-green in summer and develop orange tints before they fall in autumn. This variety is grown in a position sheltered from strong sun, which may scorch the leaves. Height: 16ft (5m).

‘Variegata’ A particularly attractive variety with grey-green leaves, broadly edged with cream variegation, which contrast beautifully with the red berries. Much slower growing than non-variegated varieties, ultimately reaching 10ft (3m).

‘Aureoelegantissima’ A colourful cornus with yellow variegated leaves with tinges of pink. These look most impressive as the foliage emerges in spring and as it falls in autumn when the pink intensifies. Height: 8-13ft (2.5-4m).

Despite the name Cornelian cherry, the fruit of Cornus mas can sometimes appear dark red and grape-shaped.

The lime green leaves of ‘Aurea’ take on an orange hue in late summer (far left).

‘Variegata’ has attractive cream-rimmed leaves. The berries appear green before they are ripe (left).

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BOX OF COLOUR Early owers and twigs foraged from the garden are arranged to make a delicate display

MATERIALS

1.

t Metal planter or container t Gardening trowel or fork t Assortment of plants including winter aconites, snowdrops, silver birch branch and bark, moss, viburnum foliage, catkins of alder and pussy willow t Potting compost

2.

Step 1: All the components for this project can be found on a woodland walk or around the garden. Alder catkins and pussy willow give the planter height and structure. A silver birch branch provides a focal point. Winter aconites and snowdrops from the garden supply the colour. These are lifted with a trowel so their roots are intact. Moss hides the compost used.

3.

Step 2: The branch is placed in the container ďŹ rst, as this will be the central element of the planting. The owers are planted around it. Compost is added to ďŹ ll in the areas around them and the planting is watered. The branches of alder and pussy willow are placed in the compost.

Step 3: The moss, sheets of silver birch bark, and dried viburnum leaves are laid around the plants so that no compost is showing. The planting is now complete.

From now on it is given a light watering whenever the compost feels dry.

tProject: GAP Photos

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28

FORM AMID THE FLOWERS Bare trees, stone planters, obelisks and metal signs provide a backdrop for the tiny owers of late winter in a Lincolnshire garden

O

Joan and Cliff Curtis have created a sheltered spot in which to sit and enjoy their garden in the winter months.

Shed and garage Birches, cornus and bulbs

Hydrangeas and birch Apple tree Informal garden

Signs Rockery Outhouse Kitchen garden Stone planters

Cottage

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N A QUIET lane deep in the flat, rich fens of south Lincolnshire, is an enclosed winter haven for plants. Sheltered by fences and hedges from the vast expanse of flat, windswept farmland beyond, flowers thrive in the frosty conditions.

Designed as a set of rooms, its fertile, well-drained soil is home to scented shrubs, bergenias and grasses, joined in the early months of the year by the delicate nodding heads of snowdrops and dainty crocuses.

The majority of these flowering plants hug the ground, so structure and height is provided by bare trees and stone objects such as planters and obelisks. Further interest is provided by an eclectic collection of metal signs, fastened to the wooden wall of a shed.

The garden encloses a 300-year-old whitewashed cottage, home for the last 45 years to Cliff and Joan Curtis.

The lane the house and garden sit on leads westwards to the ancient village of Haconby. Old outhouses and a large gravel driveway are located in the middle of the garden. A wooded square of land to the top right lies behind a box-edged border, while below is an area with greenhouses and a large vegetable patch. Next to the house is a multi-levelled cottage garden with many seasonal plants among winding paths.

When Cliff and Joan moved in, this was a space with no plants or trees. In the intervening decades, they have created a garden planted with immense detail and horticultural variety. It has been a labour of love, planning new beds and borders, improving the soil with grit and organic material. The soil is neutral, but very dry and very well-drained with lots of gravel added. This makes it ideal for the many bulbs that flourish there, without the risk of them rotting in wet ground.

Scented entrance The garden is entered through an old wooden gate set into the outer stone wall, festooned with white-flowered winter honeysuckle and winter box. Their scents combine in a haze of lingering, sweet fragrance. “It’s simply heavenly,” says Joan. “It always gets you when you come in the gate.”

A patch of gravel leads to an informal garden at the back of the house. This slopes gently upwards, affording a view to the far corners. Cliff and Joan have a bench here where they sit throughout the year, enjoying the glimpses into the rest of their garden. “In winter more of the garden can be seen as the trees are leafless and our more subtle, delicate planting is small,” says Joan. In the early months of the year, border perennials have been cut back, giving way to a lighter palette set in a calmer, lower-planted, woodland scene.

Stone obelisks frame the entrance to the informal garden where a gravel path meanders past beds filled with snowdrops, crocus and Cyclamen coum under the white trunks of a birch tree. The dark leaves of bergenia provide a contrast to the tiny bulbs, together with evergreen Pittosporum tenuifolium, dried hydrangea heads and grasses such as golden Anemanthele lessoniana and purple-flowered perennial wallflowers.

Passion for snowdrops Lining the snake-like path that winds throughout the garden are dots of pure white snowdrops. They nestle in swathes through borders and in every corner.

These snowdrops have been Cliff’s passion for three decades. Today, there are approximately 400 growing in the garden that he has bred and cultivated.

“It was 30 years ago that I became rather enthusiastic about them and started a collection,” he says. “My wife would say I became obsessed, learning all I could and trying to find new examples to pop in my borders.

“I don’t really know quite why I love them. They’re so hardy and pretty, and there’s so many to choose from with various species and markings, and hundreds of different varieties. They are a reminder that you can get beautiful flowers in winter, and that more are on their way soon.

I think it’s that that appeals to me.” i

White-flowered winter honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima, carries clusters of lemon-scented flowers on almost leafless branches.

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A bronze sun-dial sits on top a terracotta chimney pot, providing a bluff foil to the delicate border planting below.

“He lovingly labels each variety when he plants them,” says Joan. “We’ve collected so many over the years that a lot of the labels are long gone. You can tell a new find as there’s a gleaming little silver label nearby. He soon snatches up every available new bit of space with more clusters every year, too. In fact, he gets in first before I can put something there.”

Among the snowdrops are sweetly nodding hellebores in shades of light and dark pink, dusky purple and creamy yellow. Their heads poke up shyly from January onwards, above foliage that has stood firm throughout the year. Joan has bred many of these plants.

“They’re good value, bringing such beauty. They flower for ages, often lasting through to March or longer. Then I collect the seed and the whole cycle can start again,” she says.

More colour comes from seas of lilac-blue crocus that have been encouraged to spread far and wide. Dainty pink and white Cyclamen coum stand sentinel with their upside-down petals. “We have a small, old pond area that we filled in when our fish died.

Here masses of our little early cyclamen, snowdrops and hellebores bloom,” says Joan.

Hot, fiery flashes of grass-like evergreen Libertia peregrinans contrast vividly with its understated surroundings of low-planted green shrubs. Its orange tongues of foliage get brighter in cooler weather. This perennial does not like moisture, which is why it thrives here. “It’s bound to love it here, due to our well-drained soil,” explains Cliff.

Evergreen groundcover

Continuing round, the path is bordered in a layer of sparkling frost and hundreds more delicate bulbs. Growing among them are alpines and other low-growing evergreen plants, including saxifrage, sedums and thrift, still dense with green foliage. They cloak the path edges, adding ground cover, form and focus. Mossy rocks give a natural, mature feel to the scene. It all combines to give the appearance that this annual winter spectacle has happened by chance, creeping up over countless years.

An evergreen winter classic for form and colour, bergenia is planted in sporadic pockets around the gardens. It has been allowed to spread slowly over the years. With its evergreen, bright red, pink-tinged or purple-black foliage, it stays low and dense, providing colour and contrast through winter. “While we love our bulbs, we wouldn’t be without the shrubs, climbers and trees and other intriguing foliage that adds a little something in winter. No garden should be without them,” says Joan. “They add structure, scent and colour when we need it most.”

Hellebores, ferns and bergenia line stone steps at the back of the cottage.

Illustration: Steven Hall

Providing structure A birch and an apple tree, once heavy with fruit, stand bare and dormant. They add height and substance as they overlook their tiny, transient plant neighbours. Below the birch sit plants that

Cliff carefully labels all his plants, ready for visitors on open days.

A simple table, created from two standing stones and a stone slab, sits under the bare branches of the apple tree. Orange stems of Libertia peregrinans grow in front of four millstones piled one on top of the other.

cope with shade and any soil, such as hydrangeas. Though the blooms have long lost their colour and life, Cliff leaves the flower heads on.

They create pleasing shapes above the low-growing bulbs and ground cover. Scattered through the borders are zigzag grasses and hardy ferns. A buddleia with flower heads that have crisped brown and frozen in time from their summer heyday also jostle in the wind.

Out in the courtyard, between the cottage garden and the woodland, is housed Cliff’s collection of old stone objects, obelisks, planters and sinks. He has galvanised watering cans, an old Victorian water carrier, and pig feed tins enlisted as planters. These have all been reclaimed from long-forgotten farm sales over the years. Cliff picks up one or two more every so often.

“People tend to dump them as they look like they’re getting old.

They don’t see the value in them, but I do,” he says. “The same goes for my local wall signs, which I get given as gifts now. They’re bits of art.” His collection includes large, weathered tin advertising plates i

Galvanised watering cans sit in front of an old wooden pump and around a stone trough. To the side is a millstone.

These are all part of Cliff’s collection of ephemera.

33

Red stems of cornus flow in the woodland garden, with birch trees in the background. Tiny snowdrops and C. coum thrive in the well-drained soil.

Iris reticulata provide a splash of bright blue colour in the winter rockery, where more bulbs grow in pots. Drain ends fixed to the shed wall are used as planters.

fastened to the outhouse. Dating from a long-gone era, there are advertisements for Spratt’s puppy biscuits, chicken meal and Colman’s mustard.

The stone planters are crammed with alpines and sempervivums, which is the perfect condition for them. They plough on hardily through the cold weather, adding character in green spiky foliage to the otherwise flat, serene area. Vivid blue winter irises and spiky grasses slice through the stony grey shades of the rockery decorating the side of the outhouse.

Under the trees

In the top garden, Cliff and Joan have skilfully brought alive a woodland atmosphere. Snowdrops and crocus nudge up against contrasting carpets of little yellow aconite cups, and pale and deep pink hellebores. Arching umbrellas of intense red cornus ‘Anny’s Winter Orange’ and ‘Midwinter Fire’ shine in the low winter sun, under larger birches. They have put a bark path into this area to make it accessible. “It’s so much more inviting if people can walk through your garden and look closely and deeply at the flowers and trees, instead of from afar,” says Cliff.

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Early crocus mingle with the snowdrops, beneath the vibrant, rich flowers of hellebores.

He painstakingly propagates a wide array of his bulbs and perennials in the greenhouses by the fruit and vegetable beds.

These grow in pots, labelled ready for local plant sales and National Garden Scheme visitors.

Through appreciation of their plants, Cliff and Joan have succeeded in bringing beauty to winter, which can sometimes seem so bleak. Their tiny bulbs gracefully, subtly and yet hardily spring up every year, as if hiding among the undergrowth. They stand witness to the fact that life and beauty does exist during cold, austere times. Cliff and Joan’s blankets of graceful snowdrops are reassurance that the rebirth of spring is on its way, bringing brighter days ahead. ▯

Words Karen Murphy

▯

Photography Rachel Warne

CONTACT Garden open 27-28 February for the National Gardens Scheme. www.ngs.org.uk

The warm welcoming smell of home is exactly what an Arada stove brings to your life. Light the fire and breathe in the heart-warming aroma of oak, ash, apple or cherrywood as it rises through every room. You might think of it as the finishing touch to your sense of style.

Or simply the essence of good living.

The garden in...

January and February Kari-Astri Davies is enjoying the first warming hints of colour and preparing the garden for the year ahead

Left to right: A robin brings a welcome flash of colour; Crocus tommasinianus is an early arrival; a warm drink rewards cold weather work.

A

T THIS TIME of year I really appreciate the few flowers brave enough to open during the worst of the winter weather. Early crocus, C. tommasinianus, add splashes of pale lilac as they bask in fleeting sunshine. Washes of long anticipated snowdrops appear in gardens and hedgerows.

Hardy hellebores For most of the year, I take hellebores, those stalwarts of my horrible dry shade, for granted.

The motley collection provides reliable evergreen

“The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.”

Gertrude S Wister

ground cover through all but the very driest spells. Once last year’s hazel leaves are brushed away, the first signs of buds and new foliage are revealed. It is time for the hellebores to come into their own.

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Often the first up is H. purpurascens, the rich maroon bells emerging hunched from the earth.

The original plant was bought at an RHS Vincent Hall flower show years ago. These early shows are always a delight. Walking in from the grey streets, you are met with warmth, colour, scent and the cacophony of many an enthusiastic conversation.

As I remember it, Reverend Blakeway-Phillips would often have a simple stand with bundles of freshly dug snowdrops, such a simple display.

Other growers had large stands filled with exotic spring-flowering tenders including one of my favourites, Acacia dealbata. But I have digressed… reminiscences sparked by H. purpurascens.

Disappointing seedlings Peering amongst the old tatty H. orientalis leaves of some self-sown seedlings I check for newly emerging foliage. It is time to cut last year’s leaves down. These plants originated from a long-gone parent, ‘Harvington Shades of Night’.

This hellebore has dramatic deep purple, almost black, flowers, set off by dark emerging foliage. Some of its progeny display even darker emerging foliage, but none as good as the original. Their flowers range from greeny-purple to more vivid purple, again none as dark as the original.

“This secret beauty I have found When morning sun came streaming down A golden glow like a celestial crown In Nature’s winter garden.”

D S Jones, ‘Nature’s Winter Garden’

Left to right: frostrimmed leaves of Helleborus argutifolius; the proud stems of ‘Harvington Shades of Night’; bark chippings improve poor soil.

I should be ruthless this year and after flowering take out some of the wishy-washier seedlings from this area.

Quite different is H. argutifolius with huge leathery toothed leaves. The abundant clusters of fresh green bells held aloft on chunky stems last for weeks.

I have not had any decent flowers on my sale bargain H. x ericsmithii ‘Winter Sunshine’. This hellebore is apparently a complicated three-way cross which includes 50 per cent H. niger, the Christmas rose, in its veins. This is a beautiful plant with pristine white flowers but requires different conditions to those I offer. The RHS suggests that, although H. niger thrives in partial shade, it likes moist, free-draining soil.

Finally, maybe a bonus maybe not, in the disturbed ground by the pergola, over the summer seedlings emerged of what looks like the native H. foetidus. This is a denizen of dry shady woods and as far as I remember there weren’t any specimens of this in the garden when we moved here two years ago.

I was looking for something to line one side of the pergola path and maybe they are it. It is completely random of them to pop up where they have. If I decide I do not like the effect, they’ll be moved to the wilder woody area. i

Crocus C. tommasinianus adds a delicate dash of colour in late winter.

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Left to right: the tap root-like bootlaces of honey fungus Asplenium trichomanes; daphne ‘Jacqueline Postill’ is a source of perfume on winter days.

New planting opportunity It is exactly a year since I started planting up a new raised border in another semi-shaded area. The border is made of pine sleepers piled two high then bolted together. The unforgiving soil comprises heavy clay from building works, underlain by sacks of old rubble. I add multi-purpose compost to the claggy planting holes and top off with bark chippings. Over time,

“I keep this time, even before the flowers, Sacred to all the young and the unborn.”

Alice Meynell, ‘In February’

with more applications of bark chippings a layer of humus should be created over the clay so lighter plants such as wood anemones can run.

This border is in an area at the back of some sheds which was home to rotting window frames, broken glass and old tyres. It is backed by a scruffy hedge of privet, bramble, hazel and Lonicera nitida which borders a stream. The hedge is being retained but tidied as it shields us from the road. I have planted a dozen sweet box, Sarcococca confusa, along the back of one bit of the border. Its evergreen foliage will provide lower-level winter screening from the road.

The spidery off-white flowers give a welcome fragrance now.

The raised border is a perfect opportunity to grow some special plants mixed in with the more familiar. Last February I put in a backbone planting of smaller evergreen ferns including Blechnum spicant and Asplenium trichomanes.

These were interplanted with a number of

38

different epimediums and Omphalodes verna ‘Alba’. I am not a great lover of bergenia but felt the scheme needed some evergreen chunkiness, bergenia ‘Overture’ with its rich magenta flowers and ruddy winter foliage fitted the bill.

Late winter-flowering Cyclamen coum can be better appreciated at knee height. One plant with bobbing white flowers stoutly withstood last February’s westerlies whirling down the corridor between raised border and sheds. I should have bought some more at the time to make a bigger impact – never mind. The cyclamen and the new ferns gave me an excuse to plod round the back of the sheds on cold rainy days.

Within three weeks of creating this border, one of our dratted moles was whizzing around the new plant rootballs. It kept coming up from under the strategically placed random rocks we had retrieved from the stream’s old flood defences. These moley attentions later caused some plants to keel over in the summer.

Living with honey fungus Last February I was extolling the perfumed virtues of daphne ‘Jacqueline Postill’. Having flowered happily through the winter for two years in the wood bed on the other side of the garden, this summer, she collapsed and died within three weeks. I suspect honey fungus. I have had a spate of shrub collapses in this one particular bit of the garden. Oddly a manky old plum tree still survives. Or is that the source of the problem?

A neighbour had mentioned in passing that the previous owners had to take a few trees down some years ago because of honey fungus.

It may be the reason this particular area appeared to have been abandoned to a carpet of campion seedlings, Cyclamen hederifolium, ivy and rampant pulmonaria when we bought the house.

Until last autumn I hadn’t been aware of any

CHOOSING POTATOES

Photography: GAP Photos; Alamy; RHS/Elsie Katherine Kohnlein (Mrs Dykes)

Left: Cyclamen coum gives bright colour at ground level.

of the fruiting bodies, the little golden or beige fungi that are the outward manifestation of honey fungus. The bulk of the plant works away underground, unfortunately attacking live roots rather than breaking down dead material. Sources mention a mushroomy smell when the affected plant roots are dug out. There are often very obvious ‘bootlaces’ or rhizomorphs, which I have not noticed. A recent article in The Plantsman suggested that once the main infected root has been disposed of, the questing rhizomorphs are generally no longer active.

It seems nothing much can be done about this fungus. Products such as Armillatox which was once used to disinfect soil in prone areas can no longer be purchased to control the spread of honey fungus. It can, however, still be used for cleaning paving.

Some shrubs and trees are said to be more resistant including hornbeam which luckily our main hedges are. Hydrangeas and most acers are susceptible, however. Guess what are planted adjacent to this bed? I’ll stop planting shrubs in this area but continue to experiment with perennials and keep an eye on neighbouring shrubs for signs of collapse.

Luckily, my parents had some spare daphne ‘Jacqueline Postill’ suckers, so another one is now in the new raised border on the other side of the garden, the fragrance from the waxy pink flowers ambushing me on sunny late winter days.

Last January we cleared another dumping ground to the side of the sheds which is now a veg plot with four small raised beds. Because there is not much room, I’m considering carefully which potato I will grow. Some ask why bother with growing them but there’s something special about the taste and texture of a freshly dug potato. I will probably choose a salad variety like ‘Belle de Fontenay’. A few seed potatoes will soon be put in an old egg box on a windowsill to chit.

A strategic review of surrounding trees also needs to be done.

A silver birch which has already been topped has grown up again amongst the main power lines into the house.

A hedge comprised largely of suckering damsons is one of the first defences from south-westerly winds. It has got too high and is probably also getting past it. This thinning hedge will need augmenting with native trees at some point. The tree cutting issues will require a professional tree surgeon.

Other native hedges will also need to be tidied before March when bird nesting season begins in earnest.

Kari-Astri Davies started gardening in her twenties with pots of roses, geraniums and sweet peas on a parapet five storeys up in central London.

She’s now on her fifth garden, this time in the Wiltshire countryside. Inspiration includes her plant-mad parents, as well as Dan Pearson, Beth Chatto, Keith Wiley and the Rix & Phillips plant books. Kari describes her approach as impulsive, meaning not everything is done by the book.

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WINTER ROSE Hellebores unfurl their bright petals to create a welcome splash of early colour

Tied with twine, a bouquet of double- and single-owered hellebores lies on a wooden table.

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Delicate hellebore owers are frozen in ice. Pine twigs and cones add form to the structure.

Oak and willow twigs, and dried leaves are twisted to form a rustic heart-shaped wreath, decorated with primrose yellow and peach-coloured hellebores.

Hanging from a wooden fence, a wreath made from mauve and cream Helleborus orientalis brings a promise of spring to a winter’s day.

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Flowers of Helleborus orientalis oat on rain water collected in a galvanised metal dish.

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A jug full of richly coloured owers mingled with stems of Cornus mas creates a warming show on a cold day.

A simple basket hangs from a branch, displaying two contrasting hellebore flowers in a jar.

Sitting in a terracotta plant pot wrapped in birch bark, above a woven nest of stems, the pink flowers of Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ complement the spots on the yellow cup-shaped hellebore blooms.

Photography: GAP Photos; Flora Press

Single hellebores are displayed in glass bottles on a wooden shelf.

In the garden Seasonal ideas for your outdoor space

CRAFTED FOR STRENGTH A firing process lasting 12-18 hours ensures the handcrafted flowerpots made at the family-run Whichford Pottery are frostproof.

Founded by Jim and Dominique Keeling in 1976, the business in Whichford, near Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire, now employs 30 people, including the couple’s children Adam, Theodora and Maia. Using traditional hand-thrown and hand-pressed methods, the team make a range of pots from a mixture of three local clays. Detail is carefully added by hand before each pot is fired. All have a 10-year frostproof guarantee.

Handmade frostproof pots from £6.75, www.whichfordpottery.com

GARDEN IN MINIATURE

SIMPLE NURSERY Cardboard toilet roll tubes make an ideal planting environment for broad beans. Grouped into a tray and filled with moistened compost, they are held together with an elastic band. Each seed is gently pushed into the compost and covered over. The paper fibres of the rolls absorb water, helping keep the compost moist. As the seedlings grow the biodegradable cardboard begins to break down.

When the plants are ready for planting out, they do not need to be removed from the tubes. These are planted straight into the ground where they eventually rot entirely away.

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A plain glass lidded container is easily turned into a terrarium for a cool, shady windowsill. Plants that like damp, humid conditions and can cope with low light levels are chosen. Good examples include Asplenium marinum, Blechnum penna-marina and miniature hostas. A 1in (2.5cm) layer of small pebbles and biochar, or horticultural charcoal, line the base of the jar. Next 2-3in (5-7cm) lightly moistened potting compost is gently pressed down. Using chopsticks, each plant is placed in a hole and firmed in. Once all are sited, garden mosses can be added and the lid fitted. If condensation does not form, the plants are lightly misted.

From The Crafted Garden: Stylish Projects Inspired by Nature by Louise Curley, photos by Jason Ingram (Frances Lincoln, £16.99)

COLOUR IN THE COLD Flowering through the colder months, Iris reticulata bring warmth and delicate fragrance to the winter garden.

A dwarf variety, these hardy plants are named for the netting that surrounds the bulbs, with the Latin word reticulata meaning net-like. They are planted in a sunny and well-drained position in early autumn. This allows the roots to establish, before blooms begin to appear from January. Colours range from pale blue to rich violet, with contrasting white and yellow splashes in the throat of each flower.

Photography: Alamy, GAP Photos, Stocksy

EMERGING GROWTH Now is the time when the garden appears still and quiet, yet new life is already beginning to emerge. After late-winter pruning has taken place, shrubs such as roses soon begin to put out new growth. Buds start to unfurl as the energy which would have been put into supporting the pruned shoot is channelled into new leaflets, and eventually blooms. Such growth is supported by the application of natural fertiliser such as fish, blood and bone to the base of the plant once it has been pruned.

ENRICHED BY FIRE Ash from wood fires is a useful addition to the compost heap. Its liming effect makes it suitable for raising pH levels in highly acidic soils. It can also be a source of potassium, which promotes flowering and fruiting – the younger the wood burned, the more potassium its ash will contain. The resulting alkaline compost can be used around plants which do not require acidic conditions. The ash is well mixed in to the compost. A further 6in (15cm) of composted material is laid on top before any more ash is added. This avoids creating an overly alkaline environment.

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OYSTERS OF THE EARTH With a mild taste of shellfish, the slender roots of salsify bring a subtle yet distinctive flavour to dishes

C

REAMY WHITE ROOTS of purple or common salsify are an adaptable ingredient. This vegetable root of the Tragopogon porrifolius plant can be served boiled, mashed, roasted or fried. It is also suitable to add to warming soups and stews.

Salsify is a hardy winter crop, sometimes referred to as the oyster plant for its characteristic shellfish flavour. Once popular, it fell out of fashion in the last century. Now it is seldom stocked in supermarkets, being more commonly found in greengrocers and farmers’ markets.

Harvesting and storing The white roots, which grow to approximately 10in (25cm) in length, are ready to harvest once the foliage dies back. The flavour is improved if the roots are left in the ground until after the first frosts. They can be left over winter, as they tolerate further frosts and freezing temperatures.

The crop is harvested by pulling up the entire plant, along with its root. It does not store or freeze well, quickly losing flavour, texture and nutrition. For this reason, only the required amount is harvested. Salsify keeps in a sealed bag or airtight container for up to 10 days in the fridge.

Preparation Fresh from the ground, salsify has a brown and tough bark-like skin. The colour comes from soil stuck to the root by the plant’s sticky sap. Much of the preparation involves

FLOWERS AND SHOOTS

Both the grassy leaves and purple flowers of salsify are edible.

The petals can be added to salads. The flowering shoots and the young shoots before the flowers appear can be cooked and eaten like asparagus.

removing this sap. Wearing gloves to harvest and prepare keeps hands clean.

The roots are first run under the tap to remove the top soil, then soaked in water before being scrubbed hard. Finally they are rinsed in cold water again to remove any last traces of soil. Rinsing helps reduce the amount of sap on worksurfaces and hands. The sap can turn worksurfaces brown, so the roots are chopped on an older board or directly in the cooking vessel.

Using a sharp peeler, the roots are peeled over newspaper which absorbs the sap. If the peeler is not sharp, pressure needs to be applied which squeezes out more sap. The peeled roots are rinsed in a 50:50 mix of citrus juice and cold water, as soon as possible, to prevent the flesh turning brown. Now the vegetable can be chopped as desired, before rinsing in the citrus wash one final time.

Health benefits Salsify contains a substance called inulin. This helps help absorb minerals and regulate blood sugar levels, control obesity and ease constipation. It also contains many antioxidants which possess anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and anti-cancer properties.

Fresh roots are high in vitamin C, providing approximately 13% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA). This vitamin helps maintain healthy connective tissue, teeth and gums. The root is rich in many B-complex groups of vitamins which help convert food into fuel. It also has good levels of iron and potassium. Iron is essential for oxygen delivery to cells, and is used in the production of certain proteins. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure by countering the effects of sodium. i

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Orange and honey roast salsify Serves 4 6 sticks of salsify, scrubbed clean zest and juice of 1 orange 1 tbsp honey 2 tbsp olive oil 4 sprigs of thyme sea salt and black pepper Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Pour the oil then the orange juice into a roasting tin. Trim, peel then cut the salsify in half lengthways. Add them to the roasting tin, coating them in the juices. Drizzle over the honey, then add the thyme and season.

Roast, turning regularly, in the preheated oven for 50 mins until golden. Sprinkle with the orange zest and serve.

Salsify salad Serves 4 as a starter 250g salsify, scrubbed clean ½ red grapefruit 1 tsp pink peppercorns 2 tsp honey 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 4 slices of crusty white bread 1 handful of curly parsley 25g pistachio kernels sea salt and black pepper

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Squeeze the grapefruit into a large mixing bowl, allowing larger chunks of the grapefruit flesh to fall in. Taking one salsify stick at a time, peel off the outer skin, then pare with the peeler into strips. Mix immediately into the grapefruit, so the flesh does not discolour. Mix in the pink peppercorns, honey and oil, and set aside.

Toast the bread slices until lightly golden on both sides and place on the serving plates. Chop the parsley and crush the pistachios on a chopping board with a rolling pin. Place the toasted bread onto serving plates. Pile the salad onto the bread, then sprinkle with parsley and the pistachios. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Salsify gratin Serves 4 400g salsify, scrubbed clean ½ lemon 2 potatoes 20g butter 1 tbsp cornflour 300ml milk 1 tbsp chopped rosemary sea salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Peel the salsify and slice on a slant, then add to a bowl of 110ml of cold water and the juice of the half lemon. Peel, then slice the potatoes into similar-sized pieces.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then stir in the cornflour, continuing to stir for 1 min. Slowly stir in the milk until it is a thick sauce, before adding the rosemary. Drain the salsify and add it to the mixture. Cook for 20 mins, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a baking dish. Mix the cheeses in a bowl and sprinkle over. Bake for 20 mins until bubbling. Serve hot.

100g Red Leicester cheese, grated 100g mature white cheddar, grated

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Salsify and roast ginger soup Serves 4 700g salsify, scrubbed clean 50g ginger 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 large potato (300g) 1 lemon 700ml milk 1 bay leaf sea salt and black pepper 500ml vegetable stock 200ml crème fraîche, plus extra for garnish snipped chives, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.

Place the ginger on a roasting tin and coat with the oil. Roast for 15-20 mins, until soft.

Allow to cool slightly, then peel off the skin and chop the flesh.

Peel and slice the potato and add to a large saucepan, squeezing the juice of the lemon over. Peel and slice the salsify roughly, mixing it into the pan as it is chopped. Pour in 500ml of the milk and add the bay leaf.

Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins. Add the vegetable stock and roasted ginger flesh and simmer for 30 mins.

Allow to cool, remove and discard the bay leaf. Transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Stir in the crème fraîche and remaining milk, and simmer for 3 mins, until hot all the way thorough. Ladle into warmed bowls and serve with a swirl of crème fraîche, a sprinkling of chives and a crusty bread roll.

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Salsify fritter balls Makes 14 400g salsify, scrubbed clean 1 lemon 2 eggs 100g plain flour 125g soft goat’s cheese 1 tbsp each chopped flat-leaf parsley, thyme and dill vegetable oil, for deep frying

Zest the lemon into a pot. Peel the salsify and grate into a mixing bowl, squeezing in the juice of the lemon to cover it as it is grated.

Beat in the eggs and add the flour and lemon zest. Season with black pepper.

In a separate bowl, combine the goat’s cheese with the herbs.

Roll into 14 balls. Coat each in approximately two tablespoons of the salsify mixture to make spheres the size of golf balls. Place on a plate and chill for 20 mins.

In a large saucepan, pour the oil in to halfway up. Heat until sizzling on a medium to high heat, then fry the balls for 4 mins, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper, then serve immediately as a canapé.

black pepper

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TASTE OF THE WILD With a rich taste, venison is versatile, lean and low in fat

Venison liver and onions Serves 2 500g venison liver 1 red onion, sliced into rings 3 tbsp olive oil 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp juniper berries 3 tbsp plain flour 1 tsp pink peppercorns 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley black pepper 4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon 100ml red wine Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas mark 2.

Heat one third of the oil in a large frying pan and add the onion. Fry for 2 mins, then mix in the garlic and vinegar, cooking for 4 mins. Sprinkle in the sugar and cook on a low heat for 10 mins. Transfer to an ovenproof dish. Place in the oven to keep warm.

Crush the juniper berries in a pestle and mortar. Add them to a large bowl with the flour, pink peppercorns and parsley. Season with pepper. Slice the liver into 2cm thick diagonal slices. Toss them in the flour mixture, coating thoroughly.

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan.

Once it is sizzling hot, add the liver. Cook to seal for 2 mins, then add the bacon. Fry for a further 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and simmer, stirring, for 30 secs.

Serve immediately, with the pan juices poured over the top.

The perfect venison steak Serves 2 2 x 150g venison fillet steaks 1 tbsp juniper berries 1 clove of garlic 1 orange 200ml port 2 tsp butter 1 tsp oil sea salt and black pepper Crush the juniper berries in a pestle and mortar. Crush the clove of garlic with the back of the knife. Squeeze the juice of the orange into a small shallow bowl and mix in the port, juniper berries and garlic. Add the steaks and marinade for 20 mins.

Drain the steaks and season with salt and pepper. Retain the marinade.

Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan until piping hot. Place the steaks in the pan and cook for 3 mins, then turn over and cook for 3 mins. For a medium steak, cook for 4 mins 30 seconds each side, and 6 mins on either side for well done. Add the reserved marinade and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 mins, then remove the steaks, place them on warmed plates and cover with tin foil. Continue to simmer the sauce for 1 min, then stand for 2 mins. Pour the marinade over the steaks and serve with chunky chips.

Meatballs Serves 6 800g venison mince 2 red onions, diced handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish 3 garlic cloves, crushed 150g breadcrumbs 1½ tbsp dried oregano 1 tbsp ground cinnamon 1 orange 1 egg sea salt and black pepper plain flour, for dusting 2 tbsp olive oil 15g butter 1 tbsp of redcurrant jelly 250ml red wine 2 400g tins of plum tomatoes

In a large bowl, combine half the chopped onions, all the parsley and garlic, the venison, breadcrumbs, 1 tbsp of the oregano and the cinnamon. Zest the orange into the mixture, then crack the egg into it. Season and mix thoroughly.

Dust hands with flour, and shape the mixture into 30 golf ball-sized meatballs. Place on a plate, cover with cling film and chill for 1 hr.

Heat half the oil and all the butter in a large saucepan. Add the remaining onions and sauté for 10 mins, until soft. Add water if the onions become dry. Mix in the redcurrant jelly and pour in the wine. Simmer on a high heat for 2 mins, then add the tomatoes and juice of the orange.

Stir thoroughly, then bring to the boil and simmer on a medium heat for 30 mins.

In the meantime, heat the remaining oil in a separate non-stick frying pan. Add the chilled meatballs and fry, turning regularly, for 10 mins until browned thoroughly. With a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to the tomato sauce and continue to cook on a low heat for 15-20 mins until thoroughly cooked. Serve with long grain rice and garnished with parsley.

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Roast venison haunch Serves 6 1kg deboned venison haunch

5 red onions, chopped into quarters 2 tsp honey

2 cloves of garlic

500ml red wine

1 tbsp juniper berries

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs for garnish

1 tbsp whole grain mustard

2 tsp fennel seeds

sea salt and black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

Remove meat from the fridge and let it rise to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.

Roughly chop the garlic, then, in a pestle and mortar, blend it with the juniper berries, thyme and fennel seeds. Mix with 2 tbsp of the oil.

Coat the haunch with the mixture and set aside until needed.

In a large roasting pot, heat the remaining oil on the hob and add the red onion. Sauté for 5 mins, then mix in the honey. Pour in 300ml water and the wine. Add the bay leaves and mustard. Bring to the boil then simmer for 15 mins. Take off the heat and season. Allow to cool.

Place the venison onto the onion mixture and cover with a lid or tin foil. Roast in the oven for 1 hr, basting occasionally. Remove the lid or foil and cook for a further 20 mins. Place the haunch on a serving plate and allow to rest for 10 mins, covered with tin foil.

In a small pan, simmer the onions and juices from the roasting pot for 5 mins, until thickened. Serve with the rested meat, garnished with the thyme sprigs.

Stuffed hind shin stew Serves 4 For the dumplings 8 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped 50g vegetable suet 100g self-raising flour sea salt and black pepper For the stew 4 x 200g hind shin venison pieces, deboned 100g pearl barley 1 head of celery, thinly sliced 400g carrots, diced 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 600ml red wine 1 tsp sugar 1 tbsp chopped rosemary, plus extra for garnish ½ red cabbage, chopped

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To make the dumplings: combine the sage, suet, flour, salt and pepper, and 100ml of cold water in a bowl, until it forms a thick batter. On a plate, lay the meat pieces flat.

Spoon in a quarter of the dumpling mixture in the hole in the meat where the shin bone once was. Secure the meat around the dumpling mixture by tying string around it.

Cover with cling film and chill.

To make the stew: rinse the pearl barley with cold water. Place in a large saucepan, then add 500ml cold water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 10 mins. Rinse then return to the pan with 500ml of fresh cold water. Add the red wine, sugar, rosemary, celery, carrots and garlic to the pearl barley, and season. Bring to the boil.

Remove the meat from the fridge, add to the pan and cover with a lid. Simmer on a low heat for 2 hrs. Add the red cabbage 20 mins before the end of cooking. Serve, garnished with rosemary.

Venison pie Serves 4 1kg venison stewing steak 16 shallots 20g butter 1 tbsp rapeseed oil 2 tbsp plain flour 500ml red wine 3 tbsp redcurrant jelly 1 tbsp wine white vinegar 1 tbsp juniper berries sea salt and black pepper 1 tbsp thyme leaves 2 sheets of puff pastry 1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Peel and trim the shallots, leaving them whole. Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan, then add the shallots. Fry for 5 mins, stirring regularly, until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.

Add the venison to the saucepan and fry, stirring until browned, for 6-7 mins. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 min, then gradually pour in the wine, stirring constantly. Bring to the boil, then stir in the jelly, vinegar and juniper berries. Season. Stir in the thyme leaves and shallots, and simmer on a medium heat for 25 mins.

Roll out the sheets of puff pastry. Using an upturned small, individual pie dish, cut out four pie lids from the pastry, ½cm bigger than the dish. Chill the four pastry lids, covered in cling film, for 10 mins.

Divide the venison mixture among the four pie dishes. Brush the rim of the dish with the beaten egg. Top the dish with the pastry lids and brush the pastry with the remaining egg. Prick with a fork in the middle. Bake for 20 mins, until the pastry has risen and is golden.

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Black treacle pudding Serves 6 50g black treacle 200g butter, softened 200g golden caster sugar 3 eggs zest and juice of 1 lemon 250g self-raising flour clotted cream, to serve

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Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, combining thoroughly each time. Zest the lemon into the batter, then add the juice.

Sift in the flour and fold it in. Spoon half the mixture into an ovenproof dish and drizzle over half the black treacle. Spoon on the remaining cake mixture, then drizzle the remaining black treacle onto the batter, using a fork to create a marbled pattern.

Bake for 40 mins. Serve warm with clotted cream.

WINTER COMFORT Sponge puddings add a touch of warming nostalgia to meals on chilly days

Hazelnut crust fruit sponge Makes 4 60g crushed hazelnuts 200g mixed dried fruit 125g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 175g light brown soft sugar 3 large eggs 200g plain flour Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Grease four individual pudding mini basins with butter. Melt 25g of the butter in a bowl for 15 secs in a microwave. Stir in 25g of the sugar and all of the hazelnuts. Divide the mixture between the basins, flattening down with the back of a teaspoon.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the remaining butter and sugar together until creamy. Beat in the eggs thoroughly, one at a time. Mix in the dried fruit and then sift in the flour, folding into the batter.

Divide the batter between the basins, leaving a thumb width of space at the top. Bake for 20 mins. Loosen around the basins with a flat knife, then turn out onto plates and serve, with custard.

Hot toddy puddings Makes 6 100g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 155g golden caster sugar 3 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk 1 lemon 55ml whisky 2 tbsp milk 20g piece root ginger 200g plain flour

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and 150g of the sugar together. Beat in the eggs and the yolk, one at a time, combining well each time. Zest the lemon into the bowl then add the juice of half of it, followed by 50ml of the whisky and all of the milk.

Peel the ginger, then grate it into the mixture. Sift in the flour, then fold it into the mixture. Divide between six greased ovenproof mini pots. Thinly slice and quarter the remaining lemon half and place in a small bowl. Add both the sugar and remaining whisky to the bowl, then place the slices on the top of the puddings. Bake for 25 mins.

Serve immediately.

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Salted caramel puddings Makes 6 For the sauce 180g dark brown soft sugar 50g butter 300ml double cream 1 tsp sea salt For the puddings 180g butter, plus extra for greasing 180g dark brown soft sugar 3 eggs 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste 180g self-raising flour 1 tbsp baking powder

Almond and jam pudding Serves 8 50g ground almonds 4 tbsp flaked almonds 300g raspberry jam 170g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 170g caster sugar 3 eggs 150g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder

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Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. In a large bowl, cream together 150g of the butter and 150g of the sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until completely combined, then sift in the flour, stirring until combined.

Fold in the ground almonds and baking powder.

Grease a large ovenproof dish with butter and spoon in the jam, levelling it out. Scoop the batter on top and smooth out to cover.

Melt the remaining butter in a dish for 15 secs in the microwave, then mix in the remaining sugar. Add the flaked almonds and stir thoroughly, then sprinkle over the pudding. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 mins until golden. Serve with custard.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.

For the sauce: place the sugar in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a rolling boil for 2-3 mins, stirring until it darkens and thickens slightly.

Take off the heat and add the butter, stirring until it melts. Slowly stir in the cream. Mix in the sea salt.

Spoon 1½ tbsp of the mixture into a greased mini pudding basin. Repeat five times, and chill the basins until needed. Set the remaining sauce aside.

For the puddings: in a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon.

Beat the eggs in, one by one, and mix in the vanilla paste. Sift in the flour, folding in gradually, then add the baking powder. Thoroughly stir in 4 tbsp of the remaining sauce.

Take the basins from the fridge and spoon the batter into them, making sure there is a thumb width of room left at the tops. Bake on a baking tray for 35 mins, until the tops are firm.

To serve, bring the remaining sauce to the boil. Hold it on a rolling boil for 2 mins to thicken. Run a flat knife around the puddings and turn out onto plates. Serve with the extra sauce poured over and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

Spiced rum and pineapple pudding Serves 8 100ml spiced rum 435g tin of pineapple rings in juice, juice reserved 200g butter, softened 200g golden caster sugar, plus extra to sprinkle 3 eggs 350g self-raising flour 2 tsp allspice 1 tbsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. In a large bowl, cream together butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then mix in the rum. Sift the flour, then fold it into the batter, along with the allspice and baking powder. Pour the batter into a large ovenproof dish and level out with a spatula. Add the pineapple rings, then sprinkle with the extra sugar. Bake for 25 mins until golden.

Make several insertions into the pudding, pour over half of the reserved pineapple juice and sprinkle with sugar. Stand for 5 mins, then serve.

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In the kitchen Inspiring seasonal ideas and recipes

PALE BEAUTY In season now, the blanched stems of chicory are the result of its growing process. This forced crop is cultivated in warm, moist peat or sand in complete darkness. Cut off from the light, the leaves do not produce chlorophyll, responsible for the green colouring. Available in white and red varieties, it has a distinctive shape and the leaves have a mildly bitter flavour. Firm, crisp specimens are chosen for the best taste. In white varieties, the leaves are in fact pale yellow. Leaves with green tips are bitter and are avoided. Chicory is eaten raw or cooked, lending itself well to roasting, braising and soups.

WARMTH AND FLAVOUR

SIMPLE SHAPE Designed and made by Trawden Pottery, in Trawden, Lancashire, this pouring bottle is hand-thrown from white stoneware clay and finished in a satin white glaze. It is approximately 6in (15cm) high, excluding the pourer. Makers Martin Wilson and Pam Smith take inspiration from English slipware and medieval pottery. Being handmade each item unique.

Hand-thrown pouring bottle £14.50, www.trawdenpottery.co.uk

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Photography: GAP photo, Stocksy, Alamy, Stockfood

A breakfast staple for millennia, porridge is a healthy and filling start to winter mornings. Oats are rich in protein, magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium and vitamins E and B. They can lower cholesterol and as whole grains are digested slowly, helping maintain consistent energy levels. In its most simple form, porridge is made with oats and water, allowing 50g oats and 350ml liquid per person. The mixture is brought to the boil then simmered for up to 30 minutes until the desired texture is achieved. Frequent stirring prevents lumps. Making with milk, or a 50:50 mixture of milk and water, adds a creamier flavour. In Scotland, porridge is traditionally made with a pinch of salt, and stirred clockwise with a wooden utensil called a spurtle. A bowl of cream is provided for diners to dip their spoons into. Topping with berries and nuts adds further sweetness and flavour.

A KEEN EDGE A sharp knife is much safer to use than a dulled blade. Using a kitchen steel or honing rod before a knife is put away realigns the blade, smoothing out imperfections to keep it sharp. It removes far less metal than a sharpening stone. With the steel in the non-dominant hand, the knife is held across it to form a cross, with the blade pointing away from the body. The handle of the knife is placed at the handle of the steel and the blade tilted to a shallow 20-degree angle. The knife is swept outwards across the steel, until the tips meet. The process is carried out up to eight times. To sharpen the other edge, the knife is angled beneath the steel and the action repeated, again moving from handle to tip. The knife is wiped with a damp cloth before it is put away.

WINTER BRANCHES These ceramic coasters are impressed with plant stems, evoking the bare branches of winter trees. Handmade by ceramicist Charlotte Hupfield in her studio in Northamptonshire, each is glazed to provide a wipe-clean finish and has non-slip feet to keep it in place. Charlotte uses stoneware clay for all her work and is inspired by the textures and shapes found in the natural world.

Set of four coasters £20, www.charlottehupfieldceramics.com

HYDRATE AND REFRESH In season now, lemon is a refreshing way to flavour water. This citrus fruit is a traditional digestive aid and contains high levels of vitamin C as well as vitamin B6, iron and potassium. It also contains the antioxidant limonene and can help flush out toxins from the body. A slice of lemon is added to a glass of water. If a stronger flavour is required, lemon juice is squeezed in to taste.

A slice of vitamin-rich cucumber adds subtle flavour, while a sprig of mint brings natural sweetness. Mint can also help settle the stomach and aid digestion.

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& FLAVOUR FROM THE DARK

REGIONAL

SEASONAL

A

S DUSK SWIFTLY falls, the welcoming lights of the Pipe and Glass Inn shine into the gloaming. Sitting at a fork in the road running out of the East Yorkshire village of South Dalton, it is backed by woods and the lands of Dalton Park estate. In the 15th century, the estate’s gatehouse stood here. Two hundred years later, this was replaced by an inn, parts of which remain in the current building. The tradition of offering a warm welcome also continues.

“We aim to serve good food with good Yorkshire hospitality,” says chef James Mackenzie, who has owned the inn with wife Kate since 2006. “We’ve worked to make it still feel like a pub when you come in, and it’s as important to serve a good pint at the bar as it is good food to the table.”

On tap are five hand-pulled ales, including James’s own Two Chefs, developed with friend Andrew Pern at the Great Yorkshire Brewery. “It’s brewed with Yorkshire honey and lemon thyme.”

The inn’s awards include a Michelin star, but the menu is designed to cater to a wide range of diners, including children.

“We serve food people want to eat. I take traditional dishes and add twists, or make them lighter. We have simple things done well, right through to more intricate dishes.”

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Kate and James aim to strike a balance between quality, consistency and locality. “We know where all our food comes from,” says James. “We try to get our fish from the North-East coast, and our game comes from the Yorkshire Moors.

Everything is as British – and as Yorkshire – as I can get it.”

Winter brings some of James’ best-loved ingredients. “Game is one of my favourite things to cook,” he says. “When the season begins a vast larder opens up.” Other seasonal treats include wild garlic, found in the woods behind the inn.

Another winter staple is Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb, grown in the county’s Rhubarb Triangle. Covering nine square miles between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell, this natural frost pocket supplies the cool temperatures, high rainfall and nitrogen-rich soil needed for this vegetable to thrive. Cultivated outside for two to three years, rhubarb crowns are moved into warm, darkened sheds in November. Here they must use energy stored in their roots to grow. This process lends forced rhubarb its distinctive bittersweet taste. Without light, it cannot photosynthesise, leaving the tender flesh bright crimson. It is hand-harvested by candlelight from January to March.

“It is exciting because it’s only produced locally and

Ginger burnt cream with forced rhubarb and East Yorkshire sugar cakes 4FSWFT 'PS UIF CVSOU DSFBN

'PS UIF TVHBS DBLFT

350ml double cream

250g plain flour

125ml milk

80g caster sugar

5 egg yolks

125g butter, melted

county’s famous forced rhubarb as

75g caster sugar

1 tsp mixed spice

2 tbsp grated root ginger

1 tsp ground nutmeg

a seasonal highlight

4 tsp caster sugar

pinch of ground cloves

A Yorkshire restaurant celebrates the

'PS UIF TUFXFE SIVCBSC 8 sticks of Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb 150g caster sugar

only for so long. We have to make the most of it, in both sweet and savoury dishes,” says James.

One of his signature puddings is burnt ginger cream with stewed rhubarb and East Yorkshire sugar cakes. “Ginger goes extremely well with rhubarb.” The sugar cakes are James’ adaptation of a 200-year-old local recipe. “Their name is deceptive as they are more like shortbread. The recipe fell out of a financial ledger when Beverley Town Council moved offices in 2007. I was asked to make it but it wasn’t very pleasant. It was full of ground clove and mace and very spicy. I changed the quantities and it’s much nicer now.”

It is with a note of regret that James bids farewell to winter.

“It’s sad when such a rich season finishes. But it gives you the chance to move on to different things – and it always returns.” t Words: Katy Islip t Photography: Mark Davis

CONTACT The Pipe and Glass Inn, West End, South Dalton, Beverley, East Yorkshire HU17 7PN. Tel 01430 810246, www.pipeandglass.co.uk

To make the burnt cream: preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3.

Mix the egg yolks with the sugar in a bowl. Boil the milk and cream in a pan with the ginger. Remove from the heat and leave the ginger to infuse for a few mins. Strain through a sieve over the egg mix, then pour this mixture into individual ovenproof dishes. Place in an ovenproof tray filled with enough water to come a third of the way up the dishes. Bake for 35 mins. Remove from the oven, cool, then leave to set in the fridge. When set, sprinkle caster sugar over the tops and melt with a blowtorch or under a very hot grill.

To make the sugar cakes: put all ingredients into a bowl and mix together. Lay cling film on a board and roll the mixture into sausages. Wrap in the cling film and put into fridge until firm.

Remove the cling film, slice and bake in the oven at 180°C/gas mark 4 for approximately 10 mins.

To stew the rhubarb: chop the sticks of rhubarb into 3cm lengths and place in a baking tray. Sprinkle over the sugar and a little water. Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 180°C/gas mark 4 for 10-12 mins until just cooked. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly in the tray. Transfer to a bowl and serve warm with the sugar cakes and the burnt cream.

65

RED ROOF CROFT A whitewashed cottage clinging to the edge of a Scottish loch is the model for this simple knitting project

L

OOKING OUT ACROSS a Scottish loch, surrounded by mountains, is a little croft house with a red roof. This knitting pattern was inspired by that house on the Applecross Peninsular, Loch Torridon, Wester Ross. It can be knitted as a child’s toy or for use as a pincushion.

Size Approximately 3in (8cm) high x 1¾in (4.5cm) deep x 3in (8cm) wide.

Gauge Approximately 24 stitches x 40 rows over 4in (10cm) in stocking stitch.

Abbreviations

Ed Duncan www.ed-duncan-photography.co.uk

A, B, C k p RS WS st st k2tog s1kp

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refers to colours of working yarn knit purl right side wrong side stocking stitch knit two stitches together slip one stitch from left needle to right needle purlwise, knit next stitch, pass the slipped stitch over the knit one.

MATERIALS t 1 x 25g ball of Jamieson’s of Shetland double knit in each of three colours: (A) natural white #104, (B) crimson #525, (C) granite #122 t Pair of 2.75mm knitting needles t Blunt tapestry needle t Wadding for stuffing

Richard Faulks

Pattern design by Julia Marsh.

Julia lives on a croft in the Scottish Highlands where she keeps a small flock of Shetland sheep. Her blog ‘Hand Knitted Things’ began in 2008 and features knitting and other observations that catch her eye. Her pattern designs are available as digital downloads. www.handknittedthings.blogspot.co.uk

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THE PATTERN Front, base and back The front, base and back of the house are knitted in one piece. Use the chart with the written instructions. Note: Leave long tail ends. Not all will be used but those left will help to make sewing the project together easier and neater.

Cast on 25 stitches using 2.75mm needles in main colour A. Row 1: k Row 2: p Row 3: k Row 4: p Row 5: k3A, k4C, k3A, k5B, k3A, k4C, k3A Row 6: p3A, p4C, p3A, p5B, p3A, p4C, p3A Repeat rows 5 and 6 twice more.

Row 11: k10A, k5B, k10A Row 12: p10A, p5B, p10A Repeat rows 11 and 12 once more.

Row 15: repeat row 11 Row 16: (WS facing all main colour A) k10, p5, k10 Row 17: k Row 18: p Continue in st st until row 31 completed.

Row 32: (WS facing) k Row 33 – 36: st st Row 37: k10A, k5C, k10A Row 38: p10A, p5C, p10A Repeat rows 37 and 38 one more time Row 41: repeat row 37 Row 42: p (all in main colour A) Continue in st st in main colour until total of 47 rows completed from start.

Cast off.

Side walls x 2 Locate the edges of the base of the house between the two ridges.

With right side facing, using 2.75mm needles, pick up 13 stitches in main colour A. Row 1: (WS facing) p Row 2: k Continue in st st until 15 rows worked.

Row 16: (RS facing) k1, k2tog, knit to last three stitches, s1kp, k1 Row 17: p Repeat rows 16 and 17 until five stitches remain.

Next row: k1, k2tog, s1kp. Three stitches RS facing. Make three stitches.

Turn work. Purl row. (6 stitches). Make three stitches. Turn work. Knit row (9 stitches). Work two more rows of stocking stitch. Cast off.

Roof Cast on 30 stitches in colour B using 2.75mm needles.

Row 1: *k1, p1, repeat from * to end Repeat row 1 until 12 rows have been worked.

Row 13: (RS facing) p row Row 14: k row Row 15: p row Row 16: repeat row 1 further 12 times (27 rows worked in total) Cast off.

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Chart for front, base and back. Work in stocking stitch from left to right alternate rows. Note this chart does not include stitch changes for knit and purl on RS and WS. Use with reference to the instructions.

Finishing

1. Sew the glazing bar detail on the three windows by making four stitches in colour A from the window edges into the centre of the window.

2. Line up the front roof edge with the top of the front house wall.

Overlap the edge of the roof to form the eaves of the house. Sew together using colour B. 3. Sew the back roof to the back house wall, the same method as the front.

4. Sew the chimney seam.

5. Sew one end wall and chimney to the main house and roof edges.

Fill with stuffing. Sew the other chimney to position on the roof and sew the remaining house walls together.

The crofter’s cottage before it is sewn and stuffed. It is made in two pieces, one for the roof, and one for the base and walls.

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In the home

Seasonal decorative touches to bring the outdoors in

NEAT AND VISIBLE Folding clothes and storing them vertically enables the contents of drawers to be easily seen. Each item of clothing is folded to create a rectangle slightly narrower than the depth of the drawer.

T-shirts and jumpers are folded in half from top to bottom, then repeatedly halved until the required size is reached. Trousers are folded in half several times. Using crates or old shoeboxes enables different clothing types to be kept side by side.

RECLAIM NATURAL SPARKLE

DELICATE FASTENINGS These ceramic buttons carry designs inspired by maker Anna Alicia’s background in art history and fine art. Part of her A Alicia accessory range, the buttons feature angular shapes that sit alongside natural curves. The buttons are finished with vivid high-fired glazes. All her pieces are made by hand, using ceramics, organic cotton and recycled silver wherever possible. She finds working with limited materials inspires her to make the most of their possibilities.

Ceramic buttons from £4 a pair, www.aalicia.bigcartel.com

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Jewellery easily becomes tarnished or dirty. Baking soda provides a simple way to clean silver at home. Two teaspoons of baking soda are added to a cup of hot water and stirred thoroughly. For heavy soiling, adding a piece of aluminium foil to the solution causes a chemical process called ion transfer, boosting its cleaning power.

The jewellery is added and left to soak for five minutes. It is then carefully rinsed in fresh water and dried. Polishing with a soft cloth completes the process.

BRIMFUL OF LIFE Coming into bloom in early January, indoor or florist’s varieties of cyclamen bring colour and vibrancy to the home. Standing pots in old enamel mugs and jugs provides a simple way to display their delicate foliage and petals. As cultivars of Cyclamen persicum, a woodland plant, they prefer cool locations, out of direct sunlight. Over-watering is also avoided. Instead, the pot is soaked by standing it in several inches of water, then allowing it to drain. When the compost becomes dry to the touch, it is soaked again. A loam-based compost with extra grit is good for such re-wetting.

Photography: GAP Photos, Stocksy, Shutterstock

CASTING A LIGHT Ceramicist Victoria Turner hand-cast these porcelain tea light holders from vintage jelly mould tins. From her studio and shop in Lewes, East Sussex, she looks to historic items for inspiration while embracing new techniques. The delicate nature of her chosen medium allows the whole holder to appear illuminated once a lit candle is placed within. Measuring 2.7 x 4.3in (7 x 11cm) wide, the moulds can also be used as planters for succulents. Water-tight even when unglazed, porcelain allows plants to be watered without leaking. Marks on the unglazed surface are removed with warm soapy water and a soft brush.

Ceramic tea light holders £23 each, www.fromvictoria.co.uk

FELTED FRIEND Needle felting involves using a barbed needle to interlock wool fibres.

Through her work as a sculptural needle felter, Heather O’Leary discovered the superior suitability of British wool for this craft. From her home in Trefriw in the Snowdonia National Park, she created a set of animal needle felting kits based on her own work. All the wool is undyed and comes from flocks of native breeds from across the UK. In support of the country’s wool industry and heritage, all Heather’s products carry the British Wool mark.

Needlepoint felted bear kit £19.80, www.craftwerk.co.uk

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72

DOWN AT THE STABLE Two old socks are transformed into a pair of woolly hobby horses 73

MATERIALS t Men’s old socks t Scraps of fabric or wool for stuffing t Scissors t Old jumper t Needle and cotton t Large buttons t Thick yarn t Tapestry needle t Broom handle

HOW TO MAKE A SOCK HOBBY HORSE 1.

2.

Step 1: Lyra stuffs a sock using scraps of fabric, old socks and oddments of wool.

Step 3: A sewing needle is threaded and a knot tied in the end of the thread. An old button is sewn onto the head. This is repeated on the opposite side.

The ear is now sewn onto the top of the horse’s head, on the heel of the sock. The process is repeated for the second ear.

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3.

Step 2: Ruari helps cut an ear from an old jumper. Using the rib of the garment creates an finished edge to the ear.

4.

5.

Step 4: A 78in (2m) length of thick yarn is wrapped around a book several times.

It is removed and left to one side. This will become the horse’s mane.

7.

Step 7: Three 47in (1.2m) lengths of yarn are plaited to form the bridle.

This is tied around the horse’s nose and knotted underneath. The two ends are then tied together and pulled up and over the nose and head to create the reins.

6.

Step 6: The mane is laid on top of the length of wool. The ends are tied over the mane and trimmed. The looped ends are cut to form a fringe and mane.

Step 5: A tapestry needle is threaded with 12in (30cm) of the yarn and pulled through the head so that equal lengths lie each side.

8.

Step 8: A broom handle is inserted into the neck of the sock. The sock is tied around it using a short length of yarn.

t Project: Sue Martin t Photography: Richard Faulks

Their work of making the horses done, Lyra and Ruari take them outside for a hack.

75

A SIMPLE GLOW Tea cups, jam jars and unused ramekins can all be used to hold homemade candles

76

D

URING THE SHORTER days and long nights of winter, burning candles cast a cosy light about the home. There are various waxes suitable for candle making. Mineral wax is petroleum based, and looks shiny and white when hard. Soy wax, made from soya beans, looks dull and off-white when hard.

Beeswax is the most natural choice but is expensive. Old candles can be melted down and reused. If wax from freestanding candles is reused, it may shrink a little once set. This will not happen with container wax. Any old wicks or residue in reused wax do not need removing during the melting process. They will stay in the bottom of the pan when the wax is poured out. Filling a candle container with water and measuring it provides the amount of wax needed.

The millilitres of water equals the grams of wax required.

1.

Step 1: The wax is cut into small pieces, if it has not come in akes or beads, and placed in the small saucepan. The larger saucepan is one-third ďŹ lled with boiling water and placed over a low heat. The smaller pan is placed inside the large one so the heat from the water melts the wax. While this happens, the containers for the candles are prepared.

Jam jars are a simple choice. Alternative containers can include plant pots, Kilner jars, and old decorative teacups. Once the wax is completely melted, the heat is turned o and the wax left to cool slightly. If the candle is to be scented, perfumed oil is now added at a ratio of 5ml per 100g of wax.

2.

Step 2: The wick is threaded through the sustainer. This is a little disc of metal with a hole in the middle that supports the wick at the base. A little of the wick is pulled through the bottom and bent over to lie at. The metal tubing the wick goes through is crimped using a pair of pliers. This holds the wick in place. A small amount of wax glue is spread on the underside of the sustainer. It is then ďŹ xed to the centre of the inner base of the container. The wick is held straight up and cut to 1-2cm higher than the container.

Metal core wicks will stand up on their own until the wax hardens.

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t 4VJUBCMF DPOUBJOFST o TNBMM KBN KBST UFBDVQT ,JMOFS KBST t 4NBMM NFUBM DPSF XJDL t .FUBM XJDL TVTUBJOFST t 1MJFST t 8BY HMVF

3.

Step 3: Once the wax is cool, it is poured into the pots.

Pouring some over the wick makes it easier to light the candle. If old wax is being reused, any residue within it will sink to the bottom and not been seen when the candle is hard. The candle is left to set hard. This takes approximately two hours. When the wax is hard, the wick is cut to approximately 5mm above the surface of the wax. If desired, a label can be added to identify the scent of the candle and, if a jam jar has been used, the lid decorated.

Adapted from HOME MADE SIMPLE BY JOANNA GOSLING Photography by Rachel Whiting. Published by Kyle Books, priced ÂŁ19.99 www.kylebooks.com

77

SHED OF TREASURES From cucumber straighteners to a walking stick saw, one man’s passion for vintage garden tools has created a unique collection

A

HUNDRED YEARS OF garden paraphernalia fills neat rows of open shelves in a storage room. Watering cans thrust forth their spouts from a top shelf, apple pickers with baskets resembling oversized shuttlecocks stand in line in a corner and spades of every conceivable shape hang uniformly from a wall. Smaller tools are grouped on the shelves according to their function.

Approximately 3,000 different items make up this well ordered personal museum charting the history of horticultural work. The beautifully polished garden tools represents 35 years of collecting by owner Trevor Farrell.

The vintage implements range from the instantly recognisable to the strangely specialised. As well as the folding knives, pruning saws, shears and forks, there is a narrow spade for lifting horseradish and at least 20 different asparagus knives.

Other items include long glass cucumber straighteners, a mole

catcher and an object that looks like a hockey stick with a blade for cutting turf. There is even a shelf full of children’s tools, all as sharp and effective as their adult equivalents.

Starting out “I’ve always loved gardening and I’ve lived in old houses where I found things in the attic and in outhouses, such as some Victorian hanging baskets,” explains Trevor, a vet by profession.

“That interested me in the tools. I love the combination of the metal and the wood, the wear on the blade and the patination you get from years of hands using them. They’re tactile, practical and appeal to my artistic sense.”

A self-confessed hoarder by nature, he started looking around for more items. “One stimulating find early on was when my gardener came back with a pair of 1940s’ ‘Greensleeves’ hedge clippers that had four blades instead of the usual two. i

Garden tool collector Trevor Farrell examines one of his trowels. Behind him are shelves of vintage watering cans.

(Clockwise from top left): Rows of copper and galvanised watering cans in a range of sizes; a 19th century seed drill with a row of teeth at the bottom to create furrows to plant the seeds in; a range of secateurs for a variety of uses including very slim ones for pruning grapes; a turf racing iron, used to cut lines in grass before it was lifted.

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Four-bladed hedge clippers dating from the 1940s.

A long-handled flower picker with brass blades for clipping a single bloom. These were advertised in 1905 as flower gatherers, priced 18 shillings 6d (92.5p).

They were invented to try to cut quicker and only two blades show when they’re closed. He paid £1 for them at a boot fair,” he says.

“As I amassed a few things, I came to realise that I had the makings of a small collection so it gathered momentum. I started getting different versions of items and looking at manufacturers’ names. The better makers, mostly in Sheffield, put their stamp on tools. I got them mainly from antiques and collectors’ fairs and from boot sales. Then people I knew would give or sell me things.”

Trevor has paid up to £500 for antique items but prices average out at £20-£30.

A selection of spades and garden rollers. The first two spades on the left and the two-pronged fork were designed specifically for use on clay soil.

80

Specialised finds Trevor’s most recent discovery is a turf racing iron, which he bought at Ardingly antiques fair in West Sussex, one of his best sources.

These were used to cut lines in the grass before lifting the turves with a spade. “I knew they existed, though I’d never seen one. It’s from the 1930s, probably, and is made of ash. It has lovely wear where it has been run along the ground over the years. The blade bolted to the bottom has worn down too. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I saw it. It cost £10. I got chatting to another collector at the fair who said he hadn’t bought it because he didn’t know what it was.

That’s where knowledge can be very helpful.”

The majority of the items date from the 1850s. In the middle of the 19th century the Industrial Revolution was at its peak and manufacturing processes took over from individually crafted tools.

Until the growth of the suburbs after the First World War, it was mainly the wealthy who had gardens for recreational use. Ordinary people might have had small cottage gardens for growing produce.

By the late-Victorian era, tools were available for every specific use. Unlike the multi-purpose tools of today, manufacturers marketed a staggering array of different implements for both commercial and domestic use. Once stainless steel was developed in the first decades of the 20th century, tools became more durable. “I like the fact that there were lots of specialised things,” says Trevor. “There aren’t today, it’s a very limited range now.”

Among the oddities in his collection, he has beautifully crafted flower pickers, where the mini-scissors at the end were fashioned to i

TREVOR’S PICKS 1. Walking stick saw “This is something I wanted for a long time. It’s made by Cowen’s. I’d known it existed for 30 years but never thought I’d find one. I just happened to be asking a walking-stick dealer one day and he said he had one so I happily snapped it up. It’s got the name of the owner, H. Watson, on a silver plaque. It works both as a walking stick and as a tree-pruning saw. A rich man with a country house would be strutting round, see an annoying branch and be able to unsheath his saw and cut the branch off. It dates to around 1880, I suspect. The stick is birch, with a mahogany handle. It would have been made in very limited numbers.”

2. Weed-poisoning stick “This is for poisoning weeds. The poison goes in the funnel, you turn a tap and it runs down inside the stick to a steel point at the end. Fantastic. It has a label with part of the name ‘Mrs Grafton’.

It’s incredibly surreal engineering but beautifully made. It’s 1883-4, English, and the wood is ash.

I bought it from a man who knew I collected. It’s a rare, quality item.”

3. Grape storage bottle “This was devised by the head gardener at Copped Hall in Essex in the 1900s and was made by William Wood of Wood Green. Country houses bought them but they weren’t commercially marketed. They were to store dessert grapes so they could impress house guests by serving them out of season. You put water in the jar, then the grape stalk goes in the end, with the grapes hanging out. Charcoal was added for purification. They’re then kept on a shelf in the dark. The old glass has bubbles, imperfections and colours in it, which I think are charming.”

3.

4.

1.

4. Planting spade “An early stainless steel tool inscribed on the blade ‘Christian and Dobbs, Long Sutton’. It has a 13-inch, beautifully made ash T-handle. It was designed so you could make a hole just the right shape and size for a seedling. Today you would just use a trowel.”

5. Horse boots “Before powered lawnmowers, horses and ponies were used to drag the mower around. These are from around 1900 and made by Cole’s. They’re made for each individual hoof, stamped BR for ‘back right’ and so on. I’ve had them 20 years and I’m very fond of them. I like the idea of animals helping man with the gardening.”

6. Fern trowel “This is by C T Skelton, a good maker. It’s early 20th century, stainless steel and rosewood. Fern collectors wanted a tool they could use to dig up their plants and move them around. The shape of the blade would fit down the deep, narrow root of a fern. A normal trowel would not work as well. Fern trowels fetch a lot of money because they’re scarce and a nice shape. You can still buy fern trowels but nothing like the quality of the Sheffield steel of old.”

5.

2.

6.

One of the large metal and glass cloches from Trevor’s collection (far left).

This rain gauge captures the rain in the open container on the top, then the dial shows the volume (centre).

Glass cucumber straighteners came in a range of different lengths (left).

clip and hold a single bloom. Glassware particularly appeals to him. “Some of the cloches are massive and seem indestructible.” Elongated glass containers in a range of sizes ensured straight cucumber growth.

Garden ephemera, apart from tools, includes a late 19th century copper rain gauge that resembles a clock.

There is also a boxed set of grass-seed samples labelled Suttons’ Vasculums.

Familiar favourites At the other end of the familiarity scale, there is a simple set of three post-war tools. “They were the property of a gentleman who probably had them all his life. They’re pretty ordinary – a spade, a fork and rake – but I like the fact that they have honest wear on them and belonged to one man.”

The 19th century seed drill in action, levelling the soil, while creating furrows to plant the seeds in.

Trevor deems items that have been forged or turned by hand as one-offs. A favourite is what he assumes is a 19th century seed drill. It has a wooden spade handle, a row of teeth at the bottom and small rollers at the side. “A man advertised it for sale and I drove down to Winchester to get it. He didn’t know what it was, just a weird tool he thought I’d be interested in. It was probably made for the person’s own use. I like it because you can see how it has been crafted and there are layers of interesting patination where it has been exposed to weather and soil.”

Minimal restoration Trevor does only minimal restoration on his tools. “I just clean things as they are and put on good-quality furniture polish with a cloth. On the steel, sometimes I use blocks of a fine, abrasive compound on a polishing wheel to get rid of fresh rust, then wax it. I wouldn’t take off any of the patination on the wood or any old rust. I don’t want to lose the history.”

It is the collecting of the vintage tools that remains Trevor’s passion. “The hunt is the most fun. When you find something you didn’t know existed, you get great satisfaction.

Although it’s hard to find things I haven’t got, I still look forward to upgrading what exists already, and collecting constantly throws up surprises. Every month or two, I find something interesting.

“I want to preserve them for posterity. The tools tell a story about the relationship between form and function.”

▯

Words: Caroline Rees

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Photography: Clive Doyle

CONTACT www.oldgardentools.co.uk

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H FIRING THE EARTH Deep in the Scottish countryside, Doug Fitch and Hannah McAndrew create rich brown slipware pottery, following centuries-old traditions

IDDEN IN THE trees at the end of a stony track in the hills of Scotland’s Southern Uplands is an isolated farmhouse. The nearest town, Castle Douglas, is over five miles away along single track roads. Opposite a disused cowshed stands an outhouse that has been converted to an artist’s studio. This is the workspace of potters Doug Fitch and Hannah McAndrew.

The couple specialise in slipware, a type of pottery where slip, a suspension of clay in water, is used to decorate an unfired pot. For centuries, it was the traditional pottery of ordinary people in both town and country. However, the mechanised processes of the industrial revolution caused its near total decline. Added to this, many of the remaining craftsmen were lost during the First World War, and their skills died with them. Today though, this husband and wife team keep the age-old tradition alive in the warmth of their studio, while the wild winter wind blows outside.

Working with nature Doug weighs out clay while Hannah works on a mechanical potter’s kick wheel, which is powered by kicking the legs.

There are pots and plates everywhere, some finished, others on racks drying. “Our work is influenced by a tradition that has changed and evolved over the centuries,” says Doug.

“Medieval potters were based outside the towns and villages because of the fire risk and the amount of smoke from the kilns. They drew inspiration from the countryside around them, where they also found wood, lead ore for a basic glaze and clay. They even used to dig clay from the roads. That’s where the term ‘potholes’ comes from,” he explains.

“We work with traditional natural earth tones. In Britain we have a lot of red clay and smaller amounts of white. The white clay comes from North Devon. It is finer than red clay and requires a higher firing temperature, which many potters didn’t have the equipment to achieve. Because this made it more expensive, it was used mainly for decoration.” The basic palette of black, white, green and red slip is made by mixing different clays with naturally occurring iron, manganese and copper oxides. By placing the pots in the hottest parts of the kiln, varying tints of brown can be produced.

Developing passion Doug’s interest in pottery began when he was at school in Northamptonshire. “When I was 11 my old headmaster, who was an archaeologist, used to take us out field walking around the site of the long-vanished medieval village of Lyveden to collect medieval pottery shards. We’d take them back to school and identify them using archaeological surveys of the area. Some of the bits had the potter’s thumb marks and fingerprints still in them.”

At college, he learnt kiln-building, glaze chemistry and all aspects of ceramics. “All I was interested in was i

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Doug starts by throwing the base from a 14lb lump of clay.

slipware,” he says. “I love the feel of slip. I love the feel of clay in my hands, its coolness to the touch and its malleability.

Kneading clay, which we do to eliminate air and evenly blend the material, isn’t like kneading bread, the properties are very different. And the properties differ across the many types of clay.

Porcelain for example is more plastic, more flexible, but it lacks the integral strength that our clay has when it’s soft. This makes for a completely different type of pot.”

Creating the perfect body takes years of practice, the arms’ and fingers’ muscle memory drawing out the clay to its ideal shape.

Utterly absorbed in the form he is creating, Doug is unaware of the movements of his arms and body.

Hannah sketches out her designs before the potter’s wheel starts turning.

Doug does not make preliminary sketches.

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Getting started For 19 years Doug worked as a ceramics technician at Exeter College of Art and Design. In his spare time he helped other potters around Devon fire their kilns, loading the pots and ensuring the kiln stayed at the correct temperature. Then at the age of 40, he took redundancy. “I thought if the others can do it, so can I,” he says. “So I spent all my redundancy money on a pile of bricks for a kiln and on converting a derelict barn.” This was to be the first of a number of studios Doug had in the Devon area before relocating to Scotland.

He begins making what has become one of his trademark products, a large jug. “I love the form, the shape of the jugs,” he says. “They have character. They have a foot, a belly, a shoulder, a lip, a waist, a neck. They have beautiful curves.” His jugs have their own style, but are strongly influenced by examples from the past, where function dictated the form.

Doug scoops up a handful of clay. “I worked in a flowerpot factory for a year in 1985 after leaving art college. One of the few things I learnt was how to judge a three pound ball of clay accurately, though we still weigh it on scales to be certain.”

His large pots are approximately 17in (43cm) tall, 12in (30cm) wide and weigh in the region of 14lb (6.3kg). They are thrown in two sections. The base contains 14lb (6.3kg) of clay, which he splits into 7lb (3kg) blocks to make the kneading more manageable before re-joining the two. The neck uses a further 1.5lb (0.6kg). The clay, called Etruria Marl, is sourced from the

The body of the pot is toughened with a gas torch, then the neck is added (above left). The shape is refined and finished on the pot. The lip is formed by the thumb and forefingers (above right).

The opening at the top of the pot is thrown to a specific size.

big pits around Stoke-on-Trent as the local Scottish clay is too sandy. It lacks the plasticity to throw a pot with a bellied form.

Grit is added to increase the clay’s strength for the bigger pots.

“Throwing a pot takes absolute concentration,” he says.

“Your fingertips and the side of the knuckle are exerting pressure and lifting the material. You have to know exactly when and how much pressure to apply.”

“And your muscles remember the movements,” adds Hannah. “You feel it through your fingertips. One false move, though, and the whole thing collapses. It’s important to know your wheel and materials really well.”

Doug starts throwing the base of the pot on the electrically powered wheel. This is a 10in (25cm) diameter circular metal plate sitting on an encased electric motor which is 3ft (90cm) high. It is surrounded by a tray containing a pan of water. The water is added through the throwing process to prevent the hands sticking to the clay.

He raises the clay into the beginnings of the jug, his head moving around the pot at almost impossible angles. His elbows are high as his hands coax the clay upwards. “People tell me I do these strange movements but I’m not aware of it at the time. I’m just completely focused. It’s like meditation.”

Creating the jug Once the base is finished, he partially dries it using a gas burner to increase its strength. This is to prevent it collapsing when he

places the neck on top. He measures the top of the base with callipers so that he can throw the neck to exactly the correct diameter to make a perfect fit. Once thrown, the neck is also partially dried and then carefully lowered onto the base. The wheel is then started and the two are compressed together using the fingers and a tool called a rib, which helps create a smooth junction. The whole throwing process takes not much more than 20 minutes.

Doug holds the top of the neck in place with the thumb and forefinger of his left hand. Then, hooking the forefinger of his right hand over the edge of the neck, he gently pulls backwards to create the lip of the jug.

The jug is then left to partially dry and strengthen until the following day when the handle is added. The handle is created using a technique called pulling. Doug takes a lump of clay and, using plenty of water, squeezes it gently while dragging downwards over and over again. This is done until the clay has become the correct diameter and length for the handle. He then scores both the end of the handle and the side of the pot. After adding some slip to help bind the two, the end of the handle is pushed onto the pot. As this is done, he supports the pot from the inside with his other hand. The handle is carefully bent downwards to create the required curve, and the process repeated to join the bottom of the handle to the pot.

Before applying slip, the pot is left until it is leatherhard, a state where the clay has partially dried to a consistency of i

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Doug decorates his pots with small coils of clay, with additional motifs made from clay pellets and stamps, inspired by nature (top and above).

PREPARING THE SLIP Doug and Hannah make buckets of slip by adding water to white clay. They judge the consistency by running it through their fingers. The slip is used to decorate pottery in three different ways. It is applied by dipping the pot into slip, by pouring the slip over a pot, or by slip trailing. This latter is a process where the slip is squeezed through a fine nozzle to decorate the pot.

cheese. This can take several days, the time depending on the thickness of the pot, the temperature and the moisture in the atmosphere.

Adding decoration Although both create designs that are strongly influenced by nature, Doug and Hannah specialise in different slipware techniques. Doug rolls out small pieces of clay and lays them on the surface of the pot, a process called appliqué. He also uses clay stamps called sprigs with patterns of daisies, blackberries or leaves that he has made, before covering the pot in slip.

Hannah brushes a background slip layer on and pipes different colours of slip on top to create her designs of birds, tulips or trees, a process called slip trailing. Depending on the size of the pot it can take days of intense concentration to decorate one piece.

The pots are left on racks in the studio to dry for up to eight weeks. Drying too fast can cause cracking so they are covered in polythene to control evaporation. This is followed by a firing in an electric kiln which turns the raw clay into hard-fired pottery.

The kiln, which they keep in the barn opposite, takes 12-14 hours to get to the necessary 1000°C where it is held for 30 minutes before cooling for two days.

Glazing and firing When cool, the pots are dipped in glaze. This is a mixture of white clay, water, iron oxide and lead frit, a safe form of lead.

Before the advent of lead frit in the early 20th century there was a high incidence of lead poisoning amongst potters. This can lead to mental impairment, and is possibly the origin of the expression ‘going potty’.

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Hannah charges the kiln with fuel.

These old pallets burn clean and fast, making it easier to control the temperature.

Finally the pots are loaded into the wood-fired kiln. The kiln, a brick structure surrounded by a wooden shed, is situated several hundred yards down the track. During the afternoon 70 pots, the result of six weeks’ work, are carefully loaded onto shelves and at 8am the following morning the kiln is lit.

“We have a firing every six weeks or so,” says Doug.

“It’s a big event. You have a trusted firing team and help each other out. Hannah was part of my team for a long time and I was part of hers.”

“It can be incredibly stressful and you need two people to keep it running,” says Hannah. “The kind of wood you use and the atmospheric conditions can really affect the burn. You have to control the temperature carefully and watch the chimney. If the smoke is black the kiln is burning in reduction, which means there’s not enough oxygen for the amount of fuel and the glazes will blister and the pots go an ugly brown.

“For our kind of work the chimney should have no smoke, or very white smoke. We use a denser wood at the beginning of the firing, a hard wood if we can get it, for a slow burn, and then we use old pallets from local farms. You don’t have to store them and they have a fast, clean burn that helps you control the temperature.”

They place pyrometric cones, a set of three ceramic cones that melt and bend over at different temperatures, in with the pots. These can be seen through a spyhole by extracting a removable brick from the door of the kiln and are used to estimate the temperature within. It takes 16 hours of tending to get the temperature to 1100°C. The kiln is kept at that temperature for 30 minutes. It is then sealed up and left to cool for two days. “We walk away and try not to think about it,” says Doug. “It’s a private moment when you open it again. You’re usually up against a show deadline and you feel sick.”

t Words and photography: Rob Scott

CONTACT www.douglasfitch.co.uk www.hannahmcandrew.co.uk Large jugs priced from £320.

Claire Borlase

Finished pots When the pots finally emerge they are in their finished state, yet there can be unexpected results. “You can get large atmospheric variations across the kiln with flames and gasses going through,” says Hannah. “Identical pots next to each other can come out completely different. But you have to resist the temptation to smash the ones you don’t like because you can grow to love them later on.”

Back in the warm, dry studio, Doug has a collection of old pottery. “I love these old jugs,” he says. “What excites me is that they were part of someone’s life.”

“If Doug had his way,” concludes Hannah, “he would make jugs and nothing else, forever and always.”

This beautifully decorated jug is the result of a collaboration between Doug and Hannah. It combines Doug’s rich brown pots with Hannah’s slip trailing and decorative method (below).

The plate shows the different colours that can be produced (bottom).

FABRIC OF SCOTLAND In its myriad colours, the pleated tartan kilt has long been an evocative symbol of life north of the border

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“In Plaid array’d, magnificently shone, Nor seem’d his purple, or his ermine less, Tho’ cover’d by the Caledonia dress.”

Allan Ramsay, ‘Tartana’

T

HERE CAN BE few forms of dress as truly iconic or as inextricably linked to one country as the kilt. Whether worn to celebrate Hogmanay, to perform Highland dancing or as a working garment, these distinctive pleated pieces of tartan are universally associated with Scotland.

Despite those strong bonds, however, it is almost impossible to pin the origins of both kilt and tartan to a single time or place. Even the origin of the words is unclear. Kilt may be a Celtic, Gaelic or Scandinavian word meaning the wrapping or tucking of cloth around the body.

Tartan may have its roots in tiretane, a French word for a fabric woven from linen or wool. Another theory is that it comes from a combination of the Irish and Scots words tuar and tan meaning colour and district. Or it possibly came from closer to home, from the Gaelic word breacan which means striped cloth.

The earliest example of tartan found in Scotland dates from the 3rd century and was discovered in an earthenware pot buried near Falkirk. It became known as The Falkirk Sett and is now kept at the National Museum of Scotland.

Early tartans were dyed in colours derived from local plants, flowers, lichen and tree bark. Tests carried out on a piece of tartan taken from a suit dating to 1743, however, found origins from much further afield. The red in the material came from cochineal made from crushed South American beetles. The blue was indigo from India and the yellow had been created from Old Fustic, a flower found in North America.

Highland garb The kilt itself was mostly worn in the Highlands, being regarded by Lowlanders as a barbarous form of apparel. Historians argue over the exact date when it was first worn and by whom. Before it became

today’s structured garment, Highlanders wore cloth, of anything from 3-6yds (2.5-5.5m) in length, gathered into folds and belted around the waist. The upper part would be thrown over one shoulder.

Then in the mid 1700s, a Lancashire businessman called Thomas Rawlinson opened an iron-smelting plant in the Highlands. According to one theory, when his workforce found their belted plaids to be too hot and unwieldy the solution was to cut the material in half. This enabled them to only wear the lower part indoors.

Kilts then were worn in folds, but today pleats are an essential part of the outfit. The first pleated kilt on record dates back to approximately 1790 and had wide box-style pleats.

Hanging offence In 1745 Charles Edward Stuart, still remembered 271 years later as Bonnie Prince Charlie, led a Jacobite rebellion. He and his mostly Highland supporters believed the British throne of King George II belonged by rights to the Stuarts. After the rebellion was defeated at Culloden, the government passed the Act of Proscription, banning the kilt. Those who disobeyed could be imprisoned, exiled or sentenced to death. The law remained in force for 36 years, until it was repealed in 1782. A proclamation announced that Highlanders were no longer bound down to “the unmanly dress of the Lowlander”.

Tartans and the clans The notion of specific tartans being used to signify clan allegiance appears to be a relatively new invention. An enterprising firm of weavers in Bannockburn, William Wilson and Sons, may be responsible for that fashion. In the 18th century they dominated the market in making tartan cloth for the military, creating a way of making standardised patterns to meet bulk orders. This led to the notion of linking i

Tartans were originally coloured with natural dyes from plants and animals, usually in reds, greens, and blues. Today the range is much wider, particularly for those worn by dancers.

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DRESS CODE FOR A KILT

A shirt, waistcoat and kilt jacket are worn with the kilt. Accessories are a belt, buckle, kilt pin and sporran. The sporran is worn approximately 2in (5cm) down from the top of the kilt. Long socks should be folded over at the top and a sgian dubh, or knife, can be worn tucked into the top of the sock. This is a small, single-edged knife, originally used for cutting meat and fruit, as well as for defence. A kilt can be worn with any shoes. It is often claimed that kilts are worn without undergarments, but to do so or not is personal preference.

Piper Alan Marshall wears his full Highland dress, on this occasion of Black Stewart tartan, while piping at the Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop.

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Royal approval Tartan came into the spotlight in 1822 when King George IV visited Edinburgh, the first monarch to set foot in Scotland for 150 years. Borders-based writer, historian and poet Sir Walter Scott was given the job of organising the royal visit.

He saw it as the perfect opportunity to promote his homeland. Scott not only urged his countrymen to turn out ‘plaided and plumed’ in their tartans to meet the king, he even persuaded George to wear a kilt himself.

Royal patronage continued. In 1848, George’s niece Queen Victoria was so taken by tartan she used it lavishly in the decoration of Balmoral Castle. Her consort Prince Albert was inspired to design his own tartan, named Balmoral.

Predominantly grey with overchecks of red and black, it is only supposed to be worn with royal permission.

There are no such rules concerning the wearing of other tartans. Nor is there any requirement to belong to a particular clan in order to wear its tartan. For those who wish to wear a family tartan, but do not have a clan surname, genealogists will often manage to find a historic link in the family tree.

Parliamentary protection In 2008 the Scottish Register of Tartans was established by an act of Parliament to protect, promote and preserve the country’s favourite cloth. Anyone can

design and register a new pattern. It must follow basic design rules, be unique and ‘sufficiently different’ to others already in the book. More than 4,000 are on the register and new ones are being added all the time. On one day alone in October 2015, 10 new tartans were added to the list, one of them belonging to Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance. This was inspired by a combination of the blue and white colours of the Saltire, the flag of Scotland, plus white on red to symbolise the universal colours of medical aid.

Wearing the kilt For many men, the actual wearing of the kilt is reserved for special occasions.

They are popular at weddings, while no Highland dance would be complete without their swirl and swagger. They also make an appearance at the many Highland Games held across Scotland.

For others, like Alan Marshall, it is everyday wear. He has been the official Piper at the Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop for the past 16 years.

When he is playing, he wears what he calls the Number One kilt outfit.

“The full rig is rather cumbersome with all its buckles and the heavy jacket and the bearskin, but it is all part of the picture tourists want to see,” he says.

“Often the very top item on their list of things they want to photograph is a Piper in full Highland dress, so they get really excited when they see me.

“I often wear my own Marshall tartan but my favourites are probably the Isle of Skye and the Pride of Scotland. I find the kilt can actually be more comfortable than trousers. There’s no doubt that when I wear the kilt it makes me feel even more Scottish than usual.”

t Words: Gilly Fraser

Photography: Alamy; Shutterstock

particular patterns to individual towns or families. This later developed into the idea that each clan could have several variations of its own tartan. Some have a hunting version in muted tones to provide camouflage in the countryside while hillwalking or pursuing game. Dress tartans, on the other hand, are often brighter and more flamboyant.

STITCHES IN TIME In her Perthshire studio, Marion Foster makes traditional kilts by hand

P

ALE WINTER LIGHT streams in through a glass gable-end of an oak-beamed workroom, overlooking Perthshire’s Strathearn Valley and the River Earn.

Publications on tailoring, tartan and Scottish history fill a bookcase on the wall. In front of them, lengths of tartan in a variety of colours are spread out on large tables. Behind them finished kilts hang on a rail, waiting to be fitted. Tall spools of green, red, blue and black thread are ready to be used. On the tables lie pincushions and tailoring scissors.

This light, airy space is home to Marion Foster, who makes traditional kilts by hand. She came to kilt making through a love of textiles. “As a teenager I would make all my own clothes, despite it being the jeans era,” she recalls. She made her first kilt when she was 16, for her uniform as a cub scout. “I had no money to buy one, so I thought I would make it. It must have worked as I wore it for quite a while.”

Marion continued making her own clothes, then four years ago, inspired by a course she attended, she started making kilts

in her spare time. At the age of 50, she decided it was time for a change. “I still had the energy and felt it was time to follow my passion,” she says. In 2011 she started making her hand-stitched kilts full time under the name of Askival of Strathearn.

Taking the measurements “Making a kilt takes a lot of time and effort. I stitch every kilt completely by hand and making one from start to finish takes me five full days,” she says.

“When someone comes to me for a new kilt, we first decide on a tartan.” Marion has books of tartans she uses to find specific ones. Once a tartan has been chosen, she commissions the 100 per cent wool fabric from one of five remaining tartan weavers in Scotland.

Each kilt is made of one single length of fabric with two overlapping aprons at the front and pleats at the back. Because of the many folds of the pleats, approximately 32ft (10m) of fabric is used for each garment. i

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TYPES OF PLEAT

Kilts are usually made with a knife-edge pleat. On the outside, these look narrow, but on the inside, each measures between 3-6in (7-15cm) in depth. Box pleats are a lot wider than knife edge pleats, using 4yd (3.6m) of cloth for the complete garment. A military box pleat is used for ceremonial wear within the army. This is a box pleat with the edges folded over itself, creating a visible double line.

Pinning the pleats in place (above). Stitching the canvas support into place on the back of the fabric (below).

The kilt is shaped to the individual wearer. It should fit snugly into the small of the wearer’s back and then widen, before falling to the middle of the knee. It sits high on the waist, lying smoothly across the abdomen. If someone has a large build, the kilt should fall from the stomach, not lower down. “I think of the wearer’s shape all the time,” she says.

Accurate measurements are crucial to the final fit and hang of the kilt. Marion measures the wearer’s waist, seat and length to the centre of the knee.

Forming the pleats A tartan may have many colours, some subtle, some more obvious. The way the pleats are created emphasises particular colours in a tartan. “It’s amazing how many colours there can be within the garment,” she says.

A tartan can be folded so the big squares and original tartan design are clearly visible. This is called sett pleating. It can also be folded so it emphasises lines on the tartan, which are a different colour. This is called pleating to the stripe.

Marion calculates how many pleats the kilt needs and their size. She bases this on the measurements she has taken, the individual tartan and how the fabric is going to be folded. Her kilts have between 27 and 34 pleats for an adult male. This is the same for a woman’s dancing kilt, although a woman’s fashion kilts varies widely. These kilts are more like skirts and often have bigger pleats. Standard kilts have pleats that are on average ¾in (2cm) wide on the outside.

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After the calculations have been made, Marion cuts the tartan to the right depth. She leaves cutting the length of the fabric until all the different parts of the kilt are marked out.

The aprons, or front parts, are marked out first with white chalk.

It does not take long to stitch these parts, and the chalk will rub off easily when it is done.

The individual pleats are marked with special white tailor’s wax, which lasts longer. This is important as stitching the pleats takes time and must be done accurately. The marks are made on the front of the fabric, so they can be seen clearly when sewing.

Marion folds and stitches every pleat individually as she goes, measuring the width and pinning it in place constantly.

“Every millimetre counts,” she says. “Twenty-seven times one millimetre makes a big difference.”

Because it is hand sewn, she can make sure every bit of fabric is exactly where it should be. Misalignment is prevented, as she can control the bouncy fabric as she sews. It is a slower process, but gives an excellent final product. “I set the standard high,” she says. “It takes me up to a day to sew the pleats.”

The pleats are stitched from the top to roughly a third of the length of the kilt. To keep them in place before the fabric is pressed, temporary basting is added lower down on each pleat.

Lifting the folds Marion now turns the kilt over. Working on the back, she spends three hours securing each pleat in place with barely visible, small stitches. This extra stitching ensures the pleats are secured higher up, and keeps them from stretching and sagging.

Further support and shaping is provided by stitching linen canvas across the full aprons and the back pleating. It helps preventing the kilt from distorting when the straps used to fasten it are adjusted.

Once the canvas is in place, a special piece of equipment is used to shape the kilt. Called an iron, it consists of a large table with a foot switch to turn on a vacuum. This sucks the fabric to

WEIGHT OF CLOTH

Woven tartan is distinguished by a measure of weight, related to a linear yard of fabric, 54in (137cm) wide. A heavy weight tartan weighs 16oz per linear yard and a medium weight, 13oz. Men choose between these two weights, opting for a heavier one if the kilt is needed for outdoor wear and warmth. A lighter one suffices if the kilt is for indoor wear only. Highland dancers and women tend to use a lighter 10oz or 8oz tartan.

The buckles are attached to the kilt with strips of tartan, stitched in exactly the right place to match the kilt’s fabric (far left).

Marion embroiders information into the lining of the kilt. This often marks the fact that the kilt has been made for a special occasion (left).

“The knee is a symbol of humility and strength and should be visible.”

Stuart Ruaidri Erskine, The Kilt & How to Wear It

the table, keeping it flat. A steam iron is then used to flatten the pleats and mould the kilt into shape. The table also heats up to help the shaping.

Adding the buckles Now the 32ft (10m) of fabric has been successfully concertinaed into the garment, it is time for the first fitting. Marion checks to ensure the kilt is fitting correctly and falling as it should. If she is not happy, she alters the stitching to improve the fit.

One of the final steps is to add three metal buckles, the pieces of tartan that hold the belt buckles known as chapes and belt loops. Made of the same tartan as the kilt, the chapes match up with the pattern when attached. The bar of the buckle sits over the join between the third and fourth pleat on either side.

The third buckle is placed over the second and third pleat on the right-hand side.

Marion takes great care in sewing the chapes, which need to match with precision. “It is hard on your fingers,” she says. “I use a very fine needle, but there is still a lot of fabric to go through.

It is one of the most difficult things to do neatly.” She uses no thimble as her fingers have become used to the work over the years. She adds a waistband, again aligning it at the front and creating symmetry with the pattern of the tartan at the back.

The kilts are finalised with a black cotton lining. Marion embroiders Askival of Strathearn onto it. She can also add unique embroidery specified by the client, which usually mentions a name, place and year. “Once I’ve done all this, I press it one last time,” she says. At this point the temporary basting which was added to the pleats is removed. Only the final, barely visible minute stitches remain.

Everything is now ready for the final fitting. “The apron should always lie neatly at the sides without rolling or kicking out. There should be no gap between the apron and the pleats, all of which should sit straight at the bottom.”

A kilt has to be comfortable for many occasions. “You should be able to climb a mountain in it if you want,” says Marion. Her final product has approximately 40 hours of work and a great deal of love and care in it. “It’s a truly beautiful garment that can be passed down through generations.” t Words: Marieke McBean t Photography: Mark Mainz

CONTACT Askival of Strathearn www.askivalofstrathearn.co.uk Kilts are priced from £750

RINGING IN THE NEW Using methods dating back more than 200 years, skilled craftsmen produce bells that have been marking the turn of the year for generations

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ELLS HAVE BEEN ringing in the New Year from church towers all over Britain for hundreds of years. They call congregations to worship, ring joyfully for weddings or toll mournfully for funerals.

For more than two centuries, many of these bells have come from the foundry of John Taylor and Company. Their bells hang today in cathedrals, including St Paul’s in London. Others have more humble, but equally important homes in parish churches in towns and villages across the land.

The firm has been based in a red brick factory in Loughborough, Leicestershire, since 1838. Outside it looks just like any other modern manufacturer housed in an early industrial building. Inside, however, is a scene that would have been familiar to Victorian workers.

Machines that were first made in the 19th century are still in use. There is a simple explanation for this. Many of the processes have been perfected down the years and no one has found a way of improving on them. i

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A new bell is revealed as its mould is lifted o in a haze of dust and heat.

The bell moulds are placed in a trench dug in the factory oor, with openings on top through which molten metal will be poured.

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In the foundry where the bells are cast, light filters from the large, high windows. It gleams through a haze of dust that constantly hovers over the earthen floor with its covering of black sand. This is a special type of sand used in foundries.

When moistened and compressed or heated it packs well and holds its shape. Its blackened colour comes from coal dust mixed in with it.

Making the moulds The process of casting begins with the creation of a mould that will form the inner profile of the bell. Built up on a rubble core of bricks, the mould is covered with a mixture of loam, consisting of clay and sand, together with horse manure and goats’ hair. Long years of experience has shown this is the perfect combination of materials for the job. The manure helps to hold the loam together. In the casting, the hair burns off leaving minute holes through which any unwanted gas can escape.

Each bell is designed to produce a specific main note when struck. The order from the customer will have been clear on what the dominant note is to be. The workers also need to know the size of the bell tower and how far the sound has to travel. A cathedral bell will be bigger than one required for a village church. The weight is also dependent on size. A bell 6½ft (2m)

high weighs approximately 2 tons. From this, the workers know exactly what size and profile, or appearance, of bell is required.

A rough outline is created. Then a piece of wood of exactly the same curve as the bell is used to check that the profile is accurate.

This template is called a former. There are different ones for different bells. It needs to fit snugly to the bell, around its whole circumference. Any necessary changes are made until there is a perfect fit. The mould is then pasted with graphite to ensure a smooth finish.

The next stage is to prepare the outer casing. This is a perforated cast iron case, lined with the same combination of loam, manure and hair. This mixture is pressed into the case, and formed to the correct profile.

If an inscription is wanted on the finished bell letters are now pressed into the lining, as are any decorations required. As with printing, these are reversed, so they come out true in the casting.

Normally, moulds for several bells are prepared for a day’s casting, each taking several hours to complete.

Burying the moulds Before the actual process of casting can begin, a trench is dug in the foundry floor by a mechanical digger. The depth depends on the size of the bell. The trench needs to be just the right depth i

A RESONANT HISTORY OF CASTING

REX Features

John Taylor and Company can trace their work back to a 17th century Leicester-based bell founder, Hugh Watts II. He became famous for the purity of the sound produced by his bells. The fundamental principles for successful bell casting he established were taken up by other founders, including the Eyre family of St Neots in Cambridgeshire. Their business was then taken over by Richard Arnold.

It was there in 1772 that the first of the Taylor family, Robert, was apprenticed.

He went on to establish his own business in 1784. The family moved to their present factory in Loughborough in 1838. They are now one of just two bell foundries in Britain.

Over the years, they have cast some mighty bells, including Great Paul for St Paul’s Cathedral in London in 1881. For over a century this was the biggest bell in the country, weighing a massive 14½ tons (17,002kg). It was overtaken finally by a bell cast for the London Olympics of 2012. The second largest bell ever cast at Taylor’s is Great George for Liverpool Cathedral.

Taylor’s bells ring all around the world. The company has cast a 53-bell carillon for Canberra, Australia. A carillon, unlike church bells, plays tunes. Work today includes bells for Wells Cathedral in Somerset.

Lifting John Taylor and Company’s bell Great Paul into place in St Paul’s Cathedral, London, in 1881.

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Molten metal, heated to a red-glowing 900°C, is poured into the bell moulds, now covered with sand in the trench.

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“I love thy music, mellow bell, I love thine iron chime.. . .To house of God and heavenly joys Thy summons called our sires.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson, ‘The Bell’

to ensure that the tops of the moulds sit at floor level.

The moulds are lowered in by an overhead crane.

Once in place, they are packed round with sand.

This serves not only to hold them firmly in place, but also acts as an insulator that means the cooling process after the molten metal has been poured in is very gradual. The slow process prevents any cracks forming by sudden contraction.

Pouring molten metal When everything is ready, the foundry furnace is loaded with bars of bell metal, a specific form of bronze. The metal used here is an alloy of 78 per cent copper and 22 per cent tin. The ratio is crucial in that it combines the necessary resonance with resilience to the constant beating the bell must withstand during ringing.

As the metal begins to melt, the foundry workers start the final preparation of the moulds. Open topped boxes are placed on top of each mould, into which the molten metal will be poured. These act as reservoirs, ensuring that no air bubbles are carried down into the moulds that could ruin the casting.

Then the furnace is tapped, which involves removing a plug to allow the molten metal to run into a giant ladle. The slag is skimmed off the top with another ladle and the metal is stirred with a willow rod for degassing. Willow is specifically chosen because it contains salicylic acid that causes a chemical reaction to remove unwanted hydrogen.

The foundry workers now have to act quickly, bringing the ladle to the moulds using an overhead crane. They carefully pour the metal to completely fill each mould in turn. The whole process takes only a few minutes, but there is now a long wait of three or four days while the metal cools.

Then the trench is opened up and the mould removed. The casing is lifted, revealing the new bell. i

The mould containing the new bell is lifted out of the trench in a cloud of dust.

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When the mould has been lifted up, both the outer mould and the rubble inside must be removed.

The metal is still quite warm to the touch, proving just how good the sand insulation is. The loose material from the mould is brushed away and the bell is finally revealed in all its shining glory. But the work is still far from complete. It now has to be tuned and is taken by forklift truck to the next department.

Tuning the bell The bell tuner at the foundry is Girdhar Vadukar. Unlike a piano tuner, he does not rely on a good ear to do his job. Instead he is a precision engineer, who, before working at the foundry, was employed as a machinist producing parts for cranes. He came to the foundry largely because he liked the idea of being part of a long tradition.

Originally bells were tuned by comparing notes with tuning forks. Taylor’s still has a set of these forks, ranging from the tiny

to the very heavy ones used for testing the lowest notes. Today, Girdhar uses electronics to test the five different harmonics. His laptop has special software that allows comparison between the frequencies of the notes sounded when striking the bell with the required frequencies that have been fed into the computer.

For the process of tuning, the bell is set vertically on a special lathe. The casting should have ensured that there is fractionally more metal in the bell than is actually going to be needed. This is where Girdhar’s skill is tested.

“I have to take off just the right amount of metal to produce the correct tone. I can’t put metal back on, so if I make a mistake and take off too much, it is no longer a bell. It’s scrap metal.” When he was under instruction with a previous tuner, this did happen once, but not since Girdhar took over. “In five years I’ve never had to scrap a bell due to my mistake,” he says.

“Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true.”

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, ‘Ring Out, Wild Bells’

Some of the forks originally employed to tune the bells. The largest forks, which were used to test the lowest notes, weigh up to several pounds.

To tune a bell, it is set on a lathe.

Now the tuner has to work with precision to remove just the right amount of metal to make the bell sound the right note.

That does not mean that bells have not been scrapped.

Sometimes, very rarely, a bell comes to him that has a fault in the casting. He sends it back. “I won’t pass anything that isn’t perfect,” he says. In these rare cases, the only thing that can be done is melt it down and start again. Time is not important in bell making. What matters is the right result, whether a correction involves a few minutes or many hours.

The final test for the bell is to take it to a test rig and ring it.

The bell is set in a steel framework, which allows the action of ringing to be copied. In British churches, bells are rung by rotating them through 360 degrees. A pulley is attached to the side of the frame and a rope wound round it that reaches down to the ringing chamber below the belfry.

Pulling down on the rope rotates the frame through a semicircle, so that the bell is inverted. The ringer then releases the rope and lets it run through their hands as the bell falls again under gravity.

John Taylor’s job is only completed when the team have taken the bell and its frame to the church. They then assemble it in the belfry and ring it to the satisfaction of the customer.

Girdhar Vadukar sums up the work of the foundry. “I help to make something very beautiful. It is going to last for hundreds of years after I have gone.” t Words: Anthony Burton t Photography: Rob Scott

FIVE-TONE TUNING

A bell is a complex instrument. When a key is hit on a piano, a hammer strikes a string and produces a specific note of a particular frequency.

When a bell is made, it is designed to produce a specific main note when struck. That, however, is only the start. As the sound dies away, it produces a complex pattern of undertones and overtones. For the bell to ring true, these tones must be in harmony with each other and with other bells in the same set.

In 1896, Taylor’s developed a unique system of five-tone tuning. This identifies five different tones – hum, fundamental, tierce, quint and nominal. The strike note or fundamental is what is heard the moment the clapper hits the bell.

The sound then reverberates as the hum, which should be an octave below the strike note. The other higher pitched harmonics are at intervals of thirds (tierce) and fifths (quint). The final nominal is an octave above the strike note.

The listener might not be aware of these subtleties. However, they would be very conscious if they were not correctly balanced, as there would be a distinctly audible discord. Only with careful and skilled tuning can the perfect ringing sound be achieved.

The cast bell is revealed, complete with decoration.

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The Belvoir Hunt sets off for a day’s ride with the Duke of Rutland’s Hounds.

FOLLOWING TRADITION Foxes may no longer be the quarry, but huntsmen and women continue the centuries-old custom of riding to hounds

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N A MISTY January morning, horsemen and women in scarlet, black and tweed jackets congregrate. Following in the tracks of countless generations, they are out to enjoy a gallop across fields, while watching foxhounds seek out a scent.

It is more than 10 years since hunting live animals with hounds was banned, but hunting remains a popular countryside activity. Today, riders, horses and hounds follow a scent trail laid down by a person, rather than that of a live fox. The other customs and traditions connected to hunting on horseback remain unchanged.

Meeting up Every hunt starts with a meet. This is usually in a village or at the home of one of the members of the hunt. Here the riders mount up, as the hounds mill round. Friendly animals, they never stray and often enjoy a hug from young supporters. At some meets, a stirrup cup is provided. Historically this was a wine or spirit-based punch, served in small silver vessels. These had a fox’s head or similarly apt motif embossed on the base, which meant they could not be put down. Instead, the rider consumed it while sitting on his horse, with his feet in the stirrups. Today a drink of port or whisky tends to be the norm.

As well as the riders, foot followers come along to the meet to enjoy the sights and sounds. Many will follow the hunt by car, watching the action from vantage points.

“We are always delighted when people come along to see what we do,” says Michael Dungworth, the Joint Master of the Belvoir Hunt in Rutland. Hunting is his passion, something he i

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HUNT STAFF

The Master is responsible for organising the hunt and liaising with the farmers who own the land the hunt rides through. He or she decides when the hounds meet and what areas, known as coverts, are to be drawn or searched with the hounds.

The Huntsman is a paid servant of the Hunt. His role is to ensure the hounds work together using a series of signals. He is assisted by one or more Whippers-in. Their role is to keep the hounds together during the day, bringing back any wandering individuals.

has enjoyed since his first experience of it at the age of eight. “It’s in my blood,” he says. “Of course we now do things differently to ensure we operate within the law. We take care to do this but, as before, we still go out and have a good day’s hunting. Today, the key and most valued tradition is that hunting is welcomed by so many farmers. We ride only with permission. We owe everything to British farmers and landowners. That we are able to ride over this land is wonderful.”

In the pink Tradition still largely governs the dress code for riders. “Red coats are worn by Masters and hunt staff, and some of the male followers,” says Michael Clayton, a hunting author. “One or two hunts do wear different colours as they use the livery colour of the family who own the hounds but in the main, the most prevalent colour is red.”

Red coats, sometimes known as pinks, are made from heavy wool twill. The origin of the term ‘pinks’ or ‘pinques’ is open to

dispute. The most common theory is that it derives from an 18th century London tailor Mr Pink, who designed traditional hunting coats. Others have argued that ‘pinks’ describes the colour of weathered scarlet. Whatever the reason, the colour ensures that the wearer is visible, even in dull weather or rain while the heavy fabric offers protection from the elements.

Another tradition is connected with the number of buttons on the hunting coat. These can be used to identify Masters from hunt staff and members. Three plain black buttons indicate a normal hunt member, four brass buttons, often featuring the hunt’s crest, for a Field Master and five brass buttons for staff such as the Huntsman or Whipper-in. “You are given the brass button by the Master when you are invited to be part of the hunt’s staff,” says Michael.

Traditionally men wear black boots with mahogany tops, but only with red jackets. Many hunt members wear plain black boots, fawn breeches and black jackets, with black peaked caps or bowlers. i

Michael Dungworth, the Joint Master of the Belvoir Hunt (far left); the Belvoir Hunt button has the initials BH under a coronet (centre); riding side-saddle was once considered the only way for a lady to proceed ‘properly’ on horseback. In recent years side saddle has seen a revival (left).

The mounted followers of the Belvoir Hunt, known as the field.

HISTORIC ROOTS

A Whipper-in’s role is to control the hounds as they work.

In England, hunting in its many guises can be traced through history. “Hunting with dogs goes right back to pre-recorded history,” explains Michael Clayton, former editor of Horse and Hound, hunting author and correspondent. “The Normans brought a more organised form of hunting with them to England following the invasion of 1066. Interestingly, many of the hunting cries we know today are derived from the Normans, such as ‘tally ho’, the huntsman’s cry on sighting the fox.”

While foxes have always been hunted, the Normans and later monarchs considered them inferior. “Deer was the premier animal of the chase,” says Michael. “What changed the way we hunted, and increased the popularity of fox hunting, was the enclosure of land, when forests began to be cleared in the 18th and early 19th centuries.”

Hunting was used as a method of keeping the fox population down, to reduce the damage to farming interests. The day’s hunt would see the Huntsman present the hounds with an area of woodland or vegetation called a covert (pronounced cover) to draw from. Draw means to send hounds through a covert to flush out the fox. If no fox was found the hounds were allowed to spread out and search further afield. Once the quarry was located, the hounds would speak, baying as they followed or chased the fox.

Today rather than hunting the scent of a live fox, a trail is laid and the hounds are encouraged to follow it,. This enables hunts to continue their tradition within the law. There are more than 300 registered hunts in England and Wales. It is estimated that approximately 45,000 people still ride to hounds regularly, fuelled by their passion and deep respect for Britain’s rural history.

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Hounds working, searching for the scent they are following.

Nowadays a greater variety of hats are worn, either with or without chinstraps. “Hunt dress for men has changed because many more are wearing peaked safety caps instead of traditional top hats,” explains Michael. “Ladies used to wear bowler hats with veils and ride side-saddle. In the 21st century, women now ride astride and wear hunting caps, bluey-back coats with black buttons, well fitting breeches and black boots.”

Hounds and horses Following a laid scent trail rather than a fox still requires a hound that has a keen sense of smell, as well as the energy and stamina to run for several hours. Fox hounds have been bred over generations for just these qualities. Training begins when just a puppy, when they ‘go out to walk’ alone or with another puppy at a local farm. During this time, the pup gets used to life away from the Hunt Kennels. He learns his name, given by the Master, which begins with the first two letters of his sire’s name.

If the sire is called Stirling, the puppy may be named Stilton or Stanley for example. When the puppy is six months old, it returns to the Kennels and is reintroduced to the pack.

Hounds are traditionally counted in couples. This comes from the tradition that hounds were exercised coupled together.

An inexperienced hound would be coupled to a more

experienced one. While a hunt may have more than 40 couple of hounds at the Kennels, usually only 15 to 20 couple are used in the hunting field.

During the meet the hounds are kept under control by the Whipper-in, a professional or honorary member of the hunt who assists the huntsman.

The best hunting horses are also specially bred for their task.

They need to be confident jumpers and calm in crowds.

Traditionally heavier set with strong hindquarters, they are of athletic build. They are prepared with care. Manes are plaited, coats brushed and hooves oiled. Several hours can be spent making sure tack – saddle and bridle – is gleaming. “We have high standards and believe that when you go out and ride over someone’s land, it is a mark of respect to look smart and make an effort,” says Michael Dungworth.

Keeping traditions alive A hunt may last up to six hours, horses, riders and hounds returning home as the light goes, tired, muddy but having enjoyed a wonderful experience. While no foxes were chased, the tradition of centuries has been followed. ▯

Words: Imogen Johnson

▯

Photography Nico Morgan

Jumping fences in open countryside is one of the attractions of hunting for many riders.

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Why a FlueCube?

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andscape

Away from the reach of predators, rooks roost in the very tops of tall trees.

THE HIGH-RISE NESTER

Rooks are social birds who enjoy life together in the tree tops

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HARSH CHORUS OF bird calls comes from the upper branches of a clump of tall ash trees, still bare of their leaves. Then a raggedy-winged black bird shoots out of the tree canopy, to be joined by another, and then another. They hang in the grey winter sky like smuts from a bonfire, before floating down to land on the topmost twigs.

The rooks are nesting.

Corvus frugilegus are large black corvids, members of the crow family. By late winter, they have been back at their colonies, known as rookeries, for up to two months.

Rooks pair for life, meeting up with their mate again in early winter, after spending time in feeding flocks. The pair usually return to the nest they made a year or more before. High in the tops of trees, safe from predators, this nest is built from large and small sticks. It is all held together with earth and grass, then lined with moss and leaves. On first arriving back, time is spent

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repairing the nest, making good any damage caused by seasonal gales. New sticks are added, using twigs the birds break off with their strong bills from lower down the tree. Those nest twigs that have survived the winter are rearranged.

Early starters More than one million pairs of rooks breed in Britain, mainly throughout lowland areas of the country. They are generally absent from heavily urbanised areas, and also from the Highlands and far north-west of Scotland and its offshore islands. These regions have few suitable trees for nesting.

They are among the earlier British birds to start mating and egg laying. Once the nests are repaired, the rooks settle down to breed soon after the start of the New Year. A single brood of three to five greenish eggs, approximately 1½in (4cm) long are laid. The female incubates these for between 15 and 17 days. i

SHADES OF BLUE

At ďŹ rst sight, rooks are large black birds, indistinguishable from other crows or corvids.

However, a closer look reveals that their black feathers have a blue, green and purple iridescence to them. Around the base of the straight, pointed, grey bill is an area of bare, greyish-white skin. This is one of their main distinguishing features. Rooks grow to 18in (45cm) in length, weighing approximately 11oz (310g). Their wingspan is 36in (90cm).

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AERIAL ACROBATS

Throughout the winter, rooks can be seen tumbling through the sky, especially on windy days. The bird performs acrobatic twists, turns and tumbles as it flies above or alongside its colony. Many experts suggest this may simply be a form of play for these intelligent birds. Rooks also display frequently for their mate to reinforce the pair bond. They may use a threat display to another rook that comes too close to the nest.

Rooks beat their wings slowly and deeply in flight, with the feathers at the end extended outwards.

The chicks hatch covered with a thin layer of down. They stay in the nest for six to seven weeks, fed by both parents on a range of food including insects and birds’ eggs. During this time they moult from their downy plumage into full feathers before fledging. The young birds are similar in size and shape to their parents, but do not acquire the pale grey base to the bill until they are two years old.

Rooks have an average lifespan of six years, although one ringed wild bird was recorded as surviving to 22 years and 11 months old.

The youngsters have only a one-in-four chance of seeing out their first year, with most dying from starvation. If they do live long enough, they will breed when two years old.

Rooks return to a nest to breed, repairing any damage that has occurred over the preceding year (top).

A brood will number on average no more than five (above).

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Feeding habitats After fledging, young rooks join up with others, and the young of other crow species, to feed in large mixed flocks. Although their scientific name means fruit-eating crow, rooks rarely feed on fruit.

Instead, they mainly eat earthworms and beetles. They prefer open fields, especially when these have been recently ploughed. This disturbs the invertebrates that make up a high proportion of their diet throughout the year.

Rooks also feed on seeds, especially during the autumn and winter. They take advantage of any carrion, too, such as dead rabbits or roadkill. These clever birds have become adept at feeding on the verges of main roads and motorways. They hop agilely out of the way of oncoming vehicles, frequently at the very last moment.

Rooks are often seen feeding among sheep or cattle, as these animals attract insects and other invertebrates. This can make them unpopular with farmers, who often accuse them of killing lambs.

Evidence suggests that they only feed on dead ones.

Rooks share their feeding habitats with other members of the crow family. In the south of Britain this is mainly jackdaws and

TELLING CORVIDS APART

Jackdaws are identified by their short beak (left). The rounded crown and stockier features signify that this is a carrion crow (right).

The rook will put on an ostentatiously aggressive display should a rival get too close.

carrion crows, and hooded crows and ravens in the far north.

Jackdaws often accompany flocks of rooks. This may be because they rely on the rooks’ long, sharp bill to unearth food they cannot reach with their short, stubby ones.

Sociable songbirds The name rook is onomatopoeic in origin, reflecting the bird’s harsh, cawing call. It is often uttered in flight, and usually transcribed as ‘kaah’ or ‘kaargh’. Rooks are technically a kind of songbird in the order Passeriformes. When at the nest they can sometimes be heard singing, although the series of clicks, coughs and wheezes does not rival songbirds such as the robin or blackbird.

Rooks are highly sociable birds, living together in breeding colonies in spring and summer. In autumn and winter, they form feeding flocks, congregating in vast roosts. One at i

Rooks often form life-long partnerships, displaying caring behaviour towards each other. Here one rook gives a meal to its mate.

The raven’s huge size sets it apart from other black corvids.

It is the largest of the songbirds.

There are just over 120 species in the worldwide crow family, on every continent apart from Antarctica. The rook is one of seven species resident in Britain, the others being the raven, carrion crow, hooded crow, jackdaw, magpie and jay.

The jay, with its blue wing flashes, the black and white magpie and grey and black hooded crow are all distinctively patterned or coloured. But identifying the other three, mostly black or all-black corvids, can cause problems.

The smaller jackdaw has a small, stubby bill and pale grey patch on the back of the neck. Ravens are larger and have a bulkier shape.

Telling rooks from carrion crows is difficult. Superficially the two look similar. The rook, however, is a slimmer, less stocky bird with a longer, thinner neck and smaller head with a noticeably peaked crown. The carrion crow has a rounded crown. The latter is just ½in (1cm) longer but weighs two-thirds more than the rook. The bulkier crow tips the scales at approximately 18oz (510g). In bright sunlight, it is also possible to see differences in colour between the two. The rook appears more blue-black compared with the crow’s deep black, which is occasionally tinged with dirty white.

In flight, the rook has a floppier, less precise flight action than the carrion crow. But by far the best way to tell adult rooks and crows apart is the pale grey base to the rook’s more pointed bill, which should be visible even at a distance.

At Buckenham Marsh in Norfolk, rooks gather in their tens of thousands before they roost for the night.

Ralph Hodgson, ‘The Song of Honour’

Buckenham Marshes in North Norfolk contains tens of thousands of birds. They fill the sky as they come in to roost at dusk.

Groups of rooks have attracted many names. Collective nouns for the species include a parliament, building, clamour and storytelling. All of these derive from their noisy, sociable habits in and around their nest sites.

A true survivor Until the late 20th century Britain’s rooks were gradually increasing in numbers over the long term. There was a 40 per cent increase in abundance between 1975 and 1996. But since then, numbers have fallen by up to 25 per cent, especially in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The decrease appears to be greater in upland areas, perhaps because of changes to habitat there.

Large, noisy flocks of rooks are, however, still a common sight across much of Britain’s lowland countryside. They have succeeded where many farmland birds have suffered long-term declines in the past 50 years due to changes in agricultural methods. This may be because rooks have proved more adaptable than other species.

Their ability to eat a wide range of foods, and nest in any clump of trees continues to hold them in good stead for the future. ▯

Words: Stephen Moss

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INTELLIGENT BIRDS One reason for the overall success of rooks is that they are highly adaptable. They have taken advantage of man-made habitats such as roadside verges and litter bins. This ability took them to the top of a list of Britain’s cleverest animals, compiled in 2003. They scored above the acrobatic and ingenious red and grey squirrels.

When studied in captivity, rooks have confirmed their status as one of the world’s most intelligent birds. Some scientists rank them alongside high mammals such as chimpanzees. Rooks can use and even make tools to obtain food, solve complex problems and learn by trial and error. Famously, one rook learned to put small stones into a container of water, to raise the level of the liquid.

This allowed it to reach a worm floating there.

A report in a 2009 issue of the US scientific journal The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that one rook had been seen making a hook from a piece of wire. It was then used as a makeshift fishing rod to catch worms out of a plastic tube.

The University of Cambridge’s Professor Nicky Clayton made an explicit comparison between apes, including humans, and members of the crow family, including rooks, when she noted: “It is but an evolutionary accident that we ended up as the planet of the apes… It is scary to think that we might have lived on the planet of the crows, with humans as mere intellectual curiosities of our avian masters – those big-brained, formidable-looking crows.”

Photography: Ardea; FLPA; Science Photo; Alamy

“I climbed a hill as light fell short, And rooks came home in scramble sort, And filled the trees and flapped and fought And sang themselves to sleep.”

Heavenly Helleborus

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Double Helleborus rare and usually expensive

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Gorgeous winter blooms and so easy to grow Double Ellen Picotee

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Helleborus have large, double frilly blooms which defy nature by surviving the cold and gives a dainty appearance. In medieval times they were said to be good for breaking bad spells and curses so were often planted next to the front door. Prefer dappled shade with well-drained soil. Evergreen, deer and rabbit resistant. Height and spread 35cm (14"). Fully hardy perennials. Supplied within 14 days as well-rooted young plants approximately 6" from root base to stem tip.

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FROST AND

FOLLIES A winter’s walk through a wooded

gorge in North Yorkshire reveals the hidden treasures of an 18th century pleasure garden

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ISING HIGH ABOVE a sweeping bend in North Yorkshire’s River Ure, the leafless trees in a densely wooded gorge are etched with frost. Water is frozen in the very act of tumbling over stones in streams.

Hackfall Wood is hushed and quiet as the seasons turn and a new year starts.

A stroll through the ancient woodland at this time of year reveals its hidden secrets, exposed by the bare branches of the trees. Sited near the village of Grewelthorpe, midway between Ripon and Masham, Hackfall is more than a wood. It is the remnants of a Georgian pleasure garden, designed by William Aislabie, a local landowner, who filled the gorge with follies and cascades. He would bring guests here from his estate at Studley Royal in nearby Ripon to enjoy the dramatic vistas.

This four-mile walk takes a route along paths through the gorge, following in the footsteps of those 18th century visitors. It opens up views across the gorge to the distant Hambleton Hills to the east and down to the choppy waters of the River Ure. i

A Grade II listed building, Fisher’s Hall is one of the follies in the wood. Built on a mount, each of the eight openings originally provided a view of the landscape.

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Mowbray Point was used as a banqueting hall in the 18th century. The front is a simple Gothic building, but the rear was designed as a Roman ruin.

HACKFALL CAR PARK

FOUNTAIN POND

Lovers’ Leap Mowbray Point

Rustic Temple Grotto Fisher’s Hall

ALUM SPRING

RIVER URE

Mowbray Castle

Fountain Pond was originally created in 1756. The water reaches up to 30ft (9m). Mowbray Point can be seen in the background at the top of the gorge.

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The first folly The walk starts at a car park, half-a-mile to the north of Grewelthorpe village. A short path across an intervening pasture gains access to the woods. Care is taken as some of the paths are often muddy and slippery at this time of year.

Entering the wood at the north-west corner there are two possible routes. One turns left, zigzagging down a steep path towards the lower reaches of the wood. The second veers right, following the contours along the top of the wood. Choosing the latter and bearing southward, this broad walk is set about with some mighty beech trees. Their resolute elephant-grey boles grasp the lip of the gorge and drifts of crispy brown leaves still cover the path.

After 200yd (182m), Lovers’ Leap is reached, revealing the first expansive view out across the neighbouring countryside. The sense of elevation is breathtaking, looking down on the treetops with the precipitous slope of the gorge plummeting away beneath. There is a distant roar from the River Ure as it snakes away towards Ripon.

Close by is Mowbray Point, perched on the very edge of the gorge. This was William Aislabie’s banqueting house in the wood, built in 1766. From here, there is a deep cut down through the trees to Fountain Pond several hundred feet below. The fountain that plays here stopped working in the early 1800s and has only very recently been restored.

The sham ruins of Mowbray Castle are just visible through the wood.

NATURE AND MAN

Stepping stones cross the Alum Spring. The water here is impregnated with potassium alum from which comes tufa, a form of limestone. This was used to build some of the Hackfall follies.

Aislabie’s 18th century visitors arrived by carriages, then approached Mowbray Point across the fields. The folly is sited in such a way that they would not have realised what awaited them.

Led through the Georgian façade, they came out on to the terrace. Here the full magnificence of the view suddenly opened up. Turning to look behind them, the building they had just walked through now resembled a Roman ruin. Across the adjoining escarpment, 600yd (400m) away, they would look to the impressive sham ruins of yet another folly, Mowbray Castle.

A quarter-of-a-mile south along the gorge top path, a hairpin bend drops down to the left. From here a calcium rich stream trickles down towards the river. It passes through mossy boulders and the frosted fronds of fading hard ferns and tussocks of great wood rush. After approximately 165yd (152m), there are two right turns, taking the path briefly up the side of the stream. i

The steep valley at Hackfall has been densely wooded for centuries. Today it is designated as an Ancient Semi-natural Woodland, with valuable wildlife and plant habitats. An ancient wood is one that is considered to have been in continuous existence since at least 1600. The term semi-natural indicates it did not obviously originate from planting. It is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

But it is the work of two men that has given rise to Hackfall’s other designation, as a Grade I Registered Historic Park and Garden. These were MPs John Aislabie and his son William. The former bought Hackfall in 1731, for £906, primarily to extract timber and stone from the quarries in the wood for use on his estate at Studley Royal in nearby Ripon.

He is reputed to have had plans to landscape the wood into a pleasure ground for the entertainment of his guests.

However, it was his son William who undertook the great transformation, turning Hackfall into a beautiful wilderness between 1750 and 1767. An extensive network of paths was laced with surprise viewpoints, waterfalls, cascades, follies, grottoes and a fountain. This kind of development was fashionable in the 18th century, as a way of providing natural and romantic landscapes to entertain visitors.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Hackfall became a popular resort for tourists. Wordsworth commended Hackfall to his readers in a tourist guide of 1810. So well regarded was Hackfall, scenes were depicted on a Wedgwood service. Accounts tell of 30,000 Victorians visiting every year.

From 1910 onwards, trees were felled on an irregular basis, but in 1933 the wood was sold to a timber merchant. He extracted large quantities of mature oak and beech trees, damaging the wood and the follies in the process. Hackfall was then virtually abandoned for 50 years, degenerating into a tangled, impenetrable mess.

In 1988, a group of locals formed the Hackfall Trust to secure and conserve this unique wooded landscape park for future generations. A partnership was forged with the Woodland Trust, which acquired Hackfall on a 999-year lease in 1989.

The mock ruin of Mowbray Castle, built from locally quarried sandstone. It may have been inspired by the ruined Kings Tower at Knaresborough Castle, 25 miles away.

“Hackfall is romantic beyond description, it has every beauty nature could bestow” Dorothy Richardson, Journal 1771

Near the stepping stones where the path crosses the stream, the Alum Spring flows in. This contains the potassium which forms the tufa, or limestone, from which some of the Hackfall buildings are made.

Crossing the stream, the main path continues eastwards, still hugging the contours at the top of the gorge. Less than a quarter-of-a-mile further on, Mowbray Castle, glimpsed earlier, is now reached. The route continues on another half-mile towards the easternmost limits of Hackfall. The vegetation here is dominated by sessile oak, beech and sycamore with an understorey of holly, rowan and hazel. Towards the furthest extremity of this path, a steep descent is aided by a flight of handsome millstone grit steps. These are a little higgledy piggledy in places, but still perfectly serviceable after 250 years.

Below the steps, at the bottom of the hill and close to the river, the walk takes a left turn at a T-junction. It follows the river upstream beneath alders, past several regenerating wych elms, previous victims of Dutch elm disease. Half-a-mile further on stands Fisher’s Hall, an octagonal Gothic gazebo set on a small rise. Built in 1750, it is thought William Aislabie named it after his head gardener, William Fisher. Clad in limestone petrifications, it was originally roofed. Aislabie used it as another setting for entertaining.

The restored Grotto was built as a place to sit and admire the Forty Foot Fall.

Cascades and waterfalls A left turn off the path, followed by a swift right fork, leads a quarter-of-a-mile into the centre of the wood, and yet more follies. The Grotto, until recently just a pile of stones, has now been half reconstructed. This provides the perfect viewpoint for the Forty Foot Fall, a cascade fed from reservoirs upstream.

From the Rustic Temple, built from massive interlocking blocks of stone, the view looks back up to Mowbray Point across the nearby Fountain Pond. Close to this is a fine, outgrown coppice stool of small-leaved lime.

Returning to Fisher’s Hall, the path now runs alongside the

HOME TO FLORA AND FAUNA Hackfall is a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to its ground flora and ancient roots. Typical indicator species include dog’s mercury, ramsons, woodruff, wood anemone, primrose, herb-paris and a rare toothwort. The latter is a small parasitic plant lacking in chlorophyll that lives off the roots of other plants. There are 202 different mosses and lichens. Mammals that inhabit the wood include badgers, hares, foxes, rabbits, grey squirrels, moles and occasionally roe deer (right). But it is three of the tiniest things that make Hackfall so special. These are the rare lemon slug and two rare soldier flies.

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river to the northern extremity of the wood. Still shrouded by the dense woodland canopy, it skirts numerous large gritstone boulders that tumbled into the gorge long ago. This wood is often wet and the gentle gurgle of waterfalls or the urgent roar of the river are constant companions. The path passes by a pile of stones on a river bend, all that is left of another folly, Sandbed Hut. It was from here that the artist Turner composed a watercolour 200 years ago. Dippers and grey wagtails busily hop from rock to rock seeking morsels in the icy river. A fleeting flash of iridescent blue signals the lightning fast kingfisher quartering his territory.

The path now turns left away from the river. A stiff climb leads to the top of the gorge. From here a half-a-mile walk through pastures leads back to the car park.

A peaceful winter’s stroll through Hackfall is a chance to quietly soak up the atmosphere of a bygone age. Those thousands of early 18th and 19th century visitors are easily imagined. Most were probably ill-clad and ill-shod for the rigours of country walking, yet still exclaiming at, and delighting in, this beautiful wilderness, enhanced by the vision of one man. t 8PSET Archie Miles t Photography: Mark Davis, Andrea Jones

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LANDSCAPE OF MIST AND MARSH From the rich and fertile Romney Marsh to the red roofs of Rye, this is a land of water, smuggling and wildlife

From isolated looker’s huts like this one, shepherds watched over the valuable sheep of Romney Marsh. Liz Grant, development officer for the Kent Wildlife Trust, inside a reconstructed looker’s hut at the Romney Marsh Visitor Centre.

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S THE WINTER sun burns away the morning mists and melts the surface water of dykes and ditches, a landscape full of life and history is revealed. This remote, flat countryside, criss-crossed with waterways, long beaches and tidal creeks, is Romney Marsh.

To the east, the English Channel falls off the horizon, to the south the 10-mile coastline gently curves from the village of Dymchurch round to the 135ft (41m) High Light Tower at Dungeness. Inland, to the north and west, is low-lying wetland veined with watercourses. This is the

largest coastal wetland on the south coast.

It relies for its existence on the constant upkeep of its drainage system and massive earthen defence walls. These, together with natural shingle barriers, protect it from incursions of the sea as it tries to reclaim the land it once covered.

It is water which has given Romney Marsh its dramatic history of smuggling, its abundant wildlife and its rich and fertile land. Nature and man have worked in unison to create this landscape. On the seashore, waves crash on the shingle, as the winter wind whistles across the land.

Inland, large flocks of resident and migrating waterfowl congregate noisily on the ground. Marsh harriers slowly circle in the great expanse of sky above the flocks of sheep whose forebears were responsible for the area’s past wealth.

Marsh lamb and lookers Sheep have been grazed on Romney Marsh for centuries. The marsh, however, has a bad reputation for health, with malaria, known as ague or marsh fever, a significant problem well into the 1800s. The sheep’s owners stayed away from the area, preferring to employ shepherds, called lookers, to tend the flocks.

Flying low over the wetlands, the marsh harrier can be distinguished by the shallow V shape its wings make as it floats on the wind.

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Lookers lived a hard, lonely life in small huts scattered across the marsh. Built from brick and measuring approximately 10ft (3m) square, the huts contained a straw bed as well as tools including a scythe, fork and broom. Today a reconstructed hut exists at the Romney Marsh Visitor Centre in New Romney, run by the Kent Wildlife Trust. “The marsh in winter takes your breath away,” says Liz Grant, the trust’s development officer. “There’s a cold wind, and then there is the mist and fog. Sometimes it lies on the ground and you can’t see your shoes or the sheep, and sometimes it lingers above your waist. I’ve never seen mist with a life of its own. It often collects over the water so you can see how smuggling took off.”

The last lookers disappeared after the Second World War when much of the land was ploughed. Only around a third of the pastureland remains, but sheep are still vital to the local economy. Known as Romneys, these sheep are famed for their long wool and hardiness. The Romney Salt Marsh lamb is also highly prized for its rich, sweet meat.

“It’s a different world on the marsh,” says Liz. “It is just an incredible place to live. I always say it’s a difficult place to find

“Serve God; honour the King; but first maintain the Wall.”

Russell Thorndike, Doctor Syn on the High Seas Hythe

Dymchurch

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and an even harder place to leave. The people are very friendly. Everyone knows everyone – there’s a cohesiveness to the communities here.”

Smuggling and justice For centuries, wool was subject to heavy taxation, which encouraged smuggling.

From the 13th century, wool was taken out of the country illegally. By the 17th century, the problem was so bad that the death penalty was introduced for the offence. It was a two-way trade. The boats used to smuggle out the wool came back laden with brandy, tea, and tobacco, all of which avoided duty. The smugglers were known as Owlers, from the noises they made to communicate.

Their illicit ways became an inspiration for several authors. One of the best known was Russell Thorndike who wrote a series of adventure novels.

These were tales of derring-do about the fictional Doctor Syn, a local vicar who doubled as the leader of a smuggling band in the late 1700s.

The headquarters for law and order on the Marsh was Dymchurch, four

miles north of New Romney. Its name comes from deme, a medieval word meaning judge. Justice was meted out by the Lords of the Levels, the Marsh’s governors at the 16th century New Hall and Gaol in the High Street. The head magistrate was known as the Leveller of the Marsh Scotts, a scot in this context being a payment. As well as dealing with smugglers, one of the magistrates’ jobs was to enforce a scot tax to maintain the sea walls, but those just outside the parish boundaries didn’t have to pay.

Instead they got off ‘scot free’. i

After its original wooden structure was destroyed in a storm, New Hall in Dymchurch was rebuilt in 1575. It was used as a courtroom for centuries, with the last court being held here in 1951. It is now a museum.

SMUGGLER’S NOVELS The Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn, vicar of Dymchurch-under-the-Wall, seems a quiet type enjoying the slow pace of life in a sleepy Romney Marsh town. But behind the façade is a swashbuckling adventurer, hell-bent on revenge, a pirate on the high seas and, as many were on the marsh in the 1700s, involved in smuggling.

Doctor Syn is the creation of actor and novelist Russell Thorndike (1885-1972). He published seven Doctor Syn books between 1915 and 1944 to great success. They have been adapted into films and TV shows, including The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh.

Russell’s life was almost as dramatic as Doctor Syn’s. He was a Shakespearean actor, touring the US, South Africa and Asia. He wrote his first novel, Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh in 1914, before enlisting and fighting in the First World War. After being severely injured in Gallipoli, he decamped to his mother’s house in Dymchurch to continue writing his adventures of Doctor Syn.

Dymchurch nestles behind its new sea wall, which was built in 2011 at a cost of £60m. It is possible to walk along it for the length of the village, approximately four miles.

An abandoned length of 15in narrow gauge railway track lies on the shingle of Dungeness beach, passing wooden huts and derelict boats.

The 15th century whitewashed Dormer Cottages have been home to authors and artists.

One of Dymchurch’s three Martello Towers, built to be the first line of defence during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century.

The sea wall Situated on the eastern coastline of the Marsh, Dymchurch owes its existence to the gradual draining of the marshes. In a natural action known as longshore drift, sediments such as clay, silt, sand and shingle were carried along the coast at an angle to the shoreline. At Dymchurch this built into a large shingle and sand bank, behind which the marshes gradually became dry land.

By the time the Romans invaded in the first century AD, Dymchurch was a shingle spit, protecting their harbour at Portus Lemanis, five miles to the north.

The Romans produced salt from works at Dymchurch, where today discoveries of coins and a cremation site bear testament to their presence.

There has been a sea wall here since the 15th century, protecting the marsh from flooding. It was reconstructed between 1840-47, heightened again in 1971 and was rebuilt in 2011. Today the stepped concrete structure leading to an arching wall provides a pleasant promenade alongside the sandy beaches, but its protective role is still essential.

The village, with its population of around 4,000, stretches parallel to the beach and the wall. A mixture of old cottages sit among more modern buildings. It is a settlement that has long attracted writers and artists. The squat, whitewashed 15th century Dormer Cottages in the High Street have been home to Noël Coward and Edith Nesbit, the author of The Railway Children.

Another resident was the artist Paul Nash, whose Modernist seascapes painted in the first half of the 20th century often featured Dymchurch wall.

The sea wall was not the only construction in the town built to protect the land. This time it was not the sea that was the enemy, but instead the threat of French invasion during the Napoleonic Wars. Three round 40ft (12m) high Martello towers stand guard set slightly back from the wall. They are part of a total of 103 Martellos originally built at regular intervals along the south coast from Sussex to Suffolk. Number 25, at the southern end of the village, is empty, but number 24 in the centre of Dymchurch between the High Street and the beach,

Dungeness railway station with the new lighthouse in the background. From 1926 to 1978, the 15in track gauge earned the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway the title of the Smallest Public Railway in the World.

has been fully restored. It is owned by English Heritage and free to enter, by appointment. The third, number 23, is just north of Dymchurch and is a private residence. The invasion never materialised.

Instead the towers were taken over by the coastguard in a bid to combat the area’s endemic smuggling.

Taking the train Today, Dymchurch is one of the stops on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. This 15in gauge railway runs 90-year-old one third size steam trains the 13½miles from Hythe along the coast to Dungeness. The occasional hoot can be heard before the train puffs into sight at the small station in Dymchurch.

The line opened on 16 July 1927, as a public railway. Today, its passengers are mainly visitors who enjoy the hour-long trip from Hythe to Dungeness. There are six main stations, of which New Romney is the fourth along the line from Hythe.

This is home to the visitor centre and café.

Inside, there is a detailed history, a model railway exhibition and photos of visiting dignitaries including the Queen, and

Laurel and Hardy. Outside, there is a bustle of trains, visitors taking pictures and people, some volunteers, in overalls polishing its fleet of 10 locomotives.

“Romney Marsh is flat and the scenery pleasant but not dramatic, until the seascape of Dungeness is reached,” says Danny Martin, the railway’s general manager. “The hour’s journey on the train displays its changing nature from rich farmland to shingle banks.”

Travelling at approximately 25mph, the train runs south through the coastal villages of Greatstone-on-Sea and Lydd-on-Sea. It then crosses open shingle to the two Dungeness lighthouses and the power stations. Fishing boats and huts are scattered across the wide shingle beaches.

Homes, many built from discarded railway coaches, have seemingly washed ashore at random intervals. Many are holiday homes, but a number are lived in all year.

Monuments made by man The most recent of the two lighthouses was built in 1961, but the one that attracts attention is the 1904 Old Lighthouse.

The ascent of the 169 steps to the Lantern i

Danny Martin, general manager of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, checks on the line’s engines.

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The Old Lighthouse at Dungeness was the fourth to be built on this site. It is now a Grade II-listed building.

The light, reflected in the two-ton lens, flashed every 10 seconds and could be seen for 18 miles (below left).

One of three concrete acoustic mirrors, known as listening ears, at Greatstone, four miles from Dungeness. Built in the 1920s, the structures were designed as an early warning system against enemy aircraft.

LAND OF CHURCHES

The black and yellow Prospect Cottage that was home to film director Derek Jarman. His shingle and flotsam garden set a new style in 20th century gardening.

Room is rewarded with the sight of its two-ton circular lens that used to float on a mercury base. In the 1960s, the Dungeness nuclear power station was built. This blocked much of the Old Lighthouse’s light, prompting the construction of the new lighthouse.

The power station dominates the view from Dungeness village. On clear days, these vast concrete structures can be seen from as far away as Eastbourne, 40 miles west along the coast.

Four miles north of Dungeness, along Coast Drive and The Parade, is Greatstone and its strange sound mirrors. These massive concrete structures were built between 1928 and 1930 as listening ears for enemy aircraft. They were designed to concentrate the sound of incoming aircraft. But as planes became faster their effectiveness declined. The introduction of radar rendered them fully obsolete in the late 1930s. They still stand and can be visited on a guided walk run by the Romney Marsh Countryside Project.

A half-a-mile walk east from the Dungeness railway station leads past one of the most influential gardens of the 20th century. This shingle plot, incorporating natural materials, native plants and sculpture made from rusting metal objects, was a total contrast to the pruned and preened gardens of the time. It surrounds a dark timber cottage with yellow trim, once home to film director Derek Jarman.

There were originally 19 churches serving the isolated communities on the Marsh. Today 14 survive, the others lying in ruins. Many of the churches are the only remnant of 10 lost villages, destroyed in storms or abandoned during the years of the Black Death (1348-50). One such example is St Thomas Becket church, pictured on page 123. It sits alone in the middle of the marsh, surrounded only by fields.

The most magnificent of the Marsh churches is All Saints, at Lydd (right). Known as the Cathedral of the Marshes because of its size, it is the longest parish church in Kent. It measures 199ft (61m) and can seat 1,000 people. The tower dates back to 1450 and rises up 132ft (40m).

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He created the garden using what he found around him. There is flotsam washed up on the beaches, shells and native plants that grow well in salty shingle areas, such as sea kale and cornflowers. It is not open to the public, but can be seen from the road.

Red-roofed Rye Leaving the solitude of the marshes behind, and crossing the East Sussex border, the traveller arrives at Rye. This medieval town is one of the best preserved in the country and breathes history. Along

The terracotta roofs of Rye (below). The town was one of the Cinque Ports, a confederation of five harbours grouped together for defence purposes by Edward the Confessor. They supplied the Crown with ships and men. The four others were Sandwich, Dover, Hythe, and Hastings.

For centuries Rye was an island with only one land connection through the Landgate (below centre).

“The World, according to the best geographers, is divided into Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Romney Marsh.”

Thomas Ingoldsby, The Ingoldsby Legends

its cobbled streets, ramshackle Tudor timber-framed buildings sit next to Georgian mansions. Little, dark alleyways connect the streets that today are filled with antique shops and delicatessens, art galleries and tea rooms.

“There are 4,000 year-round residents, but a million visitors come every year,” says Andy McConnell. A specialist in glass, he runs antique shop Glass Etc on Rope Walk at the north-east of the town.

“There’s nothing else quite like Rye. We’ve got everything we need here. There’s a library, 15 restaurants, 25 pubs, good hotels and even a cinema. My wife, Helen, and I opened the shop 10 years ago. We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. It

seems as though you’ve got the world on your doorstep.”

Walking from Glass Etc, on Rope Walk, a left turn on Tower Street leads to Landgate. Built in 1329, this is the only gateway to the town still standing. During the 14th century, at the time of the Hundred Years War, Rye was attacked several times by the French. Its wall defences cut off the town to the north and west, while the cliffs on the east and south side provided a natural barrier. Part of the wall can be seen from the car park along Cinque Ports Street.

South along Hilder’s Cliff directly above Landgate, is Rye Castle Museum, full of stories from the town. It contains i

Glass specialist Andy McConnell in his antique shop in Rye.

Ypres Tower was built in 1249 as part of Rye’s defences. Today it is a museum with exhibitions including a prison cell and a medieval pottery.

a range of locally made Hopware, pottery inspired by Kent’s hop industry. Depicting hop vines and cones, it was popular between the 1870s and 1930.

At the top of the cobbled Pump Street is Ypres Tower, the oldest building in Rye open to the public. It was built as a fort in 1249 and has since been a court, a private residence, and from 1494 to 1891 a rather grim prison. Today, displays include a smuggler’s lantern, a model of the moving coastline of Romney Marsh and a well-maintained herb garden.

Fishing boats at the Fishing Quay on the River Rother at Rye (top).

Tabby Cole with her pottery Sussex pigs (above).

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The smugglers’ inn Past St Mary’s Church, is another picturesque cobbled road, Mermaid Street.

This is lined with a cornucopia of architectural styles, some dating back to the 1400s. The best known building is The Mermaid Inn that has stood here since 1420. In the mid-1700s a feared group of smugglers, known as the Hawkhurst Gang, met here to plan their skullduggery.

Down Mermaid Street towards the bustling quay, still replete with fishing vessels, is Rye Pottery on Wish Ward.

Dating back to 1793, it was celebrated throughout the 19th and 20th centuries for producing fine ceramics by hand using a 17th century technique known as Faience or Delft. After the Second World War, the Cole brothers took it on, creating

a reputation for cutting edge designs.

Today, it is run by their descendants, siblings Tabby and Josh Cole.

“Rye has been known for pottery since medieval times,” says Tabby. “The locals are incredibly proud of this heritage. Since 1947, we have been training local people in the process. One paintress joined around that time at 15 and now she’s trained generations of decorators.

“We paint onto unfired glaze which is like painting a watercolour onto cake icing. As soon as your brush hits the surface it soaks in. You need to be delicate yet decisive.”

For 200 years, the pottery has been making Sussex Pigs. These were originally celebratory drinking vessels, with the pig’s head used as a cup while the body held the beer. “They are only made here and they are now in museums around the world,” says Tabby.

From the busy cobbled streets of Rye, full of history and character, to the otherworldliness and solitude of Romney Marsh, this is an area that offers sharp contrasts. Winter provides the perfect opportunity to explore this area of open skies, wide horizons and historic settlements at its most atmospheric.

t Words: Daniel Neilson t Photography: Jeremy Walker

Photography: Alamy; Shutterstock; GAP Photo; RSPB Images

Half-timbered houses line the cobbled Mermaid Street which leads down to the River Rother.

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Straw Bear Festival Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire 15-17 January The Straw Bear maintains the folklore tradition of parading a man dressed in straw around the streets near to Plough Monday. Molly Dancers and Morris Dancers also dance in the streets www.strawbear.org.uk

CRAFT & COURSES COUNTRY LIFE & HERITAGE FESTIVALS & EXHIBITIONS FOOD & DRINK

Coppice & Cawl Denmark Farm Conservation Centre, Lampeter, Ceredigion 17 January Enjoy a day of traditional woodland management and coppicing in the native woods at Denmark Farm nature reserve. A hearty lunch of Welsh cawl (traditional lamb stew) is served with local Hafod cheese and freshly baked bread. www.denmarkfarm.org.uk

Fast and Delicious Winter Suppers Bath, Somerset 17 January Discover how to cook 10 fast, seasonal and easy-to-make dishes, perfect for weekday suppers, using the best of what’s in season. Make the most of root vegetables, find out how to make beans and pulses taste incredible, and add flavour to dishes with spices and winter herbs. www.demuths.co.uk

Lichfield Arts Winter Beer Festival Lichfield, Staffordshire 22-23 January Enjoy a wide selection of real ales from some the country’s best breweries, a choice of fine traditional ciders and a good range of wines.

The annual festival is held in Lichfield’s magnificent Guildhall.

There will be live music and food. www.lichfieldarts.org.uk

Garden Birds Ramble with a Ranger Gibside Estate, Tyne & Wear 21, 24 January Join one of the Rangers on a ramble to discover the exciting range of birds that make their homes at Gibside. Discover how you can attract them to your own garden. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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Canterbury Choral Society Canterbury Cathedral, Kent 23 January Canterbury Choral Society and its Youth Choir are joined by the world-renowned English Chamber Orchestra to sing Vivaldi’s ever-popular Gloria, and Haydn’s great Nelson Mass. This latter is powerful and dramatic, and one of the towering masterpieces of the classical age. www.canterbury ticketshop.com

Celebration of Burns Stirling Castle, Stirling 23-24 January Follow in the footsteps of Scotland’s national bard Robert Burns, who visited the castle in 1787 on a trip which inspired him to write what is now known as the Stirling Lines. Step back in time to reminisce about his life, discover the meaning behind his words and how the castle inspired his life’s work. www.historicscotland.gov.uk

Hand Embroidered Landscapes Roseland Mews Studio, Cornwall 26 January An introductory course into embroidering landscapes including winter scenes. Using a range of embroidery skills such as crewel, stump and ribbons, you’ll create small embroidered pictures inspired by your photographs. This course is open to all levels of ability, so students can either follow prepared kits or create their own designs. www.lynhervalley.co.uk Up Helly Aa Lerwick, Shetland 26 January A torchlit procession and galley burning with music, which originated in the 1880s. The Viking-inspired jarl squad tour schools and other venues through the day, before the torch-bearing procession and galley burning in the evening. www.shetland.org

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January Events

RHS Lecture: The World of Hellebores with Garden Tour Ashwood Nurseries, Nr Kingswinford, West Midlands 27 January This illustrated lecture by John Massey, owner of hellebore specialist Ashwood Nurseries, looks at this fascinating genus, both species and hybrids. A guided tour of John’s garden, with its magnificent plant collections, is included. www.ashwoodnurseries.com

A Day at the Herbarium The Herbarium, Kew Gardens, Surrey 28 January Spend a day behind the scenes at The Herbarium. Its collection contains over seven million preserved specimens that remain reference for the identity of plants today. Meet some of the curators who will share their passion for the botanical collections stored here. www.kew.org

Table Arrangements Workshop The Cambridge Flower School, Cambridgeshire 29 January A one day workshop to design arrangements for a formal evening dinner and a country wedding breakfast. You will create an elegant classic arrangement and a vintage inspired arrangement to take home with you. www.thecambridgeflower school.co.uk

Rush Weaving Assington Mill, Suffolk 31 January An introduction to the craft of rush weaving. There will be a short introduction to the plant and its historical uses. You will learn how to select and prepare rushes, and basic techniques including a checkerboard weave, pairing and bordering down.

In the morning you will make a table mat and a small square basket in the afternoon. www.assingtonmill.com

2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 11 12 13 Creative Watercolour Techniques Dillington House, Somerset 5-7 February An opportunity to develop watercolour painting by experimenting with a variety of techniques. Explore the use of glycerine, cling film and granulation medium, taking inspiration from nature. Chance to create your own paintings led only by the flow of paint and your imagination. www.dillington.com Lymescapes: Felting Workshop Lyme Park House and Garden, Cheshire 3 February Learn how to create a masterpiece out of felt under the expert guidance of Heather Vickers in this three-hour workshop. www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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Beside The Sea White Pepper Cookery School, Bere Farm, Dorset 6 February A comprehensive day preparing and cooking sustainable fish. Find out how to buy excellent quality seafood, then prepare and cook great looking and tasting dishes. Try cleaning, scaling, filleting, pin-boning, picking, shucking, scoring and trimming. You will be shown the correct tools to use for all these tasks. www.white-pepper.co.uk Imbolc – Light a Celtic Candle St Fagans National History Museum, Cardiff 6 February Imbolc is one of the four great Celtic festivals that mark the turning of the year. Gather round the fire and light a candle to symbolise the return of warmth to the soil and herald the arrival of Spring. www.museumwales.ac.uk

February Events

Bread Making at River Cottage River Cottage HQ, Trinity Hill Road, Axminster, Devon 6, 29 February On this one-day cookery course, River Cottage chefs will help you discover a world of delicious fresh bread baked at home. You’ll learn their basic bread recipe and discover how it can be adapted in many different ways. There is also chance to create your own wild yeast starter, for fabulous sourdough. www.rivercottage.net

Olney Pancake Race Outside The Bull Pub, Olney, Buckinghamshire 9 February The Pancake Race at Olney is the best-known of its kind in the UK. The tradition supposedly began in the 15th century when a local housewife heard the ringing of the bell summoning the congregation to church while she was making her Shrove Tuesday pancakes. She raced to church carrying her pan. www.olneypancakerace.org

Shrovetide Football Ashbourne, Derbyshire 9-10 February The Royal Shrovetide Football game takes place on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday in a tradition going back hundreds of years. It is a fierce game which can last until 10pm, the scoring deadline. The Up’ards play the Down’ards and goals are scored by hitting the ball three times against the goals which are three miles apart. www.visitpeakdistrict.com

Planning your Organic Garden – Vegetable Growing Ryton Organic Gardens, Nr Coventry, West Midlands 10 February An introductory course focusing on how to start planning your organic garden, including crop rotation, ground preparation and more. You’ll get to take something seasonal home with you to get you started! www.gardenorganic.org.uk

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Macarons Half Day Cookery Course Ashburton, Devon 13 February Macarons are a hugely popular sweet confection, visually stunning and flavoured in a myriad different ways.

This half-day course will teach you how to make the perfect macarons every time, crunchy on the outside and soft inside, with delicious fillings and decorated to perfection. www.ashburton cookeryschool.co.uk

Cambridgeshire Annual Potato Day Commemoration Hall Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire 13 February This year’s event takes place at Commemoration Hall, Huntingdon. More than 50 varieties of potato (all potatoes £1 per kg) plus onion sets and shallots are available. There will also be craft stalls, refreshments, children’s activities and an opportunity for seed swaps. www.nsalg.org.uk

Valentine’s Day at Keats House Keats House, Hampstead 14 February A special evening view of the most romantic house in London.

Explore the home where John Keats fell in love with Fanny Brawne, inspiring his most passionate poetry. Make a regency-inspired Valentine’s card, and listen to Keats’s romantic poems and love-letters. www.londonshh.org Scarecrow Festival Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire 13-21 February Visit the Scarecrow Festival in the gardens and at the farm this spring half-term. More than 30 scarecrows will be resident in the gardens. Find the farmyard scarecrows as well as having a go at making your own.

Closed Monday. http://events.tattonpark. org.uk

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February Events Sewing and Stories Anne of Cleves House, Lewes, East Sussex 16 February Drop into Anne of Cleves House and explore this Tudor building.

Chance to explore how the Tudors and Elizabethans lived, worked and relaxed at home.

Have a go at spinning, weaving, embroidery and sewing. www.sussexpast.co.uk

Rye Bay Scallop Week Rye, East Sussex 20-28 February Rye Bay Scallop Week offers the perfect opportunity to indulge in seafood delights. Local restaurants will be showcasing an array of different scallop dishes. There will also be scallop events including tasting events, cookery schools and demonstrations, live music and more. www.scallop.org.uk Spring Quilt Festival Royal Highland Showground, Edinburgh 19-21 February Wonderful displays of quilts, patchwork and quilting suppliers stands. Quilting enthusiasts and personalities on hand to show you how to make your own.

Chance to join in a workshop, available on a first come, first served basis. www.grosvenor shows.co.uk

National Nestbox Week: Make a Nestbox RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk 15-19 February Take some wood, a hammer and some nails and get building. Build a nestbox to take away with you and give nature a home near you. www.rspb.org.uk

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Chinese New Year Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Bristol 21-22 February Celebrate Chinese New Year in style with a programme of family fun.

There will be spectacular dancing dragon and lion performances, martial arts, traditional Chinese dances, storytelling, family trails, arts and craft activities, live music, and much more. There will also be a display from the University of Bristol’s Traditional Chinese Medicinal Herb Garden over the two days. www.bristolmuseums.org.uk

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Identifying Trees in Winter Denmark Farm Conservation Centre, Lampeter, Ceredigion 24 February A one-day course helping you identify trees in winter by looking at buds, bark, the shape of the tree and other clues. There will be information on the different uses that trees have, their place in the ecosystem and even a bit of woodland folklore. www.woodland classroom.com

Beeswax Soap & Balms Upper Meend Farm, Nr Monmouth, Monmouthshire 26 February This course will show the art of cold processed soap making, creating natural beeswax lip balms and lotion bars, with Catherine Clark, of Honey Bee Beautiful. You will be provided with the recipe for a fresh bar of honey soap. You can make your own beeswax lip balms and beautifully scented lotion bars. www.humblebynature.com

Bath Literature Festival Bath, Somerset 26 February-6 March Bath Literature Festival has established itself as one of the UK’s most respected literary events, presenting the best in local, national and international writers in venues throughout Bath’s vibrant city centre. Eschewing book readings from celebrity personalities, the Festival offers an intensive programme of events, featuring fascinating literary specialists discussing ideas with fellow experts and enthusiastic audiences. www.bathfestivals.org.uk

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Country Escapes NORFOLK

ENGLAND CORNWALL

Old Newham Farm Cottages Three character cottages deep in the Cornish countryside on organic farm tucked away in a secluded valley 3 miles from magnificent North Coast and renown coastal path. Log fire, Dogs welcome. Sleep 2 to 4. Stay a week or short Weekend/Midweek breaks.

Tel: 01840 230470 www.old-newham.co.uk

Aviary Court Country Hotel Near St Ives, rural 6 bedroom 3 Star Private Hotel. Woodland walk to beach.

Ideal touring location. Home-cooked food. Many returning couples. Attractive weekly Dinner B&B terms. Tennis Court.

Tel: 01209 842256 www aviarycourthotel.co.uk

Cornish Gems Cornwall’s finest selection of luxury holiday homes, cottages and apartments to rent. Be spoilt for choice, with over 120 country and coastal properties to choose from.

Tel: 0844 800 2813 www.cornishgems.com

Cornish Rural Retreat, Trevina Victorian Farmhouse or romantic Housekeeper’s Cottage in 14 acres of gardens & grounds deep in a secluded wooded valley. Farmhouse sleeps upto 15. Ideal for family & friends celebratory weekend or a romantic break for 2.

Tel: 01579 321359 www.trevina.com 142

Mennabroom Farm B&B and Holiday Cottages Award winning historic properties offering short/weekly breaks. Set in 40 acres with ancient woodland and river walk in a secluded valley on Bodmin Moor. Centrally located for discovering both Cornwall and Devon. Many National Trust properties, beaches, and film locations nearby.

Tel: 01208 821272 enquiries@mennabroom.com www.mennabroom.com

Sunday & School Cottages Two delightful & peaceful Cottages in old Padstow, sleeping 4 & 6. Just minuets walk to harbour, restaurants, coastal path etc. Off-street parking & woodburner in School Cottage.

Tel: 01789 450 214 Full availability on www.sundaycottage.co.uk

Degembris Cottages Exquisite Four Star Gold Award self-catering cottages situated in the heart of the Cornish countryside. Ideal for discovering Cornwall’s many hidden gems! Tel: 01872 510555 www.degembris.co.uk/lm

Stonehayes Farm Traditional converted barns with a contemporary finish to make your stay with us relaxing and enjoyable. Situated 2 miles north of Honiton, surrounded by the beautiful rolling hills of Devon www.stonehayesfarm.co.uk

DORSET

Upton Grange Exclusive conversion of 6 luxury holiday cottages. 2,3,4&6 berth. Historical property, some with log fires, ships beams, 4 poster beds ect. Open virtually all year.

Tel: 01305 853970 www.uptongrangedorset.co.uk

Carpenters Cottage Traditional flint cottage in the Georgian town of Holt. The cottage provides cosy accommodation for four people.

Tel: 01263 741053 www.holtholidaycottages.co.uk

EXMOOR

Anstey Mills Cottages Two four star Gold Award, spacious and well-equipped cottages sleeping 2 to 11 with log-burner or whirlpool-bath on beautiful non-working Exmoor farm.

Tel: 01398 341329 www.ansteymillscottagedevon.co.uk

Barn Drift A stunning barn conversion sleeping 14, situated above Cley marshes overlooking the sea.

Tel: 01603 871872. www.norfolkcottages.co.uk

NORTHUMBERLAND

HEREFORDSHIRE DEVON

Seashells A spacious, luxury beach house, sleeping up to 6. Spectacular frontline location beside sand dunes. The perfect family holiday in outstanding ‘eco’ new build. Swim, surf, relax, 3 minutes walk to the beach, 5 minutes to Croyde village. Also Gilonica sleeps 5.

Tel: 01598 710498 www.croydeholidaybungalows.co.uk

Garden Cottage Grade II listed thatched cottage four miles from the cathedral city of Hereford. Large garden overlooking countryside. Sleeps up to 4.

Tel: 01432 850532. www.thatchedholidays.com

Bush Nook Guest House Situated within the wonderful Hadrian’s Wall countryside, overlooking Birdoswald Roman Fort and the River Irthing Valley at Gisland with panoramic views east to Northumberland National Park. Quality bed and breakfast available plus superbly equipped comfortable self-catering holiday cottage.

Tel: 01697 747194 www.bushnook.co.uk

PEAK DISTRICT

SCOTLAND ARGYLL

Barn Meadow at Top Eccles Farm Peak District self-catering eco accommodation sleeping 4 (4 star gold) with fabulous views. Wildlife and walks on the doorstep, plus our ‘not so wild’ alpacas.

Tel: 01663 750372 Email: ecobarn@topecclesfarm.co.uk www.topecclesfarm.co.uk

Greenway Apartment (Ref: 14924) Very comfortable, cosy but spacious, first floor self catering apartment.

Birdseye views of the quirky country town of Bishop’s Castle. Close to Three Tuns and Six Bells breweries. King size bed. Double sofa bed.

Tel: 07968354355 mrs.greenhouse@yahoo.co.uk www.skyescottages.co.uk

Tigh Ban Lek Stunning modern cottage offering comfort and spectacular views of the Scottish Islands.

Tel: 01592 872339 www.tighbanlek.co.uk

SOMERSET CAIRNGORMS

SHROPSHIRE

Dolphin Cottage Five-star Gold Award property close to Bath. 17th-century luxury cottage with original features. Sleeps up to five.

Tel: 01225 722100 www.dolphincottage.com

SUFFOLK

Morrells Wood Farm Four self-catering cottages in idyllic farmyard setting, all beautifully furnished & nestled at the foot of the glorious, majestic Wrekin Hill. Perfect for a romantic break or relaxing retreat, in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Lots of local walks and perfect for Shropshire’s main attractions, including the Iron Bridge.

Tel: 01952 510273 www.morrellswoodfarm.co.uk

Rural village of Wingfield A peaceful, self-contained holiday annexe in the beautiful Suffolk countryside, ideal for couples.

For further details call Karen on: Tel: 01379 384403 or visit www.staywiththesmiths.webplus.net/

Luxury 4 bed, 2 ensuite property. Situated on the edge of Aviemore, Cairngorm mountain views. Ideal base for outdoor pursuits. Log burning stove. Covered outdoor entertaining deck and garden.

Complimentary hot tub, WIFI, dressing gowns, slippers and Arran Aromatic toiletries.

Tel: 07974691623 www.bygonedrives.co.uk

DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY

Dundream Award winning, luxury, holistic and relaxing self-catering eco holiday retreat.

4 bedrooms with en-suite facilities, sleeping up to 8. Situated on the beautiful North Rhins of Galloway in Scotland with sea views to the Mull of Kintyre, Northern Ireland and Arran.

Near to trail walks, bird watching on the shores of Loch Ryan, golfing, swimming and watersports.

Tel: 07517 373470 www.dundream.com

Beach Lodge, Port Patrick Beach Lodge is located in a secluded shoreline location overlooking Labrax Bay, and offers direct access to the beach, an ideal choice for the pet owner.

Tel: 01456 486358 www.wildernesscottages.co.uk

FORT WILLIAM AND LOCHABER WEST SUSSEX

Bon Accueil Five-star, self-catering Georgian country house, halfway between Chester and Shrewsbury. Sleeps up to 14, and has a swimming pool, sauna and spa.

Tel: 01948 661168 www.bonaccueil.co.uk

The Old Stables Self-catering accommodation for four in the South Downs National Park.

Tel: 023 9263 1761 www.theoldstables.net

Scotland’s Best Kept Secret We have the perfect escape for you.

Well equipped home-from-home cottages in stunning locations. From a cosy pad for two to co-located coastal cottages for up to 14. If you like the Scottish Highlands & Islands, Lake District or Cornwall you will love holidaying in our cottages. But book quickly before the secret gets out.

Tel: 01988 600600 www.escapetogalloway.co.uk

Sealight, Strontian Sealight is located near the village of Strontian and enjoys a fabulous shoreline location with beach access and views across Loch Sunart.

Tel: 01456 486358 www.wildernesscottages.co.uk 143

Country Escapes HIGHLAND

WALES

SNOWDONIA

ANGLESEY

Eiland View B&B One double room and two twin rooms take up the ground floor of this purpose-built house, which has spectacular panoramic views over Inverness, the Moray Firth and the Black Isle.

Tel: 01463 798900 www.eilandview.com

Aspen Lodge Six distinctive houses built from locally sourced timber and stone. The houses sit close to the sea and have under floor heating, log fires, spa baths and wet rooms. They sleep two to eight.

Tel: 01972 500254 www.holidayardnamurchan.co.uk

Tregarnedd Cottage This two bedroomed barn conversion sleeps four people and is part of an 18th century Manor estate. Set in central Anglesey it is ideally situated to visit the many and varied beaches along the coast or why not walk the coastal path.

Tel: 01709 877923

Dugoed Isaf, Snowdonia National Park A charming detached cottage set in an elevated position with stunning views over Snowdonia National Park. An ideal base for exploring. Dogs welcome.

Tel: 07580 025 621 www.dugoedisaf.co.uk

CHANNEL ISLANDS GUERNSEY

BRECON BEACONS

Glengarry B&B This Victorian villa overlooks the Spey Valley and the Cairngorm mountains. An ideal base for active pursuits, with secure storage for cycles and skis.

Tel: 01540 661386 www.glengarrybandb.co.uk

Columba House Hotel Highland retreat in its own gardens near Aviemore. Romantic four-posters, double baths, twins and doubles. It is situated in a designated AONB area and there are lakes and beaches within easy reach. The spot is also a good base for the areas many activities, such as walking in the Cairngorms, skiing, golf and water sports.

Tel: 07748 361 718 Email: reservations@columbahousehotel.com

SKYE & LOCHALSH

Welsh border cottage rural location in Brecon Beacons National Park Between Hay-on-Wye and gourmet Abergavenny: 3 double bedrooms, three baths (one en-suite), wood-burner.

Fishing available.

Tel: 01865 430703 www.oldpostoffice-longtown.com enquiries@oldpostoffice-longtown.com

Sausmarez Manor The Dower Flats (3 star) in Sausmarez Manor are ideal for a couple or couple+1. Furnished with period furniture and mod-cons see:www.sausmarezmanor.co.uk Tel: 01481 235571

GWYNEDD

Spean Lodge Country House B&B Historic Highland lodge in Spean Bridge. Set in lovely landscaped grounds above river. Furnished with antiques and paintings. Three well-appointed rooms. Spacious lounge.

Delicious breakfasts. Explore Ben Nevis, Loch Ness, Skye etc. Village facilities. A member of Scotland’s Best B&Bs. Tel: 01397 712004 www.speanlodge.co.uk 144

Kintail Log Cabin

By Loch Duich shore, below the 5 sisters, Off the beaten track but only 10min walk to local Hotel. Ideal base to tour Skye or West Coast, idyllic setting to relax.

Tel: 07831696039/07900225469 Email: mail@kintaillogcabin.com www.kintaillogcabin.com

Old Mill Farmhouse, Snowdonia Comfortable B&B with attractive rooms in converted farm buildings. Excellent model railway in beautiful gardens overlooking the lake and mountains.

Friendly llamas, free-range hens, delicious breakfasts. Pets welcome.

Tel: 01766 540 397 www.oldmillfarmhouse.co.uk

Le Douit Farm Cottages, Guernsey Converted from the farms granite barns and situated in a small lane, a field away from St. Martin’s Church in the ancient hamlet of La Bellieuse where you will be able to relax and unwind in these peaceful surroundings. A short two minute stroll will find you in the parish centre. 4 Star - One and two bedrooms. enquiries@selfcatering.co.gg www.selfcatering.co.gg Tel: 01481 237491

DORDOGNE

FRANCE

SEYCHELLES MAHE ISLAND

La Collardiere Unwind in one of our 3 cosy stone cottages with log fires in idyllic and peaceful countryside. Sleep 2-4.

Organic herbgarden.

Tel: 0033 233386401 http://mandrhewitt.perso.neuf.fr/ web

POITOU-CHARENTES

Les Arbres Du Noix Beautiful cottage sleeps seven with pool in the heart of the Deux Sevres countryside surrounded by fields of sunflowers ideally located to discover Frances second sunniest region.

Tel: +33 05 49 27 59 35 lesarbresdunoix@hotmail.com

CHARENTES

Peyrillault Relax in one of our two pretty stone cottages, with shared swimming pool and organic cottage gardens. All set in peaceful Dordogne countryside.

Sleeps 2-6. www.peyrillault.com peyrillault@yahoo.com

Cinnamon Villa, Mahe Island.

Spacious detached 3 bedroom self-catering villa. Master with ensuite.

Seaviews. Large garden. BBQ. From £67.00 per person, per week. www.nature-photography.tv email: dream.location@btinternet.com

ITALY

SPAIN

TUSCANY ANDALUCIA

Manoir du Cervolet Classic 18th Century Manoir sleeps 24.

Private heated pool and tennis courts in 7 acres, perfect for complete getaway or group visits. Forty minutes from Poitiers. From €2500 pw.

Tel: 07826 541787 clare@bramleylakes.com

La Maison D’Hibou Spacious rural farmhouse that sleeps 10 with open living area, feature fireplace, modernised kitchen and mezzanine. Two large master bedrooms (avec ensuite), one triple and two twin rooms plus separate bathroom and wet room. Private south facing garden and swimming pool - Ideal for families and friends to share.

Tel: 01733 243305 lamaisondhibou@hotmail.com

La Ceruglia, Anghiari, Upper Tiber Valley Tranquil farmhouse with wide-reaching views, large pool and garden on Tuscan/Umbrian border. Family friendly sleeping 12-14 in two buildings, with well equipped kitchen, library, pizza oven, wifi, piano. Easily accessible - available for year round letting. www.laceruglia.com Tel: 01392 811436 slrs@perridge.com

For foodies and romantics Over fifty stylish self-catering properties for couples around Andalucia. Relish our information pack filled with top tips on Andalucian gastronomy.

Tel: 01380 816658 www.the2scompanytravel.com

Advertise your holiday retreat Our readers love to holiday in the UK all year round, enjoying the riches of every season. If you have a hidden gem in the UK or abroad why not showcase your retreat in our Country Escape Collection.

LandScape readers are three times more likely than the average person to have taken a UK holiday meaning that they are the perfect audience for your getaway.

Simply send us a high res picture that will show your property off to its best, along with 25 words and your contact details and we will do the rest! The cost is just £70 + vat per issue.

Call us on 01733 366376 today to book your space for the Mar/Apr 2016 issue on sale 3rd February 2016, deadline for bookings is 15th January 2016 or email amy.woods@bauermedia.co.uk 145

In the next issue CREATING DRIFTS OF SUNSHINE IN THE GARDEN Photography: GAP Photo

Mar / Apr issue on sale 3 February

SCOTTISH COASTLINE FILLED WITH DRAMA LIGHT SUPPERS FOR EARLY SPRING EVENINGS A MESSAGE TO NEW

READERS FROM THE EDITOR

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