14 PEOPLE & PLACES Our edit of news, events and stories of craftsmanship.
20 DESIGN DISCOVERIES Beautiful new buys, all made in England.
26 DESIGN ICONS Great British products with a modern update.
28 BRIGHT IDEA Add a burst of saturated colour with bold-hued accessories.
30 THE EDIT A digest of brand updates.
68 SUBSCRIBE Sign up today for fantastic subscriber benefits and a bonus John Lewis & Partners gift card.
English Homes
32 NATURAL CONNECTION A derelict Victorian villa has been transformed beautifully inside and out.
42 BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE From a simple update to a larger renovation, this home is designed for family life.
50 JEWEL BOX Designer Susi Bellamy has infused her London flat with her signature flair for colour and pattern.
58 FULL HOUSE This Kent cottage is a treasure trove of antiques, artfully curated and displayed.
64 IN THE GARDEN...with Butter Wakefield. A look at the garden designer’s private domain.
Style Inspiration
71 WELL BLENDED The English art of mixing influences and styles.
72 A PENCHANT FOR PATTERN The duo behind Salvesen Graham use their expertise with pattern in modern classic schemes.
79 BASTIONS OF ENGLISH STYLE The fabric houses creating iconic designs for English homes.
90 SUMMER BREEZE Create a light, airy feel with sheers and lace.
98 LIFE’S LUXURIES A guide to the investment features to indulge in, from swimming pools and party barns to wine cellars and yoga studios.
Living The Season
107 QUINTESSENTIAL VICTORIA SPONGE Serve up a slice of this classic bake.
108 THE PERFECT SUMMER Plan now to make the most of a glorious sunny season with idyllic pastimes from fruit and flower picking to a trip to the opera or circus.
115 IN THE PINK Sharp, tangy rhubarb enjoys a long season – pair it with strawberries and raspberries in delicious summer recipes.
122 VINTAGE APPEAL Discover English vineyards to visit and enjoy summer days sampling the fine wines.
130 MY ENGLISH HOME Chef and author Clodagh McKenna shares her charming farmhouse and private pub.
British Designed Fabrics And Wallpapers
A letter from home
Welcome to this special edition which has a focus on celebrating English style and preparing for a summer to remember.
What epitomises English style to me is the magical blend of influences, colours, patterns and periods that can come together in a home, or even in one room, and sit in harmony. English homes often tell a story, of travels, of changing tastes, of favourite colours, of new discoveries. These elements have been explored in this issue and I am most excited to share a preview of Salvesen Graham’s beautiful new book, rather aptly titled A New English Style. Their take on modern classic design has always captured my heart, and on p72 we explore the duo’s masterful use of pattern for bringing a room to life. In an interview, the pair once remarked to me that they like to treat leopard print as a neutral. Those who know me will attest I’m not averse to some animal print, so it is advice I heeded well and find it is a pattern that will work happily with all manner of other motifs, bringing a softly modern uplift.
We have taken the opportunity to explore other modern updates on British design in iconic buys on p26, and examine key fabric houses who are true bastions of English style on p79. Of course, looking ahead to summer has also been on our agenda and I hope ideas for planning a perfect season full of idyllic pastimes inspires on p108. It reminds me I must book tickets for Gifford’s Circus, it is a highlight of the year.
Hoping your summer is memorable and full of fun,
Katy Mclean, Acting Editor
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EDITORIAL
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● Expert guides to tile designs, architectural hardware and garden furniture
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NOTEBOOK
SPOTLIGHT ON…
Woven willow sculpture by Laura Ellen Bacon
A new, immersive, large-scale woven willow sculpture by British sculptor Laura Ellen Bacon flows in and around the gallery space at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, responding to the historic architecture of the 18th-century Chapel hosting her solo exhibition, which runs until 7 September.
Using ancient techniques, the Derbyshire artist has woven around 80 bundles of sustainable Somerset willow for her creation – a wide, high form in which visitors can stand.
She constructed the sculpture on site from scratch over eight weeks, using branches from fallen beech trees to form part of the skeleton of the self-supporting structure that, through its material and form, connects with our primal instinct to nest and reconnect with the natural world.
Laura says: ‘It is my goal that my work might bring some intrigue into both natural and built environments, creating work that may serve as a reminder that nature can still surprise us.’Her smaller works are exhibited alongside this new commission, and at the end of the exhibition – entitled Into Being – the sculpture will be dismantled and the material reused to create wildlife habitats. ysp.org.uk
Our edit of people to watch and places to visit, exciting new buys from English makers, bright, colourful additions and iconic British design pieces
PEOPLE PLACES
&
Covetable new launches by talented makers and elite brands, creative collaborations, landmark anniversaries and unmissable events
FEATURE SARAH FEELEY
Bringing Nature Home
Thyme’s Water Meadow collection
Evocative watercolour paintings by Caryn Hibbert of the water meadows surrounding her Cotswolds retreat Thyme inspired a new Bertioli fabrics and wallpaper collection.
The Water Meadow collection includes River Mint, Willow (pictured above) and Yellow Iris designs, scented diffusers and candles.
Milly Hibbert of Thyme says: ‘Research shows that visual and scent connections with nature can reduce stress, improve mood and elevate creativity. This has become a source of inspiration, creating spaces designed to instill calm and happiness.’ thyme.co.uk; bertioli.co.uk
Crafted in the Cotswolds Elegant and sustainable table linens
When Verity de Yong began experimenting with using food scraps and peelings to create natural dyes for fabric after noticing how much waste she was creating, it sparked an idea for a new business. VED Cooks boasts an elegant range of Irish linen napkins, tablecloths and placemats dyed in the Cotswolds using plant, fruit and vegetablebased dyes with zero chemicals.
‘Craftsmanship and quality are at the heart of everything we create,’ says Verity, ‘inspired by the changing seasons and the outdoors of the Cotswolds.’ vedcooks.com
A Worldwide First Elite hardware by Turnstyle Designs
Like a button on a coat, a handle can make or break a great room or piece of furniture and must function as well as it looks. This a core belief of Devon-based Turnstyle Designs – the first hardware manufacturer in the world to become a certified B Corporation, achieving high standards of performance, sustainability, transparency and more. turnstyledesigns.com
Susie Watson: Bringing Art to the Everyday
The founder of Susie Watson Designs celebrates 25 successful years
A quarter of a century may have passed since Susie Watson founded her eponymous company, but its core values remain steadfast. ‘Our ethos is that good design should be enduring,’ she says. ‘We like our customers to buy beautiful products they can enjoy and keep forever.’
Her charming handmade collections for home and garden not only bring timeless design to the everyday but also show that a dedication to craftsmanship can transform everyday objects into art. ‘Designing all our own products means our look is unique, and handmaking everything is unusual in this day and age,’ she adds. From fabric and trimmings to paint and wallpaper, tiles, furniture, rugs, pottery, cushions, bedding, table linen, kitchen accessories, garden furniture and more, Susie believes her designs are meant to be ‘used to be lived in, not just looked at’.
Susie Watson Designs now has shops in 10 locations in the UK – with two in Broadway in the Cotswolds, including a flagship interiors showroom.
In the late 1990s, Susie founded a gallery with her daughter Anna, which, as well as art, sold furniture and eclectic homeware by Susie and other artists. Realising the potential for art in everyday products, Susie created a line of hand-thrown slipware pottery in Stoke-on-Trent.
A chance meeting introduced her to Sri Lankan ceramicists who helped her scale up production while maintaining traditional techniques. Expanding into textiles, she created intricate embroidery and prints with skilled artisans in India.
‘People are the basis of a business and we have some wonderful people in our team,’ Susie says. ‘Finding the right factories to work with and building these relationships is a huge challenge and takes time and dedication.’ Today Anna works alongside Susie as a designer and they regularly travel to India together.
To mark its anniversary, Susie Watson Designs will bring back limited editions of its Strawberry Large Mug and Giant Strawberry Teapot. susiewatsondesigns.co.uk
From one-room enhancements to full home redesigns, Sarah Harding Interiors creates bespoke interiors that re ect your lifestyle with timeless beauty and re ned quality.
After working for decades in the bespoke curtains and blinds industry, and having spotted a gap in the market for such a highquality offering but with the convenience of online ordering, Harriet and Sarah Wooldridge founded their company Pleat.
‘We make window-wear the old-fashioned way – with care and a level of attention to detail that would make your grandma proud,’ they say. ‘We believe that curtains and blinds are the overlooked goddesses of interior design. Too often treated as a functional purchase, they are underestimated in their magic ability to complete the look of a home.’
There are 10 styles of handcrafted curtains and six styles of blinds in 96 hardwearing and washable fabrics, with tiebacks, cushions and throws available to complete the look.
‘Coming from a family of makers has taught us exactly what it takes to make beautiful window-wear that hangs just right,’ they say. ‘We lead our team of expert makers, based in the heart of Berkshire, to lovingly handmake every order from scratch. We never cut corners, or scrimp on the details, taking pride in every piece.’ pleat.co.uk
Enlightened Partnership
Pooky x Collaborative Craft Projects
English lighting brand Pooky has forged a special partnership with Collaborative Craft Projects (CPP), a social enterprise committed to preserving the traditional skills and natural heritage of Zimbabwe. The result is a delightfully rustic lampshade collection handwoven by women in Zimbabwe using ilala palm – an organic material which is sustainably grown and harvested locally.
Pooky’s chief creative officer, Jo Plant, says: ‘We were introduced to Jane Taylor at CPP and were instantly taken by her passion and commitment to build a legacy for the female artisans she works with while preserving the traditional skills and natural heritage of Zimbabwean culture and craft.
‘Jane and the amazing women she works with had already developed a new range of Wonky Wave baskets and we fell in love with these and asked if they would develop them as a pendant shade exclusively for Pooky. They are available in a range of sizes and are a real showstopper.’ pooky.com
DIARY
Floral exhibition at Chatsworth
UNTIL 5 OCTOBER
Flowers in all forms take centre stage for The Gorgeous Nothings: Flowers at Chatsworth exhibition with works of art from the Devonshire Collections, museum loans and new artist commissions. chatsworth.org
Petworth Park
Antiques & Art Fair 16–18 MAY
Treasures await at National Trust property Petworth Park in West Sussex with over 60 exhibitors displaying fine antiques and art from fine period furniture to 20th-century design pieces to oil and watercolour paintings, textiles, carpets, jewellery and more. petworthparkfair.com
Royal celebration
UNTIL 2 NOVEMBER
Celebrating its 200th anniversary, The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace is home to historic royal carriages and one of the finest working stables, responsible for all road travel for The King and Royal Family. rct.uk
Gardenalia auction 19-26 MAY
Seeking that elegant outdoor finishing touch?
Garden furniture, pots, objets d’art and more will go under the hammer at Lots Road
Auctions’ online auction
The Garden Edit, with viewings available at its London showroom. lotsroad.com n
DESIGN DISCOVERIES
From English-made pieces by well-established brands to designs by new craftspeople, our artisans embrace classic ideas, global techniques and fresh design concepts
FEATURE SUZANNA LE GROVE
MARBLED EFFECT
Designer Henry Holland’s latest collection is made from clay offcuts, building on his core focus of sustainable design. The Galaxy range’s distinctive marble finish is inspired by the ancient Japanese art of Suminagashi paper marbling, which creates entirely unique pieces, finished by hand in his Hackney studio. Galaxy collection, from £40, Henry Holland Studio
VINTAGE PAPERS
Small-scale prints in soft hues characterise Susan Deliss’s new Venetian Papers collection, all made to order in England and inspired by 19th-century Venetian bookbinding prints. By contrast, her two new weaves offer a bold stripe and a textured pattern in antique designs updated for modern tastes. Loredan, Piranesi’s Apple, £220 a roll, Susan Deliss
SURE FOOTING
This early-modernist-style ottoman provides useful extra seating and a footrest. It is also designed to add a stylish touch with its curved shape and soft, ruffled skirt. The piece comes in pink or green and is handcrafted in Derbyshire from a 100 per cent hemp. Aurora Hemp Bottoman stool, Nephrite, £795, House of Hackney
FRUITFUL COLLABORATION
From garden produce to wildflowers, the RHS fabric collaboration with Sofas & Stuff plays with quintessential natural motifs. Originating from the RHS botanical archives, the fabric designs are available for Sofas & Stuff’s sofas, chairs, beds, footstools and cushions – which are all bespoke and handmade in the British workshop. They can also be purchased for other soft furnishing projects.
Alwinton three-seat sofa in RHS Collection
William Hooker Design, £5,713, Sofas & Stuff
CUSTOMISED COVERS
Maro Home’s handmade sofas, ottomans and sofa beds do not come in ‘house’ fabrics. Instead, the Nottinghamshire design studio specialises in using customer fabrics. For those less confident at choosing the right material, the brand offers a service to source the best possible fabric and can provide good, better, and best options at various price points. Each piece of furniture is made with a removable slipcover that can be cleaned and put back with ease.
Sonder 180cm tailored slipcover sofa, £3,000 (plus fabric); Wish ottoman, from £525 (plus fabric), Maro Home
WONDER WOOL
Produced in one of the few remaining vertical woollen mills in the UK (located in Yorkshire), and traceable from farm to customer, these luxury throws are part of an intiative with the British Wool Board and The Campaign for Wool. Made from British lambswool, the four designs come in five gentle colourways inspired by the British landscape.
The British Wool Collection throws, £110, Bronte by Moon
TILE STORIES
Crafted in Devon, three tile collections are joining Original Style’s Living range. Arts & Craft’s handdrawn designs are inspired by nature (as seen here), while the Promenade range has seaside stripes in bright colours, and the Mural edit features East Asian landscapes and tropical scenes.
Flora Blue, Arts & Crafts, £119.96 a square metre, Original Style
SUMMER FABRICS
A new range of Cotswold-made prints from British fabric designer Vanessa Arbuthnott is inspired by nature at its ‘most radiant’ during glorious summer-sunshine-filled days. To energise interiors, all the eclectic patterns can be mixed together to echo the season’s technicolour hues.
Quilt, Up the Garden Path, with frill in Berries and Leaves; canopy and bolster cushion, Dotty Check; square cushions, Berries and Leaves, all fabrics £69 a metre, Vanessa Arbuthnott
LEAFY TWIST
With an energising rhythm, this oak-print wallpaper takes inspiration from the natural landscapes surrounding designer Rupert Bevan’s Shropshire workshop. Available in four colours, the marbled background adds a contemporary twist to the classic motif. For different finishes, it comes with a vinyl or woven base.
Matilda Oak wallpaper, £140 a metre, Rupert Bevan
ROYAL SWITCH
Soho Lighting’s latest switches, handmade in Cornwall, are created in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces. With more designs to come, these panel-mounted plates reflect those in the palaces but with the benefit of modern technology, including easy magnetic installation. Natural Brass 2-gang 20A two-way classic toggle switch, from £79, Historic Royal Palaces x The Soho Lighting Company ■
DESIGN ICONS
Great British products that have stood the test of time, now with gentle modern updates
LIBERTY FABRIC
The origins of this 1990s Carline Rose print lie in Liberty’s worldrenowned archives. The design is styled on 1950s florals, reworked and recoloured today in its Tana Lawn cotton, which behaves like silk.
Carline Rose Tana Lawn cotton, £29.95, Liberty London
GLUGGLE WATER JUG
Known as ‘gurgle’ jugs when first made in the 1870s by Thomas Forester & Sons, with the fish-shape design by Dartmouth Pottery coming later, these whimsical vessels are now produced in a range modern hues and finishes by The Original Gluggle Jug Factory in Stoke-on-Trent.
Pistachio gluggle jug, large £35.90, The Original Gluggle Jug Factory
ORIGINAL BTC LIGHT
Original BTC launched in 1990 with its innovative bone china lampshades.The latest incarnation of its Christie pendant is slightly smaller than the original and has a steeper fall for a focused beam.
Christie 36 pendant, £519, Original BTC
DARTINGTON VASE
The only remaining factory-scale British glass manufacturer in England, Dartington began in Devon in 1967 with the aim of creating simple designs. Colourful additions give a soft modern twist to its offerings.
Smith Dusk Blue vase, £37.50 (medium), Dartington Crystal
SOANE BRITAIN CHAIR
Since rescuing the last-remaining English rattan workshop in 2010, Soane Britain has continued to keep this craft alive, updating heritage designs to lend them fresh appeal. Here, the classic Venus cane chair is given a new twist with the addition of an upholstered seat.
The Rattan Upholstered Venus chair, £8,100, Soane Britain
ROBERT WELCH CUTLERY
In 1955, Robert Radford Welch MBE RDI, began designing what is now the largest stainless steel cutlery range in the world. Keeping to his ethos of transcending trends, the Kemble collection echoes the tapered shape of leaves and has a sculpted bevel for easy handling.
Kemble Bright Cutlery, from £24 for a three-piece set, Robert Welch
ANGLEPOISE LAMP
The original Anglepoise lamp was a serendipitous invention by British automotive engineer George Carwardine in 1932, and is still produced with its recognisable springs. The Mini Mini design is the most compact, with a reach of 50cm, and is perfect for smaller spaces.
90 Mini Mini desk lamp in Avocado Green, £115, Anglepoise
RANGEMASTER COOKER
Made of cast iron and powered by solid fuel, the first Rangemaster design was made in 1830 in Leamington Spa, where production of the company’s range cookers remains to this day. This Estel Deluxe model marries the latest technology with a retro aesthetic in eight colours. Estel Deluxe 110cm induction range in Misty, £4499, Rangemaster
ERCOL FURNITURE
This timeless brand was launched in1920 by Italian designer Lucian R Ercolani. With his great-grandson now at the helm, Ercol’s ranges still include everyday designs crafted in its recognisable silhouettes.
Heritage loveseat, from £930, Ercol
BURLEIGH POTTERY
The only pottery to use tissue transfer, Burleigh pieces have been handmade in Stoke-on-Trent since 1889. Many classic patterns have been recoloured in a modern palette to entice new collectors.
Blossom Calico small teapot, £124.50, Burleigh ■
Cockpen end table (made to order), £4,740, Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler
Miami flush-mount light, £1,095, Jonathan Adler Calanques hand-knotted rug, £3,305, La Manufacture Cogolin
BRIGHT IDEA
Update interiors with accessories and furnishings in saturated colours and lively patterns for an uplifting and confidently inviting mood
Pink String vase, £29, Birdie Fortescue
Crimson Palm Trees Delft tile, £27.50, Petra Palumbo
The Circular Scallop mirror with lightly antiqued
mirrored cathedral glass scallops, from £4,600, Rupert Bevan
Yellow Multi Bob pepper mill, £62, Addison Ross
Ochre Yellow side table, £129, Barker & Stonehouse
Riviera Turquoise Herringbone outdoor cushion, £119, Andrew Martin x Sophie Paterson
BobbinAqua Lacquer photo frame, £48, Addison Ross
Amber organic bowl, from £630 (33cm), Katharine Pooley
Chalky Emulsion, Craig & Rose
Merveille fabric-backed dining chair, around £1,900, Koket
Breeze countertop basin in Dutch Orange, from £425, Waters Baths of Ashbourne
Conduit Stripe in Fuchsia (left) and Cobalt (right), £50 a metre,Designers Guild Designers
Barnacle lamp in Pudding, £1,224, Porta Romana
mirrored
Bobbin Aqua
Fleurie, £19.50 for 750ml
Bamboo Green cast-iron round casserole, from £236, Le Creuset
REALLY WILD SHOW
Whether visiting this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show in person or viewing it from the comfort of a sofa inspires a garden update, perhaps consider adding a life-size sculpture or two of native British wildlife, courtesy of one of the show’s exhibitors.
Revered sculptor Hamish Mackie has been specialising in bronze casts of animals for more than 30 years. Among the pieces he will be exhibiting at Chelsea Flower Show are a life-sized Highland cow, ideal for larger, more rugged landscapes, and a piece depicting a mother otter and her cubs that would look beautiful by a pond or other water feature. hamishmackie. com
THE EDIT
Charming tableware, beautifully crafted kitchens, life-like sculptures, bespoke furniture and heritage doors to update the home for summer
LEGACY LINE
While bespoke kitchen company Martin Moore has become renowned for its classic painted designs (as seen here) since its inception in 1975, it has developed and finessed collections for more pared-back, contemporary schemes, too.
With this in mind, and to celebrate the company’s golden anniversary this year, Richard Moore, managing and creative director, has created the Legacy collection, which celebrates the design and carpentry skills the company has honed over the last 50 years. He says: ‘The very first Martin Moore kitchens were in natural timber and, while we have become known for our timeless, hand-painted kitchens, we have recently also seen a desire for natural timber finishes.’ martinmoore.com
PERFECT SERVE
Passionate about creating stylish tableware that is handmade in England, Club Matters has gained a reputation over the past 16 years for creating original and high-quality products.
It’s latest launch is a fabulous array of colourful trays featuring African animals and gold-leaf design to complement its Harlequin range of tablemats that will add vibrancy to any table setting whether dining inside or out. Mary Corbett, founder and owner of Club Matters says: ‘We believe the kitchen is the heart of the home,’ says. ‘We make no apologies for our love of colour and its ability to uplift the spirit and energise the soul.’ clubmatters.com
AHEAD OF THE CURVE
British bespoke furniture and joinery manufacturer Hyde House is showing off its design prowess again with its new Chelsea capsule collection.
Blending sinuous shapes with tactile textiles and soft pastel tones, the Chelsea collection features Henry Holland for Harlequin fabrics and beautiful Samuel & Sons fringing to create an ultra-glamorous and maximalist finish that would look perfectly at home in an upscale hotel or as part of a lavish interior revamp. The collection is proof once more that Hyde House has earned its place at the forefront of the UK’s tailormade furniture landscape. hydehouse.co.uk
MAKING AN ENTRANCE
As a handmade door specialist since 1838, Longden Doors is one of the longest established door manufacturers in the UK and has British craftsmanship at its core.
Unsurprisingly from a brand with such a deep heritage, Longden has designed and built doors for some of the most prestigious buildings in the UK, including the Tate Britain and the Old Patent Office in London.
Each door it makes is backed by the Longden Promise, which includes a guarantee and assurances that the door will be bespoke to the client. With nothing off-the-shelf and everything handcrafted right here in the UK, it is like buying a piece of British history. longdendoors.co.uk n
Natural connection
Alice Robinson has transformed this once-derelict Victorian villa into a modern-day family home with a considered layout, nature-inspired schemes and an enchanting outdoor space
Walls in Farrow & Ball’s Yellow Ground fill the drawing room and snug beyond with sunshine. Alice designed the blue sofa, covered in GP & J Baker’s Pomegranate, and the armchair, upholstered in a Colefax and Fowler velvet with a bullion fringe trim from Samuel & Sons. The wall tapestry, portraits and family coat of arms were all inherited by Alice. The shell sconce is from Jane
FEATURE CHARLOTTE DUNFORD PHOTOGRAPHY MIKE GARLICK
Knapp.
Beyond the front door painted in Paint & Paper Library’s Blue Vein, a statement Georgian-style lantern hangs in the entrance hall. Adam’s Eden wallpaper by Lewis & Wood introduces an element of pattern while the Unnatural Flooring Company stair runner brings texture.
‘I wanted to retain as much of the Victorian charm as I possibly could and to create an interior that spoke very pleasingly to the exterior’
Stepping into the entrance hall of this charming three-storey Victorian villa, there is an undeniable feeling of calmness. Elegantly layered interiors that cleverly juxtapose old and new are filled with natural hues and motifs inspired by the inviting terrace and garden beyond. It is these considered schemes, both inside and out, that make it difficult to believe that just five years ago the house was completely derelict.
It was their growing family that motivated Alice Robinson and her husband Miles to move from their previous home in a 1970s block of flats on the river in Battersea. The search for a middle ground between frequent visits to family in Oxfordshire and an easy commute for Miles steered them to west London. ‘We started looking in Chiswick, Bedford Park, Ravenscourt Park and Turnham Green area, but we
couldn’t find anything that suited us,’ remembers Alice. ‘They were all small workman’s cottages and we knew they wouldn’t be big enough for us.’ It was then that they came across the six-bedroom, 19th-century house which, although undesirable in its dilapidated state, they saw great potential in.
While others might have steered clear, Alice was well suited for the challenge of bringing the home back to life. Over a decade of experience in luxury events, including organising parties for the chairman of Sotheby’s London, guided Alice into an unplanned freelance career and, after discovering an interest in interior design, she obtained her degree from the Inchbald School of Design and founded Crossman + Co, a boutique events and interior design studio.
In June 2019, the demolition began. ‘Pretty much the entire house needed to be rebuilt,’ explains Alice.
ABOVE LEFT Alice stands at the front door, surrounded by potted olive trees, erigeron, catmint, lavender, rosemary and David Austin climbing roses.
ABOVE RIGHT Wall lanterns from A Place in the Garden illuminate the seating area on the terrace, which is crafted from limestone-effect porcelain tiles from European Heritage.
Alice’s builder updated the Howdens kitchen cabinets with new fronts painted in Farrow & Ball’s Mizzle, adding handles and knobs from deVOL. Pooky Henrietta pendants hang above the island, while an antique table lamp topped with a Bennison linen shade sits on the worktop. The display of wall plates includes inherited china and designs from Daylesford and Mrs Alice.
‘It hadn’t been touched for 60 years and was made up of bedsits. You couldn’t use any of the electrics, or any of the lead pipes for water, and the roof was really patchy, almost non-existent.’ She worked with architect George Nissen of Nissen Design to reconfigure the layout for busy family life, including constructing a new terrace and a sizeable kitchen extension which also accommodates a dining area and playroom for the couple’s three children.
The renovation progressed quickly, but it was not without its setbacks. ‘We hadn’t realised that the foundations were quite so weak. We literally had to dig down and reinforce them because the house wouldn’t have been able to withstand the weight of modern-day living,’ recalls Alice. ‘The other thing that didn’t come up in the survey was that the joists in between the
ABOVE In the open-plan kitchen and dining area, Loaf’s Milk stools offer a casual place to eat at the island, while behind, an inherited 19th-century oak refectory table provides a larger dining space ideal for entertaining. The dining
chairs are a mix of antique Windsor chairs and French chairs upholstered in Colefax and Fowler’s Mereworth fabric.
RIGHT Jib doors designed by Alice and painted in Farrow & Ball’s Skimming Stone lead to the playroom.
‘The ambition was not to bash through every wall in the house. Even in their derelict state, the room proportions were so beautiful’
floors were half the size of joists today, so we had to reinstate every floor in the house.’
Throughout the rebuild, Alice was dedicated to respecting the building’s heritage. A small part of the Victorian facade was retained, undergoing considerable re-rendering and restoration work, and Alice managed to salvage fragments of the existing cornicing and coving, which she had replicated by London-based moulding company, Cornices Centre. Maintaining the original layout was a guiding focus for the reconstruction. ‘I wanted to retain as much of the Victorian charm as I possibly could. The ambition was not at any point to bash through every wall in the house and make it one big, open-plan space. Even in their very broken, derelict state, I thought the proportions of the rooms were so beautiful,’ says Alice. While the generous garden had been one of the main factors in convincing Alice and Miles to
purchase the house, it required a lot of love and attention. ‘It was so vast and we needed some way of creating rooms within it,’ explains Alice, who decided to split the space into two. ‘We wanted to conceal the bottom half slightly because we wanted the ugly things down there, such as the climbing frame, trampoline and the children’s toys, and we wanted the vegetable patch down there too. We used lines of peach trees to create some division.’ Texture was another integral part of adding depth and bringing the garden to life, and myriad materials have been incorporated into the design, including cobbles, grass and limestone.
The beauty of the garden filters through into the house. ‘We really wanted to create an interior that spoke very pleasingly to the exterior,’ says Alice. Soft, nature-inspired colours and motifs fill the home, from the serene pale green tones of the kitchen cabinets
ABOVE LEFT
A Burlington bath painted in Farrow & Ball’s Dead Salmon makes a luxurious addition to the principal bedroom.
ABOVE RIGHT
In the principal en-suite bathroom, a freestanding vanity unit with a marble top has been finished with silver hardware, all by Burlington, for a sleek look. The swan-neck wall lights are from Pooky.
The principal bedroom has a serene, sweet feel with a pink and white palette. The wallpaper is Lewis & Wood’s Jasper Peony, which contrasts playfully with the Alice Palmer & Co striped lampshade on the India Jane lamp base. Alice’s aunt made the luggage rack, which has been topped with a Scumble Goosie tray.
up to the botanical wallpapers and fabrics that suffuse the bedrooms with a soothing, tranquil quality. Against these soft palettes, one room in particular shines out. The drawing room, with walls saturated in a bold India yellow, overflows with warmth. ‘I did a number of internships at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, when it was still based in Brook Street with Nancy Lancaster’s Yellow Room. I used to just marvel at it. It was certainly the inspiration for our much less grand house in west London,’ laughs Alice. ‘I always thought it was such a flattering colour at all times of day and such a happy colour.’
This influence of English design does not end at the drawing room. Renowned British brands have
been showcased throughout the house, from Lewis & Wood’s Adam’s Eden wallpaper winding up the stairs to the fabrics of GP & J Baker, Linwood and Colefax and Fowler in various forms.
The home evokes a sense of nostalgia, with inherited antiques peppered unobtrusively throughout. ‘I wanted to come up with a design that would house these pieces of antique furniture. Some of the console tables and the beautiful Corinthian lamps in the drawing room are really special to me, and we’ve got some tapestry chairs that I remember seeing as a child in a house in Northumberland. They’re all out and proud, and I think they sit really happily in this house,’ adds Alice. n
ABOVE Sanderson’s Summer Harvest wallcovering creates an enchanting atmosphere in the twin bedroom on the second floor. Iron frames from The Original Bed Company are paired with custom valances in Romo’s Kemble in Celadon for a country twist.
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Building for THE FUTURE
When seemingly simple home improvements evolved into a major renovation, Anna Maria Pavlou chose a fearless interior designer to collaborate on it
AMANDER MEADE PHOTOGRAPHY ASTRID TEMPLIER
THIS PAGE Anna Maria uses the orangery, designed and made by Vale Garden Houses, for casual entertaining and enjoying views of the garden. The Slowcoach sofa is by Loaf in Burnt Umber.
OPPOSITE The statement dresser by Nefarious Design, painted in Farrow & Ball’s Deep Reddish Brown, provides a strong focal point in the orangery. The stools are from Westcot House.
Anna Maria Pavlou’s young family were the inspiration behind her decision to forsake decades of London living for a more peaceful location outside the capital.
‘Increasingly, I was craving a tranquil location with green space, but with good links to London as I’m there most days for work,’ she explains. ‘I had settled on a spot in Buckinghamshire, but the house I was most drawn to had recently sold and despite searching for a year, nothing else really caught my attention.’
By coincidence, just as Anna Maria was beginning to give up hope of finding a suitable property, the house she had loved was back on the market. ‘I didn’t hesitate, of course, and the conveyancing took just two weeks to complete,’ she says.
ABOVE Added by the former owners, the orangery is the ideal space for the 17th-century refectory table sourced on Vinterior. The spindle chairs are Victorian and the two Windsor armchairs are by Taylor’s Classics.
The large canvas is by David Ostrowski, a well-known German contemporary artist, who selected this piece especially for Anna Maria when they met in Cologne at the very start of his career. The matching sofas and pair of cream Ripple chairs are by David Seyfried.
ABOVE & LEFT The large entrance hall was formerly used as a snug but has been restored to its original purpose.
The antique console table is from Arcadia Antiques and the mirror is by John Lewis & Partners. The wallpaper is On Point by Brunschwig & Fils.
OPPOSITE The pantry storage combines practical open shelving and cupboards for large jars and bulky kitchenware. The cabinetry is painted in Sage Green by Little Greene.
‘I hadn’t expected it but I was willing to invest the time and energy to preserve and improve the house for us and for future generations’
Having secured the house of her dreams, Anna Maria had plans to capitalise on the decorative work done by the former owners with some minor reconfiguring of rooms on the ground floor. Her goal was to create a calm, welcoming sanctuary well set up for contemporary family life and to put her own stamp on the house. ‘I wanted a pantry as cooking is very important to me so I planned to reclaim some space from the very large adjacent cloakroom to create one. I also wanted a cosy snug to relax with the children and thought I could use surplus space from the dining room for that.’
Although the previous occupants had done excellent cosmetic work, it soon became apparent that the house needed urgent attention from the roof down and Anna Maria was unexpectedly faced with a significant task. ‘The house is 250 years old and I discovered that the heating system was woefully inadequate, with a maze of pipes and a boiler not fit for purpose,’ she says. ‘All the windows and the roof needed either major renovation or replacement, and many of the walls and ceilings did not comply with modern safety standards. Suddenly I had a huge project on my hands and I was rather overwhelmed to say the least.’ Adam Knight of Nefarious Design was recommended as a safe pair of hands to help her. ‘Adam had quite recently launched his own interior design company and I liked his energy immediately on meeting him,’ she recalls.
Together the pair systematically embarked on each task at hand. Floors came up and an almost commercially sized boiler and heating system were installed. The original floorboards were repaired, sanded, stained and replaced by traditional flooring experts. More experts installed bespoke windows in keeping with the history of the property and a heritage roofing team lifted the roof completely before insulating and replacing it tile by tile, as well as repairing the original clay mouldings to retain its character. Over the next three years, walls were removed, rooms reconfigured and steel joists were inserted to support the new structure.
‘I wanted a calming, easy-tolive-with palette with nothing too bold or inappropriate for the age of the house’
Anna Maria and her family moved out for several short periods, taking the opportunity to visit family for respite from the building. ‘Even when things were at their most disruptive, I still felt that this house found me,’ she says. ‘I hadn’t expected it but I was willing to invest the time and energy to preserve and improve the house both for us and for future generations. There were definitely tears along the way and that is where Adam was so invaluable. Even though we were only expecting to work on a couple of rooms together, as the project took off, Adam embarked on the journey with me and provided a calming influence, exceptional design eye and superb project management.’
ABOVE Fresh floral fabrics and a cheerful checked blanket add texture to the otherwise muted tones in Anna Maria’s bedroom. The curtains and cushions are in Vine Flower by Penny Morrison.
LEFT In Anna Maria’s son’s room the colours are from her favourite autumnal palette but with a more masculine edge. The wardrobes are painted in Green Smoke by Farrow & Ball. The headboard is covered with Marwari Horse by Molly Mahon and the wallpaper border is Trellis by Parker & Jules.
Eventually, as rooms were completed one by one and the dust settled, Anna Maria could finally enjoy the creative process of decorating and furnishing. ‘I liked some of the colours that the previous owners had used and in several cases, we capitalised on that,’ she explains. ‘Elsewhere, colour schemes were changed or toned down. I love autumnal shades and more than ever, I wanted a calming, easy- to-live-with palette with nothing too bold or inappropriate for the age of the house.’
To add texture and create a design scheme to suit modern family living, plenty of pattern was applied to plans for wallpapers and fabrics for living spaces and bedrooms, paired with soft contemporary colours that would wear well on woodwork and cabinetry. To keep spaces feeling clutter-free, clever storage solutions were incorporated and Anna Maria was particularly thrilled with her new pantry and dressing room. ‘I do love everything to have its home and be neatly put away,’ she says.
With the house now complete, Anna Maria is enjoying life in the restful sanctuary she dreamed of when she left London. ‘The children and I love it here and I have no plans for any further development just yet – I need a few years to enjoy life without builders everywhere,’ she laughs. ‘This project was a true collaboration between myself and Adam and I would recommend his team to anyone. He always went over
and above what I could possibly have expected and the results are phenomenal. Using a clever designer saved me huge amounts of time and money in costly mistakes and his vision helped me clarify and become more confident in articulating what I wanted. I now feel like the custodian of a special home and through our commitment and hard work, I hope this house is now in much better shape to face the next 250 years and to be a treasured home to us and everyone that comes after. We have finally found our tranquil place.’ n
ABOVE The decor for Anna Maria’s daughter’s room is pretty and feminine but not too childish, allowing her to grow into it. The wardrobes and window frame are painted in Kipper, a bespoke colour by Papers and Paints. The wallpaper is Voysey Park by Lewis & Wood and the ottoman is by Ceraudo.
RIGHT In the family bathroom the luxurious feeling of a freestanding bath is complemented by full-height panelling and a blind in Chalvington by Nicholas Herbert to create a restful, nurturing mood.
JEWEL BOX
Much like her own designs, Susi Bellamy’s London flat is saturated with joyful pattern and bold hues and draws on her time spent in the historic city of Florence
OPPOSITE A faux bamboo étagère from LeBove Antiques and an Assieds Toii mushroom stool in Susi’s Aqua
furnish the entrance hall. The painting is by Jane Lewis. THIS PAGE Farrow & Ball’s Green Blue paint covers the panelled walls of the sitting room. The Emma sofa by George Smith is paired with two vintage Italian
Mini Marbled velvet
cocktail chairs. The Montferrat Leaf chandelier is from Vaughan.
The old adage, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ is undeniably apt when it comes to the London flat of designer Susi Bellamy. Behind the early 19th-century white stucco exterior lies a series of Italianate interiors brimming with pattern and colour. It was during seven years spent living in Florence, surrounded by classical architecture and grand palazzos, that Susi developed a love of Italian style, and this passion is reflected in her own designs as well as the details of her home, where marbling, gold accents and gilding abound.
Susi purchased the flat as an investment property in 2005 while still based abroad. At the viewing, she was enchanted by the generous sitting room with its lofty ceilings, curved corners and sash windows. Yet, it wasn’t until 2023 that she decided to transform the townhouse into a permanent home for her youngest daughter and a base for the family in the city. ‘You could say it is our family pied-à-terre,’ she laughs.
‘You could say it is our family pied-à-terre… It’s a very small space, so we wanted to create a sense of drama’
The flat is a far cry from the Bellamys’ primary residence, the main wing in a large Edwardian house in Northumberland. However, the city location brought with it its own benefits. ‘We live near Paddington and Bayswater so it’s easy for transport links to see my family in Wales,’ explains Susi. ‘But the best thing about the location is the proximity to the park and I often walk to wherever I want to go in London, which is a real treat.’
Faced with tired interiors after letting the flat for nearly two decades, including bathrooms which were ‘all beige and chrome and very miserable’, Susi decided to start with a blank slate: ‘We pulled out everything, but we didn’t make any structural changes to the property as we didn’t see the need, and the building is listed so it was far too complicated.’
It only takes looking at the collections from Susi’s eponymous brand to understand that she is a true colourist. A creative at heart, her varied career has
ABOVE LEFT
Pandora (left) has helped to make Susi’s (right) creative visions for the flat come to life.
ABOVE RIGHT
A Howdens kitchen has been painted in Light Peachblossom by Little Greene. The fluted sink is from Butler Sinks and is paired with a brass mixer tap from Victorian Plumbing. The worktop and splashback are in Botanic Green Quartzite from StoneCraft.
A scalloped border from Ottoline frames the doorway from the sitting room through to the kitchen and chimes with the Jennifer Manners rug. Bamboo chairs by Forwood Design painted in Farrow & Ball’s Bamboozle make a statement, arranged around a Brussels dining table from Jonathan Adler. The large abstract painting is by David Denholm.
The woodwork in the hallway is painted in Preference Red by Farrow & Ball – a perfect partner to the Dahlia Plumes wallpaper. The classic checkerboard floor is made from white and blue tumbled marble tiles from Starel Stones and the Roddy flush ceiling light is by Pooky.
‘The whole flat shimmers with joyful pops of colour. We certainly didn’t hold back!’
ABOVE LEFT Crackle glaze tiles from Tiles
Direct cover the walls of the bathroom, contrasting against Infinity tiles from Your Tiles on the floor. The collage above the bath is by Susi.
ABOVE RIGHT
Pandora designed the nook bed to maximise space in the box room. The curtain disguises extra storage.
only furthered her talents. Following an MA in Fine Art at Northumbria University, she worked as a fashion editor, then as an artist in Italy, before founding her company. Bold, vibrant and whimsical, the flat stands as proof of her skill and imagination.
Yet, it was not a project she took on alone. ‘I had a lot of ideas and different designs in my collection but I felt they needed organising and curating. I also have no experience of spatial design and the technicalities of putting in bathrooms and kitchens,’ she explains. Speaking with various contacts, one name kept cropping up: Pandora Taylor. ‘I knew Pandora was young and up-and-coming, and I loved her style –classic with a twist. I felt it would suit both the flat and my aesthetic,’ she adds.
Susi’s brief to Pandora centred around blending her own designs with the Florentine elements she so admires. ‘Susi really wanted to showcase her fabrics and wallpapers, so our first port of call was rifling through her existing collection and talking about what inspires her,’ remembers Pandora. It was the Dahlia Plumes wallpaper, a modern take on the traditional art of marbling, which caught Pandora’s eye and which, combined with a traditional checkerboard floor, now creates a mesmeric effect in the entrance hall. ‘It’s a very small space with low ceilings, but in comparison to the rest of the flat, it’s actually quite generous, so we wanted to create a sense of drama,’ explains Pandora. While Susi was hesitant at first, she eventually came round to the idea: ‘I thought it might
‘We used the hall wallpaper as the starting point and drew out tones of ochre into the bedroom’
ABOVE Walls in Farrow & Ball’s Sudbury Yellow fill the main bedroom with a beautiful golden light. The bedside tables were a vintage find while the antique lamp bases were sourced from Track 21 Interiors. The headboard, lamp shades, cushion and throw are all in Susi’s own fabrics.
be a bit much but in fact it is wonderful and turns our tiny flat into a sort of jewel box.’
A sense of energy emanates from the hallway, with threads of colour weaving from here into the rest of the rooms. ‘We used the hall wallpaper as the starting point and drew out tones of ochre into the bedroom and pinks into the box room and kitchen,’ explains Susi. ‘The whole flat shimmers with joyful pops of colour. We certainly didn’t hold back!’ While a lack of light in the smaller rooms – especially the windowless bathrooms – was an obstacle, this abundant use of vibrant colour works to brighten up the interiors.
One area where lack of light was not an issue was the sitting room. Yet, it was lacking in character. ‘It’s such a huge space and it felt very flat. We wanted to bring the room together and enhance the natural grandeur,’ explains Pandora, who reconfigured the space into separate seating and dining areas. The dining table and chairs are anchored by a scalloped rug, while a rug in a trial scaled-up version of Susi’s
Canteloupe Veneer design, made by Christopher Farr, is positioned underneath the circular seating area – an experiment so successful that Susi has now begun offering this service to customers. The addition of panelling on the walls gives the room further structure and a sense of symmetry which ‘I think is really important in a space like that,’ adds Pandora. Creating adequate storage in the flat’s limited proportions was a key consideration. In the box room, an innovative bed nook allowed for built-in shelves and drawers underneath and a cupboard was carved out and covered by a curtain, while in the kitchen, a mix of lower, upper and floor-to-ceiling cabinets provided space for kitchenalia, crockery and glassware. ‘The kitchen is a fantastic example of how you can make a tiny space feel generous and functional but also beautiful,’ says Pandora, as Susi adds, ‘The fabulous green marble with its colourful striations is another nod to Italian architectural interiors and it’s my favourite indulgence in the flat.’ n
Full HOUSE
Will Le Clerc has used his talent for unearthing and arranging beautiful things to decorate this Kent cottage
FEATURE ROS BYAM SHAW
PHOTOGRAPHY ANTONY CROLLA
ABOVE The cottage is the middle on of three and is flanked at the back by the gabled extensions of its larger neighbours. The kitchen is single-storey and the long, narrow garden slopes up from its window.
LEFT Squeezed between the sitting room and the kitchen, the dining room has antique furnishings of a quality more often seen in a large country house. Vintage Colefax and Fowler curtains hang beneath a pelmet made by Oliver Messel for his house at Pelham Place, London, and the tapestry is late-16th century.
‘It was one of the smaller houses I looked at but I fell for it and ended up bonding over a mutual love of old English roses’
At the age of 22, Will Le Clerc arrived at Heathrow with a backpack, a small amount of money and no intention of returning to South Africa. ‘It was cold, wet and miserable. I asked for advice at the information desk, and they suggested a hostel in Piccadilly,’ he explains. ‘I had visited England before with my parents and had formed an irrational, emotional connection with its history, gardens, houses, literature. Despite having no contacts, or even the right clothes, it felt like coming home. I met nice people and within weeks had found a job and a flat.’
Twenty years on and Will works in an executive role at Liberty. ‘I love the decorative arts, so it’s a cruel irony that I have no artistic talent,’ he says. He means this in the sense that he cannot draw a horse, but once inside his home in a pretty Kent village, it is apparent that what he can do is hunt down beautiful things and arrange them superbly.
Built in the late-19th century as one of three terraced gardeners’ cottages for an adjacent estate, Will’s home’s exterior is pretty and adorned with roses yet otherwise unremarkable, with just enough width to park a car. But anyone edging round the vintage Mercedes to the front door and taking a single step
to the right into the sitting room, will be instantly immersed in a quality of furnishings that are more stately home than tiny terrace – antique oil paintings, leather-bound books, sculptures, pottery, porcelain, engravings and intaglios. There is a piano, its lid open as though it has just been played, there are curtains in Colefax and Fowler’s Honeysuckle, a Howard sofa and armchair, a caned armchair and a carpet-covered chest all slotted into a space in which it would be impossible to swing anything bigger than a hamster. If interior decorating is an art, then Will Le Clerc is an artist.
Through a curtained door from the sitting room is another room, bigger by the width of the staircase. This is the dining room, complete with 17th-century table, six 18th-century dining chairs, a bust on a marble column, a 17th-century wall tapestry, Delft plates, a Rococo gilt mirror and another pair of Colefax and Fowler curtains topped by a painted pelmet. ‘The pelmet is by Oliver Messel,’ says Will. ‘Along with all the iconic English country house furnishings I love so much, I also look out for “outsider art”. I have a painting by Rex Whistler, and a portrait over the living room fireplace by Mary Beale, who, being a woman, has only recently been fully recognized.’
ABOVE The portrait above the piano and the one to the right are both by 18thcentury painter Arthur Devis, one of Will’s favourite artists, and the terracotta figurines on the shelf above the door are 19th-century Neapolitan, made as Grand Tour souvenirs and probably by Chiurazzi. OPPOSITE Will decided not to change the cupboards in the kitchen but painted them in Cook’s Blue by Farrow & Ball. He also managed to find a table small enough to fit in the middle.
‘I trawl through auction catalogues looking for the things I most love’
Between the dining room window and another grandfather clock is an opening into the single-storey extension that houses the kitchen with its fitted cupboards painted deep sky blue and a table just big enough for two. Upstairs are the bathroom and two bedrooms: one with a single four-poster bed hung with floral chintz, the other with a half-tester large enough to stretch across the width of the room from the open door to the cupboards on the far side.
The contents of the house have been accruing for 10 years, ever since Will moved here from a larger house he shared with his husband, the celebrated French-Algerian author and poet Xavier Le Clerc. ‘Xavier needed to spend more time in France for his work, so we swapped that house for this and a flat in Paris,’ Will explains. ‘It was one of the smaller houses I looked at, but I fell for it – partly because the previous owner hadn’t changed anything, so it had all its original doors, floorboards and fireplaces, and partly because when I viewed it I ended up staying and bonding over a mutual love of old English roses. A lot of our furniture was too big. The hardest thing to let go of was my 17th-century bed, which wouldn’t fit up the stairs.’
Will confesses that he is ‘an obsessive collector – it’s more like an addiction. I wake very early for Maya [the couple’s 15-year-old spaniel] and spend the time before I get up for work trawling through auction catalogues looking for the things I most love, which tend to be from the mid-18th century and earlier, whether paintings by Arthur Devis, Grand Tour terracottas or something very specific like a late 17th-century high-backed cane chair.’ n
ABOVE LEFT The main bedroom at the back of the cottage has Willow Boughs wallpaper by Morris & Co and curtains in a vintage Sanderson fabric. The pastel portrait over the chest of drawers is the Marchioness of Downshire by William Hoare.
LEFT There was not enough space for Will’s 17th-century bedstead, so instead there is a Victorian half-tester.
The guest bedroom is at the front and papered all over and across the ceiling with Colefax and Fowler’s Seraphina. A small bureau sits in the alcove with books heaped on a single shelf above it, many on the subject of English interiors. The four-poster bed is early 19th century Heal’s.
In the garden with BUTTER WAKEFIELD
Inviting us into her personal domain, the garden designer explains the ethos behind its planting and why it captures her heart
If there is a star of the show in Butter Wakefield’s west London garden then it is, indisputably, the meadow. From the stable door of her colourful, art-filled kitchen, this tapestry of flowers and grasses stretches out, a glorious slice of the country in the city.
In succession, spring flowers including narcissi, cowslips and Geranium phaeum, are followed by Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ and ‘Purple Rain’, red campion, sorrel, knapweed and vetch, creating a haze of pinks and purples, punctuated with the acid yellow flowers of lady’s bedstraw or the golden glow of delicate buttercups. ‘It captures my heart because it’s everchanging, every year it’s different,’ says Butter. For later in the season, she has added Verbena bonariensis, viper’s bugloss, Eupatorium and ornamental grasses Molinia ‘Transparent’ and ‘Heidebraut’.
In the centre, a steel water bowl, filled with a few oxygenating plants and gently trickling water, reflects the surrounding flowers but also provides a place for birds and insects to take a drink. Bringing nature in is central to the designer’s ethos, and the garden is actively planted to offer early nectar with spring
bulbs and climbing shrubs including an ornamental quince, Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Nivalis’, which is trained along the wall and flowers from late January. Feeders hang from trees, and one shady corner is left untouched, with leaf litter and decaying logs to provide insect habitats.
But this is a garden for relaxation and entertaining, too. A Trachelospermum jasminoides climbs across the back of the house, providing intoxicating summer scent, while a Magnolia grandiflora tree provides shade over a seating area, with iron benches and a collection of mismatched pots – some handcrafted in Italian terracotta and others collected from various shows and dealers. Here she has also added a beautiful side-return conservatory with a big sash window allowing more views from inside out into the garden.
Either side of the meadow, a brick-edged lawn path gives access to deep borders that are filled with climbing and shrub roses, including ‘The Generous Gardener’, ‘Madame Alfred Carrière’, ‘Boscobel’ and ‘Charles de Mills’. The dominant plants here are hydrangeas ‘Limelight’ and ‘Annabelle’, which grow huge in the rich clay soil. These are underplanted
OPPOSITE Mown paths either side of the meadow provide definition in the garden. Clipped evergreens, including osmanthus and myrtle, provide year-round structure and seasonal scent.
ABOVE LEFT The meadow gives a long season of interest, starting with early spring bulbs and peaking with a haze of alliums and wildflowers in May and June.
ABOVE RIGHT One of the central aims of the garden is to attract lots of birdlife with feeders, nesting areas and water.
with a succession of perennials including geums, aquilegias, cephalaria, Geranium ‘Ann Folkard’ and Nepeta govaniana – an unusual yellow form of catmint. Uninvited guests – such as a golden hop – are welcomed in if they add to the scene. On the shadier side of the garden, a similar mix of shrubs and perennials is joined by ferns, foxgloves, Acanthus and more roses underneath an old apple tree. A stone urn is filled with neat succulents and dotted with delicate perennials, including the sprawling Geranium pyrenaicum ‘Bill Wallis’.
One of her clever ideas was to enclose a hardworking utility area – a small space where she has a potting bench, compost bin and shed – behind trellis panels covered with Trachelospermum jasminoides. Butter grew up on a farm in Baltimore, USA, among a family of gardeners; her maternal grandparents had a beautiful garden outside Philadelphia, while her mother was a president of the local Garden Club of America. She moved to New York to work at Christie’s, before emigrating to London in 1988 and working as an assistant at Colefax and Fowler in the era of many design greats, including Imogen Taylor, Tom Parr, Roger Banks-Pye and Chester Jones. Both roles gave her a love of design and an understanding of composition, form and colour. After having children, and realising that being in the garden was what made her most happy, Butter took some short courses at The English Gardening School and then a year-long diploma in Plants & Plantsmanship, before taking on her first design commission for a friend in nearby Hammersmith.
She moved to her Victorian villa in Stamford Brook in 1992, and the style of the garden she has created here echoes her professional work, which spans smart townhouse gardens in London and Bath as well as larger country projects. The meadow of her own garden has been such a hit that it is a frequent request from clients, and most of her gardens include some topiarised forms.
‘I come out on Friday evenings, cut flowers for the house and feel set up for the weekend. I would be lost without it’
‘I have to have a clipped shape,’ says Butter, whose own borders are grounded with a series of yew pyramids. ‘What I really like is chaos and lots of rich, multi-layered planting, but it only works if there is a strong framework of shrubs and clipped shapes to bring order to the abundant tangle. The topiary almost disappears in the summer, but in the wintertime it really holds the garden together.’ That love of form is played out in clipped evergreens and trees in pots, too; her back door is framed by standards of Myrtus communis pruned into neat balls and multistem Osmanthus x burkwoodii
Her early experience working in interior design has also been key to her practice, channelling the interior style of homes through to the garden. She believes that the client’s relationship with their garden designer can be just as intimate, too: ‘With exteriors, we are always editing, revisiting regularly and having further discussions – it’s a growing space.’
For Butter, her own garden is a therapeutic space, forcing her to slow down. It marks the beginning of the weekend. ‘I come out here on Friday evenings and cut flowers for the house and really feel set up and ready for the weekend. I would be lost without it.’ n
ABOVE LEFT Perennials, including these pretty aquilegias, are dotted through the borders on each side of the garden, adding colour during the flowering season.
ABOVE CENTRE Wildflowers are allowed to freely self-seed in the meadow; red campion provides a haze of colour in May.
ABOVE RIGHT On the less sunny side of the garden, Butter has planted shade-loving ferns and foxgloves.
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STYLE INSPIRATION
Discover Salvesen Graham’s expert use of pattern, explore luminaries of English design, create a light summer feel with sheer fabrics, and invest in luxurious home additions
WELL BLENDED
A defining character of classic English style is the seamless blend of old and new. Our history of travelling the world, returning with different influences to introduce to our homes and make them part of our style lexicon has led to a wonderfully eclectic, evolved and beautifully curated look. This serene bedroom exemplifies this perfectly with its Indian-style crewelwork, French-inspired lighting, Georgian period detailing, contemporary upholstery and English antique demi-lune table all imbuing a wonderful sense of belonging and harmony that epitomises our unique sense of style. Esme embroidered quilt (handmade in England), £795; Remington table lamp, £198; antique table from a selection; and all other furnishings and accessories, Anbôise
A penchant for PATTERN
The duo behind interior design practice Salvesen Graham reveal how they layer pattern and colour to create country house style for the 21st century
Nicole Salvesen and Mary Graham have an eye, and a talent, for creating homes that feel at once classically English and refreshingly unexpected with a soft modernity. It is no wonder, then, that when it came to producing a book to celebrate their design practice’s 10th anniversary, its title should be A New English Style.
The pair’s approach to interiors perfectly encapsulates all that English style is today, from colour choices to adding antiques and art, to layering in all manner of patterns. Their flair and confident use of pattern has always captivated us, and so we share, overleaf, an extract from the book, written by David Nicholls, that focuses on the importance of pattern within an English home.
In this drawing room, a Bennison fabric on a skirted sofa by David Seyfried is used as the hero pattern. A pink paisley from de Le Cuona on the armchairs adds a further layer of pattern.
OPPOSITE Nicole Salvesen (right) and Mary Graham (left) have an innate sense of English style that balances classic and modern ideas.
Salvesen Graham’s Floral Trail Delicate wallpaper covers the walls in this luxurious bathroom. Fixtures from Balineum and The Water Monopoly, and lighting from Porta Romana make a utilitarian space feel wonderfully decadent.
If it were to be said that Nicole and Mary have developed a language for the way that Salvesen Graham designs, their skill for using pattern would undoubtedly be their signature. It is certainly something for which they have become known.
A tradition for a particular way of combining and layering patterns is also one of the defining elements of English decorating.
Empire, 18th-century Grand Tourism and 19thcentury global trade all played their role in the evolution of the English country house style, and this is especially evident in the fabrics found in such houses. They come from all over the world and draw on the traditions, skills and motifs of the respective regions and cultures from which they originate.
Paisleys and chintzes from India have long been the mainstay of sophisticated drawing rooms; Persian and Turkish rugs have been rolled out in the elegant bedrooms of smart houses for centuries; the walls of opulent dining rooms continue to be covered in scenic hand-painted silks from China. ‘It’s interesting how
‘The power of pattern completely transforms any room. It instantly adds interest and layers to a space with not a lot going on, and conversely, it creates the perfect backdrop for personal elements such as photos’ Nicole Salvesen
you need to have these different elements in a room or throughout a home to feel properly “English”,’ Nicole muses. Perhaps some more recent additions to this eclectic collection of styles are the 20th-century Swedish textiles which Salvesen Graham will often include to add a fresher, more contemporary feel.
Nicole and Mary also mention what they call the “hero fabrics” of their schemes. ‘These are patterned fabrics that act as a starting point for a room,’ Mary explains. ‘They are chosen because of the potential they offer a room, or because they completely capture the imagination of the client and are something they absolutely love.’ In the finished room, the fabric won’t necessarily be the star of the show; it might end up on a fireplace fender or just a cushion. Its influence might not immediately be seen on the fabric choices
ABOVE RIGHT The bed’s canopy and valance, and the curtains are all in Guy Goodfellow’s Garsington Rosewood. Salvesen Graham’s Great Check provides a vibrant contrast.
RIGHT Antoinette Poisson’s Jaipur design has been used on multiple surfaces to envelop this room in pattern, including the walls, chair, Roman blind and lampshade.
LEFT A clean, modern palette is given a romantic note with the use of a Jean Monro print on upholstery.
BELOW A fabric wall covering from Antoinette Poisson adds a luxurious feel to a bathroom.
‘Working with pattern doesn’t have to be dazzling and intense, it can be calming and subtle. In either case, it’s an exciting element to have in a scheme’ Mary Graham
for the curtains, the ottoman and the armchairs, but the way that these elements blend together will create a feeling of cohesion. ‘I think it’s what makes a room comfortable,’ says Nicole.
The key for Salvesen Graham is to find an element within that hero fabric that can be drawn out, repeated or referenced in the secondary fabric choices. ‘It might be a colour, a motif, or even a texture,’ Nicole explains. ‘You can spin it out into so many different directions then, but there will be something tying it all together’.
Working with such diverse source materials requires confidence. ‘Not only a confidence to get it “right”,’ comments Mary. ‘Because you don’t want a room to be too perfect or too co-ordinated.’ Part of the beauty of the mixture of these patterns is often in the element that slightly throws things “off”. ‘When you
have a beautiful French floral on a bed, a chinoiserie on the walls and a paisley throw all working together in harmony, that’s when you know you can throw in a less obviously beautiful or even ugly needlepoint footstool and it can be incredibly chic,’ says Nicole.
For clients who might not yet have the confidence to do something particularly bold or who simply have a more understated style, Mary and Nicole will express their love of pattern though more muted or even tonal shades, with a combination of weaves and textures or with a patterned plain. ‘Working with pattern doesn’t have to be dazzling and intense, it can be calming and subtle,’ Mary insists. ‘In either case, it’s an exciting element to have in a scheme, and so much fun to be able to empower clients to use it and enjoy living with it.’ n
READER OFFER
Extracted from A New English Style: Timeless Interiors by Salvesen Graham, by David Nicholls (Quadrille, £35).
For £5 off the book, please call 01256 302692 and quote U78. Delivery to mainland UK is £5.
DECORATING
An immersive Earlham chinoiserie by de Gournay cocoons this bedroom in pattern. The bedding and chair add notes of contrast.
ROYAL COURT
FABRIC & WALLPAPER
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE
Trailing Orchid Velvet, Coral/Silver, £165 a metre, Osborne & Little Bowood, Silver/Leaf, £110 a metre, Colefax and Fowler Ancient Canopy, Forest Green, £122 a metre, Sanderson Dimity Stripe, Indigo, £77.90 a metre, Linwood Headboard, Robina’s Dinner Party, £115 a metre, Kit Kemp x GP & J Baker
Bastions of ENGLISH STYLE
We examine five key fabric houses whose distinctive styles reflect England’s rich design heritage while looking towards the future
FEATURE KATHERINE SORRELL
The leading companies featured over the next few pages, each – in their different ways – epitomise something truly special about English fabrics. From a colourful floral that was first released more than a century ago to a brand new, elegant plain wool woven from the fleeces of Romney Marsh sheep, there is an emphasis on quality, creativity and utilising tradition while embracing innovation – the best, in fact, of English design.
SANDERSON
ABOVE LEFT
Sofa, Very Rose & Peony, Wild Plum, £144 a metre
ABOVE RIGHT
Rebecca Craig, lead designer, Sanderson SWATCHES, FROM TOP
Stapleton Park, Squirrel/Olive, £144 a metre; Cupid’s Beau, Parchment/Madder, £116 a metre; Rose & Peony, Cerise, £92 a metre
OPPOSITE Ancient Canopy, Sap Green, £122 a metre
The oldest of the fabric companies in this selection, Sanderson was founded in 1860 by Arthur Sanderson, who began by importing fine French and Japanese papers to Britain and then established his own wallpaper and fabric printing business. Arthur Sanderson & Sons Ltd went on to play a pivotal role in defining English interior tastes, and the modern company is renowned for its iconic florals and illustrative botanicals.
One of Sanderson’s best-known designs is Rose & Peony, inspired by a 1914 wallpaper called Julia. ‘It’s an icon, and has been reinterpreted across the decades through colour and tone variations,’ says lead designer Rebecca Craig. ‘Another classic is Stapleton Park, from 1990, and Etchings & Roses continues to wow audiences through the years, whether in its original guise from 2007 or reimagined by collaborators such as Giles Deacon [see Cupid’s Beau, middle left] and Moschino.’
Unsurprisingly, Sanderson’s cherished archive is frequently the starting point for new designs, says Craig. ‘We love to mix archive and contemporary influences, paying close attention to what is relevant today, such as sustainable fabrics, fresh colours and updated styles.’
The eclectic English style of decorating is a significant design influence. ‘Many of our archive documents have an Indienne feel; there are Japanese pieces and Turkish rugs, all of which have been collected over time,’ says Craig. ‘The English style pairs them with chintz and florals to create wonderful stories.’
This ‘English style’ is, if anything, becoming more English, believes Craig. ‘Florals and chintz used to be a faux pas in interiors, but now they’re becoming ever more popular. There is always something new to be found in the past, which we celebrate.’
COLEFAX AND FOWLER
While Colefax and Fowler’s floral prints have been popular for generations, in the 21st century the iconic company’s style blends traditional and modern to achieve far broader appeal. ‘We are known for decorative designs, whether printed, embroidered or woven,’ says design director Sarah MacGregor. ‘However, we retain an English sensitivity through a wide variety of fabrics, from Tree of Life patterns to characterful linens.’ At the heart of the Colefax and Fowler look are iconic designs including ‘Bowood’ and ‘Fuchsia’, both of which are more than 40 years old, while recent designs such as ‘Greenacre’ and ‘Artichoke’ carry this aesthetic forward and have a similar appeal.
Colefax and Fowler was established in the 1930s by leading interior designer Sibyl Colefax. She later partnered with John Fowler, whose expertise in historic restoration helped define the brand’s signature English country house style. From interior decoration, the company moved into fabrics and wallpapers in the mid-20th century. The company’s design studio maintains its own archive, drawing inspiration from past projects and historical artefacts as well as original works by current designers and artists. MacGregor says: ‘Antique documents from other cultures are a continuing influence, too, and we often look to Persian/Eastern design, which enhances the richness of our aesthetic.’
MacGregor explains that both hand-crafted techniques and new technologies are influential, as is a recent trend towards stronger colours and patterns. ‘While neutrals and unique Colefax and Fowler colours such as Old Blue are always a success, umbers and burnt orange, even black grounds, are increasingly popular,’ she says. ‘We’re seeing a return to a fully decorated look, through to trimmings and papers, stripes and smaller designs. English style has evolved from pure chintz to a more layered aesthetic.’
ABOVE Sarah MacGregor, design director, Colefax and Fowler BELOW Armchairs, Radcot Stripe, Red/Forest, £118 a metre, and Peveril, Blue, £92 a metre
SWATCHES, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Tamarind, Antique Red, £116 a metre; Artichoke. Old Blue,
£102 a metre; Bowood, Pink/ Grey, £110 a metre; Fuchsia, Pink/Green, £92 a metre; Baptista Linen, Coral/Green, £220 a metre; Greenacre, Forest Green, £108 a metre; Baptista Linen, Coral/Green, £220 a metre
OPPOSITE Curtains and armchair, Fuchsia, Silver/Leaf, £92 a metre
LEFT Halcyon, Coral, £107 a metre
BELOW Curtain, Monteverde, Leaf, £95 a metre
LEFT Sofa, Chromatica velvet, Mallard/Blush/Gold £197 a metre
BELOW Peter Osborne, co-founder, Osborne & Little
OSBORNE & LITTLE
Founded in London in the ‘Swinging Sixties’ by Peter Osborne and his brother-in-law Antony Little, the eponymous firm found success with its first collection of hand-printed wallpaper. Since then, Osborne & Little has become known for colour, pattern and innovative designs, often with a touch of whimsy. Its velvet collections are consistent best-sellers, the fabrics known for their rich texture and sumptuous depth of colour.
‘The design team takes inspiration from a vast array of sources,’ says Osborne. ‘Exhibitions, museums, travel, architecture, gardens, historical textiles and global crafts all play a role in shaping our collections. For example, the lapwing featured in our ‘Halcyon’ design was inspired by a visit to London Wetland Centre, while ‘Trebah’ velvet was inspired by a visit to the Cornish garden and its surroundings.’
Moving with the times means recolouring iconic designs and exploring new techniques and technologies, explains Osborne. ‘The team works closely with our suppliers, whether it’s perfecting a new weave structure, experimenting with digital printing techniques or reviving a classic design with a contemporary twist.’
The company has observed a growing preference in English interiors for natural tones and earthy hues, amid a more relaxed, layered aesthetic. ‘Our designers are embracing this evolution by expanding our palette and introducing textural designs that reflect the character and subtlety of modern English interiors,’ Osborne says. ‘At its heart, English style is about character – a mix of the classic and the unexpected, where old and new sit side by side. Osborne & Little continues to evolve with this ethos, ensuring that our designs feel as at home in a contemporary London townhouse as in a centuries-old country house.’
Headboard, Sundara, Linen/Coral, £85 a metre
Curtains, Ferns Embroidery, Green, £200 a metre
GP & J BAKER
In the mid-19th century, George Baker was a pioneer in importing Turkish textiles to London. His sons, George Percival and James, followed in their father’s footsteps, founding their company in 1884. Having acquired an extensive collection of printing blocks and design patterns, they started to build up what is now one of the largest private textile archives in the world.
Over the years, influences from traditional British techniques, Indian block-printing, toiles de Jouy and other European textile traditions have featured in GP & J Baker’s collections, creating an enduring style in which traditional and global references blend with modern sensibilities. Many cherished designs have been in production for more than 100 years, with naturalistic flora and fauna motifs, such as ‘Magnolia’ and ‘Ferns’, at the heart of the brand’s DNA. Its colour palette is highly distinctive, too: a quintessentially English blend of ochres, leaf greens, soft reds, aquas and striking indigos.
Today, GP & J Baker’s unparalleled archive remains a vital resource for inspiration and adaptation. The company has also worked with leading English craftspeople, mills and designers to bring its historic patterns into new contexts. ‘Knight’s Tale’, with designer Kit Kemp, and ‘Home Park’, from the Historic Royal Palaces partnership, are examples. Creative and managing director Ann Grafton says, ‘Our heritage is the foundation of our success, but we are always looking ahead to what’s next. We believe in creating beautiful products that stand the test of time, whether through our fabrics, wallpapers or collaborations. It’s about honouring the past while embracing the future.’
ABOVE Ann Grafton, creative and managing director, GP & J Baker
BELOW LEFT Sofa, Rockbird Signature, Indigo, £169 a metre
BELOW RIGHT Chair, Kit
Kemp Front Row, Jewel Blue, £120 a metre
SWATCHES FROM LEFT
Archive piece of Magnolia; Little Magnolia, Orange/ Pink, £169 a metre; Eldon, Blue/Green, £129 a metre
ABOVE Curtain, Dimity Stripe,Mango, £77.90 a
LINWOOD
A third-generation, family-run business, Linwood takes its name from the small New Forest village where its directors grew up. Founded in 1994, the company’s ethos is to combine classic English style with contemporary spirit. There is no specific ‘Linwood look’ – it is more about using colour and pattern to bring joy, delight and comfort to an interior. Collections vary from small-scale prints to quintessentially English botanicals. Iconic designs include the ‘English Garden’ collection and ‘Tresco Strawberry Punnet’, a trailing floral based on a historical design. Omega plain velvets have been best-sellers since their launch 10 years ago, while printed linens, which range from botanicals to colourful stripes, have recently become extremely popular.
SWATCHES FROM LEFT Vita, Blue/Yellow, £77.90 a metre; Babette, Lake, £77.90 a metre; Tresco, Strawberry Punnet, £69.90 a metre
The walls of Linwood’s creative studio are covered with inspirational finds, from an exquisitely coloured Japanese kimono to ancient Byzantine textiles. ‘We sketch and paint by hand, exploring different effects in watercolour or gouache until we perfect the look of each design,’ says head of design, Ella Richards. ‘We get inspiration in archives across the world, as well as from a variety of other sources. Some of my favourite periods are the 1920s and 1930s, which I return to again and again. I’ve also been highly influenced by vintage block prints. We also collaborate with people we know and trust, producing many of our collections in Britain, Europe, and beyond. For example, our current ‘Romney’ British wool collection was created using the skills of Yorkshire and Lancashire dyers, weavers, and finishers. We enjoy having one foot in the past and one foot firmly in the future. It means our designs are both reassuringly familiar and refreshingly unique.’ n
TOP LEFT Curtains Albertine, Classic Rose, £77.90 a metre
TOP RIGHT Ella Richards, head of design, Linwood
metre
All fabrics, Smocked in Coral, Riviera and Sky, all £77.90 a metre
FLORAL DETAIL
An embroidered linen offers the opportunity for a subtle introduction of pattern yet with an ethereal, pretty and wafty look. Perfect for a dreamy, romantic feel in a bedroom. Here the window fabric is also used as a light bedspread too.
Left-hand curtain, Vaucluse Chalk, £165 a metre, Designers Guild
Summer
BREEZE
Semi-transparent sheer and lace fabrics infuse interiors with dappled shade on sunny days, whilst still letting in the light for an airy softness through summer months
TAILORED TO FIT (left
)
Att Pynta, a Swedish term meaning ‘to add decorative details to your home’, offers custom-made curtains and blinds, with a measure and fit-out service in the London area, too. These sheer linens offer a soft smudge of colour while still looking delicate and light.
Custom sheer linen curtain, Khaki, from £169, Att Pynta
FEATURE KATY MCLEAN
COUNTRY CHARM
A lightweight gingham linen will offer a semi-transparent finish that is just the job in a sunny cottage kitchen.
Warm Blue Gingham linen blend curtains, from £159 for a pair, Piglet in Bed
LIGHT & LACY
Having initially translated an archival mid-century lace fragment into hand screen-printed designs, Soane Britain has now reproduced it as a delicate lace fabric, woven in the last specialist lace mill in Scotland, believed to be where the original piece that inspired it was made.
Hortense Lace, Ivory, £330 a metre, Soane Britain
SHEER DELIGHT (
right)
Reinterpreted from a colourful embroidery of the same design, this intricate embroidered depiction of pine trees and evergreens is a smart update on sheers.
Vana Sheer, £145 a metre, Osborne & Little
GENTLE DRAPE
(below left)
A linen and wool mix gives this sheer fabric a soft yet heavier handle. Still allowing a diffusion of light, it is an ideal choice for a layer of privacy in a bathroom.
Linen and Wool Natural made-to-measure curtain, from £227, Tori Murphy
JUST PEACHY (
below right)
Choosing sheers in a colour as opposed to a neutral will add interest. Made from a clever recycled polyester that mimics linen, these are soft to the touch and available in a range of subtle hues.
From left: Kori, Hoya, £65 a metre; Ioka, Pink Clay, £75 a metre, both Romo
LAYERED LOOK
(above)
Mixing blind options allows for flexibility in light diffusion. A cafe curtain maintains privacy while a relaxed Roman blind can be adjusted as desired.
Relaxed made-to-measure blind, from £337, Tori Murphy
PURE BEAUTY (
right)
Classic Morris & Co designs have been popularly distilled into neutral colourways for a calm look that still retains all the intricacy of William Morris’s artistry. New sheers have been added to the collection and look beautiful layered.
ALL IS CALM
Inspired by the Japanese concept of ‘wabi-sabi’ – finding beauty in imperfection – the five sheers in George Spencer’s Zen Garden collection have a tactile slubby weave, creating a calm, organic mood.
Pure Willow Boughs sheer wide-width fabric (right), Linen, £118 a metre, Morris & Co
From left, Fudo and Kuki, from £138 a metre, George Spencer Designs
PRINTED PATTERN
Replicating the effect of a block-printed design, this eye-catching sheer is an ideal choice for a blind. Roman-style blinds offer flexibility to adjust as the light changes and look equally lovely when ruched up to allow more sunlight in.
Dereham, Blue, £102 a metre, Colefax and Fowler ■
COUNTING SHEEP
With its new mattress collection, The Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Company is helping revitalise the British wool industry
ABOVE The Natural Comfort mattress is one of three ranges in the Traceable Wool collection from The Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Company that feature handteased wool sourced directly from British sheep farmers for a better night’s sleep.
As a Royal Warrant holder to both His Majesty King Charles III and the late Queen Elizabeth II, The Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Company has long been a champion of sustainable luxury.
With each of its beds handmade in Norfolk – it is the only UK iron bed maker certified by Made in Britain – it has remained true to its artisanal roots and now, with its Traceable Wool collection, it is showing its support for British agriculture at a time when farmers need it most.
Ethical sourcing
The British wool industry has faced persistent challenges, with farmers receiving minimal value for their fleece. Large-scale mattress manufacturers dictate fixed prices, often failing to cover even the cost of shearing. Additionally, payments from British Wool can take up to 12 months, leaving farmers financially vulnerable.
By directly purchasing wool from local farmers, The Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Company ensures fair compensation, higher-than-market-average remuneration, immediate payment, and ethical sourcing practices, allowing farmers to sustain their livelihoods and raise high-welfare flocks.
Traceable wool
The new Traceable Wool collection introduces three distinct mattress collections featuring British handteased wool, purchased directly from British sheep farmers, that still delivers on unparalleled comfort and durability while ensuring fair and timely compensation for farmers.
Each mattress in the collection embodies the values of conscious consumerism: sustainability, craftsmanship, and ethical responsibility. The direct partnership with British farmers not only revitalises the wool industry but also provides customers with
the assurance that their mattresses have been produced with integrity and care.
Underlining its commitment to supporting the wool industry, company founder Amanda Oldfield says: ‘Some of my sweetest childhood memories are of sleepy mornings at my grandparents’ house, climbing into their tall iron bed, wrapped in warmth, stories, and love. At The Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Company, we believe your bed should feel just as special. That’s why we craft with care, partnering directly with British sheep farmers. For us, it is more than just buying wool; it’s about supporting families, their land, and generations of dedication and hard work.’
Sustainable luxury
The three ranges within the new Traceable Wool collection are each designed to meet different comfort and support preferences while maintaining a steadfast commitment to traceability, quality and sustainability, and comes with a 10-year guarantee.
Blending support, adaptability and premium materials, the Natural Comfort collection ensures a restorative night’s sleep with its supportive pocketspring core layered with enhanced micro springs for adaptive comfort.
For those seeking effortless maintenance without compromising on quality, the Bedstead collection has a no-turn design and pocket-spring core for balanced support and comfort.
Last but not least, the Signature Traceable collection sets a new standard in ethical mattress manufacturing with its 100 per cent chemical-free composition made up of traditional, time-honoured materials. Using exquisite natural fibres such as horsetail, alpaca, and cashmere for supreme comfort, it allows customers to track their mattress back to the individual farm and farmer who supplied the wool.
Reshaping the future
Wool has long been recognised as one of nature’s most remarkable fibres, offering numerous benefits that make it an ideal material for mattresses and bedding, including temperature regulation, hypoallergenic properties – it is resistant to dust mites, mould, and mildew, making it an excellent choice for allergy sufferers – and durability and resilience.
Unlike synthetic fibres, wool is also biodegradable and sustainable, while its natural flame-retardant properties eliminate the need for harmful chemical treatments to make it fire-proof, ensuring a safer sleeping surface.
With its new collection, The Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Company not only redefines sleep but also reshapes the future of the British wool industry, ensuring fair pay and sustainable practices for generations to come. n
The new Traceable Wool collection is available exclusively from The Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Company. For more information or to view the full range, visit wroughtironand brassbed.co.uk
SPECIAL OFFER
15% off all Traceable Wool mattresses with code: EnglishHome
ABOVE Company founder Amanda Oldfield works closely with farmers and shepherds like Gordon Robinson to ensure the wool in its mattresses is sourced ethically. LEFT Biodegradable and sustainable, with lots of remarkable natural properties, wool is an ideal fibre for mattresses and bedding.
BELOW Each bed is handmade on the Royal Estate of Sandringham in Norfolk, with the mattresses hand-stitched by skilled artisans.
LIFE’S LUXURIES
We explore some of the most high-end features to make the most of home and garden – and where to test-run their delights
FEATURE AMELIA THORPE
From a swimming pool to a hot tub, a tennis court to a party barn, there are all kinds of luxury additions to a home. They can be chosen to provide year-round enjoyment and unforgettable moments with family and friends, to improve health and relaxation at home, to enhance the use of the garden and add to a property’s value.
EXPERIENCE THE LIFE... Built in the early 19thcentury, Honeystone in Suffolk sleeps up to 18 and features a pool, gym, spa and home cinema. From £7,150 for a short break, Unique Homestays.
ABOVE In this design by Janine Stone & Co, the swimming pool measures precisely 12.5m, allowing for a daily lap routine.
LEFT EXPERIENCE
THE LIFE... Dover’s Rise in the Cotswolds sleeps 10 and has a hot tub and firepit.
From £2,400 for a long weekend, Boutique Retreats.
BELOW Swimming pool with a built-in spa pool at one end by Tanby Pools.
Take the plunge
On a hot summer’s day, a dip in cool water can be a blissful experience – and a swimming pool is a luxurious addition to the garden. ‘Swimming is recognised as the best low-impact sport, which is not only good for your physical health but also your mental well-being,’ says Martin Borley, managing director of Tanby Pools. ‘A pool also makes a great focal point and a massive entertainment area for all ages – you never grow out of swimming!’
While an average-size pool is typically 10m x 5m, sizes can be smaller – with a counter current for fitness purposes – or perhaps opt for a plunge pool, which is designed simply for a refreshing dip.
At the other end of the scale, swimming pools can be designed at a larger size for even more luxury. In terms of enhancing lifestyles, a client of Tanby Pools divulges, ‘The pool has become a very special place for the family, including our four children, and the surrounding deck and pool house have provided a fantastic space for entertaining.’
A natural swimming pond is another option, offering the opportunity to swim in fresh, pure water, without the use of chemicals, instead using an ecological filtration system. ‘There’s a deep sense of joy in being immersed in such pristine water, or even just sitting beside it, soaking in the peace it brings to the
‘A pool makes a great focal point and a massive entertainment area for all ages – you never grow out of swimming!’ Martin Borley, managing director, Tanby Pools
surroundings,’ says Melinda La Mantia, head of design at Gartenart. ‘Many of our clients tell us that having a swimming pond transforms their garden into a yearround sanctuary for both relaxation and revitalisation, making them feel as if they’re on holiday at home.’ It can also support biodiversity in the garden, attracting dragonflies, birds and wildlife, making it as much a thriving, living feature as it is a place to swim.
While ponds can be designed to fit smaller gardens, Melinda generally recommends at least 80 square metres for an organic shape and 30 square metres for a more formal design. Although planning permission for an outdoor pool or pond is often not required, always check before the project commences.
Many people add a hot tub to an outdoor pool area or as a luxury extra in its own right. Available in a variety of sizes, hot tubs can be filled with water that can be heated electrically or by wood fire. Alternatively, tubs can used for cold water therapy.
ABOVE Natural swimming pond in West Sussex by Garten Art, about £140,000 including stone step entry, timber jetty and jumping rock with set of stepping stones.
BELOW Swimming pool in Hampshire by Thorp Design.
Playing to entertain
Keen tennis players are likely to relish the chance to practice their game on a home tennis court, which could be grass, synthetic grass or a hard surface, depending on maintenance plans and game suitability. ‘The dimensions of a tennis court have not changed since the game was regulated in 1875,’ says Tony Shepherd, managing direct of En-Tout-Cas Tennis Courts. ‘However, it is not just the size of the actual playing area that is important, as plenty of space around the court is also required.’ Broadly, a tennis court enclosed by a fence will occupy a 35m x 16.5m space, although it can be reduced slightly, such as for a singles-only court. ‘Remember, too, that the orientation of a court is important, as no one wants to be receiving a serve facing into a bright sun, so your court should be laid facing north to south, rather than east to west,’ adds Shepherd. A tennis court built behind a house may require planning permission, so check the government’s planning portal for advice.
For those who prefer to entertain in a more relaxed style, a party barn has become a much-talked-about luxury amenity, designed as a self-contained space. ‘A successful party barn balances comfort and grandeur –comfy seating areas, a well-stocked bar and a dramatic banqueting table for long, convivial dinners,’ says Emma Sims-Hilditch, founder and creative director of Sims Hilditch. In addition, Kyle Pugh, head of design at Julius Bahn, elaborates, ‘You can also introduce exciting features like a pizza oven, games room, cocktail bar and more to elevate your hosting experience.’ While it is possible to convert an existing barn or outbuilding, a new-build structure is another option, which will likely require planning permission.
ABOVE This party barn has an outdoor kitchen and entertaining area as well as an adjoining seating area with bi-fold doors should it get chilly. From £60,000 for a 6m x 6m outbuilding, Julius Bahn.
RIGHT Designed by Sims Hilditch, this party barn in the Cotswolds features a snooker table, bar and an expansive dining and living space in the other half of it.
ABOVE EXPERIENCE
THE LIFE... As well as an outdoor swimming pool (see pages 9899), there is a lavish spa, sauna and steam room at Honeystone in Suffolk, which is for hire through Unique Homestays.
LEFT EXPERIENCE
THE LIFE...
Molesworth Manor in Cornwall sleeps 14 and has a gym-yoga studio, cinema and games room, two hot tubs and a sauna. From £5,995 for a week, Cornish Gems
To good health
Wine enthusiasts may appreciate a wine storage feature, which could be be an elegant ‘wine wall’, a spectacular glass-doored cellar in the floor or a traditional basement cellar. ‘Wine is a fickle mistress, requiring a stable, vibration-free environment with specific levels of lighting, humidity and temperature in order to develop as it should,’ explains Fiona Love of Spiral Cellars. ‘Lift shafts, fireside alcoves, shower rooms, under-stair spaces – we have created wine cellars out of all of them, but if you really don’t have any space to dedicate to wine storage, the underground Spiral Cellar can provide storage for 1600 bottles by creating additional space beneath your feet.’
To entertain all ages, from children to grandparents, a cinema room is a luxury addition with wide appeal. Basement rooms or spaces without much natural light are ideal for a home cinema, which requires a cocooning room with good acoustics and plenty of space for comfortable seating. An AV specialist can advise on the screen, projection, surround sound and dimmable lighting system, or simply opt for a large television screen or projector. ‘If using the room solely as a cinema room, you may choose to have a ceilingmounted projector on display, but you may want to consider hiding it in the ceiling if you also want to use the space as a sitting room or playroom,’ advises interior designer Laura Stephens.
Luxury home features can also be focused on enhancing personal well-being, and, for busy lifestyles,
‘In a home gym, full-height mirrors expand the sense of space while optimising workout form, and ample storage keeps equipment hidden’ Simone Gordon, Owl Design
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Specialists in each area can advise on the possible options to create dream luxury features
• Natural Swimming Pools advises on changing existing pools to natural pools along with installing natural pools. naturalswimmingpools.com
• Riviera Hot Tubs provides traditional wooden hot tubs, saunas and steam rooms. riviera-hottubs.co.uk
• The Stone Cellar Company can create bespoke options for underground wine cellars. stonecellar.co.uk
• Finite Solutions installs bespoke home cinemas, specialised lighting and smart home automation. finitesolutions.co.uk
a wellness sanctuary at home could be especially welcome. A functional area can be created in a compact space which is simply designed to fit a massage table, home sauna or steam shower, or a home gym to boost fitness every day.
Interior designer Simone Gordon of Owl Design recommends focusing on natural materials to create a spa-like feel. ‘In a home gym, full-height mirrors expand the sense of space while optimising workout form, and ample storage keeps equipment hidden,’ she explains. ‘Thoughtful lighting, including soft ambient and focused task lights, ensures the gym is adaptable for high-energy sessions or restorative stretches.’ n
Spiral Cellars creates underground wine storage that is an eyecatching feature and cleverly utilises space.
From cosying up fireside in a country cottage, to stargazing from a dreamy hot tub at your clifftop hideaway, escape the everyday and seek the magic of a staycation with Boutique Retreats. With over 260 luxury abodes to choose from, uncover our curated collection of luxury retreats, set in unique locations across the UK. We know how good getaways should be.
LIVING THE SEASON
Planning an idyllic summer, tempting rhubarb recipes, and English vineyards to visit
QUINTESSENTIAL VICTORIA SPONGE
A classic within a baker’s repertoire, take a Victoria sponge to the next level by elevating its presentation with beautifully piped icing and edible decorations
• Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Line 2 x 20 cm springform tins with baking paper.
• Mix the flour, baking powder, caster sugar and salt. Add the butter, eggs and vanilla extract and beat with a mixer until smooth. Divide the batter between the tins and bake for 25 minutes until risen. Cool completely.
• For the filling, mix the mascarpone with 1 tbsp sugar. Whip the cream with the remaining sugar and vanilla seeds until stiff, then fold into the mascarpone mixture. Pipe rosettes of filling onto one sponge, drizzle with the warmed jam and top with the second sponge. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with a handful of strawberries, quartered, and seasonal edible flowers.
THIS PAGE & OVERLEAF Glyndebourne is a highlight of the English summer season, and not just for its marvellous operas. It would not be the same without its black-tie dress code and everyone enjoying picnics in the grounds during the 90-minute interval.
The perfect
SUMMER
Plan ahead to enjoy a host of quintessentially English seasonal activities, from picnics at the opera to pushing away on a punt
FEATURE SARA EMSLIE
PARTAKE IN THE OPERA
The summer months are a marvellous time to round up a group of like-minded friends and savour the splendour of opera. There is nowhere more synonymous with sophistication than glorious Glyndebourne, situated in the heart of the Sussex countryside. Enjoy a world-class performance of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro perhaps or Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia as part of this year’s programme for the annual summer festival that runs from 16 May to 24 August.
Take an afternoon stroll around the expansive gardens before heading indoors for a
performance that is guaranteed to thrill – it is an occasion worth dressing up for so have party dresses and black tie at the ready.
A leisurely 90-minute interval allows plenty of time to dine in one of the restaurants or, better still, in the grounds with a hamper of fine local produce and English sparkling wine while sitting back and enjoying the surroundings of this most magical of places. glyndebourne.com
Don’t miss our next issue with an exclusive insight into the gardens and flowers at Glyndebourne from its head gardener.
OTHER FLOWER FIELDS TO VISIT
•The Southwold Flower Company in Suffolk will provide visitors with a pair of snippets and a container for picking a host of seasonal English garden favourites such as peonies, roses, cosmos and cornflowers. Visit from early summer onwards for a continual showcase of flowers, all waiting to be harvested. thesouthwoldflower company.co.uk
•For a rainbow of beautiful colours visit the Confetti Flower Field at Wyke Manor, Worcestershire. Open Late June-early July depending on the growing and blooming season, the field is perfect for capturing that colourful summer photo with the whole family. Visits must be booked in advance. The flowers are later harvested and dried to use as bio-degradeable wedding confetti. confettidirect.co.uk
ENJOY A PICNIC
Pack a hamper and head to the hills. Or find a field, a wildflower meadow or even a tranquil riverside setting to relax with a rug, a pile of cushions and a portable feast. There is no better way to enjoy a balmy summer’s day than with a glass of chilled prosecco, rosé wine or even refreshing elderflower cordial and some favourite summer flavours. Fill a hamper with an array of artisan produce from the local farmer’s market, a freshly made salad, some homemade pickles, a loaf of crusty bread and of course, something sweet to finish.
• Tulleys Sunflower Farm at Crawley Down in West Sussex holds an annual sunflower festival to showcase its impressive 12 acres of sunflowers consisting of over one million blooms. Enjoy the range of varieties that will be in full flower and ready to be picked from August onwards. sunflowerfarm.co.uk
FAR LEFT
LEFT
FAR LEFT Bees melamine tableware, from £9 for a side plate, Sophie Allport LEFT Classic Stripe fourperson filled hamper, £65, John Lewis & Partners
• Bury Lane Farm in Melbourn, Hertfordshire grows row after row of dahlias, offering up a kaleidoscope of colour in the process. This beautiful flower is enjoying a renaissance, and with a host of shades, from vibrant orange and fiery red to soft pink, there is something to suit everyone’s tastes. Pick your own from August onwards.
burylane.co.uk
VISIT FLOWER FIELDS
Soak up the scent of one of England’s most loved summer perennials with a day trip to a lavender farm. Enjoy the intoxicating fragrance and superb purple hues with a wander through the rows, releasing the scent while brushing past.
Castle Farm in Kent boasts over 110 acres of this most endearing of summer flowers, making it the largest lavender farm in the UK. The farm also grows hops, known for their soporific qualities, and combine these with the lavender to create a range of natural sleep products that are available to purchase. The farm shop also stocks a host of lavender-infused edible and household products.
castlefarmkent.co.uk
Dive into a sea of headily scented purple at a lavender farm.
TAKE A PUNT
There is nothing nicer than messing about on the water, so visit the historic university cities of Oxford or Cambridge and enjoy all that this gentle mode of transport has to offer. The Traditional Punting Company in Cambridge offers a range of experiences, from a romantic punt for two to ones for larger sized groups. So, grab a boater and take part in this age-old tradition – remember sensible safety precautions can lead to a satisfying adventure for all. traditionalpuntingcompany.com
PICK FRESH FRUIT
Summer fruits and berries are at their most delicious when freshly picked and brought home to make into jams, puddings, purees or simply serve with a generous helping of fresh cream. What says summer more than a strawberry that is as sweet as can be or a raspberry that is full of freshness and beautifully tart. ‘Pick-your-own’ has long been a favourite pastime on a sunny afternoon so look out for one in your area and make a date. Many such as Rectory Farm in Oxfordshire (rectoryfarmpyo.co.uk), The Fruit Fields in Cookham and Iver (thefruitfields.co.uk) and Kenyon Hall Farm in Warrington (kenyonhall.co.uk) combine fruit picking with seasonal vegetable crops such as broad beans, artichokes, sweetcorn and courgettes.
PICKING DATES FOR FRUITS
Slight regional variations may occur but each fruit has its own time when it is ripe for picking
STRAWBERRIES: Harvest berries that are bright red in colour and firm to the touch from late April thoughout June and even July.
RASPBERRIES: Pick from early to late summer, depending on the variety, and place in shallow containers to avoid squashing.
GOOSEBERRIES: Picked in June, gooseberries will be underripe and tart and slightly acidic in flavour, so ideal for jams, pies and condiments. For a riper and sweeter fruit, pick them in July and August and enjoy fresh.
See the sights of ‘The Backs’ of the colleges by taking a punt along the River Cam in Cambridge.
CHERRIES: July is the prime time, but cherries can be picked between June to August. They are fully ripe and ready to pick with they are bright or deep red depending on the variety.
BLACKCURRANTS: July is the optimum time to pick these little
black pearls of sweetness, though some varieties will ripen earlier or later.
BLACKBERRIES: Late summer from August into September and even early October is the best time to enjoy foraging for blackberries in hedgerows.
GIFFORDS DATES
17–27 April Fennells Farm, Stroud, Gloucestershire
1–6 May Bowood House and Gardens, Calne, Wiltshire
9–19 May Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire
22 May–2 June Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire
5 June–22 June Chiswick House and Gardens, London
26 June–7 July Evenley Wood Garden, Evenley, Northamptonshire
10–14 July Stonor Park, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
17–28 July Barrington, Oxfordshire
31 July–4 August Frampton-onSevern, Gloucestershire
7–18 August Minchinhampton Common, Gloucestershire
21 August–1 September Marlborough Common, Wiltshire
4–15 September Stratton Meadows, Gloucestershire
18–28 September Fennells Farm, Stroud, Gloucestershire
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE
Experience the magic of a vintage village green circus with Giffords, which tours the country throughout the summer months.
RUN AWAY WITH THE CIRCUS
Wait with anticipation as the wagons roll into town and get ready to enjoy a day at the circus. There is no better thrill than a fun-filled afternoon or evening under the big top, so get a date in the diary and be ready to be transported to a magical world full of spectacle with magicians, jugglers, acrobats, horses and clowns ready to entertain.
Giffords Circus has animal welfare at its heart so sit back, relax and enjoy a show that is bursting with nostalgic charm and
old-school glamour. From Chiswick House and Gardens in London to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire or Marlborough Common in Wiltshire, there are venues that are as magical as the circus itself. What is more, there is plenty to feast on too, with options to dine under the stars after the evening performance, or for daytime visitors, try tempting snacks from one of the food wagons, including that most retro of summertime treats, candyfloss. n
PINK In the
Sweet and tangy rhubarb enjoys a long harvesting season through to July, allowing it to be paired deliciously with strawberries and raspberries for a tempting taste of summer
R hubarb and raspberry cobbler
(Recipe on page 118)
Homemade strawberry and rhubarb lemonade
SERVES 4
Preparation and cooking time 2hr 20min
INGREDIENTS
450g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into small pieces
200ml apple juice
30g sugar, or to taste
300g strawberries, 4 reserved, remainder diced
3 tbsp lemon juice
1–2 sprigs lemon verbena or mint
400ml sparkling water
METHOD
• Place the rhubarb in a saucepan with 200ml water and the 200ml apple juice. Stir in the sugar and bring to the boil. Allow the rhubarb to simmer for 1-2 minutes, then set aside to cool.
• Place the diced strawberries in a jug. Pass the rhubarb mixture through a sieve into the jug and stir in the lemon juice. Add the lemon verbena or mint. Place in the fridge to chill for 2–3 hours.
• Before serving, halve the reserved strawberries and thread onto small wooden skewers. Sweeten the lemonade to taste, add the sparkling water and pour into glasses. Garnish each with a strawberry skewer.
(Recipe on page 118)
Sunken strawberry and rhubarb cake
R hubarb and raspberry cobble r (p115)
SERVES 4
Preparation and cooking time 1hr 5mins
INGREDIENTS
For the cobbler
100g plain flour
50g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
50g caster sugar
1 pinch salt
50g butter, plus extra for greasing
80ml double cream
For the filling
300g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces
250g raspberries
2 tbsp cornflour
60ml orange juice
45g caster sugar
2 tbsp flaked almonds
vanilla ice cream, to serve
METHOD
• Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/ gas 6 and grease a 25cm round baking dish with butter.
• Put the rhubarb and raspberries in a bowl with the cornflour, sugar and orange juice and gently stir until the fruit is coated. Place in the dish.
• To make the cobbler, mix the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, sugar and the salt in a bowl. Add the butter in pieces and rub in until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
• Add the cream and mix until a slightly sticky dough is formed.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured surface then roll out to 1cm thick. Cut into rounds using a cutter.
• Arrange the dough over the fruit and sprinkle with the flaked almonds. Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool slightly. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Sunken strawberry and rhubarb cake (p117)
SERVES 12
Preparation and cooking time 1hr 20mins
INGREDIENTS
150g marzipan, coarsely grated
4 tbsp orange juice
200g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
120g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
150g softened butter
3 eggs
50g ground almonds
300g strawberries, quartered or chopped
300g rhubarb, peeled and cut into small chunks
METHOD
• Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas 4. Line a 26cm springform tin with baking paper.
• Mix the coarsely grated marzipan with the orange juice until smooth.
• Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, then mix in the caster sugar, vanilla extract and salt.
• Gradually add the softened butter and the eggs, beating everything until frothy. Fold in the ground almonds and the marzipan mixture, and mix well to combine.
• Pour half of the batter into the tin, spreading it out evenly. Top with half the rhubarb. Add the remaining batter and cover with the strawberries and the remaining rhubarb.
• Bake the cake for 40–45 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.
S trawberry and rhubarb crumble
SERVES 4
Preparation and cooking time 50mins
INGREDIENTS
For the filling
400g strawberries, quartered 300g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into small pieces
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 splash vanilla extract
For the crumble
120g plain flour
60g ground almonds
110g brown sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
150g butter, melted and cooled
METHOD
• Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/ gas 7. Grease two small ovenproof pans (approximately 15 cm diameter) with butter.
• Mix the strawberries and rhubarb with the lemon juice, caster sugar and vanilla extract and divide the mixture equally between the two pans.
• To make the crumble, combine the flour, ground almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon with the cooled melted butter until crumbly.
• Scatter the mixture equally over the fruit in each pan and bake for 20–25 minutes until the crumble looks lightly browned. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.
Strawberry and rhubarb crumble
R hubarb and raspberry chutney
Serves 4
Preparation and cooking time 35mins
INGREDIENTS
1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
2cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced
50ml red wine vinegar
50g brown sugar
250g rhubarb, cut into 1cm pieces
250g raspberries
Salt freshly ground white pepper
1 Camembert
Mint, to garnish
METHOD
• Place the onion and ginger in a pan. Add the vinegar, 2–3 tbsps of water, the sugar and bring to the boil.
• Simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes. Add a little more water if needed.
• Add the rhubarb and raspberries to the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
• Season the chutney with salt and freshly ground white pepper, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• Cut the Camembert into wedges and serve with the chutney, and garnish with mint.
R hubarb, strawberry and coconut tartlet
Serves 8
Preparation and cooking time 45mins
INGREDIENTS
For the rhubarb
250g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 4cm pieces
20g sugar
30ml orange juice
Butter, for greasing
For the pastry
200g desiccated coconut
50g plain flour
80g caster sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg whites
For the filling
100ml double cream
2 tbsp caster sugar
100g mascarpone
8 strawberries, thickly sliced
40g white chocolate, coarsely grated
Icing sugar, for dusting
METHOD
• In a pan, heat 20g sugar and the rhubarb, stirring, until lightly caramelised. Add the orange juice and simmer briefly. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas 4. Grease 8 muffin moulds with butter. Combine the dessicated coconut, flour, sugar, salt, vanilla and egg whites to make a smooth dough.
• Divide the dough into 8 pieces, roll each into a ball then flatten and place in the moulds, pressing up the sides to create a dip in the middle. Bake the tartlet cases for 12–15 minutes until golden brown. Remove them, cool briefly, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, whip the cream with the sugar until stiff. Stir the mascarpone until it is smooth and fold it into the whipped cream and sugar mixture.
• Carefully remove the cases from the moulds and fill with the mascarpone cream. Top them with the rhubarb, strawberry slices and white chocolate. Dust with icing sugar and serve. n
R hubarb, strawberry and coconut tartlet
FROM ABOVE Harvesting the
CLOCKWISE
grapes in October at Chapel Down in Kent; Ripe grapes hanging on the vine in sunlight; As well as wine, St Martin’s produces apple juice, beers and apple cider vinegar; Slow, cool fermentation at Woodchester Valley to help preserve the aromatics and characteristics of the fruit.
Vintage APPEAL
Exquisite wines are being produced across England, with vineyards offering tastings and tours as an idyllic way to spend a summer’s day
FEATURE ANGHARAD MORAN
The sight of verdant vineyards beneath an impossibly blue sky may be evocative of summers in the South of France or Tuscany, but the southern counties of England have been gaining acclaim for producing fine wines. From Cornwall to Kent, corners of England’s countryside are striped with grapevines, with experienced winemakers turning the annual harvests into award-winning vintages.
Camel Valley was established in 1989, when Bob and Annie Lindo planted their first 8,000 vines.
In general, English wines are ‘refreshing and have naturally lower levels of alcohol than most of their competitors,’ says Phoebe French from Wines of Great Britain, which is the national association for the English and Welsh wine industry, and boasts Her Majesty The Queen as its president.
‘Due to our cool climate, early ripening grape varieties perform well in England,’ French continues. These varieties include ‘Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier –coincidentally also the most popular varieties planted in Champagne – as well as Bacchus’, she adds. ‘Bacchus is principally used to produce dry white wines that are often compared with Sauvignon Blanc, but with a distinct English hedgerow character.’
As well as accruing accolades for their quality, English wines offer a more sustainable choice compared with their imported counterparts. ‘Buying English wine, particularly from the cellar door, helps cut down wine miles,’ says French. ‘There is also the social aspect of sustainability – supporting local businesses, predominantly in rural locations, to thrive.’
Many of England’s vineyards are open to visitors, particularly during English Wine Week, which runs from 21–29 June this year. From booking tastings to taking a tour of a winery, there is no shortage of scenic vineyards to explore over summer.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT
Vegan-friendly vintages
From harvesting and pressing grapes to fermenting their juices, it seems unlikely the winemaking process would involve animal products. During the filtration (fining) stage, however, everything from egg whites to fish innards have been used to ensure clarity, but not so at the Langham Wine Estate. Among the vineyards opting to forgo the fining process, Langham produces vegan-friendly vintages that reflect the terroir of its 34-hectare estate amid Dorset’s rolling chalk hills. Here, visitors can learn more about the vineyard’s low-intervention approach to producing its award-winning sparkling wines.
Langham’s sparkling wines are described as being characterful and made to be enjoyed with food; After fermentation, the wine from each barrel is assessed for its quality; With a low-intervention approach to grape growing and wine production, the Langham estate aims to minimise its environmental impact.
Blush with success
When it comes to esteemed wine competitions, the Decanter World Wine Awards is considered the most prestigious. While the experienced winemakers at Chapel Down Winery in Kent are not afraid to experiment with new techniques, last year, their traditional-method sparkling rosé received Decanter’s prestigious Best in Show accolade. Boasting notes of redcurrant and wild strawberry, the rosé is the third offering from Chapel Down to be dubbed Best in Show, demonstrating the quality of the vintages produced at this picturesque vineyard in the Garden of England. Throughout the year, visitors can enjoy guided tours and wine tastings, as well as a new ‘wine and dine’ experience, which also includes a three-course meal at Chapel Down’s two AA rosette restaurant.
Chapel Down Winery, Tenterden, Kent TN30 7NG
Tel: 01580 766111; chapeldown.com
The vineyard is open to visitors seven days a week throughout the year; Bunches of grapes start to form from July, with the leaf canopy being trimmed in August, to enable as much sunlight as possible to reach the ripening fruit; The Chapel Down team is always exploring modern winemaking practices and conducting experimental plantings to discover innovations; The fruit is hand-picked before being pressed.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT
Visitors drinking in the view and the fine wines at Camel Valley; Ruby-red Siegerrebe is just one of the grape varieties grown at St Martin’s; The view out to sea from the top of St Martin’s vineyard.
Royal approval
Established in 1989, Camel Valley is a family-run Cornish vineyard that has won a raft of awards for its sparkling and still wines. In 2018, it became the first English vineyard to receive a Royal Warrant – a mark of approval long enjoyed by the likes of Bollinger. In May last year, as a purveyor of English sparkling wine, Camel Valley was awarded Royal Warrants by both His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen. Traditional winemaking methods are at the heart of this estate, which offers tours from April to September. Visitors can also enjoy tastings from the terrace, where it is possible to drink in the views of the surrounding Cornish countryside while sipping the popular Cornwall brut, with its toasty, nutty nose and hints of peach. Camel Valley, Nanstallon, Bodmin, Cornwall PL30 5LG Tel: 01208 77959; camelvalley.com
England’s smallest
To get the most from their grapes, many of England’s wine producers rely on the warmer temperatures enjoyed in the south of the country, and St Martin’s Vineyard benefits from the particular microclimate of the Isles of Scilly. This archipelago, located almost 30 miles off the coast of Cornwall, marks the most southwesterly point in the UK, and it is on the idyllic island of St Martin’s where a bijou five-acre vineyard is producing varieties such as Orion and Seyval Blanc as organically as possible. Before the first vines were planted here in 1996, the site had been a bulb farm and, today, everything from amaryllis to bluebells can be spotted during self-guided tours. Round off a summer visit with an al fresco wine tasting while taking in the sea views.
St Martin’s Vineyard and Winery, St Martin’s, Isles of Scilly TR25 0QL Tel: 07936 710262; stmartinsvineyard.co.uk
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Woodchester Valley’s three sites cover 58 acres; Tutored tastings at Woodchester Valley; Enjoy a tutored winetasting at at the end of a tour at Giffords Hall.
On ancient ground
The varying terroirs of England’s wine-producing regions impact the success and character of the grapes grown in each area. In Suffolk, Giffords Hall Vineyard cultivates a wide range of varieties, from Rondo and Chardonnay to Madeleine Angevine, among others. The 19-acre vineyard is located on an ancient glacial riverbed with a unique soil composition of sandy loam and gravel, which lends itself to producing grapes naturally high in sugars and acidity. This has resulted in award-winning wines, from a petal-pink rosé to an aromatic Bacchus. Tours take place from March to September and include a visit to the winery and Barrel Hall, where guides provide insight into the winemaking processes adopted here.
Giffords Hall Vineyard, Hartest, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP29 4EX Tel: 01284 830799; giffordshall.co.uk
Cotswolds viniculture
A little farther north than many of England’s wine producers, Woodchester Valley Vineyard comprises three sites in the Cotswolds, where the soil is ideal for several grape varieties, from Pinot Noir to Chardonnay. It was after hearing about the history of wine in the area (as mentioned in the Domesday Book) that this vineyard’s founder, Fiona Shiner, decided to test whether viniculture was still viable here. Shiner planted her first acre of vines in 2007 and now produces more than 100,000 bottles of still and sparkling wine annually. With a tasting room looking out over a fossiliferous limestone valley, this boutique winery offers several tours and experiences to visitors, including a geologist-led tour that reveals why the terroir here makes the area’s wines so special.
Woodchester Valley Vineyard, Gloucestershire GL5 5HR Tel: 07523 967219; woodchestervalleyvineyard.co.uk
England’s largest
Since the first vines were planted on the estate almost 40 years ago, Denbies has grown to become England’s most expansive vineyard, with grapevines covering more than 200 acres. So large is the estate, tours by land train are offered, with carriages pulled along by a trusty Land Rover. Elsewhere, a glass of Denbies’ award-winning sparkling cuvée in hand, visitors can admire the panoramic views of the estate and the North Downs. From meandering through the vines and learning about the workings of the winery to enjoying a tasting or spending the night in the vineyard’s hotel, there are several experiences on offer here year-round.
FROM TOP Denbies has a keen eye on sustainability and is now B Corp certified; Visitors can enjoy al fresco tastings in a cabana, surrounded by spectacular countryside vistas; Denbies has a ‘wine train’ to take visitors on tours of the expansive estate.
from our trusted partner Tripsmiths
Departs April 13 and October 6, 2025
Torquay is a destination that brings to mind images of seaside promenades, palm trees, beautiful beaches and grand Italianate villas on the hills overlooking Tor Bay.
The hometown of Agatha Christie, it provided inspiration for some of her best-loved mysteries. This tour will immerse you in the life and times of the Queen of Crime.
You’ll be joined by historian and writer Dr Lucy Worsley – author of Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman – at Burgh Island Hotel, which inspired the settings for And Then There Were None a nd the Poirot myster y Evil Under the Sun. Here you’ll have lunch, plus Lucy will give a talk and Q&A.
Exclusive to The Telegraph
What’s included
Lunch at Burgh Island Hotel with a talk and Q&A from Dr Lucy Worsley
Three nights’ accommodation at the Imperial Hotel in Torquay
Lunch at the Moorland Hotel
Murder on the Riviera murder-mystery dinner
Visits to several locations with links to Agatha Christie
About the expert
Dr Lucy Worsley until recently was joint chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces and is the author of several books. She has presented TV shows for various channels
Torquay
Who do you live with, and where?
I live with my husband, Harry, and our two dogs, Alfie and Teddy, in Broadspear, a beautiful farm in Hampshire. We have lots of wonderful animals, including chickens, ducks, woodland pigs, cattle and bees.
What kind of English home is it?
The house itself was built over 300 years ago as a folly and during lockdown we built a private pub (above left) on the grounds with our local tree surgeon, who used all the seasoned wood from our farm. The kitchen here is where I love to do my cooking and entertaining. I moved to Broadspear eight years ago, and since then we have managed to create a sustainable farm over 100 acres.
Why do you love living here? Broadspear has evolved into a very special place over the years. We have restored the walled vegetable and fruit garden of over an acre and set up five working bee hives. We have also planted fruit orchards, wildflower meadows and cutting flower gardens. You can feel the energy from the wildlife, trees and farm
My English Home
Chef, television presenter and author Clodagh McKenna on the joys of growing her own food and entertaining family and friends
animals. The air is amazing, and it makes me feel so calm and grounded.
How have you made the house your own?
I’ve loved curating and collecting antiques and vintage pieces – like my reclaimed butler sink – over the years, and mixing them with new ones. I have some lovely furniture from Oka that I’ve used here and in our London home. And I’m particularly drawn to different shades of green. I have used a lot of different Farrow & Ball colours in the house, but Cardamom, a rich brown, and Card Room Green are favourites.
Do you grow your own food?
We rear all our own food on the farm –woodland pigs, Aberdeen Angus cows, chickens and ducks. And all our vegetables and fruit are grown in the walled garden. It is my special place and I always look forward to going to it, sowing seeds, picking the fruit and vegetables, planning out the beds and the orchard, and ensuring that we have produce growing all year round.
What makes a great kitchen for a chef?
A really good oven with multi-function settings is important, like my Smeg Portofino, which I am using at the moment and works brilliantly. I always go for open shelves so I can see all my lovely plates and glasses collected over the years. A large butler sink is also a must for me, and I always make sure I have a brass bar on the wall where I can hang herbs for drying and my most useful utensils. And finally, I think having lots of open counter space for prepping is the key to a relaxed chef!
Where is your favourite place at home?
That would be our pub, because it is where we entertain friends and family every weekend. It feels very communal, so everyone feels like it’s their local.
What should no English home be without?
Animals, a space for growing vegetables, and a table on which to share a meal. n clodaghmckenna.com
