FEBRUARY 2021
I COUNTRY LIVING
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HOMES • DECORATING • CRAFTS • GARDENS • FOOD • TRAVEL • HEALTH
FABULOUSLY
FRUITY CAKES,
CRUMBLES & JAMS
ROMANTIC
AT HOME WITH OL
CRAFTY
COURSES
TOKICK
START .
ANTIC I
CAREER,
The best rooms
§ T&ith a view
^NDNEPT
CONTEMPORARY Hf USES THAT
HONOUR THEIR HISTORIC PAST
Slow-living ncv
year’s resolutions
a recharged 202
BLOOMS TO LIFT
^EC^OOM
in a winter garden


HOWDENS
Kitchen
Trends 2024
Reinvent your space with our Kitchen Trends 2024 Guide,
which showcases four unique looks including this Timeless Touch.
Each trend is brought to life with product step-by-step guides
that cover kitchens, worktops, handles and more.
COUNTRY LIVING
EXCLUSIVELY AT DFS
AT YOUR PLACE, THERE’S ALWAYS A WARM WELCOME
You know what you like. And you like what you know. That’s your thing.
The distinguished period detail of the Country Living Morland is just so you.
But then, you knew that as soon as you saw it.

□
Morland 4 seater sofa £1299, ends 28.2.24. After event £1499. Comes with five pillow back cushions
and two free accent scatter cushions. See in store or online for details. Delivery charges apply, dfs.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2024 ISSUE 458
«сит

19	EMPORIUM Newways to introduce elements of
countty style intoyour home
34 LAZY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING Slow-living and
self-care routines to easeyou into the week ahead
55 EDGY DESIGN STATEMENTS Reworkyourinteriors
with these back-in-vogue decorative trimmings
100 DOING JUSTICE TO THE COURTHOUSE A
former court building in Northumberland is now
a contemporaiy home that honours its historic past
108 RINGING IN THE SPRING Carpets of snowdrops and
hellebores herald the turn of the season in a cottage
garden in Cambridgeshire
114 "WE FELT HISTORY EMANATING FROM THE VERY
WALLS" Original charm has been restored to a Queen
Anne house that has weathered many ups and downs
123 DECORATING NOTES The joys of shopping
secondhand, eco cushions and delicious paint colours
124 LAYERS OF MEANING Colour, patternand
texture are artfully combined in a Cotswolds
barn to reflect the owners’ travels and histoiy
131 GROWING GARLIC AND CHILLIES with
Monty Don
137 GARDENING NOTES A masterclass and
festival for orchid-lovers, plus growing clematis
23 THE NEW GOOD LIFE Buying a tractor:
expert tips from smallholder Sally Coulthard
28 PREDICTIONS FROM THE PROS Ourexperts
forecast the future changemakers of2024
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 ISSUE 458
42 Ю QUESTIONS WITH... JULIA BRADBURY
The TV presenter on barefoot walking, hill climbing
with her parents and therapy sessions with a tree
44 RECIPES FROM THE IRISH BAKERY Celebrating
rhubarb with cakes, tarts, jam and more
64 ON COURSE FOR 2024 Kick-start the newyear
with a workshop led by one of our favourite artisans
74 ANN, QUEEN OF PASTIES The pasty-maker who sets
the gold standard for Cornwall's national dish
82 TROUT OF THIS WORLD Hugo Hardman champions
freshwater trout as a sustainable alternative to salmon
91	MOVING TO... BERWICKSHIRE The latest in our
locals’ guide for house-hunters
178 A MONTH IN THE LIFE OF... a lifeboat volunteer

150 24 WAYS TO BRING THE COUNTRYSIDE
TO YOU Inspiring ideas to helpyou get
your “green fix" in the dark days ofwinter
138 SAVOUR THE SLOW WEEKEND Warming and
comforting lunches to linger over
149 FOOD NOTES A real bread masterclass, English
sriracha and the juiciest Seville oranges
Cf < f
11 A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY Places to go, things
to do and ideas to tiy in Februaiy
26 COUNTRY LIVING MARKETPLACE Check out
our selection of crafty kits
62 THE COUNTRY LIVING COLLECTION AT
HOM EBASE Discover the range of kitchens with
a welcoming farmhouse design
72 THE COUNTRY LIVING SOFA COLLECTION AT
DFS Sink into the Loch Leven
97 THE COUNTRY LIVING BATHROOM
COLLECTION AT HOMEBASE
98 SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAGAZINE
147 WHERE TO BUY Stockists in the magazine
156 COUNTRY LIVING HOLIDAYS Exclusive trips
ON THE COVER
Relax & reset pages 34,
138 and 150 Fabulously
fruity page 44 Crafty
courses page 64
Romantic retreats page
11 Blooms to lift the
gloom page 108 At
home with old
and new pages 100,114
and 124 Monty Don page
131 Emma Bridgewater
page 28 Raymond
Blanc page 28 Julia
Bradbury page 42
COUNTRY LIVING HOME
DELIVERY Subscribe to
Country Living and delight
in the British countryside
from the comfort of your
home. Details on page 98
COVER CREDIT
Photography by
Charlie Colmer
06 FEBRUARY 2024
coun tryliving.com/uk
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COUNTRYLIVING ISSN0951-0281 is published monthly(12timesayear)by Hearst UK c/oExpress Mag 12 Nepco Way. Plattsburgh, NY. 12903. Penodteals Postage paidat
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Wallpapers | Fabrics | Soft Furnishings
Bespoke Curtains & Blinds | Paint
I lave you watched the Netflix seriesLh'e to IOO: Secrets ojlhe Blue Zones, in which award-winning
author and producer Dan Buettner shares years of research about communities that live long and
happy lives? These pockets of people happen to live in vastly disparate places - California, Italy,
Greece, Singapore, Japan and Costa Rica - yet their secret to longevity is the same. They are
active, moving naturally and regularly (instead ofslavishly following intense fitness regimes);
they eat moderately and favour a plant-based diet; they value connection with family and
community; and they strive to live with an active mind and sense of purpose, but without stress.
What struck me about their approach to living is that - diet and exercise aside - so many
of the individuals we feature in this magazine have chosen to embrace a similar lifestyle,
giving up desk-based dayjobs to ignite their creativity and follow a lifelong passion. Whether
starting a business in horticulture, going self-sufficient on a smallholding, turning an arty
hobby into an enterprise or simply swappingcity for rural life, they have consciously chosen to live more simply, slowly
and sustainably. And, in doing so, they have found a happier and more purposef ul existence.
For many, making such big changes can take months, evenyears, of consideration. Not so for writer Mark Jones, who
made a spontaneous and, in his words, “romantic’’ choice to move, with his wife and dog, from commuter-belt countiy
in the south of England to the Scottish borders (below left). Thankfully, his impulsive decision paid off, but not without
a significant lifestyle shift. You can read his entertaining account in Mating to... Berwickshire on page 91.
You might not want to make such a dramatic switch in 2024, but if you're after a gentler gear change, why not make
a resolution to do something creative? On page 64,you'll find some of our favourite artisans offering a variety of
opportunities foryou toembark on a new adventure- from floristry and textile printing
(below right) to breadmaking and book binding. As the saying goes, big things often spring
from small beginnings... Here’s to a happy, stress-free and fulfilled 2024.
PS Don't miss our annual trendforecast (page 28), in which we invite a blue-chip panel of
experts to predict the changemakers in the year ahead. )bu heard it here first
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; ALUN CALLENDER; MATTHEW MONFREDI
,J7l/viSQ>
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A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY
PLACES TO GO. THINGS TO DO. IDEAS TO TRY
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 11
A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY
DONE MISS
Celebrate the night skies of the Yorkshire Dales
National Park from 9-25 February at this annual festival
designed to open our eyes to the wonder of the
universe. Spot ancient constellations with astronomer
Richard Darn, take part in yoga, hikes and bike rides,
or gather round for pizza, all while enjoying the
celestial wonder of this, inky sweep of sky, designated
an International Dark Sky Reserve in2020. Beginners
and families welcome, darkskiesnationalparks.org.uk/
yorkshire-dales-events
HAVE A GO...
SEARCH FOR SEA URCHINS
As the winter winds blow and tides ebb, the sea gives up
many of its treasures, making it one of the best times to go
beachcombing. Wrap up warm and head to the water's
edge to search for sea urchins, in particular. The skeletal
remains or 'tests' of these common green invertebrates,
with shapes like hard bobbly satsumas, stud UK sands and
rocky shores, particularly along the North Sea, with powder
blue, brown and yellow calcium fragments. Find a whole
one on the tideline and you can rattle the case to hear the
urchin's teeth and jaws, used for grazing algae, still inside.
MADE IN BRITAIN HOLDSWORTH CHOCOLATES
Use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to try Holdsworth Chocolates. Set up by Barbara Holdsworth in Bakewell, this
Peak District chocolatier has been handcrafting truffles, pralines and filled shells for 35 years. Barbara's daughter,
Genevieve, now oversees production of the dark and milk delights using the finest cacao. Look out for Champagne
truffles (riglit) and the Bakewell Pudding truffles (£10 for 110g) - marzipan blended with almonds and raspberry
puree - as well as the plant-based range supporting the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. holdswofthchocolates.coMk
OF THE BEST... qt/Zf
Drink in the countrysidefrom your window
THE COTTAGE IN THE WOOD, WORCESTERSHIRE
Admire the vistas of the Severn Valley from this guesthouse
(right) in a mountain forest (cottageinthewood.co.uk).
BELLE TOUT LIGHTHOUSE, EAST SUSSEX Study the
Seven Sisters from this restored lighthouse (belletout.co.uk).
BATTLESTEADS, NORTHUMBERLAND Look up for scenes
from this pub-hotel's Dark Sky observatory (battlesteads.com).
GARDENS COTTAGE, DUNVEGAN CASTLE, ISLE OF SKYE
Take in sweeping views of Loch Dunvegan from the grounds
of the castle on the Isle of Skye (dunvegancastle.com).
SWAN HOTEL, SOMERSET Enjoy the morning light as it hits
Wells Cathedral across the way (swanhotelwells.co.uk). ►
12 FEBRUARY 2024
countryliving.com/uk
5Ж
Fine Furniture Makers since 1968
Explore the Tetrad x Harris Tweed collection
Dalmore midi sofa in Harris Tweed Bracken Herringbone & Galveston Bark Hide
tetrad.co.uk
FIND A STOCKIST


A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY
MEET... Brigid
The Celtic goddess Brigid, associated
with healing, fire and poetry, once
oversaw the festival of Imbolc, which
took place on 1 February, marking the
halfway point between the winter
solstice and spring equinox. In AD45O,
a Christian saint adopted her name
and the festival became St Brigid's Day.
Last year, Ireland designated St Brigid's
Day/lmbolc a public holiday, honouring
both women. This year, it is on the
first Monday of the month, 5 February.
EAT THE
SEASONS Kale
COMING INTO ITS BEST IN MID TO LATE FEBRUARY, THIS
MEMBER Of THE CABBAGE FAMILY OFFERS CURLY AND
SMOOTH VARIETIES. LOADED WITH MICRONUTRIENTS
AND ANTIOXIDANTS, KALE IS ONE OF THE MOST
NUTRITIOUS LEAPT
GREENS. CHOOSE
SMALLER HEADS
FOR THEIR NUTTY,
EARTHY FLAVOUR.
STEAM, STIR FRY OR
RUB WITH OIL, ROAST
AND SEASON WITH
PARMESAN OR
CHILLI FOR A POWER-
PACKED SNACK.
si’orn.RSGl II )| Sinns oh icw life
О
Look out for these heralds of spring
BADGER CUBS Born early to mid-February,
watch for little black eyes and noses as cubs
emerge into the world after spending their
first few weeks underground.
ROOKERIES Listen for the chatter of rooks as
they gather in large colonies to build nests out
of twigs in the tops of trees and lay eggs.
FROGSPAWN Scan ponds and ditches for jelly-
covered eggs laid in shallow water. There can
be so many clusters that they merge to look like
one jelly mat, making frogspawn hard to miss.
For more details, see wildlifetrusts.org.
IDENTIFY... agoldcrest
The UK’s smallest bird, weighingjust 4.5g, is olive green with a pale
underside, a black and yellow strip on its head and short bill and
tail. It is tubby but acrobatic, and likes to live in conifers. Listen out
for its high-pitched “zee” call and record your findings in the RSPB’s
Big Garden Birdwatch, the UK’s largest garden wildlife survey
(26-28 Januaiy). Last year, the most common birds were the house
sparrow, blue tit and starling. For identification help, download
an app such as Warblr or Birda. rspb.orguk
a:-*
S3
DS BY ANNA MELVILLE-JAMES INFORMATION CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS BUT MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE, SO PLEASE
IN ADVANCE TO CHECK DETAILS. PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; GETTY IMAGES; STOCKFOOD. ILLUSTRATION BY ALLIRATEE
14 FEBRUARY 2024
countrylwing.com/uk
Rich in industrial archeological features, Foggintor in the middle ofdramatic
Dartmoor is a geologists and hikers dream. For more than 1OOyears, the
undulatinggranite quarry was one of three on the Dexon moors, prodding
the stone for landmarks such as Nelsons Column (as well as nearby Dartmoor
Prison). Now unused, it offers a serene and spectacular sanctuary to visit and
explore - particularly at sunrise and sunset. Abandoned ruins oftheworkers'
community stand tall against the ethereal backdrop - a tranquil place to
stop and marvel at the majestic г lews (visildartmoor.co.uk). >
A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY
WEEKENDERS
Head to The Potted Lobster
(left) for the freshest
seafood and “the best fish
and chips ever” according
to Hairy Biker Dave Myers
(thepottedlobster.co.uk).
Audela in Berwick-upon-
Tweed offers fine dining,
from North Sea monkfish to wild mushroom
bourguignon (audela.co.uk). For lunch with a
view, try The Jolly Fisherman in Craster. Tuck
into Lindisfarne oysters as the waves surge against
the sea wall (thejollyfisheirnancraster.co.uk).
ф Recommendedbyourfriends at The Good Food Guide
(thegoodfixxfaridc.co.uk).
With its sweeping sandy beaches, isolated islands and imposing castles,
the Northumberland Coast is an Area ofOutstanding Natural Beauty
stretchingfrom the Coquet estuary up to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Visit this
month to see waders and wildfowl, as well asgrey seals and dolphins.
If you're lucky, you might even hear the haunting call ofthe curlew
rising above the sound of the surf.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO Brooding Bamburgh Castle (above) is best seen
from the beach when the tide is out. This formidable fortress was destroyed by
the Vikings and rebuilt by the Normans centuries ago (bamburghcastle.com). A
short stroll takesyou to Bamburgh Lighthouse - the most northerly land-based
beacon in England and the perfect place to spot sandpipers and sea ducks diving
into the waves (rspb.org.uk). Down the coast in Craster, Dunstanburgh Castle
stands on a remote peninsula. Explore the ancient ruins and surrounding
grounds (a Site of Special Scientific Interest), before heading back to the harbour
via the coastal path. Beforeyou leave, stop by L Robson & Sons, a traditional
smokehouse that’s been in business for more than 130years (kipper.co.uk).
WHERE TO STAY The Whittling House is a restaurant-with rooms on
Alnmouth’s pretty high street. Book into a deluxe king for views of the North
Sea (from £150 per night; thewhittlinghouse.co.uk). Further north. The Lord
Crewe stands in the shadow of Bamburgh Castle. There’s good reason it won the
AA Breakfast Award 2023. Startyour day with grilled Craster kippers or a full
English featuring vegan black pudding (from £190 per night; lord-crewe.co.uk).
Head to The Old School Gallery (theold
schoolgallery.co.uk) on the outskirts of
Alnmouth for delightful limited-edition
prints and paintings by local artists
(above right). The gallery also has regular
exhibitions and a cafe. Bit of a bibliophile?
Browse more than 350,000 titles at Barter
Books (above left, barterbooks.co.uk) in
Alnwick. Housed in a former Victorian
railway station, there's a model train
running between the shelves.
WORDS BY LAURAN ELSDEN PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; ANDREW MONTGOMERY INFORMATION CORRECT AT TIME
OF GOING TO PRESS BUT MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE, SO PLEASE CALL IN ADVANCE TO CHECK DETAILS
FOLLOWUS...
INSTAGRAM.COM/
COUNTRYLIVINGUK
OFACEBOOK.COM/ Х.СОМ/
COUNTRYLIVING W COUNTRYLIVINGUK
countryliving.com/uk
OAKWRIGHTS
Beautiful by Nature
If you love your home, the last thing you'll want to do is move for extra room. So, don't!
Let Oakwrights create the space you need where you live now. Talk to us today.
Extensions. Homes. Architecture. Annexes. Barns. Garages.
01432 353 353 | enquiries@oakwrights.co.uk | oakwrights.co.uk
Beds, Sofas and Supplies for Loafers
This reversible gilet is han<
so each is unique. £185, fi
^crafted using vintage silk saris
>m Cornish brand Pink Lemons
Rebecca Udall
stocks marbled
books hand-
bound by a
sixth-generation
family business
in Florence, sure
to be treasured
for years to
come. Wine
Notes, £62
Lighting brand Pooky
and Collaborative Craft
Projects have creat^cfa
range of artisan^oj^n
pendants, from Q6,
using sustainaj^e /
palm leaves
This handmade
brushed-nickel
pepper mill, £74
from Freight, can
also be used as
a spice grinder
Print Sisters,
aka Alexia and
Claudia, restore
archive prints:
this feather-
filled linen
cushion, £80,
features "snow
peaks" from
1929
Sleepwear expert YOLKE's partnership with
interior designers Salvesen Graham features
pretty bedlinen, nightwear and this soft «
v cotton eye mask, £25
Scottish soap-maker Dook's
salt bars, from £9.90,
exfoliate without drying
your skin
Treat yourself to cosy
morning coffees with this
handcrafted mug, £14
from Rose & Grey
countrylwing.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 19
SHOP SMALL
		
Hand woven bench, £1,050,
Studio Manolo; merino lambswool
cushions with duck feather inners,
from £70 each, Katherine Fraser
1ЛД
r
Editors choia
ЬАДСЫ . пи -—«**«>*	—-2_ .	Д '
«.«-в	-/« .	•
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PHOTOGRAPH BY NATO WELTON STYLING BY AlllNA BINKS
A smart seating area will elevate any entrance hall: this elegant
bench was made from paper plies twisted together toform sturdy
Danish cord, and looks inviting topped withplump woolcushions. ”
Homes and gardens writer Cara Laskaris
20 FEBRUARY 2024
countrylwing.com/uk
COMPILED BY CARA LASKARIS PRICES AND INFORMATION CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS
By Emma Diaz
handmakes pippy oak
and ash furniture in
Wiltshire, finished
with jolly Edward
Bulmer-painted trims.
Bench from £1,495
Susie Hamilton's floral
paintings are available as
prints and cards, £3.50
each, with a different design
for the months of the year
Katie Brinsley's clay milk
jug, £30, was moulded
from a paper carton with
quirky illustrations by
Beatrice von Preussen.
Available from Holly & Co
Pick from a
selection of
charming
patchwork
toys made
using offcuts
and recycled
fabrics from
Kit Kemp's
design —
projects: this
is Minnie the
rabbit, £135
n't forget
к in the long
nter months:
.ayerTree's
iging feeder,
3.50, is made
Suffolk using
bcal steam-
Lent oak
Elytrum's body brushes are
made from sustainable
fibres including sisal, jute
and coir that exfoliate and
stimulate circulation. From
£16.50 on the Country
Living Marketplace
Box-pleat
lampshade,
£70 from the
Country Living
Marketplace,
handmade
by Ali Warrior
in Kent
***
This limited-
edition Matilda
armchair by
Neptune, £1,704,
is upholstered
in a striking
Fermoie fabric
Follow @CLArtisans on Instagram to see more uniqueproducts from talented makers
FOR STOCKISTS see Where to Buy
HARVEY JONES
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GOOD LIFE
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 23

Author and seasoned
smallholder Sally
shares her Yorkshire
plot with sheep, horses,
hens, ducks, geese, an
orchard, a vegetable
garden and a pond
w
hen we arrived on the smallholding
nearly two decades ago, the first
th ing we did was buy a tractor.
With our budget already bust, it
was a choice between a central
heating system or a Massey
Ferguson. We spent the next
threeyears without hot water.
Eveiy day, our trusty old tractor is called into service. So many
jobs around the smallholding need brute muscle power, from
moving pallets of paving slabs to taking bales and water troughs
to the sheep. The tractor also has several attachments fixed to
the front or rear. We often spend weekends using its log splitter
or the tractor bucket to dump piles of compost onto the vegetable
beds. Whether it’s clearing land, heavy lifting, landscaping,
drilling post-holes, digging foundations (using a backhoe) or
ploughing snow, tractors make light work ofjobs that would
otherwise be backbreaking.
When it comes to buying one, the choice can be overwhelming.
Tractors come in all shapes and sizes, from lawn run-arounds
to commercial vehicles, with price differences to match. There
are, however, some key bits of information that can helpyou
through the process.
Let’s start with size. Most smallholders don’t need a huge tractor.
They’re often too big and unwieldy for modest fields, narrow gates
and even smaller bams. Veiy large utility tractors are best left to
commercial farmers, who have hundreds of acres to plough and
harvest. Tractors are also measured in horsepower or HP. Back
in the late 18th century when inventor James Watt was trying to
explain how powerful his newsteam engine was, he compared it to
the only other source of brute power at that time - draught horses.
He estimated that a draught horse could pull 3301b, over a distance
of 100 feet, in one minute. This is one unit of horsepower.
Ifyou have between one and five acres,you probably only need
a sub-compact tractor, typically between 15 and 30 HP (the exact
horsepower can vary between manufacturers). A sub-compact
tractor isn’t the same as a lawn tractor, which isjust for cutting lawn
grass. A decent sub-compact should have four-wheel drive and be
compatible with a number of attachments, such as log-splitters,
harrows and trailers. For a bigger smallholding, between five and
15 acres,you’ll need something a bit more robust. These are called
compact tractors and go up to around 50 HP. For larger farms over
15 acres, 50+ HP utility or big utility tractors are more common.
As a rule, the heftier the task, the bigger the tractor. These are loose
guidelines, though, and whatyou choose will depend on what
the tractor needs to do and where. Work in orchards or between
polytunnels, for example, might require a nippier model. Make
a list of the jobsyou need it to perform and go from there.
Few smallholders can afford brand-new kit. Ifyou opt for
secondhand, like we did, it’sjust like buying a car. Take a mechanic
with you and check for factors like condition of the tyres, steering,
pick-up hitch, engine, batteiy, hydraulics, brakes, gears and cables.
The life of a tractor is also measured in hours, not miles. A modern
tractor should be good for 10,000 hours ifit’s well maintained.
The overall condition of a tractor can tellyou something about its
working life so far. That said, the lifespan can be remarkably long.
Ours is now25years old and still reliably chugging away. And that’s
more than can be said for the central heating boiler...
24 FEBRUARY 2024
countrylwing.com/uk
THE NEW GOOD LIFE

VITACIIMEVrs
FORKS Pallets, and the ability to
move them, is hugely important ifyou
want to transfer logs, relocate rocks or
shift slabs. Bale spikes are also useful.
MAIN PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREW MONTGOMERY. ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; BECKSIDE MACHINERY; J BOURNE; FARM TECH SUPPLIES
BUCKET Loader buckets can handle
big volumes of soft or granular material,
such as soil or sand. They’re also invaluable
for turning and agitating compost.
LOG SPLITTER a hydraulic
log splitter can safely produce huge
amounts of force needed to process
felled timber into useable logs.
CHAIN HARROW Essential
for chemical-free, healthy pasture. It
stimulates newgrowth while levelling
the surface and spreadingout manure.
\\ HERETO BI A \ TR \GTOR
DEALERSHIPS
You'll pay top whack
to buy through a
dealership but in
return you should
get a reliable,
mechanically sound
tractor. Dealerships
can also be a useful
point of contact for
future services,
warranties and repairs.
PRIVATE SELLER
If you feel confident
you can spot potential
problems, private sales
are a great way to bag
a genuine bargain or
negotiate a healthy
discount. Ask around
to see if anyone's
selling - local farmers
often trade machinery
with each other.
AUCTIONS
If you buy at auction,
check that any farm
equipment is covered by
an inspection report -
that way, if it's not in the
condition described,
you can get your money
back. Don't forget there's
buyer's commission
added on to the
hammer price, plus VAT.
FEBRUARY2024 25

COUNTRY LIVING
MARKETPLACE
IF YOU'RE A CREATIVE AT HEART, CHECK OUT THE INSPIRATIONAL RANGE OF
CRAFTY KITS AT OUR ONLINE SHOP. FROM EXQUISITE EMBROIDERY SETS TO CLASSIC
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PHOTOGRAPH BY ALUN CALLENDER
EVOQUA CANDLE-MAKING KIT
Who will be the
Next Big Thing in
2024? From Alan
Titchmarsh to Emma
Bridgewater, our
experts predict the
changemakers we’ll
all be talking about
О
WORDS BY LAURA SILVERMAN
ILLUSTRATIONS BY JACKIE PARSONS
О THE ACE OF SPADES
Nominated by Joe Swift, landscape
garden designer and presenter
When Ashley Edwards made
his debut TV appearance last
autumn on BBC Gardeners
World, fans on social media
showered him with praise. In his dayjob,
Ashley is head gardener at Horatio’s
Garden London and South East, where
he looks after the charity’s garden at the
London Spinal Cord Injuiy Centre, and
is also working on The Serge Hill Project
for Gardening, Creativity and Health in
Hertfordshire. “Ashley has a strong affinity
with nature and is a great communicator,”
Joe Swift says. ‘After seeing him on Gardeners'
World, a lot of people have been inspired
to have a go at growing and gardening.”
©THE AVIAN ACTIVIST
Nominated by Lord Goldsmith,
Conservativepeer and former
environment minister
In November 2022, Hannah
Bourne-Taylor walked
from Speaker’s Comer to
Downing Street naked, painted neck to
toe in feathers. It was an arresting way for
her to launch a petition for swift bricks
to be compulsoiy in new homes. Lord
Goldsmith then tabled an amendment
to a bill in the House of Lords. The
government has yet to cede to Hannah’s
demand, but she has vowed to campaign
until her goal is achieved. “I have zero
doubt it will be,” Zac says. Hannah is
now working on a book about nature
campaigning with the RSPB.
28 FEBRUARY 2024
J
©
I
BL SAVE L> /
<our
LAKEjLW
- i * L
® THE LAD OF THE LAKES
Nominated by Michaela Strachan,
presenter <?/Springwatch
F it‘st came Feargal Sharkey.
Now, he is joined by a bright
Conservationist Matt Staniek
mns Save Windermere (savewindrnere.com),
a campaign to stop all treated and untreated
sewage from being discharged into England’s
largest lake. His passion began after a
car accident left him in a neck brace
for two months and he started to notice
the decline in biodiversity in the area.
Michaela Strachan worked with Matton her
recent Channel 5 documenta ly, Swimming
in Sewage: Вritains Water Scandal. “Matt
is passionate and dynamic,” she says. “He
is doing all he can to make a difference.”
©THE BLOSSOMING
PRESENTER
Nominated by Alan
Ti tc h in a rsh .gardener,
broadcasterand author
You may well be familiar
with Frances Tophill from
BBC Gardeners' World, but for veteran
Alan Titchmarsh, the gardener, whose
ЬоокЛ Year in a Small Garden is out
in April (BBC Books, £26), has plenty
more ground to cover. Frances made her
TV debut with Alan on ITV’sZcwe Your
Garden in 2012. “Frances is that great
rarity - someone who knows their subject
well but can also put it over in an engaging
fashion,” Alan says. “The fact that she
is also huge fun to be with puts her in
a class of her own.”
® THE FLORIST TAKING
CENTRE STAGE
Nominated by Rachel
r^ 'I de Thame, gardener,
К * ♦	TVpresenter and writer
ibi As principal dancer with
MhmHI Matthew Boumes company
New Adventures, Andy Monaghan can
usually be found at the barre - when he isn’t
at his flower studio in east London, where he
grows stems and arranges bouquets and
installations. “Like Andy, I trained in ballet,”
Rachel de Thame says, “and feel there’s a
connection between movement, balance and
flu idity in dance and working with natu re to
create expressiveyet fleeting beauty.” Andy
is about to shoot a film and will then focus
on growing for events and weddings in the
upcoming season (andymonaghan.co.uk). ►
countryliving,com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 29
THE CREATIVE
HORTICULTURIST
Nominated by Mark Lane,
BBC Morning Livepresenter *
jj k Having worked alongside
renowned names in art <md
architecture, Sophie Walker
approaches garden design with an artist’s
THE MINIATURIST
WITH A BIG FUTURE
Nominated by Emma
Bridgewater, homeware
designer
From puffins to wading birds,
Rose Brettingham’s tiny
stoneware animals have attracted many
THE TEENAGE
CONSERVATIONIST
Nominated by Beccy
Speight, RSPB CEO
Indy Kiemel Greene
began volunteering with
the RSPB aged 13 and has
been captivating followers on Instagram
flair. In 2014, she became theyoungest
woman to design a garden at the RHS
Chelsea Flower Show. More recently,
she was a judge on Netflix’s The Big Flower
Fight and wrote The Japanese Garden
(Phaidon Press, £59.95). “Sophie’s work
is imaginative and refreshing,” says
Mark Lane, who shares her art histoiy
background. “Her interest in rare
plants adds a new and fascinating
dimension to horticulture.”
a fan, including Emma Bridgewater’s son,
Michael. “Rose often works on a small scale,
which spoke to my son, who is not in the phase
(@greeneindy) with his passion for wildlife.
In 2022, his conservation work at Sherwood
Forestand Budby South Forest, near where
of his life where ceramics might speak to
him - or so I assumed,” Emma says. It was a
little mouse that attracted Michael, who’s in
his mid-20s, while Emma has been charmed
by Rose’s bowls and mugs: “She makes
beautifiillyglazcd wares with skilfiil decoration.”
Iz>ok for her work in May at Salthouse Church
in Norfolk (rosebrettinghainceramics.com).
he lives, caught the attention of the Prime
Minister, who gave him a Points of Light
Award for outstanding volunteers. Now
18, Indy is an RSPB ambassador, on the
Youth Council for the RSPB and has
recently starred on Ch ris Packham’s YouTube
wildlife series, 8 Out of IO Bats. “Indy is a
nature superstar,” Beccy Speight says.
30 FEBRUARY 2024
ONES TO WATCH
©THE NATURE-
FRIENDLYFARMER
Nominated by Tony
Juniper, chair of
Natural England
Nature-friendly farming
has become a bit of a
THE BOLD BEAN
COUNTER
Nominated by Henry
Dimbleby, co:founder of Leon,
food campaigner and leader
of the NationalFoodStrategy
“Our food system is the biggest
cause of biodiversity decline, deforestation
and avoidable ill health... as well as one of the
buzzword in recentyears - and there’s
one man who has been sowing the seeds.
Cambridgeshire farmer Martin Lines
started the Nature Friendly Farming
Network, a farmer-led group, in 2017,
helping farmers work together, as well
as tying to in fluence government policy.
“He is blazing a trail for nature recoveiy
in farmed landscapes at the same time
as improving the profitability of his farming
business,” says Tony Juniper. “His impact
is only going to increase over time.”
THE SUSTAINABILITY
SCHOLAR
Nominated by the Rt Hon
Sir Alok Sharma, MP and
president of COP26
Newly graduated Deidre
Boodoosingh already has an
impressive CV, immersing herself in climate
societies during her MPhil studies in
engineering for sustainable development.
Lastyear, she spent time filming with Sir Alok
Shanna before COP28. “Deidre is committed
to tackling climate change, having witnessed
its pernicious impacts from an early age,”
Sir Alok says. Growing up in Trinidad and
Tobago, a Small Ishind I )eveloping State, Deidre
sees die challenge of meeting energy demands
wh ile lowering impact on the planet. She’s now
looking for a corporate role in sustainability
greatest emitters of greenhouse gases,” Heruy
Dimbleby says. “The closest thing to a simple
solution is for us to eat more beans.” His
family have a subscription to the Bold Bean
Company (boldbeanco.com), founded by
food marketing executive Amelia Christie-
Miller, receiving regular jars of black, red,
white and butter beans, slowly cooked in
small batches. Amelia’s recipe book,Z?oZtZ
Beans (Kyle Books, £17.99), is out now. ►
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 31
ONES TO WATCH
WH
32 FEBRUARY 2024
TECEc
Hill
©THE BUDDING GROWER
Nominated by Clare Matterson,
« directorgeneral of the RHS
Lawrence Weston might
, l	see m 1 i ke any ot he r you ng
г У	person throwing themselves
Wv into work experience, but he
is tipped for big things. Lastyear, with other
students at RHS Rosemoor in Devon, he
1 lelped build Carol Klein’s Iconic Horticultural
Hero Garden for the RHS Hampton Court
Palace Garden Festival. He was also a finalist
for the 2023 Young Horticulturist of the
Year Award. Now, Lawrence, who aims to go
into organic market gardening, is working with
Bristol University to track the DNA of RHS
Rosemoor’s apple collection. “Lawrence has
a thirst for knowledge and wants to benefit
the environment,” says Clare Mattersoii^aj
Ф THE CHEF’S SECRET
INGREDIENT
Nominated by
Я"**’ I Raymond Blanc
[ J J Big-name chefs often snatch
мж the limelight, but depend
1 1ЯЯ on top talent in the kitchen.
Senior sous chef Liam Skelton has
worked at Le Manoir aux Quaf Saisons
(bclrnond.com), Raymond Blanc’s two
Michelin-starred restaurant and hotel,
for sevenyears, and made the semi-finals
of National Chef of the Year in 2022.
“Liam has all the leadership skills, work
ethic, craft and passion for a promising
future,” says Raymond, supported by
his executive head chef Luke Selby.
“He has real potential to become a
leader in the world of food.”
Ф ТНЕ MATERIAL GIRL
Nominated by Sophie Robinson,
MBP11 interior designer and
broadcaster
ЛА'" Ik After working in interiors
for 15years, Jules Haines
ЧЖ4* knew how much fabric was
wasted in the industiy. To save it from
landfill, she set up Haines Collection in
2020, selling surplus from manufacturers
such as Colefax and Fowler, before having
it made into sustainable rugs, cushions
and furniture. “Jules is an inspiration,”
Sophie Robinson says. “She has created a
brilliant business, allowing anyone to source
luxuiy materials that are otherwise out of
their budget.” Sophie recommends Jules’s
Instagram account (@haines_collection), too.
Jules is now planning her first pop-up shop.
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•	All Viking excursion gear needed for any
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•	24-hour room service and speciality coffees,
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•	Access to The Nordic Spa and state-of-the-art
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•	Onboard gratuities
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SEASONAL INSPIRATION
LAZY LIKE
SUNDAY
mormv;
The slowest day’s gentle embrace is the perfect
time to relax, recharge and savour self-care
routines that lift body and soul
WORDS BY ANNA MELVILLE-JAMES PRODUCTION BY ALAINA BINKS
CUSHIONS AND FABRIC FROM TORI MURPHY (TORIMURPHYCOM)
34 FEBRUARY 2024
countrylwing.com/uk
Losey ourself in a magazine,
newspaper or good book,
settling down in the nook of
a room, on a window seat or
at the kitchen table. A comfy
cushion, hot water bottle and
cup of tea to hand adds to
a quiet sense of nesting, as
thepages flip by with the
afternoon hours. ►
TOGETHER
Welcome loved ones to
Sunday brunch or lunch
to catch up on the week gone
by. Hosting doesn’t have to
be formal:pretty table
linens and relaxed, low-
maintenance dishefouch as
warming casseroles leave\
plenty of time and space for
chat and laughter. Dahlia
Garden fabric, Borastapeter
(borastapeter.com).
SEASONAL INSPIRATION
4JU.KC'
Play table games, listen to
the rain beating on the
window pane and rest your
mug of tea on crocheted
coasters. To make them, use
soft, chunky wool and a big
crochet hook. Create chain
stitches to the size ofa mug
base,for each coaster, then
Rouble crochet to the
relmired width. Finally,
sew edges with a double
„'.i running stitch in a
contrasting tapestry wool. ►
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 37
SEASONAL INSPIRATION
(J-CJsbqp HI)
WITH A STEW
Noftuss foody ou can batch-cook suits
Sunday s slow flow, A chicken soup-
cum-stew is a one-pot wonder that
doesn’t require much effort (even
better if there’s some left over for the
week ahead). Sweat leeks in butter
and simmer with potatoes and
chicken stock. Season well, blend
with a generous amount of cream
and eat with a deep spoon and
a contented sigh.
38 FEBRUARY 2024
countryliving.coni/uk
SLEEP TH ROUGH THE \LARM
Ignore the clock and let slumber melt into Sunday morning's
stretches, snuggling under the covers with no need to rouse.
Make this sanctuary a place for reconnection, listening to a podcast
or meditating, in pyjamas and woollen socks for extra cosiness.
JOT DOWN YOUR MUSINGS
Buy or bind a beautiful journal to trust your thoughts with and
dream, plan and doodle, create recipes and note down upcoming
events and garden jobs. Or just write about the things you are
grateful for in life, guaranteed to get positive energy flowing.
FLOAT ON
Soak the world away with a long, luxuriant bath warm enough
to soothe without drying out skin. Add aromatherapy oils and
restore body and soul with a sumptuous skincare ritual - and a
cool rinse afterwards to balance energy and boost circulation.
REST EASY
Diving under freshly laundered sheets is a sensory thrill of cool,
smooth perfection. Scent with lavender water to inspire a good
night's sleep, ensuring your duvet tog suits the weather and pillows
are firm or squashy to suit - blankets are a must for crisp nights. ►
FEBRUARY 2024 39
SEASONAL INSPIRATION
PHOTOGRAPHS BY SIMON BEVAN; BRENT DARBY; GETTY IMAGES; HOUSE OF PICTURES/ANNABELLE ANTAS/MATILDA LINDEBLAD; LIVING4MEDIA;
JACK NEVILLE; MARK SCOTT; RACHEL WHITING STYLING BY ALAI NA BINKS; SOPHIE MARTELL; TORI MURPHY; HESTER PAGE; SIAN WILLIAMS
40 FEBRUARY 2024
countryliving.com/uk
“...It is the sweet, simple things of life,
which are the real ones after all”
Laura Ingalls Wilder
О
BIG UP
Lingering longer on breakfast is a luxury that crowns the end ofthe week,
as time slows to allow you to create homemade indulgences such as waffles
orpancakes. The ultimate treat, though, is in making batches ahead of
time and freezing, ready to warm up when the moodstrikes. Just top with
dark syrup, luscious cream, fruit and a kiss oficing sugar.
INTERVIEW
10
QI EST1ONS
WITH...
The TV presenter
on barefoot walking,
hill climbing with her
parents and therapy
sessions with a tree
\ Newsnight has called you an “outdoor
evangelist". Have you always felt the pull
of the natural world?
I had a pretty idyllic upbringing. Weekends
were spent in a gorgeous 400-year-old
rectoiy in a village in Rutland. Weekdays
were spent in Sheffield, where Dad had a job in the steel industry
and Mum ran a boutique. Dad had grown up in the Peak District
and, from the age of six, 1 would go hiking with him there. He
often says he’d look up to find me scrambling up a mountain
or trekking ahead, forging my own path.
2 So you were a bit of a wi Id child?
Dad says I’ve always been fiercely independent. But I enjoyed
being at home, too. I loved pottering around the garden with
Mum when I wasn’t climbing trees and scrumping apples.
5 You’ve traipsed all over the world, from Loch Lomond
in Scotland to a cattle farm in Australia. Which part of
the UK keeps callingyou back?
The Lake District has been a veiy welcoming place for me ever
since I filmed my first walking series there \Wainwright Walks
in 2007], following in the footsteps of Alfred Wainwright. I still
remember that breathtaking sunset on Scafell Pike, England’s
tallest peak at 975 metres. The area easily holds its own on the
world stage: the landscapes are stunning.
4 After recovering from breast cancer,you decided to do a big
hill climb with your family in the Peak District. How did it go?
Brilliantly. I am vety proud! The twins [Xanthe and Zena] were
seven, my son [Zephyr] was ten and my parents [Chrissi and
Michael] were in their eighties. Mum hadn’t gone up Mam Tor,
one of my favourite peaks, since her honeymoon, 50years earlier.
I wanted it to be a marker in the sand that I’d come this far and,
from nowon, I’d be looking forward rather than back.
5 You also made a vow after surgeiy to spend time outside
every day. How do you fit this around parenting, TV work,
podcasts and talks?
I make it non-negotiable. Even when I get home late and am on
the road early, travelling all day to a location, I make sure I get
outside. I was pushed for time this morning, but still managed
ten minutes. I stood on the grass grounding [usually going barefoot
JULIA
BRADBURY
to absorb negative ions, which are said to
be beneficial for health], did some Qigong
[exercises to optimise energy in the mind
and body] and carried out breathing
exercises, all while getting my fix of morning
light - essential for regulating the body’s
circadian rhythms. It was a quadruple
whammy. I felt nourished. Peter Attia, a
Canadian-American doctor 1 admire, has
said it should be a legal requirement for
eveiyone to spend an hour in nature eveiy
day. I completely concur.
6 The wintry weather never putsyou off?
Not in the least. Snow reminds me of being
a child when I’d dig snow tunnels with Dad.
Oneyear, in Hathersage, near Sheffield, the snowdrifts were
immense. Dad is six foot four and I remember them dwarfing him.
I even love it when it rains - it scrubs the air clean and boosts my
mood. I’m all for embracing the elements.
7 You’ve also been known to embrace the odd tree...
I am most definitely a tree hugger. Being around trees has
been shown to reduce stress, lower blood pressure and improve
our mood. I happily commune with them. I greet a particular
London plane tree in our garden eveiy morning. It was a veiy
useful counsellor when I was going through my breast cancer.
I listen to the rustle of its leaves and it hears my thoughts for
the day. There’s a bit of telepathy going on.
8 How easy has it been to get the kids on board?
I’m lucky that they’re still at an age where they see going
outdoors as an adventure. Even in Januaiy, they play outside
in the garden or in local parks. I’ve also taken them to streams
where my dad taught me to tickle trout. We only go when there’s
no chance of them catching fish - tickling trout is illegal - but
I’ve made them wade in freezing water and stick their hands
in to see if they can feel anything.
.9 Ever tempted to decamp to the countiyside?
In a dream world,yes, but my partner [Gerard Cunningham,
a property developer] needs to be in London for work. We’re
fortunate to have green space nearby and we visit my parents
in Rutland frequently. We get a lot of “nature snacks”.
10 Where might you stop for “nature snacks" in the newyear?
That’s hard to say because my diaiy is beautifully clear. The past
few months have been busier than I’d anticipated - and hoped.
I’m aiming for a calmer, more relaxed 2024 with a lot of time in
the countiyside. I can never have too much of that.
JULIA BRADBURY is an ambassador for Hats On For Mind, a collection
of hats with all profits going to mental health charity Mind. To buy a
hat, go to mind.org.uk or look in store at Blacks or Millets.
INTERVIEW BY LAURA SILVERMAN PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID VENNI
42 FEBRUARY 2024
countrylwing.com/uk

Ж IRISH
BAKERY
FOOD STORIES
WORDS AND RECIPES BY CHERIE DENHAM
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREW MONTGOMERY
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 45
RHUBARB UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
WITH A SEVILLE ORANGE GLAZE
Rhubarb is one (fmy favourite things to eat. It evokes
pure nostalgia for me and reminds me of home. I’ve
been making this cake for about fiveyears - based on
family fruit cakes we’d eat growing up in Northern
Ireland. Today I serve it on a Sunday afternoon with
apot of tea by the fire. Seville orange is theperfect
counterfoil for the rhubarb’s sharpness. I make my
marmalade in January so it’s readyjust in time for
forced-rhubarb season in February and March.
Serves8
600G RHUBARB
200G SELF-RAISING FLOUR
1	TSP BAKING POWDER
200G UNSALTED BUTTER,
SOFTENED
200G CASTER SUGAR
2	TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
ZEST OF 1 ORANGE
2 EGGS
55G NATURAL YOGURT
55MLMILK
30G FLAKED ALMONDS
FOR THE GLAZE
225G SEVILLE ORANGE
MARMALADE
2 TBSP WARM WATER
1	Preheat the oven to 160°C (140 C fan oven) gas mark 4.
2	Grease a 23cm springform cake tin and line the sides
but not the base with baking parchment.
5	First make the glaze. Put the marmalade and water in
a small pan. Heat gently until the marmalade melts, then
simmer for 1 minute. Strain through a sieve and pour
5 tbsp glaze over the base of the tin in an equal layer.
Set the rest of the glaze aside.
4Slice the pinkest rhubarb into 5cm pieces and place
them on top of the glaze in a neat pattern, flat edge down.
Cut smaller pieces to fit into the spaces, making sure as
much of the base is covered as possible. Cut the remaining
rhubarb into 1.5cm pieces and set aside.
5	Next make the cake. Sift the flour and baking powder into
a bowl. Put the butter, sugar and vanilla extract into a food
processor or free-standing mixer. Blend or beat briefly until
the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the orange zest and then
the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
If the mixture starts to curdle, add a spoonful of the flour.
Add theyogurt and milk and pulse gently to combine.
6	Add the flour and baking powder to the mixture and
pulse again for a few seconds until well combined. You
may need to scrape down t lie sides of the bowl.
7	Add the remaining rhubarb and gently combine until
it is just mixed in but not chopped up.
8	Spoon the mixture carefully into the tin on top of the
rhubarb and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the batter with
the flaked almonds.
9	Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 50-55 minutes
or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
10 Transfer the cake to a wire rack and allow to cool in the
tin for 40 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate.
11 Reheat the glaze and brush over the rhubarb.
46 FEBRUARY 2024
FOOD STORIES
RHUBARB & GINGER JAM
My daddy s mother, Granny Marshall, loved rhubarb
and ginger jam and always had apot in thepress.
Makingjam is a tradition I still uphold today Its a very
meditativeprocess that brings out the homemaker in
me. Ill eat my jam on scones, layer it between sponge
cakes with fresh cream or heap it onto porridge or
yogurt. Nothing beats biting into a wee bit of fiery
ginger. In our house, I'm the only one who like jams
and jellies, so 111 gift jars to friends and family.
Makes 4 jars
unsterile. Wash the lids and leave to dry on some kitchen
paper. Put two small plates into the refrigerator to get
cold soyou can test the jam for setting point.
2 Combine the rhubarb, sugar, lemon zest mid juice
and stem ginger in a non-reactive bowl. Mix well,
cover with a clean dishcloth and leave to stand in
a cool place overnight.
5 The next morning, scrape the mixture into a preserving
pan or large, heavy-based saucepan, discarding the zest.
4 Stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then
bring to the boil and cook for 12-15 minutes. Stir every so
often so that the mixture doesn’t catch on the bottom.
1KG RHUBARB, WASHED
AND CUT INTO 4CM
CHUNKS
WITH 8G PECTIN
PAREDZEST AND JUICE
OF 2 LEMONS
900G JAM SUGAR OR
GRANULATED SUGAR
110G STEM GINGER, FINELY
CHOPPED
1 Sterilise four jam jars by putting them though a
dishwasher cycle or by washing in warm, soapy water
5 To test if the jam has reached setting point, spoon a
little onto one of the cold plates. Chill it in the fridge
for 1-2 minutes, then push the jam withyour finger. If
it wrinkles, it is ready, if not, return it to the pan to boil
gently for another few minutes.
6 If there is a lot of scum, stir the jam in one direction to
make the bubbles disappear and if that doesn't work,
stir in a little knob of butter.
and leaving to dry in a wanning oven. It’s importantyou
don’t use a tea towel to dry the jars as this will make them
7 Ladle into sterilised jars, cover with a wax disc if you
like and seal with a lid. ►
things to eat. It evokes pure nostalgia
for me and reminds me of home
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 47
3 SMALL BAY LEAVES
% THUMB OF FRESH
ginger, Thinly sliced
1 TSP ALLSPICE berries
85G CASTER SUGAR
pl
Serves 6
*
48
LUARY2O24

RHUBARB
This recipe wasinspiredbya dessert Hasted in
Galway. I sat there with my pen and paper noting
down allthe spices Icould taste, ready to recreate
it at home. I didn't learn about “exotic'spices until
much later, but now I love to experiment with
ingredients such as ginger, bay leaves and allspice
berries. Make this mixture a day in advance and
keep it covered in the fridge. Ilike to serve it with
• cake, cream or creme fraiche orjpst on its o wn.
1 Preheat oven to 17O°G (15O°C fan,6vcn) gas mark 5.
2 Place the rhubarb, vanilla paste, orange zest and
400G RHUBARB CUT
INTO 2CM PIECES
1 TSP VANILLA PASTE
PAREDZEST AND JUICE
OF 1 ORANGE
3 STAR ANISE
and caster sugar into a large bowl and stir.
5 Using a spatula, scrape the contents out of the
bowl m to an ovenproof dish.
4 Place in the oven for 20 minutes, by which time the
rhubarb should be soft but still holding i*t s shape.
Remove from the heat and cool.


FOOD STORIES
VANILLA CHEESECAKE WITH
ORANGE & CARDAMOM RHUBARB
Wed often have cheesecake for pudding at Sunday
lunch. As I got older, 1read about American-style baked
cheesecake and was thrilled to try one when we went up
the North Antrim Coast one winter. It wasgoodbut could
have been better... It needed something sharp and moist
to stop it being too cloying, so I invented this version.
Serves 12
FOR THE BASE
225G DIGESTIVE BISCUITS
110G UNSALTED BUTTER
55G CASTER SUGAR
FOR THE FILLING
255G FULL-FAT
CREAM CHEESE __
255G RICOTTA
200G CASTER SUGAR
3 EGGS
2 TBSP CORNFLOUR
300ML SOUR CREAM
3 TSP VANILLA PASTE
OR EXTRACT
FOR THE TOPPING
400G FORCED RHUBARB,
CUT INTO 4CM PIECES
ZEST AND JUICE OF 1
ORANGE, PLUS EXTRA ZEST
85G CASTER SUGAR
1 TSP VANILLA PASTE OR
EXTRACT
1 CARDAMOM POD
150ML CREME FRAICHE
1	Preheat the oven to 130°C (110°C fan oven) gas mark 2.
Grease a 24cm springform cake tin and line the base and
sides with parchment, pressing any excess against the tin.
2	For the base, pulse the biscuits in a food processor or put
them in a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin.
5	Melt the butter in a pan, then pour onto the biscuits with
the sugar and pulse until the mixture resembles rubble.
4	Press into the tin, place on a baking sheet and refrigerate.
5	To make the filling, combine the cream cheese, ricotta and
sugar in a food processor and blend. Add theeggs one at a
time, beating between each addition. Add the cornflour,
sour cream and vanilla and blend. Pour onto the base and
bake on the middle shelf for 1 hour until set but with a wobble.
6	When the cheesecake has finished baking, turn off the
oven, leaving the cheesecake there with the door slightly
ajar (use two wooden spoons to keep it open).
7	Meanwhile, make the topping. Put the rhu barb in a pan
with the orange zest mid juice, sugar and vanilla. Bruise •
the cardamom pod to release the seeds mid add. Stir
well and place over a medium heat. Cover and simmer
for 3-5 minutes until the rhubarb is soft but holding its
shape. Pour into a large dish and leave to cool.
8	When cool, spreac 1 the creme Fraiche on top, sprinkle
over the orange zest and spoon over the rhubarb. ►
FEBRUARY2024 49
CHOCOLATE & ALMOND
CAKES WITH RHUBARB,
GINGER & ORANGE FOOL
A few years ago, we went to a fantastic restaurant
on the WildAtlantic Way I really wanted something
sweet after lunch, and even though Гт not a huge
chocolate puddingfan, I ordered the chocolate almond
cake. It was absolutely delicious. This is my version,
served with a divinefruity fool. My grannies, great
aunts and Mummy always grew rhubarb at the bottom
of their garden, so Hike to think of them whenever
I make a rh ubarb recipe.
Serves 6
110G DARK (BITTERSWEET)
CHOCOLATE
110G MILK CHOCOLATE
110G CASTER SUGAR
110G UNSALTED BUTTER,
PLUS EXTRA FOR GREASING
110G GROUND ALMONDS
4 EGGS, SEPARATED
FOR THE RHUBARB, GINGER
AND ORANGE FOOL
340G FORCED RHUBARB,
CUT INTO 4CM PIECES
% THUMB-SIZED PIECE OF
FRESH GINGER, PEELED
AND GRATED
ZEST AND JUICE OF
1 ORANGE
85G CASTER SUGAR
120ML DOUBLE CREAM
110G MASCARPONE
3 TBSP TRIPLE SEC (OR
MORE ORANGE JUICE)
1	Preheat the oven to 160°C (140 C fan oven) gas mark 4.
2	Grease six 8cm ring moulds and line with baking
parchment. Place on a flat baking sheet also lined
with baking parch me nt.
5	Melt the chocolates, sugar and butter together, either in a
microwave or in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water.
4	Remove from the heat and stir in the ground almonds and
then the eggyolks.
5	Whisk the egg whites in a large, clean bowl until they
form soft peaks. Stir one large spoonful into the chocolate
mixture to loosen it, then fold in the rest of the egg whites.
6	Divide the mixture between the six moulds and bake on
the middle shelf of the oven for 15-17 minutes until just
squidgy in the middle.
7	Meanwhile, make the fool. Put the rhubarb into a large
saucepan with the ginger, orange zest and juice and sugar.
Stir well and cook over a medium heat until the mixture
starts to simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer for 3-5
minutes until the rhubarb is soft but still holding its shape.
Carefully pour into a dish large enough for the rhubarb
to sit in a single layer. Leave to cool.
8	Whisk the cream, mascarpone and triple sec in a large
bowl until theyjust hold together. Gently fold in two -thirds
of the rhubarb and refrigerate untilyoure ready to serve.
Keep the remaining rhubarb covered in a separate bowl.
9	To serve, unmould the cakes and top with some of the fool
and a spoonful of the rhubarb. ►
50 FEBRUARY 2024
FOOD STORIES
When 1 was a wee girl, 1 would sit
. £	among the rhubarb, dipping the
reddest stalks into a pot of sugar
r
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 51
THERIIUBARB
GROWERS
Based in County Dublin, Derek and Aoife Ryan have
been growing rhubarb for more than 20 years. Inside
their sheds, the plants really do squeak, crack and
pop as they are forced - or "persuaded" as Derek
describes it. The luminous pink stalks fetch a
premium price, but it's not just their early arrival
that makes them desirable and more expensive.
Their flavour, colour and tenderness are prized by
chefs and home bakers alike. In the short season
from January to March, Derek and Aoife - along
with their three children - help with the harvesting.
This process is done by candlelight (the plants
would stop growing if they were exposed to
too much light) and by hand - a time-consuming
task, but one that reduces the risk of disease.
"Rhubarb is so Irish," Derek says. "Everyone's
granny had a patch in the back garden. The smell
of rhubarb gently stewing in a saucepan or
bubbling in a piping hot crumble brings back
memories of childhood."
WORDS BY KITTY CORRIGAN
STRAWBERRY & RHUBARB
CRUMBLE TARTS
This recipe was inspired by my Granny Neill's fruit
and veg patch. She grew all sorts in there, but best of
all were the strawberries, lurking under their leaves,
and the rhubarb excavatedfrom underground. Mien
she noticed her stra wberries hadbeen eaten, Granny
would bellow, 4'11 never get a boilin of jam out ofthat
now."Inspired by thosefond funny memories', I make
these tarts with a trilogy of strawberries, rhubarb and
orange. I use rhubarbjam, but you can use any variety
and I wont hold it against you!
Serves 8
FOR THE PASTRY
200G PLAIN FLOUR
110G UNSALTED BUTTER
55G ICING SUGAR
ZEST OF 1 ORANGE
1 EGG YOLK
FOR THE FILLING
400G STRAWBERRIES,
HULLED AND QUARTERED
6 TBSP RHUBARB AND
GINGER JAM
JUICE OF % ORANGE
1 TSP VANILLA PASTE
FOR THE CRUMBLE
TOPPING
85G PLAIN FLOUR
85G UNSALTED BUTTER
55G GROUND ALMONDS
55G LIGHT BROWN
SOFT SUGAR
1	To make the tarts, pulse the flour, butter, icing sugar and
orange zest in a food processor until the mixture resembles
breadcrumbs. Alter natively,you can do this withyour
fingers. Mix the eggyolk with 2 tbsp cold water and pulse
into the dry ingredients untilyou have a soft dough. Tip out,
bring together and pat into a flat disc, then wrap in baking
parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2	For the filling, mix together all the ingredients in a bowl.
Cover and refrigerate until needed.
5	For the crumble, place all the ingredients in a food
processor and pulse until the mixture resembles a rubbly
crumble. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
4	Divide the pastiy into eight equal pieces and roll each
piece out on a lightly floured surface into a circle large
enough to line a 10cm loose-bottomed tartlet tin, with a little
overhang. Line the tins, pushing the pastiy into eveiy ridge,
then trim off the excess. Prick the bases with a fork, then
refrigerate or freeze for 30 minutes.
5	Preheat the oven to 180 C (160 °C fan oven) gas mark 6.
6	Line the pastiy cases with parchment and fill the tartlets
with baking beans. Place the tins on baking sheets and bake
for 15 minutes, then lift out the beans and parchment paper.
Return to the oven for a further 2-3 minutes until the base
is diy and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
7	Divide the fruit filling between the pastiy cases. Remove
the crumble from the fridge and break up any larger pieces.
Hold the tartlet tins over the bowl with the crumble mix in
and pile the crumble on the fruit. This way, any spillage goes
back into the bowl instead of all over the baking sheet.
8	Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
52 FEBRUARY 2024
countryliving.com/uk
к SI I
ВАК  И

EXTRACTED FROM
The Irish Bakery by Andrew
Montgomery and Cherie
Denham (Montgomery Press,
£27), available to order at
montgomerypress.co.uk.
CL readers can get a ten per
cent discount plus free UK p&p
when ordering online and using
the code CLIRISHBAKERY10.
Creating beautiful
Olverpainted, solid
Vineer-ash shaker
door with intricate
vuoodgrain and
beaded detailing

kitchens since 1918
Magnet
Better. By design
Free design consultancy available online and in-store, magnet.co.uk
EST. 1918
HOMES & DECORATING
SIGN
S TAT E M E NTS
levate the everyday interior with these
back-in-vogue decorative details now
at the forefront of modern design
WORDS BY SALLY COULTHARD PRODUCTION BY ALAINA BINKS

countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 55
SCALLOPED
Bring in somejauntystyle with romantic, Bloomsbury-inspired scallops. Think
fabric trims, hand-painted bordersand rows of half-circles reminiscent of'a scallop
shell Mix it up to add a blithe, playful layer tofurniture, walls and sqftfumishings.
CURTAIN COOL Soften the hard structural lines of kitchens and bathrooms
with pretty curtaining. Here, a scallop edge turns a casual ticking fabric into
an elegant shower curtain. Line the cotton with a waterproof backing or
use to disguise a traditional shower curtain layered behind. Walls in Canvas
wall paint, £55.95/2.5L; bath panelling in Olive chalk paint, £16.95/500ml;
Graphite ticking stripe fabric, £34.95/m: all Annie Sloan.
CURVE APPEAL Be inspired by Karin Hossack's
tempting palette of contemporary hues, from dusky
pink and apple green to punchy coral, to keep this
pattern up to date, from £15 for a pinch pot.
STATEMENT PIECES
1 Piranesi Pink wall paint (also on previous page), £55.95/2.5L,
Annie Sloan 2 Pink scallop dinner plate, £38, Late Afternoon 3 Round
rattan tray with stand, £134, Mrs Alice 4 Linen napkin in pink, £65/
set of four, Matilda Goad 5 Candleholder (candle not included),
£100, Carolina Irving & Daughters 6 Sycamore spoon made from
salvaged fallen wood by Nick Vorstermans, £48, Studio Critical
56 FEBRUARY 2024
HOMES & DECORATING
TOP TIP
presence.
MAKING WAVES Not just confined to a shapely edge, there's room for
creativity with painted effects, too. Colourful wiggles on a pendant, fluted
borders and stencils for walls and floors or glazed loops on ceramics - these
are much gentler than a geometric print but still beautifully graphic and mix
easily with other country favourites from checks to stripes. Blush pink and
strawberry two-tone bespoke pendant, from £408, David Hunt Lighting. ►
inllfffl
hr /
Consider scale
- oversized
scallops are a
blend of whimsy
and theatre. On
a smaller scale,
they’ll have a
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY2024 57
BOBBINS
There’s something undeniably sophisticated about spool furniture.
Originally a technique that showcased a woodworkers skill, these
ftourishesbringaglorioustactilityto carpentry and decorativepieces.
MODERN TWIST Rich colours (and zingy shades) - painted, stained, gloss or
lacquered - bring this antique style into the modern day, giving the simplest
of objects bold personality. Mimicking the uniformity of the bobbin, Birdie
Fortescue celebrates symmetry here, where ornate items make a statement as
a collective. Stripy candlesticks, from £35; table lamp bases, £170 each;
String lampshades, from £70 each: all Sarah Corbett-Winder with Birdie Fortescue.
AHEAD OF THE CURVE These
decorative spindles give
furniture cottage character.
Bobbin bed, from £3,192, Turner
Pocock with Chelsea Textiles.
1 Preference Red emulsion, from £59/2.5L, Farrow & Ball 2 Hand-carved Bobbin
bedside table, £1,210, from the Turner Pocock collaboration with Chelsea
Textiles 3 Hand-turned painted Iris table. £660, Louise Booyens Interiors
4 Chambray blue salt or pepper mill, £58, Addison Ross 5 Spool gloss red
floor lamp base, £156; marble tapered drum shade, £48: both Dar Lighting
58 FEBRUARY 2024
HOMES & DECORATING
Strips of beaded
moulding used
on cupboard
fronts and doors
elevate upcycling
projects (available
from Decora
Mouldings).
TURN THE TABLES
Choose designs rooted in \
history but with an updated
twist. Here, Tess Newall's 1
wallpaper, inspired by an v
18th-century Swedish mural, .
chimes beautifully with I
(husband) Alfred Newall's
Bobbin collection for classic Z
country chic. Hand-turned
oak Bobbin side table,
£695; cloakroom mirror, (
£265: both Alfred Newall.
Secret Garden wallpaper, /
£192/roll, Tess Newall. ►	'
f Г
countryliving.coni/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 59
RUFFLES
Ruches and ruffles upgrade the ordinary. Frilled edges, with their
generous use of fabric, bring a touch ofvintage opulence, creating
an interior that’s packed with tailor-made charm and character.
MATERIAL PLEASURES Take style cues from the cottagecore trend with
the whimsical romance of ruffles centre-stage. In Alice Palmer's home
(below), the loosely pleated fabric on her lampshades and cushions in
fresh fabrics feel current yet timeless, and a far cry from 1980s frou-frou.
Green Callaloo linen lampshade, £180; Green Callaloo cushion, £85;
Tangier olive stripe cushion, £85: all Alice Palmer & Co.
FANCY FRILLS In the bedroom, these on-trend
trims pretty-up plain and simple gingham bedding.
Tilly frill cushion, £69, Rowen & Wren.
STATEMENT PIECES
ЖШ VAN GOGH,

1 Frilly candlestick, £45, Quinn Says 2 Jewel Beetle emulsion,
£57.50/2.5L, Little Greene 3 Woodhouse claret large check tablecloth,
£175, Tori Murphy 4 Colwyn stoneware bowl, £120, The White Company
5 Big Boy chocolate-black stripe cushion, £220, By Lydia 6 Lewis &
Wood Daisy Chinz Tiffany ruffle lampshade, from £395, Beauvamp
60 FEBRUARY 2024
FOR STOCKISTS see Where to Buy
HOMES & DECORATING

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JON DAY PHOTOGRAPHY; CHRIS EVERARD; BOZ GAGOVSKI; DAVID HUNT
TOP TIP
Simplicity reigns
supreme. Choose
one hero ruffled
piece or use
multiples
avoiding strong
clashing colours
and patterns.
GATHER TOGETHER Master the art of
balancing old and new with modern
classics that help you steer clear of
old-fashioned. Here, updated Ercol
spindle chairs, sleek ceramic lighting
and simplified earthenware sit in
perfect tandem and set a modern rustic
canvas suited to a ruffle-trim tablecloth.
Woodhouse small check tablecloth,
£175, Tori Murphy. Cobb bone china
pendant, from £259, Original BTC.
Heritage chairs, from £380 each, Ercol.
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 61
WHITSTABLE
IN SEA GREEN
THE BEST OF BRITISH DESIGN
COUNTRY LIVING AT HOMEBASE

ECO
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kitchens are FSC
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Country Living kitchens are the perfect choice for those dreaming
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The Whitstable blends practicality with style and warmth. Crafted in a classic
Shaker style with subtle modern touches, it comes in 11 beautiful colours
including serene Sea Green, dramatic Black and pastel-perfect Blush Pink.
All colours offer a premium satin finish and can be mixed and matched to
create a truly bespoke look.
The cabinet interiors come in a choice of five finishes, ranging from Cool White
to Country Oak, and have been cleverly designed to accommodate a wealth
of useful storage solutions, such as extra-deep pan drawers, larder cupboards,
pull-out racks and more... there's even a cocktail cabinet, should you so desire!
Supplied pre-assembled for ease of installation, all Country Living kitchens
are hand-built in Yorkshire and come with an impressive 20-year guarantee.
See the full range in store and online, and let our design experts create a
kitchen that will quickly become the heart of your home.
Visit homebase.co.uk to book your virtual or in-store consultation
COUNTRYLIVING HOMEBASE

ARTISAN BUSINESSES
BECOME A WHIZZ AT...
ч < i
Will St Clair, pictured with
his partner Penny Tasker,
and YoavElkayam head up
Woodland Makers, a collective
of craftspeople making plates,
baskets and chairs out of local
materials in an open-air
workshop near Bromyard, Herefordshire. The
woodworkers, who each have their own specialism
and often use traditional tools, eat together and
care for the space. Some of them live on site,
too, with camping available for visitors. Funded
places for people interested in woodwork who
can’t afford a course or belong to a marginalised
group may be available.
Carve a spoon (£115), turn a bowl (£210) or build
a timber frame (£500). ufoodlandmakers.com ►

countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 65
TURN YOUR IIANI) TO...
Sarah Burns spends her days
walking on the South Downs,
foraging for plants for her
homemade dyes, before
mixing them in her West
Sussex studio and using them
to transform fabric, bags and
cushions. “No plant is without its purpose,”
says Sarah. “Whatever the season, nature gives
us pattern, movement and balance.” Sarah’s
concern for the environment extends from her
dye ingredients to her textiles - she uses only
100 per cent natural linen. The playful block-
print style that makes Sarah Burns Patterns
stand out is inspired by the ancient Indian craft
of chintz making and pioneering SOth-centuiy
British designers.
Makeyour own book cloth and paste papers
(£60) or take part in a one-day block-printing
workshop (£160). sarahbumspattems.com
ARTISAN BUSINESSES
BECOME PROFICIENT AT...
Rachel Siegfried
(near left) looks after
five fragrant acres of
peonies, sweet peas
and delphiniums
with her partner
Ashley Pearson
in Little Stoke,
Oxfordshire. Over
the past 15years, her
flower growing and floristiy business, Green
& Gorgeous, has won a stellar reputation for
its bouquets, artfully arranged in a relaxed,
just-gathered’ style. Brides swoon over her
creations, butyou don’t have to be getting
married to buy a bunch - on Saturdays from
April to October, anyone can drop by to pick
one up, oryou could get more involved and
have a go at floristiyyourself.
Learn flower arranging (£90), floral
photography (£190) or the foundations for
startingyour own floristiy business (£220).
greenandgorgeousftowers.co.uk
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN...
Kate Holland can
spend 150 hours
painstakingly
rebinding an old book
in her Somerset studio.
First, to get ideas
for the design, she
reads the complete
paperback version:
“The only way to
convey an author's nuances is to immerseyourself
in their world." Then, working from her sketches,
she picks up hertools, folding and pressing and
sewing and sponging and decorating. Kate has
bindings in the collections of the V&A and the
British Libraiy. Not all projects take 150 hours...
Become a master of Japanese stab binding
(£95) or commit to a five -day course to pick up
the basics katehoUandbooks.co.uk ►
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 67
Julie encourages
people to realise
how powerful
baking can be
PERFECT YOUR...
Fifteenyears ago, Julie Jones
trained as a chef, before
putting her career on hold
to look after her family. She
discovered baking as “mutual
therapy” while caring for
her mum, who was living
with dementia. Julie’s heartfelt Instagram
posts of them baking together - as well as
the outstanding artistiy of her pastiy - drew
attention from around the world, leading
to a book, TV appearances and work with
Jamie Oliver. As well as bringing up her three
children in Cumbria, Julie campaigns to
raise awareness of dementia, encouraging
people to realise how powerful baking can be.
Finesse a feather pattern (£35) or rustle
up an apple rose tart (£4ч5) over Zoom.
Juliejones.online
DISCOVER TI IE MAGIC OF...
q < <t i
<A*V
During the summer, Felicity
Irons harvests English
freshwater bulrushes, just as
it was done in Anglo-Saxon
times, for her business Rush
Matters. In her five-metre-
long punt, she navigates
rivers in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire,
cutting her crop using a scythe-like blade,
before taking it back to her farm to be dried
and stored. “I love it on the river,” she says.
“It’s the most magical place.” Felicity then
transforms her material into bags, baskets,
mats and chairs, each piece mellowing from
its original green to a honey-like tone with age.
Experiment with weaving techniques
over two (£280) or three (£420) days.
rushmatters.co.uk ►
D'/И к ’ A


countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 69
ARTISAN BUSINESSES
MASTER THE ART OF...
Diane Hill discovered
chinoiserie - 18th-
centuiy Europe’s
interpretation of
Chinese art - as a
textile student, while
leafing through a book
on wallpaper. “I saw
a panoramic design
that was beautifully
handpainted and knew that was what I wanted
to do,” she says. Diane went to work for a
chinoiserie specialist, who sent her to China to
learn from the experts, before going freelance.
Now, she creates her own paintings, prints and
wallpaper, often featuring birds and butterflies,
from her home in Hertfordshire.
Pick up tips and tricks through Diane's
newsletter, ebook (£25), YouTube channel
(@dianehilldesign) and online courses.
dianehill.co.uk
BETTER YOUR...
Will Wooster (near
right) heads up
Wooster's Bakery,
founded by his parents
SOyears ago. The
bakey which has
its headquarters in
Riddlesworth, Norfolk,
and a shop in Bardwell
Windmill in Suffolk,
offers mouthwatering bakes made using
traditional techniques - from oat porridge
sourdough to chocolate lye cookies. As well
as selling through its two shops, Will touts
his wares at local farmers’ markets. Live near Вшу
St Edmunds? Deliveiy is available by rickshaw.
Original baker Simon, Will’s dad, runs the courses.
Brush up onyour breadmaking fundamentals
or leap to advanced level (both £120).
ivooxterxbakery.com
70 FEBRUARY 2024
countryliving.com/uk
GET THE HANG OF...
Fine art graduate Rachel Mulligan started out
in printmaking, before discovering the art of
stained glass on an evening course and studying
it further at Central St Martins. Rachel makes
her designs, which are inspired by medieval art,
nature and poetiy, using hand-blown glass from
her garden studio in Surrey “One of the things
I love most about stained glass is that it isn’t
static,” she says. “It can transform, depending
on the time of day and type of light." Her vibrant
work illuminates rooms of galleries and homes,
as well as a school and town hall.
Discover how to cut, engrave, paint and
stain glass on a one-dayworkshop (£165).
rachelmulligan. co.uk
Rachel’s
designs are
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ARTISAN FOOD
Fortyyears since Ann Muller opened her first pasty
shop on the Lizard Peninsula, her bakes still set
the gold standard for Cornwall’s “national'' dish
WORDS BY RACHAEL OAKDEN PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS TERRY
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 75
ARTISAN FOOD
THIS PAGE Ann's pasties are made in the traditional top-crimped style,
allowing maximum filling. Well-seasoned beef and vegetables, all sourced
locally, are layered in a particular order inside flaky shortcrust pastry.
The shop in Porthleven is one of three Ann's Pasties outlets
aturdaywas pasty day when Ann Muller was
growing up. “I remember the smell of raw onions
filling the kitchen and the speed with which my
mother would peel and flake the turnips and
potatoes,” she says of her Cornish childhood. Years
later, Ann - whose mother, Hettie Merrick, had
written the bible on Cornwall’s “national” dish,
The Pasty Book - would use this recipe as the
basis of her business, Ann’s Pasties, becoming
an authority in her own right.
Hettie had inherited her recipe from her own
mother, Ida. “All the pasties in my mother’s family
were damn good and they all tasted different,” Ann
says. “I could tell my mum’s pasties from my Great
Aunt Hettie’s, my Auntie Sylvia’s, my Auntie Joyce’s
and my granny’s.” Devotees of Ann’s Pasties could
pick out hers in a pasty line-up, too. Locals and
visitors often cluster outside Ann’s shops at Helston,
Porthleven and the Lizard Peninsula, with many
a repeat customer counting their first bite as the
moment their holiday begins. Rick Stein is a fan, as
is actor Jenny Agutter, while him crews have come
from as far afield as Japan and South Korea to
record Ann making and baking her famous fare.
LOVE AT FIRST BITE
“I don’t think there’s any better flavour,” says Ann’s
son Fergus Muller, a former chef and now managing
director of the business. “When the pasty’s piping
hot from the oven and the salty liquor is coming
out over the top of the bag and running downyour
fingers, it’s impossible to resist.”
The trick is in the pastiy, he says of the recipe, which
hasn't changed since his mum and grandmother
Hettie opened a pasty shop in Porthleven in 1984.
“Gran used a shortcrust made up light,” he
explains, adding that his cooks take less than a
minute to mix the pastiy dough so the fats and
Hour don’t amalgamate too much. “We like a flaly
pastiy, so some of the juices can leak out during ►
76 FEBRUARY 2024
countrylwing.com/uk


ARTISAN FOOD
THE ORIGINAL PACKED LUNCH
The pasty gets its name from old English for a meat
pie baked without a dish. The word declined across
England except in the South West, where it described
the pastry-wrapped portable lunches eaten by farm
labourers and tin miners. Superstition dictated that
the last few crumbs should be discarded to appease
the spriggans (mythical imps) and knockers (mine-
dwelling spirits). As Cornishmen ventured away for
work in the late 19th century, their signature baked
dish went with them, eventually becoming a world-
famous symbol of Cornwall. To ask for a "Cornish
pasty" there is to reveal one's outsider status,
however. It's simply a "pasty", with a long 'a' (as in
"party"). Fora recipe, seeannspasties.co.uk/about.
cooking. That’s how we get the salty caramelisation
round the bottom that enriches the flavour.”
It’s the intensity of the hour-long bake that
generates the juices. No gravy is added; only raw
beef and vegetables go into a pasty with plentiful
twists of salt and pepper. “We layer and season, layer
and season, layer and season,” says Ann, explaining
the order in which ingredients are generously piled
onto plate-sized discs of rolled pastiy. First, sliced
onions and turnips (never carrots); next, chopped
beef (never minced); finally, a topping of potatoes,
the newer the better, because old fluffy ones “can
suck the life out of a pasty”, Fergus adds.
The Cornish turnips in Ann’s Pasties - known as
swedes to others - are harvested less than ten miles
from the Helston production kitchen that the family
built tenyears ago. “I buy from the same fields as
my great-grandparents,” says Fergus, reeling off the
names of the fanners that supply his vegetables and
the butchers who keep him in chuck steak and beef
skirt from cattle fanned in Cornwall. Even the salt
is local: it’s produced by the Cornish Sea Salt
Company three miles away.
Ann, who started her own bakeiy in Lizard in
the late 1980s, could once hand-crimp 12 pasties
a minute. Fergus and his team can crimp 100 in
20 minutes. They are ‘top-crimped’, meaning they’re
sealed over the top, a technique that arouses strong
emotions in Cornwall because side-crimping has
become industiy standard. “Top-crimped is how
we were all taught,” Ann says. “You get a lot more
filling inyour pasty”
PASTIES FOR ALL
Ann and her family used to eat pasties for Saturday
lunch with a knife and fork. “They were so big that
you’d save a corner for your tea,” she recalls. “You’d
haveyour initials baked on, soyou’d know which
leftovers wereyours.” Occasionally, they’d have a
dollop of Daddies Brown Sauce on the side, and ►
THIS PAGE Pasties are handmade in the Helston production
kitchen using local ingredients. Ann's son, Fergus, now runs
the business, as well as a charity that helps schoolchildren
from low-income families to cook and eat nourishing food
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 79
ARTISAN FOOD
THIS PAGE Ann with son Fergus, the former chef who is now managing
director of Ann's Pasties. Holidaymakers queue to buy hot pasties fresh
from the oven, but they can also buy part-baked pasties online for delivery
anywhere in the UK and finish them off at home
"You can put
anything in a
pasty-as long
as it’s not a
carrot"
often a mug of sugar-sweetened tea. “You have
eveiythingyou need inside a pasty,” Fergus says.
Fergus believes pasties are such an aff ordable,
nourishing food that he has co-founded a charity,
The Pasty Box, to teach children howto make them
(among other dishes). Inspired by Marcus Rashford’s
2020 campaign to prevent pupils in low-income
families going hungjy during the holidays, he and
his team visit primaiy schools to give cooking lessons,
then deliver ingredients to homes during the holidays
so the children can cook fortheir families. He hopes
The Pasty Box may one day run across the countiy.
Since taking over the business twoyears ago
to let his mum enjoy her retirement, Fergus has
added new pasty fillings to the menu, including
West Countiy Cheddar and clotted cream-
marinated chicken. He’s even created a vegan pasty
with kimchi (fermented cabbage). “According to my
gran, people used to make pasties with whatever
they had, even if it was only turnips, so I th ink we can
get away with it. You can put anything in a pasty”
he says, “as long as it’s not a carrot.”
BUY Ann's Pasties at annspasties.co.uk. Use the code
CLPASTY10 for 10% off online orders until 31 March 2024.
Donate to The Pasty Box at thepastybox.com.
80 FEBRUARY 2024
countryliving.com/uk
Heavenly lamps at
down to earth prices



countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 83
FARMING

II t is the depths ofwinter on the River Test in
II	Hampshire. Frost coats the water meadows
II	nearby. The outline of ancient woodlands
II	accentuates the beauty of this tranquil
II habitat, home to water voles and kingfishers.
II In the still air, a heron watches and waits for
—И-— the trout that swim in these clear, cold waters.
The trout are in their element because the Test is a
chalk stream, a rare and precious habitat. The river owes
its existence to the layer of chalk that stretches from
Wiltshire and Hampshire through the Chiitems to East
Anglia and East Yorkshire. Chalk is extremely porous,
making it an excellent filter for rain falling on the hills,
which then emerges through aquifers as the pure and
mineral-rich waters that are a valuable haven for wildlife.
Of the 26'0 chalk rivers in the world, 224 are in the UK.
ChalkStream Foods’ supplier diverts water from the
Test into its fish farm and then returns it back to the
river. “We borrow some of the river for two hours, then
put it back as we found it,” explains Hugo Hardman,
who co-founded the business tenyears ago after
tasting trout reared in the Test. “Trout had been out of
fashion since the 1980s and cheap salmon had become
ubiquitous in many restaurants and hotels,” he says.
“People were wary of eating trout because it often tasted
a little muddy. I wanted to prove that the fish could be
incredibly tasty especially because of where they lived.”
NET RETURNS
Having grown up in Hampshire, Hugo spent many
years as a food and drink entrepreneur in London
before returning to the area to start his company.
Determined to prove that local chalk stream trout ►
THIS PAGE Hugo Hardman (above right with Christopher
Saunders-Davies from Test Valley Trout) set up ChalkStream
to prove that trout grown in the right conditions could
be a delicious and sustainable alternative to salmon
84 FEBRUARY 2024
countryliving.com/uk

“we take the health ofthe
nvironment very seriously^
The river is our livelihood
and we respect it" у

FARMING
the Test and Itchen. Water diverted from the river
was a delicious and sustainable alternative to salmon,
he invited chefs, hoteliers and retailers to go fishing
on the Test. To do this, he joined forces with Arthur
Voelcker, a family friend and fisherman, who still
takes prospective customers fly-fishing nearby. “He
lives and breathes fish and is obsessed with anything
to do with them,” Hugo says. “Ijoin them on the river
when I can but, compared to Arthur, I’m an amateur.”
ChalkStream works with a small number of rainbow
trout farms built on the sites of old water mills beside
flows through the farms, replicating the fast-flowing
currents faced by wild fish. Swimming against the
rush ofwater makes the fanned trout lean, much
like their wild counterparts. The quality of the water
returned from the farm to the river - one of the most
highly monitored in the UK - is tested regularly by
the Environment Agency. “We take the health of the
environment very seriously,” says Hugo, explaining that
screens at each end of the farm stop wild fish swimming
in. “The river is our livelihood and we respect it.”
DREAM STREAM
Each farm has a small team that lives on site, working
to a 24-hour rota and tending constantly to the fish.
They make sure the fish are treated as ethically as
possible. ChalkStream works only with trout farms
that are RSPCA Assured, meaning that they rear,
transport and slaughter their fish under higher
welfare conditions. When one of its suppliers faced
a welfare allegation a couple ofyears ago, Hugo
immediately stopped orders from the supplier
until a thorough investigation had been conducted
and its RSPCA Assured status was restored.
“Trout are fussy creatures and we work veiy hard to
ensure they’re well looked after,” says Hugo, who uses
farms on the Test and Itchen rivers where trout are ►
OPPOSITE AND THIS PAGE Water diverted from the
river flows via the mill into the farms, replicating
the fast-flowing currents faced by wild fish. The pure
chalk stream water gives the trout its clean taste
FEBRUARY 2024 87
standards for aquaculture, and Quality Trout UK.
CARE AND CUSTODIANSHIP
Fish farming sometimes attracts criticism for its
environmental impact. Farming Atlantic salmon in
sea and loch cages can harm marine ecosystems
and wild salmon populations through disease
and treatments for sea lice. Farmed fish may also
be fed fishmeal made of wild fish. Farming
freshwater trout is different. The Marine
Conservation Society (MCS) recommends it
as a sustainable alternative to farmed salmon.
Freshwater trout do not suffer from sea lice and
Chalkstream trout are reared on responsibly
sourced feed. Chalkstream trout is endorsed by
the Sustainable Restaurant Association, and
certified by GlobaIG.A.P, which sets worldwide
- a fully grown trout, weighing up to 3kg, is extremely
valuable - although one in particular is allowed. “Even
reared slowly over twoyears in low-density raceways
and moved around by a pumping system that is kinder
and less stressful to the fish than traditional nets.
CAUGHT ON THE FLY
Having a team on site, says Hugo, also deters poachers
though the farms are netted against predators, there’s a
heron that waits patiently until everyone stops for lunch.
Then he strolls in as bold asyou like and snacks on
some of the fiy if he can poke his beak in fast enough,”
says Hugo. “We can’t begrudge him a little taster.”
ChalkStream’s trout has won praise from chefs
including Mark Hix and its smoked, cured and potted
trout products can be found in some of the finest farm
shops as well as online. In winter, gleamer, a grilled
and gutted whole fish ready for cooking, is especially
popular, although Hugo has his own recommendation.
“I like to keep it simple,” he says. “1 love cold-smoked
trout on brown bread with black pepper and a squeeze
of lemon juice. You can’t get better than that!”
TO FIND OUT MORE head to chalkstreamfoods.co.uk.
THIS PAGE Slow-grown over two years, the trout are
raised in conditions as close to the wild trout of the
Test and Itchen rivers as possible
88 FEBRUARY 2024
countryliving.com/uk
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MOVING TO...
INVERNESS
DUNBAR
EYEMOUTH
BERWICK-t/PON-TWEET
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YORK
DUBLIN
CHESTER
GALWAY
DINGLE
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
LAURA BARNARD
Hankering after a life
in the countryside?
Don’t leave home
without our
expert guide for
house-hunters
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OTS WINCHESTER
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countryliving.coTn/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 91
t has to have been one of the sillier house viewings.
It was mid-Februaiy 2021 and we were deep in
lockdown. But one of the fewthingsyou could
do was visit properties on the market.
For a number of reasons, wed decided to leave
the Chiitems. The Friday night ritual of a glass
__ ___ ofwine and RightMove led to a “shortlist” of 120
country houses. Because I didn’t need to be in London for
work, we could look anywhere. We started off sensibly - Kent,
West Sussex, Wiltshire. Then we started to go a bit crazy
Herefordshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire.
Finally, I went completely mad and inputted “Scottish
Borders” into the search bar. I’ve no idea why Id never visited
the place, only passed through on the way to Edinburgh. True,
my wife’s father was from Musselburgh, just outside Edinburgh
- but he had left in the 1960s, vowing never to return (nor did
he). Andyet - for someone used to south-east England house
prices, I was astonished by whatyou could get in south-east
Scotland. There was one particular house that caught our
eye. Could we...? Might we...?
The drive - from Buckinghamshire to Berwickshire
- was 350 miles each way. Per lockdown rules,you couldn’t
stay overnight or eat in a pub. The round trip took 12 hours.
We spent 20 minutes at the property, an 1840s farmhouse
just outside the village of Coldingham, then turned for
home. Before we reached Berwick-upon-Tweed, we had
decided to make an offer.
This decision was impulsive and romantic. We didn’t want
a major project. Abbey Park House was in pretty good nick.
The main work involved reinstating the interiors (and making
it rather less bling). We thought we’d be downsizing, but we
ended up with five bedrooms and more than th ree acres of
land, a barn, stables, orchard and meadow.
We moved on the longest day of2021. A couple of weeks later,
a friend visited and we stayed up until the wee hours. As I was
putting the bottles out at kun, I realised it was the first time I’d
seen night here (with a scattering of stars visible to the naked
eye). Of course, there are the long winter nights - but that first
winter wasn’t too punishing (apart from Storm Arwen leaving
us without power for five days).
The house is a ten-minute walk to the village and another
ten to a sheltered, sandy beach. Coldingham has a couple of
pubs and a bum - a sleepy thing most of the time, turning into
a torrent during a storm. There is a ruined 12th-centuiy prioiy
and a sandstone Victorian church. The bay, sheltered and
ringed with colourful beach huts and dunes, has a high, grassy
knoll at one end - the perfect place to walk Machi, my five-year-
old Akita. My neighbours are far friendlier than down south
92 FEBRUARY 2024
THE END-OF-TERRACE Close to
the beach in Eyemouth, this two-bed
home has modern interiors and a
large basement gilsongray.co.uk
BERWICK-UPON-TWEED
THE ARTS AND CRAFTS HOUSE
This four-bed detached property in
Coldingham is full of attractive period
features melroseporteous.co.uk
It’s a
walker’s
heaven
- a bit of
Dorset
coast, a
slice of
Yorkshire
Moors
WHAT YOU
COL LI) Bl V
- two local farmers popped their heads over the frontgate
to say hello the day we moved in. So community-minded
is the place that when the RNLI decided to scrap the
local rescue service, the villagers got together to keep
the lifeboat operating.
It’s a 20-minute stroll from home along the coastal
path to the fishing village of St Abbs. The village has a
filmset look, with harbour walls, cafes, boat sheds and
whitewashed cottages. Beyond is a nature reserve and a
steep cliff path. It’s a walker’s heaven - a bit of Dorset coast,
a slice of the Yorkshire Moors, a dash of rolling Shropshire.
I’ve just completed the Berwickshire Coastal Path from
Berwick to Cockburnspath - the best way to appreciate
the diversity of the coast is to get up close to it.
Oh, the weather? Well, this is the east coast: a lot
drier and sunnier than the west. Dunbar, up the road,
is officially the sunniest place in Scotland. Yes, scoff
away... But I don’t long for the humid, mid-30s days
that are becoming increasingly common in my
old stomping grounds.
In Scotland, it’s easy to get confused when someone says,
“I stay in Coldingham.” That means they live here. But we
are staying in Coldingham in both the English as well as
the Scottish sense. This home is forever.
THE TOWNHOUSE Boasting six
bedrooms, this grand Melrose home
has spacious gardens with roof terrace
and outbuildings, knightfrank.co.uk
THE COURTYARD PROPERTY In four
acres, this six-bed, 18th-century stable
block near Duns also offers a holiday-
letting business galbraithgroup.com ►
countryliving.com/uk
1 THE BEACH
Go to Coldingham
Bay (visitscotland,
com) off season.
Natives (who call it
"Cowjum") leave the
beach to the surfers
and daytrippers in
summer and reclaim
it from September.
There are countless
groups of wild
swimmers along the
coast. The coastal
geology is best
seen from a rib-ride
boat in Eyemouth
(eyemouthrib
trips.co.uk).
2 THE HISTORICAL
HOTSPOT
The ruins of
Coldingham Priory
(visitberwickshire
coast.co.uk) date
back to the 12th
century. But there
was a much earlier
monastery, which
St Cuthbert visited
in 661. After he had
bathed, seals
emerged from the
water to dry him with
their breath. Or so
the story goes...
3 THE FOODIE
PITSTOPS
St Abbs is the place
for cafes - both
Ebbcarrs (facebook.
com/Ebbcarrs-Cafe)
and The Old School
House (facebook.
com/EbbaCentre) do
a mean cullen skink.
For pubs, head to
The Cross in Paxton
(thecrossinn.co.uk)
for fish and chips
or The Craw Inn
(thecrawinn.co.uk) in
Auchencrow for beer
and atmosphere.
4 THE OUTDOOR
ART DISPLAY
See Scottish-born
sculptor Jill Watson s
moving sculptures
(jillwatsonstudio.co.uk)
- inspired by the
notorious storm of
1881 that took the
lives of 189 fishermen
- along the coast in
Eyemouth, Cove, St
Abbs and Burnmouth.
5 THE QUIRKY
EVENT
Each July brings the
Eyemouth's Herring
Queen Festival
(ehq.org.uk), where
a local girl leads the
parades and picnics
on a Saturday.
Started to mark the
end of the First World
War, the event is
now a celebration
of the local fishing
community.
6 THE GLAMPING
SITES
The two top-end but
inexpensive spots
in Coldingham are
Templehall Holidays
(templehallholidays.
co.uk) for tiny houses
and shepherd's
huts, and Braeview
(braeviewglamping,
com), which has six
heated pods with en
suite shower rooms. ►
94 FEBRUARY 2024
MANDARIN STONE
NATURAL STONE I PORCELAIN | DECORATIVE TILES
15 INSPIRATIONAL UK SHOWROOMS
manclarinstonc.com
MOVING TO..
BERM ICKSIIIRE
FURTHER AFIELD
457
square miles
1
railway station
25
miles of
coastal path
1,755 feet
The highest
point in the
Lammermuir Hills
18
pubs
12
galleries
TRANSPORT
LINKS
CAR It's about an hour's drive
from Berwickshire to Edinburgh.
TRAIN From Berwick-upon-Tweed
to Edinburgh with LNER takes
40 minutes. There are 61 trains
per day. If you're going to London,
LNER trains run from Berwick-
upon-Tweed, taking just over
three-and-a-half hours. These
leave roughly every hour.
BUS The new Pingo app
(bordersbuses.co.uk), an on-
demand bus service, makes
public transport more available.
If you step into the surrounding countiyside, here
arejust some ofthe highlightsу oull discover...
Remote? Hardly. From Coldingham,
Edinburgh is a short drive or train
ride (from nearby Reston station).
Berwick, with fast connections to
Newcastle, York and London, is a
ten-minute drive. But there’s plenty
to explore onyour doorstep. Up the
coast, the village of Cockburnspa th
is the meeting point for three epic
trails - the Southern Upland Way,
the John Muir Way and the
Berwickshire Coastal Path. Dunbar
is a handsome coasted town. North
Berwick was once called “Scotland’s
Riviera”. Inland, quiet countiy
roads takeyou to a succession of
handsome, prosperous market
towns: Duns, Kelso, Melrose,
Jedburgh, Hawick. Over the Tweed
river, there are castles, bridges,
sturdy towns such as Coldstream
and Wooler, and, beyond, the craggy
vastness of Northumbria. Back down
the coast, the beaches are wilder and
windier (read our Northumberland
Weekenders this issue) asyou head
to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and
Bamburgh Castle on the far horizon.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; GETTY IMAGES
countryliving.com/uk
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At HOMES • DECORATING • CRAFTS • GARDENS • FOOD • TRAVEL • HEALTH
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CONTEMPORARY HOUSES THAT
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A fori wr court building has been
translprmed into a home that
embrBes contemporary style
whileeonouring its historic past
countryliving.com/uk
100 FEBRUARY 2024
I
HOME INSPIRATION
THE DETAILS
WHAT'S THE STYLE?
A mid49thx;eniMryformer
courthouse, complete with cells
WHERE IS IT?
On the green in the picturesque
village oj Whittingham, near
Alnwick, Northumberland
WHO LIVES HERE?
Product designers Steven Rowe
and Paul О Donovan and their
wire-hairedfox terrier Oscar
WORDS BY PAULA McWATERS PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRENT DARBY PRODUCTION BY BEN KENDRICK
t is customary to view a house beforejou buy it,
but when The Old Court House in Whittingham,
Northumberland, came back onto the market
unexpectedly in 2021, Steven Rowe and his
partner Paul O’Donovan had to put in their
bid on the strength of a video tour sent to them
by Steven’s sister Lesley, who lives nearby
“We were living too far away in Bedfordshire,
— — but we knew we’d have to act quickly if we
wanted it,” Steven explains. It is easy to see why they did,
because this unusual property-which once served as
the courthouse for the surrounding area - had a wealth
of period details plus some decidedly quirky features to
capture their imagination. The handsome Grade Il-listed
Victorian building, with its stone gables and pretty
mullioned windows, still has two original holding cells,
complete with lockable doors, which are definite talking
points. Then there is the first-floor courtroom itself
a huge, light-filled space running the whole length of
the building, which Paul and Steven - who are product
designers - realised would make a perfect studio.
“I grew up in Northumberland and was keen to
return to the area,” Steven explains. “We could see that
this project needed a lot of work,” Paul adds, “but that
didn’t faze us. We are veiy decisive because we can
clearly visualise what a room is going to look like once
we have reworked it.”
Neither is afraid to tackle DIY, which has helped to
eke out their renovation budget. “Weget professional
plumbers, electricians andjoiners in where we need
them but we both decorate,” Steven says. Paul tackles
the fine detail while Steven wields a roller. They decided
on the colour schemes by observing how the light falls.
Visitors seem to love the wall paint in the breakfast room
- First Light by Woodchip & Magnolia: “It changes from
pale terracotta to pink depending on the time of day,
so it always feels cosy and relaxing,” Steven says.
Similarly, Craig & Rose’s Tapestiy Green is perfect
for the hall, setting off an Arts and Crafts walnut dresser,
a fine ladderback chair and a well-worn French leather
armchair. These are teamed with a modern console table,
demonstrating the pair’s flair for blending old with new.
The couple are both avid collectors (so much so that
Paul has threatened to ban Steven from any more Ebay ►
THIS PAGE The original courtroom is Paul (left) and Steven's
studio - the desk came from a coastguard's office; the living
room has a cheerful scheme with Jane Churchill wallpaper
OPPOSITE Steven and Paul have placed a modern chair by
Made and side table from Habitat alongside a 1930s rug
102 FEBRUARY 2024
HOMES & DECORATING
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY2024 103
HOMES & DECORATING
ШЙ
THIS PAGE In the breakfast room, the old
oak dining table is teamed with school-style
chairs. The bowl was made by Tricia Thom,
an old friend of Steven's OPPOSITE, TOP In
the original courtroom, Steven and Paul have
created a light-filled study. The leather chair
is a copy of the Barcelona chair by Mies van der
Rohe and LlltyTSeich BELOW A view towards
Whittingham with the Cheviot Hills beyond
FEBRUARY 2024 105
research for now!) and have amassed many interesting
pieces in their 19years together. “We scour antiques
shops and online auctions, then add layers of interest
and individuality with more modem items - some very
inexpensive - as well as ‘treasures’ we have picked up
on trips in China and Hong Kong,” Steven says.
Paul and Steven’s experience as product designers
in the homeware industty hits taught them to think in
terms of vignettes. As a result, their rooms are filled with
curated arrangements that they enjoy rejigging whenever
the mood takes them. Their dramatic dining room is a
case in point, with its dusty Obsidian Green walls and
Portland Stone ceiling (both Little Greene). The effect
is dark and moody, and the black-painted dresser and
serving table showcase their collection ofSpode and
Chinese ceramics including fbo dogs and ginger jars.
The drawing room is Paul’s take on French countty
style: a bright, sunny room decorated with Jane Churchill
wallpaper and Little Greene’s Hicks’ Blue and Pale
Wedgwood on the walls. The original stone fireplace,
once hidden by plasterboard, was a welcome discoveiy
and they’ve fully restored it. Here, as in eveiy room, they
have used simple wooden shutters, dismissing curtains
as “dust collectors”. The floorboards have been stripped
and renovated, now dark-stained throughout the ground
floor to give a cohesive look, softened with vintage rugs.
Their kitchen is housed in a 1990s single-storey
extension, which they have completely revamped. Dark
blue high-street units have been fitted to maximise space,
with free-standing shelving to help keep things flexible.
There’s also a wonderful old French workbench. “It
has one of those massive drawers that swallows up
everything,” Steven says. “It’s a characterful and practical
piece.” One holding cell now conceals the boiler and
washing machine, while the other is a storeroom.
Upstairs, Steven and Paul have been busy decorating
the bedrooms and having the bathrooms refitted.
Some rooms, including the guest room, presented them
with challenges when removing stubborn wallcoverings
and sticty 1970s floor tiles. Now this room is light but
cosy, with a mahogany Scotch dresser, old trunks and
hatboxes and a French gilt mirror as vintage features.
Next, they will tackle their vast first-floor studio where
they plan to paint the walls a dark blue-grey. Their
antique desk was salvaged from the local coastguard’s
office and a favourite daybed of Steven’s has found a
home under the window, surrounded by their collection
of pictures. With their expert eye for style and detail,
Steven and Paul have certainly done justice to this
characterful home.
THIS PAGE Walls are painted in a variety of attractive
colours, including light green in the hall and pale pink in
the bedroom OPPOSITE Mixing old and new in the spare
room - the large gilt mirror came from an Irish stately
home, while the padded bedhead is from Marks & Spencer
106 FEBRUARY2024
HOMES & DECORATING
RENOVATION
INSPIRATION
1 TACKLE THE HIDDEN
NECESSITIES FIRST
Electrics, roof and plumbing
are boring but essential
basics to fix before decorating.
2 GIVE YOURSELF TIME
Live in the rooms first,
however shabby, and get
used to the light to see how
they might feel.
3PAIR OLD WITH NEW
It can save money and
always injects life and
individuality into your rooms.
4 RESOLVE TO REMAIN
UPBEAT IN THE FACE OF
DISASTER This can include
collapsed ceilings and burst
pipes,- setbacks are inevitable
but needn't floor you.
y^BE BRAVE WITH
к У COLOUR Bold colour
schemes stamp personality
into your home.
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 107
GARDENING
Snowdrops and hellebores of every shade
and shape herald the turn of the season
in a Cambridgeshire cottage garden
WORDS BY PAULA McWATERS PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARIANNE MAJERUS
THE DETAILS
STYLE
Naturalistic with classic spring
bloomsfollowed by summer
perennials and clim bers
SEASONS OF INTEREST
Spring and summer
SIZE
Under a quarter of an acre
SOIL
Neutral loam, improved over years
oj continuous cultivation
108 FEBRUARY2024
countryliving.com/uk
I IK

GARDENING
eep over the garden gate at Clover Cottage
in West Wickham, Cambridgeshire, in
February andyou will be stopped inyour
tracks. Thousands of hellebores and
snowdrops glisten in the low sunlight like
jewels, hugging the invitingly winding
path to the front door of this 17th-centuiy
thatched cottage. The dazzling early
spring display is the work of Shirley
Shadford and her husband Paul, who have lived here for
20years. “1 always wanted a cottage garden and when our
daughters left home and we moved here, 1 had the chance
to create one,” Shirley says.
Spring is the highlight and the couple are pleased to
welcome visitors on three Februaiy and early March open
days to share the spectacle. “It’s just for a few hours, but
whenyou’ve been cooped up overwinter, it’s very heartening
to see such fresh colour,” Shirley says. There are plenty of
seats where visitors can pause to enjoy it over tea and cake
and Shirley always has a selection of plants potted up to sell.
Apart from a few trees, there was just grass and gravel
when they moved here. They started by putting down paving
slabs round the cottage and did away with boring straight
paths, replacing them with more characterful curved ones.
Shirley traced out new borders using a hosepipe and she has
now invested in steel edging for these - Paul had begun to
point out that “thegrass has shrunk again” because she was
alwctys nibbling away at the edge to squeeze in more plants.
Shirley started with just 20 pots of snowdrops, planted
“in the green”, then split them up and moved them eveiy
two or threeyears so that they have gradually spread to
fi 11 the beds. She does this just after flowering and doesn’t
recommend ever buying snowdrops as diy bulbs as they
are much harder to establish.
The secret to having a great hellebore display, Shirley
believes, is to include plenty of different colours. She started
with half a dozen and has built up her collection from there.
“I have some lovely doubles: dark red-maroon ones, pretty
pinks, whites and then someyellows with a red eye. I don’t
worry about the mimes of the varieties -1 never make a
mental note of them. I choose them for their flowers, simple
as that.” Hellebores are promiscuous and after they have
cross-bred, they have a tendency to revert to a rather dull
pink. At this stage, Shirley recommends whipping those out
and introducing new colours to reinvigorateyour collection.
Succession at Clover Cottage is well thought out. The first
aconites (Eranthishyeinalis} - a splash ofyellow surrounded
fy a ruffofgreen -appearjust before Christmas, then come
the snowdrops followed by hellebores, then tiny/m
Alida and ‘Harmony, and miniature ‘Jack Snipe’, ‘Jetfire’ ►
OPPOSITE AND ABOVE RIGHT Reachable beds of hellebores and snowdrops are planted along the path in the front
garden THIS PAGE, ABOVE LEFT A wooden arbour makes a perfect perch from which to enjoy the colourful blooms
FEBRUARY 2024 111
GARDENING
THIS PAGE, FROM ABOVE LEFT Iris reticulata and crocuses in pots can be moved around to boost colour; swathes of snowdrops
and hellebores surround the bird bath ABOVE, RIGHT AND OPPOSITE Winding paths and arches add interest to the scheme
and ‘Tete a tete’ narcissi. Later come hardy geraniums that
provide cover for dying bulb foliage, plus many other cottage
perennials including delphiniums and hollyhocks. These
create a summer-long froth of flowers and foliage some
1.5 metres high in places, which Shirley holds up with about
100 supports, slotted in among the plants in April, ahead
of when they are needed.
To maintain her spring display in tip-top condition,
Shirley starts in November. “I cut the whole garden down on
my hands and knees with a pair of scissors. Hold, cut, put it
in the basket - ready for composting. 1 work my way round,
clearing a 1.8-2.4-met re strip of border at a time and get it all
done by Christmas.” Then the borders are mulched with a
4cm layer of homemade compost, to give the plants strength
and vigour. This is produced in fourone-metre bays at the
bottom of the garden and is layered with well-rotted horse
manure. “I can’t leave it any later than Christmas because
the snowdrops are already emerging,” Shirley says.
This annual ritual is the key to the garden’s success. It
is time-consuming but Shirley does not regard it as work;
rather, she calls it green therapy. She loves tending her patch
and has learnt how to pace herself, to avoid overdoing it.
Using her own compost creates a “virtuous circle” with as
much organic material as possible being kept within the
garden’s walls. Exceptions are pernicious weeds such as
nettles and bindweed, and any diseased material, including
rose and hellebore leaves with black spot. These are
gathered in a bright pink trug (conspicuous to avoid
mix-ups) and transferred into the green waste bin
collected by the council.
Shirley’s garden is densely planted, leaving little space
for weeds. She takes time to sit and admire as well as tend
it, keeping an eye on it almost daily “Paul says I can spot a
weed before it has come up.” Pretty spring-Howe ring shrubs
such as sweet-scented winter hazel Cotylopsispauciftora
add to the display, along with choice trees including a mini
glade of silver birches and a pale-pink-flowered crab apple
Malus^hartwigii ‘Katherine’. They have further open days
and by-appointment visits until the end of June, then the
garden “is left to do its own thing”. Rambling roses and
delphiniums are pruned to encourage second flowering;
otherwise it is left alone to self-seed. “I don’t dig, other than
to put in a new plant,” Shirley says. “I can’t now because
I would disturb too many bulbs. Now that eveiything is
established, I practise a veiy gentle form ofgardening.”
The garden at Clover Cottage is somewhere that Shirley
can find solace, especially after a long, cold winter: “You see
those first shoots emerging andyou realise that eveiything
is on the move once more. It’s very uplifting.”
CLOVER COTTAGE 50 Streetly End, West Wickham,
Cambridgeshire, is open for the National Garden Scheme
on 18 and 25 February and 3 March 2024, 2-4pm, plus 2 and
9 June 2024,12-4.30pm, and also by appointment from
February until the end of June. See ngs.org.uk for details.
112 FEBRUARY 2024
countryliving.com/uk

ALWAYS DO LITTLE AND
OFTEN in the garden and
know when to stop. If
your back starts to ache
from bending, straighten
up and switch to a
standing task such as
rose pruning for a while.
DON'T MAKE YOUR
BORDERS ANY WIDER
than you can reach into
from either side. That
way, you don't have to
stand on the soil.
REPLANT POTS
SEASONALLY and
move them around for a
change of scene in the
garden. Using a folding
sack barrow helps ease
the load.
CONSIDER AN
AUTOMATIC TRICKLE-
HOSE irrigation system:
it's more economical
than hand watering and
saves a lot of time.
CUT ALL LEAVES OFF
HELLEBORES in
November. It helps
to show off the new
flowers and avoids
leaves smothering any
emerging snowdrops.
INVEST IN ALONG-
HANDLED PRUNING TOOL
(such as a Darlac Snapper)
that allows you to
deadhead or prune
at a distance without
any straining.
Г “Now that everything is
established, I practise a very
gentle form о (gardening”
“WE FELT
HISTORY
EMANATING
fromtheVERY
WALLS”
This Queen Anne house had weathered
many fashions and fortunes - including a
devastating fire - before the Clements family
determined to restore its original charm
WORDS BY CHARLOTTE COLVILLE PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRENT DARBY
114 FEBRUARY 2024
counfryliving.com/zik
The
WHO LIVES HERE?
1Io lly and Matt Clements and their
children. Oth er, Daisy and Ham
WHERE IS IT?
In a village in the South Dozens,
near Petersfield, Hampshire
WHAT'S THE STYLE?
A hri.ck-a.nd-tHe house (once
thatched)from the early
18th century
V 1
tender was stripped before being limewashed to match a colour on the original bricks. The
I doHM¥R?intecl ln Templeton Pink by farrow & Ball, while the windows have been restored with handblown glass added to mate
the originals HARRY'S BEDROOM Pale painted furniture in a range of finishes is mixed together in a relaxed fashion throughout the hous
The antique French desk and painted Italian mid 20th-century chest of drawers were both Facebook Marketplace finds ►
THE DETAILS
HOME INSPIRATION

г
THE KITCHEN (and opposite below) A mix of modern pieces such as the Eames dining chair and
contemporary lighting give the room a fresh look, while an apple crate, vintage pieces and old
wooden chopping boards lend character. The antique chandelier came from the Loseley Decorative
Home & Salvage Show. On the wall above the enamelled Everhot stove are white square tiles from
Porcelain Superstore, while the aged brass hanging rail is from Devol. The walls and cabinets, painted
in Atelier Ellis's Quiet Grey, provide a neutral backdrop
VINCENT РЫМЕШк» 7Г
SOLFRV1T £>4 МЛ.И.	Г.
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HOMES & DECORATING
“It positively resonated with character and
had that integrity and dignity of old houses”
THE HALLWAY (top left) The deep blue panelled entrance hall (painted in Farrow & Ball's Railings) opens into an elegant,
neutral-coloured living room (above right). The old brown leather chairs are from Vinterior ►
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 117
HOMES & DECORATING
THE LIVINGjROOM A bay window lights up the
period proportions at the front of the house.
An old Indian piece of furniture (actually an
antique cbt that could be suspended and
rocked) makes a characterful coffee table.
Neutral shades focus the eye on textures:
a squashy spfa (from DFS) has been re-covered
in white linbn; the cushions are from Belgian
linen company Libeco and the knitted woollen
rqg came from Zara Home
118 FEBRUARY 2024
DECORATING
IDEAS FROM
HOLLY’S HOUSE
1 NEVER UNDERESTIMATE
THE POWER OF PAINT
When it comes to a quick
and easy way to transform
a space, paint is definitely
your best friend. It can make
a big impact quickly and at
a relatively reasonable cost.
2FOR PERIOD PROPERTIES,
INVEST IN AUTHENTIC
FINISHES AND MATERIALS
such as lime plaster or clay
paints. Not only will they work
with the structure of an older
building and allow it to
breathe but they have more
depth and character.
^7 USE DIFFERENT SHADES
Oof the same or
SIMILAR SCALES OF
COLOUR for picking out
architectural details - this
gives harmonious contrast
subtly. Use a deeper tone in
alcoves to give them depth
or on woodwork against
paler walls. Little Greene
has a specific range for
this purpose.
4 INVEST IN THOSE
FINISHING TOUCHES
The smaller details are just as
important as the bigger ones.
Pay attention to light switches,
taps, door handles and
accessories to elevate a
room. You use and see them
every day, so make sure they
are good quality, a pleasure
to use and look good.
^ALWAYS TEST PATCH A
v )PAINT SHADE IN SITU
to gauge how it works with
the light (both during the
course of the day and in
artificial light), and in as large
an area as possible. It's hard
to know from a small chip on
a chart what effect a colour
will have on a bigger scale. ►
countryliving.com/uk
HOMES & DECORATING
swept down the high street of the village, and while the thatch was burnt
to a cinder, the bones of the place survived. Only the uppermost beams
reveal the charred evidence. The original brick walls were hidden behind
layers of plasterboard and cement, and after much gentle chiselling, the
walls, shape and history of the room were revealed. The old dark wood
armoire has been painted in Atelier Ellis's Quiet Grey DAISY'S BEDROOM
(below right) Wainscot panelling topped with a peg rail, painted in Stony
Plaster by Atelier Ellis, displays a collection of well-chosen pieces beside
a vintage doll's house. The iron bedstead is Oliver from Feather
& Black and the large natural jute rug is Lohals from Ikea
in
in
in
in
ii
an
120 FEBRUARY 2024
countryliving.com/uk

НЕ BATHROOM Upstairs, the layout is gloriously unpredictable. Corridors twist this way and that, walls slope and floorboards creak. The four
bedrooms and two bathrooms are of varying size and wonkiness. A plasterboard ceiling in the bathroom was removed to reveal beautiful
beams, and a walk-in shower with a simple glass screen makes the most of the limited light. The 400-year-old floorboards are reclaimed
... _...---------------- - ---------------------------• rustic table and ladder from Chesapeake Mill in Wickham
ADAPTED FROM
Living in
Country Style
by Brent Darby
and Wink Colville
(Lanoo, £45).
FEBRUARY 2024 121

Fhc <lcMOL Kitchen
DECORATING NOTES
ADD TO
BASKET
LITTLE GREENE'S
PATISSERIE
PAINT
With shades including
Muscovado, Ganache and
Affogato, Little Greene’s
latest paint collection,
Sweet Treats, looks as
delicious as it sounds.
The nine warm neutrals
were inspired by favourite
desserts and prove that
brown is anything but
drab (littlegreene.com).
MINI MASTERCLASS


COMPILED BY CARA LASKARIS
If you’re planning
a kitchen upgrade,
look no further than
kitchen expert Devol’s
first-ever book for all
the inspirationyou
could need, along
with insight into the
craftsmanship and
history of this iconic
British brand
(Ebuiy Press, £40).
FASHION AND
VISIT NOW
TEXTILE MUSEUM There’s more
to home furnishings than meets the eye...
The Fabric of Democracy: Propaganda	..
Textiles from the French Revolution	J
to Brexit, curated by design
historian Amber Butchart, I
explores how household fabrics
have been used as a political
tool throughout history
(fashiontextilernuseurn.org; I
until 3 March 2024).
. *
Looking for feelgood cushions?
Shiv Textiles (shivtextiles.co.uk)
weaves deadstock yarn into beautiful
designs that help tackle textile waste
(above), while Haines Collection
(hainescollection.co.uk) stocks an
excellent range of floral cushions
made from designer
fabric offeuts.

FIND A LOCAL COMMUNITY
FURNITURE STORE where house
clearances are sold with flexible
pricing for those on benefits.
CURATE A COLLECTION by grouping
objects, such as glassware from a
charity shop, with pieces of a similar
tone or style to create a focal point.
STACK VINTAGE BOOKS such as
colourful Observer titles, which are
affordable and fun to collect, for an
easy shelf display that brings joy.
MAKE A GALLERY WALL by mixing
vintage art with modern prints and
other personal items -1 added my
father’s guitar and family photos.
Find more interiors inspiration in Lisas
book Resourceful Living (KyleBooks, £20).
countryiwing.com/uk
FEBRUARY2024 123
WHERE IS IT?
In the Coin Halley in
Gloucestershire
WHAT'S THE STYLE?
A converted 18th-century
bam on a farm
WHO LIVES HERE?
Lisa Mehydene, her husband
Hit and their twins, Milla
and George
LAYERS
Joyful colour, pattern and texture are artfully combined in
this lofty barn to reflect the owners’ life and history
WORDS AND PRODUCTION BY ALI HEATH PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL PAUL
There are a few things that supercharge Lisa Mehydene’s sense ofhappiness:
family travel, vintage sourcing and home. As an advertising director
working fortop agencies in London, Dubai and Singapore, Lisa made a
name for herself bringing brands to life. But on retumingto the UK in 2015
with her husband, H il, and their twins, Milla and George, she was keen to
begin a newjoumey. Nurturing her passions, she launched edit58, an online
homeware brand that creates and sources artisan and vintage finds. She
also fell in love with a farm building in Gloucestershire ripe for a makeover.
“We were smitten with the 18th-century stone structure, its higgledy-
piggledy flow and unexpected lofty heights,” says Lisa, who, like Hil, is
over six foot tall. “Everything needed updating, providing the chance
for me to play, but the layout and structural bones were perfect.”
Legendary in the surrounding area for its mystical ley lines, the farm
was once the base for the Beshara Trust - a charitythat promotes a
spiritual orientation in life- before the buildings were converted to ►
MEANING
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 125
THIS PAGE, FROM ABOVE LEFT A reconditioned electric Aga works for the family's busy lifestyle and is paired with copper pans from
Mauviel; a shapely vintage floral sofa adds into the layers of pattern in the cosy guestroom. The blind is made from an embroidered rug;
the three-storey building looks out over a river and open countryside ABOVE RIGHT In the lofty living room, Bauwerk limewash walls offset
a Wayne Pate abstract, Astier de Villatte ceramics and folk-art finds BELOW Reclaimed doors have given appeal to the opening between
the hallway and sitting room OPPOSITE New utilitarian kitchen cabinets from British Standard blend with an antique Belgian sideboard
private dwellings. Throughout, Lisa has worked her own magic, using
colour, pattern and texture alongside a glorious mix of vintage, artisan
and high-street finds. The walls are layered in ail - think flea-market
finds, folk art, landscapes, portraits and a Wayne Pate abstract.
“At home, the main thread is always vintage: traditional with a
twist, never too wild and always sentimental,” Lisa says. Most of the
pieces have been chosen to work within their budget - namely, a
drinks table purchased fbr£35 at Kempton antiques market, and
in the sitting room, a wavy-back vintage sofa, which they picked upon
Ebay for£300and reupholstered in Folies Bergere by Howe, along
with a robust linen stripe: “I like the combination of old and new in
one complete item - it always makes for a more interesting story.”
Select antiques have been saved for or received as gifts, but for
Lisa it is never about the value ofthe object, simply the feel: “Using
things we had already and buying secondhand has helped us to
customise a personal style while thinking more sustainably Everything
here reflects ourjoumey a sketch brought back from holiday, artisan
prototypes for edit58; a vintage Indian kitchen wall unit from our
farm shop; paintings by the twins; or antique rugs from a brocante.”
Downstairs, a living room wall has been opened and newly framed
with floor-to-ceiling doors salvaged in France. The characterful kitchen,
meanwhile, has been transformed with terracotta tiles, an antique
Belgian sideboard - a “will-fit-somewhere-someday” buy - and a
florist’s bench, which has been turned into a table. The contrast with
the utilitarian British Standard cabinetry, reconditioned Aga and
modem hand-painted enamelware adds depth. “Hil is a fabulous ►
126 FEBRUARY 2024
countryliving.com/uk

The walls are layered in art - flea-market finds,
f olk art, landscapes and portraits
OPPOSITE Original works of art have been sourced from local antiques shops THIS PAGE, TOP LEFT The brass wall lights with striped
shades are by Frolic Lighting TOP RIGHT A bespoke headboard and vintage Kantha quilt in the main bedroom ABOVE LEFT The study
has a profusion of pattern and texture, with a vintage armchair covered with Claremont's Nathalie fabric ABOVE RIGHT Pretty detailing
in the bathroom includes a decorative fabric-fronted cabinet and floral tiling by Lisa Hardy FAR RIGHT A fluted pendant complements
the patterned linens in the guestroom BELOW Apple green bathroom panelling enhances the Wayne Pate tiles for Balineum
cook and I love to entertain, so the kitchen is always at the centre of
many great occasions,” Lisa says. Upstairs, three bedrooms, each with
an en-suite, have been updated and vintage cheeseboard planks
from France have been repurposed as wide, patina-r ich floor boards.
Colour has had a transformative effect: soft pink Bauwerk limewasli
in the sitting room and Farrow & Ball Dead Salmon walls combined
with Pollen by Atelier Ellis on the new kitchen cabinetry - the “rhu barb
mid custard” effect, as Lisa affectionately refers to it. And in the main
bedroom, Farrow & Ball’s Light Blue - a timeless favourite of Lisa’s
- is paired with handmade patterned prints by Antoinette Poisson.
Cosy, vibrant and welcoming, the house feels as if it has always
been this way, and lighting adds warmth. The oversized hallway
lantern is combined with collections of finds: 19th-century gilt bow
sconces, brass wall lights with hand-striped candle shades by Frolic
Lighting; and Polly Fem lampshades. These are mixed with Zara
Home lamps and Lisa’s edit58 Ludlow lamp bases, a collaboration
with Kelmscott Studio, topped with Alice Palmer stripy fabric shades.
Textiles, both old and new, are imaginatively layered - runners
repurposed into stair coverings; vintage rugs used as head boards;
and patched Kantha throws transformed into bed coverings. In this
EXTRACTED
FROM Create:
At Home with
Old & New by All
Heath (Mitchell
Beazley, £30).
rural slice of heaven, Lisa’s
passion for colour, pattern
and texture is a reminder
ofa life well lived.
FOR MORE on edit58, see
edit58.com or follow on
Instagram @edit.58.
countrylwing.coni/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 129
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GARDENING
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 131
GARDENING
132 FEBRUARY 2024
coun trylwing.com/uk
GARLIC
Given plenty of sun and reasonably good soil, garlic is reliably easy to grow.
It is delicious “green” - the first month after harvest - but can also be stored
and enjoyed over many months. Shop-bought garlic is almost always the
softneck variety because it stores better; the hardneck - so-called because
it has a rigid stalk - crops earlier, does better in very cold conditions and has
a stronger flavour. Then there’s elephant garlic, with cloves the size of an
orange segment and a distinctly delicate flavour. Buyyour chosen variety
from a garden centre or seed supplier.
METHOD
1	Choose a sunny patch of ground. Prepare the ground
so that it is loose enough to sink your hand into. Add
good garden compost and rake to a fine tilth ready for
planting. Or use a container at least 25cm deep and big
enough for each clove to be 15cm apart.
2	Break open the garlic bulbs and sort out the larger
cloves for planting - they'll make larger bulbs. Use the
smaller ones in the kitchen. Plant the cloves pointed end
facing up using a dibber or trowel. Set them 5cm deep in
rows or in a grid about 15cm apart. Water them well.
3	Keep them weed free and make sure they are
well watered during springtime if the weather is
dry, as the foliage is growing then.
4	Break off any flower heads (scapes) as and when they
form - you can cook them. As soon as the foliage starts to
turn yellow, stop all watering and let the leaves die back.
5	The bulbs should be ready for harvest between the
middle of June and the middle of July. Do not pull them out
of the ground but dig them up carefully with a fork, trying
to keep as much of the roots attached as possible. Clean
off the soil but do not remove leaves or roots. Dry them
completely in a warm dry place, but not in direct sun.
6	When they have completely dried out (usually about
two weeks), trim the leaves and roots ready for storing.
I keep ours in a basket in a cool shed and they last well
into the following summer. ►
FEBRUARY2024 133
a HL LIES
Chillies are handsome । )lants, varied enough to be deeply satisfying
and easy enough for anyone to grow from seed. The fruits can be dried and
stored foryears and, in my humble opinion, almost everything tastes
better with some added chilli. The real secret is in the fruitiness of
a fresh chilli and the heat should never obscure this.
METHOD
1	Fill a seed tray with potting compost, firming it
down a little so that it's flat and even. Sprinkle seed
thinly onto the surface. Cover with a thin layer of
compost or vermiculite and water well. (You can sow
seeds individually straight into plugs, but the seeds
are small and this is a bit of a fiddle.)
2	Chillies need heat to germinate. I use a heated
propagating mat, but a windowsill above a radiator is
fine. Be patient - they can take three weeks to germinate.
3	Pot on the seedlings into plugs or small pots once
the second pair of leaves appear. Pot them on again
in spring until they are about 25cm tall and can go
into their final container or bed.
4	Chillies can grow and fruit outside in a sunny spot
but a greenhouse, porch or polytunnel is ideal. In any
event, throughout every stage of their growth, give them
as much light and heat as you can while making sure
they do not dry out.
5	Water them daily. In spring, feed weekly with a high-
nitrogen fertiliser to encourage new growth. This will help
more flowers, and therefore fruit, to develop. Then, as
soon as the first flowers appear, switch to a high potash
feed. Any generic tomato fertiliser will do, although I use
liquid seaweed or homemade liquid comfrey feed.
6	Ripe fruit look attractive but inhibit the production
of new flowers. So keep picking them as soon as they
ripen. Although you can keep chillies growing for years,
I always ditch mine in autumn and start again: as they
get older, they produce fewer and fewer chillies.
7	I store chillies in two ways. The first is simply to
freeze them whole, fresh off the plant. They can then
be taken out and defrosted individually with most
of their fruitiness retained.
8	I also dry and grind them to make chilli flakes. This
takes up much less space and retains all heat although
inevitably with a loss of their fruity flavour.
134 FEBRUARY 2024
GARDENING
’HOTOGRAPHS BY MARSHA ARNOLD
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY2024 135
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downBearth
GARDENING NOTES
WELLINGTONS
ADD TO
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WELLY TIDY
Are m 11ddy boots cl ut tering
upyour doormat and
getting under eveiyone’s
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Choose from two to five
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MINI MASTERCLASS

COM
о
GAR
MON
R
DEN
U \ KEN THOMPSON
Now that dandelions and
herb robert are welcome
in relaxed planting
schemes, Ken Thopipson
takes a closer look at
some of the species .	*
used to uproot from our \	(
borders without a secon4 л у
thought, and reveals X
why they’re so gobd ; I
at spreading (Profile^v^v^
Books, £14.99).
COMPILED BY SHARON AMOS PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; JASON INGRAM
VISIT NOW
KEW ORCHID FESTIVAL
Step into the warmth of the Princess of Wales
conservatory and be tian sported to
Madagascar for a floral extravaganza.	z ./ J
Encounter lemurs, tortoises and a
gigantic baobab tree, all artfully
created from flowers. You can
also see the famous orchid whose
30cmbloonisledDarwintopredict
the discovetyofa long-tongued
moth (3 Feb-3 Mar, kew.org).
^/6-4^
CLEMATIS CIRRHOSA
DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR ORCHID We
tend to tre'dtFhalaenojansovchids as being
as disposable as a bunch of flowers, but I’ve
kept one for 15years that blooms regularly.
->rEEED WITH EVERY OTHER
WATERING throughout theyear to
encourage larger, longer-lasting and
' ^АШоге abundant flowers.
^^>.4 .WAIT UNTIL THE FLOWERS FADE
even start to drop, then cut the whole
• ‘ '<v^’';’V^^tem right back to the base. The plant
An early clematis with delicate
flowers at an unpromising
time of year that also has the
advantages of being evergreen
and staying within reasonable
bounds (max height 4m), unlike
its rampant cousin Clematis
montana (12m).
will produce more leaves, replenish its
energy stores and bloom again.
COOL IT DOWN A drop in temperature
will also trigger flowering, so tty moving
it to a brighter, cooler room if it hasn’t
been successful in its current spot.
Not Another Jungle byTonyLe-Bntton
(DKy FJ6.99). Follow @notanothe/jungle.
countrylwing.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 137

FOOD & DRINK
From his home town of Howth, near Dublin, much-loved
Irish chef Donal Skehan has perfected the art of simple
Saturday suppers and slow Sunday lunches with his
hand-me-down family recipes
RECIPES BY DONAL SKEHAN PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVE BROWN
GRANNIE'S LAMB SHOULDER
One ofmy earliest memories ofmy grannie’s cooking
was snaffling some of her famous roast lamb out of
a tinfoilpackage in the back seat of my mums car.
I’d been hanging around the kitchen on one ofour
regular Sunday visits and soaking up the tantalising
smells of lamb shoulder slow-cooking in the oven.
As we were leaving, Granniepressed the warm tinfoil
package into my hand. Even no w, when I carve a roast
leg of lamb and dip the crusty best bits inflaky salt,
it’s a taste that instantly reminds'me of her. Salty,
rosemary-laden slices of lamb and the smell of home.
Serves 6
2KG WHOLE SHOULDER
OF LAMB
2 SPRIGS OF ROSEMARY,
NEEDLES STRIPPED
2 GARLIC CLOVES, THINLY
SLICED
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY
GROUND BLACK PEPPER
FOR THE BOULANGERE
POTATOES
50G SALTED BUTTER
2 LARGE ONIONS,
THINLY SLICED
1.5KG DESIREE POTATOES
(OR OTHER LARGE SLIGHTLY
WAXY POTATOES), PEELED
AND THINLY SLICED
10 SAGE LEAVES, THINLY
SLICED
400ML CHICKEN STOCK
1	Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan oven) gas шагкЗ.
Take the shoulder of lamb and use a sharp knife to make
small incisions all over the meat. Push little bits of rosemaiy
and slices of garlic into the cuts, then season well all over.
2	Rub a large ovenproofdish with half the butter. Layer up
the sliced onions, potatoes and sage leaves, seasoning well
in between each layer, then pour over the chicken stock and
dot with the remaining butter. Put the potatoes into the oven,
with the lamb sitting on a wire rack directly above the potatoes
so the meaty juices drip down into the potatoes below.
3	Slow-roast for 3-3| hours until the meat is really tender,
then increase the temperature to 22O°C (200°C fan oven)
gas mark 7 fora further 20 minutes so the meat is lovely
and brown and the potatoes golden. Let them both rest
for 10 minutes before serving. ►
countyliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY2024 139
FOOD & DRINK
140 FEBRUARY 2024
coun tryliving.com/uk
FAMILY FOCACCIA- STYLE PIZZA
From pizza to sourdough bread and beyond, the key to
making bread is the time its left to rise. My best version of
homemade pizza begins on a Thursday with a couple of
turns to the dough in thefridge over thefollowing days
before it goes into the oven. However, as Гт rarely that
organised, this focaccia-style pizza is an easier option -
its a loose, no-kneaddough that only requires a bit of time
and minimal effort to give wonderful results. You can
serve it pizza-style, like Tve suggested here, or make
a basil and garlic oil to rub over the surface before
poking deep dimples into the dough before baking.
Serves 6
1 X 7G SACHET DRIED YEAST
1 TBSP RUNNY HONEY
700MLWARM WATER
550G '00' FLOUR
100G WHITE RYE FLOUR
1 TBSP SEA SALT FLAKES, PLUS
EXTRA FOR SPRINKLING
5 TBSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE
OIL, PLUS EXTRA FOR
DRIZZLING
75G GRATED MOZZARELLA
125G BALL BUFFALO
MOZZARELLA, TORN
HANDFUL OF BASIL LEAVES,
TO SERVE
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE
1 TBSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1 GARLIC CLOVE, BASHED
200ML PASS ATA
1	Mix together the dried yeast, honey and warm water in a large
bowl. Whisk, then leave for 15 minutes until a foam forms.
2	Add the flours and sea salt to theyeast mixture and stir to
combine with a wooden spoon untilyou have a rough but evenly
mixed dough; it will be very loose.
5	Add 3 tbsp of the extra-virgin olive oil to a separate large, clean
bowl and transfer the dough into this. Tum to coat the dough in
the oil, then cover and leave in the fridge overnight (alternatively
leave covered at room temperature for 4 hours if you want to
bake the same day).
4	Keeping the dough in the bowl, lightly coatyour hands with oil
and pull up the edge of the dough, then fold over the top. Repeat
this on all four sides, turning the bowl a quarter turn each time to
make this easier. Do this three times in total. Add the remaining
2 tbsp oil to a 38cm x 25cm baking tray that is at least 2cm deep.
Gently press the dough into the tray, spreading it out to the edges.
Leave to rise for at least an hour at room temperature, uncovered.
5	While this is rising, make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a
deep pan (to prevent splattering), then add the garlic and cook
for 1 minute. Stir in the passata, season well and simmer for 5-6
minutes until reduced and thickened.
6	Preheat the oven to 22O°C (200°C fan oven) gas mark 7.
7	You will knowyour dough is ready whenyou poke it and the
indentation slowly springs back but still leaves an impression. Oil
your hands and then, to create the indentations, spreadyour fingers
apart and press them into the dough, reaching the base of the tray.
8 Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and bake for 15 minutes until
lightly golden, then spread with the tomato sauce and scatter over
the grated mozzarella and torn buffalo mozzarella. Bake for 10-12
minutes until the cheese has melted and the crusts are golden.
9	Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then slide a thin spatula underneath
and transfer the pizza to a board to slice. Serve scattered with
basil leaves.
STICKY SOY PORK SLIDERS
WITH CHILLI & CORIANDER
There are many cuts ofmeat that benefit from the low-and-
slow treatment, but perhaps none more than the ubiquitous
pork belly. Take inspiration from Chinese pantry ingredients
andyou won't go wrong; the fatty, tender meat is best infused
with salty soy, rice wine and fresh aromatics like ginger and
garlic. After being anointed and baked, the sticky slices are
irresistible in pillowy brioche buns with crunchy slaw.
Senes 6
1.	2KG PIECE OF PORK BELLY
12 BRIOCHE SLIDER BUNS
FOR THE COOKING LIQUID
5 GARLIC CLOVES, SLICED
5CM PIECE OF GINGER, GRATED
75MLSOYSAUCE
60ML SHAOXING RICE WINE
2 TBSP SOFT LIGHT BROWN
SUGAR
1	RED CHILLI, HALVED IN LENGTH
1	STAR ANISE
2	TSP SICHUAN PEPPERCORNS
125ML WATER
FORTHE SLAW
2 CARROTS
% RED CABBAGE
% WHITE CABBAGE
100ML RICE VINEGAR
2 TBSP CASTER SUGAR
1	TBSP SESAME OIL
2	TBSP SESAME SEEDS,
TOASTED
LARGE HANDFUL OF
CORIANDER LEAVES, TORN
1	Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan oven) gas mark 3. In a jug,
mix together all the ingredients for the liquid. Put the pork into a
roasting tray and pour over. Cover tightly with foil and slow-cook
for 2| hours until veiy tender. Remove from the oven and pour the
juices back into the jug. Allow the meat to cool completely.
2	For the slaw, shred the carrots and cabbage and combine in a bowl.
Heat the rice vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over a medium
heat with 2 tbsp water until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the
shredded vegetables and set aside to macerate for 15 minutes.
Then add the sesame oil, sesame seeds and coriander.
3	When ready to serve, prepare the meat. Remove excess skin and
fat, then slice. Pour or scoop off any fat from the juices in the jug,
then pourjuices into a large frying pan. Place over a medium heat
until bubbling, then add the pork belly and cook, turning, for
5-10 minutes until coloured. Meanwhile, lightly toast the buns.
4	Fill the buns with the Sticky pork and top with the slaw. ►
ROSEMARY & THYME CONFIT
CHICKEN WITH 20 GARLIC CLOVES
Manyfood writers have put their stamp on chicken roasted
with cloves of garlic. Nigella uses 40, Delia uses 50, but in this
confit baked version of the dish, I’vegone down a slightly less
excessive route and settled on an easy 20 - as a result, you wont
be cursing me while you’re peeling them all. Chicken legs are
coddled in a low oven with olive oil infused with herbs, lemon
zest and garlic. It leaves you with irresistible chicken and a
stellar oil that is ideaion roastpotatoes or for frying offvegetable
fritters in a pan. This takes afew days to finish, so be prepared'
Serves 4-6
8 WHOLE CHICKEN LEGS (BONE
IN AND SKIN ON)
2 SPRIGS OF ROSEMARY,
NEEDLES STRIPPED
5 SPRIGS OF THYME, LEAVES
STRIPPED
PARED ZEST OF 1 LEMON
20 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED
12 SMALL SHALLOTS, PEELED
6 BABY LEEKS, TRIMMED
1L EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
FORTHEHASSELBACK
POTATOES
800G SMALL/MEDIUM DESIREE
OR ROOSTER POTATOES
2 TBSP OLIVE OIL
FLAKY SEA SALT
FOR THE BITTER LEAF SALAD
2 HEADS OF CHICORY (ENDIVE),
LEAVES SEPARATED
1 fris£e LETTUCE, ROUGHLY TORN
1 TBSP WHITE WINE VINEGAR
3 TBSP RESERVED CONFIT OIL
1	Place the chicken legs in a large ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over the
rosemary and thyme leaves, followed by the lemon zest, garlic cloves
and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Massage into the legs,
then cover and chill overnight.
2	Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan oven) gas mark Я Take the
chicken out of the fridge and turn all the legs so they are skin-side up
in the dish. Nestle the shallots and leeks in and around them, then pour
over the extra-virgin olive oil, making sure everything is well covered.
5	Place in the oven and cook, uncovered, for 2-2| hours or until the
chicken is almost falling off the bone. Remove from the oven and
allow to cool in the oil, preferably overnight. Once the oil is cooled
completely, strain into a resealable jar and keep in the fridge for
other uses.
4	Prepare the potatoes: cut small slits all the way along the length
ofyour spuds, but not all the way through, then massage all over
with oil. Place in a roasting tray and scatter with flaky sea salt.
5	Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan oven) gas mark 4. Roast the
potatoes for 40 minutes, then increase the heat to 22O°C (200°C fan
oven) gas mark 7. Put the chicken, shallots and leeks on to a roasting
tray. Roast for about 20 minutes until the chicken skin is crispy and
golden and the potatoes are golden and tender.
6	While the chicken and potatoes finish cooking in the oven, prepare
the bitter leaf salad. Add the leaves to a bowl. Whisk together the
white wine vinegar and reserved confit oil, then drizzle over the
leaves and toss to combine. Serve with the chicken and potatoes. ►
142 FEBRUARY 2024
FOOD & DRINK
Qhicken legs are coddled in a low
л oven i I h olive oil infused with.^
Bl herbs, lemon zest and garlic 4
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 143
к

KITCHEN CUPBOARD,BEAI^STEW
This brothy bean stew is made in a flash,.particularly ifyou
have a well-stocked kitchen cupboard. Use any beans you
fancy, or make it with a mix of tiro or three types (chickpeas,
butterbeans, cannellini beans and kidney beans all work
well). Just be sure to drain and rinse them well - and bear in
mind that tinned beans are often quite soft and well cooked,
so only add them to thepan towards the end oft he cooking
time. If you have them to hand, items that go well in the mix
include basil leaves, pancetta, leftover ham or even the dregs
of ajar qfpass ata. Adapt and repeat!
Serves 4
2 TBSP OLIVE OIL	2 TSP DRIED OREGANO
1 LARGE ONION, THINLY SLICED 9OOML VEGETABLE STOCK
2 GARLIC CLOVES, THINLY	200G FROZEN PEAS,
SLICED	DEFROSTED
4D0G FROZEN SPINACH, 2 TBSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
DEFROSTED	40G PARMESAN CHEESE (OR
2 X 4.00 G TINS BUTTER BEANS, * VEGETARIAN ALTERNATIVE^
DRAINED AN6 RINSED.,	SHAVED
4 SLICES' SOURDOUGH BREAD
и
1	Heat the oliye oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion for 5
minutes until softened. Add the garlic and dried oregano and fiy
fori minute more, then add the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil,
then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
2	Season and add the vegetables and beans, and cook gently
for a few minutes morfe until eveiyfhing is warmed through.
5	Meanwhile,.brush the bread with extra-virgin olive oil and then
fiy in a hot frying pan until golden and crisp op both sides. Slice
into wedges and serve with the bean stew, topped with a good*
drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and
shavecLParmesan. 4	.
fr
FOOD & DRINK
VANILLA ICE CREAM & CHOCOLATE PROFITEROLES
Гт a suckerfor these pastry puffs filled with cremepatissiere,
a rich creamy custard, but as Гт lazy by admission,
I often revert to sweetened whipped cream as a less fussy
alternative, or, as here, scoops of vanilla ice cream. Either
way, slathered with a rich chocolate ganache topping,
I've never had any complaints.
Serves 6-8
2 X500G TUBS VANILLA
ICECREAM
FORTHECHOUX BUNS
60G SALTED BUTTER
130ML WATER
80G PLAIN FLOUR
3 LARGE FREE-RANGE EGGS
FOR THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE
60ML SINGLE (LIGHT) CREAM
30G CASTER SUGAR
50G DARK CHOCOLATE (70%
COCOA SOLIDS), CHOPPED
1	Use a spoon or small ice-cream scoop to take small balls of
ice cream from the tub and place on a tray lined with baking
parchment. Freeze untilyou are ready to assemble.
2	Preheat the oven to 22O°C (200°C fan oven) gas mark 7 and
line two large baking sheets with baking parchment.
5	Place the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the water
and bring to a steady boil until the butter has melted.
4	Remove the pan from the heat and tip in the flour, beating with
a wooden spoon until a dough comes together. Place the pan back
on the heat and beat in the saucepan for about 40 seconds. Remove
from the heat again and set aside. Beat one egg in a small bowl.
5	Add the remaining two eggs to the warm dough, one at a time,
beating thoroughly after each addition until incorporated. Add
almost all the beaten egg, a little at a time, untilyou have a
consistency that will hold its shape when piped.
6	Using a spatula,scoop the dough into a large piping bag fitted with
a large round piping nozzle. Pipe small dollops of dough (2.5cm
in diameter) on to the lined baking sheets, leaving4cm between
each one. Brush them with the leftover beaten egg.
7Place in the oven, reducing the heat to 190°C (170°C fan oven) gas
mark5 for 15-20 minutes until the balls have risen and are golden.
8	Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, use a
serrated knife to slice each one around the middle.
9	To make the chocolate sauce, put the cream and sugar into a small
pan and simmer gently over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
10	Remove from the heat and stir through the chopped chocolate
until it has melted and the sauce is silky and smooth.
11	To assemble the profiteroles, arrange the bottom halves on plates
or a serving platter, then top each with a small ball of ice cream.
12	Put the lids on, drizzle with the chocolate sauce and seive. ►
countyliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 145
FOOD & DRINK
SPICED RICE PUDDING WITH CARAMEL ORANGES
Although 1profess to being solely ahome cook, I did have
a brief foray into a professional kitchen when I was 19.
Ihadfollowed mygirlfriend (now wife) So fie back to her
home town ofGothenburg after a whirlwind summer
romance, and we both got jobs on an island'fortress
called ElfborgsFastning. One of the jobsIwas tasked
with was to make a traditional rice pudding called ris
a la Malta, with orange segments. At the end of the night,
Sofie would sit on a stack offtour bags while I cleaned
down the counters. Making this dessert always marked
the end of my shift when I mixed bowls ofcooked rice
pudding with gently whipped cream, vanilla sugar and
cinnamon. This is a slightly fancier version ofthe classic.
Serves4
175G PUDDING RICE
70G CASTER SUGAR
600ML WHOLE MILK
PINCH OF SAFFRON
30G UNSALTED BUTTER
1 CINNAMON STICK
3 CARDAMOM PODS,
CRACKED
I h.H.J -A.
EXTRACTED FROM
Home Kitchen by
Donal Skehan
(Yellow Kite, £25).
Photography by
Dave Brown.
THREADS, SOAKED IN 1 TBSP
BOILING WATER
PARED ZEST OF 1 ORANGE
75ML DOUBLE CREAM, PLUS
EXTRA TO SERVE
FOR THECARAMEL
ORANGES
125G CASTER SUGAR
BLOOD ORANGES, PEELED
AND CUT INTO ROUNDS
1	Preheat the oven to 140°C (120°C fan oven) gas mark 1.
2	Melt the butter in a lidded ovenproof dish over a low heat
and gently heat the spices, then add the rice and stir to coat.
5	Add the sugar and milk, then the saffron and zest. Stir and
bring to the boil. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then remove
the lid, stir in the cream and cook fora further 20 minutes.
4	Sprinkle the sugar for the caramel oranges into a separate
pan in an even layer and place over a low heat. Let the sugar
melt without stirring, but swirl the ргш eveiy so often.
5	Once melted, increase thefieat untilyou have a rich caramel.
6 Pour in 100ml water and stir until smooth. Pour this over
the oranges in a bowl and stir. Seaside to macerate and cool.
7 Serve the pudding with the oranges and extra cream.

146 FEBRUARY 2024
countryliving.com/uk
primeoak.co.uk THE FINEST OAK FRAMED BUILDINGS 01384 296611
ORANGERIES | GARDEN ROOMS | GARAGES | ANNEXES | HOME OFFICES & GYMS | CONSERVATORIES | STABLES
where to buy
Stockists in the magazine this month
©ADDISON ROSS addisonross.com ALFRED NEWALL
alfrednewall.com ALICE PALMER & CO alicepalmer.co
ANNIESLOANanniesloan.com
© BEAU VAMP beauvamp.com BIRDIE FORTESCUE
birdiefortescue.co.uk BOR ASTAPETER borastapeter.com
BY EMMA DIAZ byemmadiaz.com BY LYDIA bylydia.co
©CAROLINA IRVING & DAUGHTERSci-daughters.com
CHELSEA TEXTILES chelseatextiles.com COUNTRY
LIVINGMARKETPLACEcountiylivingshop.co.uk
© DAR LIGHTING darlighting.co.uk DAVID HUNT
LIGHTING davidhuntlighting.co.uk DECORA
MOULDINGS decoramouldings.co.uk
DOOKdookofedinburgh.com
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KATHERINE FRASER katherinefraser.co.uk
KIT KEMP firmdalehotels.com/shop kit kemp
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layertree.co.uk LITTLE GREENE littlegreene.com
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REBECCA UDALL rebeccaudall.com ROSE & GREY
roseandgrey.co.uk ROWEN & WREN rowenandwren.co.uk
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studiomanolo.com SUSIE HAMILTON susiehamilton.com
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TORIMURPHYtonmurphy.com
TURNER POCOCK tumerpocock.co.uk
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©YOLKEyolke.co.uk
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 147

(«»(,') LARDER
FOOD NOTES
MINI MASTERCLASS
REALBREAD
ш О
Second
Helpings
£
Q
£
CD
§5
FALLOW
SR R A C Hi
FALLOW
SRIRACHA
S
8
О
S (O
I
Leftovers move into
the limelight in Sue
Quinn’s timely new
book. It’s packed
with ingenious,
adaptable recipes
for giving ingredients
a delicious second
life, saving time,
money and energy
into the bargain
(Quadrille, ZJ8.99).
ADMIRATION
GRAZE IN
AT TILLO'S DELI
Sunday Chai cuterie founders Tara Smyth and
Janies Santillo know there’s no better
way to enjoy their high-welfare
salamis and mr-dried hams than on
a sharing plate. Their new deli and
cafe in Oulton Broad, Suffolk,
invitesyou to pair small-batch
charcuterie, pates and terrines
with breads, cheeses, condiments
and nibbles (tillosdeli.co.uk).
ADD TO
BASKET
ENGLISH
SRIRACHA
Spice up breakfast
eggs or Valentine’s
Day oysters with a
splash of sustainable
restaurant Fallow’s
signature live hot sauce.
Made in small batches
using fermented West
Country-grown chillies,
it's also marvellous in
mayo. From £7 for 225g
(fallowrestaurant).

REAL BREAD IS MADE WITH TIME
and skill. Additives that speed up the
process can prevent the long fermentation
that makes bread a nourishing food.
GENUINE SOURDOUGH is real bread
in its purest form. Wild yeasts and lactic
acid bacteria break down proteins in the
flout during fermentation, giving the loaf
its tangy flavour and better digestibility.
ANCIENT GRAINS EXCITE ME
I bake with organic spelt, rye, Emmei and
Einkom flours - they’re better for the soil,
rich in antioxidantsand full of flavour.
Aidan is an ambassador for the Real
Bread Campaign (Real Bread Week is
16-25February). His bakery delivers
nationwide (lovinglyartisan.com).
countrylwing.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 149
WELLBEING
JiAAAYS
TO BRING THE
COUNTRYSIDE TO
Green doesn't always mean go ifyou have limited
mobility. Especially in winter. In our ongoing
campaign to open up the countryside for all,
we asked you to tell us how the weather affected
your enjoyment of the great outdoors. Even
though 83 percent ofyou told us the countryside
is essential for you r happiness and mental health,
70 per cent said that the rain, snow, ice or frost
often prevented you from enjoying it. To kick-
start 2024, we asked Sally Coulthard to share 24
ideason how togetyour“green fix” in the darkest,
dampest and si ipperiest days of theyear
150 FEBRUARY 2024
countrylwing.com/uk
ОМАКЕ ROOM
FOR BLOOMS
There’s an increasing body of
evidence that fresh flowers can have
a measurable effect on wellbeing,
mood and even memory. Pots of bulbs
- including hyacinths and irises - are
an easy way to bring February’s early
blooms intoyour home, while freshly
cut seasonal narcissi will fillyour
rooms with intense floral perfume.
Why not order a box of‘Grand Soleil
dor’, ‘Paper White’ or ‘Golden Dawn'
stems grown sustainably on the Isles
of Scilly (scillyflowers.co.uk)?
©GET YOUR
DAYLIGHT FIX
In winter, natural light can be in
drastically short supply, especially
when we’re spending more time
indoors than out. Bright light therapy
mimics the glorious intensity of
sunlight and has been shown to
influence melatonin and serotonin
levels, helping to alleviate those
seasonal winter blues. Tiy basking
in the glow of a Lumie lamp for
30 minutes to kick start the circadian
rhythms (johnlewis.com).
©DRESS THE PART
Countiy workwear and apparel
are often beautifully made, using
natural fabrics and time-honoured
tailoring. Just becauseyou’re not
romping through dell and dale
doesn't mean you can't enjoy the
rural aesthetic of crisp linen, oilcloth
and canvas. We love Field & Found’s
tactile clothing (fieldandfound.com).
О CATCI I THE
CHORUS
While the dawn chorus traditionally
strikes up in mid-spring, a handful
of garden birds sing earlier in the
year. Listen out for the select group
of virtuoso soloists - the robins, tits,
mistle thrushes andyoung blackbirds
(older blackbirds wait until March).
And, ifyou don’t recognise the tune,
the award-winning Smart Bird ID
app will help identify your ciyptic
crooner (smartbirdid.com).
©CHART THE
LUNAR CYCLE
Since ancient times, people have
wondered at the moon’s ever-changing
appearance. Set aside a little time
every evening in Februaiy to look at
the moon and before longyou’ll know
your Waxing Crescent fromyour
Waning Gibbous. Keep track with
a Lunar Observation chart at
moon.nasa.gov.
0
BECOME
A CITIZEN
SCIENTIST
From spotting emerging bumblebees
to tracking blackthorn bursting into
bud, your early season observations
can help scientists better understand
and protect the natural world. Take
part in the Woodland Trust’s Nature
Calendar citizen science project and
tell them whatyou’ve spotted and
when (woodlandtrust.org.uk).
LISTEN TO
A PASTORAL
PLAYLIST
О
Some of the most majestic orchestral
compositions were inspired by nature
and rural life. Pastoral is an entire
subgenre of classical music to explore
for free, thanks to BBC Radio 3 or
Classic FM - seek out Beethoven’s
Pastoral Sy niphonj \ Vaughan William’s
Pastoral or Spohr’s The Seasons,
FEBRUARY 2024 151
STARTA
WINDOW
GARDEN
As long as a windowsill gets six hours
of bright light a day, and doesn’t get
too chilly overnight, it’s perfect fora
micro-garden. Herbs such as chives,
coriander and mint will shoot up
indoors, as will microgreens, cress and
sprouting beans. Scatter Seedball’s
herb mix anytime from mid-Februaiy
onwards (seedball.co.uk).
©RELAX BY
CANDLELIGHT
Humans have long associated the
warm, dancing glow of flames with
feelings of intimacy and safety. The
flickering movement of candlelight
is also mesmerising, meditative even,
and has been shown to actively reduce
stress levels. Spend an evening lit only
by magical, natural candlelight. Try
a Winter Half Light candle - scented
with stress-relieving clementine -
from eco-brand The Botanical Candle
Co (thebotanicalcandleco.co.uk).
EMBRACE
NATL RE'S
PERFUME
Bring nature’s heavenly scent inside.
Essential oils not only create a
connection with the outdoors - some
believe they can also have therapeutic
benefits including relieving stress,
sleeping problems and anxiety. Tiy
massaging seasonal scents - such as
frankincense, mandarin, ginger or
juniper - ontoyour pulse points
or blending into body cream
(nealsyardremedies.com).
©FEED THE BIRDS
Ifyou can’t get outside, get
the outside to come to you. Window
bird feeders, which attach with
suction pads, allow you to get up
close and personal with robins,
finches and other small garden birds,
without compromising their natural
behaviour. Try seeds, mealworms or
a splodge of peanut butter to tempt
some feathered friends ontoyour
sill (shopping.rspb.org.uk).
©BECOME A
STAR-SEEKER
Eveiyyear in Februaiy, the Campaign to
Protect Rural England (CPRE) invites us
to look heavenwards and record what
we see. Gaze into the night sly, look
for the three bright lights of Orion the
Hunter’s belt and count the stars in the
rectangle formed by his shoulders and
feet. This helps CPRE find out how light
pollution is affecting our dark skies and
ways we might mitigate it (cpre.org.uk).
BINGE A
WILDLIFE
BOXSET
Nature programmes not only make for
fascinating viewing, they also encourage
eveiyone to make personal lifestyle
changes, support wildlife organisations
and make policy change more likely.
Find an entire natural world atyour
fingertips at bbc.co.uk/iplayer,
including Xht Planet Earth series.
C IMMERSE
YOURSELF IN
NATURAL SOUNDS
The trickle of a babbling brook,
grumble of rolling thunder or gentle
rustling of leaves - an increasing
number of people are listening to
nature sound apps to help with
real-world scenarios. From helping
with tinnitus to encouraging
creativity, it’s an instant way to boost
your acoustic environment. Try
Naturespace (naturespace.org)
or Portal (portal.app).
©MAKE A
TERRARIUM
Bring a splash ofgreeneiy intoyour
living space with a tiny greenhouse or
terrarium. These miniature glazed plant
holders are perfect for slow-growing
succulents, tropical plants and cacti.
Find out how at kew.org/read-and-
watch/how-to-make-tcrrarium.
152 FEBRUARY 2024
WELLBEING
countryliving.com/uk
FEBRUARY 2024 153
WELLBEING
154 FEBRUARY 2024
countryliving.coni/iik
TUNE INTO A
3 COUNTRYSIDE
CHAT
Whenyou can’t get out and about,
podcasts pull your imagination
anywhereyou want to go. Try Clare
Balding’s Ramblings, a gentle stroll
through the British countryside,
Chris Skinners Country side Podcast
or Alice Vincent’s Why Women Grow,
all available on Apple podcasts.
к GET LOST IN A
' NATURE BOOK
Good nature writing can transport
us to the wildest places. The annual
Wainwright Prize celebrates the books
that inspire us to reconnect with the
natural world. Delve into one of its
many shortlisted titles, including 2O23’s
worthy winner The Flow by Amy-Jane
Beer, atwainwrightprize.com.
VOLUNTEER
® FOR A WILDLIFE
CHARITY
All conservation organisations are
ciying out for help, much of it behind
the scenes. From being a trustee to a
telephone fundraiser, a social media
whizz to a web developer, volunteer
your valuable time and skills without
leaving home (environmentjob.co.uk/
volunteering).
©RESET YOUR
CLOCK
Artificially lit spaces and excessive
screentime play havoc with your
circadian rhythm. Blue light, emitted by
many LEDs, screens and smartphones,
tricks the body into feeling alert even
when it should be winding down. Use
the Night Shift feature onyour tech
to adjust the colour spectrum ofyour
display. In evening spaces, such as living
rooms and bedrooms, replacing cool
blue LEDs with warm white lightbulbs
will also trigger the natural urge to relax.
TAKE
mil :robreaks
Maintaining concentration can
be tricky, especially when we spend
a good deal of our day looking at
screens. Research suggests that if
you feel your attention starting to
flag, taking a 40-second microbreak
to look at nature through a window
focusesyour attention and
encourages concentration.
1 CREATEA
1 У NATURE TABLE
Rediscover the childhood delights
of a seasonal show-and-tell. Collect and
display natural objects, such as pine
cones and found feathers, thatyou,
friends or family find outside. Channel
your inner natural histoiy curator
and create identification labels that
include your own nature insights.
9Д1 HOST A
W HEDGEHOG
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CAROLINE ARBER; FOTOLIBRA/LINCA WRIGHT; GETTY IMAGES; LIVING4MEDIA; LOUPE IMAGES
Februaiy is perhaps the toughest
month for hedgehogs, who will be
heading out of hibernation having
lost a third of their body weight.
Put out a shallow dish of water and
supplemental food to help bolster
their chances of survival. Find out
what to feed our prickly friends at
britishhedgehogs.org.uk/feeding.
FEBRUARY 2024 155
Country Living editor-in-chief
о appreciate Europe's spectacular scenery, nothing beats a no-fly holiday. And new figures from
the Rail Delivery Group show that rail travel emits ten times less carbon than car travel and 13 times
less than by plane, presenting an opportunity for us all to lower our carbon footprint. Settle back in
your seat and relish the gloriously slower pace of travel as you enjoy the comforts of a train journey,
glimpsing charming villages and farms, marvelling at snowy peaks and following glistening rivers as
you approach your destination. You might choose a holiday in the majestic Swiss Alps, visiting beautiful local
towns and stunning lakes, or kick back beside tranquil Lakes Orta and
Maggiore, with an excursion to the impressive Matterhorn or take in the
highlights of the Loire Valley and Monet's famous garden at Giverny. Visit
countryliving.com/uk/nofly or scan the QR code opposite to discover the
full no-fly collection from Country Living Holidays. We'll see you there!


GLIDE THROUGH
THE ALPS
Fill your lungs with fresh mountain air
and admire breathtaking scenery on a
trip through one of the most majestic
mountain ranges in the world. The
beauty of the Alps can be appreciated
all year round, whether in spring when
wild flowers abound or during autumn
as the trees make a striking contrast
against the snow-capped peaks.
On this bestselling five-day, no-fly tour
of the Swiss Alps, you'll stay in a four-star
hotel in the charming resort town of
Interlaken, and visit Lucerne and Bern.
You'll cruise across picturesque lakes
and admire the towering peaks of the
Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. Also included
is a daytrip on the 90-year-old Glacier
Express through the dramatic Oberalp
Pass with a three-course lunch.
BOOK IT Join a four-night no-fly tour,
staying in a comfortable hotel with
breakfast and including return Eurostar
tickets to Interlaken and all rail travel
within Switzerland including a ride on
the Glacier Express. DEPARTING 1 March
and 11 October 2024 FROM £1,599pp*.
See countryliving.com/uk/glacierexpress
or call 0330 828 4799 to book.
SOAK UP THE
ITALIAN LAKES
Travellers have enjoyed the beauty and
tranquillity of the Italian lakes since the
days of the Grand Tour, and what better
way to enjoy an indulgent rail trip than
on an adventure to this charming part
of Northern Italy?
Follow in the footsteps of countless
writers, poets and composers, and feel
inspired and restored in equal measure
- you'll be captivated by the historic
lakeside towns, fragrant blooms and
delicious cuisine.
Stay in Lake Maggiore for the duration
of the trip, with visits to lakes Como
and Orta, as well as trips to Locarno
and Zermatt in Switzerland. Highlights
include visits to the enchanting islands
of Isola Bella and Isola Pescatori on Lake
Maggiore, the dramatic landscapes of
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALAMY; SHUTTERSTOCK
DISCOVER MORE exceptional tours and cruises
SLOW DOWN IN LOIRE
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the
Loire Valley was referred to as "France's
garden" and it's easy to see why.
'C Г-Г
»avour the Loire
Valley wines
Terms & conditions apply; please see online for details
fUi»
ши ПЦ»!
the Simplon Pass - along which you'll
travel to see the iconic Matterhorn -
and incredible mountain views from the
famous narrow-gauge Centovalli railway.
BOOK IT Join an eight-night tour with
half-board hotel accommodation, return
Eurostar tickets and plenty of inclusions.
DEPARTING 13 May, 17 June, 9 September
and 30 September 2024
FROM £1,799pp*. See countryliving.com/
uk/maggiore or call 0330 828 5180 to book.
Conjure up stunning landscapes, quaint
bridges and the grandeur of centuries
past as you tour the magnificent
chateaux of Chenonceau, Villandry,
Chinon and Amboise. Explore the
charming towns of the Loire Valley
where the pace of life seems entirely
different and there's plenty of time for
unwinding in wonderful local cafes.
Also on your itinerary is the Chateau de
Fontainebleau, situated in an expansive
forest just outside Paris, the Gothic
cathedral of Chartres and the famous
garden of Impressionist artist Claude
Monet at Giverny, including the celebrated
waterlily pond and Japanese bridge.
This tour offers the perfect opportunity
to experience the charms of French
provincial life and savour the stunning
scenery, historic monumentsand
local viniculture.
BOOK IT Join a six-night tour, staying
in three- and four-star hotels in Vernon,
Tours and Orleans, with breakfast and
plenty of inclusions. DEPARTING 18 April,
2 May, 11 July and 17 October 2024
FROM £999pp*. See countryliving,
com/uk/loire or call 0330 828 1252
to book. Alternatively, turn the page
to visit Monet's garden at Giverny
with a CL gardening expert.
to beautiful locations at countrylivinghoHdays.com
WHAT’S INCLUDED
swimming pool
•A tour of a sugar
cane factory with
rum tasting in
Porto da Cruz
•Poncha tasting
•Return flights
from London
to Funchal
•Transfers for
those travelling
on group flights
•All entrance fees
•Seven nights at
the five-star Enotel
Lido hotel on an
all-inclusive basis
•A visit to the
Madeira
Flower Festival
•A walking tour
of Funchal
•A vineyard tour
with wine tasting
•A visit to a
trout farm
FLOWER FESTIVAI
ALL-INCLUSIVE
AT A LUXURY
HOTEL
The northern coast features здщ
the highest sea cliffs m the world
JNTRY LIVING
HOLIDAYS
Tour the horticultural highlights of the 'floating garden
of the Atlantic' at the best time to visit
““I"" hanks to its fertile volcanic
soil Madeira is a plant-lover's
paradise, with a range of
species - from purple-
blossomed jacaranda trees,
orchids and bird of paradise plants to
its UNESCO-listed native laurel forest.
It has been named the World's Leading
Island Destination at the World Travel
Awards since 2015.
You'll visit the island in time for
its famous Flower Festival, where
the streets of Funchal are filled with
colourful floral floats and parades.
Funchal, where you'll be staying, is
packed with highlights, such as a
15th-century cathedral. Foodies can
discover the farmers' market or sample
the local Madeira wine and there will be
an excursion to the manicured Botanical
Garden in the hills overlooking Funchal.
As well as the festival, you'll explore
two of Madeira's other fine gardens - the
oriental Quinta do Arco Rose Garden
and Palheiro Gardens.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
EXPLORE FUNCHAL
Stroll around the Old Town and wander
tree-lined walkways, lively squares and
winding streets.
FIVE-STAR ALL-INCLUSIVE STAY
The five-star Enotel Lido - just a
five-minute walk from the sea - offers
spectacular ocean views and is perfectly
placed to explore Funchal and beyond.
FUNCHAL EXCURSION
You will visit a local market and a winery,
as well as the Botanical Garden and famous
embroidery factory on this f u 11-day trip.
ENJOY THE MADEIRA
FLOWER FESTIVAL
One of the highlights of the island's
calendar - you will be mesmerised by the
sights and smells of this colourful festival
that parades through the streets of Funchal.
♦Visits to the
Palheiro Gardens,
Quinta do Arco
Rose Garden
and Funchal
Botanical Garden
♦	A chance to swim
in a natural sea
as specified in
the itinerary
♦Services of a
professional
English-speaking
guide during
excursions
and transfers
THE PRICE
THE DATES
TO BOOK 0330173 4293
TO BOOK ONLINE
countryliving.com/uk/madeira
climatecare.org
"From price is per person, based on two people sharing a room, subject
to availability. Price and itinerary correct at time of print but may
be subject to change. Single rooms available - please call to enquire;
single supplement £1,190. Deposit required. Local charges such as
tourist tax may apply. Travel insurance is not included and should
be taken out at time of booking. Images used may not reflect your
actual tour experience. This holiday may be sold through other
selected brands. Tour is operated by and subject to the booking
conditions of TS Travel Ltd (ATOL-bonded).
DISCOVER MORE exceptional tours and cruises
№ COUNTRY LIVING
HOLIDAYS
TOUR
Stay at the e
Chateau de
Montvillargi
VISIT AT THE
BEST TIME
OF YEAR
See Monet's work
at the Musee de
I'Orangerie in Paris
ore
MONET'S FRANCE through
paintings and gardens
Travel by Eurostar to see Monet's spectacular -
gardens at Giverny, visit impressive galleries and
hear from gardening expert Paula McWaters
WHAT’S INCLUDED
♦Afour-day tour of
Monet's France
♦Three nights'
dinner with wine,
bed and breakfast
at the Chateau de
Montvillargenne
in the original
people watch
♦Time to explore
the galleries
and gardens
of Chateau
de Chantilly
♦A visit to the
charming market
n a visit to Claude Monet's
gardens at Giverny, his
paintings will seem to spring
to life in front of your eyes.
These enchanting gardens
inspired the founder of Impressionism
from his flower garden at Giverny. Also
on the itinerary is a visit to the Chateau
de Chantilly, with its extensive collection
of fine art and exceptional gardens.
You'll be based at the four-star Chateau
de Montvillargenne, the largest chateau
chateau building
♦A guided tour of
Monet's garden
at Giverny in the
company of
Paula McWaters
town of Senlis
♦Return standard-
class rail travel
from London
St Pancras
International
and continue to enchant visitors from
all over the world decades later.
You'll take a guided tour of Giverny in
the company of gardening expert Paula
McWaters, who'll give an illuminating
talk and Q&A on the gardens prior to
your visit. Lovingly restored, the gardens
are bursting with poppies, lupins,
delphiniums and peonies. Arched
bridges painted apple green are adorned
with wisteria and towering weeping
willows frame the iconic waterlily ponds.
The perfect complement to Giverny is
the Musee de I'Orangerie in Paris, where
you'll see Monet's breathtaking series
of murals, Les Nympheas, which cover
almost 200m and depict various scenes
MEET YOUR SPECIAL GUEST
Paula McWaters is a
renowned garden writer
and former gardening
editor for Country Living,
who will accompany the
group on this trip and
give an informative talk
on Giverny.
hotel in France, set in a 15-acre park and
surrounded by the historic Chantilly forest.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
STAY IN A 19TH-CENTURY CHATEAU
Your home for the duration of your trip
will be the magnificent 19th-century
chateau hotel, a former home of the
Rothschild family. The hotel boasts a
heated indoor swimming pool, sauna,
solarium, gym and tennis court and is
renowned for great food and wine.
HEAR FROM PAULA McWATERS
You'll be joined by gardening expert Paula
McWaters, who will share her passion for
plants and gardens as you explore. Paula
will give a talk over dinner on Monet's
garden the evening before you visit and
will join you on your excursion to Giverny.
TOUR THE GARDENS OF GIVERNY
The famous waterlily ponds and vibrant
gardens that inspired Monet can still
be seen at his home in Giverny, and you
will go on a guided tour. The work he
produced while living here has made the
gardens a place of artistic pilgrimage for
visitors from all over the world.
♦	A talk and Q&A
session with
Paula McWaters
♦	A visit to the
Musee de
I'Orangerie,
home to Monet's
breathtaking
murals
♦Freetime in
Paris to shop or
to Paris. First-
class upgrades
and regional
connections
available on
request
♦Comfortable
coach transport
in France
♦Services of a
tour manager
THE PRICE
THE DATES
TO BOOK ONLINE
countryliving.com/uk/	§
monetsgarden
‘From price is per person, based on two people sharing a room, w
subject to availability. Price and itinerary correct at time of print	>'
but may be subject to change. Single supplement £295. Deposit	<
£250. Local charges such as tourist tax may apply. Offers are not
valid in conjunction with any other offers or promotions. In the
case of unforeseen circumstances, expert(s) may be substituted, “
and any expert-led events may be subject to change. Experts)	i
will not join you for your full trip duration unless otherwise stated. <
Travel insurance is not included and should be taken out at time of
booking. Images used may not reflect your actual tour experience. q
This holiday may be sold through other selected brands. Tour is	q
operated by and subject to the booking conditions of TS Travel Ltd	т
and Brightwater Holidays (ATOL 4498).
to beautiful locations at countrylivinghoHdays.com
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Afour-day tour
of world-class
gardens in Kent
and East Sussex
•A three-night stay
at The Spa Hotel in
Tunbridge Wells
of the gardens
at Perch Hill
•Anearly-bird visit
to Sissinghurst
‘Visits to the
gardens of
Scotney Castle,
EXCLUSIVE TOUR
EXCLUSIVE
OUT-OF-HOURS
ACCESS
Visit The Pantiles
during your stay in
Royal Tunbridge Wells
COUNTRY LIVING
HOLIDAYS
ew things in life can compare
with breakfast
Lullingstone
to the joy of strolling through an
included
Castle, Great


— English country garden in late
spring when the extra light and
warmth encourages the garden
to put on an exuberant burst of growth.
This exclusive four-day trip has been
repeated due to popular demand and
features private visits to world-class
gardens in Kent and Sussex, plus a
special event hosted by the inspirational
Sarah Raven.
MEET YOUR SPECIAL GUEST
For two decades, since
the publication of her first
book, The Cutting Garden,
Sarah has led the way in
introducing a new kind
of productive gardening.
She's a teacher,
broadcaster and host of
gardening podcast Grow, Cook, Eat,
Arrange and also runs sarahraven.com.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
EXCLUSIVE EVENT WITH SARAH
At Perch Hill, you'll have lunch using fresh
produce from the garden. Sarah will give
a talk about the quarter of a century spent
turning Perch Hill from a former dairy
farm into today's bountiful grounds and
you'll join the gardeners on a tour.
VISIT SISSINGHURST
You'll enjoy an early visit to Sissinghurst
Castle to explore the famous Kent garden
- created by the writers Vita Sackville-West
and Harold Nicolson in the 1930s - before
it opens to the public.
GLORIOUS GARDENS
Every season, the gardens of Sussex
and Kent attract visitors from around the
world. From the beautiful Great Comp
Garden and the historic manor house and
garden at Lullingstone Castle to garden
writer Christopher Lloyd's garden at Great
Dixter and the magical Aspen poplars
at Pashley Manor, each day will bring
glorious grounds for you to explore.
♦Three dinners
at the hotel
A talk and events
with Sarah Raven
at Perch Hill
A two-course
lunch and tour
Comp, Pashley
Manor and
Great Dixter
♦Comfortable
coach travel
♦The services of
a tour manager
THE PRICE
THE DATES
TO BOOK
0808 258 6494
countryliving,
com/uk/sarahraven
'From price is per person, based on two people sharing a
double room, subject to availability. Price and itinerary correct
at time of print but may be subject to change. Single supplement
£195. Deposit required. In the case of unforeseen circumstances,
expert(s) may be substituted and any expert-led events may
be subject to change. Expert(s) will not join you for your full
trip duration unless otherwise stated. Travel insurance is not
included and should be taken out at time of booking. Images used
may not reflect your actual tour experience. This holiday may
be sold through other selected brands. Tour is operated by and
subject to the booking conditions of TS Travel and Brightwater
Holidays (ATOL 4498).
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DISCOVER MORE exceptional tours and cruises
.COUNTRY LIVING
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EXCLUSIVE TOURS
scotL'W'i
*	♦ Л. ’'i
scenic wonders
Visit these picturesque islands fl
memorable views and wildlife
ада*»
Explore the Highlands
of western Scotland
look no further than the fascinating Highlands
and Islands of Scotland. Whether you're eager
to scale rugged peaks, admire stunning
coastlines, feel transported back in time among
historic monuments or glimpse captivating wildlife,
there's a tour of these dramatic lands that's perfect for you
VISIT REMOTE ISLANDS
Known and loved for their varied wildlife,
wonderful landscapes and distinctive
whiskies, the Outer Hebrides are a
delight to explore. Take a scenic stroll
BOOK IT Join a five-night tour, staying
in comfortable hotels on Lewis and
Benbecula, with dinner, bed and breakfast
and plenty of inclusions. DEPARTING
EXPLORE HEBRIDEAN
CASTLES
along the white sand of Luskentyre
Beach on the Isle of Harris, visit Mallaig,
a thriving port town renowned for its
2 June 2024 FROM £1,549pp*. See
countryliving.com/uk/outerhebrides or
call 0330 828 0925 to book.
The Western Isles of Scotland are
unspoilt, tranquil and timeless lands that
are home to stunning scenery, ancient
fish, and explore Barra to sample
Hebridean toffee. In Stornoway, you'll
learn more about the varied wildlife
of these isles at a talk from flora and
fauna expert Dr Charlie Main.
SEETHE HIGHLANDS
BY STEAM
The Scottish Highlands are renowned for
their spectacular scenery. The finest way
to explore them? A journey aboard the
famous Jacobite steam train. Depart
from Fort William and pass over the
spectacular 21-arch Glenfinnan Viaduct.
Sail aboard SS S/r Walter Scott on
Loch Katrine, experience the world's
first rotating boat lift and catch sight of
Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis.
BOOK IT Spend three nights at a cosy
hotel with dinner, breakfast and three
steam journeys included.
DEPARTING 28 June and 26 July 2024
FROM £1,295pp*. See countryliving.com/
uk/scotssteam or call 0330 828 0653 to
book.
history and enduring culture. Perched at
the very edge of Britain they are home to
huge skies and expansive, ocean-washed
sandsand moorlands bursting with local
flora and fauna. Highlights include Eilean
Donan Castle and Dunvegan Castle on
Skye and Gearrannan Blackhouse Village
on Lewis. Ease into a different pace of life
on this adventure to the Outer Hebrides.
BOOK IT Join a five-night tour, staying in
comfortable half-board accommodation
with plenty of inclusions and visits to
Skye, Harris and Lewis.
DEPARTING 15 April, 22
April and 14 Oct 2024
FROM £1,2O5pp*. See
countryliving.com/uk/
westernisles or call
0330 134 5886 to book.
‘Terms & conditions apply; please see online for details
to beautiful locations at countrylivingholidays.com
COUNTRY LIVING
HOLIDAYS
ULTIMATE ITINERARY
Marvel at the icy
wilderness ofM\
tacular wildlife
Experience the re
of the seventh
I  HPill
I IICII
 ROAL^AMUNOSEN

\ A / ith its vast, unspoilt
\	/\ I scenery, extreme
\ / \ / climate conditions,
\/	\/	roaming icebergs and
V	V	magnificent marine life,
Antarctica is a destination like no other.
This voyage to the virtually uninhabited
seventh continent promises to be an
unforgettable experience. On board
one of Hurtigruten's expedition ships,
either MS Fridtjof Nansen or MS
Roald Amundsen, you will see why
those who visit Antarctica carry the
memories with them for a lifetime.
You will be joined by an expedition
team of passionate specialists and
modern-day explorers who will tailor
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unpredictable weather and icy
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is different. You can look forward to
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whales and huddles of penguins.
' ШИ-
Watch (or dance)
the tango in
uenos Aires
You will have one day to spend in
Buenos Aires before your cruise begins,
where you can explore the "Paris of
South America", admiring its elegant
architecture, tasting its fine red wines
and steak or watching some tango.
Then it's on to Ushuaia in Argentina's
southernmost region, Tierra del Fuego,
| where you will see why this city is
nicknamed "the end of the world".
Here, you will board your state-of-
the-art ship to begin your cruise.
Your days at sea will be full of
opportunities to gain knowledge about
the white continent. Visit the Science
Centre to learn from the expedition
team, listen to insightful lectures about
the science of Antarctica and the threat
it faces from climate change or find
some peace and quiet in the library
to read in your own time.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
SAIL ON AN EXPEDITION SHIP
Your expedition ship will feel like your
home away from home. The ships
have been specially designed for
exploring polar waters, with all the
equipment you'll need during your
adventure. Relax while at sea in the
infinity pool and hot tubs or with a
drink in the lounge bar.
DISCOVER MORE exceptional tours and cruises

GET FREE
INTERNATIONAL
FLIGHTS WHEN
YOU BOOK BY 31
MARCH 2024
’Viu
Look out for
emperor
penguins
WONDERFUL WILDLIFE
Keep an eye out for breaching whales
from the windows of your ship. As
you make landings in Antarctica,
you might come across emperor
penguins huddling on the ice. There's
even a wildlife photographer on board,
who will give you tips for capturing
photos of the magnificent creatures
that call Antarctica home.
ON-BOARD WELLNESS
On such an adrenaline-filled adventure,
you deserve time for rest and relaxation,
too. On your ship you will find a well-
equipped spa, where you can unwind
in the sauna. Or head to the deck to
watch the incredible landscapes pass
by from the infinity pool or hot tubs.
BEAUTIFUL BUENOS AIRES
This city mixes faded European
influences with Latin American style. You
will have time to explore it before setting
sail - sample its red wine and steak or
practise your tango with the locals.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
♦An epic 14-day
journey from
South America
to discover
Antarctica
♦An overnight
stay in Buenos
Aires, including
breakfast
♦A 12-day cruise
on an explorer
ship in a cabin
of your choice
with upgrades
available at
a surcharge
Breakfast, lunch
and dinner on
board, with
wine, beerand
soft drinks
provided during
lunch and
dinner in
restaurants
Auneand
Fredheim
♦An expert
English-
speaking
expedition
team to
enhance your
experience
♦Use of the ship's
Science Centre
♦Included
excursions
and escorted
landings with
small expedition
boats in
Antarctica
♦Professional
onboard
photographer
to give tips on
your landscape
and wildlife
photos
♦Use of the ship's
hot tubs and
panoramic
sauna
♦Complimentary
tea, coffee
and Wi-Fi
♦Loan of boots,
trekking
poles and all
equipment
for activities
♦Free return
flights from
London
♦Return flights
between
Buenos Aires
and Ushuaia
THE PRICE
THE DATES
TO BOOK
020 4586 3511
countryliving.com/uk/antarctica
climatecare.org
‘From price is per person, based on two people sharing a polar outside cabin, subject to
availability and based on 9 March 2024 departure. Book before 31 March 2024 for free
international flights offer, only available on selected dates; T&Cs apply. Price and itinerary
correct at time of print but may be subject to change. Single supplement on request. Deposit
30%. Price includes discounts, subject to availability. Local charges such as tourist tax may
apply. Not suitable for people with mobility issues. Travel insurance is not included and should
be taken out at time of booking. This holiday may be sold through other selected brands.
Images used may not reflect your actual tour experience. Tour is operated by and subject
to the booking conditions of TS Travel Ltd (ATOL-bonded) and Hurtigruten.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY GETTY IMAGES
to beautiful locations at countrylivingholidays.com
and enjoy
bread tasting
in Altamura
•A vineyard tour
and wine tasting
near Locorotondo
•An olive oil
tasting at an olive
farm near Ostuni
•A pasta-making
class
WHAT’S INCLUDED
♦Asix-day tasting
tour of Puglia
♦Two nights in
a cave hotel
in Matera
♦Two nights in
comfortable
accommodation
in Bari
♦One night in
Alberobello,
Discover one of Italy's renowned culinary regions
with trips to vineyards, olive farms and bakeries
TRAVEL IN A
SMALL GROUP
OF UP TO
EIGHT GUESTS
Make and
eat authentic
orecchiette pa?
COUNTRY LIVING
HOLIDAYS
wayaroun
BEAUTIFUL PU
taly has a strong culinary reputation and
Puglia, in the south-east, is a foodie gem.
This six-day tour of some of the region's
best spots to eat and drink takes you
to bakeries, olive farms and masser/e,
traditional farmhouses surrounded by
vineyards. You'll eat at local restaurants, take
cooking classes and join an olive oil tasting.
You'll also visit the UNESCO World
Heritage Site of Sassi di Matera, with its
rock churches, and Alberobello, to see
the trulli - houses made of limestone
boulders with pyramid roofs. There's a
stop in Locorotondo as well, to enjoy the
Itria Valley's pretty whitewashed towns.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
SEE TRADITIONAL TRULLI HOUSES
These distinctive cylindrical houses
topped with coned roofs are scattered
all over Puglia's rolling countryside and
are unique to this area. You'll get the
opportunity to stay in one.
LEARN TO MAKE PASTA
You'll learn how to make orecchiette
pasta from locals in Bari. And, of course,
taste your pasta at the end.
VISIT AN OLIVE OIL FARM
Head to an olive oil farm near Ostuni
to hear about how Ostuni's extra-virgin
olive oil is made and get to taste some.
where you'll stay
in a trulli house
♦Breakfast each
day
♦An Italian
cookery
masterclass with
dinner near Sassi
di Matera
♦A bakery tour
THE PRICE
THE DATES 0
♦A tour of Bari
by bike
♦A complimentary
bottle of local
wine
♦Return flights
♦All transfers in
Italy, including
airport pick-up
and drop-off
TO BOOK 020 4586 2882
countryliving,
com/uk/pug/ia
CO
£
S
climatecare.org |
о
•From price is per person, based on two sharing, subject to	£5
availability. Price and itinerary correct at time of print but may be co
subject to change. Single supplement £320. Deposit 30%. Local J
charges such as tourist tax may apply. Travel insurance is not
included and should be taken out at time of booking. This holiday О
may be sold through other selected brands. Images used may not H
reflect your actual tour experience. Tour is operated by and subject О
to the booking conditions of TS Travel Ltd (ATOL-bonded).	Q-
DISCOVER MORE wonderful tours at countrylivingholidays.com
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170 Ж FEBRUARY 2024
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FEBRUARY2024^. 171
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FEBRUARY 2024^ 173
THE NEW ME FURNITURE
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FEBRUARY 202i ж. 177

As the RNLI prepares to celebrate its 200th
birthday, crew member Emma Lockett reveals
what it takes to save lives in her spare time
I joined the RNLI fiveyears ago. I'd seen a photo on social media
for International Women’s Day showing the female RNLI crew at
St Davids, Pembrokeshire, where I live. That inspired me to go
down to the lifeboat station to ask how I could get involved.
I'm one of six women in our crew. We have 31 operational crew,
including farmers, carpenters, sailors and a retired GP. In my
day job. I’m a firefighter.
In winter, we’re often called out to help boats facing danger in
stormy seas. We take the all-weather lifeboat (ALB) - our largest
boat, with seven crew - to assist vessels with broken masts or
engine failure, towing them to safety if necessary.
When the waves are huge, I feel queasy but never scared.
Our coxswain and many of the crew work on boats in their jobs.
If they don’t look worried, I stay calm, too.
As a former kayaking and surfing instructor, I am a strong
swimmer. Butyou don’t need seafaring skills to volunteer. The
most important qualification is wanting to help people. You leam
to operate the boat and care for casualties during training.
My first shout [callout] was to help a rock climber. She'd
unhooked her rope at the bottom of a cliff when a wave swept
her into the sea. She was dipping under and was so confused by
hypothermia she couldn’t tell us her name. She made a frill recoveiy.
Our pagers can go off at anytime. We have to respond immediately
- that’s why volunteer crew live within ten minutes of the station.
My partner, Tommy is also in the crew, so our pagers go off
together. If we’re at home, one of us makes sure our cocker spaniel,
Freddy, has eveiything he needs and checks the oven is off - we
could be out for hours. The other gets the car ready and off we go.
We were recently called to rescue a dog that had fallen off a
50-metre cliff. A colleague and 1 launched an inflatable lifeboat
from the back of the ALB so we could get close to the cliff face.
I navigated the Iwulders to the base of the cliff. The dog was on a
small ledge about 1.5 metres beneath the edge, barking, but before
he could be rescued from above, he fell. 1 retrieved him and, holding
him gently, took him back to the boat. Remarkably, he survived.
We neverjudge people for getting into difficulty. Anyone could
find themselves in such a situation if the weather or sea conditions
change. We advise anyone going out on the water to have a way of
calling for help, such as a mobile phone in a waterproof wallet.
I'm proud to be part of an organisation that has saved more
than 144,000 lives. It’s humbling to imagine what the first crews
endured 200years ago, when they only had wooden rowing boats,
oilskins and lifejackets made from cork.
Today, thanks to the generosity of the public, we have state-of-
the-art boats, equipment, technical clothing and training to keep
ourselves, and others, safe at sea.
THE RNLI is a charity that saves lives at sea. It operates 238 lifeboat
stations in the UK and Ireland. To support it and help celebrate its
birthday, visit rnli.org/200.
INTERVIEW BY RACHAEL OAKDEN PHOTOGRAPH BY RNLI/NATHAN WILLIAMS
178 FEBRUARY 2024
countryliving.com/uk

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