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RURAL BUSINESS easier. The herd numbers about 12, with Nicola and Crispin selling some each year after kidding season in the spring. “We don’t have space to keep more,” Nicola says, “but it’s hard to let them go. You get to know their personalities and develop a relationship with them. Some are cheeky, some are dopey, some are lively. One literally climbs the walls and is a nightmare. We put them in pens for feeding and she can vault into whichever pen she wants.” As well as standard pellets, Nicola feeds the goats Scottish seaweed meal, which she hopes will reduce their methane emissions. It is also rich in nutrients. The goats certainly seem happy with their lifestyle, often demanding affection to the point where they can get a little jealous.: “If a young goat is getting attention, an older one sometimes pulls its ear to try to throw it off your lap.” WHIPPING UP A STORM It took three years before Nicola and Crispin were ready to sell ice cream. Nicola learnt to make it on a day course with Kitty Travers from La Grotta Ices run by The School of Artisan Food in Nottinghamshire and went on a foraging course where she experimented with mint, lemon verbena, rhubarb and elderflower from the farm. “Lavender and lemon balm is always very popular,” Nicola says. “Come September, I’ll be making bramble swirl and also meadowsweet… There has been a lot of trial and error.” What gets made on the day depends on what’s available. Today, Nicola makes the ice cream in an old cabin that the pair have turned into a creamery. Her ‘magic machine’ has two drums: one is a pasteuriser and one the batch freezer for freezing down to -18°C. After much experimentation, she has the process down to a fine art. The initial steps involve extracting the cream from the milk using a table-top cream separator, and then blending cream, whole milk, sugar and honey together. This mix goes into a pasteuriser drum, when Nicola will add any herbs, and be pasteurised at 85°C. For the next step, she will remove the herbs and transfer the lot into a batch freezer, where it will be cooled down to -8°C and churned to resemble soft ice cream. This is dispensed through a chute into a Napoli pan and placed in the freezer. Each pan holds about four and a half litres, with the process taking about an hour and a half. She can make eight pans a day. Scoops are served in a palm-oil-free wa e cone or compostable bamboo boat (rather than a tub) from a converted horse truck. countryliving.com/uk

RURAL BUSINESS A SLOW CHURN Nicola and Crispin finally opened for business in summer 2020 and quickly became popular with locals and tourists. “People often think it’s going to taste like goats’ cheese, but it doesn’t,” Nicola says. “It’s just a very fresh, light ice cream.” They sell it from May to October, mostly from the farm, although they have supplied the odd local wedding and attended a food festival. “We sold about 6,000 ice creams last year, which, given that we’re off the beaten track, is pretty good,” Nicola continues. “This is never going to become a big, efficient enterprise, but that’s not what it’s about. We’re not trying to eke out maximum productivity from the animals. It’s much more of a lifestyle.” Come autumn, it’s not just the goats that need a rest. The demand for ice cream throughout summer means that Nicola is often making batches late into the night. “I start at about 6.30am, so I have pretty long days,” she says, “but that’s the trade-off, isn’t it? I could still be doing a job where I’m sitting down for most of the day, or I could be doing this.” She smiles. “Goats are very personable,” she adds. “I didn’t expect to get so attached to them.” FOR MORE INFORMATION about Achray Farm, visit achrayfarm.co.uk. LEFT Nicola adds herbs to the into a pan ready for the freezer mixture before it’s pasteurised, BELOW A farmhouse has been frozen, churned, then dispensed converted into a holiday let ICE CREAM of the crop Our pick of the best artisan GANDERS GOAT Goats’ producers to try this summer milk ice cream, with flavours from ginger BRICKELL’S Savour to nettle, made in flavours such as roasted Northamptonshire strawberry and ricotta (gandersgoat.com). stracciatella made in Somerset with milk from SHEPHERDS ICE CREAM Holstein Friesian cows Sheep’s milk ice cream (brickellsicecream.co.uk). made in Herefordshire. Sign up for a subscription GRANNY GOTHARDS This (shepherdsicecream.co.uk). Devon producer makes six types of chocolate RUBY VIOLET Milk and ice cream with milk from vegan small-batch ice Jersey and Friesian cows cream from Bedfordshire (grannygothards.co.uk). (rubyviolet.co.uk). 102 SEPTEMBER 2022 countryliving.com/uk

CHRISTMAS FAIR Celebrate a stylish country Christmas SPECIAL OFFER 25% OFF TICKETS* QUOTE CLMAG25 LONDON 9-13 NOVEMBER | GLASGOW 17-20 NOVEMBER | HARROGATE 1-4 DECEMBER BOOK TICKETS NOW ATCOUNTRYLIVINGFAIR.COM . *O er valid on standard adult tickets only. Not valid on Luxe, VIP, Add-on or workshop tickets. O er valid until 31.08.2022 at 11.59pm. Not valid in conjunction with any other o er. £3.95 transaction fee applies. Refunds exclude transaction fee and See Refund Protection cost. Organised and presented by Immediate Live. Details correct at time of print.

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HOME INSPIRATION Traveller’s REST WORDS BY JO LEEVERS PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRENT DARBY PRODUCTION BY BEN KENDRICK 106 SEPTEMBER 2022

Ben and Marina Fogle’s Oxfordshire home is both a relaxed family retreat and a homage to a life of adventure THE DETAILS WHAT’S THE STYLE? An Edwardian former gatehouse, built in 1910 with a later extension WHERE IS IT? In an Oxfordshire village WHO LIVES HERE? Ben Fogle, TV presenter, writer and all-round adventurer, his wife Marina, podcaster and antenatal educator, their children Ludo, 13, and Iona, 11, plus Labradors Storm and Swift. They also keep guinea pigs and have three horses countryliving.com/uk

“Your home should mirror the people you are and the stories you carry with you” 108 SEPTEMBER 2022

HOMES & DECORATING f you spend large chunks of the year project. “I’ve heard of couples falling out over tiny OPPOSITE Neptune’s roaming the most far-flung corners of decisions,” Marina says. “While Ben and I each have Suffolk kitchen, painted the world, your family home becomes our own strong ideas, we wanted the process to be in Duck Green by your anchor, your centre of stillness. a pleasurable one. And I think the fact that we did Farrow & Ball, combines And that is certainly true for TV’s top enjoy it set the tone. It’s a very happy home.” practicality with good globe-trotting adventurer Ben Fogle. looks THIS PAGE, FROM “When the day job means you can find Marina took the lead in deciding the layout and ABOVE LEFT The yourself sleeping in anything from colours – from the deep greens and cerulean blues Edwardian house has a tent to a treehouse,” Ben says, “the of the Neptune kitchen to the classic Arts & Crafts a later extension and is concept of home becomes all the more important.” prints in the bedrooms. But when it came to the set in a generous garden; Home for Ben, his wife Marina and their two furnishings and objects, Ben was determined to a rustic vintage table is children is a rambling Edwardian house in a small make his mark. “As a result of my semi-nomadic paired with Neptune’s village in the Chilterns. It may not be as remote lifestyle, I care a great deal about our home and its Wardley dining chairs; as Ben’s more exotic TV locations, but it still feels style,” he says. “I was very involved in choosing the an antique Swedish secluded. “The house feels surprisingly removed from decorative items and shaping how it looks and feels.” spoon rack; in the the world,” he says. “You can’t see another property living room, an antique from where we are and that’s something we love.” The eclectic collections of objects throughout the Swedish painted The family already had a strong connection to house include many mementoes from the faraway cupboard sets the the area. Marina grew up in the village, as did her places Ben has visited, while antique models tone for a house full father, and they’d been keeping an eye out for a of boats and nautical artworks are reminders of of interesting finds; home here for a while. “That sense of connection, his sailing adventures. But there are also plenty an eye-catching tribute of having a personal history, is such a privilege,” of nostalgic nods to traditions closer to home, to sailing adventures Ben says. So when this house came up for sale including some striking William Morris Ben has been on in 2018, they didn’t hesitate to put in an offer. wallpapers. “That’s exactly the mix we wanted,” ABOVE Painted signs From day one, Ben and Marina were determined Ben explains. “Your home should mirror the people in the garden highlight that decorating their home would be a joint you are and the stories you carry with you.” some of his visited destinations countryliving.com/uk Antiques are almost as close to Ben’s heart as adventuring: his mother, the actor Julia Foster, had

HOMES & DECORATING 110 SEPTEMBER 2022 countryliving.com/uk

Library shelves are lined with favourite books. In the room beyond is a vintage sailing boat and one of Ben’s battered Barbour jackets, which have accompanied him on countless adventures SEPTEMBER 2022 111

“My parents would take us to antiques fairs at weekends, so I grew up loving these styles” 112 SEPTEMBER 2022

HOMES & DECORATING a second career as an antiques dealer, specialising in 5 ways to add OPPOSITE The 18th- and 19th-century Swedish pieces. “Since I was INDIVIDUALITY cloakroom wallpaper a little boy, my parents would take us all to antiques is Morris & Co’s fairs every weekend, so I grew up loving these styles,” 1Think of your rooms as chapters to a Strawberry Thief, he says. Ben and Marina moved into this house story, filled with colours and objects that while the café blind is during lockdown, but Ben spotted that lots of his evoke good memories. made in a fabric that favourite antiques dealers had started selling via belonged to Marina’s Instagram, so he bought several items in this way. 2Visit charity shops and vintage fairs great-grandmother with an open mind. If an object chimes THIS PAGE, FROM TOP But even when he’s browsing live antiques fairs, with you, you’ll find a place for it. LEFT Marina’s horse Ben never has a strict wish list. “I prefer to keep an Tanna in the field at the open mind, so I never know what I’ll find. For me, 3Choose a few key colours for each room end of the garden; a the joy is discovering something I genuinely love – to ensure eclectic doesn’t get chaotic. gallery wall of vintage and then I’ll work out the perfect spot for it afterwards.” and modern pictures 4Allow yourself to be nostalgic, seeking mixes with an antique This house also includes plenty of handmade, out a wallpaper or a plate design that you Fante Asafo flag from repurposed or recycled treasures, each with their remember from childhood. West Africa; Willow own memories attached. For example, the kitchen Boughs wallpaper curtains were made by Marina and her mother. 5Take an open-minded approach to by Morris & Co is a “I know that every time I look at them, I’ll be art, hanging fine art alongside children’s nostalgic backdrop reminded of the weekend we spent sewing them,” drawings and vintage prints to create a in the main bedroom she says. Meanwhile, a cotton voile, used as a characterful gallery wall. ABOVE Iona’s café blind in the downstairs cloakroom, has bunkbeds, painted in an interesting family history. “I found it while Duck Green by Farrow rummaging in my parents’ shed and instantly & Ball, are home to a loved it. Then I discovered it had once been used menagerie of creatures as a runner for my great-grandmother’s dressing table,” she remembers. For Marina and Ben, finds like these are all part of creating a home that feels warm and welcoming. Equally essential is having a relaxed attitude to the reality of life with children and assorted pets. “This definitely isn’t a house where we get stressed about muddy boots or pawprints,” adds Marina with a smile. FOR MORE INFORMATION on Neptune, see neptune.com. countryliving.com/uk

All IN THE DETAIL Architectural designer Ken Roscoe planned every inch of his Cheshire garden, but sometimes nature has other ideas WORDS BY STEPHANIE DONALDSON PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOE WAINWRIGHT

GARDENING THE DETAILS STYLE Contemporary classic with a formal layout SEASONS OF INTEREST Year round SIZE Just over five acres SOIL Variable: improved near the house and a clay mix near the pond countryliving.com/uk SEPTEMBER 2022 115

GARDENING eep in the Cheshire countryside, Ken Roscoe has transformed the 116 SEPTEMBER 2022 garden of Stretton Old Hall into a masterpiece of considered design. Hard landscaping, topiarised trees, yew and beech hedges have all been used to create a series of rooms where formality is softened by water and the exuberant planting is punctuated by sculptural elements. It was very different ten years ago when Ken moved here. Most of the garden consisted of lawn or field, with the rear dominated by a large sunken tennis court. Apart from a large ash tree to the south of the house and four sweet chestnut trees on the drive, there was nothing that needed to be saved – quite an endeavour for Ken’s first-time garden design. “We started with a master plan, setting out the main structures,” he says, “and developed the detail as we implemented the works on each space.” His background as an architectural designer was invaluable in providing a disciplined approach to the project. “However,” he says, “in architecture and interiors where I stress about variations in measurements of 100mm, I quickly learned that in a garden, such small increments are lost in a heartbeat and worries come in 500mm or more!” Although no plants were worth saving from the original garden, they were able to reuse some lovely pieces of sandstone and York stone paving. “I find it’s best to limit the number of materials, and carry each from one area to another, so there is a continuous thread through the spaces,” Ken says. “We reused the York stone paving and added new stone blocks to complement the tone, but in a different size. We also took up some of the standard driveway paving and used it to edge lawns, so again there was a common link.” This is a useful tip, especially for a small garden, where using limited hard landscaping of similar tones will make a space look bigger. The terrace and lawn in front of the house at Stretton Old Hall are where the garden is at its most formal. It has been designed for year-round use and to have the longest flowering period, supported by evergreens and structural elements, including pleached trees. Mature olives growing in huge terracotta pots punctuate the immaculate lawns either side of a central brick path edged with setts and bordered by tapestry beds of low-growing perennials countryliving.com/uk

chosen for their contrasting textures and harmonising OPPOSITE, FROM Ken’s tips colours. It has a distinctly Italianate air, although the TOP LEFT Achillea sumptuously planted herbaceous borders either side filipendulina ‘Gold ON GROWING of the lawns are unmistakably English. Plate’; dahlia ‘Purple OLIVES IN POTS Gem’; echinacea; a The brick path, framed by the olives, leads the clematis frames the THINK ABOUT WHAT GOES IN eye to the lower-level rooms and countryside beyond, antique gateway to THE POT We use a mix of 25% inviting exploration. This is a garden of many parts the Kitchen Garden; gravel and 75% John Innes No.3. and tucked discreetly behind a high beech hedge ‘Pooh’, a variety of to one side of the lawn is a swimming pool. collarette dahlia DON’T STINT ON WATERING THIS PAGE The path Olives need a huge amount of Further down, the Rill Garden incorporates a series through the upper water during the growing season; of ponds, rills and overflowing troughs that open part of the garden keep watering until it runs out of up inviting vistas that are artfully framed by yew is edged with low- the bottom of the pot. buttresses, while topiary box, perennials and grasses growing stachys, soften the margins. Throughout the garden, the Sanguisorba ‘Tanna’, KEEP FEEDING From spring planting is as striking as the design, but Ken admits black-leaved until autumn, we feed weekly that when he started he knew very little. “I have a ophiopogon and with liquid seaweed and apply basic knowledge and have sometimes made mistakes woolly Thymus a slow-release fertiliser to the putting the wrong plant in the wrong place, but nature lanuginosus. The soil every six weeks. quickly lets you know when you’ve got it wrong!” he olive trees in pots says. “Since Stephen Gore, our head gardener, joined are underplanted GO EASY ON THE SECATEURS us, my proficiency has grown quickly and now we with Erigeron To give the trees a natural look, karvinskianus we prune lightly any time after March; heavy pruning results in a dense canopy. LOOK AFTER THEM IN WINTER We have found olive trees to be entirely hardy in Cheshire, although they can look a bit ropey by the end of winter. If really cold weather threatens, it’s the pots we wrap up, not the plants! SEPTEMBER 2022 117

work very much hand in hand when it comes to gone into the finishing touches as the other design the planting plans.” elements. “They were very much purchased to fit the spaces during our detailed design phase,” Ken There’s a distinct loosening of the formality and explains. “Even today, we find items we fall in love change of mood in the adjoining Scree Garden, with and adapt the spaces to accommodate them.” where sun-loving plants emerge directly from the gravel, accompanied by giant pebble-like sculptures Beyond the Scree Garden, elegant metal gates mark and pots of contrastingly prickly succulents. To one the entrance to the most naturalistic part of the garden, side, a pair of magnificent Indian doors – found by Ken where mown paths through riotous meadow flowers in a reclamation yard – mark the entrance to the walled lead to woodland and a large informal pond. The Kitchen Garden. The wall was built to house the doors wild-flower meadow consists of two elements – and now that it is overhung with grapes and wreathed perennial and annual. Furthest from the path, meadow in clematis, the doors have found a perfect setting. turf was laid to provide spring and early summer Throughout, it is clear that as much thought has interest, while in the foreground annual seeds are sown each year to provide high summer colour. THIS PAGE, FROM cosmos, dahlias and sweet ABOVE LEFT Hornbeams peas; a water feature in the Ask what he most enjoys about his garden and Ken underplanted with Stipa Rill Garden with rodgersia says: “The numerous places to sit and contemplate tenuissima frame a view of complementing the rusted and take in the varied landscapes. But I don’t believe the Scree Garden and a blue metal OPPOSITE A pictorial any garden is ever finished. It evolves just as we do. haze of perovskia; in the meadow with a mix of In many areas, we are controlling nature by pruning Kitchen Garden, there’s still cosmos, Ammi majus and trees and shaping plants, but sometimes you cannot room for flowers, including annual yellow coreopsis stop this force and then you have to adapt your plans to meet the new challenges – just as in life.” 118 SEPTEMBER 2022

GARDENING “I don’t believe any garden is ever finished. It evolves just as we do” countryliving.com/uk SEPTEMBER 2022 119

HOME INSPIRATION PLAYING GAtLo LthEeRY WORDS BY SIAN WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRENT DARBY countryliving.com/uk

In a Welsh town celebrated for its artistic heritage, Val Harris’s 17th-century apartment is a brilliant showcase for her own expertly curated collection of art and cra THE DETAILS WHAT’S THE STYLE? A at above a shop that dates from 1640 WHERE IS IT? In the market town of Hay-on-Wye in Powys WHO LIVES HERE? Val Harris who runs her gallery The Table downstairs SEPTEMBER 2022 121

ay-on-Wye is one of those places that everyone knows but can never quite work out where it is,” says Val Harris. She has a point. The town is, in fact, perched between the Black Mountains and the River Wye in the county of Powys, an hour’s drive from the closest motorway with no train station in sight. The remote location and breathtaking landscape have inspired artists and artisans for centuries and made the town home to one of the world’s best-known literary festivals. And it’s this creative energy that Val loves. It has helped her to make a success of the gallery she opened here in 2016. And it has also inspired her renovation of the apartment above, with its expertly curated collection of paintings, ceramics, French furniture and family heirlooms. It’s like a slice of Hay’s artistic heritage contained within four walls. Val moved to this 17th-century, one-bedroom flat in 2012 from a smallholding just outside Hay. At the time, it was in a shabby state, having been tenanted for decades, with the woodwork and floors covered in dark-brown gloss varnish that reminded Val of old French interiors. “There were lots of similarities with a medieval French house I used to live in,” she says. “Both were built around 1640 and this connection has definitely influenced how I’ve restored the flat.” The renovations were done gradually, when funds allowed, with the help of local builders, artisans and designers. One of the first rooms she tackled was the bathroom. The old bath was removed and replaced by the largest walk-in shower that would fit and a heavy stone French cattle trough was mounted as a basin: “The trough weighed a ton and took ‘Gordon the flower man’ and three postmen to hoist it up the two flights of stairs! But it was worth it.” Val then focused her attention on the narrow entrance hallway, laying a set of old terracotta floor tiles that she’d lugged back from a trip to France. For the walls, she added pitch-pine panelling, foraged from a friend who was renovating an old chapel down the road. Rather than removing the woodchip wallpaper, which would have brought the plaster down, Val bought four random books with varying fonts from the Honesty Bookshop at Hay THIS PAGE, ABOVE LEFT The from a local chapel OPPOSITE iron benches in the courtyard A new Bertazzoni Ferrari were from Val’s childhood range cooker was installed in home. She laid the herringbone the kitchen and wall cupboards brick floor LEFT The pitch- replaced by a shelf from Val’s pine panelling was salvaged old house in France 122 SEPTEMBER 2022

HOMES & DECORATING countryliving.com/uk

ABOVE A Daniel Backhouse painting hangs above a yellow papier-mâché bowl by Maureen Richardson, displayed on Val’s revolving library. The arched opening leading to the kitchen is an original feature where Val has added shelving for storage and books THIS PICTURE An old plate rack bought from a brocante in northern France is filled with an array of Booths Real Old Willow pattern china inherited from Val’s parents 124 SEPTEMBER 2022 countryliving.com/uk

HOMES & DECORATING THIS PICTURE Val has utilised the raised area in the sitting room with a bespoke seating area. Made from Douglas fir, it has seat cushions made from vintage French ticking and Welsh tapestry cushions from The Welsh Girl BELOW The new windows were installed by a local builder who also made the window seats. The table is by Rob Barnby from Barnby Design, while the stool and stick-back chair came from Baileys Home. The utilitarian pendant lamps came from a local salvage yard

“There were lots of similarities with a medieval French house I used to live in” 5 ways to bring Castle. She then spent two weeks hand-picking the pages ART INTO YOUR HOME to collage the walls. 1Buy what you love, something that touches you or The flat’s location in Hay’s conservation area meant that has a special resonance. bigger jobs, such as restoring the building’s façade and replacing the 1970s windows, required planning permission 2Decorate a room around a key piece, heirloom from the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority. “I wanted or artwork and use that as a starting point. to see what had been covered over in the last century and then restore as many of the original features as possible,” 3Use the colours of an artwork as a cue for the Val says. Traditional local builders Jones & Fraser repointed other hues you use to decorate a room. the original stone façade with lime mortar and restored the ornate barge boards at the front. 4Go pale and interesting. Walls in white or a neutral shade allow the most flexibility to house a growing New sash windows were then installed, window seats were collection of art and craft. built into the newly revealed recesses and the original fireplace was opened up. All that was left to do was the painting. 5Be imaginative about how you display artwork. Although Val has painted her own properties before, this They could be lined-up vertically or horizontally (in one was too small to decorate and live in at the same time. So, relation to furniture pieces or the architecture of a room) while she was away walking in France, she left her decorators or in a more random effect and ‘patchworked’. to paint all the old varnish on the floor and the woodwork: “I came back from my trip and everything was white: it felt amazing, full of light and suddenly it was spacious and calm.” The neutral colour scheme has provided the perfect backdrop for her simple, bespoke style that combines her paintings, inherited furniture and the French brocante pieces she picked up while living in France. Val now rents the flat out to holidaymakers (she has moved just around the corner), and the walls are forever changing, showcasing original artwork for guests to both enjoy and purchase. In the meantime, Val sits in one of her favourite spots, under the corrugated tin canopy of her woodshed in the courtyard outside the gallery, pencil and paper in hand. “After all these years of curating other artists’ work, I feel it’s time to create my own,” she says. “As for an exhibition, we’ll see what happens.” TO STAY AT the Atelier, visit atelierhay.co.uk (minimum three nights). For more information on the artists who exhibit at Val’s gallery, visit thetablehay.com. THIS PAGE, ABOVE LEFT In dressed in Egyptian cotton the bathroom, a heavy stone bed linen with Welsh tapestry French milking trough was bolsters OPPOSITE The adapted as a basin LEFT The courtyard woodshed, with its French cherrywood bateau lit corrugated iron roof, is where was bought in Suffolk and Val likes to sit and draw

HOMES & DECORATING countryliving.com/uk SEPTEMBER 2022 127

BAALnAatNurCalE With relaxed symmetry and structure, the garden at Acomb High House in Northumberland has seamlessly evolved into a harmonious haven WORDS BY AMBRA EDWARDS PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD BLOOM 128 SEPTEMBER 2022 countryliving.com/uk

GARDENING THE DETAILS STYLE A poised formal design overlaid with richly abundant, wildlife-friendly planting SEASONS OF INTEREST All year round, but especially lovely in soft autumn light SIZE One and a half acres SOIL Alluvial, silty loam

ince 1694, when the unknown ‘TA’ proudly keen gardener, through his innovative RHS Chelsea show had his initials carved over his smart new gardens and his regular appearances on BBC Radio 4’s doorway, Acomb High House has grown, Gardeners’ Question Time. “He was fantastic to work with higgledy-piggledy, over the centuries. because he was of the same mind as me,” Naomi says. “He So when Naomi Liller and her husband didn’t say let’s start again – he worked with what we had. acquired the house in 2014, the challenge So the garden is full of plants, it’s very wildlife-friendly they set their architects was to turn this and very beautiful. I like the idea of structure, but with a somewhat ramshackle jumble into an eco-efficient wanton abandon over the top of it. I don’t want to see bare modern home, maximising views to the surrounding earth. I want to see things growing intertwined with each Northumberland hills, and forging a stronger other. I love roses and peonies and old-fashioned planting relationship between house and garden. rather than anything too Japanese or minimalist…” The renovation had proved so successful that it was nominated for a RIBA award, and Naomi then turned her Matthew’s first task was to bring more light into the attention to the garden: a somewhat daunting prospect, garden by crown-lifting long-neglected trees and clipping since years of neglect, followed by the damage that sprawling yews into pleasing and proportionate shapes. inevitably accompanies a major building project, had (He’s rather proud of his topiary skills, learned at Hever taken their toll. “It was too big to do by myself,” she Castle, and won’t entrust the job to anyone else.) recalls, “but it was hard to find the right kind of help. It was really important to me not to steamroller in and Next, he tackled the entrance. The house stood uneasily bulldoze the garden, but to keep what we could of the in a sea of gravel washing right up to it, effectively a car park original integrity and layout, to preserve the lovely old shaded by giant lime trees. By planting hedges to shield trees that had a history here and even some of the planting.” the building and exploiting the asymmetry of the house In addition, the garden build had to be sustainable, to create a broad, paved approach to the front door, he has reflect her love of nature and accommodate the needs transformed a formerly featureless area into a romantic of cats, dogs, chickens and pony-mad daughters. (It was cottage garden. Climbing roses (every one with a memory the lure of ample paddocks for the family’s horses that attached to it) cover the walls, clumps of brunnera and had prompted the move in the first place.) By chance, she heard that Matthew Wilson was THIS PAGE, FROM TOP LEFT the vegetable garden; working close by – known to Naomi, who was already a Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Rosa ‘Skylark’; Acomb Jobert’; Calamagrostis x High House OPPOSITE acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’; Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’ countryliving.com/uk

GARDENING SEPTEMBER 2022 131

THIS PAGE A seating area is tucked into the planting at the front of the house OPPOSITE, TOP A sequence of terraces descends the slope, punctuated by beech domes

hardy geranium spill onto the path, and an intimate GARDENING seating area fringed with dancing Japanese anemones, hydrangeas and Naomi’s beloved hollyhocks has become 2 a favourite place to enjoy the evening sun. “The house 4 now has a garden to breathe into,” Matthew says. SEPTEMBER 2022 133 A line of Irish yews maintains some discipline among all this sweet disorder, leading round the house to an impressive kitchen garden. Here, five raised beds are permanently planted with fruit and herbs, while the remainder are given over to a rotation of vegetables. Naomi shares the space with a veg-loving neighbour and also with a determined bantam, who has taken to laying her eggs in the mint bed. The walls are planted with espaliered fruit: as well as the usual morello cherries recommended for a north wall, Matthew has found apples and even two varieties of pear – ‘Cannock’ and ‘Catillac’ – that will thrive in this position. Next to the kitchen garden, behind the house, lies a large area of lawn, dominated by a venerable cherry tree, which Naomi christened the “Old Lady”. Below it, the land falls gently away to a flat area, formerly a long-abandoned tennis court, now reinvented as a dressage arena.“It’s a very old tree, with a huge wound in the trunk, and probably any tree surgeon would urge you to take it down,” Matthew says. “It’s completely in the wrong place in terms of establishing any vista from the house to the lower part of garden. So I made the decision early on that rather than try to force ROSE PHOTOGRAPH BY ALAMY Naomi & Ma hew’s tips on.. 1 3 WORKING WITH STONE KEEP IT LOCAL Naomi was appalled to learn that much of the stone routinely used in landscaping today is shipped halfway across the world from India. Instead, she found a quarry just 15 miles from Acomb to provide fresh-cut slabs for paving and coping stone. The stone walls are recycled from within the garden. SYMPATHETIC PLANTING Matthew feels there are certain plants that work particularly well with stone (shown right). 1 HELENIUM ‘MOERHEIM BEAUTY’ The rich bronzy tones of the daisy-like flowers, with their distinctive central ‘cone’, complement every kind of warm-coloured stone. 2 EUPATORIUM PURPUREUM The dusky pink hue of these tall late-summer flowers works well with paler shades and especially with grey stonework. 3 ROSA ‘TESS OF THE D’URBERVILLES’ An ideal climbing rose to train against a wall. The sumptuous dark red looks spectacular against stonework. 4 ANEMONE X HYBRIDA ‘HONORINE JOBERT’ The dancing movement of the flowers can always be relied on to soften a hard corner.

GARDENING “I like the idea of structure, but with a wanton abandon over the top of it” through a view to that part of the garden, we should celebrate THIS PAGE, ABOVE the fact that you can’t really see it. So it comes as a big A former tennis surprise: you think you’ve seen it all when you reach the court is now a back lawn, but the largest part remains to be discovered.” dressage arena for Naomi’s daughters. Matthew calls it the ‘Monet’ garden, inspired by the The large back lawn exuberant masses of colour at the painter’s garden at is dominated by the Giverny: vibrant with tulips in spring and massed “Old Lady” cherry perennials in summer, mellowing gently as the days tree RIGHT The shorten into dusky pinks and purples and the glowing water chute is blond grasses of autumn. The first impression is one made from copper of formal symmetry. A sequence of terraces descend to complement the the slope, centred on a narrow rill and punctuated by tinge of orange in rhythmic beech domes. But in deference to the “Old the stonework Lady” and the old garden layout, steps and paths are not quite where expected, creating a delightful sense of countryliving.com/uk unexpected journey. “What could have been a constraint actually became a blessing,” Matthew reflects. “Because it steered the garden down a less obvious route, it became more interesting and truer to itself.” FOR MORE INFORMATION see matthewwilsongardens.com. 134 SEPTEMBER 2022

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We being FOR MIND & BODY BY THE LIGHT of the SILVERY MOON Could a dip in the dark help Devon. Then, in 2006, I founded The Outdoor Swimming Society you recapture your youth? to share my love with others. Swimming at night has created Kate Rew, founder of The some of my strongest memories. Outdoor Swimming Society, CREATE YOUR OWN ‘SHOAL’ takes the plunge People are always curious when I invite them on a full moon Everyone has a song that means something to swim and I’ve found the problem is not recruiting swimmers, them and for me it is Nightswimming by REM. but keeping numbers down. Many people like to swim in a I hear the lyrics – “the fear of getting caught, of group for support, although I have found that you don’t want recklessness and water” – and I know what they the numbers to become unwieldy. mean. Swimming at night, whether I’m in the Atlantic, off the coast of Cornwall or at a lido in I remember the Wednesday night swims I used to organise near a city, gives me that same sense of recklessness. It almost turns the Thames in Oxfordshire with joy. It was just over 15 years ago back the clock, reviving the carefree feeling of being a teenager and I lived in London. In daily life, I felt cut off from the seasons, once again. Reality might hit when I dry off, but the magic comes but when swimming by night I reconnected with nature. Yet it back as soon as I return to the water. was more than this. I went swimming with a group of friends and I long for this feeling more than ever. Like many of my friends, our meeting place was a lay-by, where the headlights of passing I am going through the menopause. On land, we are losing cars would often shine on us, illuminating the bare bottoms of oestrogen, losing our tempers and losing our hair colour, but when changing swimmers who had not mastered the towel dance. For we are in the water, none of this matters. We feel young and free. onlookers, the combination of neoprene bonnets, nakedness and I have been wild swimming since I was a child, when I would cars must have hinted at quite a different story from an innocent pioneer little adventures in the River Culm on my dad’s farm in night-time dip! But for me, they were happy times – a mixture countryliving.com/uk SEPTEMBER 2022 139

WELLBEING of the sublime and ridiculous – and however I felt leaving the STAY safe PHOTOGRAPHS BY LEO GUNDLE; PHILIP HATCHER MOORE; SHUTTERSTOCK/MASLOV DMITRY city, I would roll back into it at midnight feeling as though I had just been on holiday. CHECK OUT THE AREA in daylight before you go. Consider entry and USE YOUR SENSES exit points, whether there’s a strong current, if the water looks clean and The secret to our group dynamic was that we kept our chat if there any sharp rocks to avoid. out of the water. For me, the best swims are the tranquil ones, allowing me to be transported elsewhere. Too many exchanges TAKE A TORCH with spare batteries with my fellow swimmers about the everyday roots me in the for dry land and glow sticks so that now. I love getting to know people and swapping news, but you are seen in the water (see below). I save that for dry land. JOIN A WILD SWIMMING GROUP I now live in Somerset and last summer I invited a new We keep a list on The Outdoor group of women to swim with me. We are all aged between Swimming Society website, where 30 and 55 and have busy lives juggling work, parents and our you can also find more advice own children. We are all friends and are getting to know each (outdoorswimmingsociety.com/ other more through the shared experience of swimming rather uk-wild-swimming-groups). than long, involved conversations. WHAT TO take Swimming allows us each to have a bit of time for ourselves, when we can experience something new, and we have settled WETSUIT Not all outdoor swimmers into a routine that I really value. We wind our way amiably use them, but the added buoyancy down a dark path or a wet field in the gloaming and try not and warmth have their benefits. to ask questions that could raise anything that some people might not want to talk about. I’ve found that you don’t need to GLOW STICKS Head torches can say much. When there’s a dark path ahead and a swim in the spoil your night vision in the water, offing, you can unburden yourself with only a few words, knowing but these are a gentle alternative. You the water will sort out the rest. We share just enough to be can also place them by your towel or truthful about ourselves – ‘long Covid’, ‘Dad poorly’, ‘work’s use them to highlight your exit point. been tough’ – and then we find somewhere near the water to The reusable kind are more eco- leave our towels for after our swim. friendly. Try the Radiant rechargeable LED reusable glow stick (£13.50, We are similarly quiet in the water. This allows us to fully gooutdoors.co.uk). engage our senses in our surroundings and, perhaps because it is dark, whatever we hear or feel or smell feels especially intense. TOW FLOAT Bring these if you are We enjoy the squelching sensation of mud underfoot or leaves swimming any kind of distance. You floating past our fingertips on the water. Part of the experience can also attach a glow stick to one is pushing our boundaries and embracing the unknown. to help you spot each other. VALUE THE LITTLE THINGS TOWEL ROBE Ignore the occasional eye-roll – the benefit of easy changing It is the small things that often make the deepest impression. makes it worth it. Recently, we swam out into a lake under heavy cloud cover and saw rays of light playing on the surface of the water. WARM CLOTHES These are crucial for Between us, we have experienced our fair share of frictions after your swim. It’s amazing how fast and stress in the past few months – bad news, hot flushes, you will feel cold. Dress for a season worries about family, worries about ourselves, worries that colder than it is and as soon as you’re we were worrying too much. But all that quickly disappeared out of the water, take off everything when one of our group swam towards the light wet and wrap up. and found a beautiful, downy swan feather. Then someone found another and another DRINK AND SNACK A hot drink and another, and we swam off into the night. in a flask will help you warm up afterwards and I find something TO DISCOVER MORE about night swimming, to eat is always welcome. get hold of a copy of The Outdoor Swimmers’ Handbook by Kate Rew (Rider, £22). 140 SEPTEMBER 2022

Swimming at night revives the carefree feeling of being a teenager once again

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SCENT OF THE WAVES Give sparse lashes a boost If, like me, you’ve been enjoying a bracing dip this summer, you can hold on to the with Natucain holiday feeling with a spritz of the wild-swimming-inspired fragrance collection Lash Serum from Jo Malone London. Choose from paddling in the clear blue shallows (Crystal (£59, natucain. Campion), exploring tree-lined lakes (Forest Moss), crashing in the waves (Wood co.uk). Extracts Sage & Sea Salt) or, my personal favourite, enjoying the post-swim warmth of the sun in the shelter of the dunes (Salty Amber). Colognes, £56 each (jomalone.co.uk). of bamboo, thyme and lentil Wellbeing help naturally FOR MIND & BODY Feelgood tips and advice from our health extend the growth and beauty editor Kate Langrish phase for denser- looking lashes. *AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. PHOTOGRAPHS BY GETTY IMAGES Counting sheep To duvet or not to duvet? Covers on and I wake up clammy; off and I’m chilly. But I’ve made a game-changing discovery: wool-filled bedding. Research by Leeds University found that wool is more effective at wicking away moisturethanfeathersorpolyester,whichmeansyoudon’t feelsohotandsweaty.Oncoolernights,researchersdiscoveredit was the best at maintaining a temperature of 35.1°C (optimum for sleep). Try the new Chatsworth collection by Woolroom. It’s madewithwoolfromflocks thatgrazeontheChatsworthestate,otherwiseknown as Pemberley to Pride and Prejudice fans. So you can drift off withuninterrupted dreams of Mr Darcy. From £70 (thewoolroom.com). Shelf help We all have days when we feel like we’ve achieved nothing – but what if it’s simply because we’re not managing our energy in the best way? In Energize (Penguin, £14.99), life coach Simon Alexander Ong explores the science of energy management and explains how we can work with our natural resources to be more productive (and embrace ‘downtime’). There’s no need to give up your smartphone. A recent study found cutting phone time by an hour showed the same benefits as complete phone abstinence.* SEPTEMBER 2022 145

FOOD & DRINK TAKE iatWITH PINCH of SALT The Lea-Wilson family have been making their award- winning sea salt for more than 20 years. Here are their recipes with the magical ingredient that makes other flavours sing PHOTOGRAPHS BY LIZ AND MAX HAARALA HAMILTON

eing able to season properly is what separates a good cook from an excellent one. Salt transforms the texture, flavour and even aroma of food. A salted tomato tastes more of tomato. And what would life be without perfectly cured bacon rashers or handfuls of salted crisps? Even sweet dishes sing when salt is added. But not all salts are made equal. Table salt is often laden with anti-caking agents that can bring a bitter flavour to food. We always stock our kitchen with sea salt: one finer flake and one with larger crystals. The former dissolves quickly, making it good when cooking, while the flaked variety offers crunch – perfect for finishing dishes. Our lives have centred around sea salt for more than 20 years. It all began one weekend in the late Nineties, when we made a batch in a saucepan on our old Aga, using seawater from around our beloved Isle of Anglesey. We were hooked. Now, our Halen Môn [Anglesey Sea Salt] is used by Michelin-starred chefs and home cooks alike. And in 2014, we joined the likes of Champagne, Parma ham and Melton Mowbray pork pies in having protected designation of origin (PDO) status. It is difficult to overstate the love we have for good food. Our family is the sort that discusses what to have for lunch long before breakfast is over. Weekends are more about meals than what we do between them. The following recipes are some of our favourites and – from the potted shrimps to the lemon curd tart – all celebrate the star ingredient that’s central to our lives. countryliving.com/uk SEPTEMBER 2022 147

PROPER POTTED SHRIMPS Brown shrimps are sold cooked and peeled from most fishmongers and in larger supermarkets, but search for sustainably sourced British ones, which are smaller and tastier than farmed ones. Traditionally, the shrimps are served spread over hot toast, allowing the clarified butter to so en and melt slightly. Preparation 30 minutes, plus setting, chilling and pickling Cooking 10-15 minutes Serves 4 FOR THE SHRIMPS LEMON WEDGES, TO SERVE 250G BUTTER FOR THE PICKLED SHALLOT 2 FRESH BAY LEAVES 1 BANANA SHALLOT, CUT ½ TSP GROUND MACE INTO 2.5MM ROUNDS ⅛ TSP GROUND CAYENNE 1 TBSP APPLE CIDER FINER FLAKED SEA SALT VINEGAR AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER 1 TSP CASTER SUGAR JUICE OF ½ LEMON 200G COOKED AND PEELED ⅛ TSP FINER FLAKED BROWN SHRIMPS SEA SALT 1 Put the butter into a medium saucepan (try to avoid non-stick saucepans for this, as the black lining can make it hard to keep an eye on the butter) and melt over a medium- low heat. When it has all melted, control the temperature so that the butter is simmering slightly and watch it like a hawk for 7-8 minutes until the first golden flecks appear on the base of the pan. The milk solids should move from the surface of the butter to the base of the pan. Tilt and swirl the pan to check the colour of the solids (which will form from the flecks that darken). Remove from the heat and pour the butter through a muslin cloth into a jug. 2 Wipe out the pan and pour two-thirds of the butter into it together with the bay leaves, mace, cayenne and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Simmer gently for 1 minute before removing from the heat and discarding the bay leaves. 3 Pat the shrimps dry and divide evenly between four ramekins. Use the back of a spoon to gently pack them in. Pour over the spiced butter and leave to cool for about 20 minutes to room temperature before transferring them to the fridge to set for about 45 minutes. When set, pour over the remaining clarified butter and return to the fridge for 1 hour or until completely set. 4 Meanwhile, prepare the pickled shallot. Put the shallot and all the remaining pickling ingredients into a small bowl and, using clean hands, scrunch the shallot until you feel it start to soften. Place a clean bowl over the top to weigh it down and leave for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. 5 Serve the shrimps on hot toast with lemon wedges for squeezing over and the pickled shallot alongside. countryliving.com/uk

FOOD & DRINK COURGETTE WITH BUTTERMILK PAN CON TOMATE AND POPPY SEED DRESSING In the height of summer, we cannot think of a better A spoonful of this goes well with grilled sardines or roast breakfast, lunch or dinner than one with pan con tomate ham. Feel free to add so herbs such as tarragon or stir at its core. A traditional Catalan dish, it was introduced in crushed garlic and a smidge of honey for sweetness. to us by Francesc, who imports Halen Môn salt to Spain and knows more about good food and ingredients than Preparation 20 minutes, plus standing Serves 4-6 as a side anyone else we can think of. FOR THE SALAD JUICE OF ½ LEMON Preparation 5 minutes Cooking 15 minutes 3 YELLOW COURGETTES JUICE OF ½ ORANGE Serves 4 as part of a spread 3 GREEN COURGETTES 2 TSP FINER FLAKED SEA SALT FINELY GRATED ZEST 1 PLAIN CIABATTA FOR THE DRESSING OF 1 LEMON 1 GARLIC CLOVE, UNPEELED AND HALVED 1½ TSP POPPY SEEDS 150ML BUTTERMILK 2 TBSP OLIVE OIL 2-3 LARGE, VERY RIPE TOMATOES AT ROOM BLACK PEPPER, TO TASTE TEMPERATURE, HALVED DOWN THE MIDDLE ¼ TSP FINER FLAKED SEA SALT EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, FOR DRIZZLING 1 Carefully slice the courgettes into ribbons on a mandolin or FLAKED SEA SALT with a Y-shaped vegetable peeler, being careful of your hands. Scatter the salt onto the strips, then leave them to rest in a 1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan oven) gas mark 5. colander placed in the sink or standing on a plate for 1 hour 2 Start by cutting the ciabatta lengthways, arrange on a to draw out some of the water. baking sheet and toast in the oven for 12-15 minutes until 2 Rinse the salt off the courgettes, then pat the strips dry with it has crisped up and is golden. You want the bread to be very kitchen paper. You can store them, covered, in the fridge crispy for the tomatoes and garlic to rub well on top of it. overnight if needed. 3 Next, rub a halved garlic clove all over the cut side of the 3 To make the dressing, toast the poppy seeds in a hot, dry frying bread, then rub a tomato half vigorously over the bread. pan until fragrant. Transfer to a clean jam jar with the remaining You want lots of the juice and seeds to stick to the crispy ingredients, cover with the lid and shake well to combine. bread. Repeat with the other half of the ciabatta. Drizzle 4 Pile the courgettes onto a platter and drizzle with the dressing. with a generous amount of olive oil and add a good pinch Serve immediately. of flaked sea salt. Serve immediately. SEPTEMBER 2022 149

FOOD & DRINK ROOT VEGETABLE AND combine. Divide the salt and honey over the cheese and ORANGE SALAD sugar mixture between the return the tray to the oven. Curing root vegetables tempers their earthiness and amplifies their jammy character. When in season, we opt for blood oranges vegetables in the two trays and 4 Meanwhile, slice the top and in this salad, but at this time of year, we’ll use navel oranges. toss to coat every piece in the bottom off the blood oranges cure. Leave to cure at room and use a serrated knife to cut temperature for 40 minutes away the skin and pith. Cut the (but no longer or the vegetables blood oranges into 1cm rounds, Preparation 20 minutes, plus curing Cooking 40 minutes Serves 4 will become too salty). discarding any pips. Set aside 2 Preheat the oven to 200°C until ready to use. Warm the 500G BEETROOT, PEELED AND JUICE OF ½ LEMON (180°C fan oven) gas mark 6. lentils through in a large frying CUT INTO 2CM WEDGES 1 HEAD RED ENDIVE, LEAVES 3 Keeping the beetroot separate pan, then remove from the heat 250G PARSNIPS, PEELED AND SEPARATED CUT INTO 3CM PIECES from the other vegetables, rinse and dress with 1 tbsp of olive oil 50G HAZELNUTS, TOASTED 250G CELERIAC, PEELED AND AND ROUGHLY CHOPPED them all thoroughly under cold and the lemon juice. CUT INTO 3CM PIECES 3 PARSLEY SPRIGS, LEAVES running water and pat dry. 5 Remove the vegetables from 90G FINER FLAKED SEA SALT PICKED 75G CASTER SUGAR Rinse the trays to wash away the oven and while the cheese is 1 GARLIC CLOVE, GRATED 3 TARRAGON SPRIGS, LEAVES PICKED the cure and dry them. Put still warm, roughly break it up GRATED ZEST OF 1 UNWAXED BLOOD ORANGE 2 TBSP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL the beetroot on one tray and with a fork into wobbly chunks. ½ TSP CUMIN SEEDS FRESHLY GROUND BLACK the parsnips and celeriac on Stir the lentils through the ¼ TSP GROUND BLACK PEPPER PEPPER OLIVE OIL, FOR DRIZZLING another. Drizzle the vegetables vegetables and cheese. 100G GOAT’S CHEESE LOG 1 Arrange the beetroot on a 1 TBSP HONEY roasting tray in an even layer with enough olive oil to coat in a 6 Arrange the roasted vegetable 2 BLOOD ORANGES and the parsnips and celeriac on another. Rub the salt and thin layer and roast in the oven mixture on a platter. Break the 250G POUCH COOKED sugar together with the garlic PUY LENTILS clove, orange zest, cumin and for 35-40 minutes until tender orange slices into smaller pieces pepper in a small bowl to and caramelised in places. and tuck among the vegetables About 15 minutes before the along with the endive leaves. end of the cooking time, remove Scatter over the hazelnuts and the beetroot tray from the oven herbs and drizzle with 2 tbsp and put the goat’s cheese on top olive oil. Season with black of the beetroot. Drizzle the pepper and serve immediately. 150 SEPTEMBER 2022 countryliving.com/uk