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I've been so busy the last couple of days that I haven't had time to sit and write, Thursday was one of those days - a real struggle from start to finish though everything worked out in the end, Friday was just busy, busy. Now the weekend stretches ahead of me and hopefully I can write quite a bit. There are all sorts of ideas buzzing round my head. But for now the story of the rest of the weekend in Wales.
On Friday evening the group of 10 plus our leader met for drinks and got to know each other a little before sitting down to an early dinner. Afterwards at around 7pm we moved to a small conference room and Stuart and Gilly arrived in period costume and with great quantities of period clothing of all kinds fom underwear to heavy coats and cloaks. Both were so interesting and so knowledgeable about the subject that I was totally engrossed and was quite startled when another lady, obviously rather less enthralled, remarked that it was 10.30pm and time we were going to bed! I think Stuart could easily have talked on all night really. I could have listened to him as well. Next morning after breakfast we set off in shared cars to the farm which was a few miles outside Chepstow. We eventually stopped near the top of a steep,narrow,winding lane and parked the cars on a small grass verge before walking about half a mile up a track to the farm itself, stopping along the way to speak to the Tamworth pigs in their field. Actually they are a Tamworth/wild boar cross which makes them as close to the pigs of the 1620s as possible. Tamworths are the traditional cottagers pig and my favourite breed,I love their colour and they are usually quite friendly.After gathering in the small yard just by the farmhouse we had a short introduction to the history of the farmhouse and its restoration. Then as it was a hands on weekend we were straight into the various tasks involved in preparing our period style lunch. The open fire was already lit and the first tasks were to set a ham joint to boil in a pot of water over the fire and then put a joint of pork to roast on the spit in front of it.
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In the afternoon I'm not that sure what the others were doing but I chose to work in the garden along with a couple of other ladies which was a real pleasure even though it was very full of weeds. Since the people involved with the farm can only go at weekends, and the main task at present is restoration of more of the buildings plus building field walls and laying hedges, the garden tends to be fairly low on the list of priorities. The afternoon was hot and sunny and the farm is far enough off the beaten track that there is no sound whatever of traffic, all you could hear was the buzzing of bees and other insects among the flowers. Absolute bliss! I was very reluctant to stop and return to the hotel but we had pleasant evening chatting about the day's events.
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This is the cowshed with the hayloft above it. I love this building.
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Here are the stables which stand at a right angle to the farmhouse on the left hand side.
On Sunday morning we returned to the farm for a walk round the orchards and the fields. The hay had recently been cut and was ready for turning so that the underneath which was still damp was flipped over and open to the sun. All the genes of my 'ag lab' ancestors came to the fore and I turned out to be really good at doing it, the little flip with the hay rake came to me easily and I found the slow,rythmic action very therapeutic in much the same way as kneading bread dough.
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This is the hay meadow after we had finished turning the hay.
The tour of the orchards was really interesting as all the varieties of fruit that are grown were available in 1620. Some of the old varieties have wonderful names - Cornish Aromatic is a lovely one, and there are Costard apples, Warden pears and Black Worcester pears and there are also damsons, medlars,and quinces.
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It was sad to have to leave such an idyllic place but having been there I can now watch my DVD of Tales From The Green Valley and really know what it is like and, unlike most other people, know exactly were it is!
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4 comments:
This is great Rowan. Thanks so much for this...however, I'm ever so slightly jealous!
Rowan,
This was certainly worth the wait.
Your attention to detail paints a picture of the bucolic days gone by. The photos set off the story perfectly.
I would love to be there.
I for one, am happy you persevered to complete the Opus. :-)
rel
What an intersting time you must have had! Thanks for sharing it, Rowan. I like the colour of those pigs too, never seen such before. Beautiful pictures! Any places you go....please show and tell :) I`m loving it.
My Mum used to make butter when I was a kid. We lived on an English country gentleman farmers estate and my Dad was the head herdsman. The butter was for the gentry that owned it and the workers. I remember how the cream used to rise to the top of the milk jars. Blackberries and pure cream. MMMMMM.
I think my childhood is part of the reason I`m so fascinated with the aristocracy etc. Would always take the newspaper up to the maids after school from the bottom of the lane.
It was so boring then. I learned to love books LOL
But now it brings fond memories.
tea
xo
I'm so jealous. I wonder if its still around and if visitors are allowed?
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