Well, just! I only managed to crack out the camera on July 31st (before I’d decided to start doing a monthly photo post – so rather fortuitous!) as I was away for about two and a half weeks at the beginning of July. The photos on the 31st were primarily a wander around the land – hopefully you’ll be able to make sense of how they fit together – essentially imagine a walk starting on the north side of the house, going north up to the church, east down the bank, south west along the bottom of the bank then back up to the house.

The blossom on the cherry may be gone, but the elders in the tree nursery have put on plenty of growth

Looking past the tree nursery towards the south, this area when we arrived was fenced off from the house and covered in brambles and nettles. Not any more!

Looking down the bank from the tree nursery – this is a shady part of the land and feels like a lovely woodland glade. Which is pretty much what it is

One of our neighbours has a couple of sheep in this yellow-looking field and kindly arranged for someone to come in and mow down what, in many places, was 4-5ft high nettles. It’s a complete transformation being able to see the land. The field goes up to the boundary with the church in the background

Again from the bank, this time look down towards the track – the other houses are just to the left of the shot

So, this is in the “orchard field” looking back up the house in the direction of the house, but actually capturing the “gladey trees” at the bottom of the bank

There were two trees which between when we first saw the house and moved in had fallen over – this is one of them. It’s a hawthorn and has sprouted incredibly from its exposed roots

Following along the bottom of the bank, this time heading back in the direction of the house, leaving “orchard field” behind us

This little building was originally the pump house for the well (which now is too close to the septic tank outflow to be used for potable water) and has since been used to house animals. Lots of potential – no definite plans yet!

The first wood stack of ash that was felled from the coppice. We’ve taken out about 1/3 of the ash so far – the other 2/3 will be coming down this winter

Back up to the house “level” this is a little patch we affectionately refer to as the Grassy Knoll and tends to be our outside hosting space, with fields out to the sea and the Isle of Man

The greenhouse looking even greener, and in the foreground on the left a branch of an apple tree which is just holding on having fallen quite severely. A combination of mowing and sickling is slowly pushing back the boundary of thick 1-2 ft high grass

Yum yum yum! Eating tomatoes fresh from the greenhouse is one of the highlights of my days at the moment. And they just keep coming!

Chris has been talking about replacing the original finial with all sorts of alternative items, including a space shuttle – but for now the plinth lies empty

Another of the sitting room – the cabinet against the back wall is on the hearth but we have yet to break out the fireplace. It has been concreted up and had a rather unsafely installed burner in it when we arrived – which was swiftly removed (as were the several bags full of soot which were in a cavity less than an arm’s length back from the burner…)

Formerly a black tarry colour, this is the view from the kitchen doorway into the hallway and back stairs

The incredible red paint we discovered under the wallpaper does have a rather lovely oak leaf & acorn freeze along it – perhaps a pattern that will recur once redecorating is complete

There’s no sink in the kitchen itself but instead in a narrow room just behind the kitchen we call the scullery. There’s also a rather lovely (but totally ineffectual in summer) pantry with thick slate shelves. It’s not the prettiest area of the house these days, but it is functional