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.
A very green and luscious look up the drive
The horse chestnut and beech trees in full leaf
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
These are our neighbours – their entrances are from the same track that leads to our house
From the bank up towards the church, looking back towards the house
Again from the bank, this time look down towards the track – the other houses are just to the left of the shot
The driveway in its summery glory
The grassy area sloping away from the drive is, at the moment, looking likely to become an orchard
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
Wandering on and into the glade, then looking back towards the “orchard field”
Following along the bottom of the bank, this time heading back in the direction of the house, leaving “orchard field” behind us
Where the sunshine got through the trees the nettles have really taken over
The interesting outline of the house seen through the trees on the bank
Looking further along the lower bank into the area where the ash coppice is
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 ash coppice area – in full nettle!
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
Not quite a jungle in the greenhouse yet…but getting there!
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!
The mallow isn’t really suited to the greenhouse long term but is enjoying it for now
The in-several-pieces finial
And it’s former location at the apex of the roof above our bedroom window
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
The still-in-situ finial above the front door. Long may it prosper!
The front door with (again donated as seedling) sweetpeas either side
It’s been difficult to get photos of the rooms, but this is our sitting room
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…)
From the doorway of the sitting room, you see this narrow door into the cupboard under the stairs…
A rather narrow cupboard, this has another door at the bottom…
…and is the home of the random bottles and bits we’ve found in the house…
…including the wonderful Soapeena box!
Formerly a black tarry colour, this is the view from the kitchen doorway into the hallway and back stairs
Aforementioned back stairs – leading simply to our bedroom
Although they do have rather nice bannisters
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
“The Library”
The kitchen – now very much in use!
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
Although we cleared the roof of the shed of the encroaching vegetation in April, it’s already making a come back
The new windows are in…
…and the lath and plaster is slowly going out!
We’re not quite sure what we’ll do with the old glass from the windows that were replaced, but they may well become cold frames for next year’s growing season