Green Tourism
It has been an exciting Spring so far; in January we gained a Green Business Award and a Silver Wildlife Award from the Herefordshire Nature Trust – a much appreciated validation of what we do here. This has enabled me to be represented on a number of ‘green tourism’ sites all with their own accreditation procedures. (You’ll find these on the Links page). However, nationally, ‘green’ credentials are not always given much exposure or indeed viewed as positive qualities, in the apparent drive towards standardisation. I recently attended a ‘Heart of England’ Tourism conference at Millennium Point in Birmingham, where ‘green’ issues were mentioned rather briefly as ‘important’; I believe this is an area of extraordinary potential for growth, an opportunity not only for the bigger ‘attractions’ to look into their business practice and bring it into line with today’s visitors’ concerns, but also to unite businesses across the area, to move forward positively and to promote some of the region’s (particularly Herefordshire’s) best assets and initiatives. This is happening in farming now, in local food production and in associated rural tourism which is leading the way in enterprise, quality and care for customer and environment. We have yet to see whether the ‘Heart of England’ will take up the challenge.
Open Garden Weekend
In my own neck of the woods I wondered what this might mean and if I was barking up the wrong tree (or even barking mad!!) However I received the most gigantic vote of support when we opened the gardens here recently at Old Country House for three afternoons in support of ActionAid’s Fairtrade Week, and the Herefordshire Nature Trust. People from all around turned up to see (and photograph) the hellebores bred by my mother, gaze at the muddy beginnings of the W.E.T system, refresh themselves with Fairtrade tea and cakes, view the small display I had arranged in the Cider House explaining my plans, and visit the ‘Gallery in the Granary’, a temporary collection showing off local history, art and craft and items of natural history. Over 439 tickets were sold, 300 of them on Mothering Sunday, many people signed my ‘letter of support’ to repair the Cider House, and there was a wonderful spirit about the occasion remarked upon many times. So many people have asked me when we will open again, and what will happen next, and I have made many new friends, artistic, musical, gardening, lovers of peacefulness….the garden seemed to bask in the attention it was receiving, the tits continued to gorge on nuts, the ducks turned up for tea as usual, the hellebores graciously acknowledged their position as the stars of the show, and last but not least, a dedicated group of wonderful friends, family and neighbours made all this possible with their unstinting support.
Now we must take this new energy forward as we proceed with the continuing creation and guardianship of a ‘place of healing and learning’ here at the Old Country. Watch this space!
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Energy Exchange
A communication about various forms of energy exchange! Firstly the sewage
system – this has at last been completed; the pumps have been installed
in the tank, the pipe work laid, the ponds dug, constructed and planted, and
the ‘grand opening’ has occurred!! Gerald the builder (and still
my friend I hope!) has laboured amidst the mire to achieve this. At one point
he had to leave to take part in a national cribbage championship and I had
to return to nature for a weekend (luckily no visitors!) I think he has lost
weight during the whole exercise (the digging not the worry!) and we are both
very relieved all is now working as it should be. Various forms of wildlife
have already moved in to the new pond area, although the water doesn’t
look very attractive yet! And I am hoping that by next year the contiguous
planting will have been finished and it will be a delightful feature –
rather than mud!
‘Where there’s muck there’s brass’ – the stuff that Gerald has been gamely shovelling is one form of abundance created by ourselves, and our visitors. Another form is that of money, another energetic exchange. Visitors pay to stay here and they receive a welcome in this beautiful and peaceful place, a lovely bedroom – and bed!- to sleep in, a delicious breakfast, the freedom of the garden, farmland etc, and I am recompensed for my costs, time and attention on my side, and hopefully can make a living. Yet there is more to it than that. Hopefully your stay here will refresh and inspire you, the feel, peace and spiritual power of this place will accompany you; perhaps what you experience or learn here will follow into your daily life and conversations at work or in your home. And similarly your appreciation, comments and input are an important resource for me. You each give something significant of yourselves, which then grows into this place, Old Country Farm. I write these sections to let you know the ways in which this happens. You can see for yourselves that it is not an easy matter to run this farm in a responsible way, and that your input in the form of appreciation, help, or any profit from the B&B is a valued, even essential part of the exchange of energies. Many of you wish to holiday in a responsible manner, and to become more intimately and directly related with the countryside – at a time when there is radical change in the agricultural world. I open this place to enable that to happen, I work hard to ensure that we offer you the very best we can according to these criteria, and it is not cheap to run a B&B – or farm - this way. That is why my prices are not cheap, either! They are responsible. And if I reduce them, as I am sometimes asked to do, I would not have the money to run this place at all, let alone share it with others, and it would have to be sold; the buildings would probably go to a developer, and the land to a large farming enterprise. My vision is different and I am prepared to work very hard to achieve it – with your help. So I do thank all my visitors for all your input of all kinds and especially for words and gestures of appreciation and encouragement.
To finish – I have just looked out of
the window and seen Mrs.Hen, our oldest hen, who has left the flock owing
to the aggression of the cockerel and has taken up residence in the garden.
She’s a delightful sight with her large, fluffy bottom upended in the
peony border! (although will probably be a pest in the vegetable garden!)
She knows when she’s happy – and so do I. We hope that you too will
spend many happy times here.
The W.E.T site is just going through Planning
Consent ; this is to provide environmentally sound sewage disposal for 20
or so people and their laundry. It will extend the (already large) garden
into a rough field adjoining the historic ‘Great Meadow’, creating
a series of ponds (6 in all) alongside the much larger Old Country Pool and
its streams.
This is no ordinary reed-bed system; its architects are to plant many indigenous
wild plants and trees in its construction. Jay and Clara, of ‘Biologic
Design‘, have designed several W.E.T systems locally, and more famously
the extensive and specialised lagoons at Westons Cider Works. Jay is an indefatigable
worker - and networker - for the environment.
Walks planned from the Old Country House pass through the W.E.T system so that visitors can see for themselves what happens to their waste products! And how beneficial it all is for wildlife and the environment locally and at large. We - the team: David, general farm expert and problem-solver, his grandson David, and Amanda and Mark the gardeners, are busy tidying the area, putting in new fences, gates, plantings and signs for the new walks. We plan to move the small flock of Maran and Columbian Blacktail hens to part of the site next spring, and also have to exclude the Soay flock - they are expert browsers! (Soays are the most primitive form of domesticated sheep, very clever and very beautiful. Presently we have 32, including 7 rams).
Meanwhile, in the garden, another team: Gerald the builder, Mike the electrician, Stuart the plumber, Peter the digger driver, Fred the expert on pumping mains, and Ella the heckler work on providing the connections to the system. Prospective visitors please note: a septic tank operates independently until the new system is connected so you should experience no problems during your stay!
I feel that this new year is a year full of changes: of challenges, of growth previously unimagineable. Here at the Old Country we open our new house to welcome visitors; we also host a new helper, Yui, from Japan, and we move forward with plans for an eco-chalet on the site of the old caravan, and last but not least we continue with our plans for a group venue in the 'Cowshed'.
Over the last two years I have gained a clearer insight into those who choose to visit us, and have received support for what we do here. I've had a very happy and busy year meeting and learning from my guests. I know now that I want to go on offering hospitality to those who are seeking the special qualities of this place. They help to guide the course that we are taking. This includes those who work here, previously mentioned, and also those who provide - and have provided - professional guidance and input.: Jane Rogers, from 'Business Link': Wilf Burton, architect, and his engineer, Clive: Patrick McIlroy, historian and consultant: Jackie Denman, from 'The Tourism Company'. And all my friends, supporters and family!
The BBC wildlife programme filmed here last year has at last been screened, featuring also on the 'Nature's Calendar' website, and a number of wildlife photographers and other people have followed this up by visiting us. And so have the birds! As usual, fieldfares, redwings, blackcaps, woodpeckers, nuthatches, buzzards.. Bats and dormice continue to be monitored in the woodlands.
We have a number of important jobs to do here as the seasons progress this year, and as yet it is unclear just who is going to come along and do them! Work in the woodland, creating paths and spaces: work in the garden, designing new areas and nurturing older ones: further loving care in the cleaning of the houses: a general coming together of those who feel drawn to the place. For myself, I feel my pivotal role is not yet to be relinquished - yet radical changes have propelled me into a new space - I feel I am truly one of the 'grandmothers', and this gives me joy and energy, the desire and capacity to reach out to more people.
Work on the farm this winter has turned out rather differently from expectations; happily we have at last been able to find contractors to carry out Forestry Commission grant-aided work, making rides and glades down the length of our 45-acre 'Ancient semi-natural' woodland, which is being managed for ecological benefit. Despite some wet weather, Steve and John, from Shropshire, created the rides, felling a few timber trees and others for pulp or firewood. It looks as though the sale of these (an incredible 200 tons!) and the grants should just about cover the cost of the work, which includes the very modest fees charged by Roland, who oversaw operations from start to finish, despite moving house to the New Forest. We shall miss him greatly: he has given up a considerable amount of time to the woodland plans and management, and proved a patient guide and listener to my garbled thoughts on the subject! A new member of the team has now come forward: Martin, who is enthusiastic to integrate the woodland management still further with wildlife management on the farm.
Some large oak and ash trees have been hauled up to the farmyard to await transformation into beams and floors in due course!
The floor of the wood has become very rutted in the wet conditions; by July it should have been smoothed off and easier to walk on. Meanwhile gates and even little bridges must be constructed to form the woodland walks planned for our visitors.
In the orchards, work planned as part of the Stewardship Scheme has had to be deferred because it was too wet, and is now too late, to pollard some large willows. However I have now found a craftsman to make the new wooden gates specified by the scheme: Doug, a local Green Woodworker (and Handler of Heavy Horses.) It is most satisfying to think that these gates and fences will be locally made (to a local pattern) from local wood - something over and beyond the requirements of the Scheme.
An Orchard Management
Plan has to be prepared; these are historic orchards with large standard
apple trees, mostly vintage cider varieties. Every year some appropriate
new ones must be planted to fill gaps, there is pruning to do, and the ecology
of the orchards as a whole to consider. For instance, they are a favourite
haunt of spotted woodpeckers and nuthatches, which like old trees to nest
in. Orchards such as these, planted close to the house and farm buildings,
are a traditional Herefordshire feature, a beautiful sight in Spring, with
blossom and young lambs, and again of course in Autumn. Sadly the market
for this fruit is very poor - due to 'free trade'- hence the need for grant
aid. However the abundance of wildlife and the peaceful beauty found here
more than make up for this quirk of fate, (I feel). So some of our walks
meander through the orchards, with seats to pause at and drink it all in…
I have decided to extend my New Year de-clutter resolutions to the website and so have sent most of the former material to the Archive, if you would like to read about the W.E.T System construction or the Open Weekend last year etc click here
Just before Christmas we were visited by the BBC who came to film wildlife in the cider orchards here. The Team, and Paul Hand (who runs the local charity 'Bees & Trees') put together an interesting and amusing program to be shown next Winter in the 'Hands On Nature' series. Fieldfares, Blackcaps, Nuthatches, Mistletoe and hibernating Wasps were filmed. The team appeared to enjoy their stay here at the B&B and daily refreshments while filming, and Mike the presenter returned to Wassail here in the orchard on New Years Eve!
The W.E.T Sewage System has been 'sampled' by Severn Trent and pronounced satisfactory!
Snowdrops are already showing in the garden and soon the Hellebores will follow through February and March. Our Open Weekend is planned for the 19th March.
Other Events:
Malvern Spring Garden Show - 12th May.
Daisychain Show - Date tba.
I am attending talks to continue the support and administration of the Green Tourism scheme in Herefordshire (hopefully in the West Midlands). News will be posted on developments.
Finally I would like to wish a HAPPY NEW
YEAR to all my guests and new friends made in 2005 - (Over 200 people have
stayed here in our first year) - and to all of you reading this. I do hope
you will be able to come and stay and be part of the energy and creative
developments here. I have had a wonderful year meeting everyone and benefiting
from their input, insights and support. 2006 will be even better!
Well into the dry period of summer I can report that our new W.E.T sewage system is already a great success! Damsel-flies and dragon-flies abound, (Emperor and Blue Darters earlier, other kinds later), the willows and water plants are growing well, swallows and bats catch insects over the water, and a family of ducklings has found shelter in the ponds. Part of this success is due to the position, near watercourses and hayfields, on one side, well sheltered by tall native hedges on the other, and abutting the large and more enclosed farm pond - so that species can move about safely and freely. People too are drawn to the area, local residents are interested to see the changes, and a recent guest, Harry, managing editor of the 'Ecologist' magazine, came to see a W.E.T system working, and stayed to savour some of the local initiatives which are so full of vitality in Herefordshire. He brought his own vitality to the breakfast conversations too!
Meanwhile I spend as much time as I can working, writing or even just sitting in the garden as it flows through its seasonal changes. There are always cool secluded spaces here, when a gentle breeze rustles in the poplars, (planted by my father), reminding me of the sea. The vegetable garden flourishes, with large crops of strawberries, courgettes, lettuce,tomatoes and beans, and in the front yard and garden hollyhocks have reached a great height. It is all lovingly, thoroughly and quietly weeded and tended by young Dave while his grandfather does battle with nettles and thistles in the orchards (this is to satisfy the rules of the Stewardship Scheme).
It has been quite a busy first summer for the Bed & Breakfast; my visitors continue to delight and inform me (and one of them even cut the lawns!). They all contribute insights, energy and good wishes for my plans. Recently we hosted the Newbury Park Artists' Group for two beautiful summer days' painting - and some lovely work was produced which will be exhibited at the Open Garden Weekend next March. It was fascinating to see so many interesting new views of a place so familiar to me. I am also very happy to have at last found a local consultant, Jackie, to prepare a 'feasibility study' - to expand the number of bedrooms here in a quiet old stone building (agriculurally 'redundant') and to make a 'meeting-room' (in an animal shelter) where courses can be held and creative activities take place. This is an important and exciting step towards the fulfilment of some long-held dreams.
Happy New Year! We celebrate the end of the third full year of successful B&B, and also the completion of our new house, the Lighthouse, which is a joy to see and to be in. And, with its building, a big step has occurred to move forward with the integration of the farm and the buildings. The Lighthouse, set in the orchards, is built predominantly of wood: oak, with some ash, pine and larch, and now in 2008, new life is coming to our own woodland, in the form of a new 'woodland manager', Stephen West, and coppice worker, Dave Jackson. We also have a new orchard expert, Rob Uren, visiting regularly, using our cider fruit, maturing his brew in the old cider-house, pruning our trees, and replanting new ones. So I feel that the focus has moved from what we bring in to the building structures here, to what also flows out to the immediate environment, and back again, creating another kind of energy exchange. In practice this means that I now have others with whom to share responsibilities, make decisions, and above all, to care for this environment. To truly love and care for it, we need to feel part of it, and to have the ability to be present, here, in an authentic way. Sometimes we can get so focussed upon goals, with their anticipated eventual achievement and satisfaction,(as though life was a thrilling film) that we forget that each day we can find that same achievement and satisfaction in what we do. We need to detatch from the form, and become more aware of the content, and what we are learning, living truly as opposed to making do with virtual reality. This is a wonderful time for the farm, which returns to a stronger light after these years of investing in the houses, and working to make them self-supporting. With continuing sympathetic management of the woodland, and knowledgeable enthusiasm for the land and the wildlife upon it, we can move forward in an holistic way.
I hope you will come and be part of this happening, by staying at the B&B, or in the Lighthouse and Studio, or our caravan, or simply by tuning in as you read about it.
