I can’t believe it’s been nearly a week since my last post. It feels like it’s been the busiest week ever, but with what feels like so little to show for it.
Painting in the farmhouse has started, but what with sanding, wiping down, priming, and painting – and fitting it all around work – the smallest stretch of skirting board is dragging on. We’ve tackled a few smaller DIY jobs and cleared some of the never-ending pile of boxes. The rest of our time seems to have been spent trying different ways to use up the fruit we picked last Friday – with brownies, pork wraps, baked chicken & pear, crumble, and various sauces. We’ve swapped fruit for veg with one of our neighbours – although they raised the bar threefold when they brought over freshly-caught sea bream (eyes and all). As a relatively squeamish person, my proudest moment has to be summoning up the nerve to touch the fish, and then proceed to descale and fillet it (of sorts anyway!).
The big win this week was getting to know both pairs of neighbours, and talking to them about our plans for the site. It was fascinating taking them round and hearing stories about the people who’d lived at Ley Farm over the last 50 years – late night discos in the shippon, and cows roaming freely in the Elizabethan cottage when the rest of the site was little more than a run-down farmhouse and a field. I’ve said it before, but we really are so lucky to have these neighbours here – friendly, and supportive of our plans to restore the buildings.
We did take a break on Sunday and walk down to our local pub in Stockland. It’s a community-run pub that’s opened within the last twelve months, having previously been closed for several years. It’s an easy mile walk from Ley Farm (although John did make me earn lunch with a 9.5 mile hike around the hills), and – as we found out – serves fabulous food! Just what you need on your doorstep!
There’s been little rain to speak of this week – we’ve watched thunderstorms in the surrounding hills but none have made it closer. While the garden is desperate for water, I’m hoping it stays off long enough for us to complete our next project – replacing the raised beds in the vegetable garden. Our plants have suffered in pots in London for several years, so planting them out properly with space and good soil and sunlight might inspire them to rejuvenate at last!
Ley Farm Cottages 