An Unusual Visitor

 

Its fascinating who takes an interest in Betley Court, and the going-ons in the gardens and with the house restoration after the fire. 58% of traffic to the blog comes from the UK, with another 16% coming from the USA. Family and friends in Ireland, Australia and Portugal probably account for numbers from those countries, but I’m intrigued what draws other readers in to read about a Georgian house and its garden.

This week, we had a visit from a lady who couldn’t wait for the official opening, and came in person for a look. We know she came in because she set off our super-duper laser alarm system, and a security team were dispatched from HQ to investigate. The CCTV spotted her in the Peace Garden, having a mooch around the site cabins. We have a lovely picture, and what will surprise you most, is that she was a cow – a real life dairy cow! And what a bovine beauty she was. She stopped for a bite to eat, had a look at what the builders have been doing, then left a couple of cowpats on the lawn, by way of a calling card. One of our more unusual visitors, for sure, and it gave us quite a laugh!

Mrs Moo, having a look around the Peace Garden

Caught on Candid Camera!

Under the shroud of the scaffolding wrap, our specialist builders Midland Conservation Ltd have been working their magic, and there are areas that are becoming recognisably Betley Court again. The work on the southern elevation is proceeding with absolute precision. The distinctive checkerboard brickwork now frames four new window openings, and concrete lintels safely bear the weight above. The builders were able to salvage some of the brick keystones and shaped lintel bricks during the demolition stage. These bricks have been tidied up, and bevels cut into the walls to reinstate them. New ones has been cut from larger new bricks to replace missing ones. As the ‘eyes’ of the house, little architectural window details like these are pivotal to getting the Betley Court we love back.

Conservation building at its best! New keystone/lintel detail, fashioned from freshly handmade Cheshire red brick. A grinder is used to cut the correct angles so everything sits together as a weight bearing whole.

The southern elevation - new window openings, the 'eyes' of the house.

Internally, scaffolding has been reconfigured again, and a large deck area created just under the roof level. It’s been dubbed ‘the dance floor’ by the builders, which I adore, and you could hold a fair sized socially distanced event up there, if you so wished.

The 'dance floor' the ever expanding scaff deck

Burnt floorboards from the kitchen floor were removed this week which was a sad moment. The kitchen had been the hub for the Brown family since they acquired Betley Court. It was hard to lose the only remaining recognisable room of the family home, but also neccessary. The floor has been replaced by a new scaffold frame. All along, we’ve had a philosophy of salvaging what is fit to be reused and removing anything rendered unsafe by the fire, so sadly the floorboards had to go, however sentimntally attached to them we were. Elsewhere, joist have been saved, and joined by new joists, allowing replacement floors to be laid – for instance, in the top of the ‘factory’ (the former servants’ wing). It is a pragmatic approach to restoring Betley Court, we hope.

New scaffold deck in 'the kitchen' only recognisable because of the ceramic tiles on the far wall

Clover flowers on the formal lawns. The bees love it!

Meanwhile, the garden is looking lovely. Our measures to increase insect life in the grounds have paid dividends. The number of moths, butterflies and other insects is noticeably higher, so I hope the ‘no mow’ May will be adopted as an annual activity. Just walking across the lawn, little clouds of insects like lacewings are sent up. The other huge benefit is the lawn, that usually looks half dead by August is looking quite robust by contrast, despite the scorching periods of heat we’ve had this year. And it is peppered with tiny flowers like penny royal and clover with no feeding or watering.  In gardening the grounds in an insects-friendly fashion, we are supporting other creatures, such as bats, moles, owls swallows and swifts etc who depend on them for food. That makes me immensely happy!

Ox eye daisies and toadflax outside the visitors' hub

All best wishes

Ladybird Su