Betley Court Bluebells Bloom
Betley Court’s been busy this week. Mind you, a busy week seems to be the only sort of week we have these days! Thankfully the weather’s been good, allowing us to get out in the grounds and get some jobs done. Shane’s been over the grass with the ride-on mower, so the lawn and paddock pathways are ready for our visitors on Sunday. And the bluebells are at their very peak this year, so it is a great weekend to be opening.
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| Looking across the blubells to the visitors' hub |
The woodland flowers growing in the beds outside the front of the visitors’ hub are looking good too. I had a mad panic to root out any dandelions this afternoon, and cut back last year’s seedheads. It has left a lovely spring palette of blues, chartreuse green and white. Many of the woodland species I planted after we built the visitors’ hub have either seeded or spread by suckering, or by stolons, which is a good indication that they are happy in their new home.
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| Red campion |
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| Brunnera |
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| Hellebore |
In the house
Inside the temporary roof, progress continues. The conical roofs are coming together. They are a wonder of conservation craftsmanship! Nigel took a photograph looking down onto one of the conical roofs to show you how they’re constructed.
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| Thin, flexible pieces of wood, glued and fixed in position, creating the complex conical shape of the roof. |
What you are looking at is thin, flexible lengths of wood
that have been bent over the roof joists, glued and held in place while the
glue dries. They are laid in such a way that it gives you a beautiful soft
curve. A breathable membrane will cover that before the roofing battens and slate
tiles are fixed. Then the tilers will hand shape each tile individually to fit.
It will look spectacular when it is finished. We are incredibly fortunate that
companies are still around that employ craftspeople with these skills.
All best wishes
Ladybird Su
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