A nod of recognition

It’s been ‘business as [un]usual’ at Betley Court Gardens, this week. Alternating hot and showery days promote lush growth around the grounds. The rain has come just in the nick of time to refresh the somewhat parched lawns, after Shane removed the stubble of ‘No Mow May’. Boughs of trees droop ever lower over paths as they grow (more work for Shane!) and annuals like willowherb spill out from underneath them in the wilder parts of the garden. Our avenue of lime trees that border the wilderness are in full flower, filling the air with delicate perfume, much to the local bee population’s delight. Down in the Dingle, a pair of coots nesting at the edge of the pond are preoccupied raising a clutch of five chicks, and ‘pip’ angrily when they hear footfall on the gravel path by the dam. On a sunny day it is an idyllic place to just sit and watch clouds float by on the mirrored surface of the still pond. It is a mellow time to be in the gardens.

The mirrored surface of the pond, down in the Dingle. A favourite place to sit and watch the clouds

Up on the scaffolding, under the shade of the temporary roof, our contractors continue their task of rebuilding the roof. The conditions on a sunny day are sweltering, the heat from the sun trapped under the scaffold wrap like the air in a zipped-up tent. I feel for the contractors, beavering away in full safety gear. If they are lucky, the breeze comes through the entrance flaps, providing some relief from the high temperatures. I keep my eye on the weather forecasts, and my fingers crossed that the wind blows in the right direction for them!

Under a hot canvas (or scaffold wrap), the roof progresses. Here we have 18th century roof design meeting 21st century building regulations - I'm a huge fan of modern insulation, which will be hidden under handsome Welsh slate.

Out and about in Shropshire...

Upton Cressett Hall, near Bridgnorth

Through Betley Court Gardens, Nigel and I are members of Staffordshire  Parks & Gardens Trust, which is a group dedicated to recording, “all the valuable designed landscapes within the ‘old’ boundary of Staffordshire.” Along with research, SP&GT, and its national equivalent, The Garden Trust also conducts educational talks and arranges private tours of gardens not necessarily open to the public. Last weekend, we were all invited to a private tour of Upton Cressett Hall, near Bridgnorth, home of the author and journalist William Cash. William recently published a book, Restoration Heart: A Memoir* about rescuing Consett Upton from ruin, both financial and physical. It also charts his own recovery after the collapse of two marriages and a breakdown by the age of 43, and of finding love again, as he rebuilt the house. As he put it himself, a ‘restore-a-wreck’ memoir, in more ways than one!

The Gatehouse at Upton Cressett Hall, along with topiary garden that connects it with the Hall

Upton Cressett Hall is a grade 1 listed, Elizabethan moated manor house. Like Betley Court, it is built in red and blue bricks, but laid in a diaper pattern rather than checkerboard Flemish bonding we have. And, of course, it is a good bit older. We were keen to visit, as in some respects, the Cash family’s love affair with a grand old English house mirrored ours. William’s parents bought Upton Cresset Hall as a derelict property in the late 60s. We were shown pictures of the house as they first viewed it. A farmer was living there and livestock roamed around the oak panelled rooms. Despite the initial dilapidation, William spoke joyfully about a childhood spent playing around the house and grounds with his siblings as their parents restored it. I could see Nigel nodding his head in recognition.

When William took on the house in his forties, he fell victim to a dodgy builder he’d engaged to undertake an upgrade in the facilities, and returned from an oversees trip to find the place in utter disarray. Much of the fine work his parents had done was ruined, and so, in the aftermath of his breakdown, he started again. Once again, Nigel and I found ourselves nodding in recognition, although William did at least have roofs, floors, doors and windows when he restarted!

Members of Staffordshire Parks & Gardens Trust enjoying the self-guided tour

Like Betley Court, Upton Cressett serves many uses; as a family home, and as rentable units to provide income to maintain the house. Upton Cressett also has the magnificent Tudor-inspired Dragon Hall for visiting groups such as the SP&GT, somewhat grander than our visitors’ hub. There are also formal gardens, with stunning topiary sculptures linking the house with the gatehouse, and I loved the contrast between formal gardens around the house and informal planting in the wider grounds.

William Cash in the sumptuous Dragon Hall, giving a talk to Trust members

Incidentally, William’s octogenarian father, Bill Cash is the standing MP for the Staffordshire constituency of Stone. We were most surprised when we arrived to find him dressed in old trousers and a fleece, announcing that he’d just finished mowing. Apparently, he likes to ride his sit-on mower back and forth, whilst working on political conundrums. This weekend’s subject was the Northern Ireland Protocol bill, following Brexit, which was passed on Monday (27/06/22) in the House of Commons. If Nigel’s late father, Professor Godfrey Brown was still around, he’d be the one nodding in recognition, as he too, spent many hours onboard the sit-on mower contemplating life’s pressing problems whilst cutting the grass at Betley Court. It seems to be a habit of owners of old country houses!

All best wishes

Ladybird Su

*Restoration Heart: A Memoir, William Cash, Constable (2019); ISBN 978-1472132185