March Scrapbook: spring is almost springing
Colourful happenings, Cotswold news and the UK cottages I'd like to visit.
It’s all anyone can think about, is it really truly spring? Here, in the Cotswolds, the daffodils are blousy, the snowdrops are crispy, and all the flowering quinces are well, flowering. The countryside is turning bright with pinks and lots of blush whites, teeny tiny spears of cow parsley are making their way up out of the ground and the forest floors are even starting to get that subtle smell of wild garlic. This weekend, I even had the first batch of wild garlic with whipped butter, and now all I can think about is using the green leaf in all my spring plates. Let’s also not forget that hot cross bun season is almost here. Anyway, here’s what’s going on this month, plus, I’ve put together a little list of some UK cottages and cabins I would very much like to book into, soon.
Craftsman’s Cabin, Somerset
I found this cool cabin via the wonderfully tuned-in Issy Von Simson who always knows the best, most secret, and most beautiful staycations in the UK. A design destination that feels more fitted to the Wild West than rural West Country roads.
Dower House at Beaverbook, Surrey
A bright renovation of a five-bedroom house on the Beaverbrook estate. Interiors are by Nicola Harding and celebrate all things Arts and Crafts. Perks of a full-house takeover are full use of the hotel and that magical spa.
Wood Farm House, Cotswolds
A pretty pastel-filled farmhouse designed by London-based Millie Turner. Inside, it’s stuffed with lots of patterned wallpapers, bold reds and blues and a very fun downstairs loo.
Cove Valley, Devon
A rewilding project in the heart of the Exe Valley, these cabins are meant for slowing down, going off-grid and heading out into the wild. Pick from three colourful cabins designed by HÁM Interiors.
Little Mill Abergavenny, Wales
I discovered Little Mill way back when they only had about 5,000 followers on Instagram and it’s completely exciting to see how much love this Welsh holiday home has received. From owners Hayley Caradoc-Hodgkins and Leo Bruno Todd, a photo editor and a painter/art technician respectively, interiors were bound to be beautiful.
March 9th + 10th – LF Markey and her folksy dream brand Meadows will have a sample sale near Stroud. Shop from previous collections and one-off archive pieces.
March 10th – Mother’s Day feasting at Worton Kitchen Garden. £40pp for a three-course meal of prawn cocktail, pickles and rye, aubergine parmigiana, Sri Lankan celeriac curry, chocolate ginger cake or raspberry pavlova.
March 17th – Every Sunday from now on will be fondue nights at The Fox in Broadwell & The Sherborne Arms in Northleach. £20 for two people.
March 20th – Vigour and Skills, a marketplace for makers and creators, have a month-long female-led exhibition ‘Reflection on Light’ by Branch Arts at Gothic House in Charlbury celebrating 32 crafters and their wonderful works.
March 21st – Chippy Flower Farm reopens. Keep an eye on wreath-making workshops, cutting garden opening times, watercolour painting and more.
March 24th – Heart-throb (to some) Damian Lewis will be playing his rootsy jazzy blues at The Sub Room in Stroud. Tickets here.
March 25th – pop-up supper club at The Bull in Charlbury with Gemma Ogston, the culinary genius behind Gem’s Wholesome Kitchen and Gem’s Community Kitchen in Brighton. Expect lots of spring greens on the menu.
End of March – Easter happenings. From the Royal Oak in Ramsden, Daylesford Stays and more, celebrate big at one of the best pubs in the Cotswolds.
Ongoing – the Kate Friend exhibition at Thyme. I was lucky enough to dine amongst the photographs for the launch and can confirm it’s special. Spot her larger-than-life shots of delicate flowers, each and every one modelled off someone famous, Ai Wei Wei and Simone Rocha to name a few. On until May.
Looking ahead – the man behind Emma Bridgewater’s ceramic illustrations, Matthew Rice, will be hosting a range of workshops over the spring months. The sketchbook courses for May and June have already sold out but if you fancy a botanical drawing class and a snoop around the gardens at his West Oxfordshire home, then take a look here.
There are so many brilliant people writing brilliant things on this platform so I thought I would round-up three that I love to read every month.
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The most wildly wonderful newsletter that’s all about cool branding and packaging written by a designer and art director based in New York. Every week she focusses on a different product, one week salt, the next toothpaste, the others pasta, beans, mustard and so on. It’s addictingly, and visually, fun.
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Emma fills her newsletters with notes and tips for slow travel, focussing on how to travel more sustainably. She includes secret tidbits on the destinations she visits (lots of amazing spots in the UK), all sprinkled with her beautiful photography. She also has a brilliant book club that’s published monthly where I get all my next reads from.
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One of my very favourites. In Hand explores the intersecting worlds of design, craft and travel; a celebration of people, places and objects from two very in-the-know friends. I trust their insights implicitly and admire their style and taste, often referencing the archive for most of my travel planning.
Cover image by KabakovaArt.
What a treat! Thanks so much, Katharine.
thanks for the shoutout, katharine! glad it brought me to you, can't wait to consume more of these sorts of posts now that i'm a subscriber