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An early morning summers day in the Lake District.

An early morning summers day in the Lake District.

I’ve labelled 2023 the year that summer never arrived 😅 In the Uk at least… And if there’s one place I don’t mind being on a dull day, it’s the spectacularly beautiful Lake District.

A little love note to summer in the English countr

A little love note to summer in the English countryside ✨

Which scene is your favourite?

Welcome to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, former home

Welcome to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, former home of Shakespeare’s wife. This little beauty dates to 1463 and was originally just 3 rooms. Over the years the Hathaway family extended it to include an extra floor and now boasts 12 rooms, but the kitchen and parlour are still the original medieval rooms.

Shakespeare’s future wife Anne was born in the cottage in 1556. At age 18, in November 1582, Shakespeare married Anne, aged 26. Their first child, Susanna, was born in May 1583, about six months after the marriage ceremony so looks like Shakespeare had been a naughty boy pre-nuptials 😅

Let’s have some fun facts!

1 - There are a number of replicas of this cottage across the world including in Victoria BC Canada, Armadale Western Australia, Odessa Texas, Wessington Springs South Dakota and Staunton Virginia.

2 - In medieval England you would only bathe once a year. Starting with the head of the house and working down through the children and then the servants, they all shared one tub of water 😬🤢

3 - Back in the medieval times children were sewn into their clothes over winter - from November to May. They had an entire sewing-in day. They were sewn in for warmth and thought they would die of cold otherwise. With only enough freedom left to answer the calls of nature, the sewn-up children soon smelt very distinctive!

4 - We have Shakespeare to thank for so many sayings and phrases today! Including:
All of a sudden
A heart of gold
Vanished Into Thin Air
Puked
There’s A Method To My Madness
Wild-Goose Chase
Break The Ice
One fell swoop
Stuff that dreams of made of
Come full circle
Too much of a good thing
The Green Eyed-Monster
Swagger
Wear my heart on my sleeve
All that glitters is not gold
Good riddance
Send him packing
Love is blind
As luck would have it..
As Merry as the day is long
The be-all and end-all
For goodness’ sake
Eaten me out of house and home
Dead as a doornail
Faint hearted
Knock knock! Who’s there?

And so so many more. Basically, thanks Shakespeare for how we speak today ☺️

Wearing @sondeflor Black Carmen Long Sleeve Linen Dress (gifted)

One of the most picturesque fishing villages in En

One of the most picturesque fishing villages in England, Rye dates back well over 1000 years and was often the first port of call for an intruder sailing across the English Channel. Unsurprisingly, with the Norman invasion changing the course of English history, France and the French feature prominently in Rye’s history. Rye became an important international trading community and conducted a lot of business with France. In fact, a significant hoard of coins that were minted in Rye around 1115 we’re recently unearthed about 30miles north of Paris. I love learning about our shared history with France, a country that really pulls at my heartstrings and hopefully a place that one day I’ll get to call home - if my dreams one day materialise and I swap English countryside for French countryside 🥰

Today Rye is a charming place that is unmissable on a visit to the Southeast coast. Make sure to wander the cobbled lane of Mermaid Street, stopping at the Mermaid Inn, who’s cellars date to 1156, for a pint. Wander up to the beautiful square around the church which has ample photo opportunities. Don’t miss Landgate, the only surviving of the original four fortified gates into Rye which dates from 1329 in the early years of the reign of King Edward III. Rye is also home to the lovely The Cobbles Tea Room which is worth popping into. If you want to venture out of Rye you’ll find Camber Sands which is a gorgeous golden stretch of beach which we love to stop by for a picnic.

Happy weekend all ❤️

Did you know that you can stay in this dreamy litt

Did you know that you can stay in this dreamy little cottage? It’s called Priest’s House and it lies in the grounds of one of my favourite gardens in Kent, Sissinghurst Castle. The cottage is believed to be part of the original Elizabeth property that once stood on the grounds. Imagine waking up in a morning, stepping out your front door and getting to wander the gardens of Sissinghurst? 😍

Summer 2023. Nothing but wet, rainy days here in t

Summer 2023. Nothing but wet, rainy days here in the Peaks.. I’ve never known a July as wet as we’ve had it this year. But at least the cottage gardens are loving it ☺️🌧️

This lovely 16th-century half-timbered house was o

This lovely 16th-century half-timbered house was once owned by famous Shakespearean actress Dame Ellen Terry. Today its interiors are filled with Terry memorabilia and historic theatre costumes that give you a glimpse into her life.

Smallhythe itself was built sometime shortly after 1514, probably as a Port House or Harbour Master's offices for the shipyard nearby. It was already three hundred years old by the time Ellen bought the property. She first set eyes on the cottage in 1890 and fell in love with it, but it was not for sale and she had to wait until 1899 before she could finally purchase it and she lived the remainder of her life here in the cottage until she died on July 21st 1928.

Ellen was one of the most famous actresses of the age before films and television. Comparable in terms of popularity with a modern Hollywood star. She was nicknamed 'The Queen of the Theatre', a tribute to her compelling stage presence. She didn’t just inspire theatre audiences.. she also inspired some of the biggest names of the age including author Oscar Wilde who wrote no less than three sonnets for her. See the last image in the carousel for a letter from Wilde to Ellen on display at Smallhythe.

I’ll share more from this fascinating house in stories today ❤️

What felt like one of the only sunny days in July,

What felt like one of the only sunny days in July, was spent at Stoneywell. This Arts & Crafts cottage is a wonderful example of the movement in Britain that was born out of an increasing understanding that society needed to adopt a different set of priorities in relation to the manufacture of objects. The core characteristics of the Arts and Crafts movement are a belief in craftsmanship which stresses the inherent beauty of the material, the importance of nature as inspiration, and the value of simplicity, utility, and beauty. Personally, I think these are all beliefs that should be welcomed back to the foreground of creation today - especially the importance of nature, not only for inspiration but in every aspect of our lives.

This beautiful cottage was built into the rockface, facing away from the road and into the landscape, appearing invisible until you are walking down the pathway to it. It was built in 1899 by Ernest Gimson as a summer residence for his brother Sydney Gimson and his family, where they could escape the city and enjoy being surrounded by nature, in peace and solitude. Just how I want to find myself living over the next few years 🥰

If you want a full tour inside this house and more information on its story, I have a video on my YouTube channel. Link is in my bio ❤️

Sissinghurst Castle Gardens were created by Vita S

Sissinghurst Castle Gardens were created by Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson who transformed the ruins of this former Elizabethan mansion and gardens in the 1930s. The castle tower (originally a gatehouse) dating from the 16th century is virtually all that remains of the grand Manor House.

Vita bought the ruins of Sissinghurst in 1930 for the sum of £12375. There was no running water, no electricity, and no heating. But the romantic ruins of this Elizabethan house appealed to her and she set about transforming it into a garden to remember. It took all of her considerable fortune but the effects of her work are stunning and it’s now one of the best gardens in England.

Here’s a very small selection of images to give you a little glimpse into this wonderful garden.

Location: @sissinghurstcastlegardennt Kent, England

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