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Instagram, Resources · July 27, 2020

How To Earn Money On Instagram

Happy weekend! This truly iconic Lake District f

Happy Friday! As you may have seen I’m up in the

Happy Friday! As you may have seen I’m up in the Lakes, exploring this gorgeous region 😍 I’m saving all my stories in the ‘Lake District’ highlight reel on my feed if you want to catch up with where I’ve been. For my first post let me begin by sharing this cute wee house in Ambleside which is arguably the most famous in the Lake District.

It’s story begins with The Braithwaites who were an incredibly influential family and originally built Bridge House to access their lands on the other side of Stock Beck and also to store apples from their orchards, which surrounded Bridge House. It’s pretty spectacular that this little house has survived through the centuries as Ambleside has changed and developed around it!

Over the years it’s been used as a counting house for the mills of Rattle Ghyll, a tea-room, a weaving shop, a cobbler's, a chair maker's and was even once home to a family of eight! Can you imagine??

In 1858, Harriet Martineau wrote in her popular Guide to the Lake District: "the odd little grey dwelling ... is the ancient house which is considered the most curious relic in Ambleside of the olden time… it is the one which every artist sketches as he passes by." It even attracted the attention of the likes of Turner and Lewis Pinhorn Wood.

Unfortunately, by the 1920s the Bridge House was in desperate need of repair. Famous residents like Beatrix Potter (who we have to thank for preserving A LOT in this region), who lived nearby, visited Bridge House when it was in a poor state and the council had threatened to demolish it. Notable members of the community knew they had to save this little house, they were the wife of the National Trust’s founder Canon Rawnsley, William Wordsworth’s grandson and William Heelis who was Beatrix Potter’s husband. They all pitched in together and raised funds to the sum of £1,244, 11s, 10d in 1926. With the money, they bought the Bridge House in Ambleside and donated it to the National Trust. Ever since then, it has remained their property and is taken care of for us all to visit to this day ❤️ Have I mentioned how much I love the @nationaltrust ?? 🙌

Have a wonderful start to your weekend!

One of the things I love most about living in the

One of the things I love most about living in the UK is the sheer amount of history that we have at our fingertips. Much in the form of architecture like this incredible 13th century moated manor house.

Birtsmorton Court dates to 1241 and can be found just a few miles west of the historic market town of Tewksbury which was the site of one of the most decisive battles in the War of the Roses in 1471. A battle that is re-enacted every year and attracts thousands of tourists.

I’m a sucker for a moated Manor House, there’s something so charming about them. There are around 5500 moated sites surviving in Britain, of which no more than 30 still contain water and only a handful have a double moat like the one at @birtscourt . The moat here is still full of fish, a reminder of the days when they would once have supplied the larder of the house. The moat is filled from the streams of the Malvern Hills via a large collecting pond to the west of the house, known as the Westminster pool. Tradition has it that the Pool has the same dimensions as the nave of Westminster Abbey and was dug in the same year of its consecration, which would date it to 1269 or earlier.

My favourite part though is of course the gardens. They really were gorgeous with the abundance of climbing roses that adorned the walls of the formal garden. The borders in full bloom with peonies, delphiniums, lupins, and even more roses. It had such a beautiful perfume. Not to mention the spectacular White Garden which makes for one seriously photogenic wedding spot 🥰

Keep an eye out on the @nationalgardenscheme website for their opening dates next year ❤️ I’m certain you’ll love this one! It’s only open to the pubic one day a year so make sure to bookmark it. It’s one of the best gardens I’ve seen all year. Or if you can’t wait for the annual open day, there are a couple of lovely cottages and luxury shepherds huts so you could book yourself a weekend away here instead!

Fun fact: Birtsmorton Court was the setting for William Samuel Symonds’ historical novel ‘Malvern Chase’.

P.S. The doggies in these photos are Ruby and Pearl and they call this gorgeous place home 🐶

If there’s one thing I love about warm summer da

If there’s one thing I love about warm summer days, it’s getting outdoors and enjoying a picnic! I feel like we’ve not had that many decent days for it this year, that might all just be in my imagination 😅 but I checked the forecast for here in the Midlands this week and it looks like we’re in for some sunshine and 20+ temperatures. Which means…picnic time 😍 So I thought I’d share some of my favourite picnic spots here in Derbyshire 🧺🥖🍾🧀

1. Ashford-in-the-Water - My favourite. I love sitting by the river watching the willow tree brush the water, taking in the views towards the charming cottage on the other side of the bank and the old sheep wash bridge..listening to the sound of the ducks while we enjoy local nibbles, either purchased from the village itself or from just down the road in Bakewell.

2. Bakewell - Another great place to sit by the river and enjoy some local treats. There are two fantastic shops (Bloomers of Bakewell and The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop) where you can pick up famous Bakewell Puddings amongst many other delicious local pies and tarts. Or treat yourself to fish & chips and park yourself on a bench and do a spot of people watching down by the riverfront.

3. Tissington - A delightful village with an old hall and cute cottages but my favourite bit is the village green complete with duck pond 😍 This is usually where we pop a blanket down and enjoy some treats from @herberts_fine_english_tearooms

4. Carsington Water - Take your bikes and a backpack full of treats to Carsington Water, a man-made attraction, but beautiful nonetheless. An ideal location for a family day out, there are toilet facilities in the visitor centre, a park for the little ones to run around in and loads of grassy spots to sit down and enjoy your picnic with peaceful views over Carsington Water. We’ve spent many a summer picnicking here.

5. Chatsworth House - It isn’t summer if I haven’t been to Chatsworth House for a picnic! I love to sit across the river in front of the house so I get to enjoy the best views with my basket of goodies from the Chatsworth Estate Farm Shop. If it’s a super hot day you can even cool off with a swim in the river.

The call of a cottage garden, filled with a profus

The call of a cottage garden, filled with a profusion of flowers and smelling of roses, dianthus, lilacs, cosmos and anemones sure is alluring 😍 The image of a resplendent, colorful garden has enticed many a homeowner to install a picket fence and a bounty of flowers in the hopes of creating such a haven. I’ve certainly been trying this year but I think I’ve got a long way to go on the learning curve of what works and what doesn’t in my garden 😅

The original cottage gardens were planted by British laborers who had little land and no time for flowers. They simply needed food for their family and herbs to treat illnesses so they planted vegetables, herbs, and fruit interspersed with a few flowers to ward off bugs.

Around the end of the eighteenth century, members of the well-to-do gentry began to idealize the cottage life and created their own version of cottage gardens. It was then that the British cottage garden was transformed into the flower-filled setting that we dream of today.

Do you prefer a cottage style garden with all its charm or the more formal style in all their grandeur?

Happy Sunday! 💚🌿🌳

I’m not really one for material things. Instead,

I’m not really one for material things. Instead, for my birthday last month I asked my parents for an @englishheritage membership. Something I could use for the next 12 months exploring more of this country and making new memories with Heidi ❤️

So.. I’ve been putting my membership to use! This gem is Stokesay Castle in Shropshire. It was constructed at the end of the 13th century by Laurence of Ludlow, who at the time was one of the richest men in England. It remains a treasure by-passed by time, one of the best places to visit in England to experience what medieval life was like. It’s a fascinating place to visit and we really enjoyed it! It has been in my list to visit for years but it wasn’t until my friend Kyle @suddenjourneys paid a visit recently that I finally pushed myself to make the journey, very pleased I did so thanks Kyle! ☺️🙏

Happy Thursday everyone.

A month ago, on a drive across to Wales we made a

A month ago, on a drive across to Wales we made a pit stop at Wollerton Old Hall Garden ❤️ A place I’d wanted to visit for a little while and it didn’t disappoint. Even on the wet and rainy day we had the sun still made a little appearance ☺️

The Old Hall at Wollerton stands in a lovely rural location in a quiet village in north-eastern Shropshire, not far from Market Drayton. The Grade II-listed timber-framed hall was built in the 16th century, and is not open to the public, but it does form a lovely backdrop for these beautiful gardens! In 1984 John and Lesley Jenkins began developing the garden around the old hall house in what could be described as a 20th century version of the Arts and Crafts style, with distinct garden 'rooms' and colour schemes.

@wollertonohg stretches over four acres, and as well as the numerous ‘rooms’ includes a large area of woodland, with gently curving paths. I love that this garden is predominantly made up of perennials and is famed for its roses, salvias and clematis. Well worth a visit! If you fancied getting to see more of this garden you can watch ‘Great British Gardens’ with @the_carol_klein over on My5, the Channel 5 catch up app.

Happy Tuesday!

ad The other week we found ourselves escaping into

ad The other week we found ourselves escaping into the Welsh countryside. Surrounded by nothing but mountains, fields of green and our own secret garden. I’d been dreaming of visiting @thelaundrygarden for a couple of years, watching avidly as Jenny has transformed her walled garden into something magical. When she opened @thelaundryretreat I leapt at the chance to stay here!

Our days were slow, taking time to switch off and immerse ourselves in our surroundings. Opening our eyes in the morning to views out over the countryside. Making breakfasts with eggs from the hens in the garden, listening to the sounds of the birds in the trees around us while we cooked in the outside kitchen. Long potters around the gardens, stopping often to take in the scent of the roses. Evenings spent lingering together outside with a glass of wine, not wanting to part with the views.

Staying in the roundhouse was a breath of fresh air. An escape from the every day. Even it’s location is perfect, surrounded by countryside but only a short drive from some of my favourite places in Wales. If you’re looking for somewhere to stay that feels like a real escape from daily life with all the luxurious comforts, this is your place ❤️

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend 🥰

Welcome to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage! No not the H

Welcome to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage! No not the Hollywood actress, but the wife of William Shakespeare. On Monday I met up with the lovely @elaineannowen and we had a brilliant day exploring the Shakespeare houses in Stratford-upon-Avon 😍 This cottage 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 sooooo many more. Basically, thanks Shakespeare for how we speak today ☺️

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