LandScape Sept/Oct 2016 sampler

LandScape - Life at nature’s pace A walled garden | Chrysanthemums | Leaf decorations | Chutney | Knotted hangers | Lime plasterer | Painting rocks | Pony ghillie | Dunkeld Hermitage | Eskdale Sept / Oct 2016
Life at nature’s pace
1
Issue 33 | Sept / Oct 2016 | £4.25
Painter who races the Cornish tides
www.landscapemagazine.co.uk
£4.25 Sept / Oct 2016
Orchard rescued from nature’s wild embrace
Following time-trodden paths to Macbeth’s oak
WOODLAND
RICHES

Contents
September / October 2016
64
56
In the garden
In the kitchen
108
Craft
10 Beauty-filled walled garden
18 Kitchen harvest with less effort
24 The garden in... September and
October
28 Blooms for lasting autumn colour
46 Chutneys and pickles
52 Duck’s rich flavour
56 Sweet treats in a tray
62 Regional & Seasonal:
The Stiperstones Inn
38 Riches from the woodland floor
64 Containers tied up in knots
68 Soft pouch for treasures
84 Capturing a story on a stick
4

28
78
10
116
Country matters
History and heritage
Regulars
78 New life for 200-year-old orchard
94 A special Highland partnership
100 Artist’s race with the tides
72 Plasterer’s ancient craft
88 Glory of a vintage tractor
108 Walking to Macbeth’s oak
116 Lakeland gateway to paradise
6 Readers’ letters
8 Our LandScape
36 In the garden
44 Subscription offer
60 In the kitchen
70 In the home
126 UK events
5

RICHES WITHIN
FOUR WALLS
A walled garden in Essex brims over with flowers for cutting
that reflect the hues and tones of early autumn

SWEETNESS IN A TRAY
Quick and easy to put together, tray bakes provide a
tasty and satisfying teatime treat
Lemon and yogurt
Serves 16
4 lemons
300g thick yogurt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
250g unsalted butter
250g caster sugar
3 eggs
300g plain flour
200g icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Cream together the butter
and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until light
and fluffy. Zest and juice 3 of the lemons into the bowl and add 200g
of the yogurt. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda and fold in the flour.
Pour into a greased and lined 23 x 30cm deep tray. Slice the
remaining lemon and dot over the top to decorate.
Place in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 mins until the sponge
bounces back when tapped with the flat of a table knife. Remove
from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Mix the remaining yogurt
with the icing sugar in a small bowl. Spread onto the tray bake and
allow to sink in and set. Cut into triangles and serve.
Stout and cream cheese
Serves 15
250ml stout
200g cream cheese
200g 85% dark chocolate
250g unsalted butter
4 eggs
350g caster sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
300g plain flour
600g icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Melt the chocolate and
butter together in a saucepan and mix until a smooth
consistency. Beat the eggs in a large bowl with an electric whisk
for 2 mins. Whisk in the sugar for 2 mins, until light and fluffy.
Whisk in the chocolate mixture and the stout. Add the
bicarbonate of soda and fold in the flour.
Pour into a greased and lined 23 x 30cm deep tray. Place in
the preheated oven and bake for 35 mins until the sponge
bounces back when tapped with the flat of a table knife.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
Combine the icing sugar with the cream cheese in
a mixing bowl, stirring until mixed completely. Thickly spread the
icing with a spatula onto the cooled tray bake and leave to set.
Remove from the tin, cut into 15 pieces and serve.
56

Raspberry biscuit
Serves 15
450g raspberries
300g raspberry jam
800g shortcake biscuits
400g butter
150g soft brown sugar
100g icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the sugar and
remove from the heat. Smash two-thirds of the biscuits into small pieces with the end of a rolling pin
in a large bowl. This may have to be done in batches.
Add the butter mixture to the broken biscuits with two-thirds of the raspberries and half the jam.
Stir thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to a 23 x 30cm lined and greased baking tray. Flatten firmly with
the back of a spoon. Spoon dollops of the remaining jam across the top. Sprinkle with the remaining
raspberries. Roughly break up the rest of the biscuits, pushing them into the tray bake at random
intervals. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 mins. Remove and leave to cool in the tray.
Place the icing sugar in a small bowl, add 2 tbsp cold water and stir into a smooth paste. Drizzle
the icing over the tray bake. Allow to set, then cut into 15 pieces and serve.
57

Jake and Connor
follow their friends
down the path on the
start of their journey
through the woods.

Kyle starts his
collection of
woodland trophies
on his stick.
STORY ON A STICK
Children use journey sticks to
retell the story of a walk through
the woods in a colourful and
evocative way
IN THE SCOTTISH Borders, a group of children
gather mementos of a woodland walk which they
use to decorate a sturdy stick. As they pass through
the forest, they collect sprigs of plants, berries and
feathers that catch their eye or will bring back a feeling
experienced on their journey. The keepsakes are then
tied to the walking sticks using brightly-coloured wool,
creating a natural reminder of their outing. ›
85

HIGHLAND
HARMONY
Ghillie Heather Mitchell’s work on Scottish
estates relies on the strong bond she has
with her sturdy, sure-footed ponies
C
LAD IN TWEEDS, a woman strides purposefully over
the hills and rivers of the Scottish countryside. At her side
is a small, stocky Highland pony. The crisp air dances over
the peaks and whistles around their ears as the pair move
nimbly across the rugged terrain. On the back of the pony is a
gleaming, bulky saddle, bound on with thick criss-crossed straps.
The woman is Heather Mitchell. She is a ghillie, a person who
works as an attendant on a deer-stalking estate in Scotland. Unlike
other ghillies however, she only occasionally plays a part in stalking
the deer. Instead, her role is to attend to her pony, which is used to
carry the deer from the hill. These sturdy animals, known as
stalking ponies, or garrons, are a heavy type of Highland pony.
They are strong enough to carry stags that weigh up to 18st
(114.3kg) over rough ground on their special saddles.
Over the last 20 years, Heather has had six stalking ponies.
94

Heather leads Mayfly across the Rhidorroch followed by Iona Scobie and her pony, Ben. Iona is learning the ways of the pony ghillie from Heather.
Today, her companion on the hills is 13-year-old Mayfly. She shares
a deep affection and trust with all her ponies. “The secret to being
a good pony ghillie is to understand the horses,” she explains.
“Young lads train as a ghillie, then think ‘I’ll just add a horse in’.
But you have to know about horses. The skill is in being able to
know what the pony is thinking, and why it might be frightened.
You need to be able to pre-empt anything that could spook them.”
Learning the ways of the hills
Mayfly has been with Heather for four years. She was only
introduced to stalking work last year, but is coming on quickly.
Her background was in dressage, as far from the hills as possible
in the horse world. But dressage is the art of training a horse and
rider so they work in harmony. It has made this big boned horse as
light as a feather on her feet and willing to learn. Heather hopes
this will stand her in good stead in her new role. “I only have
to show Mayfly something once for her to get the gist of it,”
she says. “She’s very intelligent.”
Nimble and sturdy, the Highland pony is native to Scotland
and the islands. The island ponies are slightly smaller in stature to
their mainland counterparts. Both were bred to not only carry
deer, but also to pull provisions and wood. They often worked
across treacherous terrain in dire weather conditions where only
the most substantial horses would survive. On today’s shooting
estates, they transport equipment onto the hills, and carry birds
home in wicker panniers as well as stags.
Mayfly is an exception to the rule that training usually starts at
an early age. Often a foal will follow its mother out on to the hill
when she is at work. This way it becomes used to the smells
involved in the work in her reassuring presence. It also learns ›
95

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF
PLEASURE-SEEKERS
A leafy walk from the ancient Perthshire town of Dunkeld
leads past 18th century follies to Shakespeare’s Birnam Oak
108

109

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