Category: Uncategorized
Catch Up…
Sizzling Spring/Summer Catch Up…
WHAT A WONDERFUL EARLY MORNING WALK! Pictured here on one of the local walks the new spring calves were up and about frolicking around before the heat of the day. Its worth getting up at silly o’clock sometime
Sunrise…
Good Morning Great Shefford. The new barn recently erected shone brightly with the morning sun. Situated close to The River Lambourn this circular walk is always full of wildlife and nature. First cuckoo call heard here a few weeks ago, always good to hear as I know they are not as common now, and on the same walk the barn owl. It followed us up the track perching on post to post.
St Thomas’ Church & the CCT…
I had the great pleasure of meeting this very interesting man the other week. He has been looking after St Thomas’ Church since the 1980’s. He was here to assess the complex work that is needed to maintain and preserve this beautiful historic Church. This will be his last project before retirement and I am hoping we will be successful in securing just a few of his recommendations. His findings are then passed on to The Churches Conservation Trust who in turn find the appropriate skilled labour to restore the history it has within. This Church is able. and indeed would welcome the community to use it for Christenings, Weddings and Funerals. Initial enquires should be made to https://visitchurches.org.uk. In the meantime though please come and support our next event on Saturday 4th July @ 2.00 P.M. The Summer Flower Festival. More details can be found on the St Thomas FB page
Seasonal Pickings
Here @ https://2ivyhouse.co.uk I’ve already been able to make so much mint sauce, bumper crop! So keeping the theme of seasonal pickings, today I picked the elderflowers, ready to make cordial. After spending longer to look up the recipe used from last year than to actually prep it, I’ve decided to put it here on the blog then I can look it up quickly. Its tried and tested and DELICIOUS and very easy to make. Not my recipe but one of the better ones in my opinion.
INGREDIENTS 2.5 KILOS SUGAR [ granulated or castor] , 1.5 KILOS WATER 2 UNWAXED LEMONS , 85 GRAMS CITRIC ACID, 20 WASHED ELDERFLOWER HEADS. yes just 5 ingredients
METHOD Put the sugar and water into a large saucepan. Allow to heat gently until sugar has dissolved. Once dissolved bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Now add citric acid the flower heads and the zest of both lemons AND the 2 lemons which are sliced as the picture. Leave for 24 hours. Finally strain through a muslin cloth or very fine sieve and bottle up into sterile containers. lasts 2/3 months. Although I think longer!
Bookings
We are now open for direct bookings only.. Please visit the website for contact details and the packages that are on offer. Our local pub is due to open its doors soon and we are all very excited about that as its just a 2 minute walk. We look forward to seeing you @ https://2ivyhouse.co.uk
The End Of A Busy Summer…
Wonderful Walking…
The area around Great Shefford boasts some of the most beautiful scenery, history and wildlife. Just a short drive and you can be up on The Ridgeway taking in the views for miles around. The Ridgeway is described as Britain’s oldest road and The National Trail is 87 miles long! So plenty of walking and cycling here. Or visit the lost village of Snap in Aldbourne which was not abandoned until the 20th century
Summer At 2 Ivy House…
The weather this year has been a challenge for all gardeners. Late frosts, torrential rain and unusually strong winds have played havoc with the plants. Not to mention BLIGHT! I didn’t know that was a thing until my tomato plants just shrivelled up and died. Lots of fruit all rotten. Its so sad when you put so much hard work into it. However damsons were plentiful, so lots of lovely jam for my guests again this year. Lots of chillies as well. However in late Spring the garden was quite colourful and I am pleased to say that the borders are maturing quite nicely.
Our Guests…
We have had some really lovely guests this summer. Its so lovely to be able to host again. Walkers, cyclists, fishermen/women, wedding guests and actual brides. It was a very exciting day when Alex and his bride stayed with us, lovely to be part of their special day, and a good excuse for champagne and cake. Really looking forward to seeing their photos. Some taken outside by the river.
Places To Eat…
We have lots of superb restaurants nearby but you cannot get much closer than The Great Shefford. A two minute walk from the house! Even more exciting is the news of the new chef Sam. The food is exceptional. Just take a look at their reviews.
At 2 Ivy House in 2022 we will be continuing to offer all inclusive walking/cycling holiday packages. The package includes bed and breakfast, afternoon cream tea on arrival, evening meals, packed lunches and a guide for walkers with transport if required. Please contact me for more details and prices
Back To Business
We are so very pleased to have said hello to our first guests this week. Some old , some new. The sun was shining and so the afternoon tea could be had outside. I’ve mastered the new scone recipe and they just keep getting bigger! Therefore more jam and cream needed to cover them. Damn, how many calories? Trouble is, I make a batch and there is always some to spare. I wonder if they freeze?
Every effort is being made for you to enjoy your stay at 2 Ivy House whilst staying safe. Please feel free to give me a call if you have any questions. We would love to welcome guests back to this beautiful part of the country.
The Feature Image of the barn owl, [sadly not taken by myself], is just one of the wonderful creatures you will see on an early morning jaunt not far from the house. On our walks with the dog it regularly follows us, hopping from post to post but just keeping enough distance to keep us guessing what it will be hunting for next. The symbolic meaning of the barn owl is a reminder that you are more powerful than you realise.
At the other end of the day I was lucky enough to go out and about on a bat walk. Amazing! We saw six varieties. Well I say we saw them, we heard them really. They all looked rather alike but they make different sounds. I’m sure that James would be more than happy to recreate this for any of our guests. Some interesting facts 1. Bats are the only mammals that can fly. 2. A single brown bat can catch around 1,200 mosquito size insects in one hour. 3. Bats have only one pup a year. 4. Bats wash behind their ears.
If you are a walker, cyclist or just here to rest there are some lovely pubs really close by now serving food to eat in, eat in the garden or take-away. The Great Shefford is so close its silly not to give it a go, but the Five Bells, The Pheasant and The Plough are just a 10 minute drive. If you don’t fancy any of these then I can rustle up a pretty mean cheese board. Really strict social distancing measures are being applied in all of the above.
2 Ivy House 