My sister and brother-in-law have rented a cottage in the Forest of Dean for a short holiday. Since they were actually on the same side of the country as me, for once, it made sense to meet up. They asked me to recommend somewhere to visit on the Herefordshire/Gloucestershire side of Malvern, as that would be closer to where they’ve been staying, and isn’t part of the country they particularly know. We agreed to meet for Sunday lunch at the Feathers in Ledbury, a rather picturesque black-and-white timber building in the centre of the town that does rather good (if slightly over-priced) food. It was one of those places where you need to see the dessert menu before ordering, so that you know how much space to leave! In fact, the desserts looked so good that I changed my mind about having the full roast dinner for the main course, and just had a starter, to leave more space for the pudding……
Hellens
After a leisurely lunch, we drove in convoy to Hellens in Much Marcle. This is a rather lovely mediaeval manor house with many Tudor additions, that has then been largely untouched by history. Inside it is all in a state of barely-arrested decay, with fraying counterpanes, faded chair covers, and loads and loads of dusty portraits going back centuries, by all the most famous portrait painters of the day – Reynolds,Van Dyke, Raphael, etc etc. It’s owned by a family trust, still under the control of the descendents of the long-term family owners.
It’s been a good few years since I last went there – I think when Christopher was still alive, so at least five years ago. In that time they’ve got a new gardener who has made good progress with the grounds. There is a new “physick garden” with lots of herbs and medicinal plants, and the rose garden was in full bloom. Inside, they’ve had a fair amount of conservation done by needlework experts on the curtains, bedspreads and soft furnishings, though there is still clearly a great deal to be done. It was a very interesting and enjoyable trip out.
