Snowdrop Spectacular at Launde Abbey

The pretty woodland walk behind Launde Abbey is the setting for the annual Snowdrop Spectacular at the Elizabethan/Jacobean Retreat House near East Norton in Leicestershire. The Abbey will be open from 2.00 – 4.00 pm every day from 25th February until 10th March 2013, when visitors will be welcome to stroll through the gardens and wander amongst the magnificent display of snowdrops. (Suitable footwear is advisable as some areas may be muddy following rain or snow.)

Afterwards everyone is invited to relax in the dining room over tea, scones and jam. (Cost: £5.00 per person, under 3s free).

The Abbey’s shop will be open all afternoon, selling locally produced jams, honey and other gifts.

Launde Abbey is set in beautiful rolling countryside between Oakham and Belton in Rutland, just off the A47 in Leicestershire and attracts thousands of visitors each year from across the East Midlands and beyond. The Abbey also offers lunches, morning coffees and teas throughout the year..

Other events in the Abbey’s calendar include Valentine’s Day lunches and dinners on February 14th and Mothering Sunday lunches on 10th March, which also coincides with the end of the Snowdrop Spectacular.

For more information please contact the General Office on 01572 717254 or visit the website www.laundeabbey.org.uk.


Photos: The snowdrops in full display; the winter pond at the front of Launde Abbey


Launde Abbey is the residential Retreat House for the Dioceses of Leicester and Peterborough, offering Christian hospitality to all people, with or without faith. It provides an oasis of calm which allows both individuals and groups time to reflect upon where they are and what they are called to be in today’s ever changing world; a place where people can come to learn about themselves and others.

Enquiries to: Suzanne Page on 01572 717254 or suzanne@launde.org.uk

Winter Walking In The Outwoods Near Loughborough

The Outwoods Near Loughborough, Leicestershire
© Copyright Ashley Dace

Woods are good places to go walking when the cold winter winds are blowing. One of the more interesting woods in North Leicestershire is the Outwoods between Woodhouse Eaves and Loughborough, and close to Beacon Hill Country Park.

Outwoods Crag
© Copyright Ashley Dace

The Outwoods is 100 acres of ancient woodland. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest as it stands on some of the oldest rocks in Britain, dating back to the pre-Cambrian era 700 million years ago. Rare fossils have been found in the rocks which are of international importance to the study of early life forms. Some are exhibited in the New Walk Museum in Leicester and Charnwood Museum in Loughborough.

Management of the Outwoods  

The Outwoods Management Committee is working with Charnwood Borough Council and Natural England to re-establish traditional oak woodland over much of the area. This process involves the removal of non-native trees and shrubs such as sycamore, rhododendron and larch, and will take many decades.

You are free to walk anywhere in the Outwoods, but if you prefer something ‘mapped out’, there are two signed walks you can follow. The blue signs will guide you round the short walk of 1.3km (0.8miles), the orange signs round the longer walk of 3km (1.8miles). The routes are relatively even and dry, but there are some steep climbs on both so it’s advisable to wear sturdy walking shoes or boots.

A leaflet showing the walks is available from the Outwoods car park. You can also download the information by clicking here.

The Outwoods car park is off Woodhouse Lane, between Nanpantan Road and Woodhouse Eaves. You can also get to the woods by foot (allow about 20 minutes) from Brook Road, opposite the Old Bulls Head in Woodhouse Eaves. 

There is a picnic area next to the car park and benches throughout the wood. 

This post is adapted from an article which appears in the December/January 13 issue of Village Connect.

The photographs in this post are licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Tea Tasting in the Leicestershire Countryside

I was recently invited to a ‘tea tasting’ evening at The Old Brickyard Tea Garden, just outside Scalford (near Melton Mowbray). As I’d never been to such an event before, I was curious to see how it worked.

The first thing I discovered was that there are around 1500 varieties of tea, all of which come from the same tea plant known as Camellia Sinensis. Where the plant is grown, in what type of soil and climatic conditions, and when the leaves are picked, are all factors contributing to each variety’s unique flavour.

I then learned that the amount of time the tea is infused is critical to its taste. It’s precision stuff and Anna, our hostess, and owner of the tea room used a timer to get the infusion of each tea just right.

When ready, the tea was poured into a cup for us to taste. We each took a spoonful directly from the cup and were encouraged to slurp it noisily, swirling it around our mouths to ensure that the tea and plenty of oxygen reached all the taste receptors on our tongues for an even taste. Normally, you would then spit the tea out but, thankfully, we swallowed then moved on to the next!

There were nine different types of green and black tea to try, no two even remotely similar, and virtually each a favourite with somebody! I particularly liked the Darjeeling First Flush (made from very young shoots).

It was a very pleasant evening and an experience I would recommend.

The next tea tasting session will be on Monday 10 December from 6.30 to 8pm and is FREE! (A great stress-buster in this busy period running up to Christmas!) Click here for more information

For more information about The Old Brickyard Tea Garden, click here.

This post is adapted from an article which appears in the December/January 13 issue of Village Connect.

Converted village barn perfect for 'royal' photoshoot

When Joanne Withers of Queniborough-based Nine Photos discovered Manor Farm in Rearsby had turned a disused barn into a delightful wedding venue, her creative juices started flowing. What better place to stage a wedding photoshoot for the One Stop Wedding Shop (also based in Queniborough) and the various local suppliers associated with the business! "We work well as a team" said Joanne, "and we wanted to show how we can collaborate to help couples create what they have in mind for their wedding day."

With Royal Wedding fever at its peak, Joanne came up with a Rule Britannia (red, white & blue) theme; the 18th century barn and the lovely setting of Rearsby, with its medieval seven-arch bridge and village green, provided the perfect backdrop for the overall vision of rural England, tea parties and royal occasions.

"We had a great time being creative with ideas for how to create your own wedding style and everyone from the make-up artist to the balloon supplier can be found in the One Stop Wedding Shop".

The nine local suppliers collaborating in the photoshoot were:

www.one-stop-wedding-shop.co.uk (bringing all the elements of the perfect wedding together)

www.ninephotos.co.uk (photography)

www.sharons-sugarcraft.co.uk (wedding & celebration cakes)

www.allofouryesterdays.co.uk (vintage china & country styled accessories)

www.raffiaflowers.co.uk

www.rearsby.net/manor (wedding venue)

Uneeq Jewellery: 0116 260 1832

Sharon Pinkz, Nails & Beauty: 07751 900741
Kimberley Exquisite Chair Covers: 07914 512974

and at the last count there were 13 others also offering services through the
One Stop Wedding Shop, 1487 Melton Road, Queniborough, LE7 3FP. Tel: 0845 075 8530

All images © Copyright Nine Photos 2011

Discovering Rutland

Rutland is the smallest county in England, just 18 miles from north to south and 17 miles west to east. Its motto 'Multum In Parvo', meaning 'much in little', describes it perfectly.

Buttercross, Oakham
© Copyright Lisa Batty

Oakham and Uppingham

Oakham is the county town and lies near the northern shore of Rutland Water. It's an easy place to find your way around, with plenty of shops, from reputable well-established stores (of which there are several) to the many smaller shops selling gifts, arts and crafts, antiques and so on. Wednesdays and Saturdays are market days, with a farmers' market on the third Saturday of the month.

If the town's history interests you, you can follow the Heritage Trail. This takes in 14 ancient buildings. Trail leaflets and other information about places to visit in Rutland can be had from the library or the Rutland County Museum.

An exciting venture for the town is Live @ The Museum, a 188-seat venue offering live music, theatre, comedy and cinema. It is situated in the Rutland County Museum.

A tour of the Grainstore Brewery is a must if you’re a real ale lover and want to see how a micro brewery operates. You can also enjoy a Ploughman's Lunch or Supper following the tour.

Market Square, Uppingham
© Copyright Colin Smith

Uppingham (south of Rutland Water) also has a good range of shops, many still family owned and run. Like Oakham, it is the ideal place for browsing around and discovering hidden gems.

The town has some lovely old buildings, including Uppingham School. The Church of St Peter and St Paul, which stands in the Market Square, dates from the 14th Century.

Uppingham's weekly market is every Friday and there's a farmers’ market on the second Friday of each month.


Fishing on Rutland Water
© Copyright Mat Fascione

Rutland Water

Built for the purpose of supplying water to the area, Rutland Water is one of the largest man-made reservoirs in Europe. It's set in 3,100 acres of countryside and provides the opportunity for a variety of sporting and leisure activities including windsurfing, rock-climbing, sailing and canoeing.

As well as dinghies and fishing boats, bikes are also available for hire. A cycle trail runs right round the lake and the 23-mile full circuit is well used by both leisure cyclists and those taking part in sponsored rides.

For the less active, the Rutland Belle provides cruises on the reservoir with full commentary of the points of interest along the way.

As a nature reserve, Rutland Water is one of the most important wildfowl sanctuaries in Great Britain with in excess of 20,000 water birds using it. It was here that the first osprey chick to fledge in Central England for 150 years was hatched in 2001, as part of the successful Osprey Project. The ospreys come back year after year and 2010 was the most successful breeding year ever. The birds have recently returned for the summer and you can view one of the nests on a live webcam. Click here to go to the webcam.

There are lots of bird hides and nature trails at the Egleton and Lyndon visitor centres, with experts on hand to help with identification.


For more information go to the Discover Rutland website


The Rutland Walking Festival starts on 22 May and runs until 5 June; the Festival booklet is now available from the website.

Find a bluebell wood near you

Burroughs Wood, Ratby

Springtime is the perfect time to go walking in Leicestershire’s woodlands. The weather is warmer, birds are singing louder and the once desolate and bare trees are coming into bloom – as are an abundance of other flora species. The most famous is the bluebell. During April and May, woodlands are illuminated by breathtaking displays of bluebells as they spread like a blue carpet across the ground in celebration of winter’s demise.

To help you find your nearest bluebell wood the Woodland Trust has recently launched a brand new website called 'VisitWoods', which contains the details of 14,000 publicly accessible woods across the UK.

To find your nearest wood go to www.VisitWoods.org.uk.

Throughout the bluebell season, woodlands across Leicestershire host various events for the public to come and enjoy their beauty. Swithland Wood in Charnwood has one of the best displays of bluebells in the country, and since 1927 an annual Bluebell Service has been held by Leicester Rotary Club and Swithland Parish Church. This year’s service will be on Sunday 8th May at 3pm.
For the more active amongst you, a Bluebell Walk & Ride will be taking place at Rutland Water on Sunday 1st May to raise money for Crohms and Colitis UK. There is an optional fancy dress theme entitled ‘Fairies, Pixies and Pirates’ and a choice of two walking/cycling distances to suit all abilities. The routes will take you through the stunning, bluebell-filled Barnsdale Woods. (Registration 10am-12pm at Barnsdale car park).

To satisfy any spontaneous urges to go bluebell spotting, here is a list of woods worth a visit:
• Burroughs Wood, Ratby
• Bluebell Woods, Yoxhall Lodge, Newchurch (near Burton-Upon-Trent)
• Willesley Wood (near Ashby-de-la-Zouch)
• Bluebell Woods, Ulverscroft Nature Reserve (near Loughborough)
• Jubilee Woods, Outwoods and Martin’s Wood; all in Charnwood

• Launde Woods, East Leicestershire

• Coton Manor Wood, Northamptonshire

Time for tea by the Grantham Canal

Dove Cottage Tea Room

The Dove Cottage tea room and charity shop offers a pleasant respite to anyone strolling along the Grantham Canal near Stathern. It was opened in 2009 to support the work of the Dove Cottage Day Hospice just a stone's throw away. Opening hours are: 10.30am to 3.30pm (4pm from 1 April) Monday to Friday and 10.30am-4pm (4.30 from 1 April) Saturday and Sunday. The shop is not open on Sundays.

For more information about the tea room / shop click here

Dove Cottage Day Hospice is a registered charity providing palliative daycare services for people suffering from life threatening illness, living in and around the Vale of Belvoir. It has a turnover of £150,000 every year, of which £100,000 has to be raised locally. All of Dove Cottage's services are provided free of charge
 
For more information about Dove Cottage Day Hospice click here

The Green Place in Sileby reopens

The Green Place gift shop

After a couple of months of hibernation, The Green Place in Sileby will be re-opening on 5th March. Regular visitors will notice new products in the green gift shop and and new snacks in the cafe. The first 10 customers to visit on Saturday March 5th will get a free goodie bag and there will be some great bargains on old favourites from the gift range. Look out for some great computer deals too, with machines from £95 while stocks last.

Got a wood burner?
If you regularly use logs, take a look at the Smart Splitter which the Green Place now stocks, a safe and effective way to split logs. No electricity needed or heavy, dangerous axes to swing. 2-year guarantee and special price of £70. See it demonstrated on Saturday 5th.

What's going on?
There are plans for some major development in the next few months. The first will be an array of solar panels covering the roof, to provide a chunk of the Green Place's electricity and take them a step closer to being carbon neutral. Also, the first draft plans have been drawn up for some extra space for shop/workshop/activities.

Book of Green
The Green Place have five copies of the Book of Green eco-living directory to give away. A great source of green and ethical business across the UK. Please ask for a copy in the shop.

The Green Place is run by Complete Wasters, a social enterprise whose aims include promoting Fair Trade, recycled and eco-friendly products. As well as a gift shop, cafe and computer shop, it also has a weekly veg stall and runs regular events and workshops.
For more information go to http://www.completewasters.co.uk/

The Green Place, 6 Cossington Road, Sileby (next to Chine House vets)
Telephone 01509 815181