Treasures of the Fruit Farm
Spending Time on the Land
When we first had an offer accepted on the plot we naïvely thought the sale process would be quick enough that we could start building this summer. We now await a decision on our proposed design from the Planners, and have gradually come to terms with building next year. And in fact, I am now quite glad.
The enforced pause has provided us the unexpected gift of this quiet phase that feels entirely necessary: simply being at the plot. Over the last few weeks, our weekends have been spent clearing back the overgrowth by hand—cutting mown paths through the wild grass and brambles to discover what the land is holding and to allow its treasures to breathe.
Clearing a forgotten space is a gentle act. You start to understand the low paths of the evening sun, the pockets where the wind drops, and where the damp lingers under the canopy. It has completely changed our perspective of the outdoor space, the spot where we will enjoy our morning coffee, or settle ourselves after a long day for a glass of wine.
Secrets of the Soil and Shadows
As the brambles recede, the old fruit farm has begun to reveal its treasures. We’ve discovered 13 different pear trees, greengages, quince, a sweet little walnut tree, and a curious variety of green plums with a distinct, tartness which we suspect may be Persian Gojeh Sabs. It is a battle to beat the insects and try the fruits when ripe, before they drop and are enjoyed by the local badgers, deer and fox.
Interwoven with the living trees are the remnants of the site's working past—not just old iron and fragments of farm metal caught in the roots, but small quiet artifacts like a patinated, forgotten jug left in the old chicken shed, rusting oil lamps. and an old weighing scale for pigs. Watching the late-summer light move in dappled patterns across the weathered cladding of the old barns has been incredibly inspiring. Materials and objects that weather without intervention carry a narrative that no new build can fake, but I somehow want to bring the essence of them to our design. That quiet tactility, textural materials, beautifully imperfect.
Listening to the Landscape
Watching how the light falls and plays across the rough textures of the site is actively informing our design approach. We are beyond thrilled with the Architectural design by our wonderful friends and collaborators Studio Bua, and we will be sharing that process in the coming weeks. I have been taking my time with the Interiors however. Deadlines are a necessary part of our every day, so taking the time to let our home develop slowly in my mind feels like a rare and unique luxury. For now, I am enjoying taking it all in.
— Victoria x