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Open again

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 19:07:37 GMT

After a two month break when we enjoyed a lovely Christmas with our family and welcomed our fourth grandchild baby Arthur into the world, we are re-opening ready for Valentine's weekend.

We have been busy spring cleaning the Cob and making a few design changes which we are very pleased with.

Despite it being winter there is an air of spring on certain days when the sun has been shining- drifts of Snowdrops and Hellebores are carpeting the ground and the green shoots of Daffodils are pushing through the hard earth following the frosts we have had lately.

Already we have had many bookings for the season ahead and are very much looking forward to welcoming back previous visitors to The Cob and meeting new guests.

Autumn days

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 13:38:20 GMT

The beginning of September definitely brought us some golden Autumn days, after a pretty wet late summer. Early morning mists hanging over the meadows have cleared by 10 o'clock to give us gorgeous cloudless sunny skies. The meadows have been mowed, the cut material raked and cleared away to allow the wildflower seeds to set and hopefully give us an even better display next year.

We knew that The Cob and gardens would be featured once more this year in Country Living magazine (see last blog) following Sian and Brent's second visit to us last year to use us as a location shoot, this time the theme being gathering Autumn fruits and flowers. What we didn't know was that The Cob would be featured on the front cover of the magazine - so we were thrilled to bits when we saw the magazine on the shelves of the local paper shop and promptly bought all of the copies to distribute to friends and family.

I had been concerned the roses in our newly designed rose garden weren't giving a second flowering later in the season after taking off well in June - they looked healthy but no new buds, then our wildlife camera caught the culprit in action - Mabel the Muntjac has a taste for all our rosebuds! I can't be too cross with her, as she delights us prancing through the orchard and meadows with attitude, she's a real character. Short term we have protected the rose garden with chicken wire, but another Winter job to add to the list- ring fence the rose garden!

Summer

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 17:04:35 GMT

Finally, a chance to sit down and gather ourselves. What an interesting, busy and exciting time the last couple of months have been.

May is always my favourite month as, day by day we see the garden becoming more green and by mid month colour is scattered throughout with the bright acid yellows of the giant Euphorbia, blues and purples of early geraniums and pastel pinks, ruby reds, blues and creams of Aquilegia. Knowing this is just the start of the flowering season with so much more to come including the flowers in our recently planted rose garden is truly exciting.

Last July we had a great couple of days with Sian and Brent who were working on a photo shoot for Country Living Magazine. Our shepherd's hut and wild meadows were the perfect location for their "Picnic in The Meadows" feature and we were thrilled to see the article in the recent June edition of the magazine.

The world famous Hay Book Festival which runs for 10 days at the end of May and the three day HowTheLightGetsIn Festival, brought a great number of visitors to the area. The weather was beautiful and the town was buzzing.

I think one of the most special moments we have had at The Cob was when the Bosnian-American author, Aleksandar Hemon was staying with us before his performance at Hay Festival alongside musician Damir Imamovic. It was a perfectly still, sunny morning and the two friends were sat on the verandah chatting away in their native Bosnian language before Damir began to play his Persian lute and sing some of the folk songs he has written as a companion piece to Aleksandar's book, "The world and all that it holds". A truly moving and magical morning.

Growth

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 13:22:46 GMT

We seem to be all consumed by our garden at the moment and have been working out in it in all weathers - glorious sunshine, rain and wind.

Each day brings more growth and colour to the garden and slowly the jobs on our list are getting ticked off. New rose garden constructed and planted, new raised beds built, perennial garden mulched and seeds for cutting garden and veg patch sown.

Although we have been working hard there is always time to stop and observe the wildlife around us. The birdsongs are getting louder as territories are marked and mates found. There is an abundance of frog spawn in the ponds but I'm not too sure if they will survive as a lone Heron has taken up residence in the wet meadow and is feasting on frogs and tadpoles.

The roe deer are back and most evenings lately we have seen at least three feeding on leaves and shoots in the meadows.

Recently we took a trip out through Hay on Wye and up a very long, winding single track lane to the Black Mountains where we found the most gorgeous pub, The Bulls Head at Craswall, what a gem, amazing views and fantastic food. Definitely our new go to place after a hard weeks work in the garden.

Welcome back

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 17:00:41 GMT

After three months winter break we are now back open ready to welcome guests to this beautiful part of the world on the English/Welsh border.

In the time we have been closed we have managed to fit in two holidays - (our first for over five years) and more excitingly our daughter and grandchildren who live overseas were finally able to come over to England for a four week visit; after not seeing them for three years it was a very special time for us.

The dry weather lately has allowed us to crack on with work in the gardens and meadows. The biggest change our returning guests will notice is the laying of over 70m of hedging. This work has completely opened up the far two meadows letting in much more light and hopefully this will encourage even more wildflowers to spread.

The evenings are getting lighter week by week, the Snowdrops and Hellibores are a delightful picture. Primroses, Ox slips and daffodils are brightening up patches of the garden and the birds are busying themselves marking out their territories and singing to attract a mate, all cheery signs that spring is finally on it's way after a long cold winter.

End of season

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 17:41:19 GMT

As November draws to a close we are looking forward to welcoming our last guests of the year who are staying at The Cob while they spend a long weekend "slow" Christmas shopping in the area. The local towns are full of lovely independent stores full of unique gifts to buy at a slow and leisurely pace. Hay on Wye is hosting it's Winter Festival, while the nearby towns of Ludlow, Ledbury, Leominster and Bromyard all have Christmas markets and special events lined up for November and December.

Many of our guests will remember dear old Bobbin Robin our friendly one legged Robin who was a favourite with us all. We haven't seen him for over two months so guess he has gone to that great big bird table in the sky. R.I.P Bobbin.

Despite closing until next spring we have plenty of projects planned to keep us busy. The ponds need some major work to clear them of grasses and weeds. The rose garden which I've been planning for the last year is now ready to be prepared and planted. Hopefully a lovely place to sit and enjoy the fragrances in the middle of the perennial garden next year.

It won't all be hard work though, as we have a couple of holidays booked - our first since moving here - so we are very much looking forward to the rest. Then all ready and refreshed to re-open in Spring.

Golden Autumn days

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 16:00:44 GMT

There is nothing more lovely on an early October morning than to get up, put a jumper on over my PJ's, pull on my wellies and walk down into the mist of the meadows with the dog. I love when it is as still as can be and, as in the last few mornings, there has been a ground frost. Buddy and I explore the hedgerows- catching sight of a fox yesterday, and today I saw a Roe deer through in the woods that back onto our land.

I pick an apple from the orchard to eat with my Aga cooked porridge, a favourite with our guests at the moment. Then it's back to the kitchen to get warm while Buddy munches on windfalls.

We watch the mist rising, which may take half an hour or hang around until late morning, but as it fades away it leaves the amazing colour palette of Autumn leaves which are particularly beautiful in the far meadow where we have many specimen trees - the aptly named toffee apple tree and liquid amber being my favourites

Last of the summer

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 17:40:57 GMT

Despite the soaring heat this summer and many plants in the garden struggling to survive, most of our visitors have commented on how much greener our grass and trees are compared to other parts of the country.

The weather finally broke last week and we watched some amazing thunderstorms coming over the Brecon Beacons under the cover of The Cob verandah.

The much needed rain has given a boost to the late flowering plants and we now have a mass of colour at the bottom of the perennial garden, with shades of blues and purples from the many varieties of asters, and golden splashes of yellow from the tall helianthus, helenium and giant rudbeckia.

The pumpkins are huge and ripening nicely and giant sunflowers over seven feet tall will provide plenty of food for the birds.

The orchard has supplied us with a bounty of apples and damsons although no pears this year for some reason. I have just found a juicy crop of blackberries at the bottom of the meadow so it looks like apple and blackberry crumble on the menu this weekend.

A new eatery has opened up on the site of the old toll house at the toll bridge into Hay on Wye. We took some time out last week to visit. It was a most beautiful September day and we enjoyed a drink and platter of tasty food looking out over the River Wye and the fields beyond. A very relaxed and peaceful way to while away a few hours in the glorious countryside of the Welsh Marches.

Heatwave - Part two!

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 15:40:04 GMT

August- too hot even for me to garden. Just a bit of pottering early morning before serving breakfast and maybe a little night gardening, glass of wine in hand at 8pm as it starts to cool down.

Enjoying these hot days of nowhere to be, nothing to do. As I write this at 4pm and 33 degrees on the patio, I am sitting in the shade in my swinging egg chair, watching the butterflies and listening to the mellow sounds of the Delta Blues being played by our guest Graham, who is sat on The Cob Verandah playing his steel guitar. Doesn't get much better than that!

Heatwave!

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 16:30:54 GMT

To quote the famous headline from The Sun in the summer of '76 - What a scorcher! The hot weather has meant lots of lazy days for guests and us too. The verandah of The Cob stretches the full width of the building and with it's living roof, offers shade from the midday sun. The perfect place to sit and read or nod off listening to the occasional call of the red kites or buzzards who are circling overhead as the farmers take advantage of the warm, dry weather to to cut and bale hay.

Many plants in the perennial garden are looking magnificent in the sunshine. Our display of hollyhocks in shades of pastels through to deep magenta have reached over eight feet tall in some areas.

The gravel garden is thriving in the dry weather with splashes of vivid red from the crocosmia , deep crimson and bubble gum pink of the scabius.

Casualties of the weather have been the ponds. One has dried up completely while the smaller one is reduced to green sludge. Definitely a big project for the winter for us to sort them out. However, insects and bats still abound with beautiful damsel and dragonflies.

We are so pleased with the progress of all our meadows as we identify more and more wildflowers each year.

We are just off now to spend fifteen minutes counting our butterflies for the great butterfly count

Summertime

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 19:29:08 GMT

It's a busy time here at Montpelier Cottage. Hay book festival was a great success and it was lovely to catch up with so many returning guests to The Cob.

The garden and meadows are looking amazing. Each year we have more and more wildflowers in the meadows, a haven for insects, butterflies, bees, moths and small mammals.

But the greatest pleasure lately has been to sit and watch the birds come to the feeding station. So many fledgling blue tits who are fearless and carry on feeding when we are only a foot or so away.

We have Sid the baby tit with what looks like a Mohican haircut, Terry, is barrell chested and we had to rescue after he knocked himself out flying into the window, and many more who all have their unique personalities and markings, not forgetting Bobbin our one legged robin who returning guests are always happy to see once more. Often we can have up to 25 baby tits, sparrows and nuthatch all feeding at once.

Over the last few days we have seen the greater spotted woodpeckers bringing their young to the feeders- such beautiful birds busy flying back and to from their nest in the Alder tree.

With all these baby birds about the magpies and buzzards have been sweeping down hoping for an opportunity to grab a poor little fledgling, but our dog Buddy likes to sit guard over the bird feeders and so far has managed to chase away the predators.

Festival time!

Wed, 18 May 2022 18:13:21 GMT

The beginning of May heralds Dawn Chorus Day, and it was worth waking at 4.30am to be joined by our guests, Natalie and Steven, and spend an hour in the meadows listening to the birdsong as they got louder and louder. With the help of an app on Natalie's phone we managed to identify many different birds as they joined in the chorus. It was a beautiful morning for our guests to watch the sun rise over our shepherds hut and later enjoy a well deserved cooked breakfast sat outside on The Cob verandah.

We are gearing up for the Hay Festival which starts on 26th May and is one of the worlds biggest literary festivals taking place over 11 days. Authors, poets, historians, politicians, comedians and musicians will all be performing once again after a two year break due to the pandemic. There is a great feeling of anticipation as the tented village on the outskirts of Hay on Wye is erected. Bunting festoons the streets and the many varied and quirky shops in Hay prepare to welcome over 100,000 visitors to this small market town in Wales.

First sighting

Sun, 17 Apr 2022 16:12:02 GMT

Today we woke up to a thick frost and clear blue sky. On my early morning walk in the meadows with a steaming mug of coffee and the dog by my side, I was thrilled to see three roe deer nibbling willow shoots. We haven't seen any deer since October and were worried they wouldn't be back, so to see three together, two does and a buck, was magical on such a perfect spring morning.

It has been too beautiful a day to waste, so after a breakfast of duck eggs left on our doorstep by a kindly neighbour, we were straight outside working on the veggie patch. Raised beds have been topped up with our homemade compost, the polytunnel cleaned and seeds sown. Over lunch in the garden we planned our spring vegetable planting scheme, always full of hope for good crops.

After a hard days work we are now sitting in our garden room watching the many birds at our feeders. As I write we have a woodpecker, blackbird, chaffinch, blue tit, nuthatch, sparrows and chiffchaff all visiting our feeders which hang on the old crab apple tree.

Another hard frost is forecast tonight so its time to light the woodburner and open that bottle of red wine.

Spring

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 19:51:07 GMT

After a long winter of rain, storms and lots of mud Spring has finally arrived at The Cob. The longer, brighter days are filled with bird songs and the hellebores, primroses and daffodils are bringing splashes of colour to the garden - just a taste of whats to come in the months ahead.

Some hardy winter guests have wrapped up well and enjoyed long walks but many have taken the opportunity to get some rest and relaxation by hunkering down in front of the wood burner, maybe playing chess or scrabble, reading and watching the many birds that visit our feeders all from the warmth of the toasty Cob.

Now Spring is here there is much to do out and about in beautiful Herefordshire. The Black & White Trail takes in seven medieval villages with black and white timber framed buildings all peppered with cosy pubs, tea rooms, art galleries and village shops.

Herefordshire is famous for its orchards and for about six weeks in spring thousands of fruit trees are covered in pink and white blossom. Many cider orchards are open for tours and tastings or visit some of the many country estates and community orchards in the area.

Later in the season we are planning to visit some of the regions woodlands to see and smell the amazing bluebell carpets. Visit Herefordshire website recommends ten woods best for bluebell spotting taking in hill forts, ancient trees and limestone caves. All guaranteed to cheer us up after a long winter.

Christmas time

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 17:40:41 GMT

As usual despite always planning to be organized, December has been a busy month for us. The Cob has been decorated with greenery collected from the garden and fairy lights abound.

All guests staying at The Cob in December have come to enjoy a few days peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of pre-Christmas preparations. Long walks and a glass or two of wine by the log burner has been the order of the day. Some of our guests have spent an hour or two "slow shopping" in the nearby market town of Hay-on-Wye, perusing the many bookshops and artisan stores for special gifts.

We are closing for the month of January and hoping to catch up with friends and family in Cheshire. We re-open in February and are looking forward to another successful year. We have been busy taking bookings for 2022, many from previous guests. Its lovely to welcome people back for a second, third and even fourth time to this special corner of rural Herefordshire.

Golden Days

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 20:30:39 GMT

The go l den days o f Autumn have arrived here in Herefordshire. We have had a great deal of warm sunny days and the colours of the changing leaves for mile after mile of beautiful tree lined roads and forests are such a stunning sight.

At The Cob many of our guests have wrapped up in bobble hats and jumpers to enjoy breakfast outside on the verandah this month. The morning sun shining on the many grasses and seed heads of the perennial garden gives a golden glow to the view.

We are pleased to be supporting Visit Herefordshire's " slow shopping" campaign, encouraging people to ditch Black Friday and enjoy some slow shopping at the many unique and independent artisan shops throughout the county. Any guest booking a stay in December and quoting SLOW SHOPPING will get a glass of mulled wine on arrival, gingerbread treats, a hand crafted tree decoration and a bunch of hand tied greenery from our garden to take home.

Hay on Wye Winter Festival begins next week which is the first time since Covid that the festival is taking place live, although you can also join in on line to many of the events.

We are looking forward to getting into the Christmas spirit next Friday when national treasure, Miriam Margolyes is switching on the Christmas lights in Hay. It will be great to meet up with friends and have a glass or two of mulled wine. Looking at the weather forecast I see that snow is forecast which really would make the evening magical.

Autumn time at The cob

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 18:27:17 GMT

As Autumn arrives and the nights become cooler September always feels like a new beginning to me more than New Year. I always have that start of a new school year, new pencil case feeling, although its a long time since our daughters were at school.

On that note we decided to close The Cob for three days early in September for some maintenance work and an "Autumn Clean". New steps have been put in and outside windows and fascias painted, along with a good old wash and clean ready for the winter months ahead.

We are just about fully booked right through till the end of November so wanted to make sure all is clean and maintained before the nights start drawing in.

Despite the shortening of the days the garden continues to be filled with plants that are still at their best - helianthus and asters bring a mass of colour to the bottom of the perennial garden, while the many grasses create a dreamy ambiance, waving in the breeze and slowly changing colour from greens to golds and bronze.

The meadows have been mown and we will be raking back the debris in the wild meadow and hoping for a few days of dry weather when we can put it in piles and burn it. The key to a good wild meadow is poor soil so we do not want to leave the cut vegetation to mulch back into the soil. The meadows have been full of amazing wild flowers this year - much more than in our previous two years here so we are encouraged that we are doing something right.

At the end of August with the help of Gareth, our local farmer we planted over thirty Devil's bit scabious plants which we are hoping will attract the marsh fritillary, one of our endangered butterflies. We did plant about twelve Devil's bit scabious last year but unfortunately they didn't take. This year we have chosen three different sites in the meadows and Gareth has done similar on his land close by. He is planning on releasing marsh fritillary larvae next year.

We are so thrilled to be part of this re-wilding experiment and hopeful that the marsh

fritillary will thrive and feed on our Devil's bit scabious within the next couple of years.

Late Summer

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 17:29:59 GMT

The summer months are flying by as we welcome new and returning guests to The Cob.

This is our third summer at Montpelier Cottage and we now feel we have some control over the garden and know what plants are coming into flower and when. There seems to be a little lull in the garden right now as we wait for the asters, solidago and helianthus to reach full height and bring the next wave of colour to see us through September. Although the hollyhocks, dahlias, crocosmia and day lillies are still giving plenty of colour at the moment. The grasses and knautia in the gravel garden are looking particularly dreamy as they waft in the breeze.

I am experimenting with drying as many varieties of flowers from the garden as I can at the moment. Dried flowers seem to be back in fashion so we have converted the small hut in the orchard that once housed a composting loo into a drying room now full of hanging flowers.

I think I may have planted a few too many courgettes in the vegetable garden. The never ending crop has had us eating courgettes in some form most days - soup, curry, tart and cake have all been popular in our house. Pumpkins and squashes are now taking over the veggie patch giving it a sense of lushness and vigor.

Now the garden room extension is finished we have moved on to the final stages of our cottage renovation with plastering to the sewing room starting today. Not too many rooms left to do now and our aim is to be finished by Christmas and give ourselves a few weeks off in January.

Thoughts of Christmas at The Cob keep popping into my head and hopefully this year we will be able to offer some festive packages for the Christmas and New Year period.

High summer

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 18:02:20 GMT

July, and the garden is looking fabulous. The sweet peas are giving off their beautiful fragrance as they climb up the various wigwams we have dotted around the garden. Climbing, rambling, and bush roses are full of blooms after being given a hard pruning earlier in the year. The cutting garden is flourishing with lupins, delphiniums, salvia, alchemilla mollis, cosmos (to name but a few!), giving armfuls of blooms to fill vases and jam jars in The Cob and our cottage.

The old conservatory has been taken down and the new garden room is almost complete, so we have been busy painting and decorating for the last few weeks. We are so happy with the final result, where this quite modern room fuses together with our old stone cottage. The huge picture windows frame beautiful views onto the gardens, making it a perfect place to sit and relax - if we ever get time to do that!! We have been so busy with The Cob being fully booked through to October at the moment.

The most exciting thing to happen since we opened The Cob, is that the gardens and meadows are featured in the August issue of Country Homes & Interiors magazine. Stylist Sian and photographer Brent visited us on a warm, sunny day last summer for the feature which appears in the magazine. We had a great day styling The Cob and setting up the shots for Brent. The photos are amazing and we can't quite believe we have made it into a national magazine after only living here for two years.

A few weeks ago we welcomed back our lovely guests, Natalie & Steven, who first visited The Cob last October. They had booked to eat out at local restaurants in Hay for the first two evenings of their stay but were keen to try out the pizza oven in our meadow for their final evening, kindly insisting that we join them. Under Simon's guidance Steven got the wood burning oven up to temperature and we had a most special evening eating pizzas amongst the wild orchids and grasses of the meadow with fairy lights and bunting strung through the trees.

Running The Cob bed and breakfast means we get to meet so many interesting people and it is lovely to welcome returning guests back again where they know they will be able to relax, enjoy the peace and immerse themselves in nature.

Warmer nights

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 20:43:11 GMT

At last the nights are warming up and I am no longer obsessed with the weather forecast and thermometer in the polytunnel. Annual plants have finally been planted out, having been lovingly nurtured from seed on every available window in the house.

This is our third summer at Montpelier Cottage and I feel I now have a better idea of which plants will be coming through where, although there are still many suprises for me. Having made a new path at the bottom of the garden through the masses of Asters I have found the most fragrant patch of white and pink Stocks. The Tree Peony we thought was beyond saving; but by giving it a good pruning and mulching, it has made us realise we must be doing something right, as it has rewarded us with many massive blooms and heady fragrance.

Although Hay festival 2021 has only been online this year there has still been a great buzz around the town this last few weeks. Despite being really busy with guests, gardening, plus building work finally beginning on our old conservatory, we have enjoyed watching a few festival events online and really look forward to Hay Festival 2022.

A few weeks ago we were delighted to welcome back Ian and Sarah to The Cob. Ian is a keen amateur photographer and took some brilliant photos of the garden when he and Sarah stayed last October. We invited them back this spring and Ian took some amazing photos of the garden which we have now added to our website. Two of Ian's photos feature at the top of this blog.

It has been great to welcome back many returning guests as well as meeting so many lovely new couples too.

For the second time this year we are proud to be featured in The Sunday Times recommendations for best Bed and Breakfasts to stay in the UK. It gives us such a boost to be featured and of course increases our bookings.

We would never have imagined when we opened the weekend before first lockdown in March 2020 how popular The Cob would become.

Welcome back

Tue, 11 May 2021 09:47:37 GMT

What a pleasure it has been to welcome guests back to The Cob once more, and we couldn't have asked for more lovely people to share this special place with.

It gives us both such a buzz to see our guests relaxing and taking in the views, flora and fauna of our surroundings. Despite the weather being quite cold for the time of year, it hasn't stopped our guests wrapping up in the many blankets we provide and sitting outside on the verandah, often very early in the morning to enjoy the cacophony of the dawn chorus or late in the evening, taking in the star filled skys on clear frosty nights.

Last autumn we finished renovating the shepherd's hut but we were too late for guests to enjoy it as second lockdown restrictions were imposed. This year however, all our guests have taken full advantage of this extra space to be enjoyed at The Cob. A great place to sit and bird watch or light the fire pit and watch the sun go down with a glass or two of something special.

Ready to re-open

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 17:21:26 GMT

After two days of glorious sunshine and warmth over Easter when we were able to eat outside on the patio, the weather is now quite cold, but despite this there is a brightness in the garden with vivid green leaves bursting through every day, giving a sense of what is to come in the months ahead.

Blackthorn blossom is out in the hedgerows and the gravel garden is a mass of bright yellow coming from the swathes of Primulas which have self seeded. Tulips that were planted in tubs in November are bringing splashes of bright pinks, oranges, purples and crimsons throughout the garden and the smell of Hyacinths is heady.

We are so looking forward to welcoming guests back to The Cob from April 12th. We have been busy spring cleaning and fresh coats of paint have been applied. Some new paths have been laid through the perennial garden and paths mowed through the meadows, which are home to rabbits and pheasants at the moment.

The apple trees are pruned and soon they will be in full blossom - what could be better than swinging in the hammock in the apple orchard on a warm sunny day in late April.

Keeping Busy

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 20:17:30 GMT

Here at Montpelier Cottage we are fortunate to have many projects to throw ourselves into during lockdown. Poor Simon will never have time for a rest while I have my "Lynn lists" ready to keep him occupied.

Work on renovating the inside of our cottage has obviously been halted in lockdown as we need various tradespeople to work in the house once it is safe to do so. Gardening remains a constant, and if it isn't snowing or raining we are out there digging, pruning, cutting back and mulching. But on bad weather days we still have plenty to keep us busy - Simon's new found joinery skills mean we now have three new obelisks, giving height and structure to the garden. We have planted a lovely red climbing rose to go up one and on the kitchen window cill all my Cobaea seedlings have germinated. I have great hopes that these vigorous "cup and saucer" plants will look amazing climbing up the obelisks.

Good old Pinterest was the inspiration for another project, and as you can see from the photo at the top of the page, the rustic gate now leading from the garden into the meadow looks perfect.

Days are beginning to get longer and the bird activity in the garden is sometimes frantic with plenty of activity at all of the feeders, birdsong is more frequent and nest building abounds. The frogs are coming out of hibernation and we have wrapped up warmly and sat by the pond on a few evenings listening to the frog chorus. Every day we check the pond for frog spawn - none so far but plenty of newts swimming about.

Snowdrops are now going over, but the Hellebores are spectacular and more bulbs are emerging, with the glorious Iris in full bloom at the moment.

Not long to go before the clocks march forward an hour and we can enjoy sitting outside in the early evenings satisfied at all we have achieved during the long cold winter months.

Reflections

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 20:00:59 GMT

It's two years ago this month since we got the keys to this very special place. When we look back at photos of those early days I'm not sure if we realised just how much hard work lay ahead, but we had the vision and two years on we have made massive progress and are feeling pretty proud of our achievements so far.

Launching The Cob one week before the first lockdown wasn't such good timing, however all three lockdowns have given us time to work on bigger projects around the property ensuring that when we have been able to have guests stay, the gardens and grounds are at their best.

Even through this years hard winter where we have had floods followed by snow and temperatures as low as minus 9 degrees, the garden has remained a huge source of pleasure and inspiration.

Already we have huge drifts of snowdrops and such a variety of hellebores all flowering in various areas of the garden.

In the bottom meadow the mustard yellows and deep reds of the dogwoods and willow give us a stunning splash of colour and when the sun does break out and shines on them they really do look like flames warming up the icy ground below.

There are also an abundance of catkins on the hazel, alder and willow trees which I love to cut and bring indoors with other bare branches and twigs and scatter round the house in jars and vases. Soon the warmth of the house means that buds burst and leaves or flowers appear giving us the hope that spring is near.

On the last Sunday in January we took part in The Big Garden Birdwatch noting down all the birds to land in the garden over an hour. We loaded up the bird table and settled down in the warmth of the kitchen to count all the hungry birds visiting us in sub zero temperatures. Along with all the usual visitors - tits, dunnock, sparrows, blackbirds, robins, finches, starlings and magpies we were lucky to be visited in that hour by our resident Greater Spotted Woodpecker. Also flying above the meadows in that hour we spotted kites, buzzards and a pair of Peregrines.

When the weather has allowed we have cleared around the two large ponds and removed a couple of trees that were getting too large at the edge of the larger pond. More work needs to be done clearing the ponds but for now we will leave them alone in the hope that the frogs will soon be out of hibernation and laying spawn as things start to warm up next month.

On freezing days Simon has been busy in his mancave - his latest project has been making obelisks for the garden to give some height and structure for climbing roses, sweet peas and cobaea in the summer.

We were thrilled to be featured in The Sunday Times Travel Staycation Supplement amongst the best B&B's to stay in. As a result we have taken quite a few bookings over the last couple of weeks for later in the year. We are just waiting to hear the announcement as to when we can open again and look forward to safely welcoming guests back to The Cob.

New growth for the New Year

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 17:50:02 GMT

Winter has arrived at Montpelier Cottage with sprinklings of snow and hard frosts for the last few weeks. The freezing cold weather has put a halt on gardening and as we have just finished our latest indoor renovation project we are spending time exploring more of the stunning, panoramic countryside of Herefordshire.

Our latest trip was to Hergest Ridge, a short 12 minute drive from our cottage, which is a large elongated hill, part of the Offas Dyke path on the border between England and Wales. We enjoyed an exhilarating walk to the top of the ridge. The higher we went the deeper the snow. A fantastic walk even if the blizzard prevented us from taking in the spectacular views over the Shropshire and Welsh hills.

Once back home and warmed by the kitchen Aga, we sat hugging our mugs of hot chocolate looking out onto the garden and meadows. At this time of the year the bird table is full of sparrows, tits and finches darting back and forth to collect peanuts and sunflower seeds. Every so often our resident Greater Spotted Woodpecker swoops in and all the other birds fly off while he hammers away at the peanut feeder. We had only spotted the male woodpecker with his defining red head but recently we have also seen and heard a female in the nearby Ash tree. It would be fantastic if we could get a glimpse of their young in late spring.

As we were warming ourselves and bird spotting we had to contain our excitement as we spotted four Roe Deer right up against the stock fence between the perennial garden and middle meadow. It was the most beautiful sight, but all too quickly they must have sensed our presence and ran elegantly back through the meadow into the woods that border our land.

Despite it being too cold to do much work in the garden it is already showing signs of growth with the snowdrops, hellebores, cyclamen and primroses all bursting through the frozen ground.

Although we are currently unable to welcome guests to The Cob due to Covid restrictions, we are so proud to have been featured in Sawdays top 10 Favorite Inspections of 2020. A crazy year to launch a bed and breakfast business but we have met so many interesting and lovely people and received such fantastic reviews that we are so looking forward to welcoming guests back to The Cob to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the gardens as Spring approaches.

Christmas Ready

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 19:30:05 GMT

Once the early morning mist rose we have enjoyed beautiful blue skies and warm sunshine here in Herefordshire today. A perfect day for foraging in our meadows and hedgerows for Christmas foliage. The old blackthorn tree in the top meadow is laden with mistletoe hanging from the highest branches in huge globes. We managed to collect plenty from the lower boughs along with armfuls of ivy and holly.

The afternoon was spent opening the Christmas decoration boxes retrieved from the loft and decorating the veranda with all the greenery we had collected.

As our eldest daughter and grandchildren live overseas we will not be able to spend Christmas together this year, so let Lynn (aka Mrs Christmas), spoil you this year. If you like snuggling up by a roaring log burner with mulled wine, homemade mince pies and gingerbread houses - book a Christmas stay at The Cob from 2nd December.

We have put together a New Year Celebration Package in collaboration with a local restaurant in Hay-on-Wye. Two nights stay from 31st December to include a 7 course taster menu for two at Chapters Restaurant and a New Years Day buffet served in The Cob.

We are also hoping to offer a three night Christmas break from 24th December to include Christmas dinner served at a local restaurant and a home made Boxing Day buffet served in The Cob. Please call or email us for details of these packages.

If you want to get away and relax from the stresses of this year, The Cob is the perfect retreat.

Cosy Autumn days

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 19:12:35 GMT

As we turn back the clocks and the nights draw in we are embracing the Scandinavian habit of Hygge here at The Cob at Montpelier. Cosy nights in front of the woodburner surrounded by fairy lights and snuggly blankets.

We have just installed a new TV with DVD player and now have a supply of DVD's and a basket full of board games such as Scrabble and Chess to while away the dark evenings.

Despite the colder, wetter weather the full length Verandah gives plenty of opportunity to sit outside wrapped up in a blanket and observe the abundance of wildlife which surrounds us.

We had a wonderful walk on Black Hill recently, the views over the Herefordshire countryside were stunning. We found a little wind shelter on the top of the hill which is known locally as the Cats Back, where we had a picnic before starting the descent through a ravine following the stream and then through woodland back to the car park.

We have also taken a drive down the Wye Valley to go "leaf peeping", which means observing the changing colours of the foliage on the many species of trees as they turn from summer greens to the yellows, reds and golds of autumn. It was a stunning experience seeing the amazing colours light up the landscape.

Covid restrictions allowing we are hoping to be able to offer a three day Christmas package from 24th December in collaboration with a local restaurant who will provide Christmas lunch for our guests.

Details and prices for Christmas and New Year offers will be posted on both our website and Sawdays listing very soon.

We are really hoping government guidelines will allow us to make a very special, magical Christmas and New Year at The Cob and one to remember for a long time.

Harvest

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 19:03:45 GMT

September is the month of Harvest and we have a bountiful crop of apples in the orchard. Our neighbour makes his own cider and offered to help us make apple juice from some of our crop. We spent a lovely day pressing and pasteurising our apples, giving us plenty of delicious apple juice to be able to serve to our guests with breakfast.

The fine weather has allowed us to get ahead with painting the outside of the Shepherds Hut. We are so pleased with the results and hope many of our guests will enjoy a peaceful evening down by the hut with the fire pit lit, enjoying the spectacle of the dark skies that this area has to offer.

We were pleased to welcome the winner of our instagram #treatournhs draw to The Cob. Nurse Mary had been working in ICU in a London hospital during the height of the pandemic. It was lovely to welcome her and her partner to The Cob over Bank Holiday weekend when they totally relaxed and enjoyed days out canoeing along the River Wye and walking in the magnificent Elan Valley.

Thanks to all our lovely guests over the past two months and the lovely reviews they have left, we are so proud to have been featured in the i newspaper article - "24 Best UK Holidays for your Social Bubble". Having only been open since 1st August we are thrilled to bits to be featured in a national newspaper and we know that we have more to offer our guests in the coming months.

Back in Business

Tue, 18 Aug 2020 21:49:28 GMT

Another busy month for us here at The Cob at Montpelier as we prepared to welcome our first guests since lockdown. Working alongside Sawdays we can assure all our guests that The Cob adheres to the Clean & Safe Charter where we have measures in place to ensure good hygiene throughout our guest stay.

Just as we hoped, all our guests have relaxed and enjoyed the peace and tranquility the gardens and meadows have to offer at The Cob.

On many evenings our guests have opted to stay in and eat a meal on The Cob verandah overlooking the meadows - either getting a take away from one of our local restaurants or eating food they have bought locally. As a result we have decided to install a larger fridge to allow guests to store their own food, with of course plenty of space to chill a bottle of wine or a couple of beers.

We have started renovating the old shepherds hut which stands in the bottom meadow through the orchard. Once completed this will be another area for guests to relax in, and the verandah attached to the shepherds hut will house a camping stove and utensils to allow guests to cook simple food al fresco. The hut will be the perfect place to sit and read, maybe practice yoga, nature watch or just contemplate, all in complete seclusion.

We knew Montpelier Cottage was a special place when we moved here 18 months ago and it has been a delight for us to share it will all our lovely guests. We never imagined The Cob would be so popular so quickly after launching it, with booking enquiries coming through Sawdays almost every day. Its been hard work to get to this point but certainly well worth it.

Midsummer

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 19:14:10 GMT

As lockdown restrictions ease in England and Wales we have ventured out to our local town of Hay-on-Wye. Thursday is market day and is a mix of artisan stalls selling locally produced food and craft items. Each week seems busier than the last as the sleepy town wakes up. When we visited today it felt like the vibrant bustling town which so attracted us when we were looking to move to this area 18 months ago.

Back home and we have cleared an area in the middle meadow where the pizza oven stands. We lit the oven for the first time and were thrilled with the delicious pizza we cooked washed down with a glass or two of red wine while sitting amidst the long grasses and wild flowers in the meadow. We are planning to make a proper cooking area by the pizza oven and provide dough bases and a variety of toppings for guests to cook their own pizzas.

A day or so earlier we were sitting on the patio after a busy day gardening, dusk was falling when we spotted a baby roe deer down in the meadow below. He stood looking straight at us for ages before turning and running back into the woods that adjoin our land. Another magical moment here at Montpelier Cottage.

Wild Meadows

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 10:57:36 GMT

Yet another blistering month here in Herefordshire. The meadows are springing up and teaming with wildlife.

The Marsh Fritillary, a beautiful highly patterned butterfly was once widespread in Britain, but has declined severely in recent years. Our neighbouring sheep farmer, Gareth, is keen to establish a network of habitats in our area and has provided us with a tray of Devils Bit Scabious plants which we have planted out in our wet meadow. This is the food plant of the Marsh Fritillary and hopefully this butterfly will be attracted to the food we have to offer.

On a warm summer's day all that can be heard in the meadows is the hum of the bumble bees and honey bees as these pollinators feast upon the meadowsweet, ragged robin, spotted orchid, cuckoo flower and valerian which are flowering at the moment.

Around 6pm most evenings we are visited by a male greater spotted woodpecker - he's a cheeky chap actually sitting on our kitchen window cill - then he flies off and sits on the old crab apple tree by The Cob. Just behind The Cob in the Blackthorn tree we have followed a pair of magpies building their nest since February and now we see that 3 chicks have hatched and are confidently sitting on a branch outside the nest while mum and dad collect food.

We have been busy putting plans into place to reassure our guests that The Cob is a safe place to visit once lockdown restrictions are lifted. It really is the perfect place to connect with nature and relax.

Life under Lockdown

Thu, 14 May 2020 16:33:40 GMT

Another month of lockdown, but the beautiful weather has meant we have been outside gardening most days. I don't think we have ever eaten outside so often in early Spring, allowing us to take in the garden and enjoy the fruits of our labour.

In April we joined the #treatournhs Campaign, inviting people to nominate deserving NHS workers to enter our draw for a free three night stay at The Cob. We were so moved by all the entries and are very much looking forward to welcoming our winner Mary, who works on the front line in ICU, when it is safe for us to re-open.

May 3rd was International Dawn Chorus day so we set our alarm clock for an early rise, wrapped up warmly and sat on The Cob verandah to listen to the birdsong. It started off with the blackbirds and robins who were soon joined by so many other birds until there was an amazing crescendo as the sun rose.

It was one of those moments where we are reminded just what a very special place The Cob at Montpelier is.

Spring arrives at The Cob

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 19:32:35 GMT

None of us would believe what March had to offer us - a world turned upside down, full of anxiety and disbelief.

March saw our first and as it turned out, only guests of the season. Lovely Tamarind and James stayed at The Cob for 2 nights in mid March before the lockdown. They left us a great review and since returning home have been in touch to say how fortunate they were to have stayed at The Cob which gave them lovely memories to get them through being house and city trapped!

So with plenty of time on our hands we have thrown ourselves into working hard every day on the gardens. The area around the two ponds has now been cleared, although we will be leaving the actual ponds until winter as we don't want to disturb the masses of tadpoles and newts that we have discovered.

We are so lucky to live here at Montpelier Cottage where we are able to take simple pleasures in the land that surrounds us. Today we spent ages watching a buzzard circling over the meadow where we had been strimming before he settled in the Wingnut tree watching us watching him.

The polytunnel which we cleared last autumn of six feet high weeds is now my favourite place to while away a few hours sowing seeds.

March came in like a lion with winds and rain but has left like a lamb. Kites are flying overhead and all the birds have burst out singing - the only noise to be heard at Montpelier Cottage. The area by The Cob is full of the cheery yellow of masses of primulas and the rainbow colours of primroses.

Despite what is going on in the world Spring is here and The Cob at Montpelier Cottage offers us sanctuary in an uncertain world.

Glorious Winter Sunshine!

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 15:11:11 GMT

Glorious winter sunshine today after storm Ciara, rain and sleet over the past few days.

Today we have been busy cutting back lots of dead foliage in the garden - seeing lots of new shoots emerging reminds us that spring isn’t too far away now. The days are definitely getting lighter and the birds more vocal here at Montpelier Cottage.

A mass of snowdrops have emerged along the drive - we didn’t even know they were there when we moved in last February but clearing the drive of debris has allowed them to thrive this year.

Ready to launch!!

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 15:11:11 GMT

After a few hiccups waiting for builders to start work and sick parents to care for, we are finally ready to launch our luxury B&B - The Cob at Montpelier Cottage.

It’s almost a year since we moved into Montpelier full of ideas and inspirations for bringing the Cottage and quirky cob house that nestles in the garden, back to life after being empty for some time.

We are so happy with our results and hope our customers will also enjoy this special place as much as us.

There is still much work to do on our cottage. The next stage is to change the 1980’s conservatory into a garden room, but The Cob is now ready to take bookings from May 1st.

At the moment we have our daughter and grandchildren visiting us from overseas but once they return home in March we will be working full on in the garden and meadows getting them ready for what we hope will be a riot of colour waiting to explode from May through to October.