Walking through the grey, metal door and stepping inside Rampisham Hill Mill is a little bit of a Tardis experience. Once you are through the welcoming reception area, the ceiling rises up, and despite being 'busy' the whole building is filled with light and space - and wool. Lots and lots of wool. It is difficult to know whether to look up at the mezzanine area with the tantalising sight of skeins and cones full of yarn and, what I later decided was my favourite machine of them all, the 'Hank Winder', or to look forwards and sideways at the vast array of machines all ready and waiting to work their magic and turn raw, full-of-vegetable -matter wool into soft, fluffy clouds; silky slivers or bouncy, soft yarn. And then there are the boxes, sacks and bags, all filled with fibre in various states, waiting for the next stage in their journey. The array of colours is vast and the desire to touch and feel the softness and silkiness, just a little bit irresistible. And so I didn't. Resist that is!
BEST POSSIBLE PRODUCT
One thing that became very clear to me as I was given the guided tour by owners David and Ruth Wilkins, was that if you send your precious fleeces to Rampisham, they will be processed into the best product possible, one that absolutely gets the most from the fibre and fulfils the expectations of you, the owner, completely.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 2023 من The Country Smallholder.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 2023 من The Country Smallholder.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
How to Buy a Smallholding in France- Long-time smallholder Lorraine Turnbull looks at the practicalities of moving to rural France
Aspiring smallholders are continually thwarted by the prices of smallholdings and property with land located within the UK. Even the humblest croft in Scotland comes with a substantial price tag and conditions which would make even an adventurous wannabee consider carefully. But all is not lost. For those willing to take the adventure of a lifetime, there is always Europe, and one of the most popular places is France.
Meet the Bournemouth goats and their supporters
These capricious animals are hard workers preserving the natural habitat
Still warm enough to sit outside with a Pizza
Henrietta Balcon uses fresh figs to create an unusual dish at Harvest time
Goodbye to the birds of spring and summer
If you look and listen you might be able to see them preparing to leave says The RSPB
Get ready for the colder weather in the warmth of late summer
Claire Waring advises on doing the best to make sure your colonies survive until next spring
Preparing the Veg Patch for Winter
Lee Senior says, a well-run plot can excitingly continue to produce good quality, tasty, fresh food for much of winter
Time to prepare to plant your orchard
Wade Muggleton, smallholder and author of The Orchard Book, shares his practical experience so you can create your own fruit collection
Choosing feed for the autumn
As autumn approaches, Joanna Palmer, nutritionist at the Smallholder Range, offers advice on choosing the right feed to support your adult birds through their annual moult and ensure your young birds grow and finish well at this time of the year.
Vet advice from an experienced poultry vet
Reflecting on how much the humble hen has helped people world wide plus advice on stopping the scourge of red mite
Give your hens some support
Paul Donovan looks at the right and wrong ways of handling birds
