FROM a distance, the nearly completed walled enclosure, where two figures are companionably chipping away at one of the walls, could be mistaken for a sheepfold. In fact, this is a workshop space in the middle of a field at the Somerset estate of The Newt, where drystone wallers Tom Trouton and his stepson, Liam Brady, are 'planting' a stone tree into the waist-high wall. There is no technical plan, no metal framework-only three piles of stones, a bucket of hammers and Mr Trouton's skill.
The leaning trunk in beige Hadspen limestone, which looks brown set against the grey tones of the wall, is already in place and now Mr Trouton selects a chunky piece of Shaftesbury greenstone, rounds off the edges with a few sharp knocks of the hammer and fits it onto the wall, where it becomes the first leaf. 'I've been used to seeing windswept trees on Exmoor, where I grew up, and I think this gives the tree more depth,' he explains.
"It will showcase a firepit, a wildlife pond, a moongate and a hedgehog-sized lunky'
As the tree grows, stone upon stone, the waller reveals this is his second time creating one. The first was for the owners of a contemporary house in Dorset, who wanted a curved dry-stone wall with a recess for a bench and some trees. On his first site visit, Mr Trouton asked where the trees were to be planted and they replied that they wanted two trees in the wall itself, to create interest all year round.
'Momentarily, I thought, "Well that's not going to work very well"-and then it clicked. "Aah, you want stone trees..." Undaunted, he immediately decided the trees should look authentic and started planning their design in his head. 'I think I'm very lucky-I've always been able to visualise things,' he reflects.
Denne historien er fra May 22, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra May 22, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
