Country Living UK September 2021

I’m a dog person – and I know I’m not alone here because whenever we run a story about canine companions in Country Living, we get an incredible response. I love retrievers, particularly Labradors, and I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy the company of several in my life, including my current boy Bernie, who’s just celebrated his first birthday. Like the rest of his breed, he’s sociable, loyal and loving, with paws that soak up a puddle’s worth of water and ears that can hear a biscuit tin opening a mile away! I mention Bernie because this month brings the launch of our new series The Ruff Guide, and we’re kicking off with all you need to know about Labs. Turn to page 43, where Sally Coulthard – proud owner…

Try your hand at… MAKING A CORN DOLLY Dating back to pagan times, straw dollies were originally made from the last sheaf of corn cut in a year. The plaited tokens varied between regions, from the Cambridgeshire bell to the Suffolk horseshoe (above). They were intended to bless the harvest before being ploughed back into the fields for the next growing season. Today, you can learn how to make your own dollies at the Chiltern Open Air Museum (£35 for a day-long course; coam.org.uk). 5 OF THE BEST… seasonal getaways Our top trips for autumn mini-breaks in Britain CIDER SAMPLING IN SOMERSET Explore apple country’s ancient orchards at The Newt in Bruton (thenewtinsomerset.com). ADING BETWEEN THE LINES IN SCOTLAND Enjoy a ten-day literary celebration in Wigtown (wigtownbookfestival.com). FUNGI FORAGING IN SHROPSHIRE Search for edible mushrooms in…

Editor’s choice “This stylish chair comes in oak (shown here) and rich walnut – each so beautiful that it’s hard to choose between the two. It can also be upholstered in your own fabric to make it truly unique” Follow @CLArtisans on Instagram for news on our The Good Life online markets this year, and to see more unique products from talented makers FOR STOCKISTS see Where to Buy PHOTOGRAPH BY NATO WELTON *COST OF LEATHER NOT INCLUDED. PRICES AND AVAILABILITY CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS…

I was brought up in a ‘make do and mend’ household. My parents had lived through the Second World War, when rationing was a stark reality, and during my childhood, nothing – absolutely nothing – went to waste. Aside from the fact that money was short – we had tins of coins on the sideboard to pay for gas, electric and other household bills – it was simply not done to throw anything away. A keen knitter and needlewoman, my mother made many of our clothes, and wet afternoons saw her darning socks, sewing buttons on shirts and mending tears in cotton dresses. Any leftover wool was saved for making dolls’ clothes or given to us as a treat to wind around circles of cardboard. Then snip, snip with the…

As a child, I’d walk home from school past a long, dense hedgerow. In September, the branches would droop with elderberries – masses of blue-black pockets of juice ready to be popped. My friend and I would grab handfuls and stuff them in our mouths, or squash them in our fingers and paint our lips red. Years later, someone told me that raw elderberries are mildly toxic, but I seem to have survived. Moreover, it sparked an enduring love affair with hedgerow foraging – and September is the month to get rootling. It’s one of Mother Nature’s nattiest tricks, to cover seeds in a delicious coating so they get dispersed by the wildlife who gorge on them. A plentiful menu at this time of year can mean the difference between wildlife…

BERRIES ROSEHIPS Foragers tend to head for the wild dog rose (Rosa canina), but all rosehips are edible. Their seeds are covered in hairs, so recipes involve cooking them and sieving the pulp. BULLACES Similar to sloes and damsons, these are bigger than the former but smaller than the latter. Ripening between October and November, they’re a great late-season option. HAWTHORN BERRIES A member of the rose family, this abundant hedgerow plant is easy to identify by its deeply lobed leaves and red berries, also known as haws, which look like clusters of tiny apples. My friend and I would grab handfuls of berries and stuff them in our mouths GET THE KIT HANDBOOK Hedgerow by John Wright is part of the excellent River Cottage Handbook series. waterstones.com FORAGER’S BASKET With their hinged tops, fishing creels make the ideal basket for foraging.…