Hello friends.
It has been a very warm and sunny week here in this Small Corner. Hopefully, you have also enjoyed some sunshine.
Taking advantage of the good weather, my husband and I visited a wonderful house and gardens hidden on the outskirts of the city centre, near the University- a real oasis of calm and beauty.
Winterbourne was built in the early 20th century as a family suburban villa and is surrounded by approximately 7 acres of gardens. It was built for John and Margaret Nettlefold, with much of the garden designed by Margaret herself. She modelled the gardens on the designs of Gertrude Jekyll.
The house is Edwardian and follows the style of the Arts and Crafts movement that was popular at the time. There are also many examples of local craftwork around the building.
The main rooms face south and open off a wide hallway, with the drawing room leading directly onto the terrace, seamlessly linking the house and garden. There are many original features which enhance the rooms, along with period furniture and William Morris wallpaper.
The house changed owners several times until the end of World War II when the University of Birmingham inherited it and became a hall of residence for female students. In 2010, following some refurbishment, the property and grounds were designated a heritage site and later became an Arts Council-accredited museum.
There are also exhibitions which reflect the Nettlefold's industrial connections with GKN (Guest, Keen, Nettlefold)
I enjoyed seeing this Edwardian home, as it gave me lots of ideas for my dollhouse. Hubby also enjoyed the exhibition on the industrial heritage of the original family.
The gardens also reflect an Arts and Crafts feeling with the curved steps leading down from the terrace to lawned areas and a wonderful extended nut archway. In the 1930's a pergola and Japanese bridge and tea house were also added. We enjoyed wandering around the woodland walk and seeing the sunken rock garden. There are also several period glasshouses containing collections of orchids, alpines, carnivorous plants and cacti. We didn't stay in there too long as it was so hot on that day.
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| (These Gunners were enormous) |
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| (My eyes were drawn to yet another hosta!) |
Back home, our lovely D baked another cake. This time, it was a vanilla sponge cake with cream and caramel topping. There is currently about a third of the cake left on the plate.
While on the subject of cake, we also celebrated a " 60" birthday for hubby's younger sister this weekend. It was lovely to meet up with everyone, and although the hotel food and organisation were not great, we still had a good time celebrating together.
I also managed to pick the blackcurrants in our garden, and above are two of the pots of jam I made with them.
It appears that the weather will be more changeable this week, with sunshine and showers expected.
Whatever you are doing this week, have a great time and enjoy the long Summer days
B x
The jam and cake look amazing! Your nature photos are gorgeous, and I love all the vintage pieces and photos. Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting and your kind comments, Linda. We spent a lovely few hours at Winterbourne in the sunshine and I took a lot of photos. D's cakes are always delicious and disappear very quickly. I was pleased with the jam and we will be enjoying it at a later date. Have a good week and enjoy whatever you do.
DeleteI had a dolls house for years set in Georgian times, similar to yours, which is a style I love.
ReplyDeleteI haven't touched my dolls house for a while unfortunately. I have lots of bits for the kitchen but I need to put it all together now. I do enjoy working on it when I can though.
DeleteI love visiting places like this! Thank you for showing us around :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed both the house and garden, Nikki.
DeleteWinterbourne looks such a beautiful property, and those gardens are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteD does spoil you with her baking, and her cakes always look amazing. I can only imagine how delicious this tasted - Can't you tell I have a sweet tooth :)
I've also been making jam this week, although my jars look nothing like as pretty as yours. Xx
Enjoy your jam, Jules. 😊
DeleteWe all have a sweet tooth in this family. We just don't let the dentist know about the cakes D makes.
We only found Winterbourne and the gardens about 10 years go. It is hidden away among the bustle of the University site but is such a treasure. I know you would love it.
How lovely to visit such an elegant and charming house and garden.
ReplyDeleteWe are very lucky to live only a few miles from this lovely place. The gardens are wonderful and full of lush planting. I also enjoyed seeing the house which has much of the original furniture. It feels like it was a real family home.
DeleteBoth cake and jam look wonderful, I love your little 'mob caps' on the jam. I would think that Winterbourne would give you loads of ideas for your doll's house. We loved it there and the garden too discovered after a visit to the Lapworth Museum on husband's birthday a few years ago. Have a good week ahead:)
ReplyDeleteThe little 'mop caps' for the jam were a spur of the moment finish. I had just the right amount of material.
DeleteGlad you enjoyed Winterbourne when you visited, Rosie. It has given me lots of ideas with my dolls house which is set roughly in the Edwardian period. Have a good week. 😊
The house and gardens are charming. The weather this week should be a little less severe, hopefully. Your jam looks very tempting - I do like jam!
ReplyDeleteWinterbourne is a really lovely place to visit and I'm sure it won't be the last time we go there.
DeleteIt is much cooler here today and even a little windy at times so better for working outside.
Homemade jam is the best. Straight from the garden to the pot and into jam. Yummy.
Winterbourne looks a lovely place to visit, I did enjoy seeing your photographs of the house and gardens.
ReplyDeleteThe weather last week was so hot, I'm hoping for a few cooler days this week and rain would be welcome too!
That cake looks delicious, and there's nothing quite like homemade jam :)
Enjoy your week.
All the best Jan
Glad you enjoyed the photos of Winterbourne, Jan. It is a lovely place to visit.
DeleteToday is a bit of an odd day weather wise - windy and sunny at the same time.
Amazingly, we still have a tiny bit of cake left but that will be gone by the end of the day.
Very happy with the jam. That is lightly to be used up quickly as well.
Enjoy the rest of the week.
That precious toy theater was just the best. How it has survived after being played with. What a beautiful home to visit.
DeleteHello Carrie. Thank you for visiting here for the first time. The tiny theatre was in the children's room and is beautifully detailed. I love this very elegant period of history and have modelled my dolls house on this time. Enjoy the rest of your week and I shall pop over to say "hello" at your place.
DeleteIf I was to have a bucket list for summer, I would put on it that I want to make jam. I have never made my own jam but would love to give it a try. And, if I do, I want to put them in the cutest pots like yours! I love it. And that cake?? Oh my!! Looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Blackcurrant jam is very easy to make as it doesn't need any specialised sugar added- plain white sugar is fine. I hope you get to make some jam this year, Jennifer. We are just finishing the cake right now and it was so delicious. I won't however be jumping on the scales any time soon.
DeleteI love when you share these wonderful old homes you go to, their history and their gardens. Such interesting places, Winterbourne being one of them. I have cake envy every time I see one of D’s cakes, so prettily decorated. I bet your jam was delicious too. Happy belated birthday to your husband and his younger sister. Thank you for another great post.
ReplyDeleteThank you for you kind birthday wishes, Denise. We all had a lovely time together over the weekend.
DeleteI love showing my friends around wonderful places like Winterbourne with their facinating histories and beautiful gardens. There is always somewhere new to discover and visit.
Cake is now eaten but the jam might be opened soon for a cream tea or toast or.....whatever it is I hope it will be delicious.
Enjoy the rest of your week x
That house looks well worth a visit and I love all the candelabra primulas in the garden. I have jam making on my jobs to do as well. We are beginning to run short. B x
ReplyDeleteI think you would enjoy both the house and garden. It really does feel like a lived in home. I only discovered the pleasure of jam making in the last few years and now really enjoy making it, especially when the fruit comes straight from the garden.
DeleteThat house is now on our radar and I will do a bit of research. We're due a couple of days away and are looking for somewhere to visit. And that cake has my mouth watering.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that my post has put Winterbourne on your 'possible visit' list. I really enjoyed my afternoon there. Wherever you do decide to go, have a great time.
DeleteCake is gone sadly - I wonder what D will choose to bake next time?
Jam, teeny things and flowers. I'm in!
ReplyDeleteHi Ivy. Thanks for dropping by to enjoy jam and flowers and teeny things. 😊
DeleteSure things. Happy Weekend!
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