Uldale Mill Farmhouse

Uldale Mill Farmhouse

Uldale Mill is a former farmhouse situated in a most tranquil setting, behind the local church, 3/4 mile from the village of Uldale,near Ireby, on the banks of the River Ellen. It is available as a self catering holiday cottage.

Click the link below for booking and availability.

http://www.lakelandcottages.co.uk/Caldbeck-Fells/Caldbeck/Cottages/Uldale-Mill-65/details.html

Uldale Mill has a flowing, informal garden, burgeoning with interesting blousy planting, which sits happily next to the babbling river with the wild flower meadow as a backdrop!

In 2003 Uldale Mill Farmhouse was extensively renovated.

At that time Ian Huckson was invited to submit plans for Gardens, which were to be created to the South and East of the property. The land was approximately ¼ acre of very rough grassland fenced off from the adjoining meadow and sloping down from the Churchyard to the River Ellen, which runs along the Eastern boundary. The brief was for gardens with an informal feel that would sit happily within the rural landscape but with as long a season of interest as possible. To attempt to achieve that aim, the following plan and description were produced.

ULDALE MILL GARDEN

Wide pathways lead round the garden, through a large rustic arch, carrying a romantic combination of rambling roses and honeysuckles, and on to the meadow gate. The mown grass paths divide the garden into distinct areas each with a different theme and season of interest.

The Spring area occupies the higher ground and runs the length of the garden to the gate. This will be longer grass packed with Spring flowering bulbs including a good quantity of Daffodils and Narcissi, mostly small varieties. This borrows the backdrop of the Churchyard bank behind, which is planted with daffodils, and extends its interest and value. Also in this area, 5 flowering Crab Apple trees, 2 red leaved - red flowered, the other 3 green leaved - pink flowered, all will bear masses of conspicuous coloured fruit in Autumn.

The perennial Bed takes centre stage during Summer and into Autumn, with closely planted strong perennials and tall swaying grasses. The different varieties will be planted in groups threads and random dots. The flower/plant shapes are repeated in different colours and reflected at other levels to create a naturalistic rhythm forming a tapestry of colour, texture and form. The main emphasis will be on late Summer colours-russets, reds, purples and yellows punctuated with blue and white. The grasses and informal feel will blend harmoniously with the meadow beyond and the structure of the grasses and seed heads of the flowers will provide interest into the Winter.

With Winter in mind, the bottom corner of the garden will be planted with dogwoods, Rubus and several cultivars of Salix. These all have brightly coloured stems throughout the Winter months and will glow in the soft, low light. Under planted with Iris foetidissima and various Hellebores and Bergenia, with their evergreen foliage and flowers in Winter/Spring adding to the display.

As the corner by the bridge is mostly viewed from above, this gives us the opportunity to take advantage of that viewpoint and plant a shrubbery with strong interesting leaf shapes and foliage colours. Tightly planted with a mix of evergreen and deciduous shrubs this area will have interest all year round.

The rectangular bed above to be planted with groups of Rosa rugosa alba (white fragrant flowers throughout Summer with good Autumn leaf colour and large red hips) Potentilla 'Primrose Beauty' (primrose yellow flowers all summer against greyish leaves) punctuated with the large sword shaped leaves of Phormium tenax. This selection of hardy plants will give a long season of flowers and the sculptural quality will be pleasing all year.

Finally a wooden, balustrade terrace along the gable end of the house will provide a level platform to sit in private and from which to view the garden and meadow.

The groundwork was started in mid July 2003 and the bulk of the work, including most of the planting, was finished by mid September 2003.

Below are some photos of the process.