Yew Tree House Bed & Breakfast in Herefordshire

Golden Valley Rainbows

2009-03-26T10:08:00.002Z

Since we've been running our B&B at Yew Tree House, we've seen some amazing rainbows over the Golden Valley. But this one which seemed to hang just over the other side of the garden was the lowest we have ever seen and certainly the most colourful.

The photo is not showing the garden at its best because of the time of year but in a couple of months this bed will be full of colour. The slanting fence is a feature of this area of Herefordshire - it's the way the hedges are laid and we think is more attractive than a standard fence.

At last a Red Kite!

2009-03-23T17:14:00.002Z

I know there are plenty of Red Kites over the border in Rhayader and that the re-introduction of them to Oxfordshire has been very successful, but this is the first I have seen since we've been in Herefordshire. (There was mention in the Hereford Times recently of a sighting) A few years ago I was followed down the A24 in Sussex by one but I think he was just going to Worthing for the week-end. Now one over Yew Tree House - what a beautiful sight. Our local large bird of prey, the buzzard, looks very drab and scruffy alongside the red kite.

Choosing sausages for our B&B guests!

2009-03-22T11:47:00.017Z

We heard recently that Wallers of Ledbury in Herefordshire had won 1st prize in the 2009 Heart of England Fine Foods Competition for “Best Breakfast Sausage” so decided we should have a tasting competition of their sausages against those of our existing supplier and two other local suppliers. Luckily we had B&B guests staying who were up for the challenge and after much discussion, we all decided that Wallers were best! The photo was taken at the awards ceremony and shows Nick Owen and Sophie Grigson with the winners.

So we're off to Ledbury next week to place our order for Yew Tree House. If you'd like to know more about Wallers Sausages click here

Oz and James Get a Taste for Perry

2009-02-28T09:51:00.003Z

A couple of weeks ago local cider and perry producer Dennis Gwatkin made a guest appearance on Oz and James Drink for Britain on BBC2.

From the BBC:

"Next they meet one of Oz's mates on a farm in Herefordshire and try an ancient British drink known as perry, which is made from pears. They discover that perry had quite a reputation back in the 1970s when it was sold in small bottles and was well known under another name, Babycham."

As well as producing some of the best cider and perry in the country (in my opinion!), Dennis also produces beef, lamb and pork all produced and butchered in the farm. Along with many home grown vegetables and preserves.

Gwatkins in just a short walk over the hill from Yew Tree House, and we strongly recommend picking up some cider to sample!

The episode is available on BBC iPlayer until 2nd March

We've Got Mail

2009-02-24T17:04:00.005Z

Yew Tree House was mentioned in an article in the Daily Mail on Saturday. You can read the online version here.

Titled The Best British Holiday Breaks for 2009, the article featured a number of regions around the country, what to do and where to stay.

From the paper:

"The 200-year-old Yew Tree House B&B (01981 251195, www.yewtreehouse-hereford.co.uk) in Vowchurch has fantastic views, tasteful rooms, great breakfasts and double rooms from £65."

The Black and White Village Trail was recommended -

"This 40-mile trail of timbered 16th and 17th-century villages featuring farmers' markets and cider mills feels untouched by tourism."

- as well as a trip to Hereford Cathedral and and the Malvern Hills.

Every Picture........

2009-02-24T16:32:00.003Z

We have set up an account on Flickr and uploaded lots of pictures of the house, garden and surrounding area. Please do have a look.

It was quite strange looking back at some of the photos taken during all the building work. I've never seen so much dust! But we got there in the end!

Hairy Bikers

2009-02-07T09:54:00.004Z

At last a photo of the Hairy Bikers and our Best Breakfast Category Award!

Best Breakfast Award

2009-02-03T15:55:00.008Z

Sorry for not updating this sooner but I have been waiting for Flavours of Herefordshire to send a photo of the Hairy Bikers presenting our Award! We were Commended in our category and will be entering again this year to see if we can win it! So for those people who might have thought no news was bad news I apologise for the delay and hope I can post a photo soon....

A message for all singers!

2009-02-03T15:36:00.006Z

For the last couple of years, we have had people staying with us who have attended a wonderful course at Abbeydore for experienced singers who have an interest in choral music. The course culminates in a concert on the final night at Dore Abbey. The dates for this year's course are 19th-25th July inclusive and more information can be found from the official website. Everyone who has attended the course has thoroughly enjoyed it and have had the opportunity to meet like minded people in a beautiful part of the world.

Best Breakfast Finalists!

2008-08-30T13:39:00.005+01:00

I can't believe it's nearly a year since we posted a new piece on the blog, only excuse is we have had a very busy Summer!

We are delighted that we have been shortlisted for the Best Breakfast award by Flavours of Herefordshire. Judging takes place next week so fingers crossed for success! The criteria are that we actively promote, buy and use local Herefordshire produce wherever possible. We are really fortunate to have local producers of juices, mineral water, yoghurts, cheeses, bacon, sausages, eggs, milk, bread and fruit all within easy travelling distance from us so fulfilling the criteria is not difficult - we just need now to produce a really delicious breakfast!

For more information on Flavours of Herefordshire click here. Will update this when we know how we've fared!

Good weather for polar bears

2007-11-20T10:33:00.000Z

We had a taste of real winter yesterday when we woke up to a garden covered in snow. There was heavy fog hanging over the fields around us and it was definitely a day for staying in and lighting the fire!

Today, there's no sign of any snow at all - did we dream it?

Why is it harder to miss than hit?

2007-10-19T16:39:00.000+01:00

There was an entry in the Guinness Book Of Records, years ago, which said that the most isolated tree in the world (in the middle of the Sahara, hundreds of miles from anywhere) was no longer there. It had been knocked flat by a French Army lorry.
The son of that driver is obviously alive and well and driving tractors in the Golden Valley as he managed to hit this pole which supplies our electricity. As you can see, it has been repaired but not until we'd been without any power at all for 17 hours and the the power surges before we were completely disconnected had fried one laptop computer, a DSL filter and our central heating!
The guy was ploughing with headlights at 7.30 in the evening and obviously couldn't see the cables and the pole. Hope he's not allowed on the road!
Everything is sorted now and we're warm again (2 days later)

The joys of country living!

Another terrific sunset

2007-10-04T19:02:00.001+01:00

We are 500ft above sea level with a view that is 14 miles to Hay Bluff(that pointy bit). We get lots of amazing sunsets and I'd love to photograph them all but I'd run out memory(personal and computer).

Take a Guided Tour in Your Own Car!

2007-10-04T09:45:00.000+01:00

The local tour guides association (with facilities help from BBC Hereford and Worcester) have produced a really good CD guide to the Golden Valley which recent guests have found both interesting and helpful. Our copy is available to our guests so you can start your tour a mile or so from Yew Tree House or at any point on the route and take as long or as short a time as you like visiting this beautiful area in the comfort of your own car. Ideal if you don't feel like walking!

Where eagles dare...

2007-09-11T10:48:00.001+01:00

We finally gritted our teeth and made the climb up Hay Bluff (the short direct route) and were greeted by spectacular views all round - I'm sure I could see the London Eye or was it the effects of the climb and altitude sickness? There were a number of para-gliders and a pair of buzzards keeping them company but the most spectacular visitor was Cossack, a Steppe Eagle,(this link really is worth a look) who his new owner was teaching to fly with the para-gliders. To see him soar and then stoop down to his handler was amazing.

An unsolicited testimonial!

2007-08-18T12:00:00.000+01:00

Despite the power cut we suffered last night, our guests seemed to enjoy their stay. Emily and her parents were on their way from York to their holiday cottage near St Davids and she wrote us this note.

Somewhere over.......

2007-08-12T09:15:00.000+01:00

After 2 days of lovely sunshine (was that Summer?) the rain returned this morning but with an added bonus. I tried very hard but couldn't find the crock of gold. It's out there somewhere.

Mistle Thrushes and Black Redstarts

2007-07-29T17:14:00.000+01:00

As trainee twitchers, we were amazed to see a flock of about 40 mistle thrushes descend on the garden for the last 2 days. We think they are after the ants and we are eagerly awaiting their arrival today. Not only have we rarely seen a single specimen but to see about 40 at once was really exciting (we dont get out much!). Even more exciting was to see today a juvenile Black Redstart. It was trapped in the conservatory/ half-greenhouse lean-to and then flew up into the cherry tree so we had time to get the binoculars out and have a good look. We read that there are only about 100 breeding pairs in the country and they are concentrated in London, with some in Birmingham and the Black Country.

The picture shows that I need to do yet more weeding!

Vegetables from the Garden

2007-07-23T16:34:00.000+01:00

We used the vegetable patch as a bonfire site whilst we cleared the garden. Many fires were lit as a lot of stuff got burnt!

Once the fires were over we started clearing and planting.

We are lucky enough to have an asparagus bed although it's a bit tired and needs replacing. This was the first sign of growth last year but plenty more popped up during the short season.

And this is the vegetable patch now. In here there are carrots, beetroot, purple podded peas, lettuce, onions, runner beans, garlic and asparagus although the high winds and heavy rains have caused devastation. We may well move the veg. patch up towards the artichokes, rhubarb and gooseberries.

We're not experts (see the previous post!), but there really is something in eating produce that you have grown yourself!!

Over-excited carrots

2007-07-22T10:56:00.000+01:00

I'm certainly no expert veg. grower otherwise I would have thinned out the carrots. However, it does produce some interesting specimens!

Doing Up The House - The Living Room

2007-07-19T21:30:00.000+01:00

Continuing the theme 'Doing up the House' this week we'll look at the living room........

These posts are not necessarily in chronological order, however, as we renovated the whole house at the same time, many different rooms were worked on simultaneously. I should also mention that a lot of the 'before' shots were taken on my old camera, not the digital one. Hence these pictures are of the 'during' and 'after' phases!

The living room required a lot of work doing to it, not least because we had to lay a new floor.

This picture shows the extent of the work, and also the cellar we discovered underneath. A lot of the plaster was removed so we could apply a damp course. The doorway the picture was taken from had been boarded up.

All the beams in the house required treating to solve the wood worm problem. This picture was taken from the dining room. The new floor and fireplace had been fitted and the windows were in the process of being installed.

So now the living room looks like this............

This picture is a bit on the dark side, but hopefully shows how cosy the room actually is!

Next week: The Top Bedroom

Out and About - Arthur's Stone

2007-07-17T13:41:00.000+01:00

Arthur's Stone, is a burial chamber that dates back somewhere between approximately 3700 to 2700 BC.

The tomb is named Arthur's Stone because, according to folklore, it marks the spot of one of King Arthur's battles. This legend however dates from thousands of years after the stone tomb was erected!!

My cousin and I walked from the house to Arthur's Stone which is about eight miles.

For a map of this location click here

Out and About - View from Hay Bluff

2007-07-14T17:46:00.000+01:00

Today the rain subsided and there was actually some blue sky! We drove to Hay Bluff and strolled about for a while enjoying the views.

To view a map of this location click here

Doing Up The House - The Kitchen

2007-07-03T20:07:00.000+01:00

When we bought Yew Tree House in 2005, with the intention of converting it into a bed and breakfast, we knew it would be a massive task. The house is over 200 years old and was quite run down.

Over the next few weeks I will post 'before and after' photos of the rooms and garden to give an idea of the work involved.

First up is the kitchen.

The lovely thing about the kitchen is its size and the breakfast room leading off it. As you can see from this picture, it was quite badly outdated.

Nearly there, just the finishing touches to go.

We now have a serious oven (actually it's the third one, but that's another story!) and a generally much brighter and more modern space. We spend a lot of time in here....

B&B Blogging

2007-07-02T21:58:00.000+01:00

We are very new to the world of blogging. It wasn't even our idea, but it has opened the eyes to a completely new world!! And I must admit it is quite good fun.

Over the coming weeks more pictures will be posted of the house and garden, as well as the wonderful surroundings.

If you like what you see, then perhaps you could vote by clicking here:

or by using the link on the right hand side.

Thank you.

P.S. Please do keep popping back. And if you want to find out more about staying with us, then follow this link to Yew Tree House.

Night Skies

2007-06-28T18:24:00.000+01:00

Another wonderful sky last night (in between the downpours!). We are lucky to be able to see right across the valley and have the most amazing sunsets which John always tries to catch on camera but the photos can never be as good as the real thing. Here are a couple of examples

Somehow the sunsets are more spectacular if there's a bit of cloud about!

Another example of a recent Herefordshire sunset can be found here on The Compostbin blog.

Ledbury Poetry Festival

2007-06-27T15:20:00.000+01:00

The Ledbury Poetry Festival runs from the 29th June to the 8th of July and has a full programme of events over the 10 days.

From the official website:

"The Festival includes readings, performances, exhibitions, music, walks & talks, workshops and a wonderful atmosphere. Ledbury is unique in its historical associations with poets and is a charming mediaeval market town nestling in the Malvern Hills.A visit to Ledbury Poetry Festival is a memorable and uplifting experience, valued by many of our audience members who come back to see us year after year."

Ledbury is just 25 miles from Yew Tree House

A non-paying guest!!

2007-06-18T19:39:00.000+01:00

The weather this morning was atrocious. Low cloud and drizzle. No sign of Hay Bluff. I went out at o7.30 and found this very bedraggled racing pigeon (3 leg rings) sitting on the drive. He/she (would I know?) was obviously knackered but wouldn't be picked up or ushered into the garden which is full of things that birds eat. Happy to just sit on the gravel and doze. He eat a few of the sunflower seeds I'd scattered. Later on he/she (would I know?) went on to the roof above Mission Control and but still woudn't be tempted down by the delicious lentils and the mouth-watering uncooked rice (I'd read the RPRA website advice) I'd put out. We'd grown quite fond of him and had thoughts of winning big-money races with him but he left.
Didn't pay his bill,though!

Queen of all she surveys...

2007-06-16T16:16:00.001+01:00

Our cat Deedee has found a gap in the thunderstorms to climb the hedge and check we haven't been washed away! Surprisingly her presence doesn't put the birds off at all.....

Pages from 25 Beautiful Homes

2007-06-14T14:52:00.000+01:00

As I mentioned previously, we were written up in the July issue of 25 Beautiful Homes. Here are the pages I scanned (not great I'm afraid, but there you go!).

They used some 'Before' and 'After' shots that really remind us of what a job it was to convert this house to a bed and breakfast.

Visitors to the garden

2007-06-12T17:42:00.001+01:00

Since we've been living here, we've seen a great variety of birds in the garden, but this is the first time we've had a visit from a Green Woodpecker. He spent 20 minutes pottering about and digging up insects before flying off to the fields behind us. We were surprised at how big he was, but not as big as the pheasant who has taken up residence!

Write up of Yew Tree House

2007-06-10T20:33:00.000+01:00

About six months ago we were visited by a photographer from 25 Beautiful Homes magazine. He spent a couple of hours roaming round the house taking photos of each room. It was all very exciting.

The pictures taken that day have just been published in the July issue!

The Herefordshire Trail

2007-06-08T11:54:00.000+01:00

We are very lucky to live in one of the most beautiful counties in England. The local countryside provides some quite breathtaking views when out walking.

There are some wonderful walks around Yew Tree House. The Herefordshire Trail, which is made up of 150 miles using existing public rights of way to give a circular tour around our county, passes by the village of Kilpeck. The trail links the five market towns of Leominster, Bromyard, Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye and Kington.

This picture, which looks across south Herefordshire towards the Black Mountains, is part of a beautiful collection of photographs on the Herefordshire Trail website. Click on the picture to view the rest of the gallery.

Three Counties Show

2007-06-05T16:27:00.000+01:00

The Three Counties Show takes place from the 15th to the 17th June. The show is regarded as the region’s rural showcase, and still its biggest annual event, the show is a celebration of British food and farming at its very best.

The show takes place at the Malvern Showground which is 30 miles from Yew Tree House

Herefordshire Walking Festival

2007-05-23T14:58:00.000+01:00

The Herefordshire Walking Festival is taking place from the 16th until the 24th June. This looks like it's going to be a great opportunity to get out and about in the Herefordshire countryside next month and if the weather is anything like it is today, then you will see the county at its beautiful best. There are 60 guided walks taking place all over the county, so it's a great opportunity to see many different areas of the countryside. Walks are graded from Easy to Very Energetic, so there should be something for everyone.More information about the programme and what's happening where.

Herefordshire - Potato Country!

2007-05-08T11:45:00.000+01:00

The local potato farmer, Ian, has 2,000 acres, some of which is adjacent to the garden. At the weekend the tractors arrived on mass for the planting of this year's crop.

This picture is taken from our garden looking south-west across the recently planted fields. There are two old oaks that really stand out now.

There were five tractors in total that spent the whole day on the one field.

Boxes upon boxes of seed potatoes arrived before loading onto the back of the tractors.

With all this planting going on, my grandson and I watered our vegetable patch. We have potatoes in here too!!

Another Beautiful Herefordshire Morning

2007-02-26T18:41:00.000Z