OTHER ACTIVITIES

Hay-on-Wye (twinned with Timbuktu)

Avid readers and book enthusiasts will be in heaven on a visit to nearby Hay-on-Wye. Famous for being the ‘town of books’, most of the shops are book specialists and there are good antique shops, clothes shops and restaurants as well. The dramatic panoramic beauty of Hay Bluff is a 10 minute drive from the centre and Hay is about a 40 minute drive from The Bell.

The Hay Literary Festival held in May/June has become legendary with famous authors and speakers including Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu, Stephen Fry and more.  This article sums up the whole 10 days perfectly.  www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/articles/hay-festival-how-to-get-tickets-advice-guide/.

Click here for more information

We are very lucky to have some beautiful gardens close to The Bell.  Some run very interesting courses and many of the ‘pupils’ stay at The Bell and then drive there.

Growing in the Border Garden Courses – NP7 8UB                                                                                                               

Practical horticultural courses and talks at the nearby Blackbrook Estate in Monmouthshire – 2 miles from The Bell. Courses take a hands-on educational approach, teaching people of all gardening abilities. See website for details and dates of their courses, which run from Autumn through to Spring

Arne Maynard Garden Lectures – NP15 1EZ
“Arne Maynard is one of the most talented garden designers working in Britain today” as described by the designer Tricia Guild.  Praise indeed but Arne has been designing gardens for clients, as well as for himself, for more than twenty years. During this time he has learned how to create gardens with a true sense of place and atmosphere and how to be sensitive to site and inspiration. Arne runs courses in which he hopes to share his passion and experience in garden design. He sees them as inspirational days when he passes on his in-depth knowledge on how to create a successful garden of your own.

Allt-y-bela is a romantic medieval cruckframed farmhouse with a Renaissance tower. It was lovingly restored by the Spitalfields Trust and has subsequently won several conservation awards. Since moving to Monmouthshire in 2007, Arne has been creating a new garden, introducing some of his signature garden design elements, achieving a garden that has a true sense of belonging in the landscape. The principles he discusses in his courses are nowhere better illustrated than here.

All courses run from 9.45am until 5pm each day, unless otherwise stated. Course groups are kept small and all prices include a delicious lunch of home-cooked local produce as well as tea and cakes.

For more details tel 020 7689 8100 020 7689 8100 or visit www.arne-maynard.com

Kentchurch Court and Gardens – HR2 0DB
Just a 15 minute drive from The Bell, Kentchurch Court is considered to be one of the most important historic houses in England. It is also the ancestral home of the Scudamore family.

Nestling under Garway Hill in the Monnow Valley, Kentchurch Court has been in the Lucas-Scudamore family for almost 1,000 years. The current house dates to the 14th century, although the family can trace its roots to 1042 when Ralph Scudamore came over to Herefordshire from Normandy, building a castle in Ewyas Harold for Edward the Confessor.

Kentchurch Court forms part of a wider estate covering some 5,000 acres. It is first and foremost a family home who are the current custodians from a long line of Scudamores that have lived in this famous house. Whilst still a private estate, the gardens and house are now open to the public on specific days during the year.

For more details and opening times