Author: Ling’s Host - Page 3 - Ling’s Meadow Camping

Our bees have arrived!

14 May 2015 by Ling's Host

I am almost too excited for words!

A couple of years ago now I bought Neel a beekeeping course as a birthday present. He has always been keen and really enjoyed the course, so ever since then we have been working up to a time when we might be able to get on with actually keeping bees.

It turns out our near neighbour is also keen and had arranged with a beekeeping friend in the village to keep his currently unused National type hives in her garden. He would also offer his help and expertise. So the Hepworth Beekeeping Club (I have made this up – there is no name as yet) was born.

A fuss over firelighters

13 March 2015 by Ling's Host

We seem to spend an awful lot of time pondering over the best ways to light a campfire. I am not sure that we have cracked it yet either, but there will be plenty of time this year to continue the experiment.

In our early days we used traditional (bought at the local garage at the last minute) kerosene soaked blocks but as reliable as they are it pained me every time I lit one. The smell gets everywhere and I always used more than I should have. They are not very kind to the environment and that just doesn’t sit well here at Ling’s Meadow.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

6 February 2015 by Ling's Host

Our philosophy at Ling’s Meadow is to promote a sustainable way of living and have as little impact on our environment as possible. With that in mind, we try to reuse or re-purpose equipment and supplies to save the energy of creating new ones, or reduce the environmental costs of transport by buying locally where we can. Where this is not possible (or if I am honest, where I have not stuck to my principles and then regretted it!) we aim to buy new things that can be recycled. It was not always possible to stick to this rule when we were setting up the campsite but I aim to use these principles more and more over the next few years when replacing equipment.

Build a Bug Hotel – 24th May

6 February 2015 by Ling's Host

Insects are a vital component in maintaining diversity on the meadow so we thought we would give them a helping hand by providing a bug hotel! It will be much like this one and will use sticks, clay pots, straw, pallets and any other useful looking items that we can find around the farm.

We thought you might like to join in. So on Sunday 24th May we will be holding a children’s activity morning of stacking, squishing, chopping and collecting, resulting in your very own mini bug hotel to take home for your garden.

Straw Shed Sanctuary

2 February 2015 by Ling's Host

It is official, our house has become an extension of the campsite. Everywhere I turn I am confronted with linen, kettles, eco firelighters and crochet blankets. Now I wouldn’t have it any other way but there are limits, so this week Neel and I decided that it was time to crack on with the straw shed and create ourselves a bit of breathing space.

The shed has been a labour of love, and over the years (yes really, years!)progress has been temporarily interrupted by several other pressing projects, including two of our three children. But then we tend to do things in a slightly more experimental way, as those of you who have visited Ling’s Meadow will know, so what else should I expect?

Learn to scythe – rescheduled to Tuesday 7th July 2015

12 January 2015 by Ling's Host

Following the success of last year’s cob oven building course, we have decided to hold similar courses on the meadow during this year too.

I have always liked the idea of being able to mow areas of the meadow myself. The thought of spending a day outdoors, getting to know the meadow and listening to the birdsong around me sounds like heaven. I even have a scythe, but I have absolutely no idea what I am doing, so this is where I thought we would start.

Ling’s Meadow hideaway!

12 November 2014 by Ling's Host

I would like to introduce you to a new member of the Ling’s Meadow family. Last week we had the slightly scary task of moving a 2 tonne shepherd’s hut along the winding Norfolk roads to its final resting place at the farm (thank you MAP Recovery services). With our fondness for reusing and my love of historic objects (in a previous life I worked with Museum collections) it seemed like the perfect addition to the meadow when we spotted it for sale.

It has been lovingly restored by an enthusiast not too far down the road from us and was originally found in Ellingham in Norfolk. Only the frame had survived so it has been quite a long job. Huts like this were used by road mending teams as accommodation, or by crews travelling around local farms with steam traction engines and steam ploughs in the late 19th century.

Wild flower nursery

6 October 2014 by Ling's Host

Every now and again something happens that restores your faith in the world’s natural order and reminds you that given time and a bit of luck all will come right in the end.

Now, we love our wooden bell tent decks – they add warmth, a touch of luxury and make the tents a darn sight easier to clean. However….when we lift them off the meadow at the end of September we are left with two nice round circles of bare earth where there was once grass and clover. Its a bit unsightly and not great for the meadow….or so I thought.

Mellow meadow

8 August 2014 by Ling's Host

One of our aims from the very start was to improve the diversity of the 4 acre camping meadow. It has established itself from scratch over the past ten years with little input from us and because of this it is full of plants that have found their way in from the surrounding local countryside. I spotted a new patch of tall daisies this summer in the corner by the hedge and was almost embarrassingly excited.

white clover and yorkshire fog — White Clover with Yorkshire fog grass

I can almost smell the pizza!

30 June 2014 by Ling's Host

It has been far too long since I last updated the blog. My only excuse is that the campsite has been really busy just lately, which is fantastic! We have just about had time to work on the pizza oven though so I thought I would share the latest developments with you.

After four long weeks of waiting, and constant checking, we have finally found the courage to take the sand former out of the oven! The cob now makes a satisfying hollow sound when you knock on it so we figured it must be dry, surely? During the four weeks we have repaired a small collapse at the entrance to the oven and finished off the clay render around the base.