Blog Articles

It's that time of year again - apple pressing! On Sunday we crushed and pressed a mix of cider, eating and cooking apples for juice, some will be made into cider but the rest will be pasturised for drinking throughout the year. The juice is allowed to stand for 24 hours before decanting into sterilised bottles. To pasturise the juice it needs to be heated to 78 degrees C and held for 20 minutes. Once cooled the bottles are stored in the cellar until served for breakfast! 

We are really excited to be able to reopen again and are currently making sure we will be safe to welcome guests back from the 10th July. Our beautiful rural location means it is easier to maintain social distance, fortunately the animals don't pose any risk and there is plenty of fresh air and ventilation! To help guests feel safe we are limiting bookings to one family/friendship group at a time and as the guest accommodation is self contained you don't need to mix with us if you don't want to.  To minimise contact we will contact you before you arrive to arrange payment and the key will be waiting for you in your room. Unfortunately we have had to lock all books and games away so please bring your own. We will still be serving our delicious famhouse breakfasts but you can choose to...

   What wonderful weather! The hedgerows are full of elderflowers so this weekend I have been making elderflower cordial! It's so easy to do and well worth the effort! What's nicer than a refreshing glass of elderflower cordial to sip in the garden! Now to find some cocktail recipes for those lazy summer evenings!!!

It seems strange with no guests at the moment, the weather has been beautiful and the garden has never looked better! The only positive is that I have been able to get on with some outstanding decorating projects. All the wooden floors in the bedrooms and dining room have been resealed and the sitting room carpet has been deep cleaned. The front door is now a glossy racing green and Richard has sanded and repainted the outside signs, also making a new roadside sign so we are easy to spot which ever direction you arrive from!     

We were thrilled to welcome Trish from the West Midlands Tourism Awards #WMTA20 for an overnight stay on Friday night. Hopefully she enjoyed her stay, I think the wolf moon and sparkly reindeer helped set the atmosphere!  I was amazed to learn that we are in the final 3, chosen from 129 applicants, so we must be doing something right! Fingers crossed for the awards ceremony on the 26th February! Just need to find a sparkly dress to wear!

What can you do on a rainy Tuesday? This week John and I visited Hereford to see the Mappa Mundi and Chained Library. I am ashamed to say that despite living within an hours drive of the Cathedral city of Hereford all our lives neither of us had visited the cathedral before! We started with soup and a roll in the refrectory cafe, excellent value for money, before heading for the The map is a fascinating insight into the medieval view of the world, centred on Jerusalem with Europe, Asia and Africa surrounding it, no America as not yet discovered! A local point of interest is the inclusion of Clee Hill, alongside Snowdon the only geographical features included in the United Kingdom. One story suggests that the monk could see the hill from his window at the cathedral when he was...

We had a great time at the Visit Worcestershire Awards Ceremony, including a delicious Afternoon Tea at Chateau Impney. I was thrilled to receive Highly Commended as runner up to the winner. It was interesting to meet the other finalists and find out about their businesses too. As if that wasn't enough I have just found out I have been nominated for the West Midlands Tourism Awards in the Best B&B or Guesthouse category, one of only 3 finalists for the whole of the West Midlands!!! The Awards Ceremony isn't until the end of February and I will have a visit from the judge during December in the form of an overnight stay! 

This week I was thrilled to hear that Broome Park Farm B&B has been selected as one of 4 finalists in the Visit Worcestershire Awards for Excellence 2019 in the B&B and Guesthouse category! I sent the form off and didn't give it a second thought, there are some wonderful places to stay throughout the County of Worcestershire! The next step will be an interview with 2 judges who will visit and assess on a range of criteria - I will have to deploy lots of homemade cake and make sure Mack is as loveable as ever! The winner will be announced on Tuesday 29th October at the Chateau Impney, Droitwich, I have no expectations but am already looking forward to the elegant Afternoon Tea in the Grand Ballroom!

Last week I took a couple of days off to attend a cheesemaking course in Oxfordshire. Having previously learnt how to make soft cheese, including halloumi, mozzerella and marscapone, Part 2 is all about cheeses that need time to mature. Our tutor, Louise Talbot from Cutting the Curd, is a farmer's wife and daughter, with a wealth of experience in making cheese and an excellent teacher.  Denman College is the WI training base and a real haven where 3 course meals are served in the dining room and all courses stop for coffee and cookies in the morning and tea and cake in the afternoon!The most startling fact was that 5 litres of full cream milk is needed to produce 500 grammes of cheddar!   I just hope it tastes amazing! Below are a few pictures - curds for the cheddar, my 2 camemberts...

One of the best things about where we live is the peace and quiet. Shropshire is one of the last unspoilt counties in England, too far from anywhere to have been overdeveloped or modernised! Unfortunately this is also a downside as many potential guests have no idea where we are! As an area we are on a mission to spread the word and as a start our local Tourism group has produced this map to show where we are! Here at Broome Park Farm we are in the bottom right hand corner of the Shropshire Hills, a great location to explore all that the area has to offer, from the unique independent shops in Ludlow to the great outdoors of the Long Mynd and the Stiperstones. 

It was such a beautiful late Autumn day today that we decided to head out to visit a local National Trust property, Kinver Edge and the Holy Austen Rock houses. Although only 30 minutes drive from here I had never actually visited before! Not really sure where we were going we stopped at the top of the Edge, a sandstone ridge enjoying extensive views over the Worcestershire countryside. A short walk down the hill lead to the Rock Houses, starting with the  rebuilt tea rooms then 2 cave houses on the lower level, extensively rebuilt but showing life in the 1930s and 1960s for the inhabitants.

One of the most exciting things I did this summer was canoe down the River Severn from Bridgnorth to Arley, a distance of 10.5 miles. The day was organised by Shropshire Hills Tourism for a visiting American journalist and I went along as crew! Despite being a complete novice I thoroughly enjoyed the day and it was excellently organised by Canoe UK Ltd. There were people of all ages and experience levels taking part and boats held groups of 2 or 3. After a safety briefing with top tips on canoeing each group set off, heading gingerly downstream. After a slightly shaky start, (going under the road bridge backwards!) we settled into a good rhythm and covered the 6 miles to Hampton Loade without incident. Here we were met by the team from Canoe UK with the support vehicle and disembarked...

Not long after the discovery of my black hen with chicks Mr Fox paid us a visit. Unfortunately I had forgotten to shut the pop hole into the Hen House and the fox killed all the hens and the cockerel, except for Blackie and her chicks who were in a different pen.  The chicks are growing but it is still impossible to tell if they are going to be hens or cockerels, I am hoping for 1 cockerel and 3 hens!  Fortunately I have found a young poultry farmer locally and have been able to restock with 18 week old point of lay hens. There are 2 black Rhode Rocks, 2 White Star and 2 Bluebells - these are my favourite as they are such a pretty colour. Mr B&B was very rude about them, saying they were too small and unlikely to lay for a few weeks, they have proved him wrong and I have had at least...

This black hen disappeared a few weeks ago, I was convinced she had been taken by a passing fox and had given up hope of seeing her again. 2 days ago John asked if I was missing a hen as he had found one sitting on some eggs in the big bale straw! Yesterday the eggs started hatching and she is now the proud mother of 4 gorgeous, fluffy chicks! 

At last the sun is shining and it was wonderful to see all the blossom on the trees, apple and pear blossom in the orchard and lots of blackthorn blossom in the hedgerows. This will hopefully mean lots of lovely sloes in the Autumn ready for the sloe gin!  The picture below shows the Clee Hill framed by blackthorn blossom.

Not sure whether it's my age or too much time watching Michael Portillo on the TV but I just love steam trains! So when I was offered the opportunity to ride on the Footplate I leapt at the chance! The fact that it was on a special train chartered by Hobsons Brewery to celebrate their 25th Anniversary was just the icing on the cake! The train departed Kidderminster station full of happy drinkers and I couldn't wait to get to Highley where my leg in the hot seat would begin. It was fascinating to sit on the little pull down seat next to the driver and stoker, watching them tweek and coax the engine up and down the hills between Highley and Bridgnorth. My only regret is that I didn't ask for the chance to sound the whistle! The Severn Valley Railway offer various options for people wishing...

Despite visiting Ludlow Castle many times over the years I have never really taken much notice of the history surrounding it. This week I was lucky enough to take a tour with the resident Archeologist, Leon Bracelin. Leon is so enthusiastic about the history of the castle and the wider town and well worth while taking one of his tours. He is usually at the castle at weekends.  The castle is Norman, one of the Marcher defences to keep out the Welsh following the Norman conquest. The most fascinating fact I gleaned was the purpose and significance of the circular building in the centre of the Inner Bailey.  This is the St Mary Magdalene Chapel, circular chapels were the trademark design of a Knights Templar church (think Da VInci Code!) and the one in the castle is from the 12th...

                                        What a snowy few days we have had! I love it when the world turns white and we were lucky enough to have a beautiful day on Monday to enjoy the wintery wonderland around us. On the farm the snow brings it's own challenges, mainly getting round to feed the animals, fortunately all the cattle are inside for the winter but the sheep are more challenging and food has to be taken out to the fields. The other big problem is keeping the water supply going as pipes and water tanks can freeze and will need defrosting so the animals have access to fresh water. Fortunately snow doesn't linger too long in Shropshire and it has almost disappeared now, good to enjoy it while it lasts!                  

Sometimes it's good to do something different! Last year I treated myself to a Nissan Figaro and last month I decided to do my first car rally! The rally was through the Shropshire Hills so I thought a perfect opportunity to join in. Unfortunately we missed the convoy start and by the time we reached the first stop at the Long Mynd Gliding centre everyone had already left! Fortunately we were able to enjoy the fantastic 360 degree views across South Shropshire. Fortunately we caught up with the other cars at the new Tearooms at Stokesay Castle where everyone stopped for a delicious lunch before carrying on to the top of Clee Hill for a photo opportunity and more stunning views! A fun day out that anyone can do even if you don't have a mini sports car!

I have started to make butter using my mother-in-law's traditional butter churn. It hadn't been used for nearly 30 years, since the family stopped keeping a 'House' cow and had been abandoned in the cellar.  A little bit of TLC and it is now churning again! I am using fresh double cream from Mawley Farm and experimenting with time and temperature to minimise the amount of time needed to turn the cream into butter. At the moment it can take anything from 15 minutes to 3 hours! Once churned the cream separates into butter and buttermilk, which is drained off and used in scones or pancakes.  The butter is then washed, salted and shaped into pats. Although I say so myself it does taste amazing, nothing like the commercial butter available from the supermarkets.

Beekeeping is a rollercoaster hobby! After a successful honey harvest last year the bees, in 2 hives were tucked up for the winter and we crossed our fingers! Unfortunately only 1 hive survived but this hive was doing well so we decided to split the hive into 2 to avoid the chance of the bees swarming. We are not sure how successful this was as neither hive seemd to be doing well so last weekend we added a swarm from another beekeepr to the weaker of the 2 hives.A swarm occurs when the number of bees in the hive exceeds the space available and roughly half of the bees fly off with a new queen to find a new home. Both hives now seem quite busy so hopefully they will all settle down, raise lots of brood and start producing some honey!

I am very fortunate to get wonderful feedback from all my guests! There is always a little frisson when I pick up the Guest book after guests have checked out to see if anything has been written! This week has been exceptional as all the guests that have stayed have completed an entry! Whilst reviews on online sites are good for promoting my business I still love the permeance of a physical record and will occasionally look back over past reviews and remember the guests that have stayed! Thank you to everyone that takes the time and trouble to write a record of their stay – I do appreciate it!

Just over the border into Herefordshire lies Croft Castle, a National Trust property, more like a small stately home than a castle, with extensive grounds and scenic walks. The house has a lived in feel and is a manageable size, not too grand. As some of the family still live there the upstairs rooms are mainly out of bounds. There is a large walled garden with glasshouses and work is ongoing to restore and reuse the large greenhouses. If you are there at the right time there will be plants for sale from the garden. Allow time for tea and cakes from the tea room then set off on one of the many way marked walks through the grounds – we did the Carriage walk which took just over an hour through the woodland. It is also possible to walk to the ancient Hill Fort at Croft Ambrey. The...

On a beautiful Spring day there is nothing better than wandering around Ludlow. Yesterday I took a stroll along the Bread Walk across Whitcliffe Common. I had forgotten what fabulous views there are over the town. The walk follows the banks of the River Teme, either at river level or climbing to the Common to take in the views. I can recommend parking in the town then walking down to Dinham, taking the path to the righthand side of the Castle. Take time to stop at The Green Cafe on the Millennium Green for either a coffee or cake or book a table for Ludlow Castle from If the weather is good sit on the terrace and watch the wildlife on the Now head over Dinham Bridge and take the lefthand path onto the Common, either climbing for the views or meander along the...