Ears
Ears
Have you walked beside a field of wheat or barley or oats as the green stems stand close together, straight and tall and full of promise? The ears of barley bow gently before the sun whilst their lingering whisps around the long heads full of swelling grains bend towards the earth. In contrast, the grains of oats perch at the top of the stems singly filling with water and sun. There is even a type of heritage barley called Golden Promise which makes a very fine beer and was one my father-in-law used to sow.
You can hear the soft noise of the breeze gently rustling through the swaying stems whilst the insects’ wings whisper the sounds of summer in the broad sweeps of wild grass and flowers which edge the grain fields. Birds circle overhead whilst the sun plays tag with the clouds.
This is the magic of the cycle of the year: the wonder of the potential harvest from seeds sown during winter which grow over time grow and mature in the warmth of the summer sun. Over the next month the green colours will transform into golden acres from which we can collect the harvest and take them to mill. The wheat goes for flour, the oats for horse feed and the barley for beer.... it does not really matter. Humans have been cultivating grain for over 12,000 years, it is the basis of our lives and often our history.
Just like planting in a garden, the basis for all successful farmers is looking after the soil: the balance of nutrients and then the challenges of the weather. Soil benefits from hugely from organic matter, animal manure, rather than chemical fertilisers and it minimises the numbers of passes by farm machinery as well as facilitating reduced till sowing and longer crop rotations. I think of it as trying to tread lightly on this earth in every way which was the subtitle of my book “Seasons at Highclere”.
The book is about growing, cooking and entertaining as well as looking at how our predecessors lived, laughed and ate at Highclere. It is increasingly important that we don’t just take our way of life for granted and essential that we learn to grow food well, not just for the earth and our own physical well being but also for our mental health. There are ever clearer links being proved between what we eat and mental health issues such as depression and ADD.
The fields and woods, hedgerows, lakes, meadows and downlands give us beauty and space in which to listen to those with whom we share the world. I am not the first to think this and will not be the last. Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote: “On either side of the river lie long fields of barley and of rye that clothe the wold and meet the sky; and through the field the road runs by to many towered Camelot”. It can be interpreted in two ways - Camelot as the place and Camelot as a symbol of perfect peace and happiness.
Whilst Downton Abbey, the films and TV series, look on at the characters created by Julian Fellowes and provide much entertainment, much of our life here at the Real Downton Abbey is about looking out, walking in the fresh air through the fields, looking and listening and trying to understand what we can do for the best. Fundamentally, at its heart, Highclere is a farm and has been for hundreds of years.
Geordie and I wear many hats each and every day here but, in all cases, we are trying to make the right decisions today for the future. I turn inevitably to the extraordinary poet John Clare who wrote:
“I found the poems in the fields,
And only wrote them down.”
At the moment, the fields are full of promise and hope and they help still our minds as well.
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78 Comments
Lady Carnarvon lovely pictures of ears and did you and lord Carnarvon have a lovely weekend and lovely to visit highcelere castle and a fan of Downton abbey thank you for the email
Lady Carnarvon lovely pictures of ears did you and lord Carnarvon have a lovely weekend and lovely to visit highcelere castle and fan of Downton abbey
Thank you for your well-written blogs. Always a pleasure to read.
The 20th July me and my husband are travelling from Sweden and will have the pleasure of taking a tour in you wonderful castle, with a scrumptious afternoon-tea picnic basket afterwards. Looking forward to this so much.
Thank you and kind regards
Felicity and Christopher
You and your husband are are living a beautiful, purpose driven life. Your world will be a long remembered and hopefully followed legacy. I am always inspired by your blog, and try to hold the thoughts as long as I can to make better more thoughtful choices in my own surroundings. Ever grateful for this long distance communication! God bless each and every one of you all at Highclere!
Greetings Lady Carnarvon,
What a beautiful, peaceful, workable and generous connection you and Lord Carnarvon have to your earthly surroundings, how fortunate you are and the nature and others are! I do understand it is constant work and at times stressful but I do know and agree with you that hearing bees buzz around, butterflies and dragonflies fly around and the sound of winds blowing through the fields is so peaceful. Glad you can de-stress and relax in such bountiful and lovely surroundings. Hope your soil stays healthy and nourishing going forward!
Your photos today are lovely (especially the daisy field as they are a favorite of mine!) and peaceful to look at as are the ones in your book "Seasons At Highclere" (getting through the summer chapter:).
Thank you again for a lovely, educational and informative Monday morning read. Also really enjoyed listening to your last Podcast while walking this past weekend.
Remain well and have a good week ahead.
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
the fields look glorious, especially the meadow flowers. The harvest is wonderful with one exception - being stuck behind a tractor! Of course there is the magic tractor, that went down a lane and turned into a field.
Jane
Very inspiring!
What a lovely tribute to Highclere and its essential life as a farm. I love the beauty of a wheat field, especially in a breeze — it ripples like a living thing, or an ocean. On a different summer note, my Lady… I just tried making your elderflower cordial, as the elderflower is in high bloom right now in my neighborhood. The cordial turned out beautifully — such a lovely pale gold color — and it is delicious! Thank you for your inspiring writing each week, and all the amazing work you do.
Thank you -it is just about trying to do which each of us can - I think
Hope to see you then
It is a hard world in which to communicate rather than just shout!
Thank you - I like podcasts and hopefully mine are not too long which I always think is good!
Thank you it is easy delicious and something extra nice as it is homemade..
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
Beautiful words connected with beautiful photos. Thank you for keeping sustainable conservation and management in the forefront of Highclere’s purpose and legacy, being grateful for what the land provides.
It is the July 4th holiday here in the US. May we always strive to keep liberty and freedom for all in our societies. We will celebrate with Highclere Gin & tonics, which contains some of the magnificent oats you write about!
Be well and thank you for another great Monday read. I always look forward to them!
Best regards,
Charlotte Merriam Cole
That's kind - thank you
Always Enjoy!
Lady Carnarvon,
Listening to the ‘sounds of silence’ in a corn or wildflower field is really a remarkable experience. Your blog this morning brought to mind my years helping farmers create educational and entertaining ‘agritourism’ farms where visitors learn more about farm life. One of the most popular, corn mazes, we re-created to barley mazes for the little ones who might not want to be amongst the tall corn stalks!
Carry on with your remarkable stories!
Martha G
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
Thank you for such lovely words, about the land an everything.
I always look forward to Monday mornings and your blogs.
Carolyn
You paint such beautiful word pictures.
On July 25th my husband and I will be able to view and behold those seas of wheat fields. We are traveling from the US and taking a Baltic cruise, then to Highclere. Our friends here are most excited for us to tour your beautiful estate as we all have become loyal fans of Downton Abbey.
I so appreciate the attention and love you give to your castle and estate.
How wonderful and peaceful at the same time. You have a wonderful way with words Lady Carnarvon..
Lend my your ears ...
Go fetch fire.
Pluck down benches.
Pluck down forms, windows, anything.
Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot,
Take thou what course thou wilt!
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
Wonderful words. Living in the midst of agricultural fields in Germany similar thoughts as you propose are going through my head. On my walks the wheat fields stretch out before me, already turning color. The dried stalks are bending to and fro in the wind, the ears playing the familiar papery sound of rustling ripe wheat. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed your book on the Seasons at Highclere.
Have a wonderful time...
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
Thank you for your beautiful words this morning. It is a holiday here in the US, and my husband is not at work. Instead he has joined me here on our patio for a “second cup.” I am reading sections of your blog aloud to him as we sip. Your writings are just as beautiful read out loud. Thank you! And thank you for Seasons at Highclere; it is on our coffee table.
Best wishes,
Roberta
Dear Lady Carnarvon:
Thank you for your Monday blog and for sharing the farming history of Highclere Castle. The fields look great, as do the wildflowers. My favorite photograph was the sunflower mixed within the grain.
Until next week, may your efforts turn a good harvest.
Perpetua Crawford
P.S. Tonight our "ears" will be ringing with the sound of fireworks here in the United States as it is our Independence Day Holiday (Fourth of July).
P.S.S. Your e-mail arrived in a timely manner to my Inbox.
Hello Lady Carnarvon.
Another challenge for you that may be of interest for your visitors.
Corn Dolly's .............their origins, purpose and how to make them, different shapes etc
All displayed round the Courtyard.
Very interesting blog as usual.
Thank you for so often sharing your love of poetry with your readers. It is infusing you with perfect metaphors. Loved, "clouds playing tag with the sun."
I loved this! It's so obvious that you are consciously walking gently on your lovely patch of earth. Your appreciation of nature and 'the moment' are evident because we really do not know what lies ahead. At least we can appreciate what we have now and how lucky we are too. There are so many fans of Downton Abbey here in Germany. I, myself, am an English/Irish production and am looking forward to our first trip out of the country for three years. How lovely it would be to pay a visit but we'll have to see what the majority wants. I also love the idea that my neighbour and friend down the road is reading your lovely blog too. I know how long it takes to come up with a fitting theme and you've added some lovely poetry and photos. The countryside here is not really very different. I was reminded of the beautiful Sting song called Fields of Gold.
Keep safe and happy.
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
Lovely read on this Monday, Fourth of July holiday here in Ohio, USA. The farmers are harvesting the wheat fields here at the moment and then baling the stalks as straw from the wheat. Nothing goes to waste! Which is so very important these days with rising cost of food and fuel and so many other products we use on a daily basis. As the saying goes, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
Warmest regards,
Candice Black
Such a peaceful read on a Sunday morning. Thank you Lady Carnarvon.
Lovely to read this blog Lady Carnarvon.
Lovely to know you are at one with nature.We are but custodians for a while on this beautiful Earth of ours ,and I wished that all the folk that look after the land thought like you.
Kindest Regards
Karen Isaac
How kind!
We look forward to welcoming you!
Thank you
You never cease to amaze me with your poetic insights and your dedication to the gifts nature has given us. I am so grateful to read your perceptions and pursuits every week. Thank you for constantly enriching my soul.
Lady Carnarvon, I have such admiration and respect for farmers. They do work so very hard to put food on the table for us and our animals. God bless them. Cheryl
Beautifully written Lady C! You are a poet yourself! Love the bit about the insects’ wings whispering the sounds of summer. Stunning photos too.
You inspire!
Lady Carnarvon,
Getting back to the simple life of nature and working with it, not against it is best.
I like what Emerson says "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year..."
With your blog, you remind us to take pleasure in what is around us.
Thank you for that!
Congratulations on your romantic post ! I believe that the real Downton Abbey Highclere will have all the necessary requisites to become like Camelot a place of peace and happiness, far from everyday problems. The enchanting nature that I can see in your charming photos is truly gorgeous and can truly inspire the best feelings and joy. " Tis not too late to seek a newer world!" (Ulysses, Lord Tennyson)
I live in Bakersfield, CA USA
we grow an abundance of food but not as inspiring as your fields.
May your soil always be full of nutrients.
Judy Beth Richardson
Hello Fiona,
Lovely article...Ive been trying now for many months to schedule a party/ reception at Highclere... il keep trying, but I have a time limit too... my budget is 160k USD. John the manager says there are no days available even through 2026 ;-(
Sincerely,
Pamela
Always look forward to your e-letter accounts. Always good thouggts.
Your post today borders on the poetic and I very much enjoyed reading and re-reading it. Thank you.
The mantra of a true farmer: "the fields are full of promise and hope." As farmers, we are in it for the long term and know that if we take care of the earth, it will take care of us. Thank you for your lovely writing and for sharing life at Highclere.
Lovely as always. You are a poet, my dear lady.
Oh I do really look forward to your blogs . They are so full of inspiration and beauty , you actually feel so close to nature and so wonderful to be alive .Thank you Lady Carnarvon .
You describe a perfect picture of fields of grain, wheat, barley & oats swaying in the wind like wind upon the ocean. A perfect memory of my youth. The sounds of summer, the smells of the field of grains and the hint of summer insects buzzing in the air. Thank you.
It is a nice reminder on this American 4th of July holiday.
KRISTINE LILJA-KING
Maine, USA
Yes l walk the dog through the barley fields near me ( public footpath goes through the middle) Then on the other side of the woods a field of oats which l skirt and then look at the bee hives which are stacked up at the moment Lovely walk
Lady Carnarvon,
You never cease to amaze me with your depth in telling about this life! God bless you in all your endeavors! I enjoyed seeing your home some years back and enjoy reading all about Highclere. Thank you.
Your Ladyship writes with skill and grace, making it seem almost effortless. While I can see some of the things that you describe by way of the photographs that you share, I can also hear the little insects that you describe. That sort of experience requires and immensely gifted writer, which you certainly are. BTW, read the book on the Lady Almina - spectacular!
Thank you
You are kind - writing is a bit of and effort , so I am glad is seems to flow!!!
The best
Thank you and on instagram I have shared cocktails and food for today!
I am sure many do think like this - the knowledge within politics is scarce ...
Thank you!!!
we need to have fun too...
There is much poetry in Seasons at Highclere too - it is a quiet book yet a beautiful one I hope
We can offer receptions but not seated dinners - we left Europe and it has caused us such challenges. Before Brexit the £ Sterling was 1.60Euros. Now we have diminished our country plus trade and the value has dropped to 1.19 Euros. We have no people to work here nor can we bank on supplies chains. We have no wedding and corporate business...
I love the idea of Camelot
Just being....
Thank you I sit trying to think how to express it so I am glad if my inadequate words give a hint of the scene
You are kind - I just believe that we all walk the walk or wish too
I used the Fields of gold on an instragram recently...
Thank you for this beautifully written post.
What a beautiful post and just what I needed to hear today, Lady Carnarvon. We are planning a trip next to London next month (to escape the Texas heat!) and look forward to visiting Highclere.
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
Such a beautiful text and so well- written.
Kind regards from Montreal.
see you then!
Lady Carnarvon,
This is an interesting blog of which we are learning from. The fields and these sunflowers have made my day. Really magnificent.
I loved this installment of your wonderful blog. I have a grown child who recently has had a terrible change to his life. I recommended he spend more time out of doors enjoying and re-discovering nature in all her glories. He has admitted that it has helped. Being in the wilds, even for an hour, can change your perspective on so many things, not to mention the good it does your own body and gives you so much peace of mind.
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
You take the time to not only appreciate nature, but understand.
Thank you for sharing.
What an amazing and well written article! I felt like I was right there in the fields. The imagery in this article is phenomenal!
Dear Lady Carnarvon,
Rest easy your words can never be found wanting! I see clearly the pictures your words paint. Of course your lovely photographs help.
I am descended from many generations of farmers, back to the 1700s in Virginia, on the Gray side of my family. I can still see the corn, grown tall, as the car weaves up the drive between the fields 60 plus years on ...
Be well, be happy and stay safe.
See you next week.
Shelley in Virginia
Being outside is certainly good for the body and mind
Thank you
Lady Carnarvon,
what a charming blog. I had the pleasure of meeting Lord Porchester when he started to promote Highclere as a place to visit
Suddenly I find myself being a House Mother for the WSE Junior Summer English language School at Lord Wandsworth College. I would love to bring these children for an amazing cultural experience. Is that possible?
Do email the castle office
Lovely! Bathing in nature! The world would be a kinder place if everyone understood what you just wrote dear Lady Carnavon!!