Christmas on the farm 2013

On Saturday 14th December we hosted an eclectic festive event at Manor Oaks Farm! With Santa & his elf, Mary, Joseph & baby Jesus, some technicolor Reindeer and our Donkeys Lilly & Rosie all in attendance.
Hundreds of local people came along to shop at our festive craft stalls make Christmas lanterns & pomanders, visit Santa, enjoy our Christmas cocktail bar, play on the tombola & raffle and enjoy the carols by candlelight performance by the children of All Saints Catholic High School, here's a few snaps of our fabulous annual event...

(photos courtesy of Sheffield Photographer Diamonds & Doodles)

Emilie Taylor: Artist in Residence, Chatsworth & The Manor

Emilie has just begun a year-long residency working between Chatsworth, a Ducal Seat in Derbyshire and the Manor, a Post-War Council Estate in Sheffield. Linked historically by their16th Century beginnings as homes to Bess of Hardwick, the estates now represent very different examples of life in Britain.

 

Emilie's latest blog post explores some of the textiles that were commissioned by the Likes of Bess of Hardwick, she will be studying these textiles over November and we look forward to seeing how these studies inform her work...

Here's the lastest post from Emilie's blog...

Laced: adjective used to describe something, or someone, who is very put-together, has their game on tight, looks good, nice clothes, nice jewellery, nice car, has money, fancy, bling-bling…etc. (Urban Dictionary)

It was a privilege to be introduced to the collection of textiles at Chatsworth by Susie Stokoe, Head of Textiles at the House.  Her enthusiasm for the history of constructed textiles I found particularly enthralling. The way weaving, tapestry and lace making were gifted, worn or displayed held enormous significance in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, representing power and status, and often demonstrating a direct link to royalty.
I have arranged to go back to the Textile studios/ rooms/ department in November to spend time studying and drawing a panel of Sixteenth Century lace. Very delicate and (now) fragile, structure and skilled craftsmanship have ensured it has held together for over five hundred years. The lace would have demonstrated the wealth and power, or social strength, of the woman who commissioned its making.
The aesthetic quality of the lace reminds me of porcelain, and further comparisons can be found when considering porcelains fragile and simultaneously strong material qualities. I will experiment with using porcelain to create pattern, and join this refined and expensive clay body with the buff stoneware of the land, an 'every day clay' that I more commonly use to create my pots.

If you would like to read more about the residency and Emilie's work in general read her blog here or visit her website

Friends of Manor Lodge win English Herritage Award

Did anyone spot our friends in the Star?
We are proud to announce that the Friends of Sheffield Manor Lodge have won a prestigious Angel Award from English Herritage.

Read the article here if you missed it... http://www.thestar.co.uk/what-s-on/out-about/going-out/dedicated-south-yorkshire-history-teams-hit-right-heritage-notes-1-6122909

Field to Feast 2013

On Saturday the 14th we had our annual Field to Feast Festival and it was a great success, we had some brilliant demonstrations, activities & displays and hundreds of people came down to enjoy the day, here's a few snaps that we took through the day...

One Board, One Table, One Day - Thursday 18th July

One of our artists based at Manor Oaks, Finbarr Lucas, crafter of bespoke handmade woodwork and furniture has a very interesting project happening this Thursday and we wanted to tell you all about it, he plans to create a table in a day, crafted from a piece of locally sourced wood, streamed live on the internet!

From this

To this

Over to Fin to explain more about the project....

" My name is Finbarr Lucas and I have a business called Finkfurniture, based in studio 2 here at Manor Oaks. 

On Thursday 18th July I'll be attempting to make a table from a single plank of wood, in a single day, live on the internet. The event is a bit of a challenge, and a bit of fun as I race against the clock to convert a board of locally sourced ash timber (from a tree felled in the Peak District) into a modern coffee table before your very eyes.

The event starts at 8am. Visit www.ustream.tv and search for 'table in a day' or 'finkfurniture' and you'll find the channel. Alongside the streamed video we will be making and posting up other short films made on the day, showing interview clips or focusing on milestones such as making the joints.

Our first video, about 2 minutes long, introduces the project and it's available to view here:

http://vimeo.com/user19185834/videos

The table should be finished at around 8pm, assembled and varnished and ready to be used. Shortly afterwards we'll auction it and the proceeds will go to planting trees in local woodlands.

Visit our blog at:

http://finkfurniture.blogspot.co.uk/

for more updates. And wish me luck!"

Good luck Fin

A verry happy customer

We received a lovely email the other day that we just had to share with you all, its from Irish Henderson who recently joined the 'Friends of Sheffield Manor Lodge'...

" I went up to Manor Lodge Open Day on Saturday and had the most wonderful two hours or so.

I went on my own as all my grandchildren were busy doing other things but the whole day was delightful.  I was so impressed with the glorious meadows the Green Estate and Friends have planted - they looked absolutely beautiful and the sun was shining too.  I looked around all the stalls and had a nice enjoyable spend on plants, chocolates, wildlife things etc.  All the people manning the stalls (which looked so lovely in their medieval way) were so friendly and helpful.  The plant stall just above the Rhubarb Shed was super and the people there so enthusiastic I could have bought every plant in their catalogue!  There was a stall with lovely homemade wines to sample and I would have bought a bottle if they had had a licence to sell it.  The allotments looked very healthy and well kept and I met a delightful couple there, this gentleman's wife was sitting there with her grandchildren whilst he was pottering a bout on his allotment.  They were all so very enthusiastic and jolly. In fact the people I passed along the lovely paths were all  smiling and happy looking with their children and grandchildren. 

I think I might write to the Sheffield Telegraph about what a nice day one can have if you are on your own and feeling down (well, I wasn't actually down) but it was so uplifting.  I could have been anywhere - in the middle of a meadow, at a country fayre or whatever.  But each time I visit Manor Lodge I come away with a smile on my face and a spring in my step.

As I was saying, do you think it might be a good idea for me to write to the Sheff Tel or not as I believe the Green Estate is funded by Sheffield Council and I have been informed at a high level that funding for such things next year may well be drastically reduced.  In that case, I think that many more local people should patronise it because I could just not believe I was at the top of the 'Manor' in this lovely landscape and to take children there with all the different things they can do is just fantastic.  I tell all my friends about it and hope in a little way that the word spreads.  It was be awful if the Green Estate had to struggle to keep up the good work."

 

We love hearing feedback from our visitors, so please if you've been here recently, get in touch!

 

If you would like more information on how to join the Friends of Sheffield Manor Lodge then visit the Get Involved section of our website

The Victorian Pop up Shop @ Manor Oaks

As part of our new plans to create a Victorian street within one of our barns at Sheffield Manor Lodge we've installed a temporary pop up shop to give visitors a preview of what the proposed project might look like. Here's Grace, our Historical Projects Officer talking about the shop and the bigger project...

Weddings @ Sheffield Manor Lodge

We are now licensed for weddings in our historic Turret House!!

We have licensed 3 of the rooms in the Turret House and can now hold intimate ceremonies for 20 to 30 people or if you're planning an outdoor wedding you can marry in the ancient doorway with your guests seated outside where the numbers are limitless!

You can also order delicious home made canapés from our Rhubarb Shed café to enjoy out on the lawn with a glass or two of fizz before heading off to you reception!

We are so excited about being able to hold weddings on our site as its something we've been planning for years!
Details will be available soon on our website and brochures will be back from the printers any day now, but in the meantime for more information, prices & availability email our wedding coordinator Shelley at shelley.hughes@greenestate.org

Photographer: www.diamondsanddoodles.co.uk
Pompoms: www.facebook.com/RevintagedInteriors
Brides Dress: www.emilybridalwear.co.uk
Flowers: www.sarahsflorist.co.uk

Forgotten Castle Painting to be on Display in the Turret House

Look out for the new Exhibition opening soon at Sheffield Manor Lodge's Turret House on the Sheffield Castle.

 

 

 

The original oil painting of Sheffield Castle by renowned Sheffield artist Kenneth Steel, has found its way back to Sheffield. This magnificent five by four foot painting, originally commissioned in 1950  by the Brightside and Carbrook Cooperative store headquarters in Angel Street, has for a number of years been in store in Manchester.

Following negotiations with the Society through one of the Friends of Manor Lodge, we have arranged for this superb picture to be displayed in the Turret House as part of a new exhibition telling the story of the medieval castle and the link with the Manor Lodge.

We are also discovering more about the under-regarded  artist. It turns out that Kenneth Steel, who lived in Crookes, was a prolific artist who is most famous for producing the iconic images for the famous railway posters of the 1930s and 40s.

Exciting new Pictorial Meadow Tours available in Sheffield this summer

 

Love  Flowers? Seen the wonderful images of the Olympic Park Meadows and want to know a bit more about their origins back home in Sheffield? This summer were offering 4 public Garden Tours at our base at Manor Lodge which will take you behind the scenes of the fascinating development of these designed landscapes. You’ll never look at a packet of meadow seed again in the same way...

 

 

One month to go for Big Lad and Freddie

 

We love our Clydesdale Big Lad and his mate Freddy but like everyone else in this Company he just has to pull his weight. This winter, instead of just standing around and looking pretty, he’s been hard at work with the rest of us.

In September along with his two legged Team Mates Max, Ethel and Nathan he’s been working across Sheffield’s Woodlands as part of the planned woodland management programme.

Felling unwanted timber in steeply sloping woods is one thing, extracting the timber in a way that doesn’t damage the precious understory vegetation is quite a different matter. But that’s where traditional horse logging with Heavy Horses such as Big Lad and Freddy prove their value.

They get into areas that no tractor could get to and instead of the devastation caused by just one day tractor work a whole season of hoof prints are hardly noticeable. Just one month now to go to finish the last wood and he can come back to enjoying his Spring Holidays

 

 

Mini-Allotments still available

 

There are a few hints that Spring may be just around the corner. Now’s the time to take the plunge and join our lovely Mini Allotment Group. Bags of support and encouragement in a friendly environment. 

It’s the Bees Knees

 

 

Bees at Manor Lodge are in for another dose of pampering. Last Year they exceeded all our expectations in producing almost 150lbs of delicious honey despite the awful weather. The secret ingredient we all suspect of course is all the easy to locate flower meadows.

This spring they are about to find their hives transported into  a luxury new Bee House. It’s a bit like Parkhill Flats but without the English Heritage restrictions. 7 Hives get housed in a restored barn and each has their own front door. Whilst around the back visitors schools and trainee bee keepers can observe and manage them – all in the dry.

To help them find their way back safely, each hive has a specially designed and colour coded motif to home in on. Perhaps we should suggest this idea to Urban Splash?

Latest Playground designs for Manor Fields starting to shape up

 

One last major project is planned for Manor Fields Park with funding from Section 106. This will include the  creation of  a play area for younger children along side improvements to the wetlands and stream line close to the new City Road York House Entrance Way.

Design work is almost finished and we hope work may start on site early summer with completion for mid August. For anyone wanting to learn more or get more involved with this great site there is an active Friends Group who meet regularly and who would welcome new members

To contact us about any of these stories email  info@greenestate.org