Here on our working farm, just outside Windermere in Cumbria, on the edge of the Lake District, John and I share our fields and woodland with an ever-changing cast of animals. Some are permanent fixtures, like our Luing cattle and Clydesdale horses, while others arrive with the seasons.

The return of the cuckoo, curlew and swallows each spring is part of the cycle of life here, quietly marking the turning of the year beneath the Lakeland fells. This is a place where visitors can experience a working farm in the Lake District, alongside nature, animals and seasonal change.

The allotment has always been an important corner of the garden, valued as much for the bees as for ourselves. Companion planting calendula with beans and borage amongst the strawberries helps draw pollinators into the allotment, filling the garden with life throughout the growing season.

More recently, we have begun creating a holistic flower bed, planted largely with British native species such as Mugwort, Comfrey and Self-Heal, alongside a few less familiar additions for Cumbria, including Rue and Marrubium.

Last year saw us dipping our toes into herbal holistics, creating Comfrey salve, Calendula face cream and a Yarrow bug spray which actually works… who knew?

It now feels like the right time to open the farm gate and welcome those looking for a more nostalgic, spiritual and holistic experience, with a small selection of seasonal workshops inspired by the farm, the animals and the garden. From horse-led meditation and mindfulness with horses to seasonal workshops in the Lake District, Soul & Soil offers small group nature-based experiences rooted in the land.

So, welcome to Soul & Soil.