NORSK Founder Cathrine Tjore shares her favourite local villages, gardens and activities in our corner of Buckinghamshire. So next time you’re visiting the NORSK café in Haddenham this Spring and Summer, why not make a day of it...
(four-minute walk from NORSK)
Designed and built by architect Peter Aldington OBE and his wife Margaret in the 1960s – together with two neighbouring houses, Middle Turn and The Turn – these RIBA award-winning houses are celebrated for their special historic and design significance. The Aldingtons still live in Turn End and their home and internationally renowned garden is regularly open to the public – and it's well worth a visit. And it's just a stone’s throw from the NORSK café in Haddenham... winner! (pictured above – credit: Arcaid)
What’s On:
6 May – Open Garden Afternoon for the National Garden Scheme
26 May and 25 August – Turn End and Middle Turn Open Days
14 July and 8 September – Garden Sundays
Brill
(15-minute drive from NORSK)
Known for its windmill on the hill with beautiful views over the Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire countryside, Brill is a lovely little red-bricked village that is said to have inspired writer JRR Tolkien. One of the best examples of a post mill in the UK, Brill Windmill dates from around 1680 and it is open to the public every Sunday from Easter until the end of September (weather and volunteers allowing). Brill is also home to the cutest little butcher at The Pointer which sells all sorts of delicious seasonal meats, charcuterie, marinades and condiments from local artisan suppliers.
What’s On:
25 August – Brill Classic Car Show
(20-minute drive from NORSK)
The magnificent French Renaissance-style Waddesdon Manor is home to the extensive Rothschild art collection. But I'm always more drawn to its beautiful gardens – including the Parterre, the Aviary, Rose and Water Gardens – and the wider estate for lovely walks. There are several walks of varying lengths and difficulties that take in the Diamond Jubilee Wood and Windmill Hill. And, just like our outdoor terrace at NORSK, they’re all dog-friendly!
What’s On:
29 May - 2 Jun – Celestial Sound Cloud
31 May, 1 June and 2 June – Adventure Cinema
11 - 14 July – Music at the Manor
(20-minute drive from NORSK)
This 20-acre landscaped ornamental garden was originally made famous by Beatrix Havergal who ran her School of Horticulture for Ladies here until 1971. From the Alpine Garden, to the Waterlily Canal, the Arboretum and the silent Formal Garden, there are lots of beautiful areas to explore, each with its very own personality and atmosphere. I especially love the Garden Shop and Plant Centre which, as you can imagine, is packed full of beautiful flowers, shrubs and trees to buy and plant at home.
What’s On:
21 – 23 June – Handmade Oxford International Contemporary Crafts Festival
9 – 18 August – Waterperry Opera Festival
(15-minute drive from NORSK)
There are few things as lovely as picking your own freshly cut flowers, and if you don’t have the luxury of an abundant cutting garden at home, then Howe Farm Flowers in the nearby village of Dorton is the next best thing. They grow beautiful cut flowers with an inclination towards scent and sustainability and you can visit their flower patch to pick your own by the bucket during the Summer. After harvesting your blooms why not head over to NORSK for lunch and, while you're here, pick up a beautiful handblown, recycled glass vase from our store to display them in!
Of course, if you’re out of town and planning a trip to NORSK and the nearby area, why not make a weekend of it and stay at our Scandi-inspired Summerhouse in the village of Long Crendon, just a short drive from Haddenham. It's our own little slice of Norway in the English countryside.
For more travel inspiration, Scandi lifestyle, shopping and recipes from NORSK, visit our Stories.
