A Week on the Estate: Mini Heatwave, Clint’s Move & Summer Spirit
At the time of writing, the mercury is rising and Friday is set to nudge 30C with high humidity. The kink in the jetstream that has given us weeks of northerly weather has shifted off to the north-west and drawn in heat from the Mediterranean. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the East Midlands, but if hot weather isn’t your cup of tea, fear not; a band of thundery weather will usher in temperatures closer to the recent average from Sunday onwards.
One team-member who keeps us ticking over whatever the weather is erstwhile Hall Steward and new Poultry Keeper, Clint Coughlan. We caught up with Clint for the latest news from the heart of South Ormsby Estate.
“My new job title is ‘Poultry Keeper’,” said Clint. “The Hall is being worked on by a company called Simpsons and they’ve taken over my old cottage in the north wing as their office. They’ll be doing all sorts of work, including restoring the original front of the Hall.
“Simpsons specialise in listed buildings and I think some of their stonemasons may have learned their trade at Lincoln Cathedral. Chloe has been finishing off boxing up and emptying and we had a good response to our two-day sale. The work to future-proof the Hall could go on for quite a few years.
“We’re now at 2 Brinkhill and it’s beautiful. Jo’s happy because she’s got a washing line. We’ve got a little bit of garden, beautiful views, one nice neighbour and it’s peaceful and quiet, just how we like it. I reckon we’ve got one of the best cottages on the Estate. We’re settling in and enjoying it.
“It’s my first season with the poultry operation so I’m playing catch-up and learning the ropes. In my old role, I collected the eggs from the hens in the Walled Garden and handed them over. Now I’m in at the deep end, learning all about incubators and timing.
“It is rewarding when you see new birds being hatched. We’ve got a plan to allow our poultry to get out and about. We’ve got one mobile, outdoor roosting unit built up and there are two more to come. Once we’re all set up, we’ll take the birds into the fields to forage. Some of the hens have been put off by the freaky weather and aren’t laying as much as usual. It’s cold one day, hot the next, soaking wet one minute then warm and dry.
