May 16, 2021 Fig 1: Bampton Castle, now called Ham Court, from the south-west, seen across the waters of the moat. The gatehouse and the short section of wall are all that survive of the medieval stone defences. Credit: Paul Highnam / Country Life
Bampton Castle was an ambitious castle in the Cotswolds area that languished in obscurity after it was left unfinished in the early 14th century though several hundred years later it became Ham Court, Oxfordshire, and is now the home of Matthew Rice. Edward Impey investigates the remarkable story of this building and its recent revival; photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
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The great British cuppa could be under threat from climate change as tea-growing countries face rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, a new report by Christian Aid has found.
Kenya, the world s biggest exporter of black tea, is suffering more floods and droughts than ever before. In fact, climate change is likely to slash optimal conditions for tea production in Kenya by 26% by 2050, meaning that trouble may be brewing for our favourite hot drink.
The UK and Ireland might drink more tea per person than any other country in the world, but the increase in rainfall is resulting in inferior quality leaves. As well as Kenya, other tea-growing countries at risk include India, Sri Lanka and China the largest producer of green tea.