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.
A DENBIGHSHIRE man is encouraging others to join him in becoming home bakers and keep themselves busy during the latest Covid-19 lockdown. Jon Rosser, from Bontuchel, Ruthin, has been baking his way through the various stages of the lockdown since the pandemic first struck early last year. Jon, who retired from the Education Authority back in 2016 has been baking his own bread for most of his life and realised that it was a skill and an interest that could be shared with others. He said: “It all started in March 2020. My daughter, who is mum to two young boys and lives in London, wanted to make her own bread.