Luxury garden swing seats and other oddities
Last month, in a refreshing change of direction, we head south east to visit decorative artist Tess Newall and her three children in their rambling mediaeval village in the South Downs. We find them in a long house down a long lane, blissfully quiet since that lane leads to nowhere these days.
The weather is typical of this summer, turning from fine to showery in just a few hours, but the setting is wonderful. The house opens at every opportunity onto the garden, which overlooks the wheat-filled fields of the South Downs. Children emerge from the many doors (and windows) and are excited to tell us they will be staging a circus.
The garden is a paradise for the children with apple trees for climbing, paths winding through towering flowers and a trampoline that seems to float on the long grasses growing around it. Their circus is in a fortress-like space - a small clearing behind a stone wall that overlooks the house from up high through a mass of daisies. The performance is a chaotic delight of many acts, complete with costumes, artwork and their own Pierrot Chairs.
If the activity that morning is anything to go by, Tess is an extraordinarily busy woman - ushering and consoling children, arranging lunches and games. Add to this, talk of her work (she runs two bustling businesses, has just finished a frieze at Hever Castle and is off to Scotland the following week), and I have the sense of someone operating with superhuman efficiency, poised through the madness - the perfect ringmaster.
Hats off to you, Tess, and we hope you find some garden-idling time soon.
How did you end up settling in East Sussex? Do you feel rooted here?
​
I grew up in the Scottish countryside, and living rurally felt inevitable for me. We moved from London 5 years ago, where we had been living in a tiny studio flat, so as soon as our first baby began crawling we needed out! We also needed space for work. My husband (furniture maker Alfred Newall) and I both rent barns on a nearby farm for our workshops. I feel incredibly rooted here. There is a very creative and inspiring community around us in East Sussex.
Yours is an ancient village - does it come with any strange traditions or stories?
​
I feel so lucky to live in such an ancient village. You can feel the history all around, with the 14th century church, flint dovecote and 16th century tithe barn. The village is really just a track running through fields towards the South Downs, so all who live here feel very connected to and respectful of nature. Every spring, a Rogation Service walks the "congregation" around the fields, blessing the land for good health and fruitful crops. There are lots of folk traditions which are still practised. Skipping Day marks the start of the Easter weekend, where villagers skip on a long length of fishing rope - a tradition which hoped to bring large catches to the local fishermen. On Lewes Garland Day, a female Morris group called The Knots of May dance holding garlands made from ribbons knotted together. Local children make their own garlands, with everyone joining in a procession from the castle down through the high street. I embrace them all!
Do you find yourself heading more often to the Downs or the sea, being so well-positioned to reach both?
We live at the foot of the South Downs, deep in the National Park, so spend a lot of time walking across the hills just behind our house. I love being able to see the sea from the top - there is something so special about the moment where mountains meet the sea. And our workshop is between home and the sea, so in the summer we spend most evenings on the beach with the children after work, going for swims and cooking supper on a campfire.
What else can you recommend to do nearby?
​
The area is home of the Bloomsbury Group, so a visit to Charleston House and Monks House are a must. A lesser known place I would recommend is Berwick Church, which is a lovely walk from Charleston if you have the time. It has murals painted by Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, and at the moment is surrounded by towering hollyhocks in all colours of the rainbow. Farley House is also a hidden gem, home of Lee Miller and the surrealists. My favourite cafe in Lewes is a simple place called Cafe du Jardin, but for further afield you can't beat the food and atmosphere of Water Lane walled garden.
Your children seem perfectly suited to country life. Did you always envisage bringing them up in the country?
​
Yes. My childhood was spent building dams and dens, climbing trees and waterfalls, and I'm glad I'm able to give my own children a similar upbringing. I love that they know the names of plants and insects, and can help us with all of the outdoor chores. Alfred grew up in London though, and spent his time biking around all of the parks there - so I think an upbringing can still feel rooted in nature, even if you live in a city.
​
Their circus was superb. Do you often entertain or have children’s parties in the garden?
​
They are always putting on plays and performances! I remember doing the same, pulling together funny outfits and making tickets for our parents and their friends. The garden is a great place for parties, there are lots of little pockets to explore and have a break in, which I think parties always need - like up the mound to the tiny walled garden, with our beautiful rocker to greet them.
Tell us about your rocker… we love the yellow! Is it a colour you’re drawn to, or do you have to be fairly impartial towards colour as an artist?
​
I feel very strongly about colour actually - never impartial! Colour combinations either work for my eye or they don't, and so much of my day is spent changing palettes and patterns until I'm happy with how they speak to one another. The yellow of our rocker is just the right tone, soft and warm, similar to a traditional paint colour called Naples Yellow. I would very rarely use a citrus yellow in my work or home. And you can't go wrong with a classic stripe. We use stripes a lot inside the house too!
​
Is there anything exciting coming for you, or your studio?
​
I am usually working on around four projects at once, whether it's planning and sampling in the studio, or painting on site. I am about to paint a barrel vaulted dining room in the Scottish highlands, with a trellis of foliage growing up the curved ceiling inspired by trees on the estate. We are painting a bedroom mural in California later in the summer. A garland of wildflowers will weave around the edge of the ceiling, spilling onto the walls in parts. I am also expanding my Herbarium wallpaper collection, with a greener design featuring ferns and wild garlic called Herbarium 'Forest', launching in September. It's a very busy and exciting time!
Tess's rocker is an Old Rocker in Butter Yellow with the sofa and inside walls in Polperro Stripe Yellow.
​
Photography by Maximilian Kindersley.