13 slik

Drovers Hill Farm near Princes Risborough began the production of organic apple juice in 2006. In 2013 Mark Knop and family also produced organic cider, pork and lamb. The photographs were taken by Chris Smith in 2013.

17 slik

Bulbourne is a small community two miles north of Tring in Herts. A narrow road bridge crosses the Grand Union Canal with the Grand Junction Arms pub on one side and several 19th century canal workshops, managed by the River & Canal Trust, on the other. One of the buildings, dated 1908, currently houses the Bulbourne Forge. Trading as Hammer & Tongs, it uses many traditional metalworking skills, including the hand-forging of hot metal.

Paul Elliott, a Fellow of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths, founded the company in 1988. He heads a team of other skilled artist-blacksmiths who work on all sizes of commissions for a variety of clients. Hammer & Tongs manufactures and restores steel gates, wrought-iron railings, metal balconies, garden sculptures, public art commissions and architectural ironwork restorations.

Most of the photographs were taken in July 2016. 

Click here to see location on a map

42 slik

Like most industries brick-making has seen production concentrated in fewer and fewer, but much larger factories. H.G. Matthews is a family-run brickworks producing traditional hand made and machine-made bricks at Bellingdon, near Chesham. The business was founded in 1923 by Henry George Matthews and is still run by his descendants today. Michael Bowker took the photographs in 2012.

22 slik

Frithsden is a boutique vineyard located in a hamlet near Hemel Hempstead. The vineyard, originally planted in 1971, was replanted by the current owners in 2006. The 6000 vines have been specially developed in Northern Europe to thrive in England’s climate. White wines are produced from Solaris and Phoenix grapes and Rondo is used to make a rose wine. Go to www.frithsdenvineyard.co.uk for more information. Alan Strawn took the photos in 2015.

Click here here to see location on a map.

20 slik

High Wycombe used to be home to some 200 furniture makers. In 2006 one of the few still operating in the town was Stewart Linford, who led a team of craftsmen producing bespoke furniture. Photographs were taken by Michael Bowker in 2005-6.

10 slik

The original Tring Brewery was established in 1890 in the High Street and in 2015 the entrance could still be seen adjacent to Almar Stationers. The current brewery was established on the Akeman Business Park, off Akeman Street, in 1992. The facility was very small with a capacity to produce eight barrels of beer per brew.

When the brewery moved to a converted cattle-shed on Dunsley Farm the capacity increased to 30 barrels per brew. In 2015 Tring Brewery produced 25 beers with recipes formulated by the brewer, Barry Phipp, and production was 1.8 million pints per year supplied to freehouses, pub chains and direct to the public via the brewery shop.

Click here to see location on a map.