Open Studio in South Luffenham

Will, myself, and our cocker spaniel Florence, moved into Crabapple Barn on Back Lane in South Luffenham two years ago after a significant 18 month renovation project modernising, re-wiring and re-plumbing every room of the house.

The location in the conservation area of South Luffenham, adjacent to a glade of mature trees and overlooking the rolling Rutland countryside and horse paddocks were instantly appealing when we viewed the property.

I could easily visualise a lovely new studio in the garden where I could paint, overlooking that beautiful view, and was hooked…!

I loved the feeling of space offered by a barn conversion having moved from a small cosy cottage locally, and the south facing aspect flooded the whole house with light even when it looked sad and neglected. An elderly gentleman lived in the house previously until his death at 99, so the garden was crying out for some TLC.

We decided to completely clear the back garden, apart from 2 or 3 shrubs, a small pear tree, a holly and a tamarisk tree.

Having moved from a beautiful, walled, mature cottage garden, and being a keen gardener I really struggled to leave my established garden in Ketton, for what was actually quite an ugly neglected plot of land full of weeds and ants nests on very heavy clay soil.

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The first thing I did was to put in a greenhouse, (I now wish I’d put in a larger one). Once I had a greenhouse with electrics I knew I could grow plants from seed.

We then removed the old uneven and broken patio by the kitchen and replaced it with a smaller porcelain patio, with a separate pathway leading to the lawn. With a new high stone wall built on the boundary, we could create a very separate area, almost like a courtyard garden outside the open plan kitchen which we knew we would use all year round.

Being South facing and almost consisting of rock, sand and clay we realised very quickly we needed to focus on drought tolerant planting. This area can easily reach 40 degrees in high Summer. I set about researching the plants I hoped would thrive in such difficult growing conditions, using Beth Chatto’s Mediterranean planting as inspiration, and would set all the planting in gravel.

We took the approach that plant it, water it and leave it had to work in this space. Anything that died, got turfed out.

On the whole the drought tolerant plants have absolutely thrived in these long hot summers which is making us reconsider the rest of the garden!

Grasses, Verbena, Fennel, Scabious, Iris, Santolina, Thyme and Lavender to name a few are thriving in the rocky soil and the continual hot weather.

We are slowly developing the rest of the garden, and have recently installed a cedar clad studio for me to work in, with an adjacent decked area for outdoor painting.

I worked from a lovely large studio at North Luffenham Hall for 10 years prior to moving permanently into my new studio in South Luffenham.

Having all my work at home actually makes it a lot easier when seeing clients at weekends, running small workshops and running my annual open studios.

I will be opening my new studio at home as part of the 2026 Northants and Rutland Open Studios for the first time this September. I will be selling original paintings, limited edition prints and cards from my studio at 21 Back Lane on September 6th,11th,12th and 13th from 10.30am -4pm.

All are welcome to come and have a browse, and sip pimms in the garden; it’s a lovely opportunity for me to discuss my work in a non pressurising environment, rather than in a formal gallery space.

More information will be available nearer the time on my website, www.gilliandurno.co.uk, Facebook and Instagram pages as Gillian Durno Paintings.

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