This season, we’re joined by Charlotte Bell of Nourish HQ, a herbal medicine farmer and homesteader from the Yorkshire Dales.
Charlotte Bell is a herbal medicine farmer and homesteader living in the Yorkshire Dales. After spending two years in a temple on the other side of the world, working as an āyurvedic healer and yoga teacher, Charlotte returned to her Dales roots to grow food and medicine, tend animals, and host retreats and workshops.
Charlotte’s life and work beautifully align with the Wildflowers collection, both inspired by the natural beauty of the British countryside.
WHAT IS ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND?
About six glasses of water that I continually forget to bring downstairs in the morning. A giant biography of Thoreau that I re-read every year. A stack of novels (historical fiction, always). A handmade wooden cross I was given at my confirmation. A little vase of whatever currently smells the best in the garden - at the moment, the sweetest tête-à-tête narcissi
WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE BEDTIME ROUTINE?
A pot of fresh mint tea, a really good book and a shoulder massage if I can wangle one!
No screens for at least an hour before bed. Magnesium.
AND ONE FALLACY?
Earplugs. I’m all about quiet and dark rooms, but things stuck to my head while trying to sleep? It’s a no from me.
IF YOU HAD TO DESCRIBE THE RHYTHM OF YOUR LIFE IN THE YORKSHIRE DALES IN THREE WORDS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
Routine, chaos, freedom
WHOSE BEDROOM WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO SNOOP AROUND?
Tasha Tudor! I bet it would be packed with Victorian dresses, bowls of flowers and sketches of corgis.
WOODWORKING, GROWING AND CARING FOR ANIMALS ALL REQUIRE PATIENCE - HAS WORKING WITH YOUR HANDS TAUGHT YOU ANYTHING UNEXPECTED?
I’ve learnt that we are all so much more capable than we think! You don’t need to know how to do something perfectly before you start. Have a child’s mind - be curious and excited by things and then just give it a go. Don’t take things too seriously. Surrender to the inevitability of getting covered in animal poo. Invest in good hand cream.
IF YOU COULD BOTTLE UP ONE SCENT FROM YOUR DAILY LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
There is this absolutely tiny wild thyme that grows high up on the hills. In the summer, when you sit on the ground, you are hit with the scent of warm stone, coarse grass and thyme. It smells like Home. I’d love to bottle it.
WHAT'S SOMETHING ABOUT SLOW, SEASONAL LIVING THAT PEOPLE OFTEN MISUNDERSTAND?
People often think slow, seasonal living is easy or idyllic - but it’s deeply engaged. It’s not about doing less, but about doing with intention and presence. The pace is set by nature, not the clock. It’s muddy, repetitive, beautiful, and unpredictable. Tending land and animals requires a huge amount of responsibility and difficult decision making. It can be challenging and sometimes isolating, but in return it offers a quiet richness that I wouldn’t exchange for anything!
WHAT INSPIRES YOU MOST FOR YOUR WORK?
The hill farmers who have been tending these Dales for generations. It’s a very hard life, and one you would only do for the love of it. I’m inspired by how they have become part of the fabric of the land around us. It couldn’t exist without them, nor they without it. I find this coexistence deeply moving and aspire to it myself everyday.
WHAT IS ON YOUR BREAKFAST-IN-BED TRAY?
Fresh orange juice, crumpets with homemade raspberry jam, and an espresso.
YOUR FAVOURITE IF ONLY IF NIGHTIE IS...
Oh my goodness… it totally depends on my mood. However, Georgie berry bird and blue gingham Jessie do feature quite heavily in the rotation. I have recently fallen for Phoebe from the Wildflowers designs after my time with the collection.
WHEN IT COMES TO BED, NOTHING FEELS BETTER THAN...
Slightly stiff linen sheets. Buttery soft cotton nighties. A cold bedroom and a hot water bottle.