Colby Woodland Garden

If yesterday's trip to Stackpole was a highpoint in the annals of the National Trust Scone Odyssey - my first post-lockdown scone, 199 days in the waiting - then today was...well, let's just say it wasn't a highpoint. Anything that involves sheeting rain, no scone, and an AA man fixing your hired Toyota Aygo in a car park is unlikely to be a highpoint of anything.

But! Our motto here in NT Sconeworld is NEVER MIND and, anyway, I didn't actually need to visit Colby Woodland Garden in Pembrokeshire at all - it was a bonus. The Bothy tearoom is tenanted and I took the decision ages ago that tenanted cafes would not be a mandatory part of this quest. But I was in the area and I'd heard great things about the place so I decided to drop in.

The first mistake I made was to save the scone until after my walk. I never, ever do this - it's Rule 1 in the Scone Blogger Handbook: Eat Scone As Soon As Possible. The second mistake I made - and this is the one that I believe angered the Scone Gods - was I bought a cup of tea and a piece of apple cake to sustain me. WHY? Why did I break with years of best practice? I don't even like apple cake.

It all went downhill from there. I trudged off into the torrential rain, noting the signs about keeping two metres apart. I needn't have worried; there was hardly anyone else there.

There were other signs advising that a one-way system was in place. This troubled me immediately. I had no idea how long the woodland walk was - what if it stretched for 20 miles and I was stuck on it for days with no way of legally turning back? It turned out I was right to be worried; I stuck to it so diligently that I soon found myself walking out of the estate altogether and down to the nearby seashore at Amroth. 

On the plus side, Amroth had a bus shelter,
which came in handy while I spoke to the AA

There had been no phone signal on the Colby estate and as I walked down into the village my phone suddenly burst into life with voicemails and texts. I sat in the bus shelter while I spoke to the car hire company - the light that kept flashing on was indeed potentially a problem so the AA were on their way. I beetled back to the car park and spent the next 20 minutes sorting out tyre pressure.

I could, and should, have gone back for my scone but I was soaking wet and extremely miserable. I'm not giving up though! I will claim my bonus Colby scone before the week is out!

Part Two...The Return to Colby Woodland Garden

True to my word, I made it back to Colby Woodland Garden on my final day in Pembrokeshire. The rain was (just about) holding off and I was 100% clear on what was needed: I went straight into the Bothy tearoom and ordered my scone.

Things didn't bode too well: a microwave was involved and when I tried to cut the scone it disintegrated into about 12 pieces. However, I have stopped worrying about microwaves ever since my niece asked for her scone to be heated up at Croft Castle. It must be very tiring working in a National Trust cafeteria.

But in fact the scone was delicious. Just the right amount of fruit, sweet and tasty, it was well worth the return trip.

Colby Woodland Garden: 4 out of 5

Scone: 4.5 out of 5 (a bit crumbly but very tasty)

Worthwhileness of the return trip: 5 out of 5

Stackpole

2020 was supposed to be the final glorious year of the National Trust Scone Odyssey. I'd visited 208 properties over the previous six and a half years, with 30 NT cafes still to go. Seven years felt like a suitably noble amount of time to be labouring on a quest. And even though concerned viewers were asking "Are you sure you can do this? Maybe give yourself a bit longer?" I was very confident - I'd completed 26 visits in one single barnstorming month in 2019, so I knew victory was within my reach.

The year started well - too well - with a successful outing to Lavenham Guildhall in January. By then, news of a virus coming out of China was starting to build. When I suddenly fell ill in late February, with a high temperature and a bad cough, my boss surprised me by suggesting I ring 111. "Have you been to China recently?" they asked. "I haven't been to China at all?" I replied. "Then you don't need a test." I recovered and a few weeks later made it to Wentworth Castle Gardens just before the lockdown shutters descended.

I will save the 'What We Did During The Lockdown' blog post for another day but, for the record, we acquitted ourselves extremely well in NT Sconeworld.

Nonetheless, June 12th is marked clearly in my memory; it was the day that the first real National Trust scone was spotted in the wild (at Mottisfont). NT scones were BACK. 

But although they were BACK, things had changed. If any of us had been handed a National Trust scone in a cardboard box eight months ago, there would have been uproar. "In a BOX??" we'd have boomed, like Lady Bracknell and her handbag. And yet here we were: sightings of scones in takeaway cardboard and cellophane wrappers were being greeted with mass rejoicing.

Unfortunately, I was too busy at work to go and find any NT scones for myself. So I made the decision that, when the time came, I would go all out. I picked a property that was furthest away; 240 miles away in fact, in Stackpole in Pembrokeshire. 

Was I rewarded for my efforts? YES I WAS. I bought my scone from the Boathouse Cafe at Stackpole Quay and carried it reverentially outside. I knew with one glance it was going to be good. It was also warm, as I'd eagerly turned up 10 minutes after the place opened.

It was a divine scone. It was also a brave scone - it was dangerously unsweet, relying on the fruit and the jam to provide the sugar. But it worked. It was unusual, delicious and very memorable.

It started raining but nothing short of an earthquake was parting me from a scone I'd waited 199 days for. I defiantly put my hood up and kept going. A woman nearby said "well, it's not SUPPOSED to be raining" and everyone else stayed put too. They're made of stern stuff in West Wales.

And that's where my first visit ended. I'd decided to walk to Stackpole  - not the full 240 miles, I hasten to add, just 2.5 miles from Freshwater East where I was staying. Regular viewers will know what's coming; the Scone Blogger's boots were made for walking...in London. I soon found myself slipping down muddy gradients in a pair of completely unsuitable trainers as I huffed and puffed along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Walk. (Other tales of walking disaster are available at Lydford Gorge, Longshaw, and Saltram.) 

This meant that when I reached Stackpole I had absolutely no interest in going any further as I knew I had to trek the 2.5 miles back.

Luckily I was staying in Pembrokeshire for the week, so a couple of days later I went back. The Stackpole Estate is very large so you either need to park up and walk for the day or be prepared to drive to a few different spots. 

Here are the highlights:

Stackpole Court

Here it is, folks - a picture of what the world would look like without the National Trust:

I'm vastly oversimplifying things here. However, in a month when the Trust has come under huge amounts of criticism, it felt very apposite that I'd get the chance to walk up a grand set of steps to see...absolutely nothing. Stackpole Court was pulled down in 1963. Built in 1735, it had fallen into disrepair after the Second World War, like so many stately homes, and was demolished, like 1200 others. You can read about other lost houses at Clumber Park and Fell Foot.

Without the Trust, a lot of other houses, buildings and estates would have gone the same way. And while everyone should have the right to raise concerns if they don't agree with how things are being run at the NT, cancelling your membership will achieve two things: a) you don't get to go to National Trust properties anymore and b) the Trust has less money, so is even less likely to do the things that you think are important. So on balance, I'm not sure it achieves very much at all. 

Bosherton Lakes

The lakes were built between 1780 and 1860 as a focal point of the estate. Today they're known better as Bosherton Lilyponds. I mean this as a compliment but the area felt more like a swamp in the Florida Everglades than a lake on a National Trust estate in Wales. I genuinely expected to see a gator sunning itself among the greenery. A very beautiful spot. 

Beautiful as they were, though, my visit to the the lilyponds was accompanied by a very incongruous soundtrack of machine guns firing away in the distance - I assume it's from the Castlemartin Training Area owned by the Ministry of Defence.  

Stackpole Beaches

There are three beaches on the estate - Barafundle Bay, Broadhaven South and Freshwater West. I'd seen a sign for Barafundle Beach at the cafe on my first jaunt, although when I looked it up on Google Maps it was billed rather rudely as a "modest bay". But I couldn't resist going back to the Boathouse Cafe again, so I decided to pick up a scone and a cup of tea and wander off over the clifftop to see what it was like.  

My advice to you: ignore Google Maps. Barafundle is a stunning little spot. I made my way down from the clifftop and ate my scone by the sea. I risked everything to take the picture below, by the way; I could see a dog doing the maths to work out if he could run up to me, snatch the scone, and get enough purchase on the sand to make his getaway. He wisely decided against it.

So there you have it: a fantastic scone to restart the National Trust Scone Odyssey. Obviously I won't be finished this year but it feels like a step in the right direction.

Stackpole: 4 out of 5

Scone: 5 out of 5

Scone Blogger's performance on the Pembrokeshire Coastal Walk: 1 out of 5 

Best National Trust Scones 2013-2020

Happy Birthday to the National Trust Scone Blog! Seven years old today!

• 210 properties visited!

• 83 have delivered a 5 out of 5 top-rated scone!

It's seven years since I decided that enough was enough: we had joined the National Trust but failed to actually use our membership. If I write something down I remember it, so I decided to document each visit and reward myself with a scone.

I had decided that 2020 would be my final hurrah - seven years seems like a suitably noble amount of time to spend on a quest. But then the small matter of a global pandemic came along and thwarted my plans. I still have 28 properties left to visit (I'm only visiting the ones with a cafeteria) and I'm hopeful of fitting a few in but I think 2021 will need to be my year instead.

But let's not dwell on the bad! In time-honoured fashion, here is the National Trust Scone Blog Birthday Honours List - the 83 properties with 5-star scones, in reverse order of when I visited:

• Wentworth Castle Gardens - little did I know when I set off for Barnsley in March that it would be my last National Trust scone for months. Lucky I ate two.

• Lavenham Guildhall - it hasn't always had the happiest of histories but the scones made me very cheerful indeed. Absolute perfection.

• Fell Foot - my attempt to eat three scones in one day in the Lake District got off to an promising start at Fell Foot. It subsequently won Scone of the Year 2019.

• Cotehele - here's a top tip: it always bodes well when the property has a mill that produces flour for the scones. 

• Buckland Abbey - previous owner Sir Francis Drake might have a bit of a questionable history but there was nothing questionable about the scones.

• Antony: I loved Antony. I loved the name, I loved the house, I loved the scones, and I loved the fact that there's a street called Sconner Road nearby (check the photos).

• Florence Court - located near a mountain where a legendary horse appears every July to talk to people (and have a scone I hope, as they're good).

• The Argory - you can get there by canoe but however you get there, make sure you have one of their superb scones. 

• Dudmaston - there was a wand workshop going on when I visited and the scones had  indeed been touched by magic.

• Kinver Edge and the Rock Houses - people lived in these caves until the 1960s and although rock buns may have been more apposite, the scones were super.

• Arlington Court - see the house, visit the National Trust Carriage Museum, but definitely don't miss the excellent scones.

• Dunster Castle - a very old estate with a working water mill, a leather room, and very good scones.

• Watersmeet - the beautiful place that inspired me to keep going with the National Trust Scone Blog did not disappoint. Excellent scones.

• Mottistone Gardens - Benedict Cumberbatch wasn't there but we did find some very superb scones.

• Kinder, Edale, and the Dark Peak - the Pennypot Cafe is next door to Edale station. Kinder Scout is not. But we all know which part of the property is most important.

• Erddig - donkeys, a thief housekeeper who stole £30,000, and fantastic scones can all be found at Erddig.

• Oxburgh Hall - everybody loves a moat and everybody good scones. Oxburgh has both.

• Croft Castle - Owain Glyndŵr may be buried under the floor but they don't bury the scone baking talent at this cosy castle.

• Nunnington Hall - I went to try and solve a mysterious peacock murder case and found some very excellent scones.

• The Workhouse - I was certainly tempted to say "please, sir, I want some more" but I restrained myself, although the scones were excellent.

• Shugborough Estate - the ancestral home of society photographer Patrick Lichfield was a picture! Ha ha!

• Chirk Castle - murder, scandal, adultery, violence, great scones...it's all going on at Chirk.

• Longshaw Estate and Eastern Moors - I though the mud might defeat me but no - I finally found my Peak District scone and marvellous it was too.

• Mount Stewart - its one-time owner, Viscount Castlereagh, was none too popular, but the scones were certainly popular with me.

• Peckover House & Garden - Lonely Planet has just announced that a cream tea at Peckover is one of the top eating experiences in the world! I concur!

• Clumber Park - it might have lost its house to the demolition men but Clumber offers beautiful gardens, a beautiful lake, and beautiful scones!

• The Needles Old Battery - chalk rocks, guns, secret missile testing. And now - outstanding scones!

• Wicken Fen - home to 9,000 species of wildlife, flora, fauna and a first class species of scone! Bravo.

• Berrington Hall - even Capability Brown couldn't improve the scones at Berrington Hall - they were berri-good!

• Tyntesfield - maybe one day someone will describe Tyntesfield without saying "the man who built it made his money from Peruvian bird poo" but that day isn't today. The scones were a bird poo-free zone.

• Sudbury Hall - a great house AND the Museum of Childhood starring Sooty and Sindy AND an outstanding scone! What more do you want from life.

• Melford Hall - famed for its celebrity resident, the original Jemima Puddleduck! Her views on scones are not known.

• Wallington - the former home of Charles Edward Trevelyan, the third most hated man in Ireland (after Oliver Cromwell and Thierry Henry), who was name-checked in The Fields of Athenry.

• Belton House - the kids book and 80s TV show, Moondial, was set at Belton! And when I tweeted that I'd been there, the actor who played Tom responded! Fantastic.

• Felbrigg Hall - poor old William Frederick 'Mad' Windham - all he wanted to do was dress up as a train guard and blow a whistle on the station platform at inopportune moments. Instead he ran up huge debts and lost Felbrigg. Amazing scone. 

• Hidcote - a beautiful garden built by "a dull little man" according to James Lees-Milne but we loved it AND we loved the scones!

• Plas Newydd - a fantastic scone on Anglesey! We only really went there to see the Victorian dude who dressed like Noddy Holder 50 years before Nodders was born!

• Dyrham Park - superb scones AND free 17th century hot chocolate (the recipe is from the 17th century, not the actual hot chocolate)!

• Trengwainton Garden - the 5th NT scone we'd eaten in 48 hours during our Tour of Cornwall and it was FAB!

• Trerice - a quiet little manor house near the not-so-quiet town of Newquay, with AMAZING scones!

• Trelissick - the house may be relatively new to the NT but they've certainly got to grips with the scones!

• Boscastle - a little Cornish fishing village that was almost washed away in 2004 - unusual scones but absolutely top-rate!

• Acorn Bank - the third top-class scone on the Spring Tour to the Lake District!

• Sizergh Castle - amazing scone AND a copy of Wham!'s Greatest Hits!

• Wordsworth House - I was moved to compose a poem about the Wordsworth House scone - I expect a call about being Poet Laureate any day!

• Saltram - everything went wrong on our first trip of 2016, apart from the scone!

• Fountains Abbey - it was in the video for Maid of Orleans by OMD! And it had fantastic scones!

• Lanhydrock - our first foray into Cornwall and we were not disappointed! Fantastic scone!

• Biddulph Grange Garden - they had a singing tree and a golden water buffalo but nothing could upstage the scones!

• Nostell Priory - one of the best properties EVER with THREE types of scone!

• Coughton Court - 7 of the 13 Gunpowder Plotters were Throckmortons! Somehow they kept hold of Coughton and are still there today! 

• Tredegar House - fantastic scones AND they keep a Dalek in the stables (Doctor Who is filmed there)! 

• Anglesey Abbey - they have a working flour mill! You can buy bags of flour that you transform into scones that won't be as good as the ones here!

• Montacute House - they filmed Wolf Hall here! If only Anne Boleyn had been able to bake scones like these, it could all have turned out differently!

• Goddards - brilliant scones at the house once owned by Noel Terry, of Chocolate Orange fame! There used to be a Terry's Chocolate Apple as well! 

• Beningbrough Hall - spectacular works of art (and a few pictures on loan from the National Portrait Gallery as well, boom, boom!)

• Sissinghurst Castle - did you see the scones, Orlando? They were great - and fantastic gardens too, in the former home of Vita Sackville-West!

• South Foreland Lighthouse - excellent sconeage in this 'shining' example of a National Trust property HA HA! 

• The White Cliffs of Dover - I really was inspired to ransack the Vera Lynn back catalogue and sing "we'll meet again" to the WCoD scone - it was that good. 

• Speke Hall - it has the River Mersey, it has a priest hole, it has a baker on Twitter, it has fantastic scones, I LOVED it!

• Studland Beach - famous for the UK's most popular naturist beach, for inspiring Noddy's Toytown, and now for very good scones!

• A la Ronde - a round house full of trinkets AND fantastic scones, what more do you want from life? 

• Upton House and Gardens - a lot of pictures, an outdoor swimming pool, and truly excellent scones!

• Treasurer's House, York - they had a Christmas pudding scone with brandy butter that I literally still dream about!

• Hinton Ampner - lots of sheep and fantastic scones!

• Uppark - burned to the ground a few years ago while it was open to visitors, but now restored and serving very excellent scones!

• Stowe - it costs £30,000 a year to attend Stowe school - I'd rather spend that on scones, personally!

• Charlecote Park - William Shakespeare was once caught stealing a scone from Charlecote Park. Did I say scone? I meant deer.

• Bateman's - "Well I'm the king of the sconers/the tea-room VIP", as Rudyard Kipling would have written if he'd had scones at Batemans!

• Claremont Landscape Garden - more of a park than a garden but who's counting - the scones were fantastic!

• Standen - tests proved that the Standen scone was genetically closer to a cloud than a baked foodstuff!

• Nymans - another place that burned down (before the National Trust was involved), now serving amazing scones!

• Waddesdon Manor - they have a mechanical elephant that flaps its ears at Waddesdon but as an attraction it's no match for the top-class scones!

• Scotney Castle - the scones were EPIC. Scotney also had a Banana and Walnut Scone of the Month and Richard Gere, who filmed Yanks there!

• Dunwich Heath - they had 20 TYPES OF SCONE at the Sconeathon we attended! Sticky Toffee, Chocolate Orange, Apple & Cinnamon, Malteser...!

• Morden Hall Park - big, warm, and glazed. 'Morden enough' to warrant a five out of five (ha ha ha! Sorry.)

• Sutton House - Sir Ralph Sadleir of Wolf Hall fame built Sutton House - go along and see them bring out the sconies!

• Quarry Bank Mill - amazing scones in one of the most fascinating NT properties ever - you can even buy a tea towel made in the cotton mill!

• Flatford Bridge Cottage - we helped bake the scones at Flatford but we gave them 5 because they were mince pie scones and they were ruddy delicious! 

• Winkworth Arboretum - a very understated place - not a fridge magnet to be had - but serving fantastic scones!

• Houghton Mill - the Scone Blogger was very hungover but she soldiered on and tried the scone made from home-milled flour, which was DELICIOUS!

• Brownsea Island - we didn't see any red squirrels, which shows that they don't have very good taste as there was a Sconeathon on the day we visited!

• Bodiam Castle - our very first 5 out of 5, setting the benchmark for all!  

You can marvel at all 183 scones on Pinterest. There's also a National Trust Book of Scones, which is available in NT shops or on the internet.

My ever-lasting affection and thanks, as ever, go to all of the fantastic Sconepals that send in photos and show ongoing support and enthusiasm for this mad project. Keep sharing your National Trust scone sightings, either on Twitter or Facebook or Instagram. I love them. 

Scones in the Time of Coronavirus

'The best-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley'. So said Robert Burns. And it's true, my schemes have indeed ganged agley. Although I'm not sure if Rabbie was referring specifically to a global pandemic.

Anyway. Back in January, I made my list of the final 30 properties that I needed to visit to complete the National Trust Scone Odyssey. Several people said "you'll never do it by December" and I said "yes I will" because I am a bit naive and over-optimistic. But surely even the world's biggest pessimist didn't foresee the coronavirus. And now, like everyone else, I wait to see when we might be allowed out again.

But the Scone Blogger's motto is 'NEVER MIND'. If I can't share pictures of National Trust scones on National Trust Scone Twitter, I will share pictures of your home bakes instead. Thanks to everyone that has sent in photos so far:

July 3: Sconepal Fiona creates Chocolate Orange Scone glory:

July 3: Sconepal Linda goes for a fruit bonanza with these Blueberry Scones:

June 28: Sconepal Ole of the Canine Division FINALLY gets his ice-cream! And he doesn't forget the rest of us - Cherry and Almond Scones for his dad's birthday:

June 27: Sconepal MoleyFrankland present cheese scones with a sci-fi theme:

June 26: Sconepal Emily and the mini scone crew take scones to Lacock on National Cream Tea Day:

June 26: Sconepal Mike delivers the goods on National Cream Tea Day:

June 26: Sconepal Helen takes her portable cream tea to Upton House:

June 26: Sconepal Marilyn presents the Cheese and Garlic scones:

June 25: Sconepal Matt and team present THE PIZZA SCONE:

June 24: Sconepal Linda found some huge frozen blueberries for Blueberry Scones:

June 24: Sconepal Fiona turns a surfeit of strawberries into Strawberry Scones:

June 22: Sconepal Dot branches out with the cherry-filled Ulster Scone:

June 21: Sconepal Ann's Sconehenge masterpiece comes with warning lights:

June 21: Sconepal Caro brightens the day with this excellent Sconehenge:

June 21: Sconepal Ole cannot hide his disappointment here - he asked for an Icecreamhenge for the Solstice and he got...Blue Cheese and Fig Scones: 

June 21: Sconepal Melissa creates Sconestice scone beauty with these Blueberry delights:

June 21: Sconepal Dawn presents Ploughman's Scones for Father's Day:

June 21: Sconepal CSM76 improvises on her Cherry and Vanilla scone to great effect:

June 20: Prepare yourself for a shock, everyone; this is not actually Stonehenge. It's Sconehenge. Made from scones on the Sconestice.

June 20: Sconepals Hannah and Lucy share their Chocolate Scone glory:

June 20: More family scone fun with these Cherry Scones:

June 20: Sconepal Eleanor wows us with some Cheese Scones for the Sconestice:

June 19: Sconepal Dot experiments with buttermilk and is impressed:

June 19: Sconepal Abby uses the Book of Scones as text book to great effect!

June 18: Sconepal Catherine bakes up some Christmas Pudding Scone wonders to take to Oxburgh Hall:

June 16: Sconepal Hattie recreates the Mottisfont cream tea experience:

June 16: Sconepal Lu shows genius here - Cheese, Onion, and Bacon Breakfast Scones with excellent peacocks to recreate that stately home visit experience: 

June 15: Sconepal Ole demonstrates his astonishing array of talents: DIY as well as scone-making. Good man, Ole:

June 15: Sconepal Matt serves up sunny Cheese Scones from a lockdown food tech lesson:

June 15: Sconepal Jules is full of praise for the scone tip of folding the dough to create the 'mouth':

June 14: Sconepal Amy wows us with these stunning Cheese, Bacon, and Onion scones:

June 14: Sconepal Sarah presents her retrospective of ELEVEN different lockdown scones bakes as she returns to rangering after furlough:

June 14: Sconepal Mandy plumps for th Rhubarb and Ginger family favourite:

June 14: Sconepal Ali cheers us all up with Raspberry & White Chocolate Scones for a socially distanced afternoon tea:

June 14: Sconepal Jane wows us with a world-first of Lemon and Elderflower Scones:

June 14: Sconepal Helen says scones aren't her forte but these look fab:

June 13: Sconepal Jo goes into unchartered, though very welcome, territory with Banana and Walnut Scones:

June 13: Sconepal Janice produces probably the best Triple Chocolate Scones that we've ever seen. Wonderful work here:

June 13: Sconepal Dawn bakes up some gorgeous Red Pepper, Onion, and Cheese delights:

June 11: Sconepal Cambria presents her Vegan Cheese Scones:

June 11: Sconepal Rachel doubles up with some lovely Cheese AND Plain Scones:

June 11: Sconepal Fiona presents the Raspberry & White Chocolate Scone:

June 11: Sconepal Obsessed nails it with Chocolate and Hazelnut Scones:

June 11: Sconepal Dot bakes some Fruit Scones but also invents the Bird Scone:

June 11: Sconepal Emily and her little sous-chefs produce these tasty Cherry and Vanilla delights:

June 11: Sconepal Mary creates summer on a plate with her Rhubarb Scones:

June 10: Sconepal Milly serves up Cherry and Vanilla scones:

June 10: Sconepal Helen prepares a fine Fruit Scone with clotted cream and jam:

June 10: Sconepal Booktasty wows us with Cheese Scones galore:

June 10: Sconepal Sarah continues the innovation with Rhubarb and Strawberry Scone:

June 8: Sconepal Fiona serves up one of the all-time greatest scones - the Chocolate Orange Scone:

June 8: Sconepal Helen amazes us all with Christmas Pudding Scones:

June 8: Sconepal Mr Quacks takes Cheese and Herb Scones to Ickworth:

June 7: Sconepa Lisa presents beautiful Chocolate and Marshmallow Scones:

June 7: Sconepal Oliver has gone for Cheese and Herb Scones:

June 7: Sconepal Abby is lucky enough to have Cherry and Almond Scones for breakfast from her mum. What could be better:

June 6: Sconepal Mammoth serves up Chocolate and Marshmallow Scones:

June 6: Sconepal Mandy takes fruit scones to Dunwich Heath:

June 6: Sconepal Emma bakes up a batch of Cheese, Onion, and Bacon Scones:

June 6: Sconepal Dawn wows the crowd with Cheese, Onion, and Bacon Breakfast Scones:

June 6: Sconepal Karen joins the pantheon of uber-Sconepals in attempting the Stollen Scones. Bellisimo:

June 5: I had to do it. I had to actually try the new M&S Strawberry Clotted Cream. My verdict: it might look like melted Percy Pigs but it is absolutely delicious on scones. I know.

June 5: Sconepal Sarah is worried that White Chocolate and Raspberry isn't Lake District-y enough but we say; never mind, they look delicious:

June 5: Sconepal Andy bakes up some golden scones for a golden wedding:

June 5: Sconepal Linda presents her Blueberry Scones:

June 4: Sconepal Fiona is on a roll with her scones during lockdown - here's the Blueberry and Lemon:

June 3: Sconepal Emily delivers the cutest picture of the lockdown - one mini Sconepal casting a particularly expert eye over the scones here:

June 3: Sconepal Maria suffuses the world with the world's loveliest aroma - freshly baked Chocolate Orange Scones:

June 2: Sconepal Sarah takes on a challenge to turn dried mango into something special - voila the Mango and Raspberry Scone:

June 2: Sconepal Lynne goes for a Lemon Scone with lemon zest and lemon icing:

June 1: Sconepal Charlotte follows up on her earlier triumph with some Cheese and Chilli Scones:

June 1: Sconepal Lu prepares Apple and Cinnamon Scones for a catch-up with her nan after 12 weeks apart:

June 1: Sconepal Charlotte kicks June off with Cheese and Mustard Scones:

May 31: Sconepal Fussy wows us with this lovely display to celebrate the virtual 125th birthday party of the National Trust:

May 31: Sconepal Janice celebrates the National Trust birthday in style:

May 31: Sconepal Anita serves up beautiful scones ready for Prince Charles' National Trust birthday party address: 

May 31: Sconepal Ole is a very happy dog. His parents watched Prince Charles wish the National Trust a happy birthday with Zesty Lemon and Ploughmans Scones, while he got ice cream. Ole that is. We don't know if Prince Charles got ice cream.

May 31: Sconepal Sarah in self-professed 'bold move' with Lime & Mango Scones (and also Apple & Mango if that wasn't bold enough):

May 31: Sconepal Matt conjures up a sunny scene with Cheese & (homegrown) Herb Scones served al fresco:

May 31: Sconepal Hattie doesn't look too convinced about this shop-bought scone but bravo for making the effort:

May 31: Sconepal Fiona perfects the Chocolate & Orange scone ready for the National Trust Virtual Tea Party:

May 31: Sconepal Jillian serves up Cheese AND Plain Scone gorgeousness:

May 31: Sconepal Catherine makes Sconepal Ziggy (Canine Division) happy with these Earl Grey beauties:

May 30: The Scone Blogger has an early afternoon tea for the National Trust Virtual Birthday Party:

May 30: Sconepal Jo cheers everbody up with this birthday bonanza of Rhubarb and Custard scones:

May 30: Sconepal Sue tries some gluten-free scones:

May 30: Sconepal Karen ups the fruit quotient with some jammy Fruit Scones:

May 30: Sconepal Hampshire presents vegan scones:

May 29: Sconepal Sarah presents Apple & Cinnamon Scones:

May 27: Sconepal Mary delights us with Ginger and Treacle Scones:

May 29: Sconepal Mike sends in their Apple & Cinnamon delights:

May 26: Sconepal James impresses us with a range of golden Cheese and Chive scones:

May 26: Sconepal Jo worries that her Stollen Scones are 'slightly' out of season. The Stollen Scone is never out of season, Jo, especially not during a global crisis.

May 25: Sconepal Ole (Canine Division) admits that he *may* have licked one of these Fruit Scones, which is probably why he looks so pleased with himself:

May 25: Sconepal Lucy presents another beautiful Lockdown Bank Holiday afternoon tea:

May 25: Sconepal Janice serves up gorgeous afternoon tea delights on Lockdown Bank Holiday:

May 25: Sconepal Teresa opts for a fruit scone delight:

May 25: Sconepal Neil finally finds some self-raising flour and a soft focus lens for his scone shot:

May 25: Sconepal Barbara kicks off Lockdown Bank Holiday with these Cheese Scone beauties:

May 24: The Scone Blogger's mother joins the fun with these very elegantly served scones. Not sure she's got enough jam but I'm sure she'll cope: 

May 24: Sconepal Ali hits her TENTH lockdown bake with the Pear, Walnut and Goat's Cheese Scone:

May 24: Sconepal Jane with some stunning Goat's Cheese and Chive Scones:

May 24: Sconepal Catherine bakes up some beautiful Apple and Cinnamon Scones:

May 24: Sconepal Fiona continues her lockdown scone baking frenzy with these gorgeous Pear, Walnut, and Goat's Cheese Scones:

May 24: Sconepal Alison shares her beautifully crafted Stilton and Hazelnut Scones:

May 23: Sconepal Liz shows lovely plate choices as well as scone options:

May 23: Sconepal Dot crafts some stunning Raspberry & Chocolate Scones:

May 23: Sconepal Melissa freshens things up with Raspberry & Lemon Curd Scones:

May 23: Sconepal Fiona casually throws this picture into the fray - a STUNNING array of scones! Cheese, Fruit, Apricot & Ginger, Fresh Herb, Pineapple, Rhubarb & Ginger, and Apple & Blackberry! Astonishing work!

May 23: Sconepal Linda was a bit disappointed with these, as she thinks they look more like rock cakes? We say: rock on. Ha ha!

May 22: Sconepal Helen worries that these Lemon Scones are 'not dainty'. But who needs dainty during a global pandemic? They look marvellous:

May 22: Sconepal Fiona bakes up some Apple and Blackberry Scone goodness for us all:

May 21: Sconepal Lu astonishes everyone with the Horseradish Scone...served with beef:

May 20: Sconepal Jo stuns us all into silence with these beautiful Blueberry & Honey scones:

May 20: Sconepal Mole gets an enthusiastic round of applause for their first lockdown scone bake:

May 20: Sconepal Angela is shielding - and let's face it, what virus stands a chance against such a beautiful afternoon tea?

May 20: Sconepal Mammoth embarks on a late-night bake of Triple Chocolate Scones:

May 19: Sconepal Lola shares a double first: the Roasted Shallot, Gruyere, and Thyme Scone with...(intake of breath)...gazpacho. Astonishing scenes:

May 19: Sconepal Booktasty was asked by a 5 year-old to bake scones to be eaten without cream, butter, or jam. They're *that* good:

May 17: Sconepal Duke presents some beautifully baked Zesty Lemon Scones on National Baking Day:

May 17: Sconepal Matt serves up some stunning Chocolate and Orange scones. Beautiful work:

May 17: Sconepal Ole (Canine Division) is clearly not happy with these Gin and Lemon Scones. He is a strict teetotaller and they were NOT what he asked for. Even the rabbit is staying out of the way. Don't worry, Ole! Normal service will soon resume.

May 16: Sconepal Dot presents the 150th lockdown scone, with Orange, Walnut and Fig! It wouldn't be a lockdown scone without a substitution and the figs were replaced with prunes. She also reports that they were "badly behaved in the oven".

May 15: Sconepal Ali's freezer is full but she couldn't resist joining the Week of Cheese with this batch of gloriousness:

May 13: Sconepal Mary and her little helper present professional-standard sconeage here. Stunning work:

May 12: More family scone success! Tremendous attention to detail on Tim's Lemon & Coconut scones: 

May 12: Sconepal Janice shows that she's an artist of composition and photography as well as of Ginger and Honey Scones:

May 10: Sconepal Abby presents our first Ulster Scones of the lockdown!

May 10: Sconepal Drew not only bakes the Rhubarb and Custard scones, he grows the rhubarb himself: 

May 10: Sconepal Oliver delights the crowds with Cherry and Vanilla scone wondrousness:

May 9: Sconepal Stuart worries that he'll be eating these Rhubarb and Custard scones forever:

May 9: Sconepal Florence recreates the Baddesley Clinton afternoon tea in her garden:

May 9: Sconepal Mammoth presents fantastic scenes of Apple and Cinnamon scones:

VE Day, May 8: Our man, Sconepal Ole, is seen here in his best VE Day costume with an array of scones for the occasion. Good man, Ole. You never let us down.

VE Day, May 8: Sconepal Alex is an actual NT baker and it's easy to see why. Beautiful cheese scone work here:

VE Day, May 8: Sconepal Manc Vegetarian is all about the scones for their VE Day celebration. Stunning scenes:

VE Day, May 8: Sconepal Rob goes for a double bill of classic Sultana Scone followed by a Cherry, Marzipan, and Almond Scone chaser:

VE Day, May 8: Sconepal Catherine gives us Cherry Scones galore for VE Day:

VE Day, May 8: Family scones from Ayisha! While the rest of us survive without flour, Ayisha had to forego the butter...but somehow they still worked. Are scones the most resilient foodstuff in the world?

VE Day, May 8: Even more family scones, this time from Hannah! Clearly she got all the artistic skills:

VE Day, May 8: More family scones from Sarah and Katie - their first foray into scone baking proved to be a success:

VE Day, May 8: Sconepal Rachel shares these beautiful Zesty Lemon Scones:

VE Day, May 8: Sconepal Amanda presents jam-tastic scones for her VE Day afternoon tea:

VE Day, May 8: Sconepal Lynne presents two tear-and-share scone arrangements! Walnut and Coffee, and Cherry and Almond!

VE Day, May 8: Sconepal Heather was commanded by her resident five year-old to prepare fruit scones with no fruit - and very lovely they look too:

VE Day, May 8: Sconepal Alison carefully crafts this beautiful Spinach & Ricotta scone:

VE Day, May 8: Sconepal Clara pay homage to the mighty Mary Berry with these Sultana Scones:

VE Day May 8: I couldn't resist getting the flour out and trying the Rhubarb and Custard scone recipe from Ickworth for myself. Delicious:

May 7: Sconepal Sarah is also caught by the the Rhubarb and Custard craze that's sweeping the nation:

May 5: Sconepal Mandy got everyone started on a Rhubarb and Custard bonanza:

May 7: A young scone baker called Elodie allows me to share the Strawberry Scones that she prepared for VE Day:

May 5: Sconepal Mammoth presents the Cranberry & Stilton scones:

May 5: Sconepal Andy with some Rhubarb and Ginger lockdown delights:

May 4: Sconepal Ali chooses Chocolate Orange Scones for Mambo Sconebake NUMBER NINE - daa-DAAAAH-da-DAH!-da-da-da-da-da-da:

May 4: Sconepal Ole looks a little annoyed as we catch him trying to sell his parents' Red Pepper, Onion, and Cheese scones on Ebay to raise funds for some dog ice cream. It won't be long, Ole.

May 3: Sconepal Ali conjures up Wild Garlic and Cheese scone delights:

May 3: Sconepal Maria presents Cheese and Mixed Herb scone loveliness:

May 3: Sconepal Ole was a little unhappy with this scone for brunch arrangement as he felt it broke scone etiquette. But desperate times call for desperate measures, so I talked him down and he agreed to let this slide.

May 3: Sconepal Pamela reports that birthday scones were delivered to her husband. Excellent gifting going on here:

May 2: Sconepal Rob presents a beautiful scene of jamtastic scones:

May 2: Evie, a very talented young scone aficionado, presents a batch worthy of a cookbook. Excellent work, Evie:

May 2: Sconepal Ali is on her EIGHTH lockdown bake with this Rhubarb and Ginger batch! Surely she can't be caught? Amazing work:

May 2: Sconepal Lynne shares these Cherry Bakewell Scones - a tear and share arrangement we haven't seen before. We approve:

May 2: Sconepal Norma knows how to celebrate an anniversary in a lockdown: Cheese Scones in the sunshine:

May 2: Sconepal Leah with a Cherry and Coconut Scone innovation - we're liking that very much:

May 2: Sconepal Matt provides scone wonder AND some herb lessons: these are Cheese and Wild Ransom (Three Cornered Leek) variety:

April 30: Sconepal Ali hits her SEVENTH lockdown scone bake with this beautiful Maple and Walnut selection. Worthy of a Vogue cover, frankly:

April 30: Sconepal Lu delivers a stunning composition of Carrot and Parsley-from-the-Garden Scones, invented in response to a shortage of coriander:

April 29: Sconepal CambriaCeltica shares her stunning Treacle Scones, baked using a lovely old cookbook published in the 1960s to raise funds for Llandegai church:

April 28: Sconepal Mammoth continues the good work with Cheese Scones:

April 27: Sconepal Ali hits us with lockdown scone bake number SIX! Chocolate and Marshmallow Scones. Fantastic:

April 27: Sconepal Jo delivers one of the very best scones we are likely to see during this pandemic lockdown: Chocolate and Marshmallow monster scones:

April 27: Sconepal Booktasty bakes her first ever scones and WHAT A HIT. Fruit Scones are always a delight for the eyes:

April 26: Sconepal Christian presents the before and after of Cherry Scone adventure:

April 26: Sconepal Mandy presents the wonder of the Rhubarb and Ginger Scone:

April 26: Sconepal Manc Vegetarian shares the real thing, following an earlier prototype using Play-Doh:

April 26: Sconepal Emma delights us with Chocolate and Marshmallow Scones - clearly a big lockdown favourite. 

April 26: Sconepal Ole can't bear to look at his family's latest bake. Clearly not a fan of the Rhubarb and Ginger Scone.

April 26: Sconepal Mammoth wows the crowds with these stunning Cranberry and Orange Scones.

April 25: Even my own family are getting involved in Scones for Lockdown!! Here's Tim's selection of Apple and Cinnamon Scones. Excellent work:

April 25: Sconepal Gaenor shows us why she is a professional National Trust scone baker with these Chocolate Orange beauties:

April 25: Sconepal Dot with a world first for the NT Scone Blog: Clootie Dumpling Scones!

April 25: Sconepal Ali continues her lockdown scone marathon with the Raspberry & White Chocolate variety:

April 25: Sconepal Jane forages sustainably for wild garlic leaves for these delights:

April 25: Sconepal Heather was asked for an afternoon tea by a five year-old and naturally she delivered:

April 25: Sconepal Andy bakes up a treat of Gouda Scones for us:

And follows up immediately with Two-Cheese Scones (Cheddar & Parmesan):

April 23: Sconepal Clare presents beautiful scones on beautiful tablecloth:

April 23: Sconepal Sarah bakes up a storm here:

April 22: Sconepal Caro wows the crowd with her Leek & Onion scones:

April 21: Sconepal Mike serves up "unscientifically iced" Blueberry & Lemon Scones:

April 20: Sconepal Mrs B delivers a lunchtime scone bonanza:

April 19: Sconepal Ole proudly shows off his family's Apple & Sultana Scones:

April 19: Sconepal AfterEight30 takes the Red Pepper, Onion, and Cheese to a new level:

April 19: Sconepal Barbara with Cheese Scone gloriousness:

April 19: Sconepal Manc Vegetarian's daughters show great artistry with our first ever Play-Doh scones:

April 18: Sconepal Dot takes things to a whole new level with this Sprout Scone:

April 18: Sconepal Helen goes for the aerial shot of her Rhubard & Custard Scones:

April 18: Sconepal Caroline with some Cheese Scone magnificence:

April 18: Sconepal Duke with Cheese & Bacon Breakfast Scones:

April 17: Sconepal Maria knows what to do when your kid can't sit their A'Levels; you invigilate the A'Level in Scone Baking and award an immediate A*****:

April 17: Sconepal Lu expertly handles a cold and wet lockdown day with these Welsh Herb & Cheese beauties:

April 16: Sconepal Mary and crew deliver some excellent work on the classic Fruit Scone:

April 16: Sconepal Lucinda takes a novel approach with these star-shaped Coconut & Almond Scones:

April 16: Sconepal Lynne produces tasty Cheese Scones:

April 14: Sconepal Heather shows great ingenuity here; when life gives you imperfect simnel scones, make Scone & Butter Pudding:

April 14: Sconepal Mammoth serves up some excellent Ginger & Treacle Scones here:

April 13: Sconepal Helen's son Marcus (13) takes on the Stollen Scone, which gets a big round of applause from me as the ingredients list alone would scare many a contender away:

April 13: Sconepal Karen presents her Cheese Scone delights:

April 13: Sconepal Jo gets into the Easter spirit with these Simnel Scones:

April 13: Sconepal Penny cheers us all up with these Cheese Scone marvels:

April 12: The great man himself, Sconepal Ole, looking a little underwhelmed by these Hot Cross Scones. He'd had a bad day being thwarted by cats.

April 12: Sconepal Laura heads for the fresh fruit with her fresh scones:

April 12: Sconepal EM presents Sour Cherry Scones with matching tablecloth:

April 12: Sconepal Jonathan makes up for not getting to Hardwick Hall with some Sultana Scones:

April 11: Sconepal Richard serves up a Strawberry and Marmalade scone fruit spectacular:

April 11: Sconepal Leah astounds everyone with a world-first - Mini Egg Scones:

April 11: Sconepal Abby serves a Rhubarb & Ginger Scone as part of her #notthenationaltrust house tour:

April 11: Sconepal BellsandBikes presents a stunning effort on the classic Fruit Scone:

April 11: Sconepal Pauline with another classic fruit delight:

April 11: Sconepal Andy serves up some Cheese Scone gorgeousness:

April 11: Sconepal Duke wows the crowds with a Chocolate & Marshmallow success:

April 10: Sconepal Liam aims for a Triple Chocolate but white chocolate shortage meant he settled for a Double Chcolate Scone. Brave effort: 

April 10: Sconepals Badger & Fox go for the Easter-themed Hot Cross Scone:

April 10: Sconepal Sarah with Chocolate & Marshmallow Scones for Eastertide:

April 10: Sconepal Emma serves up some Hot Cross Scone loveliness:

April 10: Sconepal Sarah greets Easter with some Hot Cross Scones:

April 10: Sconepal Neil presents a golden crop of delights:

April 10: Sconepal Jill with a double bill of Rhubard & Custard and Orange & Cranberry:

April 9: Sconepal Leah plumps for some mighty Chocolate Chip Scones: 

April 9: Sconepal JurgensGlasses delivers the one we've all been waiting for - the Hot Cross Scones:

April 9: Sconepal Phil's first ever scones! What a triumphant start to his career:

April 8: Sconepal Helen is taking the Great Flour Shortage in her stride with these Apple & Sultana Spelt Flour Beauties:

April 8: Sconepal Claire presents our first batch of furlough scones, and she's gone for the Lemon Drizzle:

April 8: Sconepal Alison serves these Cheese & Sun-dried Tomato Scones into the sunshine:

April 8: Sconepal Dot shares the Rhubarb & Ginger from her garden:

April 7: Sconepal Catherine welcomes the Eastertide with these Simnel Scones:

April 7: Sconepal Mammoth returns with the Apple & Cinnamon:

April 7: Sconepal ChouChou bakes the Apple & Raisin from Wordsworth House in the Book of Scones:

April 6: Sconepal Beth serves up these stunning Honey & Ginger beauties:

April 6: Sconepal Ali delivers her FOURTH lockdown scone batch - the Lemon & Coconut:

April 6: Sconepal Lu delivers stunning work here with the Red Pepper, Onion & Cheese Scones:

April 5: Sconepal Joe presents one of the greatest pictures of the era. I name it 'The Green, Green Grass of Scones' and will submit it to the National Gallery. The carpet so evocative of National Trust lawns; the sun mockingly reminds us we are behind bars. But we have scones and gin jam for breakfast:

April 5: Sconepal Ole (Canine Division) proudly shares his dad's Roasted Shallot, Gruyere, and Thyme scones:

April 5: Sconepal Laura repeats her #notthenationaltrust experience, this time with added tea cosy:

April 5: Sconepal Ali recreates the Calke Abbey experience at home, with a choice of Fruit Scone or Leek & Cheese:

April 5: Sconepal Heather serves up the Cheese Scone with Marmalade combo:

April 4: Sconepal Mandy did it: she served up the Christmas Pudding Scone! Fantastic!

April 4: Sconepal Norma serves up Cranberry & Orange in the gardens, in an attempt to cheer up Riley the Dog who misses his NT visits:

April 4: Sconepal Andrew shares a theatrical world first - Macbeth, performed by scones:

April 3: Sconepal Sue breaks out the Carrot & Coriander for these delights:

April 2: Sconepal Ali chalks up her third Lockdown Homebake with these Apple & Raisin beauties:

April 2: Stunning work on the Lemon Scones from Sconepal Emma:

April 2: Beautiful Lemon & Stem Ginger Scones from Sconepal Jo:

April 1: Some truly magnificent Cheese and Herb Scones from Sconepal Caroline:

March 30: Sconepal Sarah was the latest member of our troupe to open her home up for #notthenationaltrust and serve a very elegant scone:

March 30: Chocolate Orange Scones from Sconepal Milly:

March 29: Sconepal Ole (Canine Division) was the last man standing when it came to finding scones in the outside world. Now he's king of the home-bake with these Singin' Hinnies. We love you Ole.

March 29: Sconepal Catherine delivered quite possibly the most unexpected scone of all time - the Moomin scone.

March 29: Sconepal Kath bravely opened her home to National Trust members, serving Apple Scones. Obviously nobody turned up, apart from two pigeons who ignored the social distancing rules and forced her to close the gardens:

March 29: Sconepal Dot also opened her house up for #notthenationaltrust and served up these Red Pepper, Onion, and Cheese delights:

March 29: Sconepal Andy took things to a new level with Gouda Scones and Fig Compote:

March 29: Scones galore at Sconepal Liz's house:

March 29: Sconepal Nathalie broke out the Cheese & Olive scone:

March 28: Sconepal Laura ingeniously invented the 'visit your own home as if it's a National Trust property' and enjoyed this in the gardens #notthenationaltrust  

March 28: Sconepal Clare also did a #notthenationaltrust visit of her own home and found these in the tea room:

March 27: Sconepal Ali took on the Earl Grey scone AND WON:

March 27: Sconepal BeingAParent produced some Red Pepper, Onion, & Cheese scones - GLUTEN-FREE:

March 25: Sconepal Mammoth took things up a level with Chocolate & Marshmallow:

March 24: Sconepal Paula baked up another cheese scone storm:

March 24: Sconepal James was also on the cheese:

March 22: Sconepal Emily took some scones to Avebury (just before LOCKDOWN): 

March 21: Sconepal Karis produced a fruit number:

March 19: Sconepal Alison delivered this Blackberry & Apple bonanza:

March 19: Sconepal Catherine served us up this divine scene of cheese scones:

Please do send me your photos if you are fortunate enough to find any flour/other ingredients in your local shops.

I'll end with this glimmer of hope: when I went to check out the Rabbie Burns' Birthplace Museum website, I was greatly cheered to see that the cafe was represented with a pile of scones. So I make that commitment; not only will I finish the National Trust Scone Odyssey, not only will I visit the final 28 places in England and Wales, but I will go to the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway and I will enjoy a National Trust of Scotland scone. 

Stay safe, everyone, and look after each other.