Hampshire – 9 June 2012

After the wet Jubilee celebrations, with the Duke of Edinburgh ending up in hospital, no doubt due to the cold wet day for the River Pageant, Saturday was offering sunny skies. We set out for a circular drive starting in Bassingstoke.

We have never visited before, and would now see no reason to visit again, but did find their town museum really excellent, and a credit to the town. Normally we avoid such places, but were glad we visited.

From here, the drive took us through rural Hampshire, with several lovely towns. First of these was East Oakley. The village demanded a photo stop, and while photographing a lovely thatched cottage with a super garden, the owner came by and it was fascinating to hear how her husband was born in one of the rooms under the thatch. Then 20 years ago, they found it for sale in a derelict state, but now it is the picture of English perfection.

There were a number of lovely old churches on the route. One at Pamber was part of a Priory, at Wolverton, the church is a perfectly untouched original Georgian building, but our favourite was the church at Kingsclere, where King John paid for a weather vane in the shape of a bedbug, because he had suffered from bedbug bites when staying at a nearby monastery.

The town of Kingsclere is also lovely, with an interesting mix of old buildings. We enjoyed lunch at a cafe looking directly at the weather-vane. We were reminded of an article in the Metro recently, regarding a girl who has a dog trained to sniff out bed-bugs, and has been employed to go around London hotels this summer, as they are afraid the huge number of visitors from all around the world, may bring bedbugs with them.

The final stop was the lovely town of Aldermaston, where we had a bite to eat at the Hind's Head pub, From our table we could look along the High Street toward the handsome brick gate-lodge at the top of the High Street.

Village Jubilee – 4 June 2012

Having participated in some of the Jubilee celebrations in London, we set out to visit a small town, where they were also celebrating in small town fashion.

 Kathy Brown's Garden is open several times a year, and it opened this weekend to coincide with the Jubilee Weekend. The village was decorated with bunting, and to mark the occasion, they had a village well dressing.

 The well was a place of pilgrimage in medieval times; as the well beneath the church, which attracted pilgrims in the Middle Ages. John Bunyan also used the well as the place where Christain's burden fell away. This scene was depicted in the well dressing picture.

 We finished our small village celebration, with Victoria Sponge & tea in the village hall, having enjoyed the gardens and the well dressing.

A real Corker of a day - 26 May 2012

This was the first weekend of summer weather, after all the cold and rain (we had been told it was, up to this week, the coldest May for 400 years). So we, and probably half of London, headed for the coast.

The particular place on the coast we planned to visit, was Abbotsbury, the only place in the world where you can walk amongst a colony of nesting mute swans. Originally an abbey, the swans were used for food but are, apparently, very unappetizing as they taste like mud. Today it is the only privately owned herd of swans in the country and the moulted feathers are sold to Lloyds of London to be made into quills for recording events in the Casualty Book of vessels that become total losses.

Between mid May and mid June, the signets are hatching, so it was the perfect time to visit. We hoped to be there for feeding time at mid-day, and timed it perfectly, despite taking the scenic route, which was half of two different circular tours.

The first tour was based around Shaftesbury, starting for us at Fonthill Bishop. The fascination of this part of the drive, is the gatehouse. This is a massive Gothic arch across the road, which is all that remains of a huge Gothic palace, built by William Beckford, who inherited his fortune age 10. He was too impatient to wait for his palace so corners were cut, and the lack of proper foundations caused the house to collapse (rather like a certain parable!).

Shaftesbury was the perfect morning tea stop, with lovely Tudor tearooms, abbey ruins, and picturesque cobbled Gold Hill.

We left this tour here, and travelled a few miles west to pick up another scenic tour based around Sherborne. We had visited this stunning town some years ago, but it is definitely worth another visit.

From here we went straight to the swannery, in time for feeding. There were lots of swans sitting on nests and family groups with plenty of newly hatched signets.

First stop on the new tour was Cerne Abbas. This is the second giant figure cut in a hill side near the south coast. Last year we visited the Long Man at Wilmington, about 120 miles (by road) east of here.

Just north of here was Mintern Gardens, worth a visit, as the rhododendrons were still looking good.

An amazing route along a collection of minor back country roads took us to another stunning stone house at Montacute. En route, we visited a castle-like church at Bradford Abbas, and the absolutely fabulous village of East Corker.

Montacute is also a lovely village, and the House was almost empty of visitors, they were obviously still at the coast! This Tudor house is wonderful, as are the large formal gardens.

It was time to enjoy the highlight of the tour, and visit Sherborne. We enjoyed walking around, and looking out unsuccessfully for a hotel with an available room. It was several villages later, before we found a hotel to stay in. The choice was good, The Talbot in Iwerne Minster had a comfortable room, and we enjoyed an excellent feast of tapas for dinner.

Weekend walks – 19 & 20 May

Despite the dull, cold weekend, we made the most of the days and walked to points of interest in the Chilterns.

 Saturday was spent walking around Great & Little Hampden, enjoying the woods, wildlife and wild flowers.

 On Sunday we went further west to the area around Hambledon. This is one of the small gems scattered across the Chilterns. With a beautiful church (surprisingly large for the size of the village), and an appealing collection of houses.

 Nearby is Greys Court, which we visited to see their 120 year old wisteria vines in flower. Sadly, due to the cold, heavy rain and hail, the plants are looking their age, and very few flowers have survived. 

After discovering the remote woodland reserve at the end of a narrow road, the Warburg manned Visitor centre comes as rather a surprise. Here too the bluebells, were rather a poor showing, I think all the flowers are suffering.

 A mile away from here in a very remote feeling valley, is Stonor House. This house, less than an hour from central London, seems very peaceful, and a complete escape from modern life.

Along the Avon - Sunday 6 May 2012

Driving across the countryside today, was like passing through rays of sunshine. The rape fields were in full bloom, and the effect is quite stunning.

 We were off to Stratford-on-Avon via a circuitous route, starting at Charlcotte Park. This impressive Elizabethan house was a great start to our day. The house has been well looked after, and oozes history including a visit by Queen Elizabeth for which a new entrance was added.

 Not far from here is Coughton Court. It is unlikely Queen Elizabeth would have visited here, as this was owned by a Catholic family, who in later years, were very involved in the gunpowder plot.

 A short distance away was Ragley Hall. This house had a very different feel to the two houses. Built in a later era in the Palladian style, the beautiful interior, with exquisite ceilings lead room by room to a total surprise. The foyer and staircase opposite the grand hall type entrance had had a modern makeover, finished in 1983. Graham Rust took 14 years to paint a three story mural called the Temptation – the largest mural in the country. On the ceiling is Jesus on the Mount of Temptation, but all around him on the high walls is a giant mural of the family standing on balconies, surrounded by exotic animals and plants. The whole thing blows a breath of fresh air into an old period home. Quite a feeling of stepping into another world through the doorway!

 We had already passed trough some lovely towns on our tour so far, including Alcester. We continued on to Stratford-on-Avon through other nice towns including Bidford-on-Avon. This is a town well known to Shakespeare. He was also very familiar with Charlecote Park, as he was caught poaching in the park, and brought before the judge (who also was Lord of the manor).

 Straford-on-Avon was our last stop, and a wonderful town to spend time wandering around again. So full of history and rich in historic houses associated with Shakespeare. Many buildings were covered in wisteria, looking pretty much at it's best.