Westminster and about - London day 1

Day 14, Friday 24 August

We became your regular, run-of-the–mill tourists today. Sturdy, practical shoes, back pack full of rations and emergency supplies we headed out early to catch all the important monuments and museums before they could disappear!

Westminister Abbey

We began our invasion of the wonders of London at Westminster Abbey, a far more inspiring Christian place of worship than Salisbury Cathedral and very much a who's who of British history. Every English monarch since William the Conqueror has been crowned there and a lot of them are buried there as well. It is a great building crammed to the hilt with tombs and memorials of all shapes and egos. Its tells great stories of British history and of the families that have run the place.

We were not able to take any photos inside so you will just need to believe us that it is an interesting interior to visit and much more interesting than most of the churches we have been to.

North entrance and side of Westminster Abbey.

Jewel Tower

Back in the days before banks King Edward III needed somewhere to keep his jewels and bullion so the Jewel Tower was built in 1365 as part of the original Palace of Westminster. Only the Jewel Tower and Westminster Hall survived a fire that destroyed the Palace in 1834.

It is an interesting building and no doubt secure in its day but would not be much of a challenge for most modern thieves.

The Jewel Tower

Big Ben

Big Ben would have to be one of London's most iconic landmarks. It looked as if it had been polished up for the Olympics but it is certainly an impressive clock and tower. The Elizabeth tower (Big Ben is the bell for the clock) is massive and is named after Queen Elizabeth II, because the tower at the other end of the parliament building is named after Queen Victoria.

Big Ben's timekeeping is strictly regulated by a stack of coins placed on the huge pendulum. Big Ben has rarely stopped. Even after a bomb destroyed the Commons chamber during the Second World War,  Big Ben continued to strike the hours.

The chimes of Big Ben were first broadcast by the BBC on 31 December 1923, a tradition that continues to this day.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

Just to prove we were both there!

Horse Guards

Walking down Whitehall towards The Banqueting House, Cath could not resist going over to the Horse Guards and checking out the guards on duty. Two guards on horses and two on foot put up with tourists all day. They must just love this part of their job!

The Banqueting House

We had no queues to contend with at the Banqueting House and the people that were there were immersed in the atmosphere of the place. This an extraordinary building both in terms of history and architecture.

It was the first major classical building to be completed in England. The proportions of the main hall give it a feeling of symmetry and balance. The building was commissioned by Charles I, designed by Inigo Jones and completed in 1622. It features an amazing series of paintings on the ceiling painted by Peter Paul Rubens. They are the only Rubens paintings still in their original location.

The Banqueting House was the location of the execution of Charles I in 1649. Oliver Cromwell apparently decided that as The Banqueting Hall was Charles' favourite building he should be executed there. He walked through the hall to a scaffold outside and was beheaded as England descended into civil war.

The main Banqueting room.

The central panel of the Rubens ceiling paintings

Trafalgar Square

The square is always busy but is is now trying to cope with the extra visitors and preparations for the Paralympics. At least there is some space at Trafalgar Square to have the information tents and the count-down clock for the Games.

Trafalgar Square with the National Gallery above it.

In the evening we met up with Kate and Luke Wynne for dinner at a tapas bar in Soho. Kate and Luke told us that they are expecting their first baby in February next year. Very exciting and there was a lot of talk about babies. They are enjoying living and working in London but are planning to spend a month back in Melbourne after the baby is born. It was great to catch up with them and they had lots of recommendations on places to eat and shop near our apartment as Luke works in Covent Garden.

With Kate and Luke at Polpo tapas bar in Soho.

Onward to London

Day 13, Thursday 23 August

Rhinefeld House oozes tranquility, sad to leave this magnificent haven deep in the
Rhinefield Forest but London calls. So like Dick Whittington we are off to follow the mileposts to Waterloo Station where we leave our two wheels and take to the streets of London.

Breakfast was in the Amarda room at Rhinefield House.

Drive to London

The drive to London was relatively straight forward except our recalcitrant GPS decided to take a more circuitous route via Heathrow Airport and bringing us into the city from the North-West rather from the South. It was a slow drive into central London as we waved to the crowds outside Buckingham Palace and those just dispersing after the house guard parade. We passed by Westminster and eventually made it to Waterloo Station. By the time we had off loaded the car, we were in no mood to tackle trains so we caught a cab instead. This was indeed a wise move as within a very short time we were delivered close to our accommodation in Covent Garden. The apartment in Neal Street is a very compact and totally satisfactory apartment right in the middle of the action in Covent Garden. After passing our introductory lesson on working appliances, we headed out to collect our London Pass cards and to start exploring London.

Cath tackles the blog from the living area of the apartment in Covent Garden.

London

Our cab driver had made a passing comment about how the crowds were light today. We were flabbergasted to hear this as our impression was that the whole games community were all still milling around London. Somewhat overwhelmed by noise and people, we decided to retreat to the relative peace of the hop-on-hop-off bus. In fact this was a great strategy, as it allowed us to get our bearings in a city that neither of us have visited before and start our strategic planning for our assault on the museums, places or interest etc that London has  to offer, and that we want to comprehensively explore in four days!

Our ‘The Original Tour’ hop-on-hop-off bus took a meandering route through central London and we figured out where lots of place were on the map rather than on the Monopoly board. We passed by Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Green Park, St James Park, Hyde Park, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, hotels like – the Savoy, the Grosvenor (with an assortment of Bentleighs, Bugatti Veyrons, Lamborgini's etc), Buckingham Palace (Marm was not in residence; apparently she was taking a short break at Balmoral), The London Eye (ho-hum), Kensington Palace, Westminister Abbey, Marble Arch, Saville Row, The Tower of London, Ebury Row; in fact we covered all of a monopoly board and more, because then there were the people. Lots and lots of people, jostling, clumping, talking, arguing, sticking together in fear of getting lost, and rushing around with familiar ease. But whether they were black, white or anywhere in between there were sooooooo many people.

Dinner tonight was traditional English fish and chips on the patio at the apartment.

Toasting the English fish and chips using a Chilean wine on the roof of the apartment.

From the sea to the forest

On the way to Salisbury

I spied a crocodile this morning on the road out of Lynmouth. One of the many unusual decorative features the locals of Lynmouth call sculptures; scattered around their town. These bizarre creations are made of mysterious assortments scrap metal. Some look like they have been pilfered off medieval chain mail, others look like they were once part of old diving equipment. The resulting creatures are weird and unusual to say the least. One place claims to be the home of aliens; and given their tastes in sculpture I would not be surprised to find a galek or two behind the closed doors of Lynmouth.

Lynmouth with the tide about half way in. This part of the coast has a massive tide range.

We have just driven the most dense forest imaginable, Exmoor State Forest to be exact – Robin Hood and his merry men would be right at home in these parts and after negotiating 25 degree gradients through the forest we have reached the plateau, which opens out to rolling hills of compact, mauve heath ... not a tree in sight; an amazing contrast to the lush, dense woodlands of earlier. In places the forest is so dense that it forms a canopy that arches over the road completely, creating a tunnel effect. We have needed all our faculties on the road this morning, not only have we needed to be on the lookout for wandering sheep, but pheasants and deer have also been obstacles we have had to avoid.

Salisbury

Once we cleared the rolling hills of Devon it was freeway travel most of the way to Salisbury. We ignored the Park and Ride signs and drove into the centre of town and easily found a park. We had some lunch and then walked up to the Cathedral.

The ham and cheese croisant comes with crisps, most things come with crisps!

It is an impressive building built in a very open area of Salisbury. We normally see Cathedrals hemmed into narrow plots in the centre of town but not this one, it has acres of land around it.
It is a massive building but the main church is built in a restrained Gothic style. The builders have created a Cathedral that is strong and tall by using a central nave with side isles. Inside it is a very long and high interior but very much over scale for a place like Salisbury (more on that later). The Cathedral is different in that it is also a monument to recent events, having memorials to Iraq casualties as well as tombs for 13th century knights.

Salisbury Cathedral is massive and surrounded by large grassed areas. The spire is the tallest in the UK.

So massive you would have no idea what was happening at the altar if you were even a third of the way back!

We both came away thinking why would you build a monster Cathedral in a place like Salisbury. The answer lies really in the history of Salisbury and Old Sarum, just out of Salisbury. Old Sarum was the home of the Kings of England from the iron age until the Normal conquest and then from the time of Henry I (1100 – 35), who moved his court from Winchester to Old Sarum, until the reign of John (1199 – 1216). We drove out there and walked up to the remains of the old castle. The iron age hill-fort, the remnants of the Norman castle and the remains of the cathedral are there to explore. It was great looking at the history of the site and the information available helped it all to make sense.

King John had a falling out with the cathedral clergy and the bishop happened to own the land that is New Sarum (Salisbury) and decided to build a new cathedral there. The cathedral at Old Sarum was demolished to provide materials and important graves were moved and that is why Salisbury has this crazy big cathedral. The arguments between King John and the Bishop of Old Sarum were the catalyst for the creation of the Magna Carta. An original version of the Magna Carta is displayed at Salisbury Cathedral and we were surprised at how small it is, about the size of an A3 sheet in fine latin print.

Old Sarum was great because it provided information to make sense of the place and put it into some perspective with its surrounds. After our time at Old Sarum it was time to head back through Salisbury to Rhinefield House at Brockenhurst.

Entrance to Old Sarum using a modern bridge over the old moat to the original stone age ring fort. The remains of the Norman gate can be seen.

The central area of the ring fort that would have been markets and meeting places from medieval times.

The remains of the Royal Court buildings inside the fort at Old Sarum.

The fort was well protected from all sides.

Rhinefield House

Bernie has chosen this New Forest location for our last night on the road before we head to the hustle and bustle of London tomorrow. I am almost reluctant to leave our nomadic travels as each day has been an adventure, discovering new and even more wonderous places to experience.

It was an easy 30 minute drive South of Salisbury and the last few kilometres are through the Rhinefield Forest. Rhinefield House has existed in its present form since the 1880's but there have been dwellings on the site since the "New Forest" was first proclaimed by William the Conqueror in about 1097. The house is a great mix of styles from English Manor to European Gothic. Rooms have been built with themes with the main dining room being the Armada room with a great overpiece of the English fleet routing the Spanish Amada and the Alambra room being copied from the Alambra palace in Granada, Spain.

The facade of Rhinefield House.

The back of Rhinefield house.

Not quite Versailles but still impressive.

 

The roof and light of the Alambra room.

A corner of the Alambra room.

Detail of the walls from the Alambra room. Craftsmen from Spain spent 2 years building the room.

We relaxed by the ornamental pools before heading off to dinner. Overall it was a great day with the contrasts of the ruins of Old Sarum and the scale of Salisbury Cathedral and then the serenity of Rhinefield House.

Visiting Bath and then on to Lynmouth

Day 11, Tuesday 21 August

Today on our way to Bath we went through the towns of Pucklechurch, Didmarton and Knockdown. Now I thought the Welsh had the scoop on strange and unusual names but the English rival the crazy tongue twister names with absurd and ridiculous names.

Bath

I’m sure I saw Jane Austen today; or at least her shadow in the wonderful buildings of Bath.

In Northanger Abbey Jane writes 
'They arrived in Bath. Catherine was all eager delight; - her eyes were here, there, everywhere, as they approached its fine and striking environs, and afterwards drove through those streets which conducted them to the hotel. She was come to be happy, and she felt happy already'.

The Roman baths

We walked today where Romans walked on 2000 year-old pavements beside the steaming pools of the baths. This extraordinary testament to the engineering skills and lifestyle that the Romans created to imitate life as they would have lived it in Rome.

Standing before the mysterious green waters of the great pool at Bath, overlooked by time-darkened statues of Roman emperors, you cannot help but feel transported in time, back to the days when Roman citizens and centurions bathed in this pool and offered homage to the patron goddess of the waters, Minerva. It's an illusion, of course. The familiar green hue of the pool is not the result of mystery, but of algae, caused by the water's exposure to the open air.

Roman houses had water supplied via lead pipes. However, these pipes were taxed according to their size, so many houses had just a basic supply and could not hope to rival a bath complex. Therefore for personal hygiene, people went to the local baths. The bath complex was not just about cleanliness it was also a gathering point and served a very useful community and social function.

Taking a bath was not a simple chore. There was not one bath to use in a large complex; not dissimilar to a good sports complex today. A visitor could use a cold bath (the frigidarium), a warm bath (the tepidarium) and a hot bath (the caldarium). The Bath complex also contained an exercise area (the palaestra), a swimming pool and a gymnasium.

Women would come to the baths with their slaves for beauty treatments and compare who had the best behaved slaves, the best oils and the best beauty treatments. Sound familiar?
The Roman Baths Museum contains many objects of interest, including thousands of objects thrown into the spring as offerings to the goddess. These offerings including curses.  Messages inscribed on sheets of lead or pewter that were rolled up and thrown into the spring where the spirit of the goddess dwelt. Theft was a problem in Roman bath houses, so slaves watched bathers' property and curse tablets punished those who stole.

Imagine emerging wet from a swimming pool to find your clothing gone. How would you get home? Would a kindly stranger lend you a jacket? Would you notify the police? The Romans didn't have police, but they did have something else that worked as a deterrent, the fear of the gods. In general, the tone of the tablets displayed at Bath seems excessive, out of proportion to the crime.

Try a sip of the hot mineral spring water in the Pump Room's fountain - it tastes truly awful, but has long been believed to have healing powers!

Royal Crescent in Bath. A Georgian classic.

Bath to Lynmouth

Driving through the Devon countryside this afternoon was spectacular. Imagine someone has thrown a patchwork quilt over a very lumpy bed. The fields surrounded by their hedgerows represent the patches on a quilt. The intensity and variety of greens, sit aside lush heath and fields that have been cropped and sit yellowing in the summer sun. Picture perfect.

Lynmouth is a quiet, picturesque harbour village where the rivers of the East and West Lyn join to meet the sea. Thatched white walled cottages sit crowded on the side of the clifs overlooking the very cute seaside town. It has the second highest tides in the world, which are sometimes quite spectacular. The beach (or what the English take for a beach) is a sludgy grey slop, until it reaches they grey smooth rocks that create bubbles as the waves cascade over their smooth surfaces.

Looking over the river from our B&B at low tide.

The famous Cliff Railway joins Lynmouth to its twin village, Lynton, set in a hanging valley 500 feet above. The area has for many years been known as "England's Little Switzerland" and has inspired poets including Shelley and Southey. The area has stunning unspoilt river walks, a picturesque harbour and eclectic range of great shopping from the Rye carnival experience to brilliant seafood restaurants.

Giles, our host at the Riverside Cottages B&B, is a character right out of Doc Marten. When I asked him about the dress code in the restaurant he recommended for our dinner tonight he responded: “Oh (with a Devon inflection) anything goes ‘ere. Yer need clothes though.” I’m thinking he means relaxed casual.

On the pier at Lynmouth.

To Oxford and wandering the Cotswalds

Day 10, Monday 20 August

On the way to Oxford - Cirencester

Monday is market day in Cirencester – so we arrived in time to pick up some good deals at a Moroccan stall!!! The woman who ran the stall, lives in Morocco, buys her goods there and brings them back to good old England to sell them at a handy profit.

Cirencester, known as the "Capital of the Cotswolds", is an historic Roman town in the heart of the Cotswolds with attractions from a Roman Ampitheatre to the nearby Chedworth Roman Villa. We settled for a walk around the centre of the town and the market stalls before heading off to Oxford.

Oxford

The day was interesting before it had really started. We had fully intended parking the car outside Oxford and catching the bus into town. Somehow we managed to be inside the city before we knew it. So we ditched Plan A and moved directly into Plan B, park the car and walk. And walk we did not just once around Oxford but twice. You might well ask why, but that story is for another time.

First stop Christ College

Christ College is a working academic and religious institution and some areas, including the Hall and the Cathedral, sometimes close without notice. This twelfth century church is amongst the oldest buildings in Oxford, and one of the smallest Anglican cathedrals in England. It is also the only church in the world to be both a cathedral and a college chapel.

Christ College (also known as ‘The House’) was founded in 1525 by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, and was originally called Cardinal's College. In 1546 Henry VIII took it over and renamed it Christ College. This college is the largest of all Oxford's Colleges. In the middle of the College lies Tom Quad, the largest quadrangle in Oxford; a beautiful manicured space of green lawn with welcoming signs saying – ‘keep off the grass’.

Tom Tower was dedicated to Thomas of Canterbury. The upper section of the tower was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1682. The 7-tonne bell in the tower chimes 101 times each night at 9:05pm, the time when the original 101 students were called back for curfew. Since Oxford is 5 minutes west of Greenwich, this is actually 9pm Oxford time.

The Great Hall (the college dining hall) was closed for the students lunch when we first visited so we came back again later and it was open and set up for the dinner session. It will look familiar to any fans of the Harry Potter films, as it inspired the set of Hogwarts dining hall. Scenes from the movie were filmed there, and on the grand stairs leading to the Hall. It is easy to imagine Harry standing up from the dinner table and making one of his very Potterish speeches in front of the witches and wizards in training at Hogwarts.

Christ College has produced 13 British Prime Ministers in the last 200 years. That's more Prime Ministers than were produced from any other college in Oxford, or by the whole of Cambridge University!

There are many other buildings worth visiting while in Oxford. Some are associated with the University, and some are not, but most of them are old and fascinating and are definitely photo-worthy. I was particularly captivated by the Bridge of Sighs. Officially known as Hertford Bridge, it is more often called the Bridge of Sighs because of the similarity to the famous bridge in Venice. It was never intended to be a replica of any existing bridge. It was completed in 1914 to connect two sections of Hertford College.

On our second lap around the city, we navigated the streets of Oxford with conviction looking for the Old Fire Station. Found it – or at least we found the spot where it used to be, which has been turned into a café. To soften our disappointment were felt justified in ordering two ice-creams.

Lower Slaughter

We decided to have another go at discovering the secrets of the much lauded Lower Slaughter. When we were there yesterday the Sunday throng made it less than appealing especially for my travelling fellow, who has an allergy to crowds. 

Today Lower Slaughter ran at a much more gentle pace. The feature of LS is its row of unspoilt limestone cottages in the traditional Cotswold style, that sit beside yet another babbling brook. Trout can even be seen swimming against the flow of the brook. The stream running through the village is crossed by two small bridges and the local attraction is a converted mill with original water wheel. Gorgeousness! The name of the village of Lower Slaughter stems from the Old English name for a wet land 'slough' or 'slothre' (Old English for muddy place) upon which it lies.

It was then time to head back to Bibury. The day visitors had left and it was quiet drinks and dinner in the courtyard at the Swan Hotel on another warm English evening.

Off to the UK ...

Day 8, Saturday 18 August

Leaving Dublin

Up early and packing before breakfast to catch a taxi to Dublin port to catch the 8:45 ferry across to Holyhead in Wales. Check-in was like an airport and after getting rid of our luggage it was onto a bus to go over to the ferry. The ferry was one of the high-speed Sea-Cat wave cutting catamarans built in Tasmania. It was a smooth 2 hour crossing and the ferry was very comfortable. Collected the cases, slipped quietly through customs and immigration, collected our hire car and took to the roads of Wales.

A taste of Wales

What a treat Wales was. Bernie thought it would be a good idea to test our new found navigational skills by going inland through the Snowdonia region. Now the first challenge I encountered as navigator was the Welsh language. For any of you who have not encountered Welsh before, names of places look more like letters of the alphabet jumbled up. I challenge anyone to navigate through places like:
Llanfihangelyn Nhowyn
Penmaenmawr
Betws-y-Coed
Porthmadog
Nant Gwrtheyrn


The scenery was stunning from Holyhead through the many appallingly named towns. Lots of steep rocky mountains and mountain streams in a very rugged and beautiful part of the UK.

Llangollen

Llangollen is a gem a little treasure tucked in the far northern tip of Wales. There are mountains, white water rivers including the spectacular River Dee canals with horse-drawn boats, The Llangollen Steam Railway with steam trains that chug along the Dee Valley.

Llangollen is a very popular spot for the English who want a ‘Wales’ experience; or for those who are looking for a rest from their rambling in the hills surrounding the town. I am reminded of Switzerland.

Llangollen gives the impression of being hugged by lush green forests that are most probably snow laden during winter. It is a truly amazing town, encapsulating the best North Wales has to offer in a small area. We caught Llangollen on a wonderful sunny Saturday. It was humming with sightseers and walkers of all ages.

Sampling the Llangollen ice-cream

The Steam Train

They have a steam train that still runs regular passenger trips down the mountains. As we approached the station plumes of smoke were filling the air, and the unmistakable noises of an engine chapping at the bit to be on its way. Several photos of a train from north to south were taken for Ethan our train

afficionado grand son.

Getting ready for departure of the steam train.

Chester

Once out of Wales it was but a short hop to England and on to Chester.The Crowne Plaza does not live up to its name, but it has a bed and that's all we need after exploring one of the most gorgeous towns yet.

Chester was in festive mode - the Chester Horse races were being run and all the native Chestorians were out in their finest to celebrate the occasion. The cup was run by the time we ventured into the heart of the city and people poured from the race track into the city giving the city a wonderful festive vibe. The day was a gem, sunshine and warm weather added to the festive feel. Even the police who were everywhere had smiles on their faces.

When it comes to beautiful cities, Chester is one of the loveliest. As soon as you arrive in Chester you will appreciate the city's unique atmosphere and sense of history. Founded by the Romans over 2000 years ago, much of the Roman influence remains and Chester's city walls are the most complete in Britain.

Chester is a walled town, the main wall being built of a red sandstone.  As the sandstone has weathered over the years its roughened surface has been worn to smooth edges, making all the sandstone walls and bridges very distinctive.

The Mews

One of Chester's great attractions is the Mews, a series of two-level galleried arcades along the four streets that fan out in each direction from the central Cross. The architecture is a quirky mix of Victorian and Tudor (original and mock) buildings that house a collection of pubs and shops. Of course the pubs were all doing a roaring trade as the successful and not so successful race goers rehashed the day over a glass or two of ale.
It is thought that as the Roman walls slowly crumbled, medieval traders built their shops against the resulting rubble banks, while later arrivals built theirs on top; thus giving the rows their distinctive character.

Part of the Mews

Eastgate Clock

The Eastgate clock, is said to be the most famous clock in England after London's Big Ben, built for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Fabulously ornate it sits over an arch of the bridge in one of the main streets in Chester.

The Eastgate clock stands on the old Roman wall above the main street of Chester.


The Walls

Walking the historic walls that originally defended Chester (built on Roman fortifications, then added to over subsequent centuries) gives you an opportunity to see the unique character of the city in a different way. Brilliant way to see the city and the river from above. We were lucky that it was relatively quiet on the walls as the throng were busy celebrating the Chester Cup in the pubs below. We only did a portion of the 2 mile circuit and loved what we saw.

Part of the old walls beside the Dee River bridge

At the south eastern corner of the walls are the wishing steps, added in 1785; local legend claims that if you can run up and down these uneven steps while holding your breath your wish will come true. I didn’t know about the breath holding so I doubt my wish will be valid.
To the southern end of the wall just onside the wall is the Old Dee Bridge; Dee being the name of the river that flows along this end of Chester.
The banks of the Dee river is the place to slow the pace down and take in the river scenery. This is the place to stroll along and take in the very English scenes of old ice-cream kiosks, people boating on the river, beautiful white swans circling with their tail feathers all fluffed up to be noticed and appreciated.

The Dee River and one of the walking bridges over it.


St John the Baptist Church

Built on the site of an older Saxon church in 1075, it's been a peaceful ruin since 1581. It includes the remains of a Norman choir and medieval chapels.

A section of the ruins of the old church.

Roman Ampitheatre

Chester's most complete set of Roman ruins sits on the outside of the Walls. This discovery reminded me a bit of Rome where you find different layers of history around every corner. The ruins of the ampitheatre were discovered in 1929 when a boiler room was being built underneath Dee House and a large curved wall appeared. Once an arena that seated 7000 spectators (making it the country's largest), this Roman ampitheatre has undergone a series of mildly successful excavations at the hands of enthusiastic locals. It gives you a taste of what might have been, but is underwhelming in that it is not made a feature of Chester rather a somewhat forgotten, poor cousin to all the other wonders of Chester.

Not much to look at now but once this was a 7000 seat ampitheatre.



We had dinner at The Red Lion Hotel (funny but every town seems to have a Red Lion Hotel) – good food, great atmosphere.

To Nuneaton and then into the Cotswalds

Day 9, Sunday 19 August

Nuneaton

An easy drive along the M6 direction towards Manchester to get to our first destination – Nuneaton, a must see for Bernie as his great-great-great grandfather came from there as a brick maker in 1859 to establish brickworks with one of his brothers in Dandenong. Nuneaton did not look a thriving place and after a stroll around and some time spent looking at family records at the local library it was time to head into the Cotwalds and the land of strange place names.

Nuneaton, all dressed up but still looking very tired!

Bernie checking on some family history at the Nuneaton library.

Chipping Campden 

The ancient mediaeval wool town town of Chipping Campden has many beautiful buildings. It is a long almost single streeted town nestling in tranquil and beautiful countryside. The buildings provide a plethora of architectural styles across the centuries and the town is considered an area of outstanding natural beauty and a conservation area.
Chipping Campden’s long held traditions from centuries past still live on and include local craftsmen such as Potters, Stonecarvers, Jewellers, Silver & Goldsmiths, Art & Craft.

Morton-in-Marsh

Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire is one of the principal market towns in the northern Cotswolds. It grew up in the thirteenth century as a market town with a wide main street, and narrow back lanes. Today it is still a very cute little town but, regrettably a retailers heaven.

Upper and Lower Slaughter

Both are great little towns but packed out today so it was a drive through each and the promise to wander back when there are fewer people around.

Bourton-On-The-Water

My favourite so far! The prettiest villages in England, Bourton-on-the-Water has more than its share of Cotswold mansions or manor houses as they like to call them here; houses and cottages, many of them three hundred years to four hundred years old. Today being a hot day (28C) the water in the stream running through town was acting as the local swimming pool. Children and dogs alike were frolicking (not playing) in the water like they had never seen water before. Others were picnicking on the banks of the stream. The overall impression is of a soft and gentle place, a place where people stroll and never run.

Bibury

Now to begin to describe Bibury pronounced Bi (as in bi- centennial), - bury; is a challenge with words or with pictures, because there is so much more to the experience than these two dimensions allow. Bibury is a sensual experience; it smells of summer sweetness, lightly mingled with ripening hay and overtones of animal (no I am not describing a wine). Bibury sounds gentle; a mixture of the melody of the River Coin; harmonised with bird calls, (even pigeons, which I generally refer to as flying rats), sound right with the other sounds of this gorgeous spot. I am expecting to hear frogs and owls and other night creatures from our garret accommodation. It looks at peace with itself. Today possibly saw Bibury at its best a lazy summers afternoon, when we were able to wander among the honey coloured Costwold stone buildings, stroll along the walkways beside the river.
The River Coln flows through Bibury sandwiched between the main village street and an expanse of boggy water meadow known as Rack Isle. With Arlington Row of weaver’s cottages as a backdrop, it makes one of the most picturesque scenes in the Cotswolds. I am trying to convince Bernie that we need more than two nights here to absorb the serenity. I know I am unwinding because today I didn’t wear my watch, which is unheard of in Melbourne.
I think that this is as close as you can get to the perfect Cotswold experience.

The Arlington Row of cottages

The Swan Hotel is where we are staying in Bibury.