Cotswoldians

Ok. First of all let me say that 2 people have 2 right with the quiz. I am leaving it running for another few days in the hopes I get some more answers that I can hopefully get someone gets 3 so I don't have to worry about a 2nd prize!

BIG news... I will be leaving on the 30th July. Its official. I have a return date! Woot! Finally! Its a bit of a saga of how/why but I am definitely coming home on the 30th July. Yay! i feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted off my shoulders, cos not having a confirmed return date affected so much, and was causing more stress than the last 10 months combined! so now its is only 54 days to go!

Ok, so, I went to the Costwolds on Sunday. I woke up to find the sun trying desperately to wriggle its way through the clouds. It did manage to do this, and we had a reasonably pleasant day, until the return journey back to Bath when the sun lost it's battle and was overcome by the clouds and then as a victory sign, the clouds released rain. But I had seen the Costwolds and was heading back, so I didn't care!

Cotswolds are meant to be one of the most beautiful places in England. Famous people have weekend houses there, famous actors etc holiday there, Prince Charles has his house there, when he isn't in London. The term Cotswolds comes from the break down of Wolds... meaning undulating hills. And Cots being a farmer who one lived on the region. Many many years ago.

Well the first place we got to was Castle Combe. Combe means narrow valley. And it was winding down a little narrow road to get there. It was odd because there was a gorgeous wood alongside the road, but growing in the woods was wild garlic, so the whole village smelt of garlic. I suppose that would take some getting used to. Castle is because there used to be a Castle, but it fell down and went to ruin, and a Manor house was built instead, which has since been turned into a hotel, as many of them have. Michelle Pfieffer has stayed there.

There was a market cross, because it used to be a market town, and there is a nice little church.

From there we went to Badminton. The Manor house in Badminton is still a functioning manor house, and Lord Beauford who lives in the manor owns about 98% of the houses in the village and leases them out. As such he gets to pick the colour of the guttering etc, as their landlord, so they all have hideous goldy/yellow/caramel coloured drainpipes!! (photo from inside coach so has UV greening)Apparently he is one of the few lords of the manor who don't have to open their homes to the public to help subsidise the upkeep, because he is loaded. A fine art dealer apparently, who is friends with many celebrities.

Random fact #1: Badminton is called such because it was invented in the manor house, back in the day when guests would amuse themselves on rainy days with indoor tennis in the hall. The owner was fed up with the damage to his paintings that he invented the shuttlecock. And all badminton courts are now the exact size of the manor house's main hall, and the nets are the height of the mantles inside.

From here it was on to Bibury which is a trout farming town. We stopped for a drink, then went for a short walk on the Rake Isle which is between the river and the mill stream, and (random fact #2) it called Rake Isle because it is where the sheep fleeces were hung to dry, on Rakes, and they were hung up using tenter hooks. We walked past Arlington Row which is said to be the most photographed row of houses in Britain... so I had to take a photo!

We then walked back around up past the river where there a couple of wild trout swimming, eating the bread the ducks don't get. Further up the river, just across the next road was the Trout farm where you could go an catch your own trout to take home. Apparently people buy trout to stock their local rivers from there as it is that large and successful! And further up by the bridge back onto the Isle was a mummy and daddy swan and some baby cygnets. As per usual, the mum was looking after the kids while the dad was getting hand fed bread! From here we went to Stow-on-the-Wold where we stopped for lunch. It isn't anything special because it is a more developed town, with a YHA and banks and mini supermarket and stuff. Stow means Sacred Place apparently.

Then we went to the Slaughters. As graphic as it sounds, slaughter means muddy place. We drove through lower slaughter, to Upper Slaughter. Then we got out, walks a little loop of the village which had some absolutely gorgeous sights in it.

Then the coach driver/guide sent us off on a walk through fields and stuff to get to Lower Slaughter where he met us. Then we had the opportunity to have an icecream if we wanted, which I didn't bring my money for... shame... cos they had very random flavours!!! There was also a little antique shop that had a row of ornamental staddles. Random Fact #3: these were used to store grain barrels on so that they were above ground and not getting wet. 4 of them were placed on the ground, and a wooden board was put down and the barrels placed on top. They are shaped as they are because it was impossible for mice to climb them. They are now sought after garden ornaments and some houses have the originals, while others buy new ones which as you can see, are made for any size garden. But the original ones were only the giant size. That was the last stop, then we got back on the coach and drove back into bath, past the outside gate to Prince Charles' house, which you wouldn't know was there if it wasn't pointed out as it is completely hidden away and not marked at all. It was a good day, very informative, and now I can say I have done the Cotswolds. Even if that was only a beginners guide to them. I got a sense of them.

It has been glorious weather the last 2 days. Today was about 22/23'C weather wise, but in the sun was up to about 30'C. I was working just the afternoon in a nursery that has very poor ventilation so I was rather warm! Hopefully it stays like this for the weekend when I am off to the Lake District for 2 days/3 nights. *fingers crossed* I am still getting used to the sunshine, and the daylight hours! It is currently 8pm. This what it looks like out my window...