Destinations | The Travel Lady In Her Shoes

A Photo a Week Challenge: Stripes

The Conwy, Wales Suspension Bridge, built by Thomas Telford in 1826, was one of the first road suspension bridges in the world. Built into the rock on which Conwy Castle stands, it is very close to the castle. Part of the castle had to be demolished during construction in order for the suspension cables to be anchored into the rock. Telford matched the bridge’s supporting towers with the castle’s turrets! To the right of the suspension bridge runs the wrought iron tubular railway bridge built by Robert Stephenson. Today the Suspension Bridge is only passable on foot and is in the care of the National Trust. Won’t you join me on our visit to Conwy, Wales?

Conwy, Wales Suspension Bridge

Meet the Family: Kinlet to Acton Burnell, UK

The Sheep and Lambs at Kinlet Hall, Kinlet, Shropshire

I have been doing genealogy for a number of years, going back farther and farther in my family history, now over 35,000 people strong! One of the reasons for the trip to the UK was to document and photograph the villages my family (my mother’s side) came from and to visit the last village that Richard Henry Lee, my 22nd GGrandfather, lived in before leaving England for the United States in the early 1600’s. What an experience! The first stop after leaving the Cotswolds was Kinlet, Kin (royal) lett (district) Shropshire, population around 600. I was looking for St John’s Church where my relatives, the Blounts, are buried. First driving to Cleobury Mortimer, the roads dwindled to sheep pastures and upon reaching Kinlet, the main attraction seemed to be The Eagle and the Serpent Pub, in the middle of nowhere! They have THE BEST burgers and fries!!!!!

The Eagle and Serpent Pub, Kinlet, Shropshire, UK

Driving up and down the road several times, to my dismay, and seeing no sign of a church, we did find a large old school now being used as a nursing home. SB, being the gentleman he always is, went in the nursing home to inquire about St John’s Church. The young attendants had no clue to it’s where abouts, but a tiny frail woman in a wheel chair said, “take the path in front of the pub up the hill!”

It was a path with an iron gate, which we opened and went in and drove on up the hill through the rolling hills dotted with sheep and lambs. When the path ended, there was the church and next door a huge, huge, huge manor house! The Manor House or Kinlet Hall is now the Moffats School, a private school, but we went in and talked to the head mistress, who through marriage was also related to the Blount family. She told us to take as many pictures outside the building as we wanted, as not to disturb the classes, and to go on through the gate to the church. This is what I found in Kinlet and St John’s Church.

Sign Entering Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, UK

Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, UK

A Kissing Gate, St John’s Church, Kinlet, UK

St John’s Church, Kinlet, UK

St John’s Church, Kinlet, Shropshire, UK

The Gravemarkers, St John’s Church, Kinlet, UK

The Blount Monuments, St John’s Church, Kinlet, UK

An Antique Casket Carrier, St John’s Church, Kinlet, UK

The Blount Monuments, St John’s Church, Kinlet, UK

Clock on Kinlet Hall, Kinlet, UK

Rolling Meadows, Kinlet Hall, Kinlet, UK

The Sheep of Kinlet Hall, Kinlet, UK

Kinlet Hall, Kinlet, UK

Kinlet Hall, Kinlet, Shropshire, UK

Sheep at Kinlet Hall, Kinlet, UK

It’s nice to know your relatives were so well thought of and very important to the community!

Outer Shell of Acton Burnell Castle, Acton Burnell, England

Next, traveling to Acton Burnell, we discovered the remnants of Acton Burnell Castle and a path through a really spooky grove of trees that we had to go through in order to reach the castle. I couldn’t help but think something awful had gone on here! If only these trees could talk!

The Spooky Path Through the Woods at Acton Burnell Castle, Acton Burnell, England

Acton Burnell Castle is a 13th century fortified manor house, located near the village of Acton Burnell, Shropshire, England. Built in 1284 by Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath and Wells, friend and advisor to King Edward I, the manor house was substantial enough to accommodate Edward I, his household, soldiers and advisors. It is believed that the first Parliament of England in which the Commons were fully represented was held here in 1283. Today all that remains is St Mary’s Church, also built by Robert Burnell, and the outer shell of the castle. The Lee family must have been important in the village of Acton Burnell, but like a lot of young men of his time, Richard Henry Lee was not the oldest son to inherit, so left England to start fresh in a new country. It’s good to see where you came from so you know where you’re going! Have you traced your family back to lands unknown? What did you experience? I would love to know! Enjoy!

St Mary’s Church at Acton Burnell Castle, England

Weird Trees at Acton Burnell Castle, England

The Remnants of Acton Burnell Castle, England

The Setting of Acton Burnell Castle, England

Sign for Acton Burnell Castle, England

Cross at St Mary’s Church, Acton Burnell, England

St Mary’s Church, Acton Burnell, England

A Cottage in the Cotswolds: Stanton to Stanway House

Gateway to Stanway House

Gateway of Stanway House

Front Entrance of Stanway House

Today we are visiting Stanway House, an outstanding example of a Jacobean manor house, owned by Tewkesbury Abbey for 800 years and then for 500 years by the Tracy family. Their descendants, the Earls of Wemyss, still live here. The manor was built with the warm soft yellow stone known as Guiting Yellow and has a stone roof and a jewel-like Gatehouse. The oldest part of the house is the gabled west end which includes the great hall, a light-filled room due to the full height bay window. Most of the furniture in the house has been here since it was made, which includes a pair of Chippendale day beds and exercise chair from 1760, many rare paintings, and two Broadway pianos. More spectacular than the house are the gardens, created in the 1720‘s by garden designer, Charles Bridgeman, who became the Royal Gardner in 1727. The garden includes fine specimen trees, broad terraced lawns with herbaceous borders, eight ponds, a brewery, and a 14th century tithe barn, now used for events and as a theatre. Through a restoration project during the last decade, the manor claims title to one of the finest water gardens in England, including the single jet fountain at 300 feet, the highest fountain in England and the highest gravity fountain in the world. Thanks to it’s location at the foot of the Cotswold Way, a 102-mile footpath from the Cotswold Edge to the Cotswold Hills, primarily from Chipping Campden to Bath, this area has been protected from many changes of the 20th century. This is what makes the Cotswolds so charming! It’s unspoiled! J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan, was a regular visitor to this lovely village on the Cotswold Way and stayed at the Stanway House often. I can just see Peter and Wendy flying out of the windows and over the beautiful grounds of the Stanway Manor!

Stanway House

The Church at Stanway House

The Private Church at Stanway House

The Flowers at Stanway House

One Tiny Garden at Stanway House

The Fountain at Stanway House

Stanway House from the Fountain

One of the Garden Ponds at Stanway House

Clematis Growing at Stanway House

The Garden at Stanway House

The Cows at Stanway House

The Swans at Stanway House

Close by is Stanton, one of my favorite villages in the Cotswolds! It was hard to choose my favorite because I just loved all the villages, but arriving in Stanton on the tiny village road, too small for tourist buses to come through, we circled lanes of Cotswold cottages! The rose covered cottages flowed in a gentile sweep across the countryside of horses. There were the most unusual lamps and lamp posts here, it was just so picturesque! It is a horse lovers paradise and the B&B’s offer horse back riding and stables.

A View of My Favorite Village of Stanton, UK

Lights in Stanton UK

The Cottage Look in Stanton UK

More Cottages in Stanton UK

A Cottage in Stanton, UK

Street Lights in Stanton, UK

The Lights and Horses of Stanton, UK

A Cottage in Stanton UK

The Cottages of Stanton UK

I hope you enjoyed the travels through the Cotswolds and for another look at the English countryside consider doing the Cotswold Way! For an interesting adventure into finding a cottage in the Cotswolds, follow Diz White in her book, Cotswolds Memoir; Discovering a Beautiful Region of Britain on a Quest to Buy a 17th Century Cottage. In addition to finding the cottage of her dreams it gives a personal tour of the Cotswolds with a visitor’s guide!

Cotswolds Memoir by Diz White

Weekly Photo Challenge: On Top

This is one of several restored rooms in Plas Mawr, Conwy, Wales. It reveals the intricate detail in the low ceiling and walls. Won’t you join me on the journey through England and Wales starting with “A Cottage in the Cotswolds” Series? Enjoy!

Plas Mawr, Conwy, Wales

A Cottage in the Cotswolds: Broadway

The Fuchsia is Sooooo Beautiful!

The Parsonage in Broadway, UK

Broadway’s name fits the village. Village life is lined along a broad grass-fringed, red chestnut way, so we started at the end with the Christmas shop and made our way to the center of the village. Broadway will not disappoint you, as it is chock full of restaurants, inns, pubs, antique stores, coffee shops, and gift shops. Whew! In one gift shop we had a big time looking over one gift item in particular! Here is one. Can you guess what it is?

The Nose Knows

A porcelain, hand painted nose for glasses/spectacles! Never lose your glasses again! The nose knows! The English have such a sense of humor! It is a gift for my mother-in-law!

There is also a local market, the Broadway Deli, and a larger grocery, called Budgens, located down a narrow strip of walkway deep in blooming lavender and pale pink shrub roses! It was the first large grocery we were to find in our Cotswolds travels. More dogs lounging here! The dogs are either sleeping under the benches or waiting patiently at shop doors!

The Village Deli in Broadway, UK

Shopping at Budgen’s Grocery in Broadway, UK

The Pathway to Budgens in Broadway, UK

Shrub Roses and Lavender in Broadway UK

My favorite discovery in Broadway was a public restroom right next to the large central parking lot. Maintained by a meticulous gentleman, he promptly made us aware that the restroom had been declared, “Loo of the Year.”

The “Loo of the Year,” Broadway, UK

The sign was proudly displayed and rightly so. The loo was spotless and the squarish Cotswold stone building fit right in with the architecture of Broadway. Who wouldn’t want to live in a place that can boast the “Loo of the Year”? My other delight were all the hanging baskets of pink fuchsias and purple cascading vines. They were beautiful and hanging outside several of the shops. We spent a lovely and lively afternoon in Broadway. You will want to add Broadway to your Cotswolds calendar!

Beautiful flowers of Broadway, UK

The Beautiful Flower Baskets of Broadway, UK

The Lavender of Broadway, UK

The Pathway to Budgens in Broadway, UK

The Lavender of Broadway, UK

Budgens Grocery, Broadway, UK

A Tired Puppy in Broadway, UK

On the Broad Way of Broadway, UK

A Coat of Arms in Broadway, UK

Lavender and Rose Path in Broadway, UK

Dog in Broadway, UK

Broadway, UK

St Michael’s Church Converted to Shops in Broadway, UK

The Cottages of Broadway, UK

The Christmas Shop in Broadway, UK

A Garden across from the Christmas Shop in Broadway, UK

For your reading enjoyment I have selected a hand printed and watercolored book by Susan Branch, titled A Fine Romance; Falling in Love With the English Countryside, that I literally devoured. A travel journal of her two month ramble through the backroads and small villages of the English countryside, it is filled with pictures, witty captions and charming detail of her dream to visit her long awaited England. For more information on Susan’s work see: http://www.susanbranch.com

A Cottage in the Cotswolds: Snowshill and Broadway Tower

A Cottage in Snowshill

There are so many lovely villages in the Cotswolds! Every time we explore a new village I think, “Oh, I love this one!” The village of Snowshill was like that! We made a slight turn into the village, up and around St Barnabus Church and Cemetery and then past the Cotswold stone cottages, laden with bursting roses, to admire the tended gardens and the sheep grazing in the pastures. It’s truly hard to believe there are still villages to be found like this!

St Barnabus Church in Snowshill, Uk

The cottages of Snowshill no building is level with his neighbor, the village sits on a hill.

The Sheep of the Cotswolds

The Town Green in Snowshill

I love the Sign! Yield!

St Barnabus Church in Snowshill, Uk

The Meadows of Snowshill, UK

The Cottages of Snowshill

The Walls of Snowhill

A Cottage in Snowshill

St Barnabus Lane in Snowshill

The Landscaped Garden in Snowshill

What a Great Color of Blue!

I Love the Color of This Barn Door!

Looking onto the Lawn at St Barnabus at Snowshill, UK

Visiting the Snowshill Arms, the local friendly pub, I see the featured Donnington beers can be found in seventeen pubs in the area! We could do a pub crawl! Better yet, for the more adventurous, there is a 62-mile circular walk, called the “Donnington Way,” from fifteen pub-to-pub sections, where you can join the walk from any pub. Some Donnington Inns offer B&B’s, so you can walk distances of your choice. There is a map available for purchase called, the OS Outdoor Leisure 45, the Cotswolds, that covers the entire route! What a grand way to see the well-kept countryside and hidden villages!

Snowshill Arms

The Only Pub in Snowshill

Next we visit the fragrant lavenders fields of Snowshill Lavender Farm. Rows and rows of sweet fragrant lavender! There is also a retail shop and small restaurant here. A very relaxing way to spend the afternoon! Returning to Chipping Campden, let’s round out the day strolling the meadows of Broadway.

Snowshill Manor, Lavender Farm

Fields of Lavender in Snowshill, UK

Cotswold Lavender

Lavender Varieties in Snowshill, UK

The lavender Fields of Snowshill UK

Broadway Tower is a folly located on Broadway Hill, near the village of Broadway, UK. The tower was the brainchild of Capability Brown and designed by James Wyatt in 1794, in the form of a castle, and built for Lady Coventry. The tower was built on a “beacon hill” where torches were lit on special occasions. Lady Coventry wondered if a beacon built on this hill could be seen from her house 22 miles away and sponsored the construction of the folly to find out. Broadway Tower could clearly be seen! Today the tower is a tourist attraction with a country park of deer. There is also a restaurant and gift shop here. The grounds are a perfect place to picnic!

Deer at the Broadway Tower

Broadway Tower

For more information on Cotswold Lavender see: http://www.cotswoldlavender.co.uk/

For more information about Snowshill Arms see: http://www.donnington-brewery.com/the_snowshill_arms_snowshill.htm

A Photo a Week Challenge: Layering

Another view of beautiful Conwy, Wales! Notice the pigeons on the chimney stack! We’re making our way to Wales, starting with the series, “A Cottage in the Cotswolds.” Enjoy!

Conwy,Wales

A Cottage in the Cotswolds: Ebrington

Oaks Cottage Gate, Ebrington, UK

I met a lovely man in a Chipping Campden clothing shop on High Street, who asked me what brought me to the village. When I answered, “my ancestors,” he invited me to his village and church in Ebrington. You see, I am making my way to Kinlet, Shropeshire, UK and St John the Baptist Church, where my ancestors, Sir Humphrey Blount and his wife Elizabeth, are buried.

Ebrington, UK

Ebrington, a village of narrow lanes and tiny streets of Cotswold stone cottages and thatched roof cottages, is a just a short walk from Chipping Campden. The Ebrington Arms Inn and Pub, is a great place to eat and quench your thirst before exploring. The Inn features guest rooms, a restaurant and pub, the hub of village life. The Inn was packed and will not disappoint you. Walking up a short hill I came to a narrow lane, walked past the Church Steps Cottage and on into the gate of St Eadburgha, named after Eadburgha, the daughter of King Edward the Elder. The tower and south doorway of the church are believed to date from the 13th century, but the church, like most ancient churches, has been enlarged and restored over the years. Stepping inside the church, which is not locked like so many these days, there is a stone coffin, lepers seat, and other ancient architectural details. Be sure to read St Paul’s Admonitions to Wives and Husbands to the left of the font! St Eadburgha’s Church stands on a commanding position on one of the highest hills in the Cotswolds and the tower can be seen for miles around. We loved the thatched cottages, stone walls, garden gates and abundant flowers in Ebrington. I discovered that the bird, that I thought was rather still for a long time on one of the cottages, was part of the thatched roof and made of straw! Every cottage had a name, and upon returning home I was determined to name my own, The End Cottage. Not far from Ebrington, is Hidcote Manor, a National Trust Garden, one of the most lovely gardens in the UK. The day we were here it was closed, bummer, but what a wonderful excuse to come back to the village of Ebrington! Enjoy!

For more information about the Ebrington Arms Inn and Pub see:

Home

The Cottage Roofs of Ebrington

Vining Flowers of Ebrington, UK

Church Steps Cottage

Church Steps Cottage, Ebrington, UK

The Cottages of Ebrington, UK

The Stone Walls of Ebrington, UK

Ebrington, UK

The Graveyard at St Eadburgha’s

St Eadburgha’s Church

St Eadburgha’s Church, Ebrington, UK

St Eadburgha’s Church

The Graveyard at St Eadburgha’s

Inside St Eadburgha’s Church

Ebrington, UK

The Gardens of Ebrington, UK

Oakes Garden Gate, Ebrington, UK

The Cottages of Ebrington, UK

Ebrington Cottage

The Cottages of Ebrington, UK

The Straw Bird, Ebrington, UK

Ebrington, UK

The Church Cat at St Eadburgha’s

A Word a Week Photograph Challenge: Sign

I loved this combination sign and trash bin that I saw in Conwy, Wales! Join me on our journey through Great Britain, Wales and Scotland, starting in “A Cottage in the Cotswolds.”

Sign in Conwy, Wales

A Cottage in the Cotswolds: Chipping Campden

Chipping Campden

Gold Colored Stone, Chipping Campden

Walking through the village of Chipping Campden, we come to St James Church, a beautiful golden-yellow colored stone sanctuary set in the meadows. The path to the church is flanked with old tombstones that have been moved here and huge trees that seem to have another tree growing inside them!

The Road to St James

Road to St james

The Gate to St James

Entry to St james

St James Church built by Wealthy Wool Merchants

The Path to St James

The Trees of St James

St James Church

The Gravestone Path

Then we walked along the lanes and through the hamlets of straw covered cottages, gardens, and old street lamps. It felt like walking in an old English fairytale! Proud holly hocks were basking in the dappled sunlight everywhere! After our walk we took a short stroll off High Street to the Eight Bells Inn for dinner. Originally built in the 14th century, to house the stonemasons that built St James Church, it later was used to store the peel of eight bells that were hung in the church tower! Hence the name, Eight Bells! The Inn was rebuilt using most of the original stone and timbers during the 17th century. In front of the Inn are bountiful hanging baskets of flowers to welcome you and usually a fancy car of some kind outside! Enjoy the day in Chipping Campden!

Manor House in Chipping Campden

Chipping Campden Holly Hocks

Which Way?

Cottage in Chipping Campden

Flowers of Chipping Campden

Cottage in Chipping Campden

The Eight Bells Inn

Fancy Car in Chipping Campden

The Roses

The Eight Bells Inn

High Street Chipping Campden

Walkways of Chipping Campden

For more information about the Eight Bells Inn see: http://eightbellsinn.co.uk/

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Posts from the ‘Destinations’ category

A Photo a Week Challenge: Stripes

Meet the Family: Kinlet to Acton Burnell, UK

A Cottage in the Cotswolds: Stanton to Stanway House

Weekly Photo Challenge: On Top

A Cottage in the Cotswolds: Broadway

A Cottage in the Cotswolds: Snowshill and Broadway Tower

A Photo a Week Challenge: Layering

A Cottage in the Cotswolds: Ebrington

A Word a Week Photograph Challenge: Sign

A Cottage in the Cotswolds: Chipping Campden

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