I am very fortunate to live in the South West of England. This part of the UK is full of quaint villages, rugged coastlines, homely pubs, amazing scenery, beautiful countryside walks and unique food.
Made up of six counties: Gloucestershire in the north of the region, Cornwall in the far south west and Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset in between. The South West is the largest of the nine regions in England covering 9,200 square miles and houses approx 5 million people. Within its borders are the magnificent cities of Bristol, Bath, Cheltenham, and Plymouth. It includes two entire National Parks : Dartmoor and Exmoor, World Heritage Sites at Stonehenge and the Jurassic Coastline amongst others and the longest coastline of any English region.
It is well known for it’s ancient folklore from King Arthur who was born at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall to the ancient stone circle at Amesbury in Wiltshire and the myths and legends of Glastonbury Tor.
Visit in the summer and you can see the spectacle that is Bristol Balloon Festival, mingle with the rich and famous at the annual Badminton Horse Trials or singalong to your favourite band at Glastonbury Festival (ticket willing).
If it is food you are after then you need to sample a traditional Cornish pasty, a cream tea in Devon or Cornwall (but make sure you know the etiquette of which goes on first; the jam or the cream?), some real cheese from Cheddar or some Somerset cider.
If reading is your hobby then seek out the landscapes featured in Daphne Du Maurier’s books or those of Thomas Hardy or the Bronte sisters. It is also where Agatha Christie kept her country home and Enid Blyton set many of her children’s books.
I forget how lucky I am to live in this area and even more that I live surrounded by the Cotswolds countryside of rolling hills and golden stone villages. The vibrant market towns of Stroud, Cirencester, Tewkesbury and Tetbury are all within a short driving distance of my home. This richly rural area also boasts 3000 miles of footpaths and bridleways which I have been walking and riding since I was a child.
Until we set off on our next international adventure I thought I would introduce you to some of the wonderful places to visit here in my corner of the UK.
I thought we would start with a small Cotswold village:
Castle Combe in North Wiltshire:
I visited on Wednesday Afternoon with a couple of my friends -Debbie and Janette and Debbie’s one year old granddaughter . We arrived at about 11 am.
Parking is at the top of the village. If you drive down into the village itself you will find most of the allocated parking taken up by locals who quite rightly wish to park outside their homes.
Leaving the car park behind you its a short stroll down into the village itself. Castle Combe is known for being a quintessentially English village and often named as the ‘prettiest village” in England. The village has a rich history and the houses happily show off the honey coloured Cotswold stone, typical of the area.
We began our visit by strolling the length of the main road running through the centre. This ultimately takes you to Water Lane. Everyone takes photos here because quite frankly it is beautiful. It’s worth doing a full 360 and capturing the village from every angle. The small stream running through the village is most evident here and in case you need a quick break there are toilets on the right hand side.
Returning to the centre of the village we decided to stop for coffee and cake. There are a few places to choose from including The White Hart and The Castle Inn but as a group of friends we tend to try and support the more independent nooks and seeing a sign on our right opposite the central Market Cross we followed it down a small lane to The Old Stables Coffee Shop. They have a website if you want to check the opening times and offer indoor and outside seating.
We were lucky, as despite being on the cusp of Autumn, the sun was shining and so we parked the buggy up and settled ourselves on a table outside. Between us we sampled a bacon n cheese turnover, a pain au chocolat and a slice of apricot and pistachio cake with edible flowers on top.
Sustained, we wandered back into the village and took a look at the Market Cross. A lot of English towns and villages feature this central construction. In days gone by markets were often granted by charter and as such it was important to mark the central point for the market to trade. The cross was there to remind folk to do business fairly and honestly under the watch of God. They were also used as sites of proclamation and often for punishment of criminals, usually in the form of public humiliation.
The Market Cross in Castle Combe was built in the 14th century but was recently restored at a cost of £100,00.
Directly across from this central marker is St Andrew’s Church. Dating from the 13th century, this Grade 1 listed church houses a faceless clock which is reputed to be one of the oldest working clocks in the country.
It’s worth noting that long before the arrival of the Romans in Britain in 43 AD, there is evidence of an early Celtic tribe’s pagan temple where St Andrews now stands.
In this modern era you can scan a QR code on entry into the church which picks up a digital tour giving you the history of things you can see and stories about the church as well as the village itself as you walk around.
As a bare minimum take a look on the north side of the church where there is a superb carved stone monument of Sir Walter de Dunstanville, Baron of Castle Combe, a Norman Knight, who died in 1270.
Leaving the church behind we spent sometime outside exploring the graveyard where there are a number of tombs, memorials and monuments, 25 of which are Grade II listed. I always find it interesting to look at the gravestones, sometimes you come across something totally unexpected. In this case it was clearly evident how the advances in medical care have prolonged life and how back in previous centuries people died so much younger.
If you walk to the back of the church you will find an exit out onto a beautiful lane and the car park of the Manor House Hotel.
Although the grounds of the hotel are only open to residents you can get a sneak peak at the wonderful waterfall which forms part of the same stream that runs through the village as well as the lawned areas surrounding the hotel.
If you turn right away from the hotel you can stroll along the lane. It is hard not to admire all the wonderful Cotswold mews cottages here which form part of the accommodation on offer at the hotel. If you fancy a touch of luxury check out the hotel on line. It offers an 18 hole golf course and a Michelin star restaurant.
The lane leads you back into the centre of the village and so to top off our visit we headed back to The Stables to grab a late lunch. They offer a range of products but we all chose a baguette made to order with freshly baked bread from The Old Bakehouse in nearby Malmesbury. All served with salad and a side of crisps. We chose the cheddar & country garden chutney, salami & mozzarella and hummus & roasted vegetables.
One of the friendly staff at The Stables pointed us in the direction of a small childrens’ park tucked away behind the buildings opposite the cafe. This gave our little companion a chance to run around and be free before we had to walk back up the hill and head home.
Castle Combe is also home to the famous race circuit and we could hear the roar of the engines as we walked back to the car. Based upon the perimeter track of an old World War II airfield it opened for racing in 1950. The track offers a number of different experiences for car enthusiasts including passenger rides, driving experiences and car shows. It’s worth having a look at their website if you are visiting the area.
Castle Combe is just south of the M4 and is within driving distance of Bristol, Bath, Tetbury and Cirencester if you are looking to do a bit of a tour of this southerly end of the Cotswolds.
NB: This is the first of a series of posts about the wonderful “Cotswolds”. An area in the UK that you really shouldn’t miss out on visiting if you are coming to the UK. It’s full of olde world charm, history going back to the Roman era and beautiful architecture. Check out further posts coming soon.
Please don’t forget to comment and/or like. I love to hear what my readers think. and also look forward to your recommendations of places to see in the Cotswolds for my future adventures Thank you
A Midlife Adventure 