Cotswold Adventure

An interesting time in January and something a little different in this usually quieter time of year.... forsaking the arctic north for the sunny delights of south west-ish England and a quick jaunt round the Cotswolds, doing a recce for a circular route of a week's duration heading from the regency spa town of Cheltenham and making a foray into the quiet countryside around it.  This is not an area I'd visited before but I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It's so quintessentially English, with a succession of rolling hills, copses and spinneys interspersed with charming villages with their greens and cricket pitches, thatched cottages and country pubs.

One thing I cottoned onto fairly quickly is that the green and pleasant land is, in January, quite muddy. The so-awfully well kept B+Bs I was staying in were of course spotless and usually decorated in white with cream carpets.  At times the whole operation got a bit bogged down with mud management, but my hosts were most forgiving and accommodating.  During the day there was often a hunt for an uncarpeted bar in the village pubs or a cafe with a laminate floor and lack of upholstery.

The walking was surprisingly tough, partly due to navigating the network of field paths which are everywhere criss crossing about, and partly due to the aforementioned muddy terrain.

There's certainly no sign of any recession down here, it's the home of the Range Rover and I suspect that such vehicles are preffered not just for negotiating the lanes that lead to the studs and riding stables which dot the countryside, but also for their copious luggage space, very usefull for loading a few antiques in. Antique shops here seem to occupy the same prominence in the village high street as charity shops do in  northern towns. Yes, there was some very nice art and furniture to be had.

One day I passed Julian Lloyd Webber's house and popped into his local. I was curious to see if I would actually catch a glimpse of a successful cellist in his natural habitat. No, but I did see his very impressive topiary.

Another day my route passed the Long Barrow at Belas Knap. Amazing! The carpet of tiny white winter flowers made me go all Lord of the Ringsy and think of the barrows of the Rohirrim in front of the courts of Edoras, with their dusting of Symblemyne.