The National Trust (NT) is a charity founded in 1895 by three people who saw the importance of the UK’s heritage and open spaces and wanted to preserve them for everyone to enjoy. We belong to its American partner, the Royal Oak Society. which gives us full access to all National Trust properties in the UK and Northern Ireland. Today we visited two National Trust properties under, against all odds, partly cloudy skies. Our good luck with weather cannot last forever.
After a good night’s sleep we headed out at about 9:30 AM for Charlecote Park, about 18 miles north of Chipping Campden. We arrived in good order a few minutes before the grounds opened and, in fact, we were the first people to enter the park. Charlecote Park is a grand 16th century country house, surrounded by its own deer park, on the banks of the River Avon. The Lucy family has owned the land since 1257 and it remains the family home today. Although acquired by the National Trust for financial reasons, the family has a right to live in the house in perpetuity.
We explored the park and gardens for a bit and saw the deer still residing on the ground. Then we visited the kitchens and finally did a self guided tour of the house. Each room in the house has a friendly and communicative docent that explains interesting facts about the room. All in all, it is very well done.
Pictures tell the story (Click to enlarge)
Then it was another five minute drive to the next NT property, Baddesley Clinton. This was the home of the Ferrers family for 500 years. They were a prominent Catholic family noted for sheltering Catholic priests during the Reformation, and the house has several “priest holes” where the priests, who under the threat of a death sentence, could hide during raids by the priest hunters. After our picnic lunch on the grounds, we toured the beautiful house before heading back home to Chipping Campden.
We stopped in the Red Lion Pub for beers and had an interesting chat with the very young female bartender. There isn’t much we don’t know about her (except her name). She’s a native of Campden. Her grandmother has nine cats and lives in an unheated old airport control tower. She has a girl friend. She used to work at King’s Hotel but didn’t like it. She cannot abide the Donald or Hillary but she adores Bernie. Needless to say, it wasn’t busy, and she talked the whole time through two pints of IPA. God bless her.
Dinner was the Eight Bells Pub, and it was quite delicious. No pictures, sorry.
Joe: Smoked Mackerel & Horseradish Pate with granary toast and a small salad, Homemade Cod & Salmon Fishcakes with dill butter sauce and seasonal vegetables, and a delicious duo of Ice Creams – Vanilla and Chocolate – served in a brandy snap basket.
Elaine: Field Mushrooms pan fried and finished with a Stilton cream sauce, served on toasted ciabatta, Local Asparagus, Spinach & Sun-dried Tomato Risotto topped with crispy fried rocket and Parmesan shavings, and Lemon Posset with raspberry coulis and homemade shortbread.
Until tomorrow.
OMG the day looked fabulous – had to look up Possett love the Wisreria and cottage — of course the pub food sounds fab…..have a super rest of the trip – love the blog – Ann