Quintessentially Cotswolds

Lower Oddington and Upper Oddington are a pair of adjoining villages in the Gloucestershire area of the Cotswolds.

Pasture Farm Garden, half way between Upper and Lower Oddington, is an informal country garden, developed over 30 years, containing mixed borders, creative and original topiary, orchard and many species of trees. 

A derelict cottage has been set back to nature and incorporated in the garden.

The working farm also contains a sizable veggie plot, a spring-fed pond with ducks, roaming bantams, chickens and 2 kunekune pigs.

The church of St Nicholas is located at the end of a small lane some 1/4 mile from the centre of Lower Oddington village. The church is composed of a very high, flat-ceilinged nave, a large south aisle, south chapel and porch, and central tower. It originally had a north door as well, but this has been partially bricked up to form a window. The church was begun some time in the 12th century, and is very simply adorned, with a three-arch nave arcade and Early English chancel arch. Built of dressed limestone it has a brick roof. The chancel is fifteenth century and the tower at the east end is thirteenth century. It has medieval wall paintings of the Doom on the north wall of the nave, dating to the early 15th century. They were whitewashed over in the Reformation and conserved by Eve Baker from 1969. Scenes depicted include the Acts of Mercy and the Seven Deadly Sins. It is a Grade I listed building, having been added to the register on 25 August 1960.

 

Out n About

Trellech Beacon

The circular route on Trellech Beacon has stunning views to the Wye Valley, Forest of Dean, Malverns and the Cotswolds in the distance. It is also a great place to view carpets of bluebells at this time of year.

 

Trellech village was, in the middle ages, one of the largest settlement in Wales. Part of the route is stone lined and is reputed to be the way William Wordsworth came when he walked in the Wye Valley in 1793 and was later inspired to write his famous poem ‘Lines written a few miles above Tintern Abbey’. En route you also pass Cleddon Falls and Cleddon Hall the birthplace of William Russell.

 

 

Tintern Station

The Old Station nestles beside the River Wye in the heart of the Wye Valley in Tintern.

There are three railway carriages on site. Two carriages contain a souvenir and gift shop, a Destination Wye Valley exhibition area with information about the heritage of the Wye Valley. Tintern railway station served the village of Tintern on the Wye Valley Railway. It was opened in 1876 and closed for passengers in 1959 and freight in 1964, when the line was closed completely. Now Monmouth’s nearest railway station is Chepstow.

Historic figures from Monmouthshire's ancient past have been depicted in wooden sculptures at the Old Station picnic area.

Lower Hope Garden

 

There are 7 acres of landscaped gardens surrounding the house in addition to large areas of parkland and a wildlife pond. The gardens are open to the public approximately five times a year, throughout the spring and summer, as part of the National Gardens Scheme.

The gardens are facing South and West consisting of herbaceous borders, rose walks, laburnum tunnel, Mediterranean, bog and Italian Gardens and the recent addition of a Japanese Garden.

Conservatories and large glasshouses contain exotic species orchids, colourful butterflies and bougainvilleas. Visitors can also take a botanical stroll through the lime tree walk to the wildlife pond and landscaped with wild flowers.

Around the gardens can be found sculptured statues by Sydney Harpley, Brian Alabaster, Lloyd Le Blanc and Angela Munslow.

Then it was time for the traditional tea n cake to the dulcit tones of a local junior steel band.

Credenhill Park Wood

Finishing off at the site of a busy Iron Age tribal capital, Credenhill Park Wood has also been a Roman army depot and a medieval deer park. Today, the wood is a peaceful place for a walk and to enjoy amazing views.

It is a strenuous walk uphill and slightly disappointing as one paper listed it as one of Britains top ten bluebell woods but we found less than a handful hidden on the downhill trail.

Still, all in all, great to be back in the sunny great outdoors. Long may this good weather last.