Cotswold Flowers, Festivals and Follies

Our first ramble began at Colne St Aldwyn in the heart of the Cotswolds situated in unspoilt countryside and nestling in the beautiful Coln River valley. It is 3 miles from Bibury/Arlington which would mark our half way point. As well as a pub Colne boasts a community-owned village stores, post office and café. 

The church in Coln St Aldwyn contains a display of the village’s history and the Williamstrip Estate which owns much of the surrounding land. The first half of our walk followed the path along the River Coln.

 







The walk goes through mixed farmland, has a number of ascents and descents and encounters sheep and cattle. It also follows part of the Palladian Way as it wends its way into Bibury/Arlington.

Bibury/Arlington, a favourite haunt of William Morris, is now a favourite haunt of tens of thousands of year-round tourists.


The cottages along Arlington Row are believed to have been built around 1380 as a monastic wool store and later converted into weavers' cottages in the 17th century.  They are owned by the National Trust and are private homes. It has also been used as the backdrop for a number of period costume dramas.


On the day of our visit there was the annual Bibury Flower and Arts Fesrival - complete with tea n cakes in the parish church of St Mary's.

 The walk then took us up the sharp rise above Arlington Row

many a true word ...

Arlington is presumed to date back to a Saxon settlement of the 7th century. Known as Aefred's Tun became known as Alfredinctune in 1004 and later becoming Arlington. It is mentioned in the 1086 Domesday Book. In 1570 an Arlington clothier Edmund Custis married and later left for the Netherlands in 1627. They sailed for Virginia in 1650 and established an estate that they called Arlington. A second Arlington estate was established by the son overlooking the Patomac river and through a series of Civil War events became the military cemetary at Arlington.

It is then across farmland before starting the descent back doen to the banks of the Colne at the and of this 7 mile meander.
 


The following day saw us on the Leafield and Field Assart trail. This is a 4 mile circular walk taking in the two Oxfordshire villages.The walk is along byways, bridleways and quiet country roads.

The church in Leafield, St Michael and All Angels, designed in 1859 by Sir George Gilbert Scott, was consecrated in 1860, but the spire, which is such a distinctive feature on the horizon for many miles around, was not completed until 1874.

It was then on to the circular Faringdon Folly walk. The walk from the Cotswold town of Faringdon. passes the striking local landmark of Faringdon Folly, built by Lord Berners in 1935 and gifted to Faringdon in 1983, and later passes through the small village of Littleworth.

steps to the top of the tower

The views from the top of the hill and, even more so, from the top of the towerr are amazing. The tower only has occasional opening times as it is run by an enthusiastic group of local volunteers so we were lucky to find it open.

Then it was back home, feet up n a stiff drink.

The “English Riviera”

With the weather holding we grabbed the chance for another long weekend this time in sunny Paignton, Devon.

With its miles of red sand stretching to Torquay it’s an ideal place for lounging about and dipping in the sea – seriously safe with an extremely gentle slope into the water. Holiday season was in full swing with the esplanade crammed with fairground attractions and eateries and watering holes stretching along the Prom.

 

The coastal walk to the West gave wonderful views over sandy bays and sheltered harbours.

 

A short drive to the east and you’re on the seafront in Torquay sitting under the ‘Eye’ and looking over the harbour.

  

We had a trip to Fast Rabbit Farm not far but along some challenging Devon ‘roads’. Fast Rabbit, gaining its name from owner Peter’s collie chasing a hare, started as a 12 acre garden on the upper reaches of the River Black above Blackpool Sands. It is very secluded with a mild relatively salt free environment.

There are a labyrinth of paths on this 40+ acre site circumnavigating a series of artificial lakes, ponds and mini waterfalls. The gardens are a wildlife haven and the lake is stocked with orfe, koi and carp and is also home to dragonflies and the occasional kingfishers and cormorants.

This year an extensive wild-flower meadow is being planted with native species. A new large pond and a tranquil streamside walk has been created and planted with hydrangeas. A Mediterranean garden is also being developed on a four acre sunny hillside complete with almost a mile of new walkways. Well worth a visit if your down that way.

An afternoon was spent in the picturesque Dartmouth and a trip on a century old paddle steamer still ploughing its tourist trade on the Dart estuary.

 

The nearby estate of the late Agatha Christie Mallowan was described by Christie as “the loveliest place in the world” – and she was not far wrong. We were amongst the first there and decided to save the house for last. We followed the path down to the Boathouse (known as the place where Marlene Tucker was strangled in “Dead Man’s Folly”). We were lucky to catch the two stewards of the Boathouse just opening up and got a personalised free guided tour. They were also stewarding a family of Robins that nested nearby. The house echoes Chrities penchant for collecting and also houses a collection of her first editions. The grounds are varied and extensive and well worth a visit if you are in the area. Parking has to be pre booked or you can arrive by steam train and ferry.

M in Agatha's favourite Boathouse chair

Boathouse guardian feeding an adopted family of robins

One of the first 'mobile' phones - weighs a ton!

First Editions

The final stop, on the way back, was at Kia-ora Farm a 15 acre extensively planted garden with lakeside walks, set in countryside situated in the heart of Devon, complete with homemade tea n cakes.

Ending with

& an ice cream :)

croquet on the lawn