Seven weeks in Scotland & England - Trip Report
Jul 9th, 2009, 05:43 PM
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Seven weeks in Scotland & England - Trip Report
We have travelled quite a few times to Europe from Australia, mainly to France, and I've been a user of the Fodors boards for quite a long time, but I've never submitted a trip report before. When we set off on this trip a friend asked me to send brief updates on where we were and what we were doing - not too many adjectives! Having written those emails I though I'd package them up as a trip report. You will notice that quite a few adjectives did sneak through.
I have posted a selection of photos from each week at:
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/GregYeaman
Week 1
We arrived in Glasgow Saturday after an uneventful flight. The plane was late out of Bangkok but we still made our Heathrow connection and arrived about mid-day. The flat had not been occupied the day prior to our arrival so we were able to get immediate access. The first floor flat was large and comfortable, with big windows on two sides and looked out over Kelvingrove Park. It was about 25 minutes walk to the heart of town.
Our first couple of days were taken up with re-acquainting ourselves with friends & former colleagues and checking out the town. We picked up our rental car on Tuesday and headed out towards Drymen to try a 2 hour walk to see the 'whangie'. This is apparently an unusual rock formation but, after and hour of walking on a flattish muddy trail we decided it was a bit boring and went back without finding the elusive 'whangie'.
On Wednesday we drove to the east, past Edinburgh, to North Berwick to the Scottish Seabird Centre, stopping briefly to see Dirleton Castle which was an interesting and fairly complete ruin. From the Seabird Centre we took a 1 hour trip in a 12 passenger inflatable out to Bass Island which is home to hundreds of thousands of nesting seabirds - mainly gannets, but also gulls, razorbills, guillemots and puffins. A fantastic trip - the island appears white from a distance but, as you approach, it becomes apparent that the colour is due to the density of the nesting birds.
The following day we drove into the Trossachs for another hill walk, this time we tackled Ben A'an. Not too high at 461m but said to have good views across Loch Katrine and Loch Archray. Of course a heavy shower came through just as we reached the top after 2 hours but we had our waterproofs and sat it out for about 15 minutes to be rewarded with sunny skies and great views - well worth the effort. Topped off a great day with dinner at the Wee Curry Shop in the West End - really nice Indian food.
More catch-ups with friends and former colleagues on Friday and some walking around Kelvingrove Park and the West End finishing with the best coffee in Glasgow at Tinderbox. The Offshore café in the West End also has good coffee and offers free wireless internet.
Weather was been quite good - some rain on each of the first 4 days but not enough to be a problem and Friday was a lovely day. Saturday morning we check out and head for Loch Lomond on our way to Skye.
I have posted a selection of photos from each week at:
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/GregYeaman
Week 1
We arrived in Glasgow Saturday after an uneventful flight. The plane was late out of Bangkok but we still made our Heathrow connection and arrived about mid-day. The flat had not been occupied the day prior to our arrival so we were able to get immediate access. The first floor flat was large and comfortable, with big windows on two sides and looked out over Kelvingrove Park. It was about 25 minutes walk to the heart of town.
Our first couple of days were taken up with re-acquainting ourselves with friends & former colleagues and checking out the town. We picked up our rental car on Tuesday and headed out towards Drymen to try a 2 hour walk to see the 'whangie'. This is apparently an unusual rock formation but, after and hour of walking on a flattish muddy trail we decided it was a bit boring and went back without finding the elusive 'whangie'.
On Wednesday we drove to the east, past Edinburgh, to North Berwick to the Scottish Seabird Centre, stopping briefly to see Dirleton Castle which was an interesting and fairly complete ruin. From the Seabird Centre we took a 1 hour trip in a 12 passenger inflatable out to Bass Island which is home to hundreds of thousands of nesting seabirds - mainly gannets, but also gulls, razorbills, guillemots and puffins. A fantastic trip - the island appears white from a distance but, as you approach, it becomes apparent that the colour is due to the density of the nesting birds.
The following day we drove into the Trossachs for another hill walk, this time we tackled Ben A'an. Not too high at 461m but said to have good views across Loch Katrine and Loch Archray. Of course a heavy shower came through just as we reached the top after 2 hours but we had our waterproofs and sat it out for about 15 minutes to be rewarded with sunny skies and great views - well worth the effort. Topped off a great day with dinner at the Wee Curry Shop in the West End - really nice Indian food.
More catch-ups with friends and former colleagues on Friday and some walking around Kelvingrove Park and the West End finishing with the best coffee in Glasgow at Tinderbox. The Offshore café in the West End also has good coffee and offers free wireless internet.
Weather was been quite good - some rain on each of the first 4 days but not enough to be a problem and Friday was a lovely day. Saturday morning we check out and head for Loch Lomond on our way to Skye.
Jul 9th, 2009, 06:03 PM
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On Saturday, after a nostalgic coffee at Tinderbox, our favorite West End café, we headed north west for Skye, taking the A82 out around Loch Lomond and up through Glencoe to Fort William and then heading for the Skye bridge and up to Portree. It's a great drive, with generally good roads and lovely scenery, but it's one we'd done a number of times so we only stopped a couple of times - once for lunch at the Cluannie Inn and a detour to see Plockton, a cute little fishing village which, I'm told was featured in some TV series. Our B&B at Portree was fine - comfortable room but small - with a great view down to the harbour.
On Sunday we drove to the north-west of Skye and did a short walk to the lighthouse at Neist Point - very windy and intermittent heavy showers but very dramatic coastal views. Then on to visit the castle and gardens at Dunvegan, seat of the clan McLeod - not one of the world's most spectacular castles. We then took a drive around the Trotternish Peninsula, in north-east of Skye for some nice views but the weather was still not brilliant. Stopped briefly in the Quirang, an area of rugged rock formations and great views but visibility was about 100m and the wind made it difficult to stand so didn't spend much time there! Coming down the eastern side of the island the weather brightened considerably and we stopped to do the walk up to the Old Man of Storr, a 719m finger of rock standing out from the surrounding mountain. We made it far enough to get a good view but returned after an hour as the weather was closing in again. Back to Portree for a nice pub dinner.
Monday we left early to catch the 10:15 ferry from Armadale to Mallaig, then along the Road to the Isles to rejoin the A82 at Fort William. Stopped briefly along Loch Eilt to look at the reflections and happened to be there when the steam train to Mallaig passed by the other side - a great image. Also stopped at Glen Finnan for a brief visit to the Jacobite exhibition and monument there - free for us as National trust members and OK, but not worth paying for. Found our B&B at Cuil Bay, a few miles south of Glencoe, a small house but our room was large, if not very charming. We drove a few miles south along the Oban road and then inland about 5 miles to do a walk at Glen Crenan - a great little woodland walk with lovely views back across the glen. Stopped at the Creagan Inn on the way back for dinner. A great place, right on the loch side, with nice views, great pub food, and good friendly service.
Tuesday was our day for a major hill walk and we called at the Glencoe visitor centre to get some advice before deciding to tackle Stob Coire Raineach which, at 925m, is a Munro! For those who may not know, a Munro is a mountain over 3000 feet and there are 284 in Scotland - "Munro bagging" is the practice of climbing them. Anyway, this one was said to be relatively accessible so we gave it a go - gravel trail to start, then a muddy trail, then rough stone steps, then basically picking a way through the stones. After 3 hours and 9 minutes we made it to the top to be rewarded with fantastic views in all directions - still some snow to be seen on a couple of the surrounding peaks. The weather was really changeable all day - we started in sunshine then had intermittent showers, hail, and sleet - but it was crystal clear all the time we were on the top so it was a great to get the views. Made it down in just over 2 hours then back to the Glencoe visitor centre for a well-earned coffee. We finished off with a short drive around Loch Leven which we hadn't done before and which was very scenic. Then back to the Creagan Inn again for dinner.
Wednesday left Glencoe early and headed for Oban - a town I may have under-rated slightly in the past. We just stopped there for a quick stroll around and a coffee and then continued south to Kilmartin which has the densest concentration of neolithic 'things' in Scotland - cairns, standing stones, engraved stones etc. The small museum there was interesting and a walk around some of the sites was pleasant but, when it comes down to it, a stone is a stone is a stone. We then took a short detour along the picturesque Crinan canal to the port of Crinan and back before heading for the ferry at Claonaig for the 30 minute crossing to Lochranza on Arran. We rented the holiday house of a former colleague from Glasgow and was great to have plenty of space again after 4 nights in B&Bs.
On Thursday we visited Brodick castle and gardens and then did a leisurely circuit of the island - it's about 60 miles around - stopping briefly at several villages.
On Friday we started early to climb the local mountain, Goatfell. Not a Munro but at 874 m still a decent climb. A good track and easy to see - which was helpful as we were in fog almost all the way up - but a hard slog as we had to start at sea level whereas in Glencoe were some way up the glen where we started the walk. Anyway we made it to the top and the clouds parted while we were there so we did get some views as a reward.
Weather in the second week was variable, with lots of showers, although it hasn't been too cold. Our two days on Arran have been rain-free with sunny breaks.
We had planned to take the ferry to Ardrossan, on the mainland, on Saturday morning but could not get a berth so we left Arran Friday evening and stayed at the Holiday Express at Prestwick. A basic business hotel but clean & comfortable and excellent value at GBP59 including breakfast.
Saturday morning we checked out and started quite a long drive to Bakewell - made quite a bit longer by roadwork delays on the M6
On Sunday we drove to the north-west of Skye and did a short walk to the lighthouse at Neist Point - very windy and intermittent heavy showers but very dramatic coastal views. Then on to visit the castle and gardens at Dunvegan, seat of the clan McLeod - not one of the world's most spectacular castles. We then took a drive around the Trotternish Peninsula, in north-east of Skye for some nice views but the weather was still not brilliant. Stopped briefly in the Quirang, an area of rugged rock formations and great views but visibility was about 100m and the wind made it difficult to stand so didn't spend much time there! Coming down the eastern side of the island the weather brightened considerably and we stopped to do the walk up to the Old Man of Storr, a 719m finger of rock standing out from the surrounding mountain. We made it far enough to get a good view but returned after an hour as the weather was closing in again. Back to Portree for a nice pub dinner.
Monday we left early to catch the 10:15 ferry from Armadale to Mallaig, then along the Road to the Isles to rejoin the A82 at Fort William. Stopped briefly along Loch Eilt to look at the reflections and happened to be there when the steam train to Mallaig passed by the other side - a great image. Also stopped at Glen Finnan for a brief visit to the Jacobite exhibition and monument there - free for us as National trust members and OK, but not worth paying for. Found our B&B at Cuil Bay, a few miles south of Glencoe, a small house but our room was large, if not very charming. We drove a few miles south along the Oban road and then inland about 5 miles to do a walk at Glen Crenan - a great little woodland walk with lovely views back across the glen. Stopped at the Creagan Inn on the way back for dinner. A great place, right on the loch side, with nice views, great pub food, and good friendly service.
Tuesday was our day for a major hill walk and we called at the Glencoe visitor centre to get some advice before deciding to tackle Stob Coire Raineach which, at 925m, is a Munro! For those who may not know, a Munro is a mountain over 3000 feet and there are 284 in Scotland - "Munro bagging" is the practice of climbing them. Anyway, this one was said to be relatively accessible so we gave it a go - gravel trail to start, then a muddy trail, then rough stone steps, then basically picking a way through the stones. After 3 hours and 9 minutes we made it to the top to be rewarded with fantastic views in all directions - still some snow to be seen on a couple of the surrounding peaks. The weather was really changeable all day - we started in sunshine then had intermittent showers, hail, and sleet - but it was crystal clear all the time we were on the top so it was a great to get the views. Made it down in just over 2 hours then back to the Glencoe visitor centre for a well-earned coffee. We finished off with a short drive around Loch Leven which we hadn't done before and which was very scenic. Then back to the Creagan Inn again for dinner.
Wednesday left Glencoe early and headed for Oban - a town I may have under-rated slightly in the past. We just stopped there for a quick stroll around and a coffee and then continued south to Kilmartin which has the densest concentration of neolithic 'things' in Scotland - cairns, standing stones, engraved stones etc. The small museum there was interesting and a walk around some of the sites was pleasant but, when it comes down to it, a stone is a stone is a stone. We then took a short detour along the picturesque Crinan canal to the port of Crinan and back before heading for the ferry at Claonaig for the 30 minute crossing to Lochranza on Arran. We rented the holiday house of a former colleague from Glasgow and was great to have plenty of space again after 4 nights in B&Bs.
On Thursday we visited Brodick castle and gardens and then did a leisurely circuit of the island - it's about 60 miles around - stopping briefly at several villages.
On Friday we started early to climb the local mountain, Goatfell. Not a Munro but at 874 m still a decent climb. A good track and easy to see - which was helpful as we were in fog almost all the way up - but a hard slog as we had to start at sea level whereas in Glencoe were some way up the glen where we started the walk. Anyway we made it to the top and the clouds parted while we were there so we did get some views as a reward.
Weather in the second week was variable, with lots of showers, although it hasn't been too cold. Our two days on Arran have been rain-free with sunny breaks.
We had planned to take the ferry to Ardrossan, on the mainland, on Saturday morning but could not get a berth so we left Arran Friday evening and stayed at the Holiday Express at Prestwick. A basic business hotel but clean & comfortable and excellent value at GBP59 including breakfast.
Saturday morning we checked out and started quite a long drive to Bakewell - made quite a bit longer by roadwork delays on the M6
Jul 9th, 2009, 06:30 PM
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Week 3
We broke the journey to Bakewell with a visit to Little Moreton Hall, just outside the Peak District.
This 3 story timber framed house built in the 1500's as a farmhouse for a well-to-do family and it has had very few alterations since that time. Apart from some rather odd angles as a result of subsidence due to a lack of foundations the house is in great condition. Well worth seeing.
On to Bakewell to find Bolehill Farm, about 2 miles out of town and settle into our cottage. The farm has nice views and there are 8 self-catering cottages/apartments in what were the farm outbuildings around a central courtyard. Ours was well equipped and comfortable, with room to spread out for a week's stay.
Sunday we checked out Bakewell and Buxton, the two nearest towns. Buxton is the bigger and is a very pleasant town with quite a few grand buildings, including an opera house. Bakewell is much smaller but a nice town along the river Wye. Hard to get a coffee at either place after 5:00pm! In the afternoon we did a short walk on the local trail in Hadthkill Dale - pleasant but not spectacular.
Monday a drive to Matlock Bath with the intention of taking the cable car up to the Heights of Abraham which reads well in the books but is a bit of an anti-climax - aimed more at families with kids - when we get there and we don't bother. Continued on to Ashbourne which is a lovely town with many old buildings and we spent a couple of hours there before going on to Tissington, a well preserved estate village. Finished the day with a short walk in Dovedale - again a pleasant walk without being spectacular, and quite hot.
Tuesday we started with a visit to Eyam, a village famous for sealing itself off during the plague to limit the spread of the disease. Then on to Haddon Hall, a beautiful stately home with lovely gardens - very nice.
The whole area is riddled with walking paths and on Wednesday we did one of the better known walks to the summit of Mam Tor, then along a ridge past the remains of a stone age fort, with a return around the valley. At least that was the plan. We missed the turning point at Hollins Cross and walked at least a couple of miles more than we should (we both blamed the map) so we were pretty much beat when we staggered back to the car. A nice walk spoilt spoilt somewhat by our own incompetence. We then took a drive through the northern Peak District - the Dark Peak - via Edale, Glossop and Snake Pass.
On Thursday we made a day trip to Lincoln, a couple of hours away, to see the cathedral and castle. The cathedral was very impressive, the castle less so, and the old town was great. On the way back called at Hardwick Hall, a large Elizabethan era house, and got there 30 seconds after last admissions at 4:00pm but, as we had come all the way from Australia to see it, they phoned up to the house an we were let in for a quick look through. A very impressive building with enormous rooms and lots of well preserved tapestries.
On Friday we visited Ilam, a (really) small estate village. This village was built by the local landowner for his estate staff, demolishing the original village, and the houses are done in a mock alpine style. A bit bizarre really. We then did a walk across the fields from Ilam to Dovedale and a little way up the valley and back. Took some time in the afternoon to wander around Buxton and do a bit of shopping. Finished with dinner at Simply Thai - our second visit there and the best Thai food I have tasted outside of Thailand.
Saturday we left Bolehill Farm for the drive to Bourton-on-the-Water, in the Cotswolds.
One observation from our first week in England is that we need to interpret the descriptions in the guidebooks in the light of our first couple of weeks. When a valley walk in the Peak District is described as spectacular we need to understand that it probably won't be spectacular like the Scottish Highlands!
We broke the journey to Bakewell with a visit to Little Moreton Hall, just outside the Peak District.
This 3 story timber framed house built in the 1500's as a farmhouse for a well-to-do family and it has had very few alterations since that time. Apart from some rather odd angles as a result of subsidence due to a lack of foundations the house is in great condition. Well worth seeing.
On to Bakewell to find Bolehill Farm, about 2 miles out of town and settle into our cottage. The farm has nice views and there are 8 self-catering cottages/apartments in what were the farm outbuildings around a central courtyard. Ours was well equipped and comfortable, with room to spread out for a week's stay.
Sunday we checked out Bakewell and Buxton, the two nearest towns. Buxton is the bigger and is a very pleasant town with quite a few grand buildings, including an opera house. Bakewell is much smaller but a nice town along the river Wye. Hard to get a coffee at either place after 5:00pm! In the afternoon we did a short walk on the local trail in Hadthkill Dale - pleasant but not spectacular.
Monday a drive to Matlock Bath with the intention of taking the cable car up to the Heights of Abraham which reads well in the books but is a bit of an anti-climax - aimed more at families with kids - when we get there and we don't bother. Continued on to Ashbourne which is a lovely town with many old buildings and we spent a couple of hours there before going on to Tissington, a well preserved estate village. Finished the day with a short walk in Dovedale - again a pleasant walk without being spectacular, and quite hot.
Tuesday we started with a visit to Eyam, a village famous for sealing itself off during the plague to limit the spread of the disease. Then on to Haddon Hall, a beautiful stately home with lovely gardens - very nice.
The whole area is riddled with walking paths and on Wednesday we did one of the better known walks to the summit of Mam Tor, then along a ridge past the remains of a stone age fort, with a return around the valley. At least that was the plan. We missed the turning point at Hollins Cross and walked at least a couple of miles more than we should (we both blamed the map) so we were pretty much beat when we staggered back to the car. A nice walk spoilt spoilt somewhat by our own incompetence. We then took a drive through the northern Peak District - the Dark Peak - via Edale, Glossop and Snake Pass.
On Thursday we made a day trip to Lincoln, a couple of hours away, to see the cathedral and castle. The cathedral was very impressive, the castle less so, and the old town was great. On the way back called at Hardwick Hall, a large Elizabethan era house, and got there 30 seconds after last admissions at 4:00pm but, as we had come all the way from Australia to see it, they phoned up to the house an we were let in for a quick look through. A very impressive building with enormous rooms and lots of well preserved tapestries.
On Friday we visited Ilam, a (really) small estate village. This village was built by the local landowner for his estate staff, demolishing the original village, and the houses are done in a mock alpine style. A bit bizarre really. We then did a walk across the fields from Ilam to Dovedale and a little way up the valley and back. Took some time in the afternoon to wander around Buxton and do a bit of shopping. Finished with dinner at Simply Thai - our second visit there and the best Thai food I have tasted outside of Thailand.
Saturday we left Bolehill Farm for the drive to Bourton-on-the-Water, in the Cotswolds.
One observation from our first week in England is that we need to interpret the descriptions in the guidebooks in the light of our first couple of weeks. When a valley walk in the Peak District is described as spectacular we need to understand that it probably won't be spectacular like the Scottish Highlands!
Jul 9th, 2009, 06:32 PM
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Thanks Janis, Yes, we could see just enough to know that the views and walks from the Quirang would be spectacular but we were just there on the wrong day. That was our worst weather day and overall we did pretty well for such a long trip.
Jul 9th, 2009, 07:05 PM
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Week 4
After checking out of our Bolehill farm cottage we made our way south-west via Derby, which was a pleasant old market town, then on to Warwick Castle. Very expensive at GBP18 each but well worth the visit. The original castle dates from the time of William the Conqueror but of course has been substantially expanded, altered, and restored since then. The castle was impressive in size and layout and there were displays in various rooms depicting typical life around the late 19th - early 20th century but very well done and not tacky at all. The exterior was also well presented with various displays and enactments which would have been good for families but as it rained most of the day we didn't wait for the scheduled events.
Arrived at Bourton on the Water and located Jack's Cottage without difficulty. Bourton is a lovely little town with a really picturesque setting along the Windrush river. Our cottage is great with a sitting/dining room and separate kitchen downstairs and 2 bedrooms and bathroom upstairs - very nicely furnished and very comfortable - our own car space out the back is a bonus. Hard to get a good coffee in town, and no sensibly priced internet (GBP5 per hour at the undertakers!).
On Sunday we took a drive from Bourton, following a suggested route from a guidebook - lots of gorgeous countryside, then a stop at Winchcombe which has an interesting church and lots of charming stone cottages, followed by a visit to Hailes Abbey, a ruin but a lovely spot and enough remains to form a picture of abbey life.
Monday another drive with stops at Broadway - a lovely village - and Chipping Camden - another lovely village, but I preferred Broadway - and finally a visit to Hidcote Manor Gardens - a beautiful series of interlinked garden 'rooms' all with different themes.
On Tuesday we drove to Oxford - what a great place. We parked on the outskirts and took the Park & Ride bus right into town and signed up for a 2 hour walking tour of the old town. That was excellent, with a really informative guide, and included access to 2 colleges. We also paid to visit Christ Church College ourselves in the afternoon. A full day in Oxford but not enough so we went again on Thursday morning before visiting Blenheim Palace in the afternoon. A magnificent palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill, set in around 2000 acres of estate. An interesting display on Winston Churchill and a very good self-guided tour of the state rooms but the new 35 minute audio visual attraction was a bit ordinary. We spent some time in the grounds and then headed back to Bourton.
Wednesday morning we did a 4 mile walk from Bourton to Upper Slaughter then to Lower Slaughter and back to Bourton - a nice walk and yet two more cute villages. Then a drive to the south - Bibury (strangely enough, a very cute village), Cirencester (not a bad town but we didn't do it justice as the rain returned unexpectedly), and a visit to the excavated roman villa at Chedworth (OK for no cost to us, being National Trust, but there are bigger and better examples in the UK).
On Friday we made a trip to Cheltenham, one the larger local towns, obviously a prosperous town, but not really a tourist destination. Dinner at the Grapevine Hotel in Stow on the Wold was superb - we just ate in the bar but the food came from the restaurant and was excellent.
Saturday, we left Jack's Cottage, after a lovely week in the Cotswold's and headed south to Cornwall.
After checking out of our Bolehill farm cottage we made our way south-west via Derby, which was a pleasant old market town, then on to Warwick Castle. Very expensive at GBP18 each but well worth the visit. The original castle dates from the time of William the Conqueror but of course has been substantially expanded, altered, and restored since then. The castle was impressive in size and layout and there were displays in various rooms depicting typical life around the late 19th - early 20th century but very well done and not tacky at all. The exterior was also well presented with various displays and enactments which would have been good for families but as it rained most of the day we didn't wait for the scheduled events.
Arrived at Bourton on the Water and located Jack's Cottage without difficulty. Bourton is a lovely little town with a really picturesque setting along the Windrush river. Our cottage is great with a sitting/dining room and separate kitchen downstairs and 2 bedrooms and bathroom upstairs - very nicely furnished and very comfortable - our own car space out the back is a bonus. Hard to get a good coffee in town, and no sensibly priced internet (GBP5 per hour at the undertakers!).
On Sunday we took a drive from Bourton, following a suggested route from a guidebook - lots of gorgeous countryside, then a stop at Winchcombe which has an interesting church and lots of charming stone cottages, followed by a visit to Hailes Abbey, a ruin but a lovely spot and enough remains to form a picture of abbey life.
Monday another drive with stops at Broadway - a lovely village - and Chipping Camden - another lovely village, but I preferred Broadway - and finally a visit to Hidcote Manor Gardens - a beautiful series of interlinked garden 'rooms' all with different themes.
On Tuesday we drove to Oxford - what a great place. We parked on the outskirts and took the Park & Ride bus right into town and signed up for a 2 hour walking tour of the old town. That was excellent, with a really informative guide, and included access to 2 colleges. We also paid to visit Christ Church College ourselves in the afternoon. A full day in Oxford but not enough so we went again on Thursday morning before visiting Blenheim Palace in the afternoon. A magnificent palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill, set in around 2000 acres of estate. An interesting display on Winston Churchill and a very good self-guided tour of the state rooms but the new 35 minute audio visual attraction was a bit ordinary. We spent some time in the grounds and then headed back to Bourton.
Wednesday morning we did a 4 mile walk from Bourton to Upper Slaughter then to Lower Slaughter and back to Bourton - a nice walk and yet two more cute villages. Then a drive to the south - Bibury (strangely enough, a very cute village), Cirencester (not a bad town but we didn't do it justice as the rain returned unexpectedly), and a visit to the excavated roman villa at Chedworth (OK for no cost to us, being National Trust, but there are bigger and better examples in the UK).
On Friday we made a trip to Cheltenham, one the larger local towns, obviously a prosperous town, but not really a tourist destination. Dinner at the Grapevine Hotel in Stow on the Wold was superb - we just ate in the bar but the food came from the restaurant and was excellent.
Saturday, we left Jack's Cottage, after a lovely week in the Cotswold's and headed south to Cornwall.
Jul 9th, 2009, 07:22 PM
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Week 5
After leaving Bourton on the Water we stopped briefly at Castle Combe, a beautiful little village at the southern end of the Cotswolds, tucked into a small valley. The pub opened while we were there so we were able to get coffees and sit outside - very nice. Down the motorway to Exeter for a quick look around and lunch then on to Boscastle.
Once again our cottage choice was good. This one sits above the harbour and has a nice view, some outdoor space, and plenty of room for two. Well equipped but no internet - fortunately the King Arthur pub in Tintagel, about 3-4 miles away, offers free wifi so we can get access for the price of a beer or a coffee. Coffees seem to be good in Cornwall, unlike some other regions.
Sunday was to be a rest day after the drive down, with just a little tour round Tintagel and Port Isaacs but turned into a solid afternoon as the castle ruins at Tintagel involve quite a bit of walking and quite a lot of steep ups & down on a warm day. Very good though - dramatic position with great sea views and we spent a couple of hours there. The old post office at Tintagel was worth seeing as well. Port Isaac was a cute fishing village - I had the feeling that we would see a few of those.
Monday was a big day, starting with a visit to St Ives, a bit more than a fishing village, with a lot of shops and galleries. A nice place spoilt a bit by brief but heavy showers, making it difficult to appreciate wandering around the streets. Continuing, we took the coast road via Zennor to St Just for some great views, then on to St Michael's Mount - a smaller version of Mont St Michel in France. The tide was in so we took a boat out and did the tour of the castle and grounds. The owners still live there but most of the original main rooms were open and this was a good visit with great views back to the mainland. By the time we had done the tour and had the obligatory coffee the tide was low enough for us to return via the causeway. Finally we visited a National Trust property in the area - Godolphin House - only one room of the house was open and the outside was not spectacular. The garden was pleasant and of some historical interest but not one of the great visits - I would have felt ripped off if we had paid the entrance fee but with free access it wasn't too bad.
A quiet Tuesday morning at the cottage, and a visit to Tintagel to check emails over coffee at the pub, then a short drive north to Crackington Haven, a very small coastal village but start/finish point for a walk from our AA book. A lovely day and a great walk of about 4 miles. The first half was along the clifftops, with spectacular views, and a path at times almost a tunnel through wildflowers of all sorts. For the second half the track turned inland and though a farm then back via a wooded & shady valley.
On Wednesday we drove firstly to Mevagissey on the southern coast, a cute little fishing village (just for a change) and smaller then we expected. We had planned to visit the lost gardens of Heligan but we couldn't find them . . . . no, not really. I had thought they were National Trust but they were not and would have been quite expensive, plus it was raining so we decided to go on to Fowey. Fowey was another charming fishing village but much bigger with lots of shops and the harbour was on the river just inland so there was scenery on the opposite bank which added to the look of the place. Then on to Lanhydrock House & Garden, a NT property about 15 miles inland. A great house with access to 50+ rooms dating from a refurbishment after a fire around 1881. Although the grand living rooms can be impressive we always find the downstairs aspects of running a large household very interesting and this house was excellent in that respect. Very nice gardens but we didn't spend a long time there due to the steady rain. On to Padstowe, where the rain finally cleared - a nice enough town but not as nice as Fowey and maybe oversold by the guidebooks.
Thursday morning we drove north about 30 miles to Clovelly - a very steep charming fishing village. We knew that there was no access for cars, but a bit a surprise to find that we had to pay GBP5.75 per person to enter the village - the entire village is private property. We paid up and walked down a very steep path - 600 yards I think - through a single-street village in which the external buildings were not much changed over the past 100 years but there wasn't really much to get excited about. Apparently the village is noted for it's donkeys which are the principal method of getting people & things in and out but they didn't appear until 12:00 noon by which time we had made the long climb up and were ready to leave. It was possible to get a lift up &/or down in a Landrover but that didn't seem quite the right approach. A leisurely afternoon in Boscastle, with coffee in town and dinner at one of the local pubs.
On Friday, our last full day here we took a drive down to Looe - a charming seaside town, of course - and then returned via Bodmin Moor and Golitha Falls. It was very nice drive through the moor (although not really an open windswept moor like Dartmoor or in Scotland) with very narrow roads, the verges covered in wildflowers, and the tree canopies meeting over the road. The falls weren't exactly Niagara but it was a pleasant walk along the river. Back to Boscastle via Delabole to take a quick look at the open cut slate mine
The cottage and the town of Boscastle was great but if we had our time again we would probably choose a place a little further south as most of our journeys were in that direction
- no complaints though.
Saturday we left for a long drive to Kent.
After leaving Bourton on the Water we stopped briefly at Castle Combe, a beautiful little village at the southern end of the Cotswolds, tucked into a small valley. The pub opened while we were there so we were able to get coffees and sit outside - very nice. Down the motorway to Exeter for a quick look around and lunch then on to Boscastle.
Once again our cottage choice was good. This one sits above the harbour and has a nice view, some outdoor space, and plenty of room for two. Well equipped but no internet - fortunately the King Arthur pub in Tintagel, about 3-4 miles away, offers free wifi so we can get access for the price of a beer or a coffee. Coffees seem to be good in Cornwall, unlike some other regions.
Sunday was to be a rest day after the drive down, with just a little tour round Tintagel and Port Isaacs but turned into a solid afternoon as the castle ruins at Tintagel involve quite a bit of walking and quite a lot of steep ups & down on a warm day. Very good though - dramatic position with great sea views and we spent a couple of hours there. The old post office at Tintagel was worth seeing as well. Port Isaac was a cute fishing village - I had the feeling that we would see a few of those.
Monday was a big day, starting with a visit to St Ives, a bit more than a fishing village, with a lot of shops and galleries. A nice place spoilt a bit by brief but heavy showers, making it difficult to appreciate wandering around the streets. Continuing, we took the coast road via Zennor to St Just for some great views, then on to St Michael's Mount - a smaller version of Mont St Michel in France. The tide was in so we took a boat out and did the tour of the castle and grounds. The owners still live there but most of the original main rooms were open and this was a good visit with great views back to the mainland. By the time we had done the tour and had the obligatory coffee the tide was low enough for us to return via the causeway. Finally we visited a National Trust property in the area - Godolphin House - only one room of the house was open and the outside was not spectacular. The garden was pleasant and of some historical interest but not one of the great visits - I would have felt ripped off if we had paid the entrance fee but with free access it wasn't too bad.
A quiet Tuesday morning at the cottage, and a visit to Tintagel to check emails over coffee at the pub, then a short drive north to Crackington Haven, a very small coastal village but start/finish point for a walk from our AA book. A lovely day and a great walk of about 4 miles. The first half was along the clifftops, with spectacular views, and a path at times almost a tunnel through wildflowers of all sorts. For the second half the track turned inland and though a farm then back via a wooded & shady valley.
On Wednesday we drove firstly to Mevagissey on the southern coast, a cute little fishing village (just for a change) and smaller then we expected. We had planned to visit the lost gardens of Heligan but we couldn't find them . . . . no, not really. I had thought they were National Trust but they were not and would have been quite expensive, plus it was raining so we decided to go on to Fowey. Fowey was another charming fishing village but much bigger with lots of shops and the harbour was on the river just inland so there was scenery on the opposite bank which added to the look of the place. Then on to Lanhydrock House & Garden, a NT property about 15 miles inland. A great house with access to 50+ rooms dating from a refurbishment after a fire around 1881. Although the grand living rooms can be impressive we always find the downstairs aspects of running a large household very interesting and this house was excellent in that respect. Very nice gardens but we didn't spend a long time there due to the steady rain. On to Padstowe, where the rain finally cleared - a nice enough town but not as nice as Fowey and maybe oversold by the guidebooks.
Thursday morning we drove north about 30 miles to Clovelly - a very steep charming fishing village. We knew that there was no access for cars, but a bit a surprise to find that we had to pay GBP5.75 per person to enter the village - the entire village is private property. We paid up and walked down a very steep path - 600 yards I think - through a single-street village in which the external buildings were not much changed over the past 100 years but there wasn't really much to get excited about. Apparently the village is noted for it's donkeys which are the principal method of getting people & things in and out but they didn't appear until 12:00 noon by which time we had made the long climb up and were ready to leave. It was possible to get a lift up &/or down in a Landrover but that didn't seem quite the right approach. A leisurely afternoon in Boscastle, with coffee in town and dinner at one of the local pubs.
On Friday, our last full day here we took a drive down to Looe - a charming seaside town, of course - and then returned via Bodmin Moor and Golitha Falls. It was very nice drive through the moor (although not really an open windswept moor like Dartmoor or in Scotland) with very narrow roads, the verges covered in wildflowers, and the tree canopies meeting over the road. The falls weren't exactly Niagara but it was a pleasant walk along the river. Back to Boscastle via Delabole to take a quick look at the open cut slate mine
The cottage and the town of Boscastle was great but if we had our time again we would probably choose a place a little further south as most of our journeys were in that direction
- no complaints though.
Saturday we left for a long drive to Kent.
Jul 9th, 2009, 07:32 PM
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We left Boscastle early for the drive to Goudhurst - deviating only to visit Salisbury and it's cathedral.
Our accommodation in Kent was a spacious cottage in a converted farm outbuilding. The owners still run the farm and we had cows, sheep and horses just far enough away - as well as a few chooks (chickens) wandering around. It was a lovely spot, a couple of miles from the nearest village but that did mean that we had a bit of a drive every time we want to go out.
As usual our plan was to have a quiet day on Sunday so we set out just to explore the local area. Our nearest big town was Tunbridge Wells which is a very pleasant and obviously prosperous place. We had a walk around the historic pantiles area of the town, found a nice café and sat out in the sunshine to read the paper. After lunch back at the cottage we headed off to Bodiam castle which is a ruin but fairly complete and set within a moat and in a pleasant park setting. We then drove on to Rye, about 1/2 hour away, which was a lovely town, full of interesting old buildings.
On Monday we drove down to Brighton to see the Royal Pavilion, which is impressive, if a little bizarre. We had a walk around some of the older part of town and took a stroll out the famous pier before returning. This was our longest trip of the week - still less than 100 miles for the day - but worth it to see the Pavilion.
Tuesday we headed out to Leeds castle which was highly recommended and was certainly impressive but didn't seem to impress as much as some we have seen already - a bit of castle overload perhaps. From Leeds we went to Sissinghurst garden which is quite close to where we are staying. A lovely garden but, as before, after places like Hidcote Manor it just didn't excite as much as we''d been led to expect. Best aspect of this day was the drives through the Kentish countryside & villages - just lovely.
We started Wednesday with a coffee in Tunbridge Wells then on to Knole House, today's stately home. Knole was quite interesting with a lot of information about the process of maintenance & restoration of historical buildings and furnishings.
With only 2 days left we had to make some choices as we had several things on our "to see" list but they can't all be done. In the end we decided to visit Ightam Mote on Thursday morning, a property that we had not heard much about. What a delightful place! Set in a small valley and built within a full moat the house dates from around 1350 and is fully intact - although altered over the years of course.
On Friday we decided to go to Dover to see the castle and wartime tunnels. Dover itself was pretty ordinary but the castle is very impressive sitting high above the town, and the tour of the wartime tunnels where the Dunkirk evacuation was planned was very interesting. We took a short walk along the cliff top to see the white cliffs but rain returned on Friday and it wasn't as clear as it could have been. We were done at Dover by lunchtime so decided to return via Canterbury. That was a good call as the town was really attractive and bustling and the cathedral is magificent.
Saturday morning we drove to Gatwick airport to return the car without incident or argument - always nice to unload that responsibility. Took Gatwick Express to Victoria station then a cab to our flat near Kensington Gardens.
Weather was superb almost all week. Lovely sunny days about 24 degrees have really brought out the best of the Kent countryside, with rain only on the Friday.
Our accommodation in Kent was a spacious cottage in a converted farm outbuilding. The owners still run the farm and we had cows, sheep and horses just far enough away - as well as a few chooks (chickens) wandering around. It was a lovely spot, a couple of miles from the nearest village but that did mean that we had a bit of a drive every time we want to go out.
As usual our plan was to have a quiet day on Sunday so we set out just to explore the local area. Our nearest big town was Tunbridge Wells which is a very pleasant and obviously prosperous place. We had a walk around the historic pantiles area of the town, found a nice café and sat out in the sunshine to read the paper. After lunch back at the cottage we headed off to Bodiam castle which is a ruin but fairly complete and set within a moat and in a pleasant park setting. We then drove on to Rye, about 1/2 hour away, which was a lovely town, full of interesting old buildings.
On Monday we drove down to Brighton to see the Royal Pavilion, which is impressive, if a little bizarre. We had a walk around some of the older part of town and took a stroll out the famous pier before returning. This was our longest trip of the week - still less than 100 miles for the day - but worth it to see the Pavilion.
Tuesday we headed out to Leeds castle which was highly recommended and was certainly impressive but didn't seem to impress as much as some we have seen already - a bit of castle overload perhaps. From Leeds we went to Sissinghurst garden which is quite close to where we are staying. A lovely garden but, as before, after places like Hidcote Manor it just didn't excite as much as we''d been led to expect. Best aspect of this day was the drives through the Kentish countryside & villages - just lovely.
We started Wednesday with a coffee in Tunbridge Wells then on to Knole House, today's stately home. Knole was quite interesting with a lot of information about the process of maintenance & restoration of historical buildings and furnishings.
With only 2 days left we had to make some choices as we had several things on our "to see" list but they can't all be done. In the end we decided to visit Ightam Mote on Thursday morning, a property that we had not heard much about. What a delightful place! Set in a small valley and built within a full moat the house dates from around 1350 and is fully intact - although altered over the years of course.
On Friday we decided to go to Dover to see the castle and wartime tunnels. Dover itself was pretty ordinary but the castle is very impressive sitting high above the town, and the tour of the wartime tunnels where the Dunkirk evacuation was planned was very interesting. We took a short walk along the cliff top to see the white cliffs but rain returned on Friday and it wasn't as clear as it could have been. We were done at Dover by lunchtime so decided to return via Canterbury. That was a good call as the town was really attractive and bustling and the cathedral is magificent.
Saturday morning we drove to Gatwick airport to return the car without incident or argument - always nice to unload that responsibility. Took Gatwick Express to Victoria station then a cab to our flat near Kensington Gardens.
Weather was superb almost all week. Lovely sunny days about 24 degrees have really brought out the best of the Kent countryside, with rain only on the Friday.
Jul 9th, 2009, 07:54 PM
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Our flat was in Palace Gardens Terrace, a very quiet street between Kensington High Street & Bayswater Road, just west of Kensington gardens. It is a lovely area and the flat was well presented and equipped but it did seem small after our cottages of the last few weeks. Our flat was on the first floor with a shared outside area just off the landing; it was quite hot and sitting outside with a cool drink in the late afternoon was very nice.
Saturday evening we took the underground in to Charing Cross and then went to a concert at the church of St Martin in the Fields, Vivaldi, Handel & Mozart's Requiem. A lovely setting, very good singers and music, and a great way to start our week.
On Sunday we explored the local area a bit and took an extended stroll through Kensington Gardens to Hyde park and back via Kensington High Street. As we walked around the Serpentine there was live music clearly audible and it had a familiar sound - we suddenly realised we were listening to Bruce Springsteen's Hard Rock concert in Hyde Park.
On Monday morning we took a bus to the National Library, next to St Pancras station. Big mistake, it took ages to crawl down Oxford street and we have now reverted to the underground which we had hoped to avoid due to the heat. We went to the library to see an exhibition of documents relating to the life of Henry VIII. An absolutely brilliant show and much larger than we had anticipated with letters, documents and books covering all aspects of Henry's life. Later that day we called in to the National Gallery, stopped for drinks around Picadilly and back to the flat.
We started Tuesday with a visit to the Museum of London, which is one of my favourites, then walked down to St Paul's cathedral which I had not been in before. St Paul's was very impressive and quite different to other cathedrals we had seen on this trip. We climbed to the Whispering Gallery, which goes around the inside of the dome, then climbed again, almost to the very top, for panoramic views of London. On the way through we had seen people setting up chairs in the nave, and by the time we came down, musicians were arriving, and we realised that this was a rehearsal for the English Ballet Company performance that was to take place that evening. We had attempted to buy tickets on line the previous day but were too late so it was a real bonus to see some of the show in rehearsal.
Wednesday started with a visit to the British Museum, principally to see a fantastic exhibition of 17th-18th century paintings from the Jodphur region in northern India, but also to take a look around some of our favourite areas. We then took the underground to St Pauls station and walked down to the river, and across the Millenium Bridge to have a look at the Globe Theatre from the outside before visiting the Tate Modern almost next door. We were not particularly interested in the art but I was curious to see the building - formerly a power station. We then took the 20 minute boat ride down river to the original Tate Gallery.
Thursday was a shopping morning, looking for gifts to take home to family, and in the afternoon we took a walk around Bloomsbury, followed by a late afternoon a stroll through Holland Park.
Friday was effectively our last day and we spent a fair bit of time walking around London, starting at Covent Garden, passing through Leicester Square & Picadilly. We visited the Banqueting House near Whitehall and were going to revisit the Cabinet War Rooms but the queue was too long.so headed back to Kensington for a late lunch. Made a final excursion late in the afternoon to pick up some more things to take back for the children & grandchildren.
We had planned to take the LHR Express Saturday morning but I tried Justairports.com, recommended on Fodors instead - only GBP28 for a door to door service - very good. Late away from LHR, not sure why, but most of the wait was for a slot after we were ready to go - left an hour and a half late but made our Bangkok connection and arrived in Melbourne on time to be picked up by our daughter and her family. A great trip - time to start planning and saving for the next one.
Saturday evening we took the underground in to Charing Cross and then went to a concert at the church of St Martin in the Fields, Vivaldi, Handel & Mozart's Requiem. A lovely setting, very good singers and music, and a great way to start our week.
On Sunday we explored the local area a bit and took an extended stroll through Kensington Gardens to Hyde park and back via Kensington High Street. As we walked around the Serpentine there was live music clearly audible and it had a familiar sound - we suddenly realised we were listening to Bruce Springsteen's Hard Rock concert in Hyde Park.
On Monday morning we took a bus to the National Library, next to St Pancras station. Big mistake, it took ages to crawl down Oxford street and we have now reverted to the underground which we had hoped to avoid due to the heat. We went to the library to see an exhibition of documents relating to the life of Henry VIII. An absolutely brilliant show and much larger than we had anticipated with letters, documents and books covering all aspects of Henry's life. Later that day we called in to the National Gallery, stopped for drinks around Picadilly and back to the flat.
We started Tuesday with a visit to the Museum of London, which is one of my favourites, then walked down to St Paul's cathedral which I had not been in before. St Paul's was very impressive and quite different to other cathedrals we had seen on this trip. We climbed to the Whispering Gallery, which goes around the inside of the dome, then climbed again, almost to the very top, for panoramic views of London. On the way through we had seen people setting up chairs in the nave, and by the time we came down, musicians were arriving, and we realised that this was a rehearsal for the English Ballet Company performance that was to take place that evening. We had attempted to buy tickets on line the previous day but were too late so it was a real bonus to see some of the show in rehearsal.
Wednesday started with a visit to the British Museum, principally to see a fantastic exhibition of 17th-18th century paintings from the Jodphur region in northern India, but also to take a look around some of our favourite areas. We then took the underground to St Pauls station and walked down to the river, and across the Millenium Bridge to have a look at the Globe Theatre from the outside before visiting the Tate Modern almost next door. We were not particularly interested in the art but I was curious to see the building - formerly a power station. We then took the 20 minute boat ride down river to the original Tate Gallery.
Thursday was a shopping morning, looking for gifts to take home to family, and in the afternoon we took a walk around Bloomsbury, followed by a late afternoon a stroll through Holland Park.
Friday was effectively our last day and we spent a fair bit of time walking around London, starting at Covent Garden, passing through Leicester Square & Picadilly. We visited the Banqueting House near Whitehall and were going to revisit the Cabinet War Rooms but the queue was too long.so headed back to Kensington for a late lunch. Made a final excursion late in the afternoon to pick up some more things to take back for the children & grandchildren.
We had planned to take the LHR Express Saturday morning but I tried Justairports.com, recommended on Fodors instead - only GBP28 for a door to door service - very good. Late away from LHR, not sure why, but most of the wait was for a slot after we were ready to go - left an hour and a half late but made our Bangkok connection and arrived in Melbourne on time to be picked up by our daughter and her family. A great trip - time to start planning and saving for the next one.
Jul 9th, 2009, 07:56 PM
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Well, there it is - longer than I thought, but then it was a seven week trip. Hopefully someone will find it interesting or useful. I'll be happy to respond if anyone has any questions.
Greg
Greg
Jul 10th, 2009, 01:20 AM
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Hi Sheila, please don't get the impression that we were dismissive of Kilmartin, or neolithic culture, far from it. It's probably more a matter of our expectations being too high, based on what we had read. After a visit to Orkney in 2007 and seeing the Ring of Brodgar, Maes Howe, the Broch of Gurness, and Skara Brae all within a couple of hours we were maybe expecting a more dramatic concentration of artifacts. Thanks for your comments, Greg
Jul 10th, 2009, 06:56 AM
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GregY2 your trip report was fantastic and brought back so many memories for me when you mentioned Oban, Kilmartin, Claonaig, Androssan, Mevagissey, Fowey, Padstow & places in London.
Thanks so much!
Thanks so much!
Jul 10th, 2009, 08:04 AM
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GregY2, would you recommend your flat in London? If so, can you supply a URL? I'm looking for a flat in that area for our next trip to London. And, in London, having a place to sit outside is rare and valuable.
Jul 10th, 2009, 01:18 PM
#20
I just love this sort of trip using bases to see things instead of these mad dashes from place to place, B&B to B&B. You covered a lot of territory and saw a tremendous amount - but only had a couple of long driving days. Great photos!
