Hidcote Garden

After Dover's Hill, we drove on another, oh, maybe 10 miles, to our next site, Hidcote Garden. The garden is the century-old work of one man, Major Lawrence Johnston, an American-turned-Brit, who traveled widely, both in the military and out, in search of plant species to populate his English gardens. Hidcote Garden is largely a set of outdoor "rooms" each a distinct garden. It was a sunny, warm Sunday afternoon and the place was very nearly crowded.

In the modest "museum" of Johnston's life--a garden shed

A globe showing some of his travels

Document concerning his gift of Hidcote to
the National Trust; he estimated five full-time
gardeners would be needed; the Trust in fact
employs 13 here, plus part-timers, and a small
army of devoted volunteers; it is an amazing
organization

HaHa, horse, statue 

Wildflowers in one of the forested areas

Many species we've seen before, and some we haven't

Artsy pose

One of the water rooms

Another--for us--exotic

Beauty everywhere

Tree sculpture?

In addition to the croquet, Hidcote also has a tennis court
available to visitors (this was the last day of Wimbledon)

And, not least, an award-winning loo

Chipping Campden

We drove through Stowe-on-the-Wold and Moreton-on-the-Marsh, noting in both cases how large they seemed and how much traffic there was, whether on-the-Wold or in-the-Marsh. Not quaint like they are supposed to be. I had also tried walking from Boredom-on-the-Water to the Slaughters, Upper and Downer, but was defeated by road construction, poor signage, and lack of interest. (I did pass by the shopping estate and residential areas where real people in B-on-the-W apparently shop and live.) We decided to skip Chippingham-on-Toast since we were there last time. But, we were far more favorably impressed with Chipping Campden, which seemed like a normal small town, with no more than the usual number of tea rooms and B&Bs, and no visible trinket shoppes. It even advertised its modest history. And was very pleasant on the eyes too.

We walked down the Cotswold Way from Dover's Hill, but
ended up on a "variant" through a field of wheat; we
are still learning the fine points of British trail signage...

The usual front yard gardens walking through town

The 1627 market hall on High Street, built by local nice guy
Baptist Hicks (Chipping means market, I understand)

Vaulting therein, restored by the National Trust, which now
owns the property

Down the street a bit, in the little "Chinese" Johnston city
garden; apparently the school kids have misbehaved; we
regret...

Founded c. 1440...

Today's wedding

Chipping Campden church

Charity house built by Baptist Hicks

Inside the church, this touching monument,
unveiled after her death (he preceded her by
some 38 years), Baptist and the Baptissa

Grevel House, oldest stone house in Chipping Campden

And more beautiful floral displays

Everywhere

On Dover's Hill

We spent the next two days and nights parked on Dover's Hill, another National Trust Property. Dover's Hill is on a long high ridge in the eastern Cotswolds, with stupendous views, the whole northern 180 degrees, just  up from Chipping Campden, ten miles from Stratford-upon-Avon. Very popular locally for walking, dog-walking, appreciating the views, watching the sheep, etc.

Yes, the Trust does natural sites as well as
homes and gardens

Looking about; you can see the mountains to the west...

If you know where to look

Lying down in green pastures

Sitting down in green pastures; actually this is a familiar
sight in any public park or garden, particularly on a Sunday

Dover's Hill was for aeons the site of the Cotswold Oympicks,
regional games and contests, recently revived, similar to the
Highland Games; shin-kicking one of the favorite events;
along with the hangings, beheadings, and drawings and
quarterings, these were brutal times...

Dover's Hill is on the Cotswold Way, one of
the major walks, and we enjoyed a few short
hikes out in the countryside and down the
hill to

Chipping Campden

Chastleton House; Or Maybe Don't Try To Keep Up With The Joneses

After three nights at Bourton-on-the-Water we decided to move on a bit, to the edge between the Cotswolds and Oxfordshire, and to see Chastleton House, another National Trust property. The main story on Chastleton House is that it is a Jacobean manor house pretty much preserved as it was then, that is, during the reign of James I (King James Bible guy). How it got to be so well preserved is the real story. Chastleton was born under a curse. The Jones family, which held the house for nearly 400 years until their line and money finally gave out, obtained the estate from Robert Catesby, of Gunpowder Plot fame. Curse by association. Walter Jones built the house in the early 1600s. His descendants were unabashed Royalists, and particularly his grandson, now lord of the manor, a Cavalier, who survived the final battle of the Civil War only by riding home and hiding in the "secret" room. The fine Cromwell imposed on the family--second curse--began its downward spiral, causing them to gradually sell off the very property which was their only source of ongoing income. Oh yes, the wool trade, on which they were financially dependent, also fell apart during their stay at Chastleton. Apart from some 19th century re-roofing, little additional work was done to the house, and many of the furniture and furnishings date back to the Jacobean Joneses. While much was thus "preserved," much also deteriorated, and when the property came to the Trust in the 1990s, it faced some daunting questions about what and how much should be restored or renovated. Their answer has been to stabilize the property, make it safe and edifying for visitors, but not much beyond that. Realistically, it is certainly the best approach. Chastleton was never Blenheim Palace, and it went steadily downhill throughout its history. But, restored just a bit, it gives a rich picture of what life was like for a country manor family from Jacobean times.

Interior photo showing the condition of the
place when the Trust received it

Entry view; the estate has gone from hundreds of acres to
just 20

The gardens deteriorated too; above is a grand topiary
garden, the figures now not recognizable, but, with much
care, coming back to life and form

A photograph of them from Victorian times

Ages ago, one of the family was a croquet enthusiast and
actually published the first printed rules of croquet; here's
the backyard croquet field (just about all National Trust
properties have croquet sets available for visitor use)

To the right of the entry is a great hall you enter through the
magnificent screen; the table on the right is said to antedate
the house since it is so large it could not have been brought
in any of the current doors or windows

There is incredible wood-carved furniture and paneling
through the house

Dated 1531

Stalagmites and stalactites in a staircase

Beautiful fireplace in one of the great rooms

Same room, ceiling bosses, oak paneling, paintings of saints
and sybils all around the four walls

Bed chamber, Lille tapestry

Bible used at trial of Charles I

It took one of the ladies of the house 15 years to make this
linen quilt for bed and cradle

Detail

The "secret" room, its door covered over by wall-paper; the
lady of the house spiked the tea of searching Parliamentarian
troops with laudanum...

The long hall upstairs; the chest on the right was made in
about 1500 and was used for carrying one's armor along on
trips

Kitchen, probably updated in the 18th century, I guess

The curse continues...local villagers are not
happy about the house being open on
Sundays...apparently a traffic issue... 

Sweet Raunchies

British humor is the best in the world and comes in all shapes and sizes, dry and subtle to silly and outrageous. But always the best. Vicki found these in a C-store in Bourton-on-the-Water. Raunchy confectionary humor.