Tuesday 7 November 2017

Day trippers

One day a week OH and I pack a picnic and go off somewhere, if you've been with me a while and have a long memory, you may remember my weekly posts about our little trips out. 

As the OH is a big lover of all things Cotswolds, he persuaded me that we needed to visit again. I was after a particular treat from one of the little shops there, so it seemed a good idea.

First stop was Hanbury in Worcestershire, for a cup of tea and a breath of fresh air accompanied by a stunning, albeit misty, view.

 Thankfully, as we headed south the weather brightened and soon the sun was shining gloriously in a deep blue sky.

We ended up in Chipping Campden, a small market town in Gloucestershire, noted for its 14th to 17th century high street. Tip: during school holidays you can park on the school car park for free.

The walk round to the high street from the school is interesting, past St James church and the cart wash, a small museum dedicated to Arts and Crafts, and some rather gorgeous private houses.

I love these gatehouses, or pepperpot lodges as I believe they are called, originally the  entrance to Campden House, a grand country home built by Sir Baptist Hicks in 1613. Unfortunately, it was burnt to the ground thirty years later, and only parts remain, as well as a trace of the gardens under local fields.

The local almshouses

Not seven, but eight!


Random village house with fab stone mullion windows and hay feeders by the front door

The market hall

It's difficult to tell from the photos, but the floor of the market hall is incredibly uneven, but it is still used for stalls occasionally 


Top of St James' church

We found the little food shop we came to visit and bought ourselves a Christmas treat, proper marrons glace, expensive but proper!

It was like stepping back in time as the shop only takes real money, not cards. 

Back to reality and I've been looking for a pair of ankle boots for a while, scouring eBay with no luck. Popped into my local chazza the other day and...voila!



Faux leather Chelsea boots, brand new!  They are only supermarket ones, Aldi I think, but were mine for £3.95 and brand new. I've worn them three times now and they are waterproof and warm.

Another Aldi purchase now, but not second hand.

Both the OH and I love Jelly Belly beans, but they are expensive. I happened to buy some of Aldi's own brand a while back an they are mouthwateringly good!

They were on offer the other day, down to just 89p a bag, oh go on then!



As I'm the not-so-proud owner of a new smart phone (not a ridiculously expensive one!) I'm tending to take all my photos on it at the moment, I think they all look OK, and I'm even able to crop them and everything, ohh get me!.

 hope everyone had a safe Hallowe'en and bonfire night. 

5 comments:

  1. I love my iPhone. Rarely do I use it for making calls or texting but for the apps. Kindle (which I can use anywhere), Instagram, Youtube and several others. So useful when in some waiting room to be able to read to while away the time. I can use it at night without disturbing Ian.

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  2. Have only driven through Chipping Camden but it does look a lovely place, thanks for sharing the photos x

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  3. We drive through Chipping Camden on the way to the Cornbury Festival every year although it's been ages since we stopped and looked around. I've definitely been in the lopsided outdoor market before. xxx

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  4. Love that misty view at the start of your post. We've been do Chipping Campden about ten years ago. I remember that it was during a heatwave. It's very beautiful and atmospheric, whatever the season. I've also succumbed to a cheap smartphone, and I find its camera very useful for close-ups, and photos taken on the hoof. £3.95 for brand new boots isn't bad at all! xxx

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  5. The boots are lovely! Great bargain! I only intended to go to the Charity shop today briefly but ended up buying a few things!x

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