ON TOUR: Shakespeare Country and the Cotswolds
Your editor recently took a short break in Shakespeare country and the
Cotswolds. Rolling hills, fine woodlands, small towns and tiny
villages. Sheep farming is still very much big business. There is
no doubt that England, and that includes the other home countries, have
a host of wonderful places to visit either for a short weekend (or a
weekday) break or for a more protracted tour. The weather may not be
guaranteed but you can usually dodge between the showers. Once off
the main roads, the driving is easy and the scenery often outstanding.
”On a Friday travelling north from London can be difficult but a late
morning sprint up the M40, a lack of lorries and heavy traffic and a
motorway that winds its way past High Wycombe, through the
Stokenchurch cutting, and on to Banbury, an ancient town with its cross
from Edward 1st time and an excellent eatery in the Thai Orchid.
Thirty miles further on is Stratford itself with the Alveston Manor for
a night”s stop. This ancient (well some of it is ancient) four-star
hotel sits on the other side of the Avon from the town, combining
oak-beamed rooms with pleasant modern accommodation and a superb leisure complex including an 18-metre indoor swimming pool. It is just a short walk into Stratford with its pedestrianised streets and varied shops, very much geared up for the tourist trade. Americans do not seem to come these days in numbers but there are many visitors from the Far East, about one-third of all tourists from abroad. You can take a stroll joining one of the daily walks (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 1100, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 1400 ” ”5), where a local guide will interest and entertain you with stories from Shakespeare”s time and the many ancient buildings and historical events over the last 500 years. Brand new, and after all Stratford was always forward looking and one of the first places to go into the tourist business back in the 18th century, is a wireless hot spot experiment called ”Stratford Unplugged”. Tourists who hire a personal digital assistant for the day access an interactive map of the town giving up to the minute information and background details. Everything on a
normal tourist site.
The Royal Shakespeare Company is currently staging the biggest
festival in its history, inviting theatre companies from across the
world and around the UK to a unique celebration of the Bard”s complete
works, all 37 plays. In July the Courtyard Theatre opens, a temporary
construction replacing the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from April 2007
onwards, that distinguished building closing for a major redevelopment
(left).
From Stratford to Bourton on the Water is a delightful 25 miles,
40-minute drive along minor A roads past Moulton-in-the-Marsh.
Bourton has often been described as the ”Venice of the Cotswolds” on
the strength of its six picturesque bridges across the River Windrush.
This is a Cotswold tourist venue ”par excellence”, with a proper
village green surrounded by shops, tearooms, public houses and
restaurants. Well worth visiting is The Cotswold Perfumery, a small
family business that has been manufacturing fine fragrances for over
40 years. A short tour shows you how the perfumes are produced and a
one-day course on making your own brand is proving very popular at ”99.
For the children there is the Bourton model railway exhibition and the
Fun Days Play Barn, whilst the model village and Cotswold Motoring
Museum is for the whole family.
Retracing our steps through Stow-on-the-Wold, next stop ten miles and
20 minutes away, is Blockley and its old water mill (left). This is
the site of a fabulous private garden developed by the Dare family,
half the property is used for bed and breakfast accommodation and the
two and a half acre garden is home to all manner of plants, borders
and fruit. You do need to be fairly nimble to get around the tiered
garden although some 50% is wheelchair accessible it is claimed. The
landscaping is simply glorious. Then, time for a tea and strawberries
and cream served by the enthusiastic owners only to keen to help and
explain. You might even get a personal tour.
In this part of England, public houses with fine eating is now the
norm and the Bell at Willersey proved to be an architectural Cotswold
stone built drinking place, in the most beautiful of villages,
complete with pond and thatched cottages.
Back into the car and onto Snowshill Manor, National Trust since 1951
and again a superb setting. A beautiful Cotswold country house dating
back to the 16th century containing Charles Paget Wade”s extraordinary
and eccentric collection of craftsmanship and design, including
musical instruments, clocks, toys, bicycles and Japanese armour. His
family made money in the West Indies in the 19th century and he spent
his whole life just collecting. His will stipulates ”No Signage” and
sometimes it is just a guessing game to know what and where from.
An easy run back to Stratford and an evening performance of Julius
Caesar, all blood and gore with the conquering Octavius (Augustus) very
young. The Royal Shakespeare Company always puts on a quality
production.
The final day took us on a nice quiet early morning Sunday drive from
Stratford (the Alveston Manor is shown here) down the A3400 to
Woodstock and one of the grand palaces of England, Blenheim, the home
of the Dukes of Marlborough since the early part of the 18th century
(our first photo in this section). In August 1704 John Churchill,
recently made Duke of Marlborough, won one of the great battles in
European history, Blenheim in south Germany, his adversary Louis XIV.
Defeat on that occasion would have meant French domination of Europe
and history would have been different. Blenheim was conceived by Sir
John Vanbrugh in 1705 and completed in 1722, although like all great
estates, it has never stood still with the present Duke (now in his
80s), ensuring that the property stays financially stable and
attractive for visitors. Aston Martin chose Blenheim for its annual
owners” get together, an excuse to show the proto-type four door
saloon, bound to be a star at the forthcoming Motor Show at Excel in
London.
Blenheim was also the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill in 1874 and
it was his wish to be laid to rest at Bladon churchyard just outside
the estate. He died in 1965. It is a World Heritage site, set in
2001 acres of parkland, originally landscaped by ”Capability” Brown.
Sweeping lawns and formal gardens surrounds the palace, the staterooms
graced with priceless portraits, exquisite porcelain and magnificent
tapestries. A permanent Winston Churchill exhibition gives you an
insight to a man considered by many to be the greatest Englishman of
the 20th century. At certain times even the private apartments are
accessible. From the terraces take a walking tour around the grounds,
through the Italian garden, the rose garden and the secret garden with
its secluded winding paths, bridges, streams and water features. A
stroll past the cascade waterfall and you are into a wooded landscaped
walk and past the lake and boathouse.
Blenheim Palace employs 12 permanent gardeners and has the upkeep of
seven acres of roof. You can go on a day visit or fit in with one of
the many special events that will take place this summer, including
concerts by Westlife, James Blunt and Robin Gibb and of course the
world famous Blenheim International Horse Trials. There is a cafeteria
and restaurant or you can dine in the lovely village of Woodstock.
The round trip was around 260 miles from South Mimms or you can take a
inclusive package coach tour for up to ”325 staying two nights in a
four star-hotel and including seats at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
http://www.thaigroup.co.uk
http://www.shakespeare-country.co.uk
http://www.rsc.org.uk
http://www.alvestonmanor.co.uk
http://www.cotswolds.com
http://www.cotswold-perfumery.co.uk
http://www.milldenegarden.co.uk
http://www.the-bell-willersey.com
http://www.blenheimpalace.com