A week at Thrupp

A week in one place will sound like hell on earth to many boaters of my acquaintance Reader, but not for us when here.  There are masses of places to visit within a hours drive from here.  We didn't have a car one time but easily hired one from Oxford airport just a short drive from here, of course that was pre-Covid before the world shifted on it's axis.

A short drive away in the village of Wendlebury where they held their Garden Festival with about ten gardens open to the public in aid of the village church which was delightful with a huge range of garden styles, one of them with a swimming pool they had had installed during lockdown, it looked like a hot tub but had a big jet in it so you could "Swim".  Nice cream teas served in the village hall too.  We were the furthest travelled that day to view having come from Sussex to amazed faces.  

From Thrupp there are a myriad of footpaths, we took one through a field of flowers and watched the Red Kites   HERE    for the benefit of my Reader in Brazil, these are now prolific hawks but we were down to a handful of pairs in Wales in the 1070's.  I still love to watch them when we are on the boat as we don't have them in Sussex, YET.

On a previous visit here there were dozens of Red Kites as the farmer gathered in his hay crop.

Church interior at Hampton Poyle, this church dates back virtually a thousand years, yes a thousand!

Best part of a walk on a hot day, The Bell at Hampton Poyle.  Good menu, we'll come here next time for a treat.

One of the best English Gardens is Hidcote near Chipping Camden and another cracker is Kiftsgate Court which almost adjoins Hidcote and at the turn of the C19th-C20th the two wealthy gardening nuts became the greatest chums.

Hidcote    HERE

Kiftsgate Court    HERE

Tintinhull     HERE.

We spent the best part of the day doing both as we would always do when even remotely passing Gloucestershire.  We left the key under the mat of WaL like you do when you are expecting guests.  
Guess who?

Eating pretty gorgeous ice-creams from Annie's Tearooms.

Kiftsgate Court, The Water Garden, what a place in which to ponder. 

A swing seat with a view to die for.

Look carefully and you might spot the swing seat in the wee pavilion.

The other man in my life, beloved David #2

 Yes when we returned from our jaunt The Boat Sharers, Amanda and Darling David Lewis had arrived, unpacked, washed up and were investigating the source of a nasty smell on WaL.....

Supper was poached salmon, new pots and salad treats from M&S our new favourite food store.