Another very late post – but here it is for completeness…
Friday we did indeed walk to the Falkland Arms at Great Tew where we met up with my cousin Martyn and his wife Anne. It’s a stunning Cotswold location and worthy of a visit if you are in the area. A pleasant 3 mile walk from Newton Grove which is entirely off-road. Came across this white pheasant on our way.
Saturday we visited the National Trust property at Canons Ashby, a tranquil Tudor house set in rare terraced gardens, with the “ancient” Dryden family at its heart.
Sunday was time to move on. John had already said we could stay a little longer at Newton Grove because our next campsite didn’t allow arrivals until 13:00 and it was the grand distance of 7 miles away.
The journey to Cotswold Hills caravan park was uneventful and we arrived around 13:15. Situated on the edge of Chipping Norton, around a half hour walk into town, the site was perfectly located to explore this area of the Cotswolds.
Chris and Alison had already arrived on site and we had a pitch next to their motorhome where we would stay until Thursday.
Highlights of the week were:
Pub crawl around Chipping Norton
There are just enough pubs to keep a couple of “ex-drinkers” busy for an afternoon of beer and witty conversation.
Batsford Park and Arboretum
The park has one of the country’s most diverse collections of trees and plants across 60 acres. There’s also a nice cafe and a garden centre on the site.
Lunch at the Farmers Dog
Alison had put a lot of effort into securing a table for the four of us at Clarkson’s pub “The Farmers Dog”. I wasn’t entirely looking forward to the expected circus but it turned out really well.
Everything from Car Parking to Service to Food was great and well-organised. The food was simple but excellent and the service spot-on. We were seated in the “Farmers Bar” area and the chap looking after our area had only good things to say about the restaurant and how the staff were rewarded. This shone through with the level of service we received.
