Under a rainy sky and with our hoods firmly zipped up, Emma & Alastair headed out on one of our regular checks. Despite the inclement weather, we were both looking forward to getting out into the lush Cotswolds countryside to explore this trail. Following the path through a tunnel-like canopy that soon gave way to tall pine woods, we enjoyed the peace and quiet of our surroundings, the only sounds the gentle patter of rain as it made its way through the leaves, the occasional snipping of our clippers as we cut back any stray branches overhanging the path, and the song of the birds.
A narrow lane meandered along the edge of the valley, leading us past a string of characterful stone cottages either side. Soon we wandered along a gentle ridge that gave us some wonderfully atmospheric views into the valley below. Passing ancient burial mounds dating back to 3000 BC, we stopped to appreciate the sheer wealth of history and to wonder at what else may be lying below our feet.
Approaching an ancient gated manor house and its church, a footnote in the trail card told of a curious ‘panto’ tale to explore. For those that have witnessed the eccentricity of an English pantomime it might seem odd to find a link in such a tranquil setting. Panto started out as mimed comic sketches to lighten the mood in theatre intervals, and were based on fairytales and other popular stories. When actors were allowed to speak, well that’s when this form of theatre really took off. One of the most popular pantos is Dick Whittigton & his Cat (more about him in our next post). This ancient fictional character was inspired by a real-life medieval figure, who, as we learnt from our trail card, has family ties and memorials here in this humble village church.
A wooden bridge took us over the babbling brook, passing under trees and through fields of curious sheep, we eventually came to the grand setting of an 18th century manor. Beside the impressive house, an arch in a yew hedge led us to a 13th century gem, a picture-perfect example of a small Cotswolds church. We stopped a while and recorded our names in the visitors’ book before retracing our steps to make our way to the cosy inn at the end of the trail. We had thoroughly enjoyed this interesting trail of changing landscapes, quaint Cotswolds villages and fascinating stories. And best of all? A well-earned hot chocolate back at the cosy country inn.
This trail features as one of the days on our Cotswolds adventures.
