Escape to the Country - Wiltshire, Somerset & West Sussex
Well, this one is a little of a mixed bag. On our way back to London, we stopped off for a few nights in Wiltshire.
The view from our barn conversion was gorgeous, although missing a few sheep.
This area is known for its white chalk horses…
…and its many Bronze Age burial mounds. They look quite cool on a frosty January morning.
Moving ahead a few thousand years, we visited the Roman baths in Bath.
The free audio guide provided loads of interesting information about the layout of the bath complex which included saunas, hot and cold mineral pools, changing rooms and temples for worshiping the local goddess, Sulis.
Here she is.
For hundreds of years, visitors to the temple/spa complex tossed coins into the various pools as an offering to Sulis.
Bath is also Jane Austen “country” with various museums and tea shops devoted to the author’s legacy. We pretty much just wondered around enjoying the fine day. Here’s the famous Royal Crescent.
Who doesn’t like a bit of grand, Georgian architecture. I’d live here.
A bit farther north in Gloucestershire, you enter the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or AONB. We chose Bourton-on-the-Water for our quick-stop in the Cotswolds.
The whole place looks like it’s straight out of an Agatha Raisin mystery.
One of the main attractions in the village is a Grade II listed miniature village modeled on the actual village. See if you can tell which are the real village and which are the model…
On our way back to London a few days later, we took a very important detour…
… to The Repair Shop! it’s one of my favorite shows on BBC and we couldn’t miss the chance to see the filming set in person.
The famous thatched barn is part of the Weald and Downland Living Museum in West Sussex. It’s a collection of historic buildings relocated from around the UK.
The buildings are carefully reconstructed and made “living” with an extensive program of artisan workshops showing how people used to live and work in the olden days. This nice lady was baking in a 17th century wood-fired oven. When she found out I was a pastry chef, she asked if I lived near by and would like to volunteer. What a blast that would be!
Back in the barn, they open the set on the weekends for visitors to take a look. You can seen the lighting rigs up above, but it’s basically as it appears on TV, sans the talent.
Here’s Suzy’s leather work table…
and the bear ladies sewing station…
and Steve’s clock repair table. I could have just died it was so cool. I’m such a nerd.
We toured the rest of the grounds, enjoying the crisp afternoon. I love a flint building…
The interior was gorgeous. This could be straight out of a Country Living UK interior design spread.
It’s a pretty magical place. Definitely worth a detour if you’re in the neighborhood.
