Day 2. The Cotswolds.

Our first walk of the week. We decided that we would try and walk some sections of the Cotswold Way this week. It is a 102 mile national trail going from the SW to the NE of the Cotswolds. The word 'wolds' means rolling hills and that really sums up the Cotswolds. In between the rolling hills you find quaint villages built from honey coloured stone.

Today's walk would be mainly on the Cotswold Way and then we would leave it after a few miles to circle back to where we are staying. 

The bluebells were really past their best but we could still see a few clumps in flower.

We lost count of the number of stiles we had to climb over. In Kent where I walk frequently most stiles have been replaced with kissing gates which make the walk more accessible.  Climbing over high stiles becomes increasingly more difficult as I get older.

There were some steeper inclines than perhaps the word rolling suggests.

No end to the stunning views.

A well maintained wooden bridge with a small stile at the end.

The walk took us through the village of Painswick. 

The church is from the 14th century with the spire added in 1632. Sadly is was destroyed by lighning in 1883 and then later rebuilt. The churchyard is known for its 99 yew trees, planted in 1792. Legend has it that a hundredth can never be grown because the devil will pull it out.

Just outside the village back on the Cotswold Way is a memorial to Tony Drake a principal creator of Cotswold Way.

In the village where we are staying is this house covered in wisteria.

Walking in the Cotswolds

 This week I am on a walking holiday in the Cotswolds with a group of friends. The Cotswolds is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) so plenty of beautiful countryside. Usually we meet up for a linear walk staying in different places each night. That puts a lot of pressure on you as you have to make sure you can do the mileage each day otherwise you won't have anywhere to stay that night. With increasing years we decided that this year we would stay in a central location and go out on different walks each day. This would give us much more flexibility.

This converted five bedroom barn was our home for the week. 

Views from the back of the house.

It is a stunning venue. I think I might be looking for excuses to just sit in the garden admiring the view.

Easter weekend

 The weather was perfect over the Easter weekend. I discovered another walk from my new home.

There is a nature reserve just a 30 min walk away.

The two swans were determined to chase the Canada geese away.

A colourful way marker. 

Grants Zoological Museum

 This museum is part of the University College London. 

The Museum was founded by Robert Grant in 1827. A believer in evolution he was the first professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy in England. When he first started lecturing at the University of London he realised he needed some teaching materials and began to collect specimens which are still used today by students. Grant taught at the University from 1828 until his death in 1874.

The dried heart of an elephant.

The museum is mainly used for research by the students of the university but is open at certain times for the public to have a look around.

Umbrellas

  I knew this shop existed but for some reason I had never come across it which is strange seeing as I walk around London so much. This Grade II listed building is situated at the end of New Oxford Street. Opened in 1857, James Smith & Sons is a beautifully preserved example of a high class Victorian West End shop. 

Inside, the shop is stocked with a huge array of umbrellas, walking sticks and canes. Not so long ago the male workers in the City of London could be seen hurrying to work wearing a bowler hat and using a black rolled umbrella as a walking stick. You would be hard pushed to see anyone these days dressed like that. However, umbrellas are still needed and as long as you have a healthy bank balance you will find what you need here.

I did chat to one of the assistants who very kindly showed me the most expensive umbrella in the shop which had a silver handle and ebony wood shaft. This retailed at just under £4000. He also showed me a cane that was a little more expensive than that as it was made from snake wood. Umbrellas over £300 are still hand made on the premises using the same methods they have always used. The business has remained in the same family for the last 175 years.

I did find one section which was more in my price range. 

Entering the shop was a real step back into history.