Contented in the Cotswolds…

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Coddiwomple: (v.) to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination.

We found this ancient cemetery a few blocks from our “home” in Stroud. It’s set on the side of a hill overlooking the valley. Many walking paths throughout – a very peaceful and wonderful place for the locals to commune with nature.
And when you drive tight roads like this you need a bit of peacefulness! This traffic sign tells us that we are to yield to the cars coming up the lane, so whenever we spot a car heading up it’s our job to tuck in wherever possible to create a space. There is very little parking, with many cars parked along the side of the road, so typically there are several cars to work around. We were very impressed with how well people cooperated with one another❣️
This is St Mary’s Church in Painswick and it is surrounded with 99 highly trimmed yew trees. The story is that if there were 100 trees the devil would be able to intervene by pulling out the last one – thus keeping the count at 99! 🤷🏽‍♀️
It’s hard to capture topography but if you look closely at this lovely image, you can see how far down the village goes.
Always on the look out for public foot paths – and in England we were never far from one.
“Of the blessings set before you, make your choice, and be content.” – Samuel Johnson
This is another beautiful example of Cotswolds stone homes.
Interesting…
Sooo, I guess we’re drawn to walking the local canals 😊
Greeting the boaters as they float under the bridge.
Stroud – a gorgeous and very hilly town – modern stores on the 1st floor and the cool old buildings on top.
An old town but with a modern arcade of shops, too!
On the outskirts of Winchcombe we hiked up Cleve Hill. But check this out – the hiking paths are intertwined with an 18 hole golf course!
Of course, the obligatory sheep join the fun starting every April 1st. The large building below is the club house for the golfers.
One of the golfers that we chatted up told us about a dog running into these plantings a few years ago and it emergerged, carrying a piece of a missing plane from WWII.
The Canadian families of these seven men came to Cleve Hill to finally have some closure when this plaque was erected.
Lovely Winchcombe in the evening light…
strolling around as we wait for dinner.
The farmer’s fields and public paths never far alway.
We had a wonderful visit to Sudeley Castle just outside Winchcombe. There were many beautiful gardens – this is the Queen’s Garden.
Sudeley Castle – with royal connections spanning a thousand years. It has played an important role in the turbulent and changing times of England’s past.
Thanks to Oliver Cromwell’s orders to destroy the castle – this is now the ruins of the banqueting hall.
The Knot’s Garden – designed after one of Queen Elizabeth I’s dresses.
Wild story, this…
Katherine – finally home again.
Well, then…
We made a couple of visits to the train station to see steam trains come and go.
Because Murph loves trains and I love him❣️
Now this was a huge kick – we met a few family members – Doug, Shannon and Claire, all the way from Denver CO, in Guiting Power for dinner at the Hollow Bottom restaurant.
But here’s the Belle of the Ball – the beauty of them all – and my “little buddy” – celebrating her 13th birthday ‼️
While walking through the village that evening, after dinner, Doug took this great shot of their war memorial. The perfect picture after a wonderful family gathering ❤️
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13 thoughts on “Contented in the Cotswolds…”

  3. Barb and Murph,

    Love your photo album that you share with us as you travel the world!!!1

    Sending Hugs and Kisses.

    Denise and Fran

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  5. Yay it was so great to see you!!!! and especially on claire’s birthday. We are safely home now and all with jet lag (i started doing laundry at 2:30am lol). Have a safe trip home!! xoxo Shannon

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