After our week in Wales and with another house-sit starting in Worcestershire the next day we took the opportunity to pop up to Liverpool for the night, stopping briefly in the historic walled city of Chester.
Chester is a lovely town famous for the 3kms of Roman and medieval walls that encircle the historic centre and the unique “rows” of continuous half-timbered galleries filled with shops above street level. Its quaint and quirky and because of this tourists flock here, and the town responds with an abundance of touristy shops and gimmicks like the town crier.
Liverpool on the other hand was quite different and nothing like we expected. We both envisioned this dock-side city to be a bit rough and ready and were taken aback by the vibrant cultural hub that greeted us.
The pride of the city is the fantastic waterfront area where we started our visit. After checking in to our hotel we wandered down to Pier Head where the three stately buildings referred to as the Three Graces watch over the River Mersey. The Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building were all built in the early 20th century and define the skyline of Liverpool. These iconic landmarks contributed to Liverpool’s waterfront becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site over a decade ago, and why this cityscape is considered one of the more beautiful in Europe.
Prominently placed in the square in front of these buildings is a statue of Liverpool’s most famous sons – the Beatles. We watched visitors from the cruise ship docked nearby jostle for photos beside these larger than life bronze figures, and when they moved on we got the chance for our own must-have photo. Further along the waterfront, past the futuristic white-tiled Museum of Liverpool, the navy memorial, another memorial to the horses of the docks and an art installation of a giant cat, are the historic Canning and Albert Docks. Here the red brick Maritime Museum building sits and where the story of the Titanic is told; because although she sailed from Belfast the Titanic’s managing company, the White Star Line, had its head office in Liverpool. Next to the Maritime Museum is the Tate Liverpool art gallery with free exhibitions of striking contemporary British art and nearby markets and food stalls lined the docks. It’s a colourful and energetic place.
Away from the waterfront the inner city is a mix of big shopping malls and outdoor pedestrian areas and in amongst it is a narrow side street; Mathew Street where the Beatles first performed at the famous Cavern Club. Mathew street is lined with bars all touting some link to the Fab Four and all with live music blaring and overflowing with mostly middle-aged patrons. A statue of John Lennon leans against a wall and there’s another of Cilla Black in a mini skirt and sporting a bob. The Beatles are everywhere in Liverpool and its obvious many of these tourists are here because of them. Buses take people to their childhood homes and around their old stomping grounds, restaurants name dishes after their songs, pubs claim ambiguous links to them, and souvenir shops heave with merchandise. The Beatles are big business. We were happy with our small dose – seeing the statue and the Cavern Club and people watching over a beer on Mathew Street. Liverpool has worked hard to shake its working-class image and the effort paid off when it was named European Capital of Culture in 2008. Since then investment has continued to flow allowing the waterfront development and public spaces to further evolve. But here in the inner city you get the feeling it is hasn’t entirely forgotten its roots, there’s still a grittiness to this city.
The next morning, we were up early and on the road, driving a few hours south to Upton on Severn, a small village in Worcestershire where we would be house and dog sitting for the next two weeks.
This is a beautiful part of England and we were lucky to enjoy a fantastic spell of weather. Between our many dog walks along those wonderful public footpaths that start at the doorstep and run for miles in every direction through picturesque countryside of barley fields and woodlands we had plenty of opportunity to explore the wider area, taking day trips to some fantastic places nearby steeped in history and natural beauty.
Stratford-upon-Avon
We were less than an hour away from Stratford-upon-Avon and it was on my priority list of places to visit. Apart from being a lovely market town by a river Stratford-upon-Avon is mostly visited for one reason – it’s the hometown of William Shakespeare. The Shakespeare Trust operates five properties of significance in the life of Shakespeare and his family and we aimed to visit as many of these as we could in the 4 or so hours we had before getting back to the dogs. We managed to squeeze in four of the sites.
The first was Shakespeare’s birthplace, a much bigger house than I expected and right on the main street. He was born in this house and grew up here with his parents and siblings. He also spent the first five years of his marriage living here with his wife Anne Hathaway. At the time it was the largest house on the street as the family were wealthy. The Shakespeare experience starts with an audio-visual exhibition telling the story of the life and works of the Bard before you enter the pretty garden where the house sits. Inside a guide gave us a brief history before letting us look through at our own pace. Andrew had been here years ago when he was on his OE and he could remember being shocked at how small their beds were. But after visiting many castles and historic palaces since then and seeing many tiny beds from the middle ages and earlier Shakespeare’s bed now looked surprisingly large. Understandably this cottage is a place of pilgrimage and thespians and writers have been coming here for hundreds of years. Inside is an original pane of glass from the room he was born in that is covered with graffiti dating back centuries, some of the signatories renowned artists in their own right. Back outside in the sunshine performers were reciting Shakespeare’s verses and taking requests from those watching. The actress did a wonderful Lady Macbeth.
Around the corner and up the road is Shakespeare’s New Place. This was his family home from 1597 until he died in the house in 1616 and was the largest house in the town. In some sort of protest over tax the house was demolished by its owners in 1759 and the site as left bare. It has now been turned into a contemporary garden and sculpture space to celebrate Shakespeare’s life and works. A guide welcomed us and gave a 10-minute talk on the history of the site and the meaning of the sculptures and gardens. The footprint of the house tells of its scale – Shakespeare lived a lavish lifestyle.
In the next street is Hall’s Croft. The home of Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna and her physician husband John Hall. It’s a lovely example of a timbered Jacobean home. John Hall was a physician of some renown and was compassionate and diligent, treating both rich and poor, Catholic and Protestant patients alike. Apart from a lovely house the most interesting bit was an exhibition on medicine and treatments in the 1600’s showing the practises of astronomy and blood-letting, their philosophy on mental health (depression was considered an ailment of the intelligentsia), and treatments they used made from plants, herbs, animal extracts, gemstones and rocks.
Our final stop was a short drive out of town at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. A cute-as-pie thatched cottage sitting in a full and colourful garden. Originally a farmhouse, it was built in 1463 and would have comprised of just three rooms although the family were considered to be relatively wealthy at the time. Anne, later Shakespeare’s wife, was born in the cottage in 1556. The kitchen and parlour remain from the original medieval construction and the guide who showed us through told us of a fan who on hearing that Shakespeare would have walked on the floor in the kitchen fell to the ground and kissed it. He warned us the ground may not be clean so advised kissing it wasn’t the best idea. It takes all types.
What stands out the most when visiting these historic places is the passion and knowledge of the volunteers and staff who work there. The Shakespeare Trust was no exception and we impressed with how engaged they are with their visitors and genuinely want to tell the story of this great man and his family.
Hampton Court Castle
I have mentioned in a previous blog that my sister’s in-laws live in Malvern and visited them on the way to Wales. Well, Malvern in only a short distance from Upton so we were able to spend some more time with Patience and Robin. They kindly offered to show us around and suggested an outing to Herefordshire to visit Hampton Court Castle.
Not to be confused with Hampton Court Palace near London, this castle was built early in the 15th century, 100 years before the more famous palace it shares a name with. The setting is lovely; in the middle of the countryside surrounded by vast lawns, a stunning woodland backdrop, and magnificent gardens.
We started our visit in the walled kitchen gardens filled with all types of fruit, vegetables and herbs interspersed with bright poppies, delphinium and cosmos and then worked our way through the symmetrical Dutch garden with its striking pool and agapanthus, through to the beautiful formal gardens and under the 150-year-old wisteria arch dripping with blooms out onto the lawn and across to the castle itself where a lovely café served dishes made from produce grown in the garden.
After a lovely lunch Andrew and I took a tour of the castle. The oldest parts of the castle, including the Chapel, date back to 1427 but over the centuries it has been added to and its exterior is now a mish-mash of eras. Inside it is like a movie set and for good reason. In the early 90’s it was almost derelict when an American billionaire came across it and bought it for 15 million pounds. He spent another 15 million on refurbishment and as his only reference of what an English castle should look like came from Hollywood the décor he created is based far more on fiction than fact. The handmade chandeliers represent giant chess pieces, suits of armour from the Last Knight line the halls, book shelves hide secret doors, and an array of stuffed animal heads from all over the globe hang on walls and sit on shelves, including George the lion who died of natural causes at a nearby zoo. It is whimsical and fantastical – Alice in Wonderland meets Sir Lancelot. It made us smile. Unfortunately, the American died and for years the castle waited unused for a new owner. Finally, a family from the Isle of Man bought it and it was them who opened it to the public. It’s now a popular venue for weddings and events.
Back outside Robin had another surprise for us – a maze! He challenged us to find our way through and up the Gothic tower in the centre. Easier said than done, and much to my annoyance Mr Love beat me! Under the tower a hidden passageway lead through to a secret sunken garden and making it even more magical the path went behind a waterfall. It’s no wonder this place is a favourite with Patience and Robin’s grandchildren.
Towns and Villages on the River Severn
Upton, Worcester and Tewksbury all lie on the River Severn and were all within easy reach for short visits.
We were staying just out of Upton so visited this charming village on a few occasions. This lovely little town of less than 3,000 has been plagued by floods over the years and work to build flood protection is ongoing. They must be resilient in Upton as the floods haven’t beaten them and they take a lot of pride in the town’s appearance. Hanging baskets and half-barrels filled with colourful flowers are all through the town and the shop fronts are tidy and traditional. The annual jazz festival was on while we were there, and we went along one afternoon to see what it was like. The actual performances were held at various venues around the town but there was live music on the river bank and the roads were closed to traffic to make way for food stalls and markets. It wasn’t overly busy, but it was lively and relaxed and a nice way to spend a couple of hours on a hot summer’s afternoon.
Tewkesbury was our main shopping town as it had a Morrisons and an Aldi supermarket. It lies where the River Avon meets the Severn and is a quaint historic town of almost 11,000. Tewkesbury Abbey is the most notable building; an imposing feature of the town’s landscape for nearly 900 years. It’s a striking building with a Norman tower, ornate 12th century ceiling and stunning stained-glass windows. It is a popular place to visit and every time we drove by tour buses were lined up outside.
Worcester, a lovely Cathedral and University City further up the River Severn, is ten times bigger than Tewkesbury. It’s filled with historic buildings, has lots of narrow cobbled lanes lined with boutiques and its big enough to have all the high street brands with plenty of dedicated pedestrians shopping areas. We took the opportunity to buy a few summer essentials in the sales. Worcester also has what is touted as one of England’s loveliest cathedrals, with Royal Tombs including King John’s, medieval cloisters, an ancient crypt and magnificent Victorian stained glass. We have seen many cathedrals on our visits and some still manage to wow us, this was one.
Villages of the Cotswolds
Another day trip was spent visiting the enchanting villages and hamlets in the Cotswolds, one of England’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Each village was unique, but all were picture-perfect and filled with honey-hued cottages, many with thatched rooves.
We started in Broadway in the north of the Cotswolds and made our way south. Broadway is a tiny town with a main street lined with immaculate stone houses made of that distinctive local yellow limestone, and with smart shops and a handful of cosy pubs. Then it was through Chipping Campden with its elegant terraced houses and stone market hall and on to Stow-on-the-Wold, a lovely village with loads of antique shops brimming with knick-knacks and artefacts. Further into the rural heart of Cotswolds, where the finest wool in England was once produced, the rolling countryside is a rich green, criss-crossed by dry stone walls and dotted with sheep. After lunch in Moreton-in-Marsh it was through to the most touristy of the villages, Bourton-on-the-Water. It’s touristy for a reason, it’s so darned cute. Arched walking bridges cross the shallow waters of the Windrush river which meanders through the centre of the village. Ice-cream shops and galleries line one side of the river and trees on the other. It looks like a toy village and funnily enough one of the attractions here is the famous model village, a detailed replica of Bourton-on-the-Water.
Northleach was the last of the villages we visited with its historic St Peter and St Paul church. This is a wool church, a church financed primarily by donations from rich merchants and farmers who had benefitted from the mediaeval wool trade. Northleach is another gorgeous quaint village stuck in a time long passed, but it mustn’t be as popular with tourists as we were almost alone when visiting the church and town square.
On the edge of the Cotswolds lies the city of Cheltenham. We didn’t visit on this day but instead went back one evening for a BBQ at Andrew’s cousin Matt’s place. Matt and Emma and their boys live in a lovely home in Cheltenham and having the beautiful Cotswolds on their doorstep is a definite advantage.
Three Counties Show
One of the highlights of our time in this part of England was visiting the famous Royal Three Counties Show in Malvern. This show is like an A&P show on steroids – it was huge, and every part of country life was there to experience. Every breed of sheep, cow, pig, hen, rabbit, duck, horse, goat and llama was on display and there are more types than we’d ever imagined possible. I’d never seen an orange sheep before and certainly not one with a black face – a Jaffa sheep. It was quite amusing watching the serious practice of judging “best of breed” take place with the judges carefully deliberating which giant rabbit best represented its type before placing a rosette on the poor animal while the proud breeder beamed.
There were country pursuits of all kinds: wildflower displays, baking competitions, falconry, sheep dogs, herding ducks, archery, blacksmith horse-shoeing competitions, sheering competitions, tractors pulling over logs, pole climbing championships and heavy horses pulling everything and anything. In the main arena we watched a swarm of Shetland ponies racing in an exciting mini Grand National, the Red Devils parachute regiment landing in dramatic fashion complete with red smoke, and the very impressive grand parade of livestock. It was a fantastic day out.
A week later we went back to the showgrounds for an antiques fair that reminded us a lot of Antiques Roadshow.
Lake District
Two weeks had past and the homeowners returned to an overwhelming greeting from three bouncy dogs. Our job was done, it was time for us to hit the road and head north towards Scotland via the Lake District.
Like many children Beatrix Potter’s characters played a big part in my childhood and I was looking forward to visiting her home, Hill Top farm in the Lake District. She had holidayed in the Lake District with her family and loved it so much that when she started making money on her books she bought Hill Top with the proceeds. Characters such as Tom Kitten, Samuel Whiskers and Jemima Puddleduck were all created here, and the books contain many pictures based on the house and garden. When Beatrix Potter died she left Hill Top to the National Trust on the provision the 17th century farmhouse and cottage garden were kept exactly as she left it. She was a true conservationist who was staunchly protective of the Lake District and its environment. She used her wealth to strategically buy up property in the area to stop the encroachment of industry and after her death she left it all to the National Trust with strict conditions on its use. Her legacy is a part of England that is caught in time, protected from development and forever beautiful.
A short drive from Hill Top is the village of Hawkshead where Beatrix moved when she married a country solicitor at the age of 47. It’s a charming village of pretty whitewashed cottages and here in the former solicitor’s office is the Beatrix Potter Gallery, devoted to her work. There are some lovely original sketches of those memorable animal characters and letters filled with imaginative narrative.
It was such a hot day, over 30 degrees and no wind, but we were determined to get out and enjoy some of the lush countryside so headed to Tarn Hows. This small lake sits in a shallow valley with splendid views of the mountains and is skirted by a 2.5km track. We took a very sedate walk around the tarn lingering under the trees as long as we could.
Further on, past the tourist hot-spot of Ambleside, is Dove Cottage, sitting on the edge of Lake Grasmere. This was the home of William Wordsworth and where he enjoyed a golden age of creativity penning many of his famous poems including “I wandered lonely as a cloud”. He lived here first with sister and then joined by his wife and over time this small lakeside cottage hosted some prestigious guests including poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge and novelists Sir Walter Scott and Thomas de Quincy. It’s easy to see how they were inspired, this is an idyllic spot.
We drove on to the village Keswick on Derwentwater. It was this lake that inspired another children’s author, Arthur Ransome, whose classic Swallows and Amazons stories were set in this beautiful landscape. We had booked into a hotel around the bay and walked through the fields to town. Keswick is another very picturesque village in a stunning setting. It’s a slower pace of life in the Lake District.
The next day we finished our visit to the Lake District with a stop in Cockermouth to see Wordsworth House where the poet spent his childhood. We were having a coffee while we were waiting for the house to open and I noticed an official looking chap standing by our car. Andrew went to investigate and was told by the parking warden that we were in a “disc parking zone” – a 30-pound offence! We had no idea what a disc parking zone was, and the sign said 1-hour parking, so we assumed it was free. Apparently disc parking is where you place a clock-shaped disc in the front window of the car showing what time you arrived. The disc doesn’t cost anything, it’s just a sort of honesty system. I suppose ignorance is no excuse. Anyway, that took the gloss off our visit to Wordsworth House.
Time to leave England for a couple of weeks and head on through to Scotland.
