The Cotswolds are a collection of low-rolling hills in Gloucestershire noted for historic sheep production, small farms, and charming homes and villages. In the middle ages, highly-prized sheep’s wool came from the Cotswolds, making the region rich by medieval standards. Lovely stone houses and churches rose in villages such as Lacock and Winchcombe, which we visited on foot, stopping for coffee in the first and lunch in the second. The day was cold but not freezing; however, we were treated with brilliant sunshine, making the sandstone buildings shine with dull brilliance.
In Lacock, we examined medieval streets, a chapel and graveyard, an ancient barn, and an enigmatic abbey and ruins called “the Cloisters”. Originally an Augustinian Abbey for women, the Cloisters are now a place to examine medieval history and architecture first hand. A huge bonus for the group is that several scenes from the first two Harry Potter movies were filmed here. We saw Hagrid’s House, Professor Slughorn’s House, Harry's parents house in a flashback scene, and gothic spaces used for half a dozen scenes. As you’ll see below, we were able to recreate one scene using students from the class, playing the major parts.
Next we were on to Winchcombe, where we lunched and wandered around the very small village, all covered with slate and stone. I had (for me) the best lunch of the trip, complete with Gloucestershire roast beef, potatoes, creamed cauliflower, carrots, gravy, and Yorkshire pudding. We also made a very exciting foray into Sudeley Castle, a beautiful medieval castle above Winchcombe, which is where Catherine Parr, the 6th wife of Henry VIII, lived and is currently buried. Richard III, Henry VII, Elizabeth I, and others also stayed here, and it was the place of battled during the English Civil War. The Castle was closed, which we knew it would be, but we still snuck in and wandered around the grounds, dodged some mud and fences, and wound up with some great pictures. We were just a little bit from our goal, to stand in front of the tomb of Catherine Parr, but were forced to turn back, as (again) it is closed all winter and not open for tourists. But we had a lot of fun telling stories and talking about the place—well off the tourist track and deep in rural England.
The couch drive to Sudeley was really a highlight of the
day, and we squeezed through rural roads and hedges just barely making
it-- We saw cats, sheep, chickens,
villagers in Welles, and plenty of local color.
Before dark, we made it back to Bath, and many of us dined on Indian
food at The Mint House—the end of a good day. (Though there may be a 500-card
tourney tonight!)
Tomorrow we head for Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace and
the IBIS Hotel, London—
Mike H.
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