Our Welcome Back to Winchcombe

Winchcombe is one of our favorite places in England, or to be more precise, the little area outside of Winchcombe where our friends Jane and Tim live. We have rented their cottage, a converted stables, several times over the years and now they are friends even more than landlords. When we arrived at their place, we found a generous supply of cake, wine, and other goodies awaiting us, including Jane's delicious marmalade. It felt, in many ways, like coming home.

While the weather varied during our stay, from sun to cloudy skies and pouring rain, the first day Kevin and I reacquainted ourselves with the nearby countryside (and the sheep), walking along the road by the cottage that intersects the long-distance footpath, the Cotswold Way.

We watched the sheep and birds from our window.

A stile and signpost on the Cotswold Way. (See note below.)*

The area is so rich in history that you can practically breathe it! The road that we walked on was once traversed by pilgrims going to Hailes Abbey below, which was founded in the 13th Century. On the hill above stands a monument marking the spot where Thomas Cromwell sat on his horse, observing the burning of the abbey, as he did his dirty work for Henry VIII. And down below across the valley is Sudeley Castle, where Katherine Parr, Henry's last and surviving wife lived and is entombed. Katherine also took care of her stepdaughter, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth I), but she was removed from her care when Katherine's husband, Thomas Seymour, got a little too familiar with her. Whether it went beyond tickling and horseplay, historians don't know.

In any case, our walk down the hill took us first to a farm store and cafe, and then we went down to the abbey and the medieval church across from it. (I did not get photos of the abbey ruins on this visit.) The church is where, seven years ago, we spontaneously decided to repeat our wedding vows on our 50th anniversary, just to each other, while a couple of ramblers (hikers) planned their route in the back of the church. I can't believe that was seven years ago!

You can still see remnants of the original paintings in the church.

Speaking of churches, Jane and Tim help maintain a 12th Century Saxon chapel not far from their home. It seems the ideal place to retreat from a stressful world, whether for prayer or for simple contemplation. It is so peaceful.

The town of Winchcombe itself started as a Roman hamlet, although it may well date back further, since the Neolithic long barrow of Belas Knap is nearby, but it is known as an Anglo-Saxon settlement. For us, as Americans, it's always remarkable how towns that old--and older--can still remain vital communities even today. That's something to honor, especially since in our part of the U.S., older buildings are often torn down without a thought.

We enjoy walking down Winchcombe's streets.

Because we had visited the main sights in the past, we did not go to the castle or to the Broadway Tower on the hill above the nearby town of Broadway. But for the first time we visited the Broadway Museum & Art Gallery. We found all the exhibits of fossils and historical periods of interest, some of which were loaned by the renowned Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. But we were intrigued by the display on the Broadway Colony of Creativity, which was active between 1870 and 1920. The notable artists and writers who lived there and played (apparently a bit too much for the locals!) included William Morris, Henry James, and John Singer Sargent. I hadn't been aware there was an artists colony there. 

My photo of John Singer Sargent's "Carnation Lily Lily Rose," which was painted in Broadway.

I also learned about Mary Anderson, an American actress, whom I had never heard of, but she hosted kings, queens, and prime ministers there in the 1890s. 

I had never heard of Mary Anderson. Does that prove how fleeting fame is?

But the most satisfying moments of our stay was reconnecting with Jane and Tim, and their dog, Taylor Swift. (They did not name Taylor; she came with that name.) Jane and Tim's Taylor Swift is 14 now, and it made me quite happy to see her again.

Tim and Jane with my favorite Taylor Swift.

Jane and Tim invited us for wine and snacks one evening, and we reminisced about our previous stays there. (I wish I had photos with me of the view from that patio when it is not cloudy, because as stunning as it is with clouds, when the sky is clear, you can see across the River Severn into Wales.) But even with less promising weather, the view from their patio is beautiful.

We shared many stories and laughs, including their account of one of their sheep, Paul, a ram who has an uncanny ability to escape from the pasture. They told us how many times people would stop by the farmhouse to say, "It looks like one of your sheep has gotten loose." Of course, Jane and Tim would look at each other and then reply, "It's Paul."

We didn't get to meet Paul on this occasion. So maybe, in addition to everything else, that's a good reason to come back?

Kevin, relaxing in the cottage.

*Note about signposts: Some older signposts have edges to them that look like pointing fingers. According to one book, locals used to call those old signs "parsons," because although they would point you in the right direction, they did not always follow it themselves!