Back to Broadway

Last year, in the run up the Christmas a friend and I decided to take a trip to the pretty little town of Broadway in the Cotswolds (see post here). For me Christmas shopping is much more enjoyable done wandering around cute little independent shops in a smaller rural town than dealing with the hectic high streets of the city. I like charm and oodles of it, which is exactly what Broadway had given us so we decided to head right on back there again this Christmas. Here are a few snaps from our trip which of course wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Instagram infamous Broadway Deli to pick up a Portuguese tart!

As the Trees Change - Batsford Arboretum

It had been a while since I’d headed off on a mini adventure. With the end of summer also came the end of weekly trips to explore pretty places. Something about the autumn season had sent me into hibernation mode and there had been a distinct lack of going out to places. But that’s ok. There are seasons for a reason and sometimes it’s good to just let yourself slow down and recoup especially after a long, busy summer.

The changing of the leaves into a blaze of colour had come late where I live. Autumn had in fact been very kind to us and there had been plenty more balmy days full of warmth and sunshine with just the few odd days of rain here and there. So when the change did finally come I was eager to go somewhere to see it in all of its glory and where better than an arboretum? 

I’ve been to Batsford Arboretum a good number of times now and tend to prefer it over Westonbirt Arboretum which is always so busy at this time of year. Batsford has a certain charm about it and its location only adds to its appeal. Nestled into the Cotswolds just a stone’s throw from Stow-on-the-Wold and Moreton-in-Marsh it’s in a prime spot.

The Arboretum itself is utterly charming. There is a superb collection of trees placed along meandering pathways and just to top it off there’s a spectacular looking manor house at its centre. The whole place is encompassed in stunning vistas at each of its edges.

Sadly, with the high winds the few days previously many of the leaves had been blown to the ground so the show wasn’t quite as grand as I was hoping but there was still a fantastic array of colour to behold. The weather was quite pleasant and as little snippets of sunshine made it’s way through the canopies we were blessed with that magical golden light that only Autumn brings. 

We wandered slowly through the trees, savouring the sights around us and enjoying the peacefulness of this place. I hadn’t realised just how much I’d been missing getting out and taking photos and I needed this trip. It reinvigorated my spirit with a fresh injection of inspiration and good old fashioned time spent in nature and lungfuls of fresh air.

To the Slaughter(s) - Upper & Lower Slaughter, The Cotswolds

As September rolls around, a sudden sense of urgency starts to set in. The days start to shorten, the lights takes on a golden hue and the mornings have a little bit of a bite to them. All signs that Autumn is on the way. This year, I am going into Autumn kicking and screaming. I have enjoyed the long, light summer nights oh so very much and the thought of having to stay in each night fills me with such a feeling of loss and longing. So, this time of year I suddenly want to make the most of every little glimpse of daylight, good weather and warmth that we have. 

It was a Bank Holiday Monday and actually not the best of weather compared to the gloriousness that we’d been previously blessed with the in weeks before. It was overcast and a little cooler but still dry and there was no excuse to waste it whiling away in doors so I coerced my ever so well tempered house mate into going for a little foray into the Cotswolds.

 
First stop was a to Whittington to visit a garden which was open as part of the National Open Gardens scheme (more about that in another post) but after we’d had our fill of flowers and cake it seemed a little early to be heading home so we decided to head over to The Slaughters. I had spotted photos of the Slaughters on @mrchrisspeed’s feed and something about them really spoke to me. I’d been to visit them once over ten years ago and couldn’t really remember what they were like and after seeing these photos was desperate to see them again.

Driving through the Cotswolds is enough of a treat in itself sometimes. We pulled the car over a couple of times to take snaps and enjoy the view. We even made a little detour through Guiting Power just because it sounded quaint and pretty and indeed it was. 

 
We started with Upper Slaughter, the smaller of the two villages first. We were a little worried about parking. Being a Bank Holiday Monday we were expecting to have to scour and fight for a parking spot as a little googling had revealed that there weren’t any car parks but we must have gotten lucky because it was surprisingly quiet and we found a space no problem. 

With camera in hand (well, actually cameras plural this time because I was testing out a little compact) we had a little wander. The little spot where the water flows through the village is a beautiful scene to behold and felt wonderfully peaceful too. I enjoyed watching some children in wellies splash about. The water was low enough at this time of year (and after a very dry spell) for cars to drive through like a ford so we had to move out of the way to accommodate those passing through.

I’m just going to take a minute here to address the names of these little villages - Slaughter. It doesn’t exactly conjure up images of picturesque pretty places does it? Well it turns out that Slaughter in its time was just another word for Slough that means “on the water” and seeing as how both Upper and Lower Slaughter are indeed on the water this makes a great deal more sense. I was relieved to find that they weren’t named due to some mass slaughtering or the such. Phew! Upper Slaughter is also above Lower Slaughter geographically, so again this seems most sensical. 

I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting but Upper Slaughter seemed much smaller and sleepier than I thought it would be. There was a good collection of houses and a church right in the centre but I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. No matter, onto Lower Slaughter to see what that had in store for us.

Now Lower Slaughter was a whole different ball game. As we entered into the village we were greeted with crowds and music and bunting everywhere. There was a party going on and Lower Slaughter was definitely the place to be. This little place was welcoming the tourists with welcome arms and clearly celebrating the long weekend.

Again we got super lucky with parking and managed to get a spot right on the main road through the village. We got out of the car and were immediately caught up in the festivities going on. There were so many more people here and so much happening - music and marquees, stalls and celebrations. We made our way along the water taking in the atmosphere and the crazy pretty scenes as we went. Despite the chillier temperatures people were playing in the water here too. 

We followed the water up and around a corner to reveal a quaint little mill nestled at the end of the village. I was one of many people who had stopped to snap a photo of this spot. Up past the mill we found a little gathering of shops and a pub where we stopped to peruse the goodies and giftware. No tourist spot is complete without mugs and fridge magnets showcasing the local venue.

It was getting quite late in the afternoon by this point and sadly much of the festivities were ending and people were packing everything down but it was still lovely just to wander about and take in the happy feeling all around.

One of the things that I love the most about summer is how people are just so ready to celebrate the littlest of things. We English make cake and hang bunting and there’s just so much simplicity and merriment in that. I say, may these needless but wonderful traditions continue forever more. 

  

A few things to think about if you’re planning a visit to The Slaughters: 

Location: Upper Slaughter & Lower Slaughter, The Cotswolds, Gloucestershire

Parking: Beware of the lack of places to park. We got very lucky and managed to find a spot in both places. If it’s likely to be a busy day (say Saturday in the summer holidays) then it would be worth going very early in the morning or later towards the evening to avoid disappointment.

In the Area: It’s worth making a day of it and visiting some of the other wonderful places in the area too. Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wold are just minutes down the road and well worth a visit. In fact, it’s suggested on Trip Advisor that you can park at Bourton and walk over to Lower Slaughter so if you are unable to park that could be a good back up plan. They are very close to Batsford Arboretum and Sezincote House too.

Walking on High - The Quantock Hills

Every August I take a week off around my birthday and generally head down to Somerset to spend some time with my family. It often works out well that my family work different shifts and times because there is always usually someone around to drag off an adventure with me. But on this particular Monday it ended up being just me and the pup in the morning so I decided to start my holiday week with a walk up high on the Quantock Hills.

It had rained, I mean really rained the night before so the ground was soggy underfoot and air was steamy and humid. I wasn’t entirely such, having seen the looming black clouds in the distance that I was going to make it through this foray and come out dry the other side but that didn’t deter me. I love summer rain. I think it’s the warmth of it. I just don’t seem to mind going back soggy-footed when it’s warm out.

The colours of the landscape up there were already looking very autumnal. Lots of sandy yellows in the adjoining hay fields and scorched bracken along with the berries and bright pops of heather and gorse flowers made for a lovely combination.

I had passed a family deeply immersed in the bracken picking blackberries, the kids triumphant in their efforts and as I looked closely I saw that there was a mass of berries everywhere around me. Obviously I could help but pick a few to nibble on as I passed through and let me tell you, these berries tasted goooooood! Eating blackberries can be a bit of a gamble as they often are a bit tasteless and watery but not these little pretties. These were flavour packed and yummy. Perhaps the downpour from the night before had helped plump them up, who knows. 

I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the wild Quantock Ponies but alas they evaded me on this occasion. Probably for the best seeing how beagle chops if every so inquisitive (and vocal!)

There was something utterly delightful about knowing that whilst most of the world is enveloped in their busy Monday morning that instead I was enjoying a spot of solitude and peace away from all the mayhem going on in the town below. It certainly was a good way to begin my week.

 

A Field of Flowers - The Real Flower Petal Confetti Company

The heat and I aren’t really friends. With my Casper-like complexion and body that has trouble regulating it’s temperature, at times it makes hot temperatures a bit of a struggle. So when the forecast for this particular day with 32oC it very almost put me off of this trip that I’d been planning for months. However, I am really, really glad that it didn’t!

I had first stumbled upon a photo of the Real Flower Petal Confetti Company (phew that’s a mouthful!) on Instagram towards the end of last year and let me say that once you click on their hashtag you find yourself lost in a world of pretty floral pictures filled with delicate flowers. I think that I’d only been scrolling for about 20 seconds before I decided I had to visit! 

The confetti field is only open for a couple of weeks each year during the summer so I had been patiently waiting for that time to come. Somehow when it did arrive it was a particularly busy time so we ended up planning our trip for the very last day that it was open. As I was already feeling somewhat apprehensive about being out in the heat, we’d decided to go in the early morning when it was cooler. By chance I’d spotted a post on their website warning visitors about long queues and delays so even though it didn’t open until 10am we arrived at 9.20am. Boy am I glad that we did as there was already quite a lengthy queue. I must admit that I was starting to struggle standing there in the baking hot sun for 40 minutes but ten o’clock rolled around, the gates were opened and in we went! 

 
We’d been able to catch glimpses of the flowers from where we had parked and queued but once we were inside…well…it was one stunningly, beautiful site! Row after row after row of pretty delphiniums and cornflowers in every shade of pink and purple imaginable all bundled up together in a sea of spectacularness! The field was already swarming with people so notions of getting a person-free shot were definitely out of the window. That didn’t matter though because the collective joy and excitement of everyone as they explored the field and looked about them with awe created a wonderful atmosphere.

As we shuffled along the pathways I couldn’t help but enjoy the quintessentially English nature of the scene in front of me. Swaths of people dressed in summer dresses and shorts with a fantastic array of sunhats and parasols to help protect our unacquainted bodies from the beating down sun. 

 
We made our way through the pastel rainbow enjoying how every few rows the colours changed and snapping a fair few photos as we went. At the far end of the field was a viewing platform which we climbed up upon to take in the entirety of the scene - such a brilliant addition to the place.

After much admiring and adulation we made our way to the marquees for a much needed respite from the sun and a little refreshment. It was surprising cool under the white tarpaulin which was hugely welcome. We sat there nattering away and partaking in a spot of people-watching. There were so many mini photoshoots going on. Girls in pretty dresses with ribbons in their hair twirling about were looking ridiculously idyllic in a setting like this. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so many people with DSLRs snapping away. 

By this point the field was becoming very crowded and that coupled with the heat was starting to make things uncomfortable so we had another quick walk through and then made our way back to the car.

I’m so glad that I didn’t let the heat stop me from going on this trip because it really was a magical place and hell of a sight to behold. If you’re a flower lover like me then a real flower confetti place like this is an absolute must to see. As with so many of the places that I go, this one has landed firmly at the top of my “must visit” list again for next year! However my plan is to go back on a weekday, early in the morning and on a cooler day! 

If you’re thinking of making a visit to the Real Flower Petal Confetti Company here’s some information that you may find useful and a few tips to bear in mind:

Location: Wick, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 3NZ

Entry cost: £2.50

Links: www.confettidirect.co.uk, instagram.com/realflowerpetalconfetti #realflowerpetalconfetti #confettifields

DO check when it’s open and it’s worth double-checking this just before your visit in case things change. Because of the heatwave and dry temperatures they were no longer selling any confetti for people to buy on site.

If you can, DON’T go on the last day that it’s open as it very quickly gets to the point where really it’s too busy to enjoy.

DO go early in the day to try and beat some of the crowds. As we were leaving, the queue of cars had backed up for miles through the little village of Wick.

If the forecast is hot, DO bring a hat, suncream, umbrella, water etc as apart from the couple of small marquees there is no shelter.

DO wear footwear that you don’t mind getting grubby - it was super dusty underfoot and my white sandals were rather brown and in need of washing afterwards!

DO check out the their hashtags and handles on social media (see below). Have a look before you go to give you a flavour of what you’re in store for and then again after. It’s so fun seeing different perspectives of the same place and trying to spot yourself in other people’s pics. Plus I’ve never seen SO many photos tagged from a place from just one day - there were hundreds!

Flooding at Tirley

We’ve had a lot of rain here in Gloucestershire the last little while. I don’t really mind that much, in fact it feels like for a change that the weather is doing what it should be doing at this time of year, that is, if you believe the old adage, “March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers”. Boy I hope we do have May flowers and plenty of them! I’m actually surprised that we’ve managed to get this far with the amount of water that’s fallen before having any significant flooding.

My drive to work takes me across the Gloucestershire countryside and through a few spots that are susceptible to flooding, Tirley being one of them. There have been many times over the years when I’ve had to take a different route because I’ve driven round a corner and been faced with a river running across my path. So far though, it looks like all of the work they have been doing to clear the ditches etc is working because although the rivers have completely burst their banks and the fields are full the roads have remained open.

I decided on this Friday afternoon to have a little stop on the way home and to take a few snaps of the flooding. I pulled the car over in a lay-by, donned my wellies, climbed over the gate and made my way up the hill to get a better view. I have to say that flooding is awesome. Good old mother nature taking over and making mince-meat of our silly little, small-minded human notions like roads.

It was such a lovely, warm afternoon and luckily, up on the hill it was pretty dry on the ground, so after a little wandering I found a spot near a beautiful, big old oak tree and plonked myself down to take it all in. I ended up sitting there for quite a long time listening to the birds and just doing nothing. There was really no reason to move so I just kept on sitting there and it was glorious. In fact at one point I even indulged in laying back and having a little daydream.

Ironically, despite the masses of water in front of me and the still bare trees and hedgerows, this really felt like Spring. Maybe it was the warmth, maybe it was seeing the first butterflies of the year fluttering about or maybe it was just being somewhere remote in the countryside and being able to sit and enjoy it. Whatever it was, I’m really glad that I took some time just to stop and notice how wonderful it was.