The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum

By:  Blue Badge Tour Guide - Anne Bartlett

In April next year, The Rifles will receive The Freedom of the City of Gloucester followed by a service to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Imjin.  We are very proud. 

The back of the Custom House
 & entrance to the museum

The other day I visited the docks and went to have a look around The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum which is set up in a historic building that used to be The Custom House, built in 1845.

The front of the Custom House

The museum displays the history of two famous regiments:

1. The Glorious Glosters - An infantry regiment of the regular army – they started as the 28th and 61st Regiments of Foot and were amalgamated.

2. The Gloucestershire Hussars - A territorial yeomanry cavalry army.
Between them these regiments have bought much honour to Gloucestershire, including North Avon and Bristol which were all part of our county at one time.

The regiment of Infantry was formed at the end of King William and Queen Mary’s reign at the end of the 1600’s, that’s over 300 years ago

The displays show where in the world the regiments have served, how the regiments have faced the challenges and coped with the strains that war brings with it. And it shows their traditions and their achievements.

Its amazing to think that for two hundred years the army wore redcoats. So already you get an idea of how the army has changed over time. Khaki uniforms were introduced at the end of the 19th century.

These regiments have been at decisive moments in history:

In 1705 the Regiments joined the Duke of Marlborough’s forces and were involved in the Wars of the Spanish Succession. These wars led to the building of Blenheim Palace – a gift to John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough by a grateful nation for winning a series of battles which shattered the French domination of Europe.

They were fighting in Quebec under General Wolfe.

They were involved in the American Wars of Independence.

It was during the French Revolution that The Glosters earned the right to wear the sphinx badge, a battle honour, having taken part in the Egyptian campaign, they also earned the famous back badge on 21st March 1801:  The 28th regiment were surrounded by French troops and fought back to back until the attackers withdrew.

They fought alongside Sir Arthur Wellesley who commanded the British Army during the Peninsular Wars and they drove the French Armed Forces out of Spain.  In 1814  Wellesley was given the title the Duke of Wellington and was put in command of the army that defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in June 1815.
They took part in the Crimean war, The Indian Mutiny and the 1st and 2nd World Wars and were fighting in Korea.

So the Gloucestershire Regiments have served their country for over 300 years.

In 1994 the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment amalgamated with the Gloucestershire Regiment to form the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment.  In 2005 the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment became the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry.  In 2007 they merged with four Light Infantry and Rifle Regiments: The Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, The Light Infantry, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry and The Royal Green Jackets  to become The Rifles.
They have served extremely bravely and have faced many challenges in Iraq and Afghanistan

The museum is open throughout the year from 10 – 5.  Everyday except Monday.

To find out more the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum Website is:  http://www.glosters.org.uk/

A walk around the Cotswold Village of Coberley

By: Blue Badge Tour Guide - Anne Bartlett

This week I am going to suggest a walk along a section, a very small section of  The Gloucestershire Way

The full walk takes you from Tutshill, near Chepstow, through the Forest of Dean and down into the Severn Vale to Gloucester, then up Crickley Hill to the Air Balloon, and on into the Cotswolds taking a great sweep through Coberley to Stow-on-the-Wold before doubling back through Winchombe, finally finishing in Tewkesbury, a distance of 100 scenic miles. The section I’m going to talk about is about the tiny but very historic village of Coberley which lies near Severn Springs, above Cheltenham.

Interestingly, two years ago the tiny village of Coberley featured on national television because the Channel 4 Time Team arrived for a 3 day archaeological dig in a nearby field and uncovered two magnificent roman mosaic floors. Further finds gave them sufficient evidence to assume that they had uncovered the ruins of a high status late 2nd century villa and large country estate. The then owners had chosen a sheltered site near Ermine Street a major Roman road linking the important fortress towns of Cirencester and Gloucester.



Coberley village Church

Twelve hundred years later a large medieval stately home at Coberley became the childhood home of Sir Richard Whittington, thought to be the Dick Whittington of Christmas pantomimes, but I race ahead. The big house has long since gone, so a visit to the village church has Dick’s picture on the wall and the south chapel reveals some interesting stories about the Lords of the Manor and their families.



After the Norman invasion in the 11th century records show that the powerful Berkeley family owned vast areas of land including land at Coberley.  In about 1270 Sir Giles Berkley II travelled to the Holy Land with Prince Edward, and his large army to fight in the crusades. On their return home Sir Giles now a knight, member of parliament and important public figure settled into Coberley Hall and entertained his Prince who had become King Edward I.

When Sir Giles favourite war horse died, he had it buried in the churchyard, the horses headstone has its name, LOMBARD inscribed across it. You can see the headstone as you make your way to the church door. When Sir Giles died his body was buried in Little Malvern Priory church, however his heart was brought to Coberley for burial and there is a monument beside the altar, on the south wall of the sanctuary with a carved image of a knight holding a heart.



Sir Giles was succeeded by his son Sir Thomas who fought at the battle of Crecy with King Edward III. He died about 1350 and his tomb and stone effigy are in the south chapel. His widowed second wife Joan married Sir William Whittington of Pauntley. This was a very rash thing to do as they hadn’t sought permission from King Edward, to marry; so Sir William fell out of favour with the king as well as the Berkeley family, and was forced to live as an outlaw, he died a few years after Richard was born. Joan returned to Coberley where Richard was brought up. Joan was probably buried in the Berkeley family tomb as her stone effigy lies next Sir Thomas’s on top of the tomb.

Celebrating the work of John Singer Sargent in London & the Cotswold Village of Broadway

By:  Blue Badge Tour Guide - Anne Bartlett

John Singer Sargent (1856 – 1925)

I have just returned from London having seen the latest art exhibition at The Royal Academy in London entitled Sargent and the Sea. It was interesting to view American expatriate John Singer Sargent’s very early work undertaken when he was between the ages of 18 and 23.

Coming from a seafaring family, the sea was in his blood. Sargent spent much time on the coast and he sailed on steam ships crossing the ocean between America and Europe.

His experiments with painting the different moods of the sea from sheltered waters with waves glinting in the sun and gently splashing rocks, to fearsome storms and rolling seas was impressive but not totally accomplished. His painting “Atlantic Storm” painted in 1876 whilst on the stern of a ship shows huge irregular dark menacing waves with flumes of iridescent white water was cleverly executed. The threatening sky with rays of light breaking behind the clouds captures a moment very well. The zig zag luminescent wake of the ship as it’s lifted out of the trough and up over a wave into another trough is inspired and gives the viewer a sense of fear in a dangerous situation. The standpoint on the stern of a ship involves the viewer in the sea crossing; however the perspective of the ship is confusing.

Sargent’s love of painting fishing boats is evident and there are plenty of detailed sketches of sails and rigging. With his “En Route pour la peche” and “Fishing for Oysters at Cancale” he captures a moment in time. Women, wearing long skirts and aprons with shawls around their shoulders are walking and talking together as they carry their empty baskets down to the sea to collect fish. The reflections in the wet sand prepares the viewer for the hard work that the women are about to undertake in the chill of the sea breeze. A small boy in the group stops to turn up his trousers to prevent them getting wet, under the caring gaze of his mother.

I’m familiar with Sargent’s later work, his famous portrait paintings of English Aristocrats. At Blenheim Palace in the Red Drawing Room for example, there is the famous family painting of the 9th Duke of Marlborough, his wife, American born Consuelo Vanderbilt and their two sons painted in 1905 which is always mentioned by the room guides during a tour through the state rooms.

However the route from landscapes and seascapes to portraiture involved a scandal in Paris with Sargent arriving in London to escape humiliation and a wrecked career. He had persuaded society beauty Madame Gautreau, otherwise known as Madame X, to sit for him. She posed for him in a revealing black satin gown with thin jewelled shoulder straps, one of which had fallen off the shoulder. It was a very daring and suggestive stance which, when the salon opened for viewing, the visitors were shocked and consequently the reviews were very negative.

Shocked, ill and uninspired to ever paint again he was gently nursed back to health and encouraged to take up his paint brushes again by his friends, Edwin Abbey, Frank and Lily Millet, Alfred Parsons, Frederick and Alice Barnard, American actress Mary Anderson and her husband Antonio Navarro.

Summers were spent enjoying the picturesque rural charm of the attractive Cotswold village of Broadway. Frank Millet and his family rented Farnham House alongside the village green, then the following year they took Russell House and also acquired Abbots Grange a derelict monastic building which had a two storey barn in the garden which they converted to a studio. Edwin Abbey and Frank Millet painted inside, Henry James and Edmund Gosse wrote in the rooms upstairs and  John Sargent and Alfred Parsons painted en plein air just outside. They were all able to talk to one another as they worked.

They were a fun loving, laid-back Bohemian group who spent their mornings working on their projects, followed by games of tennis and afternoon tea, then music and dancing or games in the evenings. Nothing was too outrageous or shocking for them, even the local villagers dismissed their antics by saying “Them Americans is out again!”

In 1885 the idea of capturing the evening light as the sun set, together with the artificial light emanating from the Japanese lanterns that the two girls are holding, excited the friends. They encouraged Sargent to paint his picture which we now know as Carnation, Lily, Lily Rose as the sun was setting. He painted whilst the light lasted, which was for about ten minutes each evening. The painting took two years to complete, but the result is sensational.

A walk to find a grade 1 listed church, a bee shelter and some hard pears

By:  Blue Badge Tour Guide - Anne Bartlett

Most people have heard of Hartpury Agricultural College which is about 5 miles north of Gloucester and has an international reputation for its range of farming related courses. So today I’m going to recommend a circular walk from the village of Hartpury, starting at the Village Hall.

Walk along Danesford Lane, then take the path through the fields in the direction of the village church where there is an interesting collection of historic buildings to discover, and some fine views to enjoy.

The name Hartpury is probably a derivation from a Saxon name for the village sounding something like Hardipiry meaning hard pear. In the church yard there’s a collection of pear trees that grow inedible fruit but which produce a surprising amount of juice that makes the most delicious drink called Perry. I understand that there are over 100 different perry pear varieties in Gloucestershire with the most amazing names: such as Merrylegs; Mumblehead; Lumberskull; Drunkers and of course Stinking Bishop. made famous by the cheese that’s washed in perry pear juice, and so enjoyed by Wallace and Gromit

St Mary’s Church is listed as grade 1 which shows that it is of exceptional interest. It dates back to Norman times, with many alterations in the 14th century including the addition of its tower.

In the churchyard is a very special beehive. It’s not your ordinary beehive, its more like a 4 star bee hotel which, I hasten to add is completely unoccupied. It has 28 identical “rooms” and five extra in the basement and would, “when in business” have housed 33 working skeps or coiled straw hives that were used by bee keepers before wooden hives were invented.

This bee shelter as it’s called, is quite unique, was made in Gloucestershire and curiously has links with the houses of Parliament.

The shelter is a 19th century stone building which was found in a garden in Nailsworth and was restored in 1968, before arriving in the churchyard behind Hartpury church and is now under the care of their historic buildings trust.

Why has it links with The Houses of Parliament? – well the mason and quarry owner Paul Tuffley who lived at Nailsworth supplied the stone to architect Charles Barry’s senior mason who supervised all the sculpture work . So the same Cotswold stone that was used to make this bee shelter is in the interior of the new houses of parliament.

Honey seems to have been used as a currency here at Hartpury, because Gloucester Abbey, who owned the land, leased it, in return for an annual payment of 24lbs of honey. Honey in medieval times was used to sweeten food and to make the alcoholic beverage Mead.

There’s a restored chapel to see, originally built by nuns who came to England having escaped from the French Revolutionary forces that invaded Brussels in 1793. They lived at Hartpury Court for 45 years and occupied themselves with farming, building the chapel and they also ran a school for girls between the ages of 6 and 12 years old.

Before you leave here look at the roof of the 15th century tithe barn. It has a carved stone Welsh dragon at one end looking in an easterly direction towards England and a stone carved English Lion looking the other way over towards Wales.

A short walk down the road takes you to view a very attractive 18th century watermill built of soft red brick standing alongside the River Leadon.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this interesting stop. From here you can head back to Danford Lane or head on towards Hartpury College which you will see in the distance or turn right and go south towards the River Leadon and follow it to Barbers Bridge or Rudford.

Hartpury Parish Council have produced a leaflet containing information about all the walks around their parish and there is further information on their website.

Exploring May Hill, Gloucestershire

The top knot of trees on top of May Hill

May Hill is such a distinctive landmark for miles around but the nearer you get to it the less of the outline you see. I say that, because I was showing a new radio presenter around the Cotswolds.  She had moved to the Forest of Dean six months earlier and had taken many walks over May Hill and interviewed local people there, but when we were driving around the Cotswolds I pointed out May Hill and her surprise at its distinctiveness made me realise that it is best viewed from a long way away and once seen, never forgotten. 

If you want to climb May Hill, it isn't easy to find. To get there turn right off the A40 Gloucester to Ross-on-Wye Road towards Clifford Mense passing the Glasshouse on the way. Turn left by the Yew Tree Pub and drive half way up the hill and there is a small car park on the right.

Marcle Ridge with transmitter mast
in the middle of the picture

From the car park you get glorious views across the Herefordshire countryside. You can see the Ridge Hill transmitter at Marcle Ridge straight ahead.  Then over to the left, the Welsh borders and the Black Mountains. On a clear day you can see a conical hill called The Sugar Loaf which is in the Brecon Beacons near to the town of Abergavenny. You can also see a promontory called Hay Bluff, a great wedge at the northern end of the Welsh Mountains which is close to Hay on Wye.  Way over to the right are the Malvern Hills which act as the boundary between Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The western side of the Malvern Hills

The lower slopes of May Hill are wooded, then as you get nearer the summit there's grassland and gorse bushes. A herd of ponies graze the hill which stops the vegetation taking over. There is the distinctive clump of trees at the summit and information as to when and why the trees were planted there. The taller trees were planted in 1887 to mark the Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, the younger trees were planted in 1977 to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee.

The view from the other side of the hill is across the Severn Plain with the Cotswold escarpment in the distance. The lower reaches of the River Severn cuts through the middle of the view with the great horse shoe bend around Arlingham and it takes its very zig zag route towards the bridges which are sadly out of sight. You can probably just see the wetlands at Slimbridge.

Tour and Explore Bredon Village, Worcestershire

By:  Blue Badge Tour Guide - Anne Bartlett
When you pass the M50 motorway travelling south on the M5 towards the county of Gloucestershire, you pass Bredon Hill on the left, and then see the tall slender spire of Bredon church with the backdrop of the Cotswold escarpment behind.

St Giles Church Bredon

Alongside the church you can just make out the end wall of the medieval tithe barn and then you see the River Avon which flows alongside the village and flows under the motorway towards Tewkesbury where it joins the River Severn. It’s a very picturesque and welcoming sight.

I recommend a wander around this historic village to explore the ancient church, the medieval barn and enjoy the view across the river Avon. For anyone who has read local author, John Moore’s novels, Bredon is in fact, the fictional Brensham Village.

A Norman Porch and doorway

Bredon was well developed by the 8th century and a Saxon Monastery was built, however it was apparently sacked and destroyed by the Vikings who came up the river and raided a number of villages around Bredon Hill. The church, which one sees from the motorway, is over 800 years old having been built by the Normans in the late 12th century, there are also later additions to the church and it has a lot of interesting features, the spire was added in the 14th century.

The beautiful Old Rectory dates back to the 15th century and can be seen behind the brick wall of the graveyard alongside the church. The roof of the Rectory is interesting as there are two mounted stone figures on top, one at each end. One is said to be King Charles II and the other is said to be Oliver Cromwell, two bitter enemies, and local tradition states that if ever the two meet, it will be the end of the world.

In the grounds of Manor Farm is a 14th century medieval barn which is huge, and is in the care of the National Trust. It hit the headlines in 1980 after bales of hay caught fire and the building was almost destroyed, however it has been very well restored and for an empty building it is well worth a look. There are steps up to what is called the Reeve’s Chamber, a room which overlooks the barn where records were kept of the tithes owed by the tenant farmers of the Manor. Interestingly there is a square pit in the corner which drops down to below the ground floor level and it is thought that this is where the defaulters were lowered if they couldn’t pay their dues - Punishment was very harsh in those days. There are slits in the walls of the barn for ventilation and also spaces for birds to come and go. There’s plenty of evidence and noise that it is well used by the local pigeons.

A wander down Dock Lane takes you to the riverside. And there’s a recreation ground with seats and benches where you can enjoy the riverside setting and watch the boats chug up and down this lovely river which started near Naseby in Northamptonshire and has travelled nearly 90 miles passing Warwick Castle, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Evesham and Pershore as it passes Bredon Village on its way to the sea.



For guided group coach tours around Worcestershire and The Malverns

A Restored Hunting Lodge in Gloucestershire

By:  Blue Badge Tour Guide - Anne Bartlett

There’s an intriguing historic house in the South Cotswolds which has an incredible story, I wonder whether you can identify it, as I tell you how this building was saved from destruction, then opened to the public in 1984 as a visitor attraction.

The house, surrounded by 700 acres of park land, was originally a hunting lodge built in the 16th century. Over the years with additions and alterations the building was converted into a very fine house. In 1949 the house and land was gifted to the National Trust by a Mrs Power Clutterbuck as a memorial to her only son and heir James who was killed in action during the 1st World War.

Money to maintain the house was not available in those days so the property was let to a variety of tenants over the next few years to provide income for the Trust, but the upkeep was neglected and by 1970 the house was empty and in a very sad state.

The cost of repair was going to be so expensive that a decision was reached to take the roof off this very gloomy and ghostly empty building, make it uninhabitable, and leave it as a ruin on the landscape.

Fortunately, Robert Parsons, an American architect and lover of England’s historic buildings was keen to settle in England, and heard about the dilapidated house.

He met with the National Trust, negotiated a very tiny rent, signed a repairing lease and using his own money, time, energy and expertise, moved in and set about restoring the house and the 7 acres of gardens that once surrounded it.

The restoration work is really impressive and, if you haven’t already guessed, the place I’m talking about, is Newark Park, Ozleworth nr Wotton-Under-Edge. It’s now considered an important Cotswold architectural gem and has been given a grade 1 listing.

Robert Parsons who left us this great legacy, died a few years ago, but fortunately his friend and colleague, continues the work with as much commitment and dedication.

The house, now a lovely home, is very interesting. The views from the garden room are probably some of the finest in the county, with a 50 mile sweep from the Marlborough Downs in the east to the Mendips in the West. The landscape of Wiltshire and Somerset that can be seen from the window probably hasn’t altered much in hundreds of years, even the conurbation of Bristol is hidden behind trees and there are no blots on the landscape like roads and power lines to spoil the effect.

The rediscovered 18th century landscaped garden can be enjoyed complete with carp pond, 18th century summerhouse castle folly and carriage drive.

As well as the house and garden, there’s a picnic area beyond the car park. and there are 3 different walks through the surrounding parkland that link with the Cotswold Way. Newark Park is open for the season on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays from 11 o’clock in the morning and closes at 5 o’clock.

A Cruise Along the Sharpness Canal, Gloucester

By:  Blue Badge Tour Guide - Anne Bartlett

Today I’m going to recommend a sightseeing trip down part of the Sharpness Canal from the Gloucester Waterways museum and back. The journey will be on an historic little ship, which played a very important part in evacuating the British Expeditionary Forces from the beaches of Dunkirk in France during the 2nd World War.

Looking at the pleasure boat with is seats and awning on the top deck and its saloon with tables and chairs below, is doesn’t seem possible that it was able to ply backwards and forwards across the English Channel. But, she was part of a hastily assembled flotilla of about 800 little ships called upon to rescue, in all, about 338,000 stranded British, French and Belgium soldiers from the harbour and beaches of Dunkirk between 27th May and 3rd June 1940.

Queen Boadicea II on its moorings

Called Queen Boadicea II she was built in 1936 as a river boat, operating between Greenwich and Westminster in London, then Kingswear and Dartmouth in Devon before being bought by the Waterways museum to work 74 years later here in Gloucester.

There are a variety of different cruises to take, but the one that my group and I enjoyed was one that operates at least three times daily throughout the summer until October. It’s 45 minute long and took us out of Gloucester Docks and along the Sharpness canal to a place called ‘2 mile bend’, a good turning point where we where able to see a new high level swing bridge built to take the new road, Gloucester’s South Western by pass over the canal.

The skipper told us that before the building of the Sharpness Canal small sailing ships used the River Severn to get to Gloucester but because of tides, sand banks, narrow channels and other hazards it could take 2 weeks to make the journey. A ship canal to bypass the river was started in 1793 but the company went bankrupt after 5 years with only 5 miles of canal having been built. 34 years later, with the help of the great engineer Thomas Telford, the Sharpness canal was finally completed, and when it opened it was the largest and deepest canal in the world.

The ship canal made Gloucester a very important trading centre in the 19th century and was a gateway for waterborne transport to the industrial Midlands. However, during the 20th century, more and more cargo was being transported by the railways, then later by roads and motorways. Warehouses and Industry dependant on the Sharpness canal fell into decline. Today there are big changes taking place alongside the canal and I do recommend a boat trip every now and again for an update on what is happening around Gloucester Docks.

The latest information I have on the departure times for the Queen Boadicea II is 12 0’clock, 1.30 and 2.30 in the afternoon. There are 80 seats on the boat, though it does get very full, and for £4.75 per adult and £3.50 for a child you get a very enjoyable trip as well as an interesting commentary by the Skipper.

For further information it is best to phone 01452 318200 which is the telephone number of the Gloucester Waterways museum.

A day that a replica of the historic ship
The Matthew visited Gloucester Docks

For guided walking tours of Gloucester Docks

For guided group coach tours around Gloucestershire

Contact:  anne@tourandexplore.com

The Rollright Stones, Oxfordshire

By:  Blue Badge Tour Guide  - Anne Bartlett

The Rollright Stones, also known
as The Kings Men

Alongside a busy main road between Moreton-in-Marsh and Chipping Norton there's an ancient 100 foot stone circle known as the Rollright Stones.  They are somewhat hidden behind a hedge in a field, so you have to get out of your car and enter the field to be able to see them, and they are well worth a look. 

Archaeologists reckon that the stones date back to the Bronze Age  (somewhere between 5,500 and 3,500 years ago) and are part of an ancient religious site.

Although they are not as awesome as the Avebury circles and Stonehenge, its nevertheless a privilege to be able to view something as old and as meaningful to our ancestors as a religious site dating back approximately 2,000 years BC.

In a field on the opposite side of the road is a monolith or marker stone, now known as the King Stone, which would have been seen from the stone circle before the hedges were planted.  Also visible across the field from the stone circle, but some way away, is a group of 5 large stones leaning together labelled the Whispering Knights, these stones were probably part of a neolithic burial chamber used by the first farming communities to bury their dead.  I'm really impressed by the antiquity of the Rollright stones however prehistoric stones like these have always been linked  to witchcraft. 

The King Stone

As such, a variety of legends have developed over the years, one of which tells of a King who wanted to rule the whole of England.  When he arrived at this spot with his army he met a witch.  The witch seeing that he was an ambitious ruler thought that she would trick him.  She told him to take seven long strides and, 'If Long Compton though cans't see, King of England though shalt be.'

The Whispering Knights

The King, thinking that the witch was a silly old woman and that the challenge was very easy, strode out saying:  "Stick, stock, stone, as King of England I shall be known."  But when he took the seventh stride he still couldn't see Long Compton.  The witch cackled, "As Long Compton though canst not see, King of England though shalt not be.  Rise up stick, and stand still stone, for King of England though shalt be none.  Thou and thy men hoar stones shall be, and myself an Elden Tree".

A little further on and this is the view
of Long Compton today

Instantly he and his men were turned to stone.  The Whispering Knights who were some way off plotting to overthrow the king when he became ruler of all England, were also turned to stone.

There are a number of other stories but this is the best known one to explain the mystery of the stones being placed here.

For guided coach tours around the Cotswolds
Contact:  anne@tourandexplore
or
See:  http://www.tourandexplore.com/

A Cruise along the River Thames at Lechlade in Gloucestershire

By:  Blue Badge Tour guide - Anne Bartlett
Recorded for BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Saturday Breakfast Show with Tom Lowe

The other day we stopped in Lechlade and had a walk along the River Thames.  I was delighted to see that the Cotswold Canals Trust had started boat trips as far as Inglesham Lock to see the start of the derelict Thames and Severn Canal which, in the 19th century, linked the two great rivers of our country, so I was keen to have a look.

For Gloucestershire people the restoration of the Cotswold Canals is a major development with funding from the Heritage Lottery, the South West Regional Development Agency, The Cotswold Canals Trust and many hours of labour from keen volunteers.  A great deal of building work is happening at the moment in Stroud itself. 

I have taken a number of guided walks along parts of the tow path and seen some interesting canal architecture and enjoyed the countryside but in many places the canal banks are overgrown, the lock gates missing or broken and the canal basin empty of water, which is not surprising since it was abandoned about 50 years ago as the railways took trade away and delivered more cargo faster.

The Cotswold canals have a future and will be used by leisure boats rather than trading boats. The tow paths will provide enjoyable walks for all the family.  I recommend this half -hour boat trip, not only is it enjoyable but the money goes towards a very exciting project. For further information on the boat trips run by the Cotswold Canals Trust call 07787 485 294 or look at their website http://www.lechladetripboat.co.uk/

For organised group guided  coach tours  around the East Cotswolds contact anne@tourandexplore.com 

Hailes Abbey, Gloucestershire

By:  Blue Badge Tour Guide - Anne Bartlett

An artists impression of Hailes Abbey
before its dissolution in 1539

A place which I find very special and interesting, are the ruins of Hailes Abbey between Winchcombe and Stanway in the north Cotswolds.

It was in 1242 when Richard Earl of Cornwall nearly drowned whilst crossing a stormy sea in a foundering ship on his voyage back from fighting in the Crusades.  He vowed that he would build an Abbey if he got back to England safely.

He kept his vow and was given land by his brother King Henry III and by the middle of the 13th century the Abbey buildings were well underway. The church and living quarters alongside, were for the Cistercian order of monks often known as white monks, because they wore habits of undyed wool.  Cistercian monks liked remote places away from all human contact, they were self sufficient, and farming was their means of survival.  At Hailes they were isolated and were able to devote their life to God.

However after the Abbey was built, Edmund, Earl Richard's son, bought a phial containing some of Christ's Blood. It had a guarantee that it was genuine from the Patriarch of Jerusalem, who later became Pope.

A beautiful chapel and sacred shrine were built behind the high altar in the abbey church for the phial, and it was ceremoniously presented to the monks. The hugely important relic, known as the 'Holy Blood of Hailes' was to make the Abbey one of the great pilgrimage centres of England and many miracles were said to have taken place there.

In the 16th century Henry VIII became king of England

The Abbey along with many other religious houses around the country was destroyed in the 1530's on the orders of King Henry VIII.  The wealth and treasures at Hailes were appropriated for the Crown.  The phial of blood was tested and was proclaimed to be a fake.

King Henry VIII, having been excommunicated by the Pope in Rome over his divorce had made himself Supreme Head of the Church in England. He now had powerful enemies abroad and needed money quickly to build up his navy to fight wars on the continent.  He therefore sold a lot of monastic land which was bought by leading nobles and ambitious gentry who were keen to extend their family position and status.  There is a Kip's drawing of a magnificent house and formal gardens entitled 'Hailes Abbey the seat of the Lord Tracy'. All this has disappeared now but the beautifully maintained site around the foundations, remaining walls and arches are now in the care of English Heritage.

There's an interesting museum, and a free audio tour as well as information boards around the site.  You can take a picnic and spend the day there, or drive further up the road to Hailes fruit farm, where you can pick fresh fruit, shop or enjoy something to eat and drink in their cafe.

After an enjoyable time at Hailes Abbey we travelled to Stanway to look around the village and this is what we discovered...

Recycled stone - said to be from Hailes Abbey!

For group guided coach tours around the North Cotswolds see my website:  http://www.tourandexplore.com/

The Regency Town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire

By: Blue Badge Tour Guide - Anne Bartlett

The Promenade, Cheltenham

Cheltenham is considered one of the most complete Regency towns in England.
The Regency period is part of the late Georgian times. It was when King George III became insane in 1811, but lived until 1820. So his eldest son George became the Prince Regent, and ruled for nine years in the King's stead. Then when his father died George became King George IV and reigned in his own right from 1820-1830. Because of the Prince Regent’s huge influence on fashion, this is known as The Regency Period. Regency architecture was classical in nature. It used the traditional style of building of ancient Greece and Rome. And the typical Regency upper or middle-class houses were built in brick and covered in stucco or painted plaster with fluted Greek columns or pilasters, and carefully moulded cornices with beautiful decorative ironwork. So the building style is best described as "refined elegance".

How did Cheltenham develop from an insignificant medieval village to what you see today? Well surprisingly it’s thanks to a flock of pigeons and a very poorly king George III.

Back in 1716 a farmer called William Mason had bought a field in Bayshill (which is where the Ladies College now stands) and had the intention of farming it, but he noticed that pigeons were continually pecking near a trickle of mineral water running at the edge of the field. Spa towns such as Bath and Tunbridge Wells were becoming increasingly popular as health resorts for the wealthy. With this in mind, Mason developed the spring, fenced it, and built a thatched hut over it. He sold glasses of the mineral water to the public and his business venture was moderately successful.

William Mason retired and the estate passed to his daughter and son in law, Henry Skillicorne, a sea captain. Henry had a good eye for business and developed the potential of the Bayshill site turning it into a profitable enterprise.

In 1788 King George III had a nasty bilious attack and was recommended the Cheltenham waters by his doctor. So, leaving Windsor castle on 12th July 1788 he arrived in Cheltenham with his family to stay with Lord Fauconberg at his Bayshill House. The Royal family were here for five weeks.

The accounts show that it was a relaxed informal visit. The King would rise early and visit the well at 6 o’clock in the morning to drink the waters. He’d go off on his own riding out to the Cotswolds or he would walk around the town talking to shop keepers or passers by. It was a happy successful visit and by the time the royal party were to leave on the 16th August all Cheltenham came out to see them off – the gentles on one side and the commons on the other, and a band played God Save the King.

Pittville Pump Rooms, Cheltenham

Following the visit of King George III, Cheltenham was on the map, it was a Spa town to be visited. Arthur Welesley, later to become the Duke of Wellington, visited Cheltenham four times, and found relief for his liver complaint caused by a long period of service in India and he recommended the waters to his officers.

Visitors to the town increased and accommodation was needed. Speculators came and lodging houses went up at a great rate. There was a search to find more springs and new wells were opened.

Montpellier Pump Rooms, Cheltenham

After the first, named Royal Well, there was Montpellier Spa, Sherbourne Spa (where the Queen’s Hotel now stands) Vittoria Spa, Cambray Spa, Alstone Spa and Pittville Spa; business was booming. Assembly rooms were built for balls, concerts, card games and billiards. Theatres developed. Gardens were laid out with bandstands and, walks and rides so the fashionable people could promenade with their friends and see and be seen. Here was an opportunity for new friendships to develop, a chance to flirt, to find an aristocratic husband or a wealthy wife, to flaunt new clothes, to frequent the coffee houses and tea rooms, visit bookshops and complain about the extortionate prices.

This was now the Regency period, visiting a spa had become an established social custom. Cheltenham became the Merriest Sick Resort on Earth and probably in most cases the benefits to health were coincidental.

Gustav Holst's statue, Imperial Gardens,
Cheltenham

Cheltenham has two famous sons. Gustav Holst was born here on 21st September 1874 and his birthplace 4, Clarence Street, is a typical Victorian terraced house and a delightful museum which honours his life and tells the story of the man and his music. Some of his personal belongings including his piano are on display. There is a bronze statue of him in Imperial gardens facing the town hall where he attended a 2 hour festival of music in his honour in 1927. He was invited to conduct Somerset Rhapsody and his most celebrated work The Planets. (d 1934).

Dr Edward Wilson the Antarctic Explorer who died with Captain Scott on his return from the South Pole in March 1912 was born in Montpellier Terrace on 23rd July 1872. (So, just 2 years difference in their ages.) Wilson went to Cheltenham College before going to Cambridge to read Natural Science and medicine. There is a statue to him in the Promenade which was sculptured by Lady Scott and there is also a gallery dedicated to him in the museum nearby.

Cheltenham is the Headquarters of the National Hunt (horse racing over hurdles) which culminates in the Gold Cup Festival from 15th – 18th March next year. The crowds, over 200,000 people attend over the 4 days, and over £500 million pounds will be bet on the results of just 26 races. The Race Course, set in the lee of the Cotswold Hills attracts royalty, celebrities, the great, the good and the fashionable. The carnival atmosphere gives residents a sense of occasion whether they are involved or not.  There is so much more to see in Cheltenham....

For a group guided tour of Cheltenham and the surrounding area as part of a coach tour or a special guided walk of Cheltenham's historic town centre. Contact anne@tourandexplore.com

A visit to the Market Town of Cirencester in Gloucestershire

By: Blue Badge Tour Guide - Anne Bartlett

If you haven’t visited Cirencester recently, then you haven’t seen the restored Parish Church, the smart new shops in the Corn Hall or the newly developed Post Office site. The Brewery Art Centre has been altered too, so is well worth a visit. You can see the craft workshops, visit the café, and also the theatre for performing arts, music concerts and exhibitions.

I visited Cirencester a short while ago to see the result of the major work on the Parish church. You certainly get the wow factor when you walk in. The new floor is bright, its even and it makes the church look much bigger than it was before.

Cirencester is a great place to visit and to explore. Many changes have taken place just recently and it has a great history. As you probably know, it developed in Roman times when it became the second most important town after London. By the 12th century it had become well established with, a very large Augustinian Abbey and a Norman castle. Although you won’t see these buildings today, there’s still a Castle Street as well as the Abbey Grounds to remind us.

The building of the magnificent Parish church of St John the Baptist, which of course dominates the town today, was started in the 12th century in front of the great Abbey, and facing the market place. Although there were two separate religious buildings, one for the townsfolk and the other for the monks, the Abbot had considerable influence over the town.  He had the great South porch with its lovely fan vaulting built on to the parish church to provide a meeting place for his business with the town in the 1500's. After the dissolution of the abbey in 1539 the 3 storey porch became the Town Hall and is used for various functions today. If you look at the porch from the market place, the main hall is on the 2nd floor and I was able to go up and have a look around. It's an interesting room with a small balcony at the back over looking the main hall which, I was told, was where the Abbot stood to oversee his business going on below. I could still feel his presence!

The Chapels of Cirencester Parish Church

Do go and visit the church then take a walk around the outside. From the churchyard you can see the additional chapels and the different styles of building. It has some amazing architecture.

Cirencester has its olde worlde charm, its historic buildings, but its also changing, and has a style and quality that’s quite unique and very special. Its well worth a visit.

For: a group guided tour of Cirencester and the surrounding area as part of a coach tour or a special walking tour of the town. Contact: anne@tourandexplore.com