Before heading out on this trip I did spend a good amount of time exploring destinations, assessing what might be fun to do, considering driving plans etc. Rick gave his input and we changed a few things. We have continued to update and improvise as we go, based on our mood, whimsy, and how crowded some places can become.

So – yesterday’s plan for Bourton-on-the-Water, Lower and Upper Slaughter (with a walk between the two) and Stow-on-the-Wold was blown up pretty early in the day. Instead, it became: Bourton-on-the-Water, Snowshill, Broadway and Sheepscombe. We did not have a moment of regret.

Bourton-on-the-Water, while painful to type, was beautiful. The village is built beside the River Windrush. Small bridges allow visitors to pop back and forth, explore the small lanes and enjoy the many restaurants and cafes.

We poked our head in on the Motoring Museum. The museum itself is relatively large; we decided not to dedicate the time. The shop was charming. I think we had Rune’s recent affinity for cars in our minds when considering this destination.

I was so excited to find out there was a yarn shop! We tripped on the Bourton Yarn Basket quite by accident. It was a very small shop with local undyed wool and hand-dyed yarns. I did find a few things I liked. but neither had sufficient amounts of yarn to allow me to make a project. I am long past purchasing a single skein in the hopes I can come up with something, so I passed.

We crossed the street to a little cafe where we shared a cornish pasty and 2 different cake slices. All of it was wonderful.

I was looking for a few little gifts and had some ideas in mind, so Rick waited patiently while I slipped in and out of several gift shops. Aside from an adorable hook for Trixie’s leash, we were not terribly successful.

I was particularly enjoying one little shop and was tucked way in the back considering a few items related to dogs when the shop suddenly became completely silent. I had been brought out of my reverie by the jangling of bells and the slam of the door. I walked to the front of the now empty shop… no customers and no shopkeeper. Rick was standing on the other side of the door. Neither of us were able to open it. He ran off down the street to retrieve the shopkeeper.

She returned with Rick only moments later, exceedingly apologetic and quite embarrassed. Rick talked her into a photo and I promised to mention her store as she did have some lovely thing: BoHo House. If you do go there I am quite certain you will not end up accidentally locked in. :0)

Moments after this shot was taken I spotted a small clothing store across the street. I popped in because I was interested in a beautiful olive coloured woollen sweater. Sadly, I wanted one with more ease so it was a no. However, I noticed they were having a sale on men’s golf shirts and convinced Rick to buy two. No more worrying about laundry on this trip. Yippee!

And then we decided to flush the plan. I had researched 2 options we had originally decided not to pursue as they were on the far northern border of the Cotswolds and about an hour driving time from the hotel. Most of our sightseeing was 20-30 minutes away and on the tiny single lane roads it sometimes seemed like a lot. As it turned out, Snowshill Manor was only 10 minutes away from Bourton so off we went.

The road there was actually quite kind and we were in the car park in no time. I was surprised at how affordable the entry fee was – 17 GBP for both of us. We had stopped being surprised at the huge entry fees for most of our stops so this very reasonable entry fee was a pleasant surprise.

Snowshill Manor and Garden is a 16th century Tudor property, purchased by architect and collector Charles Paget Wade just after WWI. He restored the buildings and the garden, filling the main manor house with over 20,000 of unusual objects collected throughout his life. They were organized by colour, design and craftsmanship, the things he most admired. Wade was not a collector of high value art and objects, though there are some in his collection.

The house was so full of objects, that Wade lived in a small adjacent cottage, The Priest’s House, that also contained his workshop where he would repair and maintain some of the objects in his collection.

The rooms are themed and have whimsical names like Dragon, Mermaid and Hundred Wheels. The interior of the manor house is famously dark to protect fragile items from exposure to sunlight. There are guides in each of the rooms, equipped with flashlights.

I cannot begin to enumerate the vast array of things he collected: model ships, bicycles, clocks, armour (including an impressive collection of samurai armour), padlocks and keys, musical instruments, cabinetry (overflowing with more collected items) and furniture are just a few.

Wade also enjoyed collecting clothing and costumes. His collection includes a garment from the Canadian north, made using a Hudson’s Bay blanket. He would often wear clothing from his collection, sharing them with guests who would perform and act out plays. There are many photographs of Wade dressed in one costume or another.

Wade married a local woman late in life, at age 63. In spite of the questions and curiosity, there is no evidence that he was gay. He was able to fund the manor and his collections with family money from sugar plantations in the Caribbean. He particularly enjoyed St. Kitt’s; there are many photos of his time there.

The garden was redesigned with the help of a well-known Arts and Crafts architect. It is laid out in a series of terraced garden rooms, complete with more collected objects. The garden includes is a model village designed like the one his grandmother grew up in. He was largely raised by her as his father travelled extensively.

Our next stop was Broadway Tower – only a few minutes away from Snowshill Manor. It is a 65 foot tall Georgian folly built on top of Broadway Hill, the second highest point in the Costwolds.

Broadway Tower was designed by Lancelot “Capability” Brown, a legendary landscape artist (with an excellent name). A “folly” is an ornamental building built for decoration, romance or pleasure; is has no practical purpose. (You may recall that there were several of these buildings in the Painswick Rococo Garden.)

The building was eventually completed for George William, the 6th Earl of Coventry, and his wife, Lady Barbara. There are spectacular, far reaching views from the top of the tower. It can be seen from 22 miles away, the location of Barbara’s family estate. It is considered a token of the Earl’s love for her.

The Tower has served several different purposes in it’s life. First as an artist’s retreat in the late 19th century. It was rented as a country escape for famous figures of the Arts and Craft movement , including William Morris. Morris was known for taking his baths on the roof of the tower.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, the property became a working farm with tenant farmers. It was also used as a lookout post by the Royal Observer Corps during the war.

In June 1943 a bomber crashed during a training run. Two of the observers attempted, unsuccessfully, to free the crew from the wreckage. There is a memorial for the 5 crew members who lost their lives.

There is also, weirdly, a fully equipped, underground nuclear bunker. We did not do the tour.

Since the 1980’s it has become a lovely park with trails and deer and a historically accurate tepee onsite (bah!)

Our last adventure of the day was dinner at The Butcher’s Arms, a small pub, in true English style, located only a few kms from our hotel.

We knew we were going to like this place, as soon as we pulled up. The atmosphere was perfection, and there were no less than 8 separate dog bowls in the front. Multiple owners and dogs came and went while we were there. I particularly loved a very sweet spaniel with red hair, the colour of Maple’s, and unimaginably long ears. She had a lovely temperament and was on full attention with her owners.

There was only one other couple there when we arrived, but within a very short time it was hopping with locals and tourists alike. The landlady was a lovely, funny woman. She was hobbling about on a damaged foot after a horse-riding accident earlier in the day. We, along with the other patrons, kept offering to help transport food and drink but she insisted on doing it herself.

Rick ordered a Guinness and I ordered my favourite soda with lime. We entertained ourselves with some trivia cards on the table while we waited for our food. Rick had a huge salad with chicken. I opted for the steak and ale pie which was fantastic – so much so that Rick polished off the portion that I was unable to eat. What a lovely last Cotswolds meal.

This morning we leave the Cotswolds behind for the bustle of London. So much to do and see there. I am certain we will come home happily exhausted!