England: A Cotswolds Walk

Another day trip to the Cotswold was to the Cotswolds. We trained to Moreton-in-Marsh, then bused to Broadway, on-demand bused to National Trust Snowshill, walked to Broadway Tower, then to Chapping Campden, bused to Moreton-in-Marsh, then returned by train, all in not very good weather.

• Maybe because it was Saturday, we saw all kinds of people, young and old, on long distance walks.
• Here we felt like we were seeing the prototypes for New England and New Zealand towns.
• Compared to other National Trust properties, Snowshill Manor is rather modest, and seemed like a lesser version of Pitt Rivers, nevertheless, it was the family's St Kitts sugar plantation that made it all possible.
• The villages themselves are older, based on wool and local stones.

Departing Oxford Railway Station to Moreton-in-Marsh. The GWR (Great Western Railway) train was green, clean, and almost empty.




Redesdale Hall - Moreton-in-Marsh.


High Street Architecture, Broadway




From Broadway we took the on-demand bus to Snowshill, and ate our lunch on a bench in front of Snowshill Manor.


At Snowshill Manor there were sheep, gardens, and eclectic collections.










From Snowshill, we walked to Broadway Tower.










We arrived at the Broadway Tower "complex?" (see the sign first below) in a light drizzle, so we turned into the cafe for a coffee.


From the tower, we picked up the Cotswold Way, and headed towards Chipping Clampden.
















Sanck break at Dover's Hill Scenic viewpoint


In Chipping Campden (1st below) we walked by the historic Market Hall (built in 1627 - 2nd below), the Grevel House (built in 1380 - 3rd below), and the Old Campden House Gate with Ogee "Pepperpot" Domes (4th).








Then rode the seasonal antique double decker bus back to Moreton-in-Marsh Station, and back to Oxford. Whew. A memorable outing!

England: Blenheim Palace

From Oxford, we took a short bus ride to the town of Woodstock, famous as the home of Blenheim Palace (built 1705 to 1722) which was declared UNESCO World Heritage in 1987 - I was compelled to visit. The 2000 acres of land, plus building funds, were awarded to the first Duke of Marlborough (family name = Churchill) for beating the French at the Battle of Blenheim (southern Bavaria) in 1700. As beautiful as everything is, the whole place is a monument to war; in paintings, tapestries, reliefs, and statues.

Blenheim is also the birthplace of Winston Churchill (his cousin's house, his mother went into labor unexpectedly while visiting). The whole property is still owned by Charles James (Jamie) Spencer-Churchill, the current 12th Duke of Marlborough. Considering the steep ticket price, I'm not sure why we were funding nobility - I should have done more research.

We arrived in Woodstock at 9:20 and looked around a bit while waiting for Blenheim Palace to open at 10:00.




The main entrance, triumphal arch and ticket office, to Blenheim Palace is at the northwest corner of Woodstock.








The Great Hall (main entrance hall) is undergoing a multi-year restoration and is covered with scaffolding outside (1st below) and inside (2nd).




The Birth Room of Sir Winston Churchill. The paintings above the bed were painted by Sir Winston himself.




Photos from our walk through Blenheim Palace are below. Note that although we walked through the Marlborough family's private quarters, photos were NOT allowed.








The Battle of Blenheim Tapestry.


The Long Library and Pipe Organ.


After touring the Palace, we walked around in the gardens. First, the Water Terraces (1925 to 1931) with the famous caryatids and atlantes wall (3rd below).






We spotted several male ring-necked pheasants.


Took a selfie at the Grand Cascade and a panorama at the circular Rose Garden. There were no roses;instead, a ring of purple alliums






Blenheim Roundel Fountain


We left Blenheim after a walk through the huge, and fun, Marlborough Maze.




And on the bus back to Oxford we got a good look at the spiffy London Oxford Airport (EGTK) Terminal.