A Walk Through Middle Earth

Kevin here.

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, we were constantly on the move in both Scotland and London.  I don't think there was a single day over that 4 1/2 week period that we weren't out and about.  And on many of those days in London, we also came back to our flat so that I could do some work while Kelly worked on schooling with the kids.

It was all fun.  But exhausting.  So it was with not too little anticipation that we arrived in Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds hoping to slow down and get some rest.  And that's what we've been able to do (well, mostly.  I've still had to work and there's still homeschooling to do).

We've been able to sleep in many days, go on walks, and watch some TV.  Kelly and the kids found a playground nearby that they've visited several times.  We've done a small bit of shopping, taken a few day trips via bus and train (Bath, Oxford, and Stratford-Upon-Avon), and eaten some great fish and chips.  We've popped some popcorn and played UK versions of Monopoly and Clue (called Cluedo,  it was originally invented in London during WWII as something to play while underground in shelters during air raids).

It's rained quite a bit, which has been unfortunate, if unsurprising.  And I had a nasty cold that saw me stay in bed quite a bit for several days last week.  But apart from that, it's been a great time.  This part of the world really is one of the most beautiful places we've ever seen.  The pace of life here is dramatically different than from, say, London.  Or even from Atlanta.  It's much slower.  But it's been the perfect spot to crash for two weeks.

But I think that one of the highlights has been walking the town and adjacent countryside.  (In fact, as I write this, Kelly is out and about walking through the towns and fields of the Cotswolds.)

So, I thought I would share some of the pictures (click on them to enlarge) I've taken as I've walked around:

Chipping Campden High Street, looking to the West

Chipping Campden High Street, looking to the East

Chipping Campden is not a large town.  But there are certainly smaller towns in the Cotswold region.  Chipping Campden, after all, does have a bus that comes through here, two tiny grocery stores, a school, an indoor swimming pool, and a several shops and restaurants.  But, it consists mostly of High Street (what we in the US would call "Main Street") with a few side roads.  That's about all.  It can apparently get crowded during the summer -- tour buses do come through --  but it's been pretty quiet for our visit.

There are not many pubs here; mostly nicer restaurants.  In many ways, Chipping Campden is -- like many Cotswold villages -- a retirement community.  Many people -- some American expats, but mostly British retirees -- make their home here.  And while places in the Cotswolds do have their share of subsistence farmers and work-a-day folks and those who service the tourists in some way, not a few of the cottages have Jaguars, Porches, and Audis parked behind their gorgeous, manicured garden entries.  (A taxi driver remarking on all of the beautiful gardens said that it was because the retirees had all of the time and money to spend on them).  And a quick gander in the realty offices tells the tale: most of these quaint cottages -- most made of golden-hued "Cottswold Stone" -- are quite expensive.  And, during summer months, there are apparently a few arts and music festivals both here and nearby.



It's not an understatement to say that virtually everything in Chipping Campden is beautiful.  And a lot of it looks the same.  But the sameness is of a quality that is invigorating rather than boring.  I've heard similar things said about places like Tuscany in Italy:  no one ever goes to Tuscany and complains that they were bored since it all looks the same.

The beautiful stonework, the thatched roofs, the manicured hedges, the colorful gardens... it takes me to descriptions that Tolkien uses for Middle Earth.  It has a feeling of oldness to it.  Not the American-kind of oldness that is equivalent to something no longer worth using, ready to throw away.  But an oldness that speaks to longevity and value.  Transcendence, even.  You can tell that when people build buildings here -- or, more likely, refurbish a really old one -- they are building something not just for themselves.  The building is intended to outlast the builder and, even so, is a kind of a gift to the community (the current one and the ones to come).  Everything is to human scale here (as opposed to cars).  It feels invigorating to me.  More humane.

I once caught the very end of a wedding at the local Catholic church in town.

Rapeseed fields

This is rapeseed.  It's planted to produce rapeseed oil, what we in the US would normally call canola oil.  Another cab driver (you learn the best stuff from cabbies) told us that about 10-15 years ago there was an explosion of interest in biofuels and it was thought that rapeseed/canola would lead the way and be a tremendous cash crop.  And so virtually everyone in England began to plant rapeseed.  So much so, that people said that you could fly over England and see the "yellow brick road." But, like all manias, the biofuel reality turned out to be less significant (at least, so far).  Plus, since everyone was planting rapeseed, the value of the crop began to fall dramatically.  Still, there remain many miles of rapeseed fields which are quite beautiful in the early spring.

But even without beautiful fields of yellow, every direction offers great views of the surrounding countryside.


And most Cotswold villages have an ancient Abbey or two visible in the distance.  Chipping Campden has St. James Church (which we've attended twice) along with it's resident graveyard.






And, of course, sheep.  Sheep everywhere.  We've been told that Cotswold wool is basically too rough and coarse to be worth anything (unlike, say, Merino wool).  So the value comes primarily from their meat.


One cool thing about the Cotswolds is all of the public footpaths.  Cotswold is known for it's 100-mile hike known as the "Cotswold Way" that begins in Chipping Campden and winds it's way through the villages and countryside until it reaches Bath.  That's a trip -- either by foot or with bikes -- that we have to do some day.  Sounds awesome.

Until then, we took the local public footpaths wherever they would take us.  And normally that would be through a field of sheep or rapeseed.

  

I'll take their word for it.

One of my favorite hikes was over to another little Cotswold town called Broad Campden, a little over a mile away.  There's not much there.  But it's beautiful.


Along the way, I found a posting for a father-and-son molecatching business.


And came upon this small, gorgeous little church (seen below).  Under the tree to the left is a bench where I would sit for quite a while and pray, reflect, journal.  One of my favorite spots.


And... uh... here's a dead badger I saw on the road.  This guy is bigger than he looks in the picture.  Apparently their are quite a few badgers in these parts.  And I gather that they can be mean, mean, mean.

And I thought this was one of the coolest looking old fences I've ever seen.  They don't make them like this anymore:


And, finally, one of my favorite cottages along the way.  Remember to click on the picture to see more detail.

I could post more, but I'll stop there and trust that you've gotten a feel for the Cotswolds in general and Chipping Campden specifically.  One regret I have is that we haven't seen more of the Cotswolds:  places like Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, and Wychwood.

But we have to leave something for next time.