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Hambledon Day Walk 6th June 2018

Denis led a 6.1/2 miles walk from Hambledon village to The Bat and Ball for lunch  and returned via Broadhalfpenny Down with the memorial stone marking the original cricket pitch of England. Walkers also admired the vines in the Hamledon Vineyard, the oldest commercial vineyard in England before getting back to the Village Hall car park.

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Trotton Morning Walk 30th May 2018

Janet's morning walk seemed unlikely the previous day with more rain forecast. However no rain fell although a few parts were still wet from earlier rain. A very pleasant walk from Trotton to the hill above Rogate and back again with lunch in The Elsted Arms. Nigel was quick to hear a yellow hammer perched high in an oak tree. The concrete lumps in the field on Habin Hill turned out not to be a gun emplacement nor a nuclear shelter, but probably just an old water reservoir. We later crossed Habin Bridge, a scheduled Ancient Monument, built by monks from Durford Abbey in the 16th Century. 

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Bourton-on-the-Water Summer Holiday May 2018 Day 7

The weather forecast wasn't looking all that good so the walkers decided on a shortish walk, going from Cranham, up through Buckholt and Brockworth Woods  to Coopers Hill. It was mostly uphill and dampish but some lovely paths through the beech trees. In Brockworth Woods we found a few edible Roman snails. Introduced by the Roman, they don't thrive particularly well in England and are a protected species. Living for 20 to 30 years, they don't get anywhere very quickly, migration distance around 4 to 6 metres!     By the time we got to the top of Coopers Hill the rain was becoming a nuisance so we sheltered whilst watching a Hungarian filming the course of the cheese rolling competition. When the rain eased off we had a look down this incredible hill that no-one in their right mind would want to climb up, let alone chase a cheese down. A man helping to put the side fences in position came for a chat. He was the proud father of a lad who has been competing since 2005 and had won 20 races during that period. He was hoping to become the first person to win 21 races the following day. Click on this link and you'll find the answer  Chris Anderson.  There is steel fencing at the bottom to stop the cheese killing anyone and a rugby team in front of the fence to stop the competitors, who will be mostly out of control. Injuries are not uncommon.       We gingerly made our way down an "easier" path to walk through more woods back to the cars. We chose to eat our packed lunch in the grounds of  Prinknash Abbey but were not exactly impressed with the cafe/shop where we went for a coffee.    This was our last day at Bourton-on-the-Water and the House arranged a "ghost walk" for guests wishing to have a final wander.        Bourton-on-the-Water is a deservedly popular town to see all that is good about the Cotswolds and we were a bit concerned we would be inundated with tourists. However they were mostly around in the daytime when we were elsewhere and disappeared in the late afternoon. Harrington House was a superb HF house. The staff were excellent for the whole week and we all had an  enjoyable holiday.

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Bourton-on-the-Water Summer Holiday May 2018 Day 6

On the bus again but this time to Moreton-in-the-Marsh. From there it is a pleasant walk of 1.3/4 miles to Batsford Arboretum, the largest private collection of trees and shrubs in the country. It was developed in the late 19th century by Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford, grandfather of the Mitford sisters and very friendly with his wife's sister, who became the mother of Churchill's wife, Clementine.      The Arboretum was quite splendid although the weather was not at its best. We enjoyed our packed lunches in the Chinese Rest House, admired some magnificent trees and shrubs and did a bit of bird-watching. Mitford also imported several Chinese bronzes that appeared around the Garden. There is a falconry nearby and also a very good garden shop. We then split up with keen walkers going back to Moreton-on-the-Marsh the long way, others the short way and some even getting a lift! Once back in Bourton-on-the-Water the Chinese influence was still around, with tourists being photographed with the prettiest background in town, opposite Harrington House.

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Bourton-on-the-Water Summer Holiday May 2018 Day 5

We headed for Northleach to have a look at the Mechanical Music Museum which usefully had a bar for our first break of the day. The museum guide who showed us around was very entertaining and we all finished very impressed with the quality of workmanship needed to produce such amazing instruments many centuries ago.         Afterwards some of us headed for a circular route of about 4.1/2 miles towards Hampnett and then picking up the Monarch's Way to walk in the presumed path of Charles I on his route away from Stow-on-the-Wold. Hampnett Church was a surprise inside. This 12th century church received some extraordinary decoration courtesy of the vicar, Rev. William Wiggin. Inside the sanctuary, nave and windows there is some very elaborate medieval style stencilling which the parishioners were not at all happy with, but failed to raise sufficient funds to have it all covered up. It is assumed it didn't do much for attendance. However it is very striking and well worth a visit.        After dropping down into the village of Northleach we had a look at Northleach church. It is an oustanding example of the power of wool in the 15th century. The Cotswolds produced the finest wool and Northleach was the economic centre of Europe at that time. As one of the merchants had inscribed in his house " I thank God and ever shall, it is the sheepe hath payed for all"   They were very generous and paid for vast improvements to the church, paid the ransom for Richard the Lionheart, subsidised the military adventures of Edward I, and paid entirely for the early years of the 100 years war.

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