A couple of weeks ago, I returned from a nine-day walk of the Cotswold Way, a U.K. national trail that runs approximately 102 miles from Chipping Campden to Bath. Set forth below are some photos taken along the way. While I will occasionally describe the scenes, I will allow most photos to speak for themselves.
Gatehouse of Parish Church of St. James, Chipping Campden
(suggested by some guides as the preferrable starting point for the Cotswold Way)
Chipping Campden Market Hall (ca. 1627)
(official starting point of the Cotswold Way)
(official starting point of the Cotswold Way)
Thatched-roof cottage in Chipping Campden
A pleasant place in Chipping Campden that could have persuaded
an old romantic such as I not to leave at all, but, of course, I did . . .
an old romantic such as I not to leave at all, but, of course, I did . . .
Leaving Chipping Campden Behind
Broadway Tower, Built in 1798 as a Landmark Folly for the Earl of Coventry
Descending into Broadway
Broadway Cottage
Leaving Broadway
A Rather Ornate Kissing Gate
On the Path to Stanton
Jacobean Gatehouse in Stanway
Common Waymark for U.K National Trails
Ruins of Hailes Abbey, Built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall and Brother of Henry III
Sudeley Castle
(the final home of Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII
and the only one who was neither beheaded nor divorced)
Neolithic Burial Chambers
Top of Cleeve Hill, Highest Topographical Point on the Cotswold Way
Church in Painswick
Neolithic Burial Site (contained the remains of eleven persons)
Hang Gliding off of the Cotswolds Escarpment
Fruit and Vegetable Market in Wotton-under-Edge
Path Near Tower That Honors William Tyndale,
Who Translated the Bible Into English
Dyrham House (where much of "The Remains of the Day" was filmed)
A Garden at Dyrham House
A Cotswold Farmhouse
Encountering Other Walkers as I Descend Into Bath
Bath Abbey (the southern terminus of the Cotswold Way)
(the final home of Katherine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII
and the only one who was neither beheaded nor divorced)
Who Translated the Bible Into English
Thanks - that saved me walking it! Interesting-looking neolithic burial chamber. There's a lot of that kind of thing round Avebury - not far from where yiu were and well worth a visit.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dominic. Walking almost anywhere in the U.K. is always a delight. I must admit, however, that the terrain in your part of the country is hard to beat!
ReplyDeleteDear George, as you know I have been waiting, patiently, for you to post photographs from your walk. Let me tell you, I am not only not disappointed, but I have sighed my way through them with great satisfaction and pleasure. Your compositional eye and photographic skill are not lost on me, even though these scenes would look beautiful no matter what. The one of the ochre wall with climbing roses that you said might have kept you in Chipping Campden made me ache, almost with melancholy, for how can anything be more charmingly perfect? Thank you for this album of visuals from your walk. It looks like you had good weather!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your photo essay.. such beautiful settings, historic architecture, rolling green meadows.. it is hard to express how this makes me feel.
ReplyDeleteYes. a most lovely walk, George, and some fabulous photos too. Welcome back to Blogland!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your lovely comment, RUTH. Yes, the weather was terrific, all things considered, which was a blessing, given that the U.K. has just experienced the wettest summer in the past hundred years. As for the that bench against the Cotswold stone wall with the climbing roses, I think I could spend my final days there—just sitting on the bench, having finally relinquished the desire to understand everything. Glad you liked the photos!
ReplyDeleteThanks, GWEN. It delights me to no end when someone says that a series of images has created good feelings.
ReplyDeleteThanks, ROBERT. I have no doubt that you, too, will eventually walk this path. Indeed, I am waiting on the post announcing that you have finally walked every footpath in England, including all of the national trails!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful photographic journal of your walk. I'm partial to sheep in a meadow, but also was taken with the church spire in Painswick set amongst the roundness of the topiary, and the farmhouse in Cotswold with laundry on the line. It must have been a great experience. Do you also keep a written journal? The combination would be lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments, TERESA. Glad you liked the photos. No, I do not ordinarily keep a journal, but I should. I've started several times, but I tend to get lost in the trip and lose the discipline to make my daily entries.
ReplyDeleteAs promised, Geoorge I've been taking my time going over each and every photo of your walk. I'm afraid I may have gotten some drool on the iPad! Such lushness you encountered in field and garden. Also, I took note that the sky is mostly blue in all the pics. I hope you came home with fond memories to keep you company. Welcome back!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the generous comments, BARB. It was a great walk and I highly recommend it, and, yes, the skies were blue most every day. Weather-wise, I was quite lucky because the U.K. has seen record rainfall this year.
ReplyDeleteGeorge, I forgot to mention that thatched roof cottage yesterday. I have never seen such an elaborate thatched roof, almost a Mansard style, trimmed out and patterned. Incredible!
ReplyDeleteYes, Ruth, this cottage was very striking. The thatched roof was a work of art!
ReplyDeleteLovely country, excellent photos, and a most delightful post of a walk along a trail I'd heretofore never heard about. I enjoyed sharing it vicariously. Thank you…and let me join Robert in saying it's great to find you blogging again.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I was also amused to hear that you, too—though desirous and quite capable of keeping a journal—find the actual practice consistently elusive. Doubtless another practical reminder of the disparate realities between spirit and flesh.
It is years since I was in this area George - these photographs bring it all back - if they were picture postcards, I would buy them all!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind and generous comment, GRIZZ. Glad you enjoyed the photos. The Cotswold Way is indeed a great walk, but if the truth be told, I would be happy walking across almost any terrain in England.
ReplyDeleteI didn't intend to drift to far away from blogging, but myriad distractions of the summer limited my participation in the blogosphere. Hopefully, I will get back to more regular postings. As to the journaling issue, this has been a constant challenge for me. Throughout the years, I have bought journals and set forth with a strong commitment to frequent entries. For some reason, however, I always seem to abandon the effort, not by intent but rather by neglect.
Thanks for the comment, PAT. It's good to hear from you. The Cotswolds are indeed charming, and those honey-colored, thatched-roof cottages seem to have fallen out of an old storybook. Since you are a daily observer of the farming life, I should add that I encountered more bulls on this trip than any of my other walks in the U.K. Indeed, "getting around the bull" seem to be one of my daily challenges.
ReplyDeleteRe. "walking across almost any terrain in England", George, I beg you leave out Scunthorpe, Skelmersdale — and Nottingham on a Saturday night. Just don't go there. Please don't.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously — yes, most of the time I feel so lucky to have all these wonderful tracks and trails within relatively easy reach. But walking every footpath in England, or even all the National Trails? You jest, I'm sure! I wouldn't have enough days in even a hundred lifetimes to do even a miniscule minority of them!
Well, of course, I will take your advice on avoiding certain terrain in your country, and indeed I have been in a few of your fast-paced urban areas that made me yearn for the countryside. With respect to your own journeys, however, I do not underestimate your potential, my friend. Not every footpath, of course, but you could complete all of the national trails. As we both know, however, good walking is not about ambition; it's about giving your feet permission to follow your spirit, wherever it takes you.
ReplyDeleteDear George, do you get the hint you were missed? Beautiful pictures, absolutely perfect antidote to a truly chilly dreary Sunday afternoon. If I had to pic a favorite I don't think I could. Each one cries out in a different way. Simply need to add to my ever growing "bucket" list. Thanks. I think!
ReplyDeleteApart from Bath which I love I haven't visited the other places in the Cotswolds so thanks for sharing your pics.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind comments, KARIN. Glad you liked and photos, and by all means, keep the Cotswolds on your bucket list.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, CAIT. Yes, Bath is always lovely, and I also highly recommend the rest of the Cotswolds. A great place to walk or to just enjoy the natural beauty of the architecture and landscape.
ReplyDeleteI saw the photo of the bench in Chipping Campden and was 100% certain I had sat on that bench after a long walk on our way back to our B&B so got out the photos and, indeed, there it was - the very spot. But on a frosty afternoon in February over ten years ago. I haven't walked the Cotswold Way but used to go down and spend weekends walking in the area and around Bath. Such a beautiful area. Your photos are fabulous as usual. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your lovely comments, LAUREL. What a coincidence that you once sat on this wonderfully situated Chipping Campden bench! As I said in the post, I could have lingered there—perhaps forever.
ReplyDeleteTeresa provided a link to your blog about turning 70 (I just turned 72) but I was drawn toward your walking photos. What a wonderful tour and such lovely photos. Thank you for sharing them with those of us who will never get to do such a thing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments, MS SPARROW. Feel free to drop in an comment at any time. All perspectives are welcome.
ReplyDeleteJust catching up with this George - this is all very close to my very different urban home and familiar walking territory. I can get out into this very easily for a day walk. Shame I didn't know you were coming. Lovely photos,
ReplyDeleteAndy
Hi, ANDY! Great to hear from you. It's also quite serendipitous, for I've just spent the past couple of hours reading some of your Pilgrimpace postings, as well as some of the postings on The Society of Sacramental Socialists, which was referenced by Robert in his introduction to the interview with you. I've also been reading some poems this afternoon by R.S. Thomas, who, according to my understanding, has inspired both your poetry and your larger pilgrimage.
ReplyDeleteAs I pointed out in my comment on your interview, I greatly admire your commitment to social justice, and I'm interested in learning more about your personal journey. To that end, I look forward to following your postings on Pilgrimpace.
thanks!! lived in the UK when my Dad was stationed at Chicksands, then Fairford. 1959-1962 will always love England.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, EIRESICILLIA. Please feel free to drop by again and join in the discussion. And Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThis made me feel quite homesick (left for the US in '87) Such clear and beautiful photographs! Unfortunately, as for the majority of English people, this "quintessential England" wasn't exactly my day to day living environment but it was always there within easy reach. We have done many of the well known 'Ways" but not this one, it looks very do-able and I'll definitely bear it in mind for a future visit.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your lovely comments, Jill, and thanks for stopping by. Hope you will make a return visit.
DeleteI've been doing long distance walking in the U.K. for about three years. Started with Wainwright's Coast to Coast three years ago, did the Hadrian's Wall path two years ago, and walked the Cotswold Way last year. This summer, I'm walking the Offa's Dyke Path.
By the way, I took a look at your abstract watercolors and liked them very much. I've done quite a bit of abstract work myself, both in watercolors and acrylics. Also, I note that you live in Virginia. Consider me your neighbor — I live on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
I'm glad that you suggested I come and look up this posting you did of The Cotswold Way, George. So many wonderful shots of an area that I know and where the paternal side of my family comes from.
ReplyDeleteOh those rolling green hills and the wonderful honey-coloured stonework. Chipping Camden is a favourite of mine too!
Your walk looked edifying. Well done!
Glad you liked the posting, Sandra. I do a lot of long-distance walking in the U.K. — Hadrian's Wall Path, Wainwright Coast to Coast Path, Offa's Dyke Path, etc. It's truly a magnificent place!
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