In The High Sheep Fields

On the way up to the Cotswolds last week we called in to visit some old friends in Stroud and had a lovely Spanish omelette lunch with them - the doors of their conservatory folded back, the perfume of their garden wafting in, the sun burning my legs - a glorious Indian summer afternoon.

The cottage we rented for the week is on the outskirts of a village, Blockley, near Morton in Marsh,  both mentioned in the Doomsday book. The sun trap south facing garden,

and the view from the bedroom onto the private estate, all honey coloured Cotswold stone, virginia creeper, pyracantha and rambling white roses.

The mansion house which belonged to the Spencer Churchill family at the centre of  the original estate, at the back of our cottage.

My view from the kitchen window,

I loved watching the  birds while I waited for the kettle to boil in the mornings. 

Every morning we drove out - never very far - to visit somewhere - usually a National Trust property or garden. The first day it was

Broadway tower - a 20th Century folly - associated with William Morris...

I took this herd of deer from the top of the 5 flights of steps inside the tower.

We walked a little way in the fields beyond the tower....

I read later that Cotsowlds means High Sheep Fields.

Another day it was  the famous Hidcote House and Gardens...

and the very eccentric collection of 22,000 objects - mostly hand crafted - assembled in the Tudor country house,

at Snow's Hill Manor.

 The craftsman who made this had never seen an elephant so made it from hearsay...

Most days we had  coffee and cake somewhere, and took a picnic lunch or

 the day we went to Tewkesbury Abbey - wonderful  peaceful trees in the grounds like this beech -

we had lunch in a tiny Italian bistro.

The day we visited Chedworth Roman Villa was the only day it drizzled a bit, but we were on our way home by then anyway.

In the evenings we walked around the estate,

down the long drive...

past the fields of cut corn always  hopping with pheasants....

stopping to catch the sun before it went down...

and listen to the blackbird's evening song.

Every night I cooked supper - roasted squashes and sweet potatoes, concocted vegetable stews, whisked up smoked salmon omelettes,  and heated up a Higgidy Pie - feta and red pepper - which we stretched for 2 meals. When I asked Robin what he remembered most about the holiday he said liked all of it but  especially the shopping at Budgens in Moreton in Marsh where they had lots of free samples of cakes to taste.

After supper I read or watched DVDS .....Robin played games on the iPad,

and we listened to the bellowing of the stag outside claiming his territory and his females....

I fell in love with the Cotswolds while we were there and felt nourished and rested by all the deep pile carpet luxury, and soothed and blessed by all the golden bronze beauty and peace of autumn in the high sheep fields...a place to remember - a place to re-visit.... even in my mind when the winter of darkness comes and claims the light...