A 3-Bed Dwelling in a Jacobean Manor in the heart of the Cotswolds for £217,000?!

In some of the most beautiful Cotswold countryside, just outside Winchcombe and very near the bustling town of Cheltenham, is Postlip Hall.  The Postlip Estate is at the end of a three-quarter-mile drive in a valley off B4632, the road between Cheltenham & Winchcombe.  There's been a house here since before the Norman Conquest. The Chapel, built about 1145, is the oldest of the present buildings. The Tithe Barn's origins are a bit of a mystery, as no documents have survived- it may be as old as the 12th century Chapel, or could have been built at any point between 1140 and about 1400.

And for £217,000, you could live there.  I am not wrong. But it's not so straightforward as all that.  Postlip Hall is something of a commune, with eight families cohabiting the building and forming a co-housing group, where the community owns the property.  The Hall is divided into eight separate ‘living units’, each with its own front door (and usually a back door) so everybody has a private ‘house’ that’s part of a much bigger cooperative framework.   People can thus move fairly freely between private life and group life.  They share some communal rooms and they also share the fifteen-acre grounds, pond, stream and kitchen garden.  They don’t cook communally, but eat informally together every now & then, especially in the summer.

So, not the traditional housing set up, and certainly not for those who like to keep to themselves, nor for those looking for a holiday home.  But there are some real benefits here for those looking for a very peaceful, simple and natural life in a true community.  And, in an area where country houses are notoriously expensive, this is an opportunity, for the right family, not to be missed.

Of course, there are plenty of things to be considered here, so please read the details of the property and their website thoroughly.  But there is one small event that happens here that could set the stage, and could provide a good opportunity to experience Postlip Hall before thinking about living here (but be warned, an opening in this place is VERY RARE and only comes along every few years at best, and this one may be gone before you can say "stone mullioned windows")- The Cotswold Beer Festival.  This is CAMRA's (the Campaign For Real Ale) official festival for locally brewed, proper English Ale, and it's a very cool event.

Here is a snippet of what the folks at Postlip have to say about the dwelling on offer, along with a link for those of you who think you might just be the next family of the Hall:

Would you like to...

... own part of a Jacobean manor?  ... bring up your children in fifteen acres of freedom and opportunity?   ... eat home-grown organic vegetables and fresh eggs?  ... be entertained by musical & dramatic events in the Great Hall & Tithe Barn?  ... join with us to get great pleasure from an amazing and beautiful place?

And would you enjoy...

... gardening organically in a walled garden?  ... caring for chickens, sheep and Gloucester Old Spot pigs?  ... maintaining and preserving a Grade 1 listed historic building?  ... rebuilding drystone walls, mowing lawns and weeding flower borders?  ... running the Cotswold Beer Festival and other public events? ... taking your share of community activities and meetings?

Postlip now has a three-bedroom unit for sale at £217,000 because one of our families is moving on after nineteen years.      

For full details and to make an inquiry, CLICK HERE.


You have to admit, that's a pretty good sales pitch.  And if you're not ready to start interviewing for your seat in the Manor, at least mark your calendar for the 2010 Cotswolds Beer Festival, Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th of July!

May Hill

I thought I'd write a little about May Hill, seeing as May Day is fast approaching...


May Hill is a hill between Gloucester and Ross-on-Wye, whose summit is on the western edge of Gloucestershire, though its northern slopes are in Herefordshire.  May Hill is the most familiar landmark for many miles around, with its near circular mound and the crowning clump of trees, and at 296 metres (971 feet) it is the highest point around. On a clear day you can see up to 12 other counties. May Hill has a circular trench, 100 metres in diameter, and is said to be an old earthwork from the Iron Age. Within this area is a mound that is said to be a round barrow.


It forms part of a low range of hills separating the River Severn from the River Wye. The Hill used to be known as Yartleton Hill, but may have been renamed because of the May Day activities there (see below). The top of the hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Much of the hill is owned by the National Trust, though the very top is vested with the Longhope Parish Council (though with no fences). It was recently included among 'the seven wonders of the West Country.'


Each May Day (the first of May), Morris Dancers dance in the new dawn on the top of May Hill and hundreds of observers join in the celebration. A ceremony on May Day morning has been carried out for several centuries, originally it included a mock battle between youths.


The summit is reached by three public footpaths, two of them forming the Gloucestershire Way and Wysis Way.


Here is a great video of the May Day celebrations last year atop the hill:

Contact details for May Hill/National Trust Ebworth Estate The Camp Stroud Gloucestershire GL6 7ES 01452 814213 (General enquiries) 01452 810054 (Warden) Email: mayhill@nationaltrust.org.uk May Day 2010 This year the Lassington Oak Morris Men will be dancing in the Spring at 5:15am (sunrise) at the top of the hill.  Hope you can make it! More info & some great photos There's loads of detail about May Hill, as well as some stunning photographs by Alan Wood, on the Ross-on-Wye visitors website, so please have a look!

St. George's Day in The Cotswolds

Cry God for Harry, England and St George! St. George's Day is upon us and Boris and I hope you'll be doing your bit to celebrate all things English, whether here in the UK or anywhere else. Of course, to truly celebrate in style you'll want to be in the Cotswolds. Specifically, you'll want to be in Ilmington, Warwickshire...


And why Ilmington? Of course, there are great festivities all over the country; but, there is a very traditional little festival happening in this northern corner of the Cotswolds that sounds like a perfect day out. For on April 22, there will be a Grand St George's Day Supper and Barn Dance with Traditional Songs and Readings. And there will be Morris Dancing, too.


There will be a Traditional Sausage and Mash Supper followed by Apple Pie, Port and Cheese, Coffee and Tea. There will be a bar.

Perfroming will be the Ilmington Morrismen. The traditional Ilmington Morris Men come from the village of Ilmington which is situated 8 miles south of Stratford-Upon-Avon, in the county of Warwickshire on the northern edge of the Cotswold Hills. Although mainly a continuous tradition of Morris Dancing has been recorded within the village for more than 350 years, there have been a number of significant periods of revival of their own unique dances, which number 24, including a broom dance (believed to have come from nearby Blackwell) originally danced by Sam Bennett (Fiddler) from the early 1900’s. Sam's original Hobby Horse (named affectionately Sam), now the oldest in the country, was made in 1899. It is still active with the side on many occasions.

The village of Ilmington is about 8 miles south of Stratford-on-Avon in the Cotswolds. Ilmington is the highest village in Warwickshire and is at the foot of the Ilmington Downs, which are the highest place in Warwickshire.  So, there is some beautiful rambling to be done during the day before you decend into the village for the party!


Event Details:
Telephone number: 07711 121210


Email: theflyingmorrisman@hotmail.com


Times:
19.00 – Midnight


Ticket information:
Tickets £15 per person. Available from Paul Bryan.


Venue:
Ilmington Village Hall
Washbrook
Ilmington
Shipston on Stour
CV36 4LZ

Panoramic View from Broadway Tower

Broadway Tower is one of England's outstanding viewpoints and at 1024 (312m) above sea level, it is the second highest point on the Cotswold ridge. Situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, high in the rolling Cotswold Hills, Broadway Tower surveys an expanse of some of the very best of the Cotswold countryside in a 62 mile radius.


The "Saxon" tower was designed by James Wyatt in 1794 to resemble a mock castle, and built for Lady Coventry in 1799. The tower was built on a "beacon" hill, where beacons were lit on special occasions. Lady Coventry wondered if a beacon on this hill could be seen from her house in Worcester - approximately 22 miles (35 km) away - and sponsored the construction of the folly to find out. The beacon could be seen clearly.

Over the years, the tower was home to the printing press of Sir Thomas Phillipps, and served as a country retreat for artists including William Morris.

The tower is on the Cotswold Way; it is easily reached by following the Cotswold Way from the A44 road at Fish Hill, or by a steep climb out of Broadway village.

Here is a great panoramic view of the North Cotswolds from atop the famous Broadway Tower.


Broadway Tower - A Virtual View in England

A Classic Motoring Holiday

Fancy a day or two of of shameless nostalgia in the world's favourite classic sports car? The spine-tingling growl of the 4.2 litre straight-six as you surge to 60 mph in 7 exhilarating seconds? And how about touring The Cotswolds, the UK's largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in such a car?  If you said yes (and who wouldn't?), give Classic Motoring in The Cotswolds a try.  Classic Motoring is the self-drive classic car hire specialist for the legendary British classic- the Jaguar E-Type. They offer only Jaguar E-Types for hire, so you can be assured of exceptional, well-maintained examples of this historic classic car.


Now that you've got the motor sorted, you'll need some ideas of where to go.  Happily, the good people at Cheltenham Tourism have put together a cracking little guide just for this purpose called The Romantic Road.  The two romantic journeys, A Road for Today and A Road for Tomorrow, are each designed to be completed in a single day, at a leisurely pace, allowing time to enjoy the towns, villages and scenery along the way. They will introduce you to some of the places which have proved so popular with generations of visitors to the Cotswolds and also to some less well-known favourites.  The suggested road map is shown here, and a description of the towns each route passes through follows.  But please do order the guide (details at the end of this article), as it's perfect to have in the car with you as you whizz through the countryside! 

A Road for Today
The Romantic Road travels north over Cleeve Hill and down into historic Winchcombe. From here we visit Stanway and Stanton before calling at picturesque Broadway. Chipping Campden, Blockley, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow-on-the-Wold and the Slaughters all feature in this tour of Cotswolds highlights, before returning to Cheltenham. A tour of some 75 miles. 


Winchcombe 
On the North Western edge of the Cotswolds, just a few miles north of Cheltenham. Winchcombe is a most attractive small town dating back to Saxon times when it was capital of the kingdom of Mercia. Visit Sudeley Castle and its beautiful gardens. Sudeley was the last resting place of Katherine Parr, the sixth and surviving wife of Henry VIII. 


Stanway 
The village clusters around its manor, Stanway House, with its magnificent Jacobean gateway built of honey-coloured Cotswold stone. The tithe barn, built in the 14th Century by the Abbot of Tewkesbury, now serves as a beautiful meeting hall. Stanway is proud of its thatched cricket pavilion, a gift from J M Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, who was a frequent visitor to the village.


Broadway 
At the foot of Fish Hill where the Cotswolds join the Vale of Evesham, Broadway is one of the showpiece villages of the Cotswolds. Elizabethan houses, village green and the historic Lygon Arms patronised by both King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell are among its many attractions. Broadway Tower at the top of Fish Hill affords magnificent views over the Severn Valley.

Chipping Campden 
One of the jewels of the Cotswolds. A picturesque village of honey-coloured stone, now carefully restored, with buildings dating from the 14th century. The Church of St James has fine monumental brasses. A feature of its beautiful High Street is the 17th century Market Hall. Visit the nearby Hidcote Manor Gardens, now in the care of the National Trust.


Blockley 
Once a thriving industrial village supplying silk thread to the ribbon trade. Blockley was the refuge of the 19th Century prophetess, Joanna Southcott. Visit Mill Dene Garden, a Cotswold Water Mill garden near the centre of the village.


Moreton-in-Marsh 
A busy market town on the northern edge of the Cotswolds. Moreton-in-Marsh grew up on the route of the Roman Fosse Way which runs through the main Street, and the old London to Worcester highway, a prominent coaching route. The old curfew tower still houses its original clock and bell dating from 1633.


Stow-on-the-Wold 
The highest town in the Cotswolds, with a beautiful old market square, Stow-on-the-Wold continues to be one of the most popular places in the Cotswolds for visitors. Once famous for its sheep market, it is now a notable centre for the antiques trade. The final battle of the first English Civil War was fought here in March 1646.


The Slaughters 
The beautiful neighbouring villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter are located on the River Eye. Picturesque small buildings and footbridges over the river are features of both villages, and at Lower Slaughter there is a 19th century corn mill which houses a small museum, gift shop and tea room.




A Road for Tomorrow
From the edge of Cheltenham, a country road takes you to Northleach and onwards to Burford following the Windrush Valley. Lechlade and Fairford feature on this journey, en route for Cirencester via the pretty village of Bibury on the River Colne. We follow the winding road back to Cheltenham, calling into Painswick, called the 'Queen of the Cotswolds'. A tour of some 90 miles.


Northleach 
A delightful example of an unspoilt Cotswold wool town. Its church of St Peter and St Paul, endowed by wealthy wool merchants of the 15th century, is unofficially known as the Cathedral of the Cotswolds.

Burford 
Burford contains many beautiful buildings along its main thoroughfare which twists up from the medieval (1322) bridge over the River Windrush. Hotels, inns, tea rooms and antiques shops make Burford popular with visitors, and the Church of St John the Baptist is a fine example of a Cotswold wool church.


Lechlade 
This is the highest navigable point on the River Thames: crossing the river into the town centre is the fine Halfpenny Bridge, dating back to the 18th century.


The romance of the town is in the vicinity of the church of St Lawrence, in the market place, where in 1815 the poet Shelley was inspired to write "A Summer Evening Churchyard".


Fairford 
Once an important stage on the London to Gloucester coaching route, the town square contains many 17th and 18th century buildings including old inns and hotels. The 15th century church of St Mary contains fine examples of medieval stained glass windows, while the churchyard contains a memorial stone to Tiddles, a former church cat!


Bibury 
William Morris called Bibury the most beautiful village in England. Set in the valley of the River Coln, the village possesses an outstanding Saxon church, and the 14th century Arlington Row cottages - one of the most photographed scenes in the Cotswolds. Feed the fish at Bibury Trout Farm, or visit Arlington Mill, a folk museum with an exhibition dedicated to the Art and Crafts Movement in the Cotswolds


Cirencester 
The ancient capital of the Cotswolds, dating from Roman times when "Corinium Dubonnorum" was the second largest city in Roman Britain, is located where Fosse Way, Ermin Street and Akeman Street converged. Visit the Corinium Museum to view one of the best collections of Romano-British material. Now a lively market town, the street market was recorded in the Domesday book of 1086, and the Parish Church of St John the Baptist is one of the grandest of all the Cotswold wool churches.


Painswick 
'The Queen of the Cotswolds', Painswick is a little gem of a town of silver grey stone houses and steep streets. Famed for its 99 Yew trees in the churchyard of St Mary's, (legend has it that the devil prevents the 100th from growing) and its 17th and 18th century table tombs. Visit the nearby Painswick Rococo Garden and Prinknash Abbey.


To order your copy of The Romantic Road, click here

Happy Motoring!

KEMPLEY DAFFODIL WEEKEND

Don't miss the Kempley Daffodil Weekend this Saturday 20 March 2010 and Sunday 21 March 2010.  It's the 50 Year Anniversary of the Daffodil Line!  Now if that's not reason enough to go for a ramble, read on...


DAFFODIL WAY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
The Daffodil Way in the Leadon Valley, on the border of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, attracts thousands of walkers in March and April.  There are few places in Britain where you can see flowers growing in the wild in such profusion.  The small wild daffodils grow freely in many fields and the surrounding woods and can be enjoyed on the circular 'Daffodil way' footpath covering approximately eight miles. The daffodils may be seen from the roads between Newent and Dymock which pass through the village of Kempley.


The daffodils have naturalised in grass in the fields, and there are also thick clusters of them in Dymock Wood. In places there is noise from the M50 motorway but most of the Daffodil Way is gloriously tranquil. The route also passes through pretty apple orchards.

And there's more: The attractive village of Dymock has a lovely church with an exhibition about the 'Dymock Poets' who included Rupert Brooke an Robert Frost. During the daffodil season, teas are often served in to church.  Homemade food is served both days at the Village Hall in Kempley, which may be reached at 01531 822468.


The Daffodil Way can be accessed from several places - park in Dymock or in the Forestry Commission car park at Queen's Wood south of Kempley Green.


The Official Website for the event is here:  http://www.daffs.org.uk/

The 2010 Olimpicks Are Just Around the Corner...

If ever there was a sporting event worthy of a weekend mini-holiday, the 2010 Olimpick Games are it.  I am not wrong.  I haven't mistaken the 2012 London Olympics, nor have I misspelled the word.  It is the 400 year old Cotswold Olimpicks in Chipping Campden to which I refer!  Here, we watch grown men engage in the age-old art of shin-kicking rather than watching them run, jump, or swim.  Here are the rather vague details on this year's festivities...


Whilst the 2010 programme details are still being finalised please see the following details from last year's games.


From 7.30 Robert Dover opens the Games in front of his Castle. The Championship of the Hill with local teams and the Castle area. The Five Mile Race and the Junior Circuit begin there and the Shin-Kicking contest follows.


On the upper level areas there are exhibitions of 'Morris Dancing', Dog Displays, Falconry, as well as two bands. In the smaller arena there are displays of Backswords, Single-Stick contests and Tai Kwando (?!). Tug-of-War contests take place.


At 10.00pm the Scuttlebrook Queen lights the bonfire, fireworks colour the sky and then there is the moving Torchlight Procession to the Square in Chipping Campden where dancing in the Square concludes the evening.


Here's a little video from the 2007 Games to whet your appetite:





A Little History, Anyone?

The Games have a long history, possibly going back to the time when the hill was the site of the Kiftsgate Hundred Court.

Their present form takes much from the records of the Games in the early seventeenth century. Prominent is the picture of the Games published in 1636 with a collection of poems entitled Annalia Dubrensia (see Books on Dovers Games) in praise of the Games by reputable poets of the period. 

The title page describes this as 'Olimpick'. The picture depicts Robert Dover presiding over his Games. On the summit of the hill a castle structure has guns firing to start events, and there are representations of the different activities - dancing, backswords, coursing, throwing the sledge hammer, spurning the barre, pike drill, tumbling and even shin-kicking.

The poems by Michael Drayton, Ben Jonson, Thomas Randolph, and others describe the excitement of the contest, the good-humoured rivalry, and, above all, the sense of good honest sportmanship which Robert Dover engendered.