After being struck down towards the end of last week with a (horrendous) 3 day flu bug, I had my first big day out post-illness. Admittedly I was still feeling a little groggy and drugged up from prescribed medication but it was a beautiful Sunday and we couldn't stay in the house all day.
H is always banging on about being a National Trust member and how many nice places there are to visit near us. I've been to National Trust sites over the years but can now officially say I'm a fully fledged member; something I'm practically excited about now the weather is beginning to get better. Is that a sign of age that I'm excited about Manor Houses and gardens?
Living not too far from the Cotswolds, we devoured a plate of bacon and French toast before leaving on the short car journey. H's favourite National Trust place is Snowshill Manor near Broadway. The drive itself was absolutely beautiful - sun shining, music on and a bottle of Lucozade (flu lifesaver!)
Snowshill Manor is filled with an incredibly quirky array of possessions collected by Charles Wade throughout his lifetime - think tiny toys, Samurai suits, bicycles, instruments...all sorts. From what I understand, it still remains in the same layout Mr Wade created, things have just been restored slightly. You'll soon realise, Mr Wade didn't actually live in this house - where would he even find room to?!
My favourite part, however, was not the inside of the house but the exterior and the gardens surrounding. We sat on a bench amongst the daffodils looking out over the fields with the sun shining...it's a great place for some peace and quiet. Amongst the gardens is Mr Wade's home - slightly cluttered (unsurprising after seen his collection displayed throughout the main house) and modest.
From here we went on to Stowe for a drink and a wander; another lovely place if you have time to visit.
xo
Oooh if you go back to Stow then definitely go to Huffkins! :)
ReplyDelete