We Visited Nailsworth - 29th Apr- 2nd May

We left Kings Williams Cottage around 11AM and after a beautiful drive along the countryside reached Nailsworth around lunch time. Nailsworth is a one horse town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, lying in one of the Stroud Valley in the Cotswold district. It has a population of 6000 people. Nailsworth is reported to be one of the best places to live in Britain.

The Retreat

Being a Sunday most of the restaurants were closed and the town practically deserted. We were lucky to find “Vault” once a bank, now a happening place in town with a live band, excellent wine and great food. We had a delectable lunch - ‘Spatchcocked Chicken’, Nacho style flat bread, Papoutsakia for the veg and finished it with Chocolate Tarte with Baileys and Mascarpone.

The Vault Bar

In UK the cream has been spread evenly throughout the country. Even in the smallest of towns and villages you will find excellent restaurants offering the best of fare. 

We took some time to locate our home for the next three days, “The Retreat”. Once again our choice of Airbnb turned out to be outstanding. The Retreat is located on top of a hill overlooking the Nailsworth Valley and the large expanse of a vineyard. The cottage is extremely well planned with the living room and bedrooms overlooking the valley and providing a breathtaking view of the night sky. The temperature dropped to 2*C with an occasional drizzle and so we stayed indoors enjoying the warm glow of the fireplace.

Amazing View

The huge drawing room 

Totally Relaxed

The house was full of books on wine - the owner was a wine maker

A beautiful cottage, excellent travel mates, wine and music set the tone for the rest of the evening. The red hot embers and the glow of the wood fire made our evening complete.

In the sprawling garden

The gang

Photo op

The next morning we drove to Stratford upon Avon – an extremely pretty town with great atmosphere. It is fascinating to see an 800 year old town preserved so well to this day. Some of the structures bring alive the look and feel of what life must have been during the Shakespearean era. We saw an enactment of ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ by two young girls, which was pure entertainment; they acted out the scene where  on the way to Padua, Petruchio  forces Katherine to say that the sun is the moon and that an old man is really a beautiful young maiden. We visited Shakespeare’s birthplace and saw the room where he was born- not in a bed as is done today, but in a birthing chair! Shakespeare’s New Place has an outdoor space that includes a mighty, windblown bronze tree and sculptures of Shakespeare’s desk and chair that you can sit on to take the ultimate literary selfie J the town offers history, architecture, drama and theater under one umbrella.

Stratford Upon Avon Ferris Wheel

Sixteenth Century bridge upon the Avon river

The main street

The famous house

It all started here

Joining the history

Shakespeare's old house - preserved in excellent condition

English teacher enjoying her moment - Shakespeare Center

My turn

A collection  on the wall

We saw an enactment of ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ by two young girls

High Road

The Avon Channel

The Shakespeare Memorial by Lord Ronald Gower. Bronze and stone, with a pedestal designed by Parisian architects, Peigniet and Marnez. 1888. Bancroft Gardens, Stratford-upon-Avon. At each corner of the Memorial, the sculptor has placed a representative Shakespearean character: “Hamlet, Prince Hal, Lady Macbeth and Falstaff. These characters were intended to be emblematic of Shakespeare's creative versatility: representing Philosophy, Tragedy, History, and Comedy” 

The bronze statue of “The Jester” stands on a stone plinth at the end of Henley Street just a few steps from Shakespeare’s birthplace. “Touchstone” is the character of a jester/fool from the play “As You Like It” by William Shakespeare.

The sculpture has been designed to represent the influence of Shakespeare spreading across the globe.

The entire garden has been designed to celebrate every one of Shakespeare’s works and is decked with sculptures depicting milestone’s in the Bard’s life and his influence on the world.

After visiting these places there are a number of pubs and inns to unwind in. We went to ‘Garric Inn’ - One of the oldest buildings in Stratford, the Inn is a traditional half-timbered building which dates back to the 16th century.

The Garrick Inn is a pub in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, located at 25 High Street

It says it all

Next morning we drove to Painswick often referred to as the ‘Queen of the Cotswolds’. We visited the 15^th century St Mary’s Parish Church and walked around the beautiful town before heading to Cheltenham. The peaceful drive through the green English countryside is a pleasurable experience. The town is a fabulous mix of period and modern architecture. A walk along the main promenade is a must – flanked by trees on either side, modern shopping arcades and lively restaurants mingling freely with deco art. The girls did a lot of shopping here.

The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary - Painswick

The Hare and the Minotaur Statue in Cheltenham on The Promenade

View on the ride back

We finally settled down to relish some chilled lager and tasty Italian fare in ‘Prezzo’ located on the Promenade. Sitting outside, sipping beer and watching the world go by was very soothing. Incessant rain yanked us away from this exciting town and we headed back to the warm homely atmosphere of ‘The Retreat’. 

Finally the fire