So tomorrow we leave Chipping Campden. We’ve chosen to spend our two penultimate nights at Beddgelert, in Snowdonia National Park, Wales. We’d kept our options open and booked a B&B there via email just yesterday (got the last room at our preferred option). Our last night is booked at Manchester Airport, at the rather swish Raddison Blu, just a five minute stroll, via air bridge, to the check-in counters, at which we need to present ourselves at 7:00am on Monday.
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed our stay here in Chipping Campden, and have struck excellent weather, especially in the last few days and today. Digging through the photo portfolio we noticed a few more pics we think worthy of posting and there are a few anecdotes of likely interest also.
Firstly, there’s the Olimpick Games. That’s not a mis-spelling for these games were inaugurated in 1612 in Chipping Campden and ran more or less annually until 1853 when (so I’m told) a powerful member of the clergy decided that too much fun was being had and managed to briefly stop the frivolity. But they’ve been revived since 1951 and such events as shin-kicking and sack racing, and probably a bit of horizontal folk dancing, are back on the agenda annually. The event is held where it has always been held, at nearby Dover’s Hill, a ten minute uphill stroll from the village. Next year is the 400th anniversary of the Olimpick Games (to be held Friday 01 June 2012) which year coincides with the rather younger Modern Olympic Games to be held in London. If you’d like to visit Chipping Campden a visit coinciding with their Games, especially in 2012, would result in some interesting experiences I’m sure.
This place is genuinely ancient and a lot of value is placed, rightly in my opinion, on retaining the look and feel. Because it’s such a pleasant place to dwell and because of its proximity to London, real estate here is far more valuable than in the villages all around. Until it’s pointed out, you don’t notice that there are no “power” lines visible. The Britons’ love of the “telly” however has resulted in concessions being made, as antennae to receive free-to-air TV are ubiquitous.
Also, many of the older roofs are covered in roughly split and shaped stone, not, as I had thought, slate. Apparently this stone was sourced locally, dug out of quarries in large slabs, kept soaked, in pits, for months during summer and then exposed to winter frosts which would freeze the soaked up water and hopefully split the stone. One roof in particular has the same stones which were placed on it about 700 years ago.
And now some pics of general interest
I think it’s rare that evening dining outdoors, at the end of September can be experienced in comfort in Britain. We were the first into the restaurant, at 6:30pm and by the time we left there was a good crowd.
Chipping Campden is a great place to stay, and bring your hiking boots to enjoy the countryside.
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