Day 3, April 29, 2009: Chipping Campden to Stanton

We started our 100 mile journey from Eight Bells B&B in Chipping Campden, England. (Yes, this really is a picture of us!) We needed to cover 10 miles--over the hills, through the woods, and across the pastures filled with sheep. It was such a lovely day for us---sunshine and blue skies. We couldn't have asked for better weather.



Chipping Campden is a beautiful place to begin the journey and is the northern point of The Cotswold Way. (You don't pronounce the "p" in Campden.) The Cotswold stone is seen everywhere with its warm yellow coloring. The old market building (seen above) is in the center of the village. There are still many houses with the old thatched roofs. They cover them with a type of netting that keeps the birds from nesting in them.



This is Broadway Tower located on top of a hill. It is a landmark that can be seen for quite a ways away. We found a herd of red deer next to it in a field as we continued our trek onward.



Now, I don't think Neil was supposed to put in this picture of me with my mouth open! The village of Broadway is one of the prettiest Cotswold villages. Many of the honey-colored stone buildings have purple-flowering wisteria growing on them. Neil and I bought some baguets, cheese and fruit (that's the little deli in the upper right photo) and ate our lunch in the main park—while we watched the “tourists” go by.

You can tell it is spring by all of the lambs with their mothers. We have seen all sorts of different sheep---black ones, white ones, spotted ones, black faces, white faces. When we walk through the pastures the sheep all start calling to their lambs. It reminded us of the movie, “Babe” without the sheep dogs.


We are fortunate to be able to enjoy so many flowering trees and spring flowers. The wisteria we have seen is so beautiful and smells wonderful. We have found many different colors and varieties of flowers in the woods we have walked through. (Larry [Mallory] these are for your enjoyment!)


As we are walking there are lots of different "crossings" for getting in and out of fields and pastures. Sometimes we cross stiles (a structure built to help get over a fence), or go through large gates, or use a "kissing gate." See if you can figure out what that is! We have to keep our eyes open so we can watch for the trail markers---a post with an acorn on it and the words "Cotswold Way."


We spent the night at Shenberrow Hill Farm B&B at Stanton.