It really exists. A town called Chipping Campden. It sounds fairy tale like. And it felt that way when we entered it. We found a quick parking spot, as we were in not touristic season. I am afraid to think of the town in summer, when hordes and hordes of tourists find their way here.
It was a sunny day, and some of the locals were holding a meeting on the bench of city hall. Catching the good Indian Summer sun rays. It’s England remember, whenever you see sun, drop everything that you might be doing and go out. You can do anything in the house on rainy days.
The main street is lined with old honey coloured stone houses, with a lot of timber worked in, and breathing out centuries of stories and people passing by.
Buildings that got their place somewhere between the 14th and 17th century. History calls.
It could very well be the most beautiful village in the whole of Gloucestershire. (Say Glostershur), a real stepping back in time.
Public conveniences is another posh naming for a loo. If you need a wee, you follow Main Street into Sheep Street for a public loo.
The regional stone, small windows divided up, little alley ways who hide more streets.
I love the fact that in England, often towns breath harmony as all the houses and shops are in the shared unique style.
Often a quarry a couple of miles away delivers the rude stones for street and housing planning.
I wanted to come to Chipping Campden for the old covered Market Hall. A left over from the rich wool trade in medieval times. Built in 1627 it still holds its splendid arches and the interesting ceiling and floors of cobbled stones.
Strong oak beams holding the roof together and supported. The medieval builders could build, so much is sure. With a bit of imagination, I can see vendors and monks with sheep passing through the place, on a busy market day way back in 1570... I can smell the smell of food cooked on a small fireplace outside of the Market Hall, I can see important men dressed in strangler collars from house to house, to perform important business, trading big sums of money.
Little details on buildings with funny images. A goose carrying what seems to be a sheep. Nils Holgersson was here...
A kitty cat with stretched claws...
And a newer stone carving dating from 2000 to implement the previous stone carvings.
It’s wonderful, from which side you look at the Market Hall, it always has a new surprising look through to another part of the Main Street.
The arches throw nice shadows on the cobbled floor. The sun plays inbetween the stone columns.
It’s a town heavily relying on tourists, so it has its fair share of small antique shops, where I could easily brake my personal bank. I’d better not...
Shops find attractive ways to invite shoppers in. The flowered bike is on the edge of tacky in my eyes, but I can imagine that people do like it.
We pass the old Police station, pondering if the year is 1671 or 1871. Lets gamble on the latter. If we count in Victoria Regina next to the Crown.
Queen Victoria was loved by the people, and she has her name on many memorials all over England.
For once, I do not find the red postal box with VR inscripted, or GR, but a stamp machine. It looks battered and I do not see how it works. I still believe in going in to the post office and buy stamps from a real person. Not all things need to be mechanised.
Mr Wonderful joins me for High Tea in the Bantam Tea rooms, it’s all good. Tea, scones with clotted cream, jam... Yum. We enjoy ourselves.
Too soon we have to leave Chipping Campden, on our way to Stratford-Upon-Avon, home town of Shakespeare, we are not done yet touring the Cotswolds.
Back in the car, driving North, through lanes where the threes touch each other making a shadowed road. A fluked picture with a far too slow shutter speed, but it conveys the tunnel feeling we had driving towards the light!
More later!
De naam van dit prachtige stadje klonk mij niet geheel onbekend in de oren, weet niet waar ik dat gezien of gehoord zou kunnen hebben!
les photoshop gehad, selecties spiegelen is een makkie! toch bedankt voor je bereidwillige opzoekingswerk en de tips...liefs, je zusje
Posted by: mieke duyck | 09 November 2009 at 04:25 PM