Tudor buildings, old roads, canals, the land of William Shakespeare!
We arrived yesterday morning, a short bus jaunt from Solihull near Birminghum to enjoy our “stepping back in time” day.
SO many things to choose from -
Some went to the butterfly farm, others to ride the narrow boat tour, and some just wanting to walk through the park, enjoying the swans along the river Avon, taking in the sights and sounds of a Saturday with sunshine.
Agnes, our wonderful guide hails from Ireland!
Irene and I headed over to a local craft/antiques market set up in the center of town in search of goodies!
Passing canals full of narrow boats -
City streets with old buildings so close together you couldn’t wedge a pence between them!
(Love the hanging baskets of flowers, they are everywhere!)
At the market!
The land of fancy tea things!
SO many 3 tiered cake plates in one place!
At this point we decided that the hop on hop off bus would be a good way to see the lay of the land and then decide what we wanted to do, so back to the bus place we went and purchased our tickets.
A much better view from up here!
The building on the left is the Old Thatched Tavern, and it became the brewery for Stratford-upon-Avon in 1470 when it was also a pub.
It has been a licensed pub since 1623 and it is claimed to be the oldest pub in Stratford.
It has been a licensed pub since 1623 and it is claimed to be the oldest pub in Stratford.
Just think about those dates for a minute! WOW!
I took a little video of our bus-top view while driving through town – click to play:
One of the things I also loved was the little ride we took OUT of town toward Anne Hathaway’s cottage (She was 26 and William Shakespeare 18 when they married in a hurry!)
Gorgeous farm fields just outside of town.
And yes, things are very golden as there have been drought conditions here.
Click to play our farm view drive by:
Narrow boats docked near the park!
Love the “garden” variety!
It’s like camping, only on the water.
We stopped and talked to one boat owner who was outside on the dock crocheting away and had several of her items for sale. She said they live in their boat year round. when I asked her about wintering, she said they go someplace and dock for the winter, hopefully somewhere that is less Icy –it reminds me of people who choose to live in their RV’s year round!
We stopped at the bridge, and watched a boat go through the locks! Fascinating!
And then it was time for a boat ride of our own.
Move out of the way, Swans!
Heading beneath the bridges!
Clopton Bridge was built in 1487 in the reign of Henry VII, financed by Hugh Clopton of Clopton House, who later became Lord Mayor of London.
It replaced a timber bridge which may have dated back to 1318. Two arches were rebuilt in 1524. The bridge was again repaired in 1588 following flooding, and in 1642 after an arch had been destroyed to block the army of Oliver Cromwell.
In 1696, money was raised to heighten the parapets, which were as low as four inches in places. The bridge was widened on the north side (upstream) in 1811, and a ten-sided toll-house tower added in 1814. A cast-iron footbridge was added to the north side in 1827. [source]
It replaced a timber bridge which may have dated back to 1318. Two arches were rebuilt in 1524. The bridge was again repaired in 1588 following flooding, and in 1642 after an arch had been destroyed to block the army of Oliver Cromwell.
In 1696, money was raised to heighten the parapets, which were as low as four inches in places. The bridge was widened on the north side (upstream) in 1811, and a ten-sided toll-house tower added in 1814. A cast-iron footbridge was added to the north side in 1827. [source]
Beautiful along the river!
Now THAT’s a house!
there must have been a wedding about to happen as ladies were out putting up the balloons as we were floating on by.
Favorite photo of the day!
A man rowing his dog!
I love reflections on the water – just look at this – picture perfect!
And back under the bridge, toward the park and our hotel we go.
I’d say we crammed as much into this day as we could, and we did it all before the rain started pouring down. It looks a bit wet outside today, and we will heading through the Cotswolds over to Burton on the Waters, and then over to Bath for our next stay.
Quiltville Quote of the Day!
It's easy to let fear take charge, stopping you in your tracks. Be the boss of your fear and push on through!
Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!
Wow! Wish I was there with you. Scenery is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the rain - we've been wishing for a long time! Lovely photos though and I enjoyed the trips so to speak. Some of the Georgian houses along the street are likely to be much older behind the frontage as their owners tried to keep up with the fashion! Thank you for the photos - I do enjoy them!
ReplyDeletegorgeous photos...did you know that all the swans belong to the queen? i think that's how it goes....
ReplyDeleteWhen will you host this tour again?
ReplyDeleteHope you get to see the miniature village and another miniature village in it. Bourbon on the Water is a beautiful village. I loved it when we visited the Cotswolds. Enjoy the trip and all the little shops.
ReplyDeleteI am experiencing your trip vicariously through your pictures and posts. Thank you for your wonderful blog!
ReplyDeletegreat post, bonnie - and enjoy the Cotswolds - fabulous !
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your wonderful trip.
ReplyDeleteOnce again you are out doing yourself with your wonderful tour. Have a wonderful time and thank you for all the wonderful posts for us who are unable to make it for various reasons. You are so very much appreciated. Happy Travels
ReplyDeleteI agree !!
DeleteLove the Cotswolds and Bath. Enjoy yourself in that beautiful part of England.
ReplyDeleteAgnes was my tour guide when I took the Craftour of Paris, Brugges and Amsterdam last winter! She was lovely. I’m loving your pictures and wish I had gone on this tour. I love England but I’m looking forward to doing Tokyo with you in January!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos. Such a glorious trip. And the weather looks lovely..... until you said Rain.
ReplyDeleteAgnes and her quilt guild met with our group from the Milwaukee area in Galway 10yrs ago. Had a lovely tea and show and tell with them.
ReplyDeleteBe sure to visit the Roman baths and the church there. It has gorgeous stained glass.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the Jane Austen museum in Bath!
ReplyDeleteI have really enjoyed reading about your day in Stratford. The photos brought back lots of memories as we have enjoyed canal boat holidays where we moored in the basin at the bottom of the high street for a couple of days. Hope the rest of your trip is just as memorable.
ReplyDeleteWe visited England in June and I love revisiting it with you. Having lived there in the 70's with the USAF, we love that country and return quite often. Thank you for the memories.
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