Day 2 Broadway to Winchcombe

A longer walk in store for us today but only 12 miles and plenty of time in which to do it. Broadway hasn't many shops but this one in the centre catches the eye as you pass by.

 It was a lovely sunny day and my book describes this walk as 'rural England at its best with Stanton the quintessential English village'. None of us had heard of Stanton before but it was picture perfect with its thatched cottages, village green, no shops, just one pub nicely tucked away out of sight up a hill.

We could have stayed there in the peace and quiet for much longer but had to content ourselves with just a tea break before walking on to Stanway and Wood Stanway.

Stanway House

Near the water mill

Unfortunately we were there on the wrong day and everything was shut including the water mill and the Old Bakehouse tea room so we pressed on towards Hailes Abbey. After a very steep climb in the heat it was a relief to find a seat in the shade for lunch.
A brief stop at Cromwell's seat, reputed to be the place he sat to watch Hailes Abbey burn. We couldn't see anything for trees and it took a while to work out that it was probably the drifting smoke he could see.

Hailes Abbey

We didn't go in as you could see most of what was left of it from the path. As we crossed a field there was a screech from Margaret who dropped her hat in haste while trying to get her camera out to take a picture of a large snake that was crossing in front of us. If you had stretched it out it would have been at least a metre long.....honest! We didn't try stretching it out but chased after it trying to get a photo before it vanished into the long grass.

Snake in the grass

All afternoon we could hear the whistles from a steam train in the distance on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway but it was still hazy and we only had tantalising glimpses too far away for a photo.
Next stop Winchcombe our final destination today.

We arrived in plenty of time for tea and toasted teacakes in the garden of Lady Jane's Cafe and a quick look at the High Street before walking up the hill to Blair House B&B. The owner had just received delivery of a new kitten that had gone missing so she was anxious we didn't leave any doors and windows open until she found it. It eventually turned up behind a picture frame on a shelf!

A special early bird meal at The White Hart Inn completed our evening followed by a look around the church yard as St Peter's at Winchcombe is renowned for its gargoyles that were very difficult to photograph.