Another Bucket List Item Done and Dusted! Visiting Cirencester, Tetbury and Highgrove, Cotswolds Estate of Prince Charles and Camilla
Oxford
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Today was a far cry better than yesterday. We had no transport glitches--well almost none! We did have one crazy experience at the very end (but more on that later).
I woke up in our Lake Street Studios at 4.30 am to find that it was very cold (and we had been instructed not to fiddle with the temperature controls) and that the wifi was still not working (it had been out since the time we had returned at 6.00 pm yesterday). I was annoyed as the BT wifi was clearly functioning but our Talk Talk network was not. I waited till 6.00 am and then left a message for the owners of our hotel and about an hour later, the system was up and running again. It is possible that they had switched off the wifi for some reason and then forgotten to turn it on again.
Llew awoke at about 7.00 am and went in for a shower as he had not packed up last night and needed time to do it. I followed suit and by 8.00 am, we were ready to leave for breakfast. We walked briskly across Hinksey Park on a lovely nippy morning and arrived at our friends' place. Sue had laid out breakfast again--a Continental spread: muesli, yogurt, milk, toast, orange marmalade, blueberries, coffee. We helped ourselves and simultaneously found out about the little housekeeping things we needed to know before our hosts left for Cambridge and we were left to our own devices. Breakfast done, we bid them goodbye as Tony left to pick up their own rented car and we walked back across the park to our hotel. All packed and ready for the arrival of our friends Sam and Mary who were driving down from Derby to meet us, I sat and blogged for a bit while overlooking the lovely little courtyard garden in front of our studio.
Sam and Mary arrived on the dot of 10.00 am and after greeting us warmly, piled our stuff into their car. We then drove the few blocks back to Susan and Tony's place so that we could drop off our own cases Gifts were exchanged at this point! In fact, we were all delighted to see each other as we had last met in March of 2020 when we were saying Goodbye at the end of our travels together in Costa Rica. We then piled back into their car and began our drive to the Cotswolds town of Tetbury which is the base for a visit to Highgrove, the country estate of Prince Charles and Camilla. We had pre-booked tickets for the 1.30 pm garden tour. Both Mary and I were very excited indeed as we had hoped to visit this place for ages.
During the drive, having woken up at 4.30 am, I was simply engulfed by sleep and dozed off as Llew chatted with Mary and Sam. The Cotswold countryside flew by outside us. There was green at every turn and it was enchanting. Our plan was to get to Tetbury, have a bite to eat, make it in time for our tour and then have afternoon tea in the tea room on the estate. Excitement mounted. But by the time we arrived in Tetbury and bought a map of the town from the Visitor Center and had just finished visiting another one of the famous Cotswold "wool churches", a major shower drenched us. However, by this time, we had managed to nip into a coffee shop where our friends, who were ravenous, as their last meal had been breakfast at 6.30 am, were ready to eat a Cotswold horse!
Lunch in a Coffee Shop:
Our lunch was far from light. Huge portions of a bacon, brie and cranberry toasted sandwich followed by a large hot chocolate provided all the fuel we needed for the next few hours. We continued to chat companionably in a very cozy coffee shop before it was time for us to move on to our next spot--Highgrove Estate.
Exploring the Estate and Gardens of Highgrove:
Charles, Prince of Wales, oldest son of the current Queen (Elizabeth II) of England and heir to the throne, bought Highgrove Estate, forty years ago, from Mark McMillan, son of Great Britain's former Prime Minister Harold McMillan. He saw it as a quiet country estate for his wife (then Princess Diana) and his two young sons, William and Harry. At that time, it was a simple country home--three storeys high in honeyed Cotswold stone with a lovely big pediment, sash windows and a carved door. Surrounding the place were flat farmlands. Charles immediately saw it as his never-ending, on-going project. It would be his life's passion. To tour the gardens today is to gain an insight into the mind of an extraordinary man who would launch into something no heir to the throne had ever done--he would become a gentleman gardener and make the profession respectable!
We entered the estate, past strict security, and parked our car as instructed. Walking just a few meters forward, we entered the Visitor Reception area. Entry to the estate is strictly by pre-booked tickets only. And it was next to impossible to get them. My friend Mary finally called the place and told them that visitors from Connecticut and Bombay were hoping to get on the tour which was fully booked. The lady she spoke to then told her that she would see what she could do. She then released four tickets on the website and told Mary to jump on them. Mary did just that and we had our tickets! At 30 pounds each, they were not cheap. But the idea very clearly is to restrict entry into the place and, dare I say it, keep it exclusive. Still, you will be surprized how many people attempt to get in. Just past the parking lot, you see wooden elephants in the grounds outside--a rather bizarre touch in the middle of the Cotswolds!
We were received at the Reception Area and our names ticked off the list by a very lovely lady who explained the ropes. She told us where and when and how photos could be taken--none whatsoever in the garden as they surround the house. For security reasons, you are not allowed to take pictures. You are also not allowed to wander away from the group and on your own. She warned us that there are hidden security cameras all over the estate and you would be swiftly found and removed from the premises if you strayed. She then turned us over to her colleague, one Patrick, who would be our guide through the gardens for the next 90 minutes. He proved to be a true treasure. Undoubtedly throughly vetted, Llew and I both suspected he was ex-army. He was also beautifully spoken and made an excellent guide.
It is hard for me to describe the vast gardens at Highgrove. It is also hard for me to imagine that, forty years ago, this was simply weed-ridden wasteland. The miracles of organic gardening were clearly evident before us as we began our tour. So here are some of the aspects that struck me as we walked from one garden 'room' to the next--each aspect being entirely enchanting.
Just past the fruit orchard which contains rare English apple cultivars that were in danger of dying out, there are antique wooden gates from Jodhpur, India, that lead you into the garden. These were spied thrown somewhere on the roadside by Charles on a visit to India. He inquired about them, bargained for them, had them shipped to Highgrove and installed them as the main gates of entry into the garden! The Asian-style entry structure is now called the Shand Gate. Mark Shand was Camilla's brother. He had devoted his life to saving elephants in Africa and had brought Charles into his efforts. This explains the strange wooden elephants at the entrance near the Reception area. After his death, Charles decided to name the entry way after him.
There are wonderful yew hedges all over the gardens--these separate one area from the next. They are elaborately topiaried with urns and globes beautifully carved at the top. There are sun and shade aspects to the garden and each part of it is planted differently. As in the case of the many gardens I have visited on this trip, there is a distinct color palette in evidence: in this case, it is shades of purple--aliums, irises, etc--and Llew observed that this was probably because purple is the royal color. There were hostas in one section, a whole section devoted to rhododendrons and azaleas (at their best right now, at this time of spring), loads of ferns in one area, etc. Charles is not fond of bright, dazzling color in flower beds and so we saw the color red only once--on a bush of rhododendrons. Lots of peonies are also coming into their own at this time. We also walked through large areas devoted to wild flower meadows for which he received help from a female gardener whose name I did not catch who had become passionate about wild flower gardening. Similarly, he received help from Rosemary Verey who also advised him on design and plantings.
Patrick made it clear that Charles has spent countless hours in the gardens personally digging and planting and weeding and dead-heading. He is a hands-on gardener, not someone who relies on his army of paid laborers. In fact, both Mary and I were shocked to discover that there is a team of just 10 gardeners for the entire acreage (17 acres) that lay before us. How was that possible? He also explained that they worked in teams: one team handled flowers, one veg and another shrubs and ferns. From time to time, Patrick paused to draw our attention to garden sculpture, many pieces of which were presented to Charles as gifts. There is a sculpture of the Queen Mother (his grandmother, whom he had adored and who had turned him into gardening as she used to be a hands-on gardener herself). Another bust of himself with Camilla also has pride of place in another shady nook. One large doorway recognized the folk who are close to Charles or have had a role to play in the shaping of the gardens. I did recognize one of them as I actually know him--Richard Chartres, retired Bishop of London, who is a very close friend and adviser to Charles. His sculpted bust is a superb likeness of the good prelate.
What else? Well, there is so much, it is hard to recall. There are gates and doorways in bright colors that were a tribute to Yves Saint Laurent whose vision had created the Majorelle Gardens in Marrakesh in Morocco (that Llew and I had also visited just a couple of years ago). There are fountains filled with odd sculptural stonework that most people would have rejected as rubbish but which Charles picked up for use in his gardens. There was clematis with flowers the size of dinner plates! Seriously, never in my life have I see flowers of that size. It is too early, of course, for roses, but there are hundreds of bushes everywhere. Tender new plantings are placed under glass cloches (not cloche--bell--shaped but resembling little glass houses). When asked where Charles got them from, Patrick said, "Ebay"! Fancy that! Prince Charles shops on Ebay!!! We saw herb gardens (lots of parsley and thyme) and veg gardens (lots of lettuce). They are used in the restaurants on the estate or sold in the shop. Honestly, there is simply so much we saw that I am finding it hard to remember all of it. Suffice it to say that it was all just fabulous and at every step of the way, we were delighted anew. Yes, at many spots, we were only a few feet away from the house in which Charles and Camilla could well be at that moment--but who knows if they are in, at any given time, traveling somewhere or in their London home at Clarence House (which I have also toured and which is just as enchanting). Let me just say that the entire experience was amazing and one that fully satisfied.
In the Gift Shop:
We ended our tour in the gift shop where Mary purchased a few things. Weight restrictions only made it possible for me to buy the souvenir garden book for five pounds. This will be a cherished memento of a lovely morning spent with friends who made our wandering really special.
Afternoon Tea in the Royal Cafe:
Just as we were leaving the gift shop, the heavens opened again, but we were safely within the Royal Cafe by this time. We were ready for a cream tea--9.95 pounds for a scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam and pots of tea. Llew and I chose decaff (mine with lemon, of course) and our friends had the Prince Charles blend which was probably made by Fortnum and Mason in London. The teas, in fancy Jubilee caddies, were available in the shop. I have never seen such enormous scones, studded with sultanas, I have to say. They were gigantic, delicious and melted in the mouth. Given the very special place we were in, we thought the cream teas were very wisely priced. What a fine pick-me-up that was at the end of a memorable afternoon!
Exploring Tetbury and Cirencester:
After tea, all that was left then was to drive to the center of Tetbury to explore the royal town. It is very cute indeed and has a couple of attractions. Aside from the wool church which we had visited in the morning, there was a set of stairs called the Chipping Steps. They are cut into a hill that is flanked on both sides by charming cottages over which abundant roses climbed delightfully. Llew went all the way to the bottom of the steps and the hill and then climbed back up again as the rest of us simply took pictures at this interesting venue. Another ramble around the shops led us into more squeals of delight at the wares available--not to mention a look at a crafts show where the artisans displayed and sold their own work. Yes, it was a lovely visit and we enjoyed it tremendously.
Back to Oxford:
We had about an hour's run in the car back to Chipping Norton where Sam dropped us off in time to get our bus back to Oxford. They were heading up to North Oxford to the town of Broadway where they had rented a B&B for two nights themselves. I found the items in the thrift shop that I looked at yesterday still available and I resolved to buy them tomorrow when we return to Chipping Norton for our visit up into the Northern Cotswolds.
A few minutes later, we went into the Prince of India restaurant, right at the bus stop, opposite the King's Arms Hotel where we had once stayed, and ordered meat samosas and vegetable pakoras to go. These would be our dinner back at home as we were too tired to go and eat out. However, I am keen to eat at Carluccio's at least once before we leave--so perhaps we shall do that tomorrow.
We had one more misadventure on the bus on the way back. It was in a very narrow lane, close to Charlbury, and our driver was trying to squeeze out of it when he was stopped by a car that was a bit ill parked. The driver had parked too far out and there was simply no room for the bus driver to get through. He got out of the bus, began to honk to get the owner of the car to come and move it and then simply through up his hands in frustration. When, finally, the owner appeared, she was in a thorough fluster. She said that as soon as she switched on her car, her mirrors would pop out on both sides and damage her car and the bus! She was not sure how to resolve the issue. She called her partner, who then appeared and told her to switch the mirrors off before entering the car and then to switch on the engine. Don't even ask me about these technicalities! All I can say is that she was able to move her car up the foot path and we were eventually able to move after about a half hour's delay. There is simply no end to these adventures or these delays!!!
We did arrive at Oxford and decided to walk along the Thames to Sue and Tony's place. It took us about 20 minutes from the Town Center but it was a lovely evening and we really did enjoy the walk as the Oxford colleges had shut for the night and people were out looking for suitable places in which to eat.
Back home, we poured ourselves some wine, nibbled on cheese and crackers and pistachio nuts and Llew got our grazing dinner ready as we watched New Tricks on the telly. But I was off on the couch and had to be woken by Llew who served me ice-cream, washed and cleared up as I got ready for bed.
What a brilliant day we'd had! I would not forget it in a hurry!
Until tomorrow...cheerio!
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