Monday 2nd September - A Rainy start but by the time we got to our caravan storage it had cleared and thankfully we got underway dry. Today we travelled about 130 easy miles to Hurley on Thames where home for the next 10 nights will be Hurley Riverside Park. And there really isn't much more to tell about our day - once we'd pitched on the very pleasant site we had a short walk by the River which we could access directly from the Park and then we sat with our feet up in our awning watching the world pass by.
Tuesday 3rd September - A mostly fine day but no sunshine 🌞, and today could be described as a bit of a magical mystery tour! We visited 2 places, the first was quite mystical - Hell Fire Caves at West Wycombe, and the second was somewhere we didn't expect to be - The National Trust's Hughenden Manor.
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| Entrance to Hell Fire Caves |
Once inside the tunnels led us ever downwards and there were info boards that explained why the Caves were named 'Hell Fire'! Apparently it was a group established by Sir Francis who used the caves for a number of meetings and parties and their number included influential men of the era such as Lord Sandwich and Benjamin Franklin.
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| The Banqueting Hall |
Our way back to ground level was all uphill but by now, after spending quite a while in the chilly depths we were quite glad to be back out into daylight.
Then it was a bit of a trek uphill to the mausoleum which housed a number of tombs of important people but it was impossible to see who because entry was barred by high iron gates.
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Next our plan had been to visit the nearby National Trust's West Wycombe Park but when we got to the gates they were very firmly shut! Therefore, plan B had to be hatched and that was a visit to Hughenden. This was once the home of the Victorian Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli and his wife Mary Anne. The house and formal gardens were stunning and as we explored we learnt that the house's later history had been kept as a secret from the Second World War until 2004!
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| Hughenden |
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| The formal gardens (but this pic really doesn't do it justice) |
Hughenden Manor was where the War Map making operation took place with the code name 'Hillside'. It was a top secret military/political mission that identified strategic targets to be bombed.
RAF Benson was the centre of aerial reconnaissance. Spitfires and Mosquitos with automatic cameras flew over enemy territory taking thousands of photographs which were quickly developed on return. Skilled interpreters analysed the images to establish where Germany was building and consolidating it's war machine and relevant photographs were sent to Hillside to be translated into target maps (This is possibly the forerunner of Google Earth😂!)
Once the maps had been checked and printed they were driven by truck under cover of darkness to bomber command HQ and here Air Chief Marshall Sir Arthur' Bomber Harris orchestrated the entire strategic bombing campaign. Maps were also sent to the American Air force Base at High Wycombe.
Nearly every room in Hughenden Manor was used in the production of the maps. The Victorian furnishings were put into storage, ceilings were painted white to maximise light and electric cables were installed. Only Disraeli's study and his books in the Library were left untouched for the duration of the war but today it seemed as if everything was back in it's place and it made for a very interesting exploration of the house.
Then after that we sat in deck chairs in the very beautiful formal garden to part-take of a snack before wending our way home.
Wednesday 4th September - a warm cloudy day but no rain! Today was the day that we had pre booked tickets for Legoland - I love theme parks but John, not so much😂. He doesn't like crowds, he doesn't like queuing and mostly he doesn't like the rides! Additionally, my mistake was to book it while some kids were on their last day of summer hols so it was not quite rammed but very nearly. In the end we only spent about 3 hours there but that was long enough for me to go on a couple of rides - a sky tower that rose and fell at speed and also a ride called Mythica which came in the form of a flying theatre where you fly with Maximus the Sky Lion and see all sorts of mythical creatures. You feel as if your flying at great speed but it's all an illusion brought about by the magic of a big screen! Apart from that we admired the many Lego sculptures and feasted on a passable but expensive burger in one of the many eateries in the park.
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| Maximus the Sky Lion |
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| Me one the sky ride thingy |
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| There was also a fantastic view of Windsor Castle from the Park |
By about 2.30 we'd seen and done all we wanted to at Legoland but as the afternoon was still young we decided to look for somewhere else close by to visit and that came in the form of The National Trust's Runnymede Park. It was only a short drive away and it's wide open spaces and peacefulness gave us the opportunity to stretch our legs and also to learn a bit about it's history. Runnymede is the home of The Magna Carta, a landmark document that was negotiated in 1215. King John of England and rebel barons met in the parks meadows to agree principles such as limiting the power of the monarch and the rights to a fair trial. Their meeting led to the creation of the Magna Carta which had a major influence on the development of constitutional law and human rights around the world.
While we were there we followed a winding track that led us along a circular path where monuments commemorated the Magna Carta and we even managed to step onto American Soil!
As we walked we came to a gate that told us we would be heading for the Kennedy Memorial which was situated on an acre of land that had been gifted to the people of The United States after the President's assassination. President John F Kennedy was shot in Dallas shortly after noon on 22nd November 1963. Only a year earlier he had been instrumental in ending the Cuban missile crisis that had brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.
Once back on English soil we continued our walk which looped around to take us back towards our starting point but now we were walking beside the Thames. Here we spotted a pleasure boat pretending to be a paddle steamer and we also had a clear view of one of the many low flying aircraft as they headed to Heathrow Airport - we'd only had to duck a couple of times😂.
Runnymede also had loads more to offer in the way of walks and interesting info but after a couple of hours in the park we were ready to head 'home' so that will have to save for another day!
Thursday 5th September - Well so far (midday) we've been rained off but we're thanking ourselves lucky because we're not experiencing the torrential rain that has been forecast (with a yellow weather warning) for most of the south of the country (however, we did later!!!). If we're lucky and it clears a bit we'll probably just content ourselves with a walk by the river but if not it will have to be a duvet day!
Update - 3.30pm, well we were very nearly ready to go out when down came an Almighty Monsoon style downpour. It beat on the caravan roof with tremendous force and pools of water appeared all around us so for the time being our outing was abandoned.
Another Update - 5ish and all was quite from our roof! So on went our boots and of we traipsed along the banks of the Thames towards Hurley Lock on what would be a very pleasant 3.5 mile circular walk that eventually led us back through Hurley Village.
Friday 6th September - Another wet start and it looked as if that might be for the rest of the day around this area so John decided we should make a 30 mile trip to the National Trust's Waddesdon Manor where the prediction was for fair and 🌞🌞 weather. And what a great idea that was - the prediction proved to be correct and the Manor and gardens were incredible.
Surrounded by views of Oxfordshire and the Chiltern Hills Waddesdon Manor is a huge Renaissance style Chateau built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in 1874 and within it's grand walls are collections of incredible arts, antiques and mind blowing decorations. And then there are the gardens!
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| The Hugely Ornate Waddesdon Manor Home of Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild and Generations of his Family |
When we arrived we were very glad to be National Trust Members because otherwise we would have had to cough up 25 quid each to enjoy the treasures but as it was we just waltzed through with nothing more to pay. To start with we just enjoyed the fantastic views of the ornately decorated exterior of the house and walks through the woods and paths that took us past the elephants that came from India.
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| The Elephants were made in India by local crafts people from an invasive plant called Lantana Camara and then wrapped over steel frames. Their names are Umed, Philomena and Baby Baachcha |
Eventually, we came to the very ornate aviaries that housed numerous birds many of which we had never seen the like of before and as this part of the estate was so beautiful it was where we choose to sit and eat our lunch.
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| Just one of the inmates! |
In this area there were also 3D planted sculptures of birds. Apparently they are made by welding a mesh framework over a steel skeleton containing an internal watering system and then packed with compost and plants are planted around the frame to form the image.
Next came the house and although we'd probably describe ourselves as absolute philistines it would have been impossible not to be in ore of it's many treasures. It would also be impossible to describe the huge amount of 'stuff' and information that we found there - we only stayed for about an hour and a half but if we'd examined and read everything that was available we could easily have spent a week!
We started our journey in the East Gallery and one of the most striking pieces on display there was a musical automation in the form of an elegant elephant that played four different tunes while the trunk, tail, ears and eye moved. It was made in London by a French clock maker around 1770.
The dining room was one of the next very striking rooms - apparently up to 24 guests could be seated and above them the magnificent Chrystal chandelier sparkled - it was electrified in 1890 when Queen Victoria came to visit!
We then proceeded through the very ornate Red and Grey drawing rooms and the West Gallery with its huge collection of clocks all of which were in working order even though some of them dated back to the 1700s!
After that we passed through many more fantastically ornate rooms which included state rooms and bedrooms until we came to the Portico Bedroom which it seems was the preferred one of may visitors including Winston Churchill. Apparently he could have stayed in a much 'posher' room but as smoking wasn't allowed in them he preferred this one because it had a balcony!
Then on we went through more numerous settings until we came to the Bachelors' Wing where we found the Armoury Corridor and the Billiard Room which still had an original 19th century billiard table and scoreboard.
By this time we were all 'housed out' but we still had the formal gardens to enjoy. We sat and had coffee on the Parterre while admiring the ornate fountains and flamboyant flowerbeds. Mostly they were filled with hydrangeas, begonias and salvia but the formations were spectacular.
None of the photos really do justice to the awe inspiring beauty and lavish collections that we saw today but if your ever in the area a visit is well worth while!
Saturday 7th September - a dull humid day but no rain. Today it was the turn of The National Trust's Cliveden Estate to be visited but that was an all outdoor affair because the manor is now a posh hotel which is mostly closed to nosy non residents! However the grounds more than made up for that and as we walked nearly 6 miles around them we were nicely entertained by what we saw.
We started our visit in the pretty Water Garden were we stopped for a couple of quick pics!
From there we proceeded along The Green Drive which is a tree lined avenue that extends through most of the parkland and by turning a few corners we were able to meander back mostly beside the Thames.
But then came the hard bit - as we'd walked we'd mostly been gradually going down hill but what goes down must eventually go back up - that was proved when we landed at the foot of a very long staircase!
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| Just 172 steps It was a very hot and sweaty assent! |
And by the time we got to the top we were more than ready for lunch which we partook of while gazing down the long formal garden - it wasn't as flamboyant as yesterday's view but it did very nicely!
After our refreshments we continued our walk through The Long Garden which was planted with lots of flowers but also numerous vegetables - it was very tempting to stop and pick some but a sign said we could purchase some at the gift shop! However, when we got there all they had was very wilted offerings so on the way home we went to Tesco instead.
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| The Fountain of Love |
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| The Hotel |
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| The Clock Tower that played cute tunes every quarter hour. |
Sunday 8th September - A yellow weather warning for rain was in place today for most of the South of the country but although there had been torrential thunderstorms overnight the day was mostly dry with some 🌞🌞. Today's outing was to be to The Savill Garden which is in Windsor Great Park but after a lazy morning we didn't get there until about 12ish and luckily with our Gardener's World 2 for 1 ticket entry was only 16.95! The garden had been commissioned by George V and created by Eric Savill in 1932 and we found that much of it had been given over to woodland walks with bright grassy glades. There was an area were flowers abounded but sadly some of them had been dashed by last night's heavy rain so didn't quite look their best - but here's a couple that did!
Our visit to Savill only took about an hour and half so after that we decided to go for an 'exercise' walk in the much larger space of Windsor Great Park. That first took us out to the Cumberland Obelisk which is as monument that was built in 1750 to honour the military success of The Duke of Cumberland who was known to many by the less favourable title 'Butcher Cumberland. This was in relation to his brutal treatment of the Scots at the Battle of Culloden.
At pace we then proceeded along the Rhododendron Ride, past the polo club and down the Valley Gardens and then we walked beside the lake 'Virginia Waters' until we came to The Windsor Totem Pole. The pole was gifted to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by the Government of British Columbia and it was erected 60 years ago. However, it seems it has now come to the end of it's lifespan and there is a plan to lower it to the ground some time this year. The info board went on to say that the pole will be laid to rest within the park where it will deteriorate and decay but remain as an attraction.
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| We were glad we saw it while it was still standing. |
In all our gallop around the park was about 4 miles and over 10,000 steps so our exercise goal was well and truly met today!
Monday 9th September - A cloudy start and cooler but with some lovely sunshine in the afternoon. Today was a 'Must Do' outing to Blenheim Palace which was about a 40 mile drive from where we're staying! We'd already decided we really wanted to see it while we were here but added to that our daughter Sarah had brought us tickets for John's 70th birthday.
Blenheim Palace lies near Woodstock in Oxfordshire and is the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough. It is one of England's largest houses and was built between 1705 - 1722 and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. More recently, it was also the birth place of Sir Winston Churchill who was born there on 30th November 1874.
We arrived about midday and the place looked rammed because we had to park in the overflow carpark but as we proceeded around the site it didn't seem too busy at all. We started our visit in the Palace itself and although the area we could visit was limited the history of the house and it's owners was easy to follow and there was a series of immense tapestries hung in several of the state rooms to depict The 1st Duke of Marlborough's victory over the French at the Battle of Blenheim in 1702. Apparently this was in part what liberated Spain from French rule.
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| Just one of 8 huge tapestries Can't imagine how many stitches are in that! |
And along with that there were lavish furnishings, portraits and magical decorative works - especially on the ceilings but the interior was quite dark so I didn't take many pictures.
Once outside we took time to admire the formal gardens while we ate our lunch.
And then we meandered along a path beside The Great Lake until we came to The Grand Cascade and The Pump House.
After that it was the rose garden which was quite dashed because of the heavy rain and then came the Temple of Diana which played an incredibly important role in Sir Winston's life! He once said 'My most brilliant achievement was to persuade my wife to marry me' and he did that in the Temple of Diana while they were hiding from a passing downpour!
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| Temple of Diana |
We followed a path depicting his time line through both World Wars and his Political Career until his death in 1965.
Then we wandered down towards the walled garden passing the Roundel as we went.
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The walled garden itself was a bit bare but we did manage to do a bit of scrumping so it will be stewed apples for breakfast. The lovely butterfly house was also within this area - the butterflies were extremely prolific but some of them seemed to be escape artists as they landed on our clothing to hitch a ride out as we left.
We then wandered back towards the house passing the Temple of Health and The Secret Garden which used to be an area specifically for the Dukes but now the public are allowed in to enjoy it's serenity as well!
In all our meanderings led us over a distance of about 5 miles so we seem to be doing quite well with our lengthy walks!
Tuesday 10th September - Another dry day with occasional glimpses of 🌞. Today we'd planned to spend out time in Windsor Great Park and that's exactly what we did but part way through our outing Plan A failed and Plan B had to be quickly hatched! We drove about 10 miles and then parked in a free area adjacent to Queen Anne's Ride which is a long wide track of grassland.
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And from there we continued to the top of the hill were we found a monument commemorating Prince Philip's planting of trees in the area.
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| I think someones hiding! |
At this point plan A failed! We turned left to take ourselves up to the gate of the Deer Park which after crossing would have taken us onto the 2.5 mile Long Walk that leads up to Windsor Castle but the tall gate was securely locked - we later learnt this was because it was rutting season when the stags can be dangerous! This resulted in Plan B - quite a long detour but we did eventually made it onto The Long Walk but about half way along it's length.
With still another mile and half to go we headed into Windsor where we stopped for rest and refreshments under the dominating walls of Windsor Castle and with Queen Victoria at our side.
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| The Copper Statute of King George III (with a bird in the background) |
In total today's walk was about 9.5 miles so this was a very welcome sight😂
Wednesday 11th September - a blustery day that promises rain later and as this is our penultimate day here we've promised ourselves a fairly easy one. The morning was given over to tidying and getting ready to travel tomorrow and that will be all the way to Bude in Cornwall. So for now it's Goodbye 👋👋👋 from us at Hurley and we'll see you again when we get there 😘
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