The road to our next destination had become dark, the car was quiet.
After driving for some time, we finally arrived at our destination, The Egypt Mill which meant we were now in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire. At least that’s what the text on the picture I took said!
I looked it up quickly and discovered it had once been a working mill and was now a quaint inn with a pub and overnight accommodations.
There was a beautiful charm to the inn, including the footbridge, over the river, from the parking area to the entrance.
The footbridge had overhead metal rails forming an open canopy with interwoven faerie lights. We exited the car and as we got closer, I could see a running water wheel that appeared to be fed by a narrow river in front of the Inn. It added a bit of enchantment to this already charming scene.
Upon retrieving our room keys, we had to go back out the entrance down to the left and into the next building, which also had a charm about it. We agreed on a meeting time for the morning, and I continued down the hall to my room.
My room was absolutely beautiful with an old-world charm to it and for a moment I felt like I stepped into my own little fairytale.
I loved that it was light and airy with old hardwood floors and a comfy bed. The wall at the head of the bed was nautical blue lap board with two matching armoires on each side which gave a nice contrast to the other walls which were cream colored.
It had a modern bathroom that fit the rest of the room as well as a cushioned chair matching the blue of the headboard, with a chair across from the foot of the bed and a desk with stationery and pens in case you needed to write something down. The room was very thoughtfully decorated.
There was a book of Gloucestershire on the nightstand. The information stated the oldest parts of the mill were dated back to the 14th century. I could feel the history this place had and thought about the stories it might tell if it could talk.
I wondered what it was like back in the 14th century. This building had originally been a corn mill, then a textile mill, a dye mill and now it was an inn.
My mind was wandering through the years thinking about all the people who might have walked through the mill and here I am adding to the list of those people and that energy. Life is amazing in that way. I found comfort in being part of this mill’s history.
The room had a bit of a chill, so I snuggled into bed. I was swallowed in the down comforter. It felt very soothing, and sleep found me quickly.
The next morning, we had a wonderful breakfast in the pub dining area which was decorated with lovely tapestries interwoven with flowers which made the room feel other worldly.
During breakfast we discussed the possibility of meeting with another client I had been working with to help through breast cancer. When she heard I was going to be in the UK she asked if there was a possibility we could meet. My hosts were gracious in saying yes! We agreed on a destination for our meeting which would take place in a few days’ time but first we had more places to see and experiences to be had.
We finished our meal and went back to our rooms, gathered our belongings, loaded the car and were on our way.
By 10:30 a.m., to my surprise, we were in the Cotswolds which is known for its picturesque architecture and landscapes, especially in the springtime when people come from around the world to see their beautiful gardens, however, that would not be the case today as it was November 26th and winter was on its way.
We had arrived in Bourton-on-the-Water which I’m told is known as “The Venice” of the Cotswolds since the River Windrush runs directly through the center of it giving it its charm.
There are low stone bridges over the river to keep the foot and street traffic flowing. As we drove through town to the parking area I was pulled in by the simple architecture, which felt very old world, as if I was experiencing a town in a historical romance novel.
The houses had either traditional thatched roofs or steep stone tiles and appeared to be constructed of stone along with the buildings and churches in the area. I was imagining how beautiful it must look in spring when the flowers are in bloom.
I noticed there were several references to sheep and wool here, which absolutely makes sense since England is a little bit cooler all year round with most wearing some type of jumper (sweater) from my experience so far.
We parked just outside of the town and walked along the river. It was a beautiful day with a light wind blowing and the sun brightly shining down upon us; perfect weather for a stroll outside.
Rissington Road ran along the river into town and turned into High Street. The road was very narrow, allowing for two small compact cars to easily pass. Anything larger and there would need to be a courtesy decision made by one of the drivers to allow the other to pass.
I saw a lorry delivering groceries to one of the stores. It was like a very large box truck here in the states and I immediately wondered how a large vehicle like that managed on these very narrow roadways. It seemed impossible and yet here it was.
As we entered the town I could see a post office, a woman’s clothing store, a store that sold everything cooking related, a stationer, as well as the Edinburgh woollen mill selling everything wool, woven and textile according to its sign.
There it was again, wool.
There was also a gift shop on the corner with an array of collectibles which seemed an appropriate shop for a tourist looking for chachkas.
Looking around it all felt incredibly familiar, yet I’d never been here before. Then suddenly I thought “I could live here”!
Oh wait, didn’t I say that about Glastonbury?
Right, I did!
I think I’m in love with old world charm. I feel like I could fit right in.
I’d keep that in mind if I ventured back, but for now I needed to keep pace back to the car so we could head to the next location.
Twenty-five minutes later we were in Cheltenham exploring Stow-on-the-Wold, a Cotswold market that looked like a storybook village. This felt like it was going to be the main headliner today.
Once again, I was in love!
There were narrow streets lined with antique shops, clothing, galleries, and housewares.
To my surprise the road behind the shops opened to a huge parking area with more shops all the way around.
After venturing through many of the shops I wandered into a homeware shop that had candles, kitchen towels and porridge spurtles. Wait what?
What’s a porridge spurtle?
It was a long, round wooden stick that’s carved at one end, making it thinner, with grooves and a small ball like mushroom cap on the end. Apparently, it’s a great tool for stirring porridge, soup or mashed potatoes.
I eat those things therefore I need a spurtle!
That was my takeaway from here. I couldn’t be happier.
I had my spurtle, we could go!
We made our way to the car and off we went to… another destination!!
This is really turning into the adventure of a lifetime and an hour later we were in Stratford-Upon-Avon which was, both the birthplace and burial place of William Shakespeare.
It was also home to the Fourteas Room Tea Room Brassiere which was where we were going to enjoy “afternoon tea”.
The tearoom was a wonderful little place, nothing fancy with plain wooden chairs and tables. We had gotten there just with enough time to order. I’d been to a place like this back home for afternoon tea, but it couldn’t compare.
I knew tea was a staple in the UK, but afternoon tea felt like something else entirely-a little fancy with a charm all its own.
We each chose our preferred tea which was served in our own teapot. I chose Earl Grey. Our tea arrived first.
A short time later we all had a three-tier tray placed in front of each of us filled with different types of finger sandwiches, scones with jam, clotted cream and pastries for dessert.
It was truly an experience to be had and now I needed a walk because I had eaten everything! Ha!
We left the tea house and walked up towards the main street which was already bustling. I noticed how different this town was. It was beautiful in a different way, more robust and ominous at the same time.
Each storefront and building held its own charm and character but not quite with that same magical feeling I had felt in comparison to the places we’d been to earlier.
It felt stodgier and more structured to me with a very strong medieval type of architecture that felt a bit dark and intimidating. Definitely not laid back or relaxing in any way. It was worlds apart from the Cotswolds which was the complete opposite.
I could picture knights jousting or dragons flying overhead especially when I saw the church on the corner. It had a very serious tone to it.
Even the bank, which I thought to be HSBC, had a serious tone. The name simply said, “Old Bank”, nothing more.
This town didn’t hold the same feeling, I couldn’t see myself living here.
Afternoon tea was my takeaway from Stratford. I felt as though I had a taste of England in a brand-new way!
Daylight was slipping away and we needed to get to our next destination. We settled into the car and headed off again.
By now, the mystery of what’s next? was beginning to feel a little like opening presents.
You don’t know what’s in the box until you get there.
For now, I was happily settled into my seat, along with my prized spurtle, heading toward whatever came next.