Luckily, given the downpour this weekend, our weekend cottage is not in an area ‘likely to flood’. Still, as we were deluged by waves from HGVs, trying desperately not to aqua plane on the motorway, we wondered; what would we find at our journey’s end?
We found the most gorgeous cottage; Poppy’s Cottage (https://www.ruralretreats.co.uk/england/gloucestershire-holiday-cottages/poppys-cottage_co230) in Baunton, near Cirencester. Exceptionally well equipped to a very high standard, very, very warm and welcoming and, most importantly in the circumstances, dry.
The owners had kindly been in touch to check that we knew the route and alert us to a local road closure but the personal touch that impressed us most was the option,’red or white wine with your welcome hamper?’ And what a welcome it was; tea cups and cake laid out on the coffee table; ground coffee,granola, fudge, fruit and bread on the worktop; teabags and instant coffee in their jars, and butter, milk and cheese in the fridge.
Our first full day here has been spent on a tour of Corinium Museum (https://coriniummuseum.org/), the Roman museum in the centre of Cirencester. It’s full of exhibits you can touch, such as pieces of real roman pottery, and others to look at, like the mock up of a living room in a roman villa, allowing you to imagine what life was like for the Romans and their slaves, servants and subjects.
Back at the cottage we inexplicably decide to go out. We would like, we think, to walk the Monarch’s Way which starts only yards from the door. But it’s getting dark, it’s very, very muddy and Poppy’s cottage is calling us back…
