Last weekend I planned to go with D to either Baddesley Clinton or Packwood House to see one of the houses decorated for Christmas. I knew it was likely to be busy and we went to Baddesley first as we thought it would be quieter. But on arrival there was a huge queue of cars to get in and a volunteer told us the car park was full as was Packwood's and all house tickets were sold out for the day. This seems to have been the case for the last two weeks - just like last year - so I have given up any hope of seeing them. I do wish you could book tickets in advance to save a wasted journey - on checking I discovered Charlecote allow pre-booking and they also have a mystery trail to solve so perhaps that would have been a better bet! Next Christmas I will either go early in December or book a place at Charlecote.
We did think of walking round Hay Wood or along a canal tow path but it was muddy everywhere and D hadn't got any boots or wellies with him so we ended up driving to Berkswell and going a walk around the village. I've done a lot of posts on this village and church in the past so apologies if some of the photos look familiar!
Village Green with
200 year old stocks. You may notice that the stocks unusually have 5 holes and, according to "Berkswell Through The Looking Glass" by DE Gibbs, they were constructed to accommodate four persistent local offenders one of whom only had one leg.
The Berkswell Canon was Russian and captured in the Crimean War in 1858 and was brought home in triumph and left outside The Bear Inn. To mark the occasion the gun was fired at one o'clock and a celebration dinner held in The Bear Inn on 4th January, 1859. The gun was restored by Berkswell Parish Council in 2000.
Beehive Cottage
We didn't do the circular walk of a few winters ago as mentioned it was so muddy so we just went along a lane that leads from the church.
Bercul's Well
The village name of Berkswell derives from an Anglo Saxon personal name Bercul and the freshwater spring or well that rises to the surface south east of the church. The stone walled well is 16 feet deep and may have been used for early Christian immersion baptisms.
St John the Baptist is a Norman church dating from the 12th century and was built on the site of an earlier Saxon church.
The two storey timber framed porch from c1500.
Wayside Preaching cross dated 1850 but on a medieval base of 6 steps.
Gothic War Memorial
I did walk round the churchyard looking for snowdrops and found just a few flower buds. I will try and return in around a month as there is often a good display in the churchyard here.
Well House (the old rectory)
We had a snack at The Bear before returning home.
*D Photos taken by my son with the Canon Bridge SX50 bridge camera
Rest of photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera.
I should write to the National Trust and complain, focusing on the unnecessary pollution created by so many others, including yourselves, on a fruitless journey. After all, the environment is one of their caretaker purposes. Still it was a lovely stroll around the village and the chips are making me hungry. I wonder who on earth kissed under that very low hanging sprig of mistletoe?
ReplyDeleteBlwyddyn Newydd Dda!
What a shame you couldn't see the houses in all their Christmas finery, but you are forearmed for December 2020 now.
ReplyDeleteBerkswell looks an interesting village, with lots to see. A lovely place to explore and I am sure you see more each time you visit.
Happy New Year to you.
Rustic Pumpkin - Thank you. I did tweet them asking if they could consider pre-bookable tickets in future (they do for the Easter events) but, like last year when I did the same thing, they never responded :( I might be wrong but I suspect many of those in the car park were not NT members (most cars in the queue when we drove back out hadn't got car stickers) and were just parking there for free to roam the grounds - you only have to pay if you go in house and garden. Sorry sounding like a grumpy old woman but the Christmas before I had two wasted journeys too! and one of those was much earlier in December!
ReplyDeleteI'm always happy to visit Berkswell :) That mistletoe is a bit low :)
Happy New Year
Bovey Belle - Thank you. Next year I will go early in December and if I have another wasted journey won't bother in future!
Berkswell is a nice place - I could quite happily live there!
Happy New Year.
Oh, what a shame you couldn't get into either house to have a look at the decorations, I know you had concerns about going this year as you were disappointed last year. You had a lovely village walk though and a nice pub lunch afterwards and without the hassle of crowds and parking. The church looks lovely, I like the sundial and the porch and I'm intrigued by the dangling owl:)
ReplyDeleteRosie - Thanks so much and yes it was a pain again although not unexpected! Baddesley had a theme of natural decorations and Packwood The Nutcracker so it would have been good to see both.
ReplyDeleteBerkswell is always a good place to wander - one day I will go back into the church and do a detailed post on it as I haven't done one for years and it has the most amazing crypt!
The dangling owl I think was in the grounds of the primary school next to the churchyard.
What a shame you missed out again, it does seem like bad planning on their part, knowing it's so popular too! Still it looks like a lovely day for a wander around Berkswell even if it wasn't quite planned!
ReplyDeletePam - Thanks so much. I am hoping that after this year when car park full and house tickets all gone so quickly all round the Cmas/New Year Period they will consider allowing pre-booking. If Charlecote can do it I am sure they can. Also entry at Easter for their Easter Hunts is only be pre-booked ticket. Those two properties for some reason are always very very busy.
ReplyDeleteAttingham Park do advanced bookings but as I didn't know what day Mr C would be available just before Christmas we missed out on our last minute Christmas fun. Although I was able to go with my mum earlier in December.
ReplyDeleteYour walk around the village looks lovely. I am not a fan of walking in mud even with boots.
CherryPie - Thank you. It is much better if they do offer advanced bookings and you can save a wasted journey.
ReplyDeleteNot keen on mud either - usually wear wellies rather than boots.