We’re heading for the Cotswolds today, but first we need to do some running repairs.
It’s off to the Weald & Downland Living Museum at to take in the sights of medieval and Industrial Revolution era England (950 to early 19th century). This is an open air museum, a bit like Old Sydney Town near Gosford (which closed down 30 years ago, but I can’t think of another example – go with it).
The site is very large, covering 40 acres – very big in metric – and requires a lot of walking. There’s about 50 buildings on site, from workers’ houses to the market hall, an old dairy, water-powered mill and wagon sheds.
Most are real buildings, relocated from elsewhere, and restored. A couple were replicas. You can wander inside them and marvel at the carpentry techniques, the size of the beams, the materials used for the walls and roofs, and just how bloody dark, cold and draughty these damn things must have been.
The site also contains the Repair Shop, a cluster of buildings used in the TV series of the same name. This is one of Michelle’s favourite TV shows and the main reason we are here. On days that they are filming the buildings are off limits. And as per usual, today is one of those days.
For those of you not familiar with the show, the premise is that members of the public bring in some broken or damaged heirloom and the expert restorers bring it back to life.
There are two or three such items on each show, and the owner invariably cries when they get it back as “it meant the world to my dad and it’s my only link to him as he died horribly when trampled to death by draught horses”, or similar. Michelle loves it.
Anyway, she saw it and pictures were taken – in contravention of the sign that said no pictures – so all is well.
Then off to Chadlington, our AirBnB digs for the next few nights. We are staying at the stables behind the old schoolhouse. It’s much swisher than it sounds, and not at all draughty or cold. This is what medieval living should be about.
A short brisk walk to the local, the Tite Inn, for dinner and a few drinks, followed by what seemed a much longer and slower walk back.
All for now, Steve and Michelle.