Day 2: Stanton to Winchcombe

The English weather is providing us with almost perfect walking conditions; I don't think we can complain about it being too warm for walking, after all this is England so we'll just say thanks for the breeze. We all enjoyed our stay at Shenberrow Hill very much, Angela's eye for detail was much appreciated. So it was with thankful hearts that we left her lovely home. Some cottages can't be walked by without a photo.

We called into the church of St Michael's & All Angels, a 12th century Church which was an interesting place to explore. There was a most beautiful and touching tribute written on a plaque mounted on the wall. It was erected by the afflicted parents of Frances Wynniatt who died aged 19 years. I thought you might enjoy reading it, as we did.

Cut off in the morning of life her many amiable virtues had endeared her to all who knew her. Sensible & prudent in all her actions she lived unspotted from the world and untainted with any of its virtues. The qualities of her heart and understanding were alike, happy and full of promise. The latter she had improved by diligent cultivation, and the first she exercised by yielding implicitly, whenever an occasion presented itself, to the benevolent sympathies of her nature. Her manners were most engaging & bespoke a sweetnets of disposition ever studious to contribute to the happinefs of those around her. The natural sensibility of her heart was still further refined and exalted by a genuine sense of religion and unfeigned piety, wholly unaffected and unostentatious but visible in its constant influence upon the tenor of her thoughts and actions. Upheld by the animating prospect of a future and better state of existence, she supported the lingering illnefs, which brought her to a premature grave with exemplary patience and cheerful resignation.

Her afflicted parents had erected this marble, unwilling that so much unafsuming merit should descend to the grave unnoticed and pafs away unrecorded. March 12th 1808

As we were walking out of the village we spotted a couple of houses with thatched rooves, on the top of one was a fox and the other had a duck and two ducklings on one end and an owl on the other.

Only in England! On this clear day the scenes as we walked along were gorgeous. Today I was taken by the trees; whether they stood, bare and skeletor or hugely spreading and red or green, their beauty was enhanced by the greenness of this countryside. This truly is a beautiful country.

Along the pathway sat a water mill with a huge wheel powering away and beside it was a little shed where a group of craftspeople work. The lady was very informative about the nearby estate. Loving the locals and how easily they engage with us.

We passed by Stanway House and the large estate it sits in before passing through Stanway and Wood Stanway (a blink and you miss it hamlet) where we began a long steep climb. But what a view once we reached the wonderfully well placed bench at the top. Lunch at Hayles Fruit Farm was very pleasant before we set off to complete our day's walk in Winchcombe, staying at the White Hart Inn. 14.45 km today, not a bad day's walk.