4 Comments CherryPie on Jul 5th 2023
6 Comments CherryPie on Jul 4th 2023
Originally built in 1783, The Norfolk Arms Hotel was later extended to include the neighbouring houses. The original building finished at the sitting room and when extended, it incorporated the stone, self-supporting staircase which is now a much-admired feature of the building. the main staircase used to be situated behind what is now the Tap Bar, and a splendid Billiards room once sat where the Club Room currently is.
The hotel has had an erratic history of occupancy by tenants over its lifetime. For the first 18 years of its existence it was more often closed than open. Throughout the Napoleonic wars (1812) the hotel was occuped by battling troups. *
*From hotel literatlure
6 Comments CherryPie on Jul 3rd 2023
Reputedly England’s smallest town, nestling in the shadows of the Chiltern Hills, Watlington offers a traditional market town welcome.
With origins dating back to the 6th century, the proximity of the Icknield Way, civil war connections, and mention in the Domesday Book, Watlington is certainly steeped in history. The fine 17th Century Town Hall is accompanied by many 16th century and Georgian buildings, as well as the venerable church of St Leonard’s. Watlington exhibits the specialist shops, pubs, small businesses, and great hospitality, which make it the very epitome of a small English Market town.
In 1664–65 Watlington Town Hall was built at the expense of Thomas Stonor. Its upper room was endowed by Stonor as a grammar school for boys, and in 1731 Dame Alice Tipping of Ewelme gave a further endowment to increase the number of pupils. In 1842 the town Vestry established a National School, which shared the same rooms in the town hall.
4 Comments CherryPie on Jul 2nd 2023
Description from the Rough Guide website:
Inspirational and informative pocket guide, shining a spotlight on the best of holidaying at home in the UK through clearly laid-out walking and driving itineraries.
Explore the best of Brighton, Sussex & the South Downs with this unique Rough Guide Staycation to Brighton, Sussex & the South Downs, packed full of insider information and stunning images. From making sure you don’t miss out on must-see attractions like Brighton Pier, Chichester’s Novium Museum and grandiose Petworth House to discovering hidden gems, including spotting Sussex wildlife at Arundel Wetland Centre, walking the rambling South Downs Way and mooching down Brighton’s The Lanes, the easy-to-follow, ready-made walking and driving routes will save you time, help you plan, and enhance your staycation in Brighton, Sussex & the South Downs.
Review:
The walking routes within Brighton and the car tours in the wider area inspired me to purchase the book to help us enjoy the best of what Brighton has on offer. Each tour gave us the information we needed to explore Brighton to the full; sharing information of interest that we would othewise have missed. We didn’t have enough time to explore the wider area more fully but the book has inspired us to go back and explore the area more including places we have visited before.
The bottom line is that this book helped us get the most out of our holiday in Brighton and Arundel so I would reccommend it to others who are interested in exploring the area.
The book includes a FREE eBook version for those who prefer guides in a digital format.
10 Comments CherryPie on Jun 27th 2023
Our last breakfast in the Grand, as was the first, was enjoyed in the quiet space of the Cyan restaurant rather than the main breakfast room.
It was then time for Mr C to pick up our car and bring it to the front of the hotel whilst I waited in the room for the concierge to assist with our luggage. When the concierge arrived, we had a chuckle about Mr C’s case that had too many wheels and stopped it from holding the door open. He soon fixed that by turning it on its side.
We chatted whilst he loaded the trolley with our luggage. He said that it was a lovely room which I agreed. I mentioned the conference that was taking place in the adjacent rooms during the first few days of our stay. The concierge said that the rooms on either side of the stairway known as Napoleon and Eugenie suites were part of the presidential suite and that the hotel might turn those rooms into bedrooms.
Bags loaded onto the trolley, I suggested I meet him downstairs and he said he would be with me in a couple of minutes. It was more than a couple of minutes before I saw both him and our luggage arrive from the lift area. He was preceded by one of his colleagues who came over to me to apologize for the delay. It was busy and there had been a queue for the lift. It wasn’t a problem for me and I said so.
Meanwhile, Mr C had retrieved our car and was parked outside the front of the hotel despite having experienced a problem with the car parking ticket.
Car loaded up and ready to go, we set off towards Petworth which potentially involved getting stuck in the Bury Triangle again. On this occasion the car park wasn’t full and we were able to park and visit the National Trust property which is essentially an art gallery. There was also a cute elephant artwork trail throughout the grounds. We saw a few on our walks to and from the house but it was too hot and we had limited time to venture further into the estate grounds.
We had hoped to have lunch in the nearby ‘Pop up Toast’ again but unfortunately it was ‘popped down’ and closed. We eventually found a suitable garden centre, part of the Quires chain. I ordered a coronation chicken sandwich and apple juice. The latter arrived in a half pint glass, only vaguely tasting of apple rather than the fresh carton/bottle of apple juice that I was expecting.
We continued on our journey homeward stopping to pick up ingredients for our evening meal; Lemony Pork Piccata. There were delays on the motorway near Birmingham due to a car fire which we observed to be well and truly burnt out when we arrived at the scene.
This delay along with encountering rain on entering the Midlands after days of glorious sunshine down south meant that our ‘Fine Dining’ was enjoyed inside rather than on the patio.
6 Comments CherryPie on Jun 25th 2023
