Rabindranath Tagore

Drew Barrymore

Breakfast was just as quirky as on previous days, never knowing when the toast would arrive. Today after a reminder the toast arrived late and cold. Too late to accompany my breakfast!

As we stepped out of the hotel, we found that the weather was wonderfully sunny with a bright blue sky and fluffy clouds. It was a little bit chilly out of the sunshine but lovely and warm otherwise. Our first port of call was Jedburgh Abbey, the size of which is impressive.

Shortly after we arrived a Scottish Heritage volunteer came over to us and gave us a guided tour of the abbey. The tour was very informative and after we explored the abbey further. I purchased a CD from the shop (the music was playing in the abbey’s museum) and was told that this music plays in the crypt of Dryburgh Abbey. We chose not to have an early lunch in Jedburgh thinking we might eat later at the Chain Bridge Honey Farm.

First we visited Dryburgh Abbey which is a beautiful ruin in a tranquil landscape setting with the graves of Sir Walter Scott and Earl Haig in its grounds. As we were viewing the crypt and listening to the music another Scottish Heritage volunteer came to impart some information about the abbey.

Next we made our way to the Chain Bridge Honey Farm for lunch on its Bus Cafe. I decided to have Honey Cake which was the obvious choice. The cake was delicious and because the weather was so nice we decided to sit outside rather than on the double decker.

We had arrived at the farm from Scotland via the Union Chain Bridge and had parked at the side of the road as we had always done in the past. It looked rather quiet with only one other car parked but when we got inside the Farm was buzzing with people. It was then that I noticed a car park that had not been there on our last visit.

There was also the new addition of a Bee Keepers garden. The garden was a delight, filled with plants to attract bees and butterflies. As we walked around the garden we noticed the entrance to the car park which we would have seen if we had arrived from the other direction of England rather than Scotland.

Before leaving we visited the shop so that I could buy some honey lip balm. As we were choosing our purchases a young lady brought a piece of cake to the lady who was serving and as she gave her the cake mentioned that there had been an article in a Scottish newspaper about their lip balm. Mr C told them both that I had been using their lip balm for years which they found pleasing.

We got chatting about Telford and Thomas Telford, who hailed from Scotland. The conversation got onto the Coach House where we have previously stayed and we learned that the owner was an opera singer and used to burst into song whilst serving the guests. That was news to us but, having met her once many years ago before she moved abroad leaving the Coach House to be managed by others, it didn’t surprise us.

We had some time to spare so we returned to Flodden Battlefield and the lanes nearby to see if we could locate the Cherry Pie Tree. This time we were successful. The tree hasn’t changed very much in all those years since I photographed it last time. Mission duly accomplished, we took the short walk up to the Flodden Memorial before returning to the hotel to freshen up before enjoying a Sunday Roast in the nearby Bluebell pub.

In the morning we visited Alnwick Castle which was labelled a ‘must do’ on Mr C’s list.  We both enjoyed revisiting the castle and were rather relieved that we were English Heritage members, which allowed us discounted entry to the castle which normally costs £14.50.  After I bought up yet another book from the gift shop, we lunched in the cafe before driving along the spectacular coastal route towards Bamburgh Castle.

We stopped in Bamburgh so that we could visit St. Aidan’s Church, a place I had never even noticed let alone visited before.  In the graveyard there is shrine over the grave of Grace Darling who was famed for rescuing survivors of a shipwreck in 1838.  Opposite the church is a museum dedicated to Grace Darling, which we have penciled in for a visit next time we are in the area. The church itself was very interesting and well worth a visit. I was quite fascinated by the shadows cast by the Angels that top a recently installed commemoration to St. Aidan.

After which we made our way back towards Crookham so that we could experience the ‘Flodden Drive’ as described in ‘The Battle of Flodden Why & How’ by Clive Hallum-Barker.  Along the way we called in at the Chain Bridge honey farm for a cup of tea in their tea shop which is a converted red double decker bus.  I eyed up the cakes but resisted temptation.  The tour around the battle field was very interesting and gave us more insight into the battle and the Scots’ difficulties due to the contours of the land.  We then returned to the Coach House where I packed my bags before our last dinner of this trip.

When we retired to the guest lounge for after-dinner coffee, Leona commented that she wouldn’t pop over later (to lock up); she needed an early night.  But to our surprise as the last of the other guests were leaving the residents’ lounge, both she and Toby turned up for a quick drink with us on our last night. Suddenly it was 1.45am!!!

Preparing breakfasts and long journeys back home sprung immediately to our minds…

Needless to say I went straight to bed after I entered my room