We like to spend the Easter weekend in a location where we can join the Sunday Easter service in one of the English Cathedrals. This year we chose Winchester, a place where we have previously enjoyed several mini breaks.

We broke our long, tedious journey for lunch at Gilks Garage café in Kineton.  The Café is themed to its former use in the motor trade. The menu is extensive and I was spoilt for choice, eventually settling on a vegetarian (vegetable) sausage bap. The sausages were served on a lightly toasted bun. Another hidden gem revealed to me by the Extra Mile book.

Suitably refreshed we continued our journey to Winchester stopping briefly at a service station for a leg stretch. When we arrived in Winchester we booked into our hotel, The Winchester Wessex. It is no longer a Mercure hotel and has been rebranded as Winchester Wessex Hotel by Sunday.

First impressions were favourable; we were greeted by a lovely young man who booked us into our room. The room itself, one that looks over the Cathedral Green with a view of the Cathedral, had been spruced up and looked cleaner and fresher than it did on our previous visit several years ago.

We dumped our bags in the room and headed into town where we checked out the board game shop. We were overwhelmed by the number of board games on offer. One game had been on my radar for a while but I chose to leave it on the shelf (for now). We had a mooch around Waterstones and Robert Dyas before returning to the hotel to unpack and enjoy a refreshing cup of tea.

When it was time to dine, we walked to the nearby Fish and Chip Shop, Shoal, for a freshly cooked chippy dinner. I chose haddock accompanied by a glass of rose wine. The food was delicious.

The night was still young so we retired to the nearby Crown and Anchor which had Timothy Taylor Landlord Ale on tap. That made Mr C content and, of course I chose a lovely glass of rose wine. The atmosphere was comfy and initially quiet until a group of very loud ladies settled on the table next to us. This caused one gentleman drinking quietly on his own to beat a hasty retreat (after finishing his beer) to move to another nearby pub.

For breakfast I once again chose a few items from the Full English option. On this occasion my plan for a smaller breakfast didn’t work, the chef added extras of the items I had chosen so that my plate was full!

After breakfast we checked out of the hotel  and drove to Bury St Edmunds in order to visit St Edmundsbury Cathedral. It was one to add to my Cathedral passport which details my pilgrimage to British  Cathedrals since the passport was launched in 2020. Starting the pilgrimage  off was a bit of challenge, shortly after the pilgrimage passport was launched England and other parts of Britain were put into lockdown due to the Covid 19 epidemic.

At the Cathedral, a lady from the tourist information area pointed out some highlights and suggested we also visit the nearby St Mary’s church where Henry VIII’s sister, Mary Tudor is buried next to the high altar. She also told me to look at the spectacular Angel vaulted ceiling.

We enjoyed our tour of the Cathedral where we learned that the tower and crossing were quite modern and completed in the 1950s. We had enough time to visit St Mary’s where we were greeted by one of the guides who shared detailed history of the building including the location of Mary Tudor’s (Queen of France & Duchess of Suffolk) tomb. Mary Tudor was married to Louis XII of France until his death after which she married the Duke of Suffolk.

Besides the two beautiful church spaces the town of Bury St Edmunds is delightful. We didn’t have time to explore the town but we had just enough time to visit the Abbey gardens before continuing our journey to Windsor.

We broke our journey for lunch in The Old Butchers at Balsham a place recommended on the Extra Mile website. On arrival we found the menu was not as extensive as the website suggested but the food (in my case a cherry flap jack with yoghurt topping) was both excellent and delicious. The weather was warm and sunny allowing us to sit outside.

The remainder of the journey to Windsor was tedious; lots of motorway and duel carriageway driving. On arrival at the hotel we checked in and found that we had been booked into the same room we had stayed in on our previous visit. Initially we were a little dismayed, we had been hoping to stay in the annex near to the car park and station. We also remembered the bed being a little on the small side, which it is not.

Later I realised the problem was the mattresses were tired which meant I kept rolling into the middle (small bed space). The mattresses have been replaced and are now super cosy.

We chilled out in the hotel room, cooling off from the muggy heat before enjoying our free pre-dinner drink in the hotel bar. Then we walked the short distance across the bridge into Eton where we dined in the Cote Brasserie. Before returning to our hotel for the evening we had a nightcap in the George Inn.

For our final morning in St Albans, sampled the hotel breakfast. I was tempted by the idea of a continental breakfast. Apart from meat and cheese, everything was there but the bread, pastries and fruits were more English in style. Turning back to the main menu I chose a pancake stack which was beautifully presented. And delicious.

There were limited options for places to visit on our journey home. Some we decided not to do because we had been there recently and others were fully booked. We settled on a National Trust property, Canons Ashby House. We arrived at the property to light drizzle which was supposed to clear up by noon.

As we arrived in Canons Ashby the place looked very familiar even though I knew we had never visited the property…

As soon as we arrived at the National Trust property, we had a lovely cup of tea in the café where, upon presentation of my Volunteer Discount card, we were asked where we came from. The lady serving us had not heard of Shropshire.

Next, we visited the house which Mr C found especially interesting due to the heraldry that was displayed, he was able to share some of his knowledge with a couple of the room guides. Somehow, we managed to miss some rooms on our circuit of the house and had to detour back to see them before crossing the short distance to Canons Ashby church of St Mary which is all that remains of the Augustinian Priory founded in 1150.

The weather had not been listening to the weather forecast and was raining heavier rather than lighter. We visited the garden but didn’t explore it to its full as we would have done without the downpour.

We were hoping to have lunch in the café but it was full. We returned to the shop which we had browsed before entering the house where I purchased the guidebook and the National Trust Book of Pies. The man who served me knew of Attingham Park and had visited many times when he lived on the Cheshire border. It was refreshing to talk to someone who knew where Shropshire is.

As we drove through the village after leaving the property we realised why the place looked familiar. We had been to a family wedding in the church, Morton Pinkney just around corner and the groom’s family home was almost opposite that church.

As we drove out of the village I consulted ‘The Extra Mile’ book for lunch options. We arrived at our chosen place, Revills Farm Shop, for a late lunch. I had a small tuna maya sandwich followed by a picnic slice. The picnic slice consisted of cherries and coconut with a chocolate base. It reminded me of one of my childhood treats although the ingredient ratio was different.

Whilst there we purchased a chicken for fine dining at home, along with some other essential items. As we made our grocery purchase the proprietor asked Mr C how Battlefield Farm Shop was fairing. Mr C had randomly picked up a bag, a Battlefield Farm Shop bag, from the boot of his car. The proprietor had visited the Battlefield shop for ideas before he extended his own Revills Farm Shop.

Then we headed homeward for a delicious chicken dinner and later indulged ourselves by watching the latest Dr Who episode.

When Mr C got out of bed, he noticed a missed phone call (on our land line) from mum’s mobile timed at 5am. I decided not to worry about it, if there was a problem the care home would have called us.

Although the traffic was running smoothly, the motorway journey was tedious. We stopped for lunch in The Tuning Fork near Rugby. I found it in the Extra Mile book as we were travelling. The service was excellent and the food was delicious.

Suitably refreshed, we continued our journey stopping at Knebworth House which both of us found interesting. The estate has a rich history including Indian connections and it is often used as a film location but it is most famous of all for the Knebworth Music Festival. Inside the house Mr C educated a couple of room guides regarding some of the heraldry that was displayed.

We had just enough time to have a quick tour of the gardens but sadly the Dino Trail will have to wait for another day as will the church.

We drove the short distance to St Alban’s and booked into our hotel, Samuel Ryder, a Tapestry at the Hilton Hotel. We unpacked and chilled out in the hotel before stepping next door for a pre-dinner drink in The White Hart Hotel. The service in the bar wasn’t quite up to scratch, it took three attempts before the correct wine was selected, and when Mr C’s beer arrived, it was cloudy and sour to taste, needing to be replaced.

We dined in Dylan’s at the Kings Head Hotel. I had hoped to dine here on my birthday last year but the restaurant was fully booked. It was well worth the wait; the food quality was superb.

I enjoyed the atmosphere but it was a bit too loud for Mr C’s mood so we returned to the hotel for a nightcap which we took to our room to chill out before retiring for a good nights sleep.

We had a leisurely start to the day, choosing lunch in one of the cafés listed in the ‘Extra Mile’ book that seeks out foody delights as alternatives to motorway services.

We settled on Ellenden Farm Shop Café near Harvington. When we arrived, I realised that we had been there before on a day trip to Evesham. I chose a humble toasted teacake with marmalade, it was delicious.

Before checking into our hotel, we visited Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. It is quaint with interesting history and due to the weather very cold inside.

After our visit we were able to book into our Stratford hotel, The Indigo. We were warmly welcomed and shown to our room in the Georgian part of the hotel. The room was delightful with plenty of lighting options.

Rather than unpack our bags we decided to head into town, visiting a second-hand bookshop and Waterstones. In Waterstones I saw a book on Malta cuisine. I had been tempted to buy it when I first saw it after our holiday in Malta just over a year ago. I resisted buying the book at the time just in case I was having rose tinted spectacles after our recent visit. I realised I still loved the recipes in the book but unfortunately the book was damaged so once again I chose to leave it on the shelf.

Back in the hotel I had a glass of wine in the hotel bar before returning to our room for a cup of tea and a lovely relaxing shower.

We dined in Loxley’s, a pre valentines day dinner due to our Valentine’s Day ‘date night’ being in the theatre to see Hamlet. I chose chicken with pureed carrot, potato dauphinoise and fricassee of mushrooms. It was beautifully presented but unfortunately, I forgot to take a quick photo!

We had a nightcap in the hotel bar, the Woodsman where we sat in our favourite seats as we had done earlier in the afternoon.

We left neither early nor late but precisely when we meant to. The journey, although tedious, was smooth without any hitches. Along the way we took a detour to have lunch in an ‘Extra Mile’ recommended eatery. The café was located in a small Rural Shopping Yard in the quaint village of Castle Ashby. Somehow, we managed to miss part of the menu options until after we ordered! The food when it arrived was delicious and, after we were comfortably replete, we had a mooch round the deli and eclectic shops that were also in the farm yard.

On the way to the café to save time we had used Mr C’s ‘magical mystery tour’ in-car SatNav (the TomTom was set to our hotel destination). The route took us along main roads and complicated junctions before eventually arriving in the countryside. Our outward journey using TomTom navigation took us along pleasant country lanes before arriving back at the motorway for the final leg of our journey.

When we arrived in St Albans, we parked our car and headed to our hotel, The Premier Inn, to check in and enjoy a refreshing cup of tea in our room. Mr C then walked into town to explore and get his bearings. I stayed behind, choosing to chill out with a colouring book and coloured pencils.

We dined in Bar Meze which is just across the road from the Premier Inn. It is a small family run restaurant and we were warmly welcomed by the owner when we arrived. The food has Greek, Ottoman and Arabic influences. We chose a selection of dishes to share, all of which were delicious.

Before returning to the hotel for the evening we had a nightcap in the nearby Cock Inn which, unusually for a Sunday, was lively and full of atmosphere.

Fish goujons on ciabbata for lunch at Essington Farm Shop followed later in the day by ‘Fine Dining’ (steak au poivre) at chez nous.

I removed the top layer of ciabatta. It only needed one layer of bread for perfect indulgence.

There was a particular shop (Magpie) that Mr C wanted to visit in Evesham so on Saturday we took a trip there stopping for lunch at Ellenden Farm shop cafe. Local produce is used throughout the menu and I decided to have a hot cross bun which arrived warm and toasty.

When we arrived in Evesham Mr C was a man on a mission whilst I was in photography mode. Eventually I caught up with him at ‘Magpie’ where we (especially Mr C) spent some time perusing what was on offer.

Next, we visited Abbey Gardens where All Saint’s church, St Lawrence church and the Abbey Bell Tower are situated. St Lawrence church is only open in the morning but we were able to visit the delightful Parish church. After I left the church, I lingered to take some photos in the church precinct and then walked through the bell tower arch to explore the scant remains of the former Abbey.

Mr C had been heading in the opposite direction but caught up with me as I was about to return through the archway. At the same time a man stopped to talk to me, pointing out a Peregrine falcon on top of the tower. He called to her so she turned to face us for a photoshoot, although my photo doesn’t do her justice. She then gracefully flew off round the tower giving us a fine display of her wings.

My new found friend also shared the less welcome news that some of the male falcons were being shot at and killed by ‘perhaps’ catapults…

We didn’t have enough time left to visit the Almonry Museum, the building itself also being part of the original Abbey complex. However, we had just enough time to stop for afternoon tea in the Old School Café where dogs are welcome and children merely tolerated. The shared chocolate chip flapjack was delicious.

Evesham we will be back!

We had intended to set off around 10am but had run a little behind schedule. As we were just about ready to leave, the phone rang which contributed to us leaving nearly an hour later than we had intended.

We consulted ‘The Extra Mile’ book to find a suitable place for lunch and settled on Ferns Bistro which is located in the Malthouse Emporium near to Tewkesbury. We initially struggled to locate the place because we were looking for a refurbished malthouse instead of the modern day pre-fab factory building that it turned out to be.

After lunch we had a mooch around the Emporium which has an eclectic mix of new and pre-loved items for sale. We left the building empty handed and headed into Gloucester to visit the Cathedral.

Neither of us remembered the nave of the church from our previous two visits. It was only when passed through the transept that the building became familiar with its side chapels and glorious stained-glass windows.

I did, however, remember the Labyrinth from my first visit to the Cathedral and it was lovely to see it installed once again albeit for a few weeks only. I would have loved to walk it but sadly there was not enough time to do it justice.

Outside of the main Cathedral building are the cloisters. These are stunning and well worth a visit in their own right. They featured in some of the Harry Potter films and, as we walked round, we noticed a youngster in a Gryffindor cloak having his photograph taken at various locations that featured in the films. My favourite part of the cloisters is the Lavatorium, the communal washing area for the Monks in mediaeval times.

We also navigated some spiral stairs to visit the Tribune Gallery exhibition and get a closer look at some of the higher-level Cathedral features, including the Great East Window. It is on this level that you can experience the ‘Whispering Gallery’ and test out the acoustics in the narrow, almost hidden passageway.

Before leaving the Cathedral, we stopped for refreshments in the Monk’s Kitchen where I was tempted to a maple and pecan slice. The atmosphere in the Cathedral was hot and humid and this was intensified in the small café room.

As we made our way back to the car park, we noticed that Gloucester has become rather run down and that many shops are empty. When we booked in at our hotel, Hatton Court the receptionist commented on the state of Gloucester and suggested that the Cathedral and the Docks were the best parts of the city and that Cheltenham was a better place to visit.

We left our luggage in our room and headed for the hotel terrace for a refreshing drink looking over the Gloucestershire countryside, which was partially obscured by wedding/event tents erected in the hotel’s garden area.

Later we dined in the hotel restaurant where we opted for a sharing dish; pan fried venison steak served on poppadoms accompanied by rice, curry sauce and other small accompanying dishes. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of the plate of food art. Later we chilled out in the bar area before retiring for the evening.