To get there we had to travel via the motorway network to bypass Birmingham. Another nightmare on the UK roads! The speed limit on all motorways is 70mph but as we got closer to the big spaghetti junction of the M5/M6/M42 the traffic got heavier and slower. They have the 'smart motorway' concept (like what Wellington is currently installing) which monitors traffic congestion and lowers the speed limit accordingly using the overhead displays. It also opens the hard-shoulder if necessary as an extra inside lane.
Our speed decreased from 70 to 60 to 40 (at which time we were actually stationary). We then found ourselves in a sea of vehicles with huge coaches and articulated lorries all around. Everyone was very polite as we went along at a snail's pace but we eventually got through it. I hate to think what would happen if anyone broke down or had a nose-to-tail!
We finally got clear and headed down towards Stratford-Upon-Avon. We had never been there before so decided to stop for an hour to look around. Once again, finding a park was a bit of a problem due the sheer number of people (both tourists and locals). We did a very brief tour of some of the Shakespeare landmarks and had a quick half-pint in a pub. The photo below of Nash's House is next door to New Place, the last house Shakespeare lived in before his death. It was demolished in 1759. Only the garden and foundations remain and Nash's House is a museum. Unfortunately, this has been closed since November 2014 for essential repairs.
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| Nash's House |
Next stop was our accommodation in Upper Oddington. The sat nav took us on a merry journey of back country roads but we eventually got there. In this country it seems to sometimes chooses less-than-optimal routes. I guess the options available are just too many.
Upper Oddington is a very tiny Cotswold village but we still took a while to find our place. It turned out we were driving all around it but eventually got there. The small room was new and comfortable but no room to swing a cat. Right next door was the Horse&Groom pub. This was great and has won numerous Pub of the Year awards. We had a slap-up meal. I had pork meat balls and spaghettit (which sounds boring but was delicious) followed by breast of Guinea Fowl. Miriam had white-bait (their kind not ours) and a goat's cheese and spinach souffle. We finished with cheese and desert wine before collapsing into bed.
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| The Horse & Groom |