My time in London feels like it is disappearing much too quickly, like water down the drain without a plug, I am helpless to slow it down. Work is busy and demanding and just trying to keep up with everything some days (like today!) feels like a strain. My heart isn’t in it. So a little weekend country pick me up should act as a tonic. Bring on a country weekend discovering Stowe Gardens and Cambridge.
Ricky & Claire, now having moved into their own house, both seem much happier for the move. Ricky picks me up from the station on Friday night and although I’m running late from work and don’t get in until later than expected, he is waiting for me and Claire has cooked a roast so the house smells amazing as we arrive home. The delicious meal and cosy home are already working as the tonic that I need.
Stowe Gardens
Come Saturday morning and unfortunately Ricky has to work so I join Claire whilst she gives her morning horse riding lessons and take a stroll in the historic Stowe Gardens.
Remember that really straight road leading up to big arch that looks through to a mansion that was the Duke’s house? Our entrance is not so grand but perhaps more beautiful for arriving at the arresting view of the house across the water on (with!) horses. Still, I’m skipping ahead.
Before this, I have neither the experience nor the requisite dress required for helping around the stables, so unfortunately all I can do is watch the horses being prepared before we set off for the first round leading two children on their morning ride. The walk is an hour circuit skirting around the outside of these very picturesque gardens.
It is so romantic here. Although construction of the house started around 1677, the sprawling gardens are largely 18th Century, covering an area of 250 acres. The property has several lakes and fields as well as a number of notable structures, apart from Stowe House itself.
We enter from the direction of the Farm House and stables, located near the striking Corinthian Arch. The memorial arch, while impressive, was built in 1765 by the Lord Camelford, Thomas Pitt and acts more as a frame for the view than an approach to the house.
Having passed the arch on the way in to the stables, we head out along Bell Gate Drive and through the Bell Gate into the gardens proper. The walk takes us along Pegg’s Terrace and up to the Temple of Venus, before turning and following the path back to the stables to prepare the horses for the second round of riders.
At the beginning of the next walk I depart from the group to explore more of the gardens on foot, where horses are not allowed. There are all manner of temples, bridges, monuments and even a church scattered around the grounds and it is a pleasant walk although the icy February weather eventually drives me back to the shelter of the stables.
Luckily the rain has mostly held off and I’m not particularly wet, despite being frozen through. Claire and I are welcomed inside the cosy farmhouse by the owners of the stables for lunch. After another round of horses in the afternoon Ricky picks me up and we manage a spot of other sightseeing, however the weather has turned nasty and we head home for another cosy evening in the warm.
Cambridge
Thankfully Sunday the weather seems a little more promising and we head off for Cambridge around 9:30am. I’m excited to visit this historic city as well as the prestigious University of Cambridge that was established here in 1209 along the River Cam. The history is staggering. The university is made up of 31 constituent colleges including King’s College, Trinity College and St John’s College.
King’s College is most known for the soaring structure of its Gothic Chapel one of the greatest examples of late Gothic architecture. Despite the statistics – world’s largest fan vault (ceiling), some of the finest examples of stained glass windows and carved wooden chancel screen and one of the most renowned and accomplished of the world’s choirs – it is simply (or perhaps not so simply) a staggeringly beautiful building.
Trinity College was founded in 1546 by Henry VIII. Its members boast a total of 34 Nobel Prize winners out of 116 won by members of the University1.
St John’s College is known for its crenelated Great Gate (16h Century) adorned with the arms of the foundress Lady Margaret Beaufort. It also has the pretty and rather romantic looking and sounding Bridge of Sighs. The college is a charitable corporation established by a charter dated 9 April 1511 with the aims, as specified by its statutes, of the promotion of education, religion, learning and research. Being a lawyer, this fact seems mind blowing that the charter is still recognised and in force nearly 500 years later.
After exploring the colleges we take a walk down the High Street and enjoy the pretty markets. We have lunch in a little cafe and look into some more buildings and churches, wandering and enjoying the atmosphere. The town is a bit smaller than Oxford but just as beautiful, perhaps even more so. The cobbled streets, parks and landscaped gardens with the river running through are just what you expect a perfect English town, especially one of this historic significance, to deliver.
Around 4pm we need to get going and Ricky and Claire drop me at the train station to make my way back to London for another week. I will spend the week working again and need to attend to some weekend chores that were left behind in favour of the weekend escape. Wednesday night there are work drinks planned to meet the tax team from RBS. Thursday we farewell one of our flatmates, Alessandro, who is moving to Glasgow for a new job and back in with his partner which he is obviously excited about.
As for me, I’m excited about next weekend and perhaps another escape to the countryside.
Good To Know
Cambridge is easily accessible by train from London for a day trip or weekend escape. There is plenty to do here in addition to the university sights there are ample museums, churches and history to take in.
Stowe House and Gardens is less accessible and really a car is required to reach there as it is 9 miles from Bicester and 14 miles from Milton Keynes Central (all stations have taxi ranks). Buses run into Buckingham town which is 1.5 miles from Stowe. See the National Trust website for opening hours and further information.
Would I Return?
Yes. Hopefully I’ll make it into the house at Stowe next time. And an extra day in Cambridge wouldn’t go astray either.
