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| The Inglis Memorial, Colley Hill - originally a drinking fountain for horses |
This weekend I was desperately feeling the need for some fresh air. I started my new job on Monday and five long days of commuting into central London, combined with record high pollution levels, had me eager to blow away the cobwebs.
I never intended to work in London but this job was too good to refuse - I'm back working for the same Australian government organisation where I was employed for the four years prior to returning to the UK. It's a great team and I'm really excited to be there. Now I just have to get used to the travelling.
The views, even without the lush foliage of summer, are lovely and only spoilt by the ever-present din of cars racing along the nearby M25. Ugh. We can't imagine paying top dollar for a house in this gorgeous place and yet having to put up with the deafening roar of traffic.
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| Three sheep bottoms. Just because :-) |
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| Kevin consulting the map to decide our route |
Don't let the appearance of sunshine fool you - although technically it's spring it was a very cold day, only about 7ºC with an icy wind that made it feel much colder. We could see the frosty breath of the Belted Galloways as we passed them.
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| How gorgeous is that bright orange door? |
Our walk eventually led us along a walled bridle path past large country homes and smaller row houses squished right up against the hill, and down to the main road. By happy coincidence it also led us right to the door of The Yew Tree, a pub we had driven past many times en route to my chiropractor, and had admired.
We decided that must be providence, and so we happily entered the establishment in search of lunch.
Oh, what joy! Sound the trumpets! FIVE vegetarian options and only one of them contained the ubiquitous goat's cheese! I enjoyed the best pub meal I've ever had in this country - a Nut Roast Wellington that was absolutely delicious. The Yew Tree is definitely on the list for repeat visits.
On the way out we were invited by one of the locals to meet his beautiful, enormous Great Dane - she was about the size of a small pony. This is another thing we love about England - the fact that well-behaved dogs are welcome in certain areas of most pubs.
It was the perfect end to a wonderful lunch.
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| Absolutely THE best pub lunch I've ever had in the UK! |
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| Kevin sampling yet another cask ale |
Lunch and introductions to local canines over, we worked off some kilojoules by heading up the very steep path back to Reigate Hill Lookout and then it was a short drive into Reigate itself.
Last time we visited we didn't get to wander around the town, so today we made the most of the opportunity.
Gotta tell you folks, Reigate is a nice town. For me it's very reminiscent of Farnham in that it has some really beautiful buildings and a lot of high-end boutiques, gift stores, cafés and antiques stores. Like Farnham, it's been a market town since medieval times.
It was easy to while away an hour or so just in the high street, and we didn't even get to all the desirable stores - let alone exploring the wider areas of the town.
I always think you can judge a town by the quality of its charity stores - and believe me, there's some high quality second-hand clothing and bric-a-brac to be had in Reigate! On this occasion I came away with a very desirable crystal ice-bucket and tongs at the bargain price of £7.50. The last time I was in Reigate I snaffled a beautiful silk scarf for £1.50.
Scattered in amongst the gorgeous shops are some really nice looking pubs and a hip-looking cocktail bar or two.
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| Very tempted by this lovely piece of furniture... if only we had somewhere to put it! |
With Reigate only a half-hour drive from Epsom, we'll look forward to further exploring its attractions.
Until next time,
- Maree x
