Wanderings in Wiltshire and Somerset

Blazing autumn foliage at National Trust property Stourhead, in Wiltshire

Ciderrrrrr!!!!!!!

Right, good to get that out of the way.

A few weeks ago I took a couple of days off work so that Kevin and I could improve our acquaintance with the western half of the county of Wiltshire. We're hoping to buy a house sometime in the next year or two, with a view to retirement some years down the track, and we've had to cast our affordability net increasingly further away from Surrey and London. For some mad reason, despite the financial instability caused by Brexit combined with Covid, property prices have continued to boom in the past two years here in the UK. Go figure.

So we booked into a quiet little B&B just outside the market town of Devizes, which sits smack-bang in the centre of Wiltshire. The town itself is pleasant enough and we enjoyed a very nice meal out - our first visit to an Indian restaurant since before Covid hit. A couple of Wiltshire's famed hillside white horses are within easy reach and we dutifully visited them. The Westbury White Horse in particular is impressive. Surrounded by the remains of an Iron Age fort more than 2,000 years old, the Westbury White Horse is the oldest of Wiltshire’s eight white chalk horses - it was cut into the hillside in 1778.

Westbury White Horse in Wiltshire - cut into the hillside in 1778.
It was concreted over and painted in 1957 to preserve the shape and reduce the amount of maintenance required

The view from above Westbury White Horse in Wiltshire

View of Westbury White Horse from below the hillside

Over two days we drove around areas where we'd seen some attractive and possibly affordable properties online. Being less than an hour's drive from Bath (south), and just over an hour's drive from the Cotswolds (north), many of the buildings are constructed from the lovely, golden stone for which those areas are famous. 

We came across a number of cute villages where we'd happily pitch our tent, including Erlestoke which has a higher than average ratio of character properties, as the photos below demonstrate. (I rush to point out that our budget does not stretch to such beauties, but we'd be happy to be surrounded by dwellings of this type)

An example of that very appealing golden stone - cottage in Erlestoke, Wiltshire

Black-and-white charm in Erlestoke, Wiltshire

A crisp-looking cottage with smart blue trim in Erlestoke, Wiltshire

We think this was the former rectory to Holy Savour's Church in Erlestoke, Wiltshire

It was really by accident that I'd recently heard of Frome (pronounced 'froom'), just over the border in Somerset. Thank you, Hugh Grant! Back in April he was spotted in a Frome bakery and my interest was piqued - it must be a nice place if HG buys baked goods there, right? 

Oh. My. Giddy. Aunt.

Yes, folks - in Frome we realised we'd found a strong contender for our retirement location. 

Frome in Somerset has some lovely narrow, steep and historical streets

Frome is a small-ish market town, with a population of only 26,000 - in contrast with our own local market town of Farnham in Surrey which has about 40,000 inhabitants. The town was established in the 7th century and is mentioned in The Domesday Book. It lies on the eastern edge of the Mendip Hills.

In recent years Frome has become a bit of a haven for arty, quirky types with its narrow and cobbled streets dotted with independent shops, many of which are affiliated with charities and social and environmental causes. God forbid, it's been named in the Top 10 of one of those 'Britain's coolest towns' lists, which is surely a death knell for us as prospective property buyers, but we'll wait and see.

Cheap Street is charming and traffic-free, crammed with 16th and 17th century buildings and an historic 'leat' still flowing its length (a leat is a an open watercourse that flows to a mill).

Parts of Frome have been used as locations for a number of historical dramas including the TV series Poldark. 

After a distinct lack of vegan/vegetarian-friendly dining establishments in Devizes we were gratified to discover wide choice in Frome and we enjoyed a fantastic vegan sharing board in a two-storey, glass-fronted restaurant in the town's 'artisan quarter' of St Catherine's.

Best of all... Frome even has a little cinema - squeeeeeeeeee!!!!

The High Pavement - just one of the quaint eating establishments in Frome

Deadly is the Female - vintage fashion emporium in Frome

Our lunchtime view - from restaurant / wine bar / shop Eight Stony Street, in Frome

The vegan sharing board at Eight Stony Street was superb:
pumpernickel, muhammara, baked beetroot with dukkah, burnt leeks with lovage,
slow roasted celeriac with mushroom ketchup, and olives.... plus a cheeky side of skin-on fries

Characterful Cheap Street in Frome - the leat flowing down its centre 

Many of the shops in Frome were decorated for Halloween

So watch this space. We'll be keeping a close eye on the property market in Frome and its surrounding environs, and hoping a modest two-bedroom cottage or terrace is within our means.

Bramble & Wild florist in Frome

Now I ask you - any town with a dwelling named 'The Cat House' must be nice, don't you think?

🎵🎶 How much is that doggy in the window? 🎵🎶
Dog-friendly micropub Just Ales in Frome - right opposite the Bath Cats & Dogs Home charity shop :-) 

That's a serious front door to this house in Frome
(are they expecting an invasion?)

French General Trading is a combo antiques store / bar / moules eatery!

This jaunt around a small portion of the West Country was capped off by a return visit to National Trust property Stourhead, just under an hour's drive south-west of Devizes. It's 12 or 13 years since we were last there, but during that time Stourhead has remained in my memory as one of the most spectacularly beautiful historic properties I've ever visited. I am pleased to say that after returning a few weeks ago, it retains that accolade.

We had the good fortune to visit on a beautifully sunny day after a week of very grey and wet weather, and of course it was late October which = peak autumn. The gardens designed by Henry Hoare II are the ideal vehicle for the season, dazzling the beholder with reds, ambers and golds which are reflected in the lake. There are plenty of follies punctuating the gardens, most of which you can access.

The Pantheon at Stourhead

View from The Gothic Cottage, Stourhead

The Gothic Cottage, Stourhead

Harvest display at Stourhead

The towering Palladian portico of the house at National Trust property, Stourhead

Autumnal glory reflected in the lake at Stourhead in Wiltshire

The gatehouse at Stourhead

We'll definitely try not to leave it 13 years between visits to Stourhead in future and I imagine if we end up living in that neck of the woods, we will be regular visitors.

And in case you were wondering, that reference to 'cider' at the start of this post is, of course, an affectionate nod to the accent prevalent in England's West Country. Think Stephen Merchant, Vicki Pollard and pirates. Ooh arrrr.

We both love the West Country accent which is fortunate because, as my close friends are aware, I absolutely will not consider moving to a region that I consider has an ugly local accent. So there.

As usual, I'm including a couple of snaps reflecting the current season here in beautiful Surrey. We won't be able to afford to live here once we leave school accommodation - whenever that may be - but in the meantime we're making the most of every day.

A peek through the autumn leaves - just before sunset in Frensham

Sunrise from the field just outside our back garden

Until next time,

- Maree  xo