The Magic of England (Part 4): Walking in the footsteps of historical giants

The South of England is heart-achingly beautiful and idyllic, yet steeped in romantic history and dangerous battles. We spent a full day exploring Leeds Castle, the cliffs of Dover and the ancient city of Canterbury – and emerged with heads full of generous duchesses, resilient soldiers and bishops of yore.

Leeds Castle

Touted as the most beautiful castle in England, the beauty of Leeds Castle was mainly due to the halcyon moat surrounding it, and its breathtaking lake and grounds – complete with myriad variety of flowers, trees and forest animals, as well as a pretty labyrinth! There were also mysterious underground dungeons that the Bees were creeped out by, as well as cool, dark wine cellars, and knights in shining armour everywhere!

What I really remembered fondly of Leeds Castle was not its lavish interiors befitting a queen, but our languid strolls outside the blooms-infested castle grounds. It was invigorating to amble at leisure in the cool summer breeze, amidst the stunning array of gorgeous summer blooms in their gardens, admiring the very tame and relaxed ducks and birds ubiquitous on the castle grounds, enjoying the relative solitude and silence in different corners of the castle. The skies were clear brilliant blue, with only miniscule wisps of white, snowy Cirrus clouds tainting it – a perfect day for a walk on the grounds of an old castle!

Canterbury

I love the happy bustle in this ancient city of 2,000 years. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. We were awed by all the quaint, rickety buildings, sometimes in odd shapes and sizes! I find ancient architecture so much quirkier than modern buildings with standardised skyscrapers. We were privileged to have lunch in an old pub, complete with thick-panelled ceilings and walls, medieval-looking chairs, as well as the good old English fish and chips! 

As we trundled around the busy town, we even spotted an inn in which Charles Dickens stayed in! We ventured into the 1,400-year-old Canterbury Cathedral and were delved immediately into deep peace and tranquillity. A service was ongoing, and the hushed ambience of the antiquated cathedral was captivating. The beauty of the architecture was inexplicably exquisite – towering arched and domed ceilings, sanctified stain glasses with murals of saints and Jesus, and intricately carved majestic doorways. 

The resplendent Canterbury Cathedral, one of the oldest and most prominent churches in England

With the girls being fanatic bibliophiles, a visit to the bookshop was inevitable, and we were struck by the huge variety of books there. As we strolled around town, we were struck with the ubiquity of quaint specialty shops and pretty window displays – beautifully rolled-up fabrics in a sewing shop, splashes of colours from fresh fruits in a fruit shop, old books peeping out from a rickety old house. We giggled at cute street names (like Duck Lane!), and marvelled at creative doorways of timid houses nestled in hidden alleys. 

The Cliffs Of Dover

For World War 2 history buffs like my hubby, arriving at Dover with its incessant reminders of battle strategies and turbulent days of yore brought shots of excitement into the usually blasé him. 

The white cliffs of Dover

Dover is a sleepy town, characterised mainly by its history and towering, pure-white cliffs. Gazing across the English Channel towards the European continent, we could understand how England was fearful for its security and safety in times of war. We stared hard into bunks hidden in the white cliffs where Winston Churchill reportedly hid inside to analyse his battle strategies. We caught glimpses of the majestic yet fragile Dover Castle where it served as the guardian of the UK for over nine centuries.

We laughed aplenty on the magnificently pebbled beach of Dover – picking huge palm-sized pebbles polished to smooth, sparkling treasures by the tempestuous waves in the Straits of England. Little Bee had the greatest fun, lying on the pebbled beach, spreading herself out into a “pebble angel”. Our hair was tousled and messy, made wild by the capricious wind that rose and fell intermittently. The tranquillity and rustic quietness of Dover town was truly alluring and captivating.

Greenwich and River Thames

We did the typical London tourist activity by taking a cruise along the River Thames, from Greenwich Pier to the city centre of London. I am never a fan of cruises along major rivers, likening them to tourist traps on dirty brown waters. However, a cruise on the Thames allowed us peeks into the lives of the British, some of whom used the boat as a form of transport from work to home along the river. 

Big Bee was ecstatic over the Blackfriar’s Bridge because it was featured prominently in one of her favourite young adult series (“The Clockwork Prince” series). We saw major landmarks briefly on this cruise – Tower of London, the London Bridge, the Shard – and it was rather relaxing just sitting back and enjoying the views and the plethora of accents around us.

It was such a rejuvenating day, being away from the crowds of London, immersed in glorious sunlight and invigorating breezes. I could imagine travelling around the South of England for a protracted period of time, exploring its little villages and old, ancient towns! 

The Magic Of England (Part 3): 1000-Year-Old…

...and that is the approximate age of the oldest university in the English speaking world – Oxford University. We ventured by train into the city of Oxford one beautiful day with clear, azure skies and white, cotton-puff clouds. We were struck by the antiquity of myriad buildings in Oxford, the intellectual and academic ambience of the town (so many university buildings around the train station!), and the fluidity in which Oxford University is integrated into the whole city. 

Bodleian Library

A thousand-year-old building in Oxford

We were also slightly flustered by the crowds of tourists milling around town. I hope Oxford students are still able to gain a little privacy and tranquillity behind those high walls of the many gorgeous residential colleges!

We were most impressed by the sprawling meadows near Christ Church College. With the girls being such huge Harry Potter fans, it was just natural for them to imagine the signature, honey-coloured stone spires and gothic, arched windows of Christ Church College hailing straight from Hogwarts! 

As we were strolling along the meandering paths of the various residential colleges in Oxford, we kept hearing Singaporean accents! Turned out that a group of Singaporean students had gathered for a Singaporean food festival in one of the meadows. Just like Singaporeans to celebrate our local culinary delights anywhere in the world!

It was really easy to amble lazily all around Oxford, visiting courtyards of old colleges where well-known alumni like Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll, Margaret Thatcher, Rupert Murdoch and more, once roamed the same courtyards and dusty libraries. We loved the indelible and dense atmosphere of knowledge, curiosity and intellect all around us. We were struck by the consistent beauty of all the residential colleges, although it disturbed me a little when we could secretly sneak into one of the courtyards of a residential college, where only students should wander. 

We sneaked into a cathedral, and it was so peaceful and tranquil after madly mingling with tourists outside

I started to dream about the what-ifs of an overseas education, something that was financially out of my family’s reach back then. And wondered if my children should indulge in an overseas education, for the sheer freedom and opportunity to live an independent life away from home - although I will always be a huge advocate of our local universities. 

At the end of a wonderful day of getting lost in narrow, cobblestoned alleys and wide boulevards framed by stoic, gothic buildings, we accidentally slipped into one of Jamie Oliver’s restaurants, and had the most delicious pasta dinner ever! The train ride back was a continuation of knowledge seeking, with all of us respectively reading our books on the 1-hour train ride. Reading on trains is so therapeutic and restful! 

The Magic Of England (Part 2): The Cotswolds

If you are nestled in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by lush countryside, senescent minuscule towns, antiquated thatched cottages and medieval parish churches, you might just think that you are living in a fairy tale. 

A true-blue, real living tiny village filled completely with thatched-roof cottages nestled deep in the Cotswolds!

You may wander along the meandering country lanes, or down quaint cobblestoned paths in honey-coloured towns, wondering if time had stood still. You may be cramped in a small thatched cottage with low ceilings and diminutive rooms, suspicious that you had inadvertently entered a dwarf's home, right out of the pages of a Snow White story.

And that was exactly how we felt every second of the 4 days that we spent deep in the Cotswolds. We stayed in a beautiful cottage in a tiny town called Moreton-in-Marsh, whose shops are all closed by 4.30pm! A sleepy, quiet but exceedingly tranquil town, draped in a delicious golden shade of the famous Cotswold stone.

Our little cottage in Moreton-in-Marsh

Time slowed to a grinding halt in Moreton-in-Marsh, where we sat around in our cottage playing card games all evening, where we spent quiet afternoons reading, where we spent many hours in the kitchen cooking and dining together.

It is a charming 2-level cottage with 2 bedrooms upstairs, and the living and kitchen areas downstairs

Such quaint finishing inside!

Moreton-in-Marsh is a lovely old town situated right in the middle of the Cotswolds, a magnificent pastoral area of outstanding beauty and historic significance. One of the most memorable experiences in the Cotswolds was the privilege of meeting 2 of the friendliest natives who brought us on a tour off the beaten paths in the countryside.

Imagine a good friend bringing you around her village, showing you all the nooks and crannies of the region. Imagine her bringing you home to her warm, cosy cottage - numerous times - where you sat around the fireplace, chatting with a group of equally contented friends, sipping on tea and gorging on some of the best English food we had ever tasted. Imagine leaving her company at the end of the day, totally contented and reluctant to part with the beauties of the Cotswolds. 

The "secret cottage" of Becky and Robin. The interior of their home is so cosy and magical, complete with a warm fireplace, low ceilings and amazing nooks and crannies!

And that was exactly how we spent the day with Becky and Robin, a husband-and-wife team who founded The Secret Cottage tours. Despite the drizzle on our day out, the beauty of the Cotswolds - with all the secret thatched cottages, tiny villages and beautiful rolling meadows - was showcased to perfection by Becky, who has an amazing knowledge of the most beautiful places to show us!

One of the houses in the villages around Cotswolds - doesn't this look like Snow White's house?

It is hard to believe that real families really live inside such resplendently beautiful houses!

Magnificent English countryside filled with animals just roaming around - curious horses, stubborn bulls who refused to give way to traffic, hippy sheep (see below!) and even hedgehogs!

Robin, her husband, was so hospitable and prepared multiple feasts for us back in their home. We would drive and walk around different villages in the Cotswolds, before returning to their home numerous times for morning tea, lunch and tea! This is, by far, one of the most intimate and cosy tours I had been on! The hosts were warm, friendly and put all of us at ease. The company of the other 8 guests was excellent, and we all chatted around the fireplace like good friends. 

Lunch - what a spread!

The Bees were thrilled by the underground wine cellar of Becky and Robin because there was a magic trapdoor which led them downstairs!

We were brought to quaint villages, majestically old country manors and archaic, serene parish churches in Becky's comfortable SUV. We went on charming country walks in the gentle drizzle and mist, feeling almost like we were characters in a Jane Austen novel!

Smelling and picking flowers along quiet, bucolic country paths

A pretty pub with beer mugs hanging all over their low ceiling!

Chastleton House - which has been around since 1612!

Oooh, I want to live in this house! So charming!

An old mill in Great Tew, one of the villages we traipsed through

A lovely, tranquil parish church with a small cemetary on its grounds. We looked around the tombstones that dated back centuries ago, and remembered a time long gone...

The Bees were delighted with the food and found everything to be so fetching and memorable. That day provided us with the most indelible experience indeed!

We simply love their tea spread! What alluring tableware and the most scrumptious of English scones and tea cakes!

If anything can fascinate picky Little Bee in terms of food, it must be superb!

Other than our very captivating day off, we took long country walks on our own, stopping to literally smell the flowers and just to admire our enchanting surroundings.

We had numerous meals in delightful, whimsical restaurants, cafes and pubs, indulging in some very delicious English food! Here are some excerpts from a selection of restaurants we visited...

Lunch inside "The Marshmallow Cafe" - a very small and winsome cafe with excellent English food

Breakfast in "Mrs Potts Tea Room" - what a delightful tea room indeed!

Winsome finishings in the tea room

A traditional English breakfast which all of us love!

We browsed in quiet, alluring antique shops, and waved to friendly locals in their homes. It was an invigorating change for typical city souls like us to stroll down perfectly empty streets after 4.30pm and the whole of Sunday, revelling in a slower pace of life, understanding that life is so much richer beyond the silly frantic things we futilely chased after every day.

This is a community farm plot at the edge of Moreton-in-Marsh! We were captivated by the different types of vegetation, crops and flowers in various plots.

Most of all, we spend so much time with each other, laughing, eating, ambling and chatting ....  far far from the madding crowds :)

A splendid field of gold (likely to be rapeseed plants) just a 20-minute walk from our little cottage!