Stow-on-the-Wold

We begin the second week of our trip in Stow-on-the-Wold, a small, charming village in the Cotswolds. The town has the narrow streets and narrow sidewalks you'd expect from a place that's been here for over a thousand years. 


Dinner was at the Porch House. England's oldest inn (according to the Porch House), it dates to the 10th century when it was established as a hospice--not exactly what we think of as a hospice but a place of refuge for travelers and the ill. 










Jo with a "double drop" beer


Stow's parish church is St. Edward's, built around the 11th century. 


The north entrance to the church features a door framed by yew trees.



Legend has it that Tolkein was inspired by this door for descriptions in The Lord of the Rings. (Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between history and tourism.)







I like these old doors. They make me feel like a big guy.

This morning after breakfast we took one of the trail walks Stow is famous for, of about 5 miles to Bourton-on-the-Water. It was a gorgeous day. Now we know why people are drawn here for the countryside walks.


















A kissing gate.







Our endpoint was Bourton-on-the-Water.








We're here in Stow for just another night, then tomorrow we're off to Wales.



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