By Marcia Abramson
The Blue Badge guide Angela Powell was certainly knowledgeable about the medieval Cotswolds villages of Castle Combs and Lacock, including the Lacock Abbey. She informed me that this region was noted for the wool trade and there was a "sheep street" as well as an abbey in these prosperous towns, in addition to hotels dating back to Elizabethan times.In fact, some of the traveling guests were King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell who were probably on their way to Britain's only natural thermal waters in the nearby city of Bath and stayed in hostelries in the Cotswolds. History of the area reveals that the Celts and the Romans were known to have made their way to the Thermal Spa here 2,000 years ago. Castle Combs was also the locale for the filming of Dr. Dolittle and Lacock Abbey was used for some scenes in the Harry Potter movies. Another highlight of my tour of the Cotswolds was a typical Sunday luncheon with local families at the "Sign of the Angel" Restaurant in Lacock. My luncheon consisted of a soup course and a delicious portion of medium rare roast beef and just about the greatest crusted tasty Yorkshire pudding I ever ate. Then it was off to the thatched roof village of Sandy Lane to the Bowood Estate, the 18th century home of the Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne. This is also the Bowood Golf and Country Club and a splendid example of the landed gentry's good living. I also recommend a visit to England's oldest borough, Malmesbury, an area that chronicles life over the course of 1,000 years. The Abbey House Gardens are a prime example of extraordinary cultivation with an international reputation and a "must see" before leaving the Cotswolds. I was treated to a personal tour of the herb gardens by the gracious owner Barbara Pollard and enjoyed a cup of tea there before my stay at one of Britain's top-notch country house or manor hotels, Luckham Park. Luckham Park is located in 500 acres of parkland in a superb Georgian setting, taking in the turf of the villages of Colerne, Chippenham and Wiltshire in the heart of the Cotswolds. According to Harry Murray, the managing director of the hotel, it is not known exactly when Luckham began, but the -ham ending to its name, "Luckenham," suggests that it was a Saxon settlement during the Norman invasion in 1066. From as far back as 1199 to 1688, there was a farmhouse on the current site of the main house. For over five centuries the land was farmed until 1688 when the last of the family died leaving the estate to nine cousins who decided to sell. Six different families owned the property over the years. The wealthy Wallis family from the city of Bristol were the first to purchase 100 acres of the estate for just 500 British pounds and owned the home until 1735. Then five other families took possession of the property, which now consists of 500 acres, until the upkeep became prohibitive and in 1987 it was bought by Luckham Park Hotels Ltd. I was intrigued by the stories of the happenings at Luckham Park during World War II. At the start of the war, the house was used as home to hundreds of evacuees before it was transformed into the informal headquarters for airmen from a close by aerodome. The huge Beech and Lime tree driveway became a perfect camouflage parking lot for spitfire and hurricane planes. At that time, the dining room became a billiard room and everybody in the house raced to the dining room to take refuge under the billiard table during an air raid by the German Air Force. As a matter of fact, the late Queen Mary was one of the many visitors to Luckham at that time. But now I found that the hotel has been lovingly restored to the elegance and style of the past era with every conceivable luxurious convenience such as a glorious spa and an equestrian center with a stable of 30 horses. Rides and lessons are available for complete beginners to experienced riders in an all weather arena on the cross-country course and in the 500-acre Luckham Park Estate. Of course Archery, clay pigeon shooting and hot air ballooning on the grounds can also be arranged. Needless to say the rooms were lavishly furnished with four poster-canopied beds, Internet connections and comfortable seating areas. The food and the silver domed service in the dining room were excellent. All in all, I heartily recommend Luckham Park as a fabulous getaway to be included in a visit to England. You can visit: travelinfo@visitbritain.org or call toll free (800) 462-2748 or contact your travel professional.
© Copyright by Marcia AbramsonE-mail: mascribe@aol.com
