“Happy” with a touch of murk, that’s Ashton Keynes, my annual tick in the wilderness that is North Swindon
In close-up the village looks submerged within Cotswold Water Park.
I prefer the ancient map written on parchment in the village centre. It makes it seem rather more exciting than is justified.
If you like the River Thames, there’s a lot of Thames channelling its way into the village. Uncannily, the wood carving looks a bit like Simon will if he makes it here on foot from Cirencester in 2031.
Undeniably a river makes a place, particularly running alongside the entrances to the farmhouses along the High Road.
An uncouth youth beeped me as I took these photos for your benefit, perhaps because I was standing in the middle of the road. But the interminable flow of cyclists provided the greater risk to life.
Anyway, here’s the White Hart Inn, pleasingly pictured devoid of traffic.
The bar, typically for Wiltshire GBG entries, was devoid of recognisable beer.
My notes say “typical open plan modestly modernised Wilts dining pub“, and frankly without BRAPA’s keener hearing that’s about all I can say now.
Ticking along with gentlefolk diners arguing about the bill (don’t knock it, they keep rural pubs in business), a couple of younger beardies on craft lager, and some Americans. It could have been worse, they could have been Canadian.
Anyway, they have sautéed pigeon and mint jus, and a Stroud house beer that was cool and rich (NBSS 3) without making me want to change my plans. Not that I have plans.
And if you think this was dull, it’s Carterton next.
retiredmartin 
Ah. “Cotswolds Water Park”: not really in the Cotswolds, not really a park.
There’s a lot of it about.
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But still one hell of a lot of water – looking at Martin’s map (and photo’s).
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This is what the whole of the UK will look like in 2050. I saw it on an interactive display in Manchester Museum of Science & Industry.
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Yes, sea levels are rising faster than most of us realise.
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That and rising temperatures will allow us to close council-run swimming pools by 2060, so win-win.
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“An uncouth youth beeped me as I took these photos for your benefit” – yes, it’s disgraceful how few motorists properly respect us pedestrians nowadays.
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If I live that long Martin, I will be 95 come 2050!
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Kirk Douglas is 102 today !
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Really? That puts him in the running for that competition Pubmeister saw in The Bull in Sawbridgeworth. 🙂
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Is there a Milton-Under-Lyne somewhere, I wonder?
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“More water than Venice”
Crikey. And somewhere in there is the Thames. Are they trying to pre-empt possible flooding?
“Lifelike”
Needs a brightly coloured scarf or some such.
“and frankly without BRAPA’s keener hearing that’s about all I can say now.”
Sheesh. That’s taking the open plan to extremes.
“It could have been worse, they could have been Canadian.”
Hey!
Or worse, bearded Canadians!
“Anyway, they have sautéed pigeon and mint jus, ”
I thought mint jus was just for lamb?
Cheers
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Love the exterior of the White Hart Inn; it’s not often you see three substantial chimneys so close together– or maybe this is fairly common in England, among older buildings?
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Rare, certainly.
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Mark,
And in Biddenden the Three Chimneys gave the pub its name.
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I was wondering why “Three Chimneys” rang a bell.
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– but not as much as the Six Bells or the Eight Bells.
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Or Quasimodo
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No recognisable beer – all pubs should be like this; Local with Locale, medium sized regional independents are acceptable. There are regular contributors to this site who will tell you of a time when most pubs were like this.
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Yes, when I were a lad ……….
In the 1970s local ale was drunk by most people as it was recognisable having been brewed thereabouts for a century or more.
Now Locale is recognised only by a few tickers and so must pub goers drink the well known products of the multinationals.
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Good point. LocAle now a way of telling you which beers are made in a shed.
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Sad, but true.
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There CAMRA folk go again; telling publicans how to run their failing pubs. All pubs should serve Bass and Punk IPA, of course.
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Many pubs are failing because publicans don’t know how to run them. Pubcos are often, and rightly, blamed, but who signs up to their ludicrous deals?
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Pure Bill Bryson 😀😀 that’s a compliment by the way
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