I reckon one photo is all you need to guess where I went next;
Yes, it’s the brightly coloured cottages of Greater Lavenham, pilgrimage for Americans in search of the true fake Lil Ol England for decades now.
If you know the Eleighs at all, it’ll be the famous Cock at Brent, whose bench seating lives long in the memory. In 1998 we chaperoned a young Norwegian IT consultant round the heritage pubs (and Stoke City) and she was a bit awestruck.
Monk Eleigh ? Never heard of it. typical Babergh village, 505 souls, big church,
colourful cottages,
village shop and pub.
Pleasingly, I was sat next to the giant map.
Mrs RM would say “tastefully modernised”, I’d shrug and wonder if I could see or hear ANYTHING from my high vantage point.
Now that Rishi is no longer subsidising our dining it’s hard to guess how busy our pubs are going to be.
No gentlefolk in the Swan, but two Old Boyd dutifully chowing down on burger and chips, which is what we need to see.
“What would you like ?” said a very cheerful Landlord, temporarily forgetting I couldn’t see the bar and would be shot if I attempted to visit.
“Adnams ?” I guessed, temporarily forgetting the horrendous glass.
It was very good, Beer Guide quality if you like. The local banter was better.
“‘Ow yer been Phil ?”
“Cutting the grass. Beth let me down“. Readers, never trust a Beth.
The star, though, was Brewster, who kept dropping a germ ridden bone at my feet, in between going mad when the church bell tolled.
“Are you OK with dogs ?” asked a considerate Landlady. I nodded. That’s the problem; say you don’t like dogs and they set the dogs on you.
Still, a Proper Pub that had the courtesy to be open; it’s just a shame such an affluent village offers such indifferent support at lunchtimes.
There were more villagers walking the bounds, and despite the gentle contours of the OS extract
it made a fine stroll.
Not sure I’d have wanted to drive up those lanes, mind.
retiredmartin 
Those brightly colored homes are really beautiful. Hard to top those. The Cock was one of the first heritage pubs I ever visited. Great pub. You can guess what town we were staying in…
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Where did you stay in Lavenham ? The Angel ?
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We did but it was prior to it becoming a restaurant…
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Dave,
I quite liked brightly coloured houses like that sixty years ago in Toytown when I saw them in Enid Blyton’s ‘Noddy’ books but since then I’ve all too often gone to a historic town or village known for its whitewashed buildings and been saddened by what an impact a few cans of coloured paint can have.
It’s a bit like adding all manner of fruits, spices or other flavourings to proper beer.
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Love the wall map -would quite like one at home -probably in downstairs toilet ,There is a pub in Maidstone that has a huge map of Maidstone all across the floor in the toilets -quite weird when I come to think about it !
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There’s a modern pub near Reigate Castle that’s entirely covered in old maps !
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Love the *I’ll be shot” line. Great take on the current covid madness
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Say you DO like dogs and they’ll set them on you! 🙀
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“pilgrimage for Americans in search of the true fake Lil Ol England for decades now.”
Ah, but your blog (and many others) have confirmed that is a fading dream.*
* – not that there’s anything wrong with that!
“it’ll be the famous Cock at Brent,”
As opposed to the famous Brent’s Cock?
“505 souls, big church,”
Blimey. Room for a lot more souls in that.
“Pleasingly, I was sat next to the giant map.”
That would’ve made my day… if I could’ve made fun of it. 😉
“temporarily forgetting I couldn’t see the bar and would be shot if I attempted to visit.”
(sigh)
“Readers, never trust a Beth.”
That’s why I have a Rose. SHE cuts the grass. 🙂
“say you don’t like dogs and they set the dogs on you.”
Crickey. Right up there with Confucius that.
“and despite the gentle contours of the OS extract”
Not much else besides the Halls, the Farms and the Sewage Works.
“Not sure I’d have wanted to drive up those lanes, mind.”
That’s why ‘Noddy’ above is there to scare drivers away.
Cheers
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