retiredmartin

July 2026. Dodington. Whitchurch.

“Ain’t that just lil ‘ol England” is a line said to me by (wait for it) an American tourist in Haddenham (Oxon) a few years back as she stared at a street of coloured timber.

Several Haddenhams, and many Whitchurches.

Our Shropshire one has all the usual features of a Borders town; moat, mere, locks, castle, micropub…

More antique shops than ale houses,

but with my micro opening at 4pm I had time to walk every street, with the “township” of Dodington the tourist highlight. “Township” isn’t a word you hear much in the UK.

I think the tourist info boards may actually be older than some of the houses.

Chat GPT told me I must go to Powell’s Pork Pies;

Chat GPT needs to be more up-to-date, it’s closed ahead of the agricultural show, but of course AI only knows what’s on the internet, no what’s written in felt tip on a sign sellotaped to the door.

Obviously, if this was an official CAMRA curated survey of licensed premises™ I wouldn’t have been able to veer from the approved route to look for pork pies or admire timber, as that sort of culture detracts from drinking time.

Dodington is really just a gorgeous long street that takes you out of town,

and there’s nothing to actually DO,

although I’m sure fans of antique plastic guns and adult bunny sets will find much to enjoy.