Cottage Next Door, Dilton Marsh

Looking to stay in the West County for a week? Thinking of a self-catering holiday? You can do no better than to drive down the road from Chapmanslade about 2 miles to Dilton Marsh and stay at the Cottage-Next-Door. It's a wonderful, fully equipped four bedroom house bordering fields and tucked in a quiet village off the main road but near to it for ease of getting places. Every amenity is provided: satellite TV, a gas remote-controlled fireplace, a deck for relaxing in warmer weather, and a modern well-lit kitchen with views over open fields. Click on the link to learn more.

West Country Tourist: Places to Eat, Sites to Visit

Chapmanslade is a small village mid-way between the cities of Bath to the north and Salisbury to the south. Somerset, with its attractions, is three miles west. The village lies just off the main road, the A36, and is easily accessible from the nearby towns of Westbury or Warminster. It has no shop or Post Office but does have an excellent local pub and a fine phone box! There are several very nice bed and breakfasts in the area; it is great choice for making a homebase on your holiday and visiting things nearby, returning home to comfort after a day of touring or shopping. Nearby Westbury and Warminster have main line trains going to London, Bath and Salisbury on frequent service. Since both Bath and Salisbury can be difficult to access by car and find suitable parking - heavy commuter traffic and tourists in the summer - a train ride is an excellent alternative.

England has come a long way in the 30+ years this writer's been a regular visitor and resident. Gone are the heavy gravies and soggy vegetables of the not too distant past, replaced by wonderful local fresh foods. The best veggies and meats make their way to tables regularly both in homes and in pubs and restaurants.

Here are a few places to enjoy good food in Chapmanslade and nearby villages:

• The Angel Inn, Upton Scudamore: a small village just off the A36 2 miles northwest of Warminster toward Bath. This beautiful inn is both a wonderfull place to dine either for lunch or dinner and a fine place to stay in the district. In the summertime, there is a nice patio outside where you can enjoy the fine weather and watch the local activity - which definately won't distract you from your food! All the food is locally grown and the chef and staff make every effort for you to enjoy your meal. Here's their website if you wish to learn more and see pictures and menus: http://www.theangelinn.co.uk/
• The Three Horseshoes, Chapmanslade: The local village pub offers both pub grub and more formal meals. The pub grub, featuring local fish, meat pies, homemade soups and traditional bar food is a good deal, both in terms of money spent and food.

Are you looking for a place for the night or a base for touring in the district? Chapmanslade and nearby villages and towns offer a variety of choices. The ones shown below are all rated 3-Stars or better by the English Tourist Board affording a visitor comfort, good food and in many instances, wonderful country surroundings:

• The Angel Inn, Upton Scudamore: see above for description. It is also a wonderful place to stay while visiting the area. Very comfortable and all the comforts of home - with housekeeping! Visit http://www.theangelinn.co.uk/

• The Full Moon at Rudge: Rudge is a small village just off the main A 36 road about a half mile north of the turnoff for Chapmanslade and about ona and a half miles from the turnoff for Upton Scudamore. Here's how their website describes the great place: This enchanting, 17th Century inn is in the small Somerset hamlet of Rudge, just 10 miles from the Georgian City of Bath and 4 miles from Longleat Safari Park. The Full Moon has been providing a refuge to locals and visitors alike for hundreds of years. It has earned itself reputation for fine food and comfortable accommodation - and the hospitality it offers to guests new and old. The award winning Full Moon serves wonderful food from an extensive and varied menu, has a friendly bar serving local ales and comfortable ensuite bedrooms. More recently, beautiful self-catering cottages and an indoor pool (open from mid February to end October) have been added which all guests staying overnight are welcome to use. The surrounding countryside has a number of wonderful walks and a wealth of places of interest to visit. Fishing, shooting, horse riding and golf can be easily organised for guests. Visit http://www.thefullmoon.co.uk/ for all details.
  
• Angel Cottage, Dilton Marsh: Just a short ride from Chapmanslade along the A3098 with a left turn down a little lane clearly marked, Angel Cottage is an ideal bed and breakfast for your time exploring the West Country. From delicious bountiful breakfasts, clean comfortable rooms (all either en suite or with a private bath), TV in every room, to directions to local attractions and restaurants and pubs, Angel Cottage welcomes you! Click on the link to view their website.

O to Be in England

I'm back from a short vacation in England for almost a month. It
seems ages since my plane landed at Heathrow and
a long-ish drive to the West Country brought me to my home-away-from-home.

Days went by quickly: short trips to Bath, Bradford-on-Avon (shown right) and Salisbury, longer overnight journeys to near Oxford and Bedford.

There were several memorable meals at local pubs and inns and a relaxing stay at a B&B near in a surprising suburban location near Ampthill.

Far Away

If I seek a moment of peace in this anxious world, I take myself to a kitchen in a farmhouse far away. From its window, I see green fields, a road and Cley Hill in the distance. The quiet is palpable; thoughts come quickly and the urge to walk, to write, to converse comes over me. If I would be there, I only need think myself to that farmhouse far away.

Small Ramblings from a Small State

Wet Day in a Small State

The last recordable rainfall in Wilmington, Delaware was August 2 of this year. As I write, I hear the wonderful sound of rain hitting the windows of my house and I imagine I hear the relieved sighs of my summer plants as they decline into autumn.

My own sighs are for different reasons as I realize I will be walking at least one "rain-challenged" Jack Russell Terrier, Lizzie, this evening. She will nip and duck and dodge all raindrops and plant her firm terrier feet broadly in the drive, protesting the damp and the dark. She's a graduate of two levels of obedience and one of agility training - even pinned second in a recognized dog show - but rain is an environment she loathes and refuses to acknowledge except under the most dire of circumstances. I suspect that Lizzie and dire will intersect at about 11 o'clock tonight!