Hampshire Holiday 16th – 20th June, 2025
Well, we certainly chose an excellent week for weather! Starting on a fine Monday morning we had a hot, sunny five days with not a drop of rain. Jackets and coats were left on the coach, hats and umbrellas were only for sunshades!
Our travel experts, Simply Groups, found some lovely places for us, based in a large, comfortable hotel between Winchester and Southampton.
We started at Brockworth Court and gardens, near Cheltenham, on our way South. This was a delightful medieval timber framed house, shown to us by its proud owners, who have lived there for 30 years, renovating it with minimal modernisation. Quite charming, with a large ‘cottage style’ garden as well – and a delicious buffet lunch in their ancient tithe barn!
Day 2 was in Salisbury, its glorious cathedral bathed in sunlight and containing a priceless original copy of the Magna Carta, the best preserved one of only 4 remaining copies. We crossed the Cathedral Close to ‘Arundells’, the home for many years of Edward Heath, full of his personal treasures. In the afternoon at ‘Mottisfont’, we were a little disappointed to find the famous roses had almost finished flowering, but the house was interesting, with spectacular trompe l’oeil murals, painted by Rex Whistler, though sadly unfinished due to his premature death in the war.
A full day in Portsmouth stunned us with the very high-tec Mary Rose exhibition – the carefully preserved ship herself and the hundreds of items recovered from her. In contrast the Victory, Nelson’s tiny flagship, which could have over 800 men crammed on board, gave a sense of the grim reality of life aboard in those days.
Our last day in Winchester began with a visit to the ancient Norman church and Hospital of St. Cross and its picturesque almshouses and gardens – ‘England’s oldest and most perfect almshouses’ according to Simon Jenkins. Here we met 2 friendly, resident Brothers who told us all about it. Very reminiscent of Trollope’s ‘The Warden’!
Our final treat was a fascinating tour of the Bombay Sapphire Distillery, with an introduction to all the botanicals used in the gin – and a generous tasting thereof!
Finally our journey home was broken with a stroll around the ancient Sudeley Castle , with delightful gardens and a chapel where Catherine Parr is buried , followed by a welcome ‘sit-down’ lunch.
I think thirty tired but happy people had a good few days away and I thank them for their company.
For more photos please visit our Photo Archive here.
Margaret Hinde