From the Cotswolds to Ifield

Friday and Saturday August 17-18

It was with feelings of nostalgia that I left for Ifield, for next time I see my friend, she may have moved after 22 years in this paradisiacal property. Ifield is almost swallowed up by Crawley, although it still is part of the greater area of Horsham, and next to Gatwick Airport. I took the back lanes through the Cotswolds, and wound my way through the narrow approach to Fairford to have one last look at the village and the magnificent church. Then on to Lechlade on the Upper Thames, here still a rather narrow stream, and past the approach to Buscot Park and House towards Swindon and the M4. I had no time to visit the house or grounds, which is a pity because Buscot Park is very beautiful and most interesting for garden lovers. I had visited it once before with my late husband, and we both loved it. The walk to the 13^th century church is very rural and utterly charming. The land lies low and both Buscot and Lechlade get flooded occasionally. The hump bridge across the river Thames has traffic lights as it only accommodates single lane traffic. It is the only bridge at Lechlade.

It was raining when I left the Cotswolds, but nearer my destination and along the M4 it gradually became drier and sunnier. As advised and in order to avoid a nasty part of the M25, I cut across to the M3, travelling through Bracknell and Bagshot. In theory this may have been a good idea, but not on a Friday afternoon during the rush hours. Besides, my advisor never mentioned the many roundabouts, a most infectious disease in the UK, and the innumerable traffic lights to get me through Bracknell and Bagshot. However, I arrived in time for an evening meal which we had in the garden. In Ifield it was very hot and had been so for a couple of days. It was still 32 degrees Celsius, my first really hot day since my holiday in England. So it was lovely to enjoy a cold drink in the shade and sit out in the garden till bedtime, with candles and some parasol lights, nice food and a bottle of wine. Even more lovely, as I was with very dear friends who made me  most welcome. 

So did the two labradors! Isn't it amazing when dogs take to you, which they did, and lie at or even on your feet, keep watch at the bottom of the stairs when you go up and seem really happy to see you. And I have never been a dog lover! Until quite recently, just a few years ago, I was even scared of them.

Hot days equal lazy days. We went out mornings and evenings to walk the dogs in the fields just across the road opposite the house. There is a winding stream there, which has formed a deep but narrow gorge, with steep banks, ideal for kingfishers, But it was too hot for them I think. It was harvest time. Threshers and balers were busy each day after the dew had evaporated till late in the evening to gather in the wheat and straw.

Playing hide and seek

The dogs disappeared completely in the ripe wheat, just showing their tails and occasionally their backs above the undulating grain, as a flag or rudder in the air, to tell us where they were. It was hilarious. Unfortunately I did not capture them at the right moment. Nor did I catch the beautiful golden evening light slanting across the fields, the machines followed by a golden dusty mist, and planes ready for landing above the fields in the blue sky. 

The river or brook

The garden is more like a park and at the very end has access to Ifield Golf Course. So we heard the clonk-clonk of balls being hit all the time. My friends could make a profit if they sold the balls which end up in their garden.

 Standen

We visited a National Trust property on Saturday afternoon, Standen, an arts and craft home, the result of the combined efforts and ideas of the architect Philip Webb and William Morris. It was nice to be inside and to see the collection of china, the laid table in the dining room, and the William Morris wallpapers and decorations. It is a house one could feel at home in. There was even a separate staircase and tower room for the children to play in. We walked around, and finally also walked through the steep gardens, but in fact it was too hot in the sun. There are nice ornamental and kitchen gardens, special gardens for bees, an orchard with apple trees, a croquet lawn and a pond which was used for swimming at one time, but now looked far too green and slimy to invite anyone to jump in, not even in this heat wave.

Standen

National Trust properties are always great for lunch, so we enjoyed one before we actually went round the house. And of course browsed in the attractive shop, hunting for presents, a legitimate excuse for buying things one does not really need.

 Some pictures of my friends' house and large garden

 This is called a mackerel sky

Back home in the evening we enjoyed a BBQ together with a friend of the family who came by unexpectedly. We stayed out in the garden till rather late.