Midlands Holiday - Day 6
Hartlebury Travelodge is only just down the road from the Worcester County Museum, although that’s closed on a Monday so we couldn’t go. It’s also only a few miles from the West Midlands Safari Park, but we went to the zoo only a couple of days ago so we didn’t want to go there. It’s also within easy distance of Avoncroft Museum and Historic Buildings, but this sounded a bit like some of the things we’ll be seeing at the Black Country Museum later this week so we didn’t go there either.
In the end we decided a cheap day out was in order so headed off in search of National Trust properties. After missing the appropriate turn off we stopped for a brief look at the Hawford Dovecote – boy those Georgian’s lavished attention on their doves. It’s not worth taking a deliberate detour for but if you’re passing it’s worth a 5 minute stop.
Then after getting back on the right road we were side tracked by a pub called the Eagle & Sun which served a great value carvery. After stuffing ourselves senseless we finally arrived at Hanbury Hall.
We rarely seem to arrive at NT properties when they have things going on, but we arrived just in time for a guided tour of the gardens so we tagged along. It was very entertaining actually. Did you know that in the Georgian period a bowling green was a hugely prestigious thing? This was before the invention of the lawnmower so the green had to be cut by hand – some poor sod on their knees with a pair of shears!
The hall was being re-roofed so we had a rare opportunity to climb up the stairs in the scaffolding to an observation deck where we could see the guys at work. Weirdly for such a rare opportunity this is the second time we’ve seen it – we visited the roof of Dunham Massey last year too!
Inside the house you get the feeling that the Georgians must have spent an awful lot of time flat on their backs as the house has truly beautiful ceilings. One has to wonder why they lavished such attention on them. The main staircase in particular is spectacular.
The volunteers at Hanbury Hall are among the most enthusiastic we’ve met – bringing the house to life and showing a genuine fondness for the property. It did seem that many of them had ancestors who’d worked in service there and perhaps a personal connection and an interest in local history are essential.
Afterwards we went to Droitwich Spa for a quick look around. The Midlands are so not what I expected. I guess I thought they’d be very like the North West – miles and miles of houses and shops without a break, and where there is green it’s often bleak and depressing. But the Midlands are quite the opposite – lots of attractive and historic towns separated by rolling green hills and woodland. It’s quite lovely. I wonder if Midlanders know how lucky they are?
We were then treated to a fantastic thunderstorm – it felt like it was in the room with us! And wow did it rain. This didn’t cool the hotel room down though – it was still like sleeping in a furnace.