Birdlip to Painswick via Miserden, Stroud, and the park that wasn't: 20/4/23

 A sunny day for once, though still blowy. I avoided the major road out of Birdlip and took the smallest, windiest road I have been on so far through Brimpsfield and Caudle Green to Winstone, where -- according to Google Maps -- Neigh Bridge County Park is located. They're all nice villages, with lots of old houses made of a darker stone than those further north -- granite, perhaps. And there are footpaths running just about everywhere, through fields and farmyards and people's back gardens; but no Neigh Bridge County Park. I even consulted with a couple of locals, and they had never heard of it. Later I checked and found it was in Cirencester, further south; so Google have mucked me up again. 

From there I drove on to somewhere that really was where it was supposed to be -- the little village of Miserden. I came to visit the formal garden, which was laid out really nicely, with avenues of hedges and flowering plants. This is, or was, part of the estate for a big manor house located behind it; but the house itself is private, so I have no information about whether there is still a lord of the manor there. I spent an hour or so here, and had a coffee in the little cafe located in one of the greenhouses, and then I discovered there was a whole swathe of parkland freely open to the public just opposite, so I strolled about there for an hour or so, eventually making my way down to a well-hidden lake at the bottom of the valley before toiling uphill again. Then I walked through Miserden itself, bought an ice cream in the tiny Post Office shop, and visited the old church. This was a real survival, with ancient gravestones, stained glass windows, and tombs with full-sized effigies of the dead sculpted on top in marble. Altogether I was nearly three hours here before setting course for Stroud and a laundromat.

I've become accustomed now to cruising back and forth a few times before finding a parking space, and Stroud was no exception. I bought a four-hour ticket at the parking station and did my laundry in the Soap N Suds laundromat, which occupies a commanding position overlooking one end of the High Street. Luckily I had just enough change for a decent wash and dry. The only other occupants were three rather hilarious Asian women, having a good time and dropping in and out of English and Chinese as the fancy took them.

Having returned the laundry to the car I set out to explore Stroud, which is largely Victorian, though it has a few older buildings, and a decent shopping centre. One side is bounded by a canal, of which I only saw one lock, and there are a few parks and back streets worth looking at. But by three-thirty I was ready to move on to Painswick, which involved driving through rush-hour traffic a little way to the north. They have regularised the traffic flow in central Painswick with traffic lights, so that vehicles can travel only one way at a time, and what with dealing with this I missed my turn and had to go back. But eventually I found the street and even found a parking spot, and made my way to St Anne's B&B.

The host is Greg, who is quite pleasant, and made me a cup of tea, and I have the Red Room on the first floor, which is quite spacious although not very well organised. The shower and toilet are in a kind of wardrobe in the corner, there is a big four poster bed in the middle, and an irregular floor which means that all the tables and chairs are wobbly. But it's pleasant enough -- or it would be, if I had any control over the heating. 

Later I went out and had a look at Painswick, which is quite pleasant when you get out of the traffic. There is a largish church, a pub, a community hall with a pizza truck, and a Rococo Gardens where I hope to go tomorrow. There may or may not also be a market on Friday mornings. Watch this space.