Harry and Isobel in M&S at Gridserve
A Postcard from Marlborough and a Walk on the Herepath, Avebury, Wiltshire - 8th April 2024
Isobel's visiting her friend Jules, who is over from Brussels for a few weeks to work on the Walled Garden project near Marlborough in Wiltshire. Marlborough - which is on the old coaching route between London and Bath - was also on an old family route between Sandbach and Christchurch, so was passed through a few times each year when visiting the grandparents on the south coast, with an occasional stop at the legendary Polly Tea Rooms. That was the 1970s though, so Nosher decides to tag a long to visit for the first time in some 45 years. We're staying in the Premier Inn, which is good because it's super-cheap and is only about 15 minutes' walk from the middle of town, and the town still has quite a few of its pubs left. On the first night, we meet up at the Marlborough Hotel, where Jules and Mark are staying, but the kitchen closes really early and wine is a ludicrous £10.50 a glass, so we head into town and end up at ASK Italian for a pleasant evening of pizza and pasta. The next day, Nosher sets off on a six-and-a-half mile hike along the ninth-century Herepath/Wessex Ridgeway across the Marlborough Downs to Avebury, where Isobel and the rest of the gang are waiting at the Red Lion pub. Finally, after a night at the Green Dragon, there's a bit of time to explore St. Peter's church whilst the others are in Coffi Lab - the dog-friendly café at the other end of the High Street.
next album: The Suffolk Youth Wind Orchestra at Snape Maltings, Suffolk - 10th April 2024
previous album: Shopping in Bury, and Celtic Nights at the Village Hall, Garboldisham, Norfolk - 6th April 2024
Harry comes back to the car
Harry looks longingly at doughnuts at Reading West
We're waiting for a charge at Reading Services
Isobel and Harry wander back to the car
We explore Jules and Mark's 'garden'
Harry holds a bit of tree out of the way
We're exploring down in the ravine
Elliot swings Luna around on a branch
Luna trots around with a big stick
Luna, Elliot and Harry down in the ravine
Harry picks up a big stick for the dog
On the narrow path up from the ravine
A jumble of three-phase wiring
The former walled-garden sheds are being converted
We're in the long stripey corridor to our room
Harry hugs the big bolster on his bed
The Marlborough Premier Inn
A first look at Marlborough, on Salisbury Road
We cut through The Parade on the way to town
The legendary Polly Tea Rooms
A K6 phone box on High Street
We have a drink with Jules in the Marlborough Hotel
We go to look for food, as the kitchen is closed
The bar of the Marlborough Hotel
The Wellington Arms - one of many pubs in town
We look for dinner on High Street
Jules scopes out the menu in ASK Italian
Harry pretends to be sad
Isobel pours some wine out
Time for pizza and pasta in ASK Italian
The retaurant has emptied out at the end of the night
We're back out on the High Street
Harry butters some toast next morning
Marlborough's town hall
We meet with the others in Coffi Lab dog café
The second-widest street in Europe, apparently
A view of the Marlborough Downs
Free's Avenue heads off to Rockley
Manton Circle - a stone circle off the Herepath
A stand of tall trees near Herepath
A field is rolled
Near Overton Down on the Wessex Ridgeway
A cyclist stops to check the map
The Wessex Ridgeway, or Herepath
Piles of rocks and hawthorn bushes
The Valley of Stones
Windswept trees on a hill
Some of the signs are almost indecipherable
A rutted path leads down into Avebury
The ditch and dyke around Avebury stone circle
The edge of Avebury, on Herepath
Avebury standing stones
More standing stones are inspected
Final destination: the Red Lion pub
Isobel, Harry and the others are already there
Kai and Elliot play Harry's noughts-and-crosses
We have some lunch in the Red Lion
Hanging around outside the Keiller Room
A couple of tourist shops in Avebury
The Avebury stone circle
Harry's got a deer antler in the museum
The walled garden of Avebury Manor
Avebury Manor, which was closed again
More of the stone circle
Silbury Hill is spotted as we drive back
Harry's on his tablet, in bed
An almost-derelict building in Marlborough
Isobel gets the beers in in the Green Dragon
It's time to read more menus
A timbered snug in the Green Dragon
A nice sunset over Marlborough's High Street
Our pub for the night: the Green Dragon
Isobel and Harry on High Street at night
We've packed up and are checking out
Harry in the lift
We leave the Marlborough Premier Inn
It's been raining on High Street
Inside St. Peter's church
St. Peter's church is now a music venue
Impressive Victorian stained glass
A view of St. Peter's church in Marlborough
One of Marlborough's many former coaching arches
We're back at Reading Services for a car charge
Harry waves chopsticks around at Reading East
Another electric charging stop at Reading
Harry does a 3D Octonauts game at Gridserve, Braintree
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Harry and Isobel in M&S at Gridserve
Harry and Isobel in M&S at Gridserve
Harry comes back to the car
Harry looks longingly at doughnuts at Reading West
We're waiting for a charge at Reading Services
Isobel and Harry wander back to the car
We explore Jules and Mark's 'garden'
Harry holds a bit of tree out of the way
We're exploring down in the ravine
Elliot swings Luna around on a branch
Luna trots around with a big stick
Luna, Elliot and Harry down in the ravine
Harry picks up a big stick for the dog
On the narrow path up from the ravine
A jumble of three-phase wiring
The former walled-garden sheds are being converted
We're in the long stripey corridor to our room
Harry hugs the big bolster on his bed
The Marlborough Premier Inn
A first look at Marlborough, on Salisbury Road
We cut through The Parade on the way to town
The legendary Polly Tea Rooms
A K6 phone box on High Street
We have a drink with Jules in the Marlborough Hotel
We go to look for food, as the kitchen is closed
The bar of the Marlborough Hotel
The Wellington Arms - one of many pubs in town
We look for dinner on High Street
Jules scopes out the menu in ASK Italian
Harry pretends to be sad
Isobel pours some wine out
Time for pizza and pasta in ASK Italian
The retaurant has emptied out at the end of the night
We're back out on the High Street
Harry butters some toast next morning
Marlborough's town hall
We meet with the others in Coffi Lab dog café
The second-widest street in Europe, apparently
A view of the Marlborough Downs
Free's Avenue heads off to Rockley
Manton Circle - a stone circle off the Herepath
A stand of tall trees near Herepath
A field is rolled
Near Overton Down on the Wessex Ridgeway
A cyclist stops to check the map
The Wessex Ridgeway, or Herepath
Piles of rocks and hawthorn bushes
The Valley of Stones
Windswept trees on a hill
Some of the signs are almost indecipherable
A rutted path leads down into Avebury
The ditch and dyke around Avebury stone circle
The edge of Avebury, on Herepath
Avebury standing stones
More standing stones are inspected
Final destination: the Red Lion pub
Isobel, Harry and the others are already there
Kai and Elliot play Harry's noughts-and-crosses
We have some lunch in the Red Lion
Hanging around outside the Keiller Room
A couple of tourist shops in Avebury
The Avebury stone circle
Harry's got a deer antler in the museum
The walled garden of Avebury Manor
Avebury Manor, which was closed again
More of the stone circle
Silbury Hill is spotted as we drive back
Harry's on his tablet, in bed
An almost-derelict building in Marlborough
Isobel gets the beers in in the Green Dragon
It's time to read more menus
A timbered snug in the Green Dragon
A nice sunset over Marlborough's High Street
Our pub for the night: the Green Dragon
Isobel and Harry on High Street at night
We've packed up and are checking out
Harry in the lift
We leave the Marlborough Premier Inn
It's been raining on High Street
Inside St. Peter's church
St. Peter's church is now a music venue
Impressive Victorian stained glass
A view of St. Peter's church in Marlborough
One of Marlborough's many former coaching arches
We're back at Reading Services for a car charge
Harry waves chopsticks around at Reading East
Another electric charging stop at Reading
Harry does a 3D Octonauts game at Gridserve, Braintree