Well, just Essex to be honest. Mrs. No Name organised this Monday overnight stay to support her assertion that she contributes to organising and booking these breaks as proof that she takes responsibility at least once every three years or so :-). Gratifyingly for her in particular, this one proved to be particularly satisfactory…..
The one night stay was in a very pleasant hotel called Prested Hall, which was just off the A12. But before that, we had agreed to go to Coggeshall to visit the village and the associated National Trust attractions in the centre. We went first to Grange Barn, built some time in the 13thC. Originally part of the Cistercian Coggeshall Abbey (which we visited), it was virtually a ruin by the end of the 1970s until it was restored by the local community and formally handed over to the National Trust in 1989. As you can hopefully see from the photo, it is now a very fine example of a splendid timber framed barn.
We then followed the “Grange Barn and Paycockes circular walk” (with the added attraction of deer crossing our path on the early stage of the walk) to Paycocke’s House and Garden on the edge of Coggeshall village. A glorious example of Tudor craftsmanship, not unlike the barn, it fell into disrepair until one of the descendants (Lord Noel Buxton) of the previous owners renovated it and then donated it to the NT. Definitely worth a visit, not least for the beautiful wooden carvings displayed on both the interior and exterior of the building, now with the added bonus of a tranquil Arts & Crafts style cottage garden that was created when the house was being renovated.
After a brief wander around the lovely village (worth a return on its own), we headed off to the hotel for a lovely evening meal, excellent sleep and breakfast. Lovely gardens, trails and even a quick game of table tennis in the spa and gym area (very poor, disappointingly weak left hand he says sheepishly). We then headed off to the Marks Hall gardens, which had the added bonus of a widespread and exhaustive sculpture garden (on for just over a month). Lovely setting, even though the heavens opened an we both got drenched, even with an umbrella. Being the troopers we are, we dried off, changed in the car(ish) and headed off to Hedingham Castle. This time, we avoided the heavy downpours and were welcomed by a very impressive 900 year old Norman keep, where all five floors of the Castle can be reached via a steep staircase, and which contain some of the finest decorated stonework in Western Europe. Rain prevented a walk around the grounds, so a return visit definitely in order.
A wonderful two days and it just goes to show what can be done with a one night stay with just a little careful planning. Well done Mrs. No Name….