Oakham, Uppingham, Stamford, Oundle just as attractive as Bath and Cotswolds - Lynn News Bar Man
Bar Man by Jeff Hoyle
The Cotswolds. For some this area is the essence of England with its pretty villages, rolling countryside and bordering on to the fine city of Bath, and yet there are such attractive places neared to home.
The band of Jurassic rock that provides the distinctive honey coloured stone, known as Barnack stone in Northamptonshire, runs through the East Midlands and the towns there are, to my mind, as attractive as the more well-known places further west. With no football team to follow to the far corners of the country any more, we decided to pick one of these for a weekend.
Oakham, Uppingham, Stamford, Oundle, where should we go? Our choice was guided by available offers. There is no finer town than Stamford, but we chose Oundle at less than half the cost of staying in the famous Stamford hotel which has one of the few remaining ‘gallows’ signs stretching across the main road.
Oundle has been a regular stop for coffee when heading along the A505, but we had never stayed there.
The relatively short distance from home allowed us time for an excellent lunch at the nearby 17th century Kings Arms at Polebrook before checking in to the old coaching inn in town.
The Talbot with its wood panels, winding corridors and surfeit of steps made a pleasant change from the more functional budget hotels we sometimes use and it had the added bonus of excellent beer brewed at Grainstore Brewery on Oakham railway station, perfect for washing down the lovely food in the hotel restaurant.
Our plans for a leisurely stroll around town and a visit to the farmers market on Saturday, perhaps with the treat of watching Oundle take on Uppingham in a cup game later in the day were derailed by the news of a funeral that we wanted to attend further on down the A1 at Stevenage.
Peter was 98 and the event, while tinged with sadness was also a celebration of his life with recordings of him reciting comic poems and playing music lifting the spirits and the wake was held at the wonderful Lytton Arms in Old Knebworth with its array of real ales and classic posters advertising the many great bands that have played at the nearby stately home in years past.
My personal memory of the place was stopping for a pre match pint on the way to see Bury FC make their only appearance at Wembley in a sadly unsuccessful third division playoff game in 1995.
I had a plan for the way back, but Biggleswade United’s game against Coventry Sphinx had fallen victim to the weather and after a hotel breakfast and grazing at the wake we could not manage any of the players’ pasta which was being given away for free in the clubhouse.
Back at Oundle, we discovered the Tap and Kitchen at Nene Valley brewery, just a few hundred metres off the A505 at Oundle Wharf and filed it away as a destination for a future detour if we want more than a coffee while passing and it was pleasing to find that the two other pubs in town were both warm and welcoming and also cask beer on offer.
A meandering diversion on the way home brought us back through Stamford. Is Bath really any nicer?
As our lives are no longer guided by the Bury FC fixture list, it is time to dig out the map and the diary to plan future trips, though I must admit to having a sneaky look at Lynn’s away fixtures. Some habits die hard.
