Rape fields, from the rooftop

Our Bank holiday destination for today was Lodge Park, in the the North Cotswolds. (We try to go to National Trust , WWT or Historic Houses Association places, though we are having to go further and further afield to find places we haven't been to yet)!

It turned out to be as curious as expected: a 17th century sporting lodge built for the total comfort and entertainment of guests at the nearby Sherborne house. Three floors were open to guests: the ground floor, the 'great room' on the first floor, and the lead rooftop with its grandstand view over the surrounding countryside. A mile-long deer course for the totally unsporting pursuit of deer by greyhounds was constructed, that could be viewed from every level, and bets placed. It was all an excuse for gambling, said our guide.

It's not that long ago since my aunt, who worked as an agency carer for a family in the Cotswolds, had to drive a jeep up and down a field, in the illegal 'sport' of hare coursing, with the 'Maj,' her disabled charge, yelling at her from the back seat to 'get a move on'. Such stories would not be dissimilar to the kind of behaviour for which my paternal grandfather was legendary. No wonder there aren't many hares left. The deer, on the other hand, seem to have fared rather better.

Later, the fashion changed and the deer course was removed, and the building upgraded. It underwent several changes of use over the centuries before it was handed over to the NT in 1982. In 1992 they began restoring the building, which was dilapidated in the extreme, using old drawings and paintings. It was the first such restoration that the NT had undergone. I have to say that it was worth it. The rooftop offers a vista of wide level fields and woods, in startling shades of green and viridian yellow (CleanSteve is sitting beside me and he thinks viridian is green. He is probably right. Vert, verde, etc....).

Afterwards, we drove through the 'other Cotswolds' before heading back home to Stroud. What I noticed is that though there is plenty of money and extremely large estates in that area, we saw very few Banners and posters for the Conservative party. The Lib Dems seem more likely to succeed, if the publicity is anything to go by.