Parr for the course

The rain had set in today so I revised the activity plan to find an indoor option. Sudeley Castle sounded like a winner, and it was only twenty minutes or so away, so I bought a ticket for the tour and headed off. Two drowned rat hours later, I can report that the tour was an outside one. The tour guide had very few teeth, which distracted me completely from the tour. How does he eat? Rain and dentistry aside, it was a fascinating place, rich in history and owned by the various royal families for many years. Henry and Anne Boleyn visited the castle and later it was the home of Henry with Catherine Parr, who remained there after his death and is buried there. 

Elizabeth I also visited on a number of occasions. The  exhibits in the various rooms are pretty good. I’ve included a photo of Elizabeth’s very luxe toilet. 

Half of the castle still has a resident family - I can’t imagine having the general public traipsing through your library for five months of the year, but I understand that the paying guests support the property maintenance and I’m very appreciative of the chance to see the property. 

Back at Broadway, I pottered about, visiting the wonderful gift shop of a little design museum (I was too tight to pay the seven pounds to go in the one room museum) and some shops. 

The rain is a little inconvenient, but it doesn’t detract from the beauty and the experiences. I think once you expect it to rain, and so long as you have appropriate clothing, it’s not an issue.

Here’s my room at Abbott’s Grange. The landing above my room and the stairs outside my door.