Monday 23rd April 2001
| Location | Arrived | Duration | Departed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | 07:22 | ||
| Fontwell Little Chef | 09:00 | 38m | 09:38 |
| M27 Rownhams | 10:27 | 12m | 10:39 |
| Stonehenge | 11:26 | 1h 18m | 12:44 |
| White Horse nr Avebury | 13:38 | 24m | 14:02 |
| Cricklade | 14:56 | 47m | 15:43 |
| M5 Strensham | 16:39 | 26m | 17:05 |
| Ludlow Little Chef | 18:02 | 42m | 18:44 |
| Cliffe Hotel, Ludlow | 18:57 |
2001 was the year of the Foot & Mouth outbreak in Britain. The primary epidemic was in March, and by the time of my trip, the status was “under control”, although it took until 2002 before the disease was eradicated.
Some of the sites I had planned to visit had only just opened, but as I discovered, some remained closed.
After breakfast and the comfort stop, my first stop today was Stonehenge. Not much to write about – there were stones and lots of tourists.
After a short drive, I stopped near Hackpen White Horse, a Victorian white chalk hill figure. Afterwards, I stopped at the town of Cricklade. Not too sure why I chose to stop at Cricklade – there is some history and a nearby nature reserve, but I did not do any of that.
The final stop was a hotel near Ludlow. On the wall in my hotel room was an invoice of the proprietor’s wedding reception dated sometime in the 80s. It was a hotel near Croydon, where I grew up. It turned out the hotel owners were also ex-Croydonians.
Tuesday 24th April 2001
| Location | Arrived | Duration | Departed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ludlow | 12:00 | ||
| Stokesay Castle | 12:22 | 15m | 12:37 |
| Welshpool | 13:18 | 2h 26m | 15:44 |
| Ruthin | 16:58 | 1h 7m | 18:05 |
| Trefnant | 18:26 |
In the morning, I visited Ludlow Castle, an English Heritage property.
The next stop was Stokesay Castle, which was closed due to Foot & Mouth restrictions. As an alternative, I stopped at Welshpool. I particularly remember the deserted cattle market.
I stopped at Ruthin to eat a takeaway and finally onto my B&B in Trefnant.
Wednesday 25th April 2001
| Location | Arrived | Duration | Departed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denbigh | 13:19 | ||
| Stapely Waterworld | 15:31 | 1h 21m | 16:52 |
| Stoke | 17:22 | 1h 2m | 18:24 |
| The Hollies, Endon | 18:44 |
My main worry today was my breakfast order. I usually say, “Full English, no beans or tomato”, but what do I say in Wales?
Today was another morning visiting the nearby town, including the castle.
It was a long drive before my next stop; I seemed to have gotten lost a few times before eventually arriving at Stapely Water Gardens. I parked and watched a man get out of the car in front of me. I recognised him as Paul Bown, the actor who I knew best from a television program called Watching.
Stapely Water Gardens turned out to be a garden centre that had become a tourist attraction with some displays.
A takeaway dinner in Stoke and finally to my B&B.
Stapely Water Gardens closed in 2011, it has been replaced by a housing estate.
Thursday 26th April 2001
| Location | Arrived | Duration | Departed |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Hollies, Endon | 09:31 | ||
| Royal Doulton, Burslem | 09:54 | 3h 32m | 13:26 |
| Wall Roman site | 14:30 | 1h 2m | 15:32 |
| Bicester Little Chef | 16:49 | 53m | 17:42 |
| White House, High Wycombe | 18:33 |
Today was a pre-booked tour of the Royal Doulton factory, which was fascinating. I bought an ornament at the factory shop; it cost around £100 if I remember rightly.
The Wall Roman site was another bunch of Roman ruins.
Friday 27th April 2001
| Location | Arrived | Duration | Departed |
|---|---|---|---|
| White House, High Wycombe | 09:15 | ||
| St Albans | 10:12 | 2h 35m | 12:47 |
| Chiswell Green Little Chef | 13:09 | 28m | 13:37 |
| Eastbourne | 16:25 |
My final morning was spent traipsing around St Albans, recreating a school trip from 1974. St Albans was the Roman town of Verulamium, destroyed during the Boudican revolt.