Let it snow

The second week in December saw the first "proper" snow fall we've had here in the Shire for about five years. There was only a light dusting of the white stuff down here in the valley at Glass Walking-Stick HQ so Sarah and I headed for the hills for the real deal...

Here are a few pics of the Winter Wonderland we found on the edge of the Cotswolds...

We started off at Coaley Peak viewpoint ( not that we could actually view all that much as we were in the middle of low cloud ) and then took the slightly treacherous, mile-long walk down to the amazing Woodchester Mansion...

The mansion is one of the jewels in Gloucestershire's crown, an unfinished Gothic building which was abandoned by its owners in 1873, leaving behind a unique glimpse into the architecture and building practices of the Gothic revival. Entering the mansion you can look upwards and literally see three stories above where the floors were never put in, and fireplaces and windows that will never be used looking back down at you. It's a stunning building and we've visited it many, many times over the years and explored its partly-finished floors, the chapel, the bakery, cellars, ball-room, kitchens etc. But I've never seen it in the snow before...

Although I did feel sorry for those snow-covered gargoyles...

It was an absolutely amazing afternoon in one of our favourite places and, even though it was quite a trek back up to the car and Sarah nearly got clobbered by a falling branch (!) brought down by the snow, it was well worth the journey.