Posted on by taraabit

Kenilworth via Chipping Norton

Friday 2nd Feb 2024

Tonight’s stopover.

First stop this morning was Chipping Norton, we regularly drive through here en route to Portsmouth but never stop. Today we had a battle to find somewhere to park, one app sent us to the Lido behind a housing estate, 50m up a narrow road we arrived at a locked barrier, parking no longer allowed, it was an interesting manoeuvre to escape. The second car park was at a 45 degree angle with very short spaces, the third we found one space by parking partially on a grass verge, at least it was free.

A few images of Chipping Norton.

Initially we had intended today to visit Kenilworth Castle but Google research showed it isn’t open so we headed to Abbey Fields a large park area on the edge of town.Here there is a large car park that had free spaces and is free for the first two hours.

Obviously there was an Abbey here centuries ago that like many in the country was destroyed on the instructions of Henry VIII.

After lunch in Homer we went for a walk, next to the car park was St Nicholas Church and graveyard that we walked through, many spring bulbs were in evidence.

Carved stone around the church door.

Abbey fields is a large area with a sizeable lake.

The Abbey would have been quite central in the park. Sadly there is nothing left other than the gatehouse.

The remains of the gatehouse.

We walked uphill into Kenilworth town centre, sadly like many town centres in England it looks a little down at heel and not very inspiring and we found little to interest us.

Looking down into the town centre.
The clock tower.

Away from the centre you had a different feel, the park gave an open feel and there were many interesting houses.

Plenty of work for a chimney sweep.
Not sure how many there are in there😊

Tonight we are staying at the Rugby Club, it was interesting to get in, there is a height barrier, you phone and obtain a code which opens a box that contains two keys, one opens a padlock to a set of stepladders, you then stand on the step ladders and unlock a padlock about 3m above ground which allows you to swing open the height barrier. Of course once you drive through you have to repeat the process in reverse.

A person of small stature wouldn’t stand a chance.

Padlock is in the yellow box at the top.

2 Replies to “Kenilworth via Chipping Norton”

  1. Looks like you are having fun. Just a small thing, I think it was Henry viii, not vii, but probably a typo.
    A very unusual arrangement regarding access to the rugby club. Sounds like they should also provide a ladder.

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