Monday 15^th April 2019

We have a day to spare before arriving in Stratford so decided to spend it here at Wooton Wawen as it is quiet and peaceful. It was also very windy today, another incentive to stay put.

After a slow start we walked into the village which was a pretty and interesting place. We often remind ourselves at how lucky we are to be able to see all these pretty English country villages that contain so much of our history and national identity, that if travelling by car for example, you would pass through in the blink of an eye, never give the place a second thought, and miss out on so much. It is a lovely way to see the country. Indeed, we were speaking to a couple from Redditch on a hire boat whose grandparents live in Bearley and who travel at least every fortnight through Wooton to visit them, and yet they never knew how interesting a place Wooton was. Goes to show what a busy world we live in and at how little we see when travelling from A to B at 60mph. 

It is unfortunate that Wooton is dissected by the A3400 Birmingham to Stratford road, a wide road although, from what we saw, not particularly busy. Walking from the canal in to the village centre it was obvious that Wooton Wawen, although seemingly an insignificant looking pace, had a past. There was a large apartment block that used to be a watermill and associated storage, a large stately home and a very impressive church.

Apparently Wooton is one of the oldest villages in Warwickshire and has the oldest church in the county. Wooton was the capital of the ancient Kingdon of Hwicce which predated Mercia and Wessex. The oldest part of the church of St. Peters dates from around the year 730. It is a remarkable place, known as the Saxon Sanctuary. There have been a number of additions and extensions, all of which seem a little disjointed, but the place is very atmospheric, especially the older parts of the building. There are many wooden beams in the walls and ceilings, more than a fair share of effigies, a lot in a surprisingly good state, beautiful stained glass windows and evidence of a lot of wall paintings. Well worth the visit.

        

                                                                           St. Peters Church, Wooton Wawen          

         

     

We had been told that if they don’t sell it in the village shop, you can’t buy it. What an amazing place. Everything from fresh fruit and vegetables, all kinds of herbs, spices, lychees, water chestnuts, it was incredible the range of food goods, every day and exotic. In addition, there were high powered, rechargeable torches, sleeping bags, camping stoves, tools of all descriptions. The list goes on. And the place was run by a white Englishman who could tell you exactly what he had in stock and where it was.

Wooton Hall was mainly built in 1687 but incorporates part of an earlier Elizabethan house. At the end of the Second World War, the hall was in a dilapidated state but was bought by Allens Caravans in 1958 and the grounds developed into a mobile home park, which rescued and restored the Hall. Today the locals know this park as God’s Waiting Room.

                                Wooton Hall

                                        

                         

                                                                                                        The Bulls Head

The Bull's Head Inn date from the 16th century. Inside are wide fireplaces, one with a lintel inscribed M 1697 TH, and open-timbered ceilings, however there is a stone giving the date of the building as 1317.

A fascinating yet unexpected, place was Wooton Wawen.