When Peugeot approached us about featuring a car on Buckets & Spades, we were flattered, but we weren’t quite sure what to do with it. A trip away seemed the most obvious - a trip to visit some of our favourite brands. Unfortunately, poor planning on my part meant that this didn’t happen, so instead we went for my second favourite choice - a trip away to eat some good food.
Say what you like about British cuisine, the UK is blessed with an abundance of amazing places to eat, and not just in London. Some of the best places to eat are tucked away in small towns, tiny villages, and hamlets - just look at The Fat Duck in Bray or Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Great Milton. So early one Friday morning we set off from London and headed west in our borrowed Peugeot 208 Style. Navigating cross-country–which is far more fun that the motorway–we stopped on the banks of the River Severn for lunch at The Old Passage, before heading north to Welsh border.
I haven’t lived in London long, but even still I’m surprised by just how different the countryside is. For a start, it’s quiet. Deathly quiet. So silent that you can hear ringing when you try to sleep - or at least I can. Secondly, getting around is hard without a car. We had the Peugeot of course, but if you want to head into town for a drink or two, you have to arrange a taxi almost a week in advance.
We were staying in a B&B, found through AirBNB - my first time using the site. It was an amazing old farm house, stuffed full of paintings, odds, ends, and an elephant's foot. I imagine Mat could spend a good few days just photographing all of the curiosities on show, not to mention the spectacular views from the garden. Every day they cooked us a full English breakfast and in the afternoons filled us with tea, coffee, and homemade scones. This really is the county life that many tourists think we Brits live on a regular basis.
A fine dining experience on the Saturday evening in the small town of Ludlow was a little disappointing. A visit to the local pub the night before was far better. Again, this is a place you could photograph for hours. One of the only parlour pubs left in the UK, The Sun Inn in Leintwardine was (until 2009) run by the same landlady for 75 years. Until they redeveloped the place a couple of years ago, this pub only served one type of ale, which cost £2-a-pint, and was situated in the land-lady's front room. They’ve kept a lot of the old features though - another incredible curiosity.
Then, as soon as it had started, it was over. We packed up our small hatchback and raced back to London, stopping at The Bunk Inn just outside London to a final meal - and what a meal it was! Easily the best of the whole trip. A really talented chef they have there producing some incredible flavours. As great as London is, it’s good to get out from time-to-time and remind yourself of what the rest of the country has to offer.
Thanks to Peugeot for lending us the car for a couple of day and thanks to the B&B for being such great hosts! I’ll definitely try and get another trip out to the countryside soon. Any recommendations from folks out there? - Nik
You can see more from Nik's trip to Wales with Peugeot on our Microsite here.
