• New Events
  • Feed
  • Subject
    • Eat
    • Sleep
    • Visit
    • Read
    • Listen
    • Watch
    • Life
    • Moonridge
  • Trending
  • Karen
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe

Always Packed for Adventure!

It's the destination and the journey.

  • New Events
  • Feed
  • Subject
    • Eat
    • Sleep
    • Visit
    • Read
    • Listen
    • Watch
    • Life
    • Moonridge
  • Trending
  • Karen
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe

England March 2013- Compton

Living in Los Angeles, the city of Compton is a place to avoid at all costs. In England, Compton is a very different sort of place. It's beautiful, quaint and most important, safe! We took a drive to Compton after visiting the Bucklebury Farm Park, to see the church where Dan was christened. As always, the drive in the countryside was very picturesque.

 Country Roads.​ i love the hedges.

Country Roads.​ i love the hedges.

 ​Road sign

​Road sign

 ​Another road sign

​Another road sign

 Country Roads.​ i love the hedges.  ​Road sign  ​Another road sign

We pulled up to the Parish of St. Mary and St. Nicholas and we were lucky to find the church doors open. With the exception of a woman cleaning, we were alone in the old church. 

The church has been around since the middle ages and although it has undergone some reconstruction for safety concerns, most of the original architecture has been left intact, including the reusing of much of the original material when rebuilding.

 ​Parish of St. Mary and St. Nicholas

​Parish of St. Mary and St. Nicholas

 ​Main entrance

​Main entrance

 ​Parish of St. Mary and St. Nicholas

​Parish of St. Mary and St. Nicholas

 ​Gateway to the church. 

​Gateway to the church. 

 ​Side entrance

​Side entrance

 ​Parish of St. Mary and St. Nicholas  ​Main entrance  ​Parish of St. Mary and St. Nicholas  ​Gateway to the church.   ​Side entrance

We went inside to try to find Dan's name on a list of children that have been christened in the parish. Until recently, his name has been on the wall. Sadly, we discovered that he has been bumped off the list due to too many births. Great, another thing to make us feel old!

 ​The interior of the church.

​The interior of the church.

 ​The  church community board.

​The  church community board.

 ​A small interior door. We had to bend to walk through it.

​A small interior door. We had to bend to walk through it.

 ​Parish of St. Mary and St. Nicholas Quilt.

​Parish of St. Mary and St. Nicholas Quilt.

 ​The interior of the church.  ​The  church community board.  ​A small interior door. We had to bend to walk through it.  ​Parish of St. Mary and St. Nicholas Quilt.

I took a few pictures in the graveyard adjacent to the church. The grass was lush green and there were some very old plots. 

 ​The Church Graveyard.

​The Church Graveyard.

 ​The Church Graveyard.

​The Church Graveyard.

 ​The Church Graveyard.

​The Church Graveyard.

 ​The Church Graveyard.

​The Church Graveyard.

 ​The Church Graveyard.  ​The Church Graveyard.  ​The Church Graveyard.  ​The Church Graveyard.

Horses were grazing on the property next to the church. One friendly horse came over to say hello. 

 Horses

Horses

 ​This friendly horse let us pet him.

​This friendly horse let us pet him.

 Horses  ​This friendly horse let us pet him.

We were in race horse country and the way back, Dan drove us down a bumpy, muddy road, so that we could check out the downs. Unfortunately, it was the wrong time of the year to see the horses running, but the landscape was still gorgeous. 

​Where race horses roam.

tags: compton, compton in england vs los angeles, the village of compton, parish of st.mary and st. nicholas, parish of st. mary and st. nicholas compton, pictures church compton england, pictures of english countryside, pictures of english downs, pictures of horses in england, pictures of middle ages churches, pictures of churches in england, pictures of england cemeteries, pictures of graveyards in england, compton parish, bucklebury farm park, my England trip report, My first trip to England, beautiful churches in england, pictures of medieval churches
categories: Trips and Travels, Visit
Wednesday 04.03.13
Posted by Karen Lea Germain
Comments: 2
 

England March 2013- Bucklebury Farm Park

I love anything with animals, especially farms. A short drive from Dan's hometown is a fantastic place called Bucklebury Farm Park. For those who do Royal watching, yes, the farm is located in the same village as Kate Middleton's hometown. Dan pointed this out to me, as we were driving through the beautiful village of Bucklebury, whose cluster of businesses were a "blink and you'll miss it" situation. 

 ​Another pretty view. In fact, I had nothing but pretty views on all of our drives in England. It's nice to have landscapes that are not the desert!

​Another pretty view. In fact, I had nothing but pretty views on all of our drives in England. It's nice to have landscapes that are not the desert!

 ​The road to the farm.

​The road to the farm.

 ​The pretty drive to the farm.

​The pretty drive to the farm.

 ​Another pretty view. In fact, I had nothing but pretty views on all of our drives in England. It's nice to have landscapes that are not the desert!  ​The road to the farm.  ​The pretty drive to the farm.

We pulled up to the farm and discovered that we were the only visitors, with the exception of staff, the huge, dirt parking lot was completely empty. Dan has visited before and said that it's normally packed. We came on a bitterly cold Tuesday morning, when most of the local kids were in school. Except for the miserable weather, this is the way to do it!

 ​Want be a farmer? Why, yes please! I want my 36th birthday party to be at Bucklebury Farm Park.

​Want be a farmer? Why, yes please! I want my 36th birthday party to be at Bucklebury Farm Park.

 ​Welcome sign.

​Welcome sign.

 ​Want be a farmer? Why, yes please! I want my 36th birthday party to be at Bucklebury Farm Park.  ​Welcome sign.

We bought the family admission (two adults, two kids) for thirty pounds and they gave us a large bag of feed for the animals. The animals game galloping across the fields when they saw us, all eager for a bit of the feed.

 A field of sheep, before they noticed that we had a bag of feed.​

A field of sheep, before they noticed that we had a bag of feed.​

 ​Sunny, the deer. We met her before we had paid admission and didn't have the bag of feed. She was friendly, until she realized that we didn't have pellets for her.

​Sunny, the deer. We met her before we had paid admission and didn't have the bag of feed. She was friendly, until she realized that we didn't have pellets for her.

 ​Super soft sheep!

​Super soft sheep!

 ​Friendly Llama.

​Friendly Llama.

 A field of sheep, before they noticed that we had a bag of feed.​  ​Sunny, the deer. We met her before we had paid admission and didn't have the bag of feed. She was friendly, until she realized that we didn't have pellets for her.  ​Super soft sheep!  ​Friendly Llama.

A couple of the goats were very aggressive in their attempts to get us to give them food. They banged their hooves on a nearby rabbit hutch. Those poor rabbits have bad neighbors! 

 ​Eating pellets off of the hutch.

​Eating pellets off of the hutch.

 The goat pen.​

The goat pen.​

 ​They are banging on the rabbit hutch.

​They are banging on the rabbit hutch.

 ​These two are trouble!

​These two are trouble!

 ​Don't be fooled...he is not that calm!

​Don't be fooled...he is not that calm!

 ​Eating pellets off of the hutch.  The goat pen.​  ​They are banging on the rabbit hutch.  ​These two are trouble!  ​Don't be fooled...he is not that calm!

We were allowed to go into the pen with the rabbits and pygmy goats.  

 ​Dan feeding a pygmy goat. This was a good animal for the kids, as it was small and gentle. 

​Dan feeding a pygmy goat. This was a good animal for the kids, as it was small and gentle. 

 ​Pygmy goats! So cute!

​Pygmy goats! So cute!

 ​A rabbit, trying to get some sleep.

​A rabbit, trying to get some sleep.

 ​All of the goats watching us feed the pygmy goat.  ​

​All of the goats watching us feed the pygmy goat.

​

 ​Dan feeding a pygmy goat. This was a good animal for the kids, as it was small and gentle.   ​Pygmy goats! So cute!  ​A rabbit, trying to get some sleep.  ​All of the goats watching us feed the pygmy goat.  ​

The pigs recently had babies. 

 Piglet

Piglet

 Probably the cutest pig picture ever.​

Probably the cutest pig picture ever.​

 Careful!​

Careful!​

 Piglet  Probably the cutest pig picture ever.​  Careful!​

They had boars in both a pen and in a field. In the pen, we watched as they were given a treat of the day-old cafe pastries. In the field, they were rooting and rolling around in the deep mud, having a great time.

 Eating treats

Eating treats

 ​This is a toy for the kids. You put your feed in the dump truck and then turn a wheel to move the truck down a track, where it dumps the feed into the mud at the end.

​This is a toy for the kids. You put your feed in the dump truck and then turn a wheel to move the truck down a track, where it dumps the feed into the mud at the end.

 ​Having fun in the mud

​Having fun in the mud

 ​Boar looking for the dump truck feed.

​Boar looking for the dump truck feed.

 Eating treats  ​This is a toy for the kids. You put your feed in the dump truck and then turn a wheel to move the truck down a track, where it dumps the feed into the mud at the end.  ​Having fun in the mud  ​Boar looking for the dump truck feed.

The barn also had cows and donkeys. The staff at Bucklebury Farm Park were fantastic, giving us lots of information and ways to interact with the animals. Dan's kids were a bit shy, but had they wanted to, they could have sat in a tractor and given pastries to the boars.  

 The barn.​

The barn.​

 ​Donkeys. The one in the middle kept getting shoved by the other two.

​Donkeys. The one in the middle kept getting shoved by the other two.

 Pretty cow.​

Pretty cow.​

 The barn.​  ​Donkeys. The one in the middle kept getting shoved by the other two.  Pretty cow.​

In addition to all of the animals, Bucklebury Farm Park has an extensive play area. We were too busy playing and having fun to bother with taking a ton of pictures.

The best part was an enormous trampoline. We were all out of breath and in giggles from playing on it. It was serious exercise too! Dan and I need to look for a trampoline park in Los Angeles.

In addition to the enormous outdoor play area, they have two indoor slides, which was perfect for the cold day. They were the type of slides that you see at carnivals, where you need a burlap sack to sit on. I think that the kids could have spent all day on the slides. It's located adjacent to the cafe, so it kept the adults happy too! 

 ​The only time that I saw the word Loo in England.

​The only time that I saw the word Loo in England.

 ​A fort in the play area.

​A fort in the play area.

 ​A train and part of the grounds. Did I mention that this place is enormous?!?!?

​A train and part of the grounds. Did I mention that this place is enormous?!?!?

 Maybe this guy was a special animal at Bucklebury? He was in the cafe.​

Maybe this guy was a special animal at Bucklebury? He was in the cafe.​

 ​The only time that I saw the word Loo in England.  ​A fort in the play area.  ​A train and part of the grounds. Did I mention that this place is enormous?!?!?  Maybe this guy was a special animal at Bucklebury? He was in the cafe.​

We spent a couple of hours at Bucklebury Farm Park. I think that if the weather had been warmer, we could have easily spent half a day. The kids loved the play area.

On our way out, we heard a cluck and saw our final animal...Chickens!!! A farm just isn't complete without the chickens.

​Loads of chickens.

Bucklebury Farm Park is a gem of a local attraction and a must-do for animal lovers! Check out their official website for more information. 

Bucklebury Farm Park Official Site
tags: Bucklebury Farm Park, Bucklebury Farm pARK review, Bucklebury Farm, Bucklebury Farm Park Pictures, Bucklebury Farm Park Animals, Kate Middleton Bucklebury, Feeding animals at Bucklebury Farm Park, Bucklebury Farm Park Trampoline, Trampoline parks in Los Angeles, Bucklebury Farm Park Play Area, Goats at Bucklebury farm, agressive goats, Pigs at Bucklebury Farm, Rabbits at bucklebury Farm, Things to do in Bucklebury England, Family activities in England, Farms in England, Petting Zoos in England, My first trip to England, my England trip report, the village of bucklebury, boars at Bucklebury farm park
categories: Trips and Travels, Visit
Monday 04.01.13
Posted by Karen Lea Germain
 

England March 2013- Hungerford

On my last full day in England, Dan's mom took me to the nearby town of Hungerford. The Hungerford adventure started with a ride in Dan's parent's Smart Car. As a member of the SoCal Smarties, I've seen all types of Smart Cars. However, this was my first time in a UK Smart!

 ​UK Smart Car!

​UK Smart Car!

 ​Dan's Parent's  new Smart.

​Dan's Parent's  new Smart.

 ​The interior of their Smart.

​The interior of their Smart.

 ​Their car has a feature that I had not seen, Eco. The engine shuts off when the car is at a stop.

​Their car has a feature that I had not seen, Eco. The engine shuts off when the car is at a stop.

 ​UK Smart Car!  ​Dan's Parent's  new Smart.  ​The interior of their Smart.  ​Their car has a feature that I had not seen, Eco. The engine shuts off when the car is at a stop.

I love having my Smart Car in Los Angeles, but I think that if I lived in England, I would definitely want to have one. The narrow roads are scary! 

The drive to Hungerford was very beautiful. Here is a picture of one of the prettiest spots that I saw on my trip, a giant field that is a cow pasture in the warmer months. 

​I want to come back and see the cows!

Just like Newbury, Hungerford is a beautiful town filled with buildings steeped in history and full of character.  

 ​The main street in Hungerford.

​The main street in Hungerford.

 ​Travel agency.

​Travel agency.

 ​Building address

​Building address

 ​Mom and pop hardware store.

​Mom and pop hardware store.

 Great store name.​

Great store name.​

 ​Bumps in the road.

​Bumps in the road.

 ​Alley to residential section.

​Alley to residential section.

 ​Warning sign

​Warning sign

 ​Hungerford is filled with antique stores...some high end and some just junk.

​Hungerford is filled with antique stores...some high end and some just junk.

 ​The community events board.

​The community events board.

 ​Pretty window.

​Pretty window.

 ​Hungerford street sign.

​Hungerford street sign.

 ​Shop front

​Shop front

 Naturally, ​i had to take a picture of the bookstore.

Naturally, ​i had to take a picture of the bookstore.

 ​Clock close-up

​Clock close-up

 Beautiful old building with a clock tower.​

Beautiful old building with a clock tower.​

 ​The main street in Hungerford.  ​Travel agency.  ​Building address  ​Mom and pop hardware store.  Great store name.​  ​Bumps in the road.  ​Alley to residential section.  ​Warning sign  ​Hungerford is filled with antique stores...some high end and some just junk.  ​The community events board.  ​Pretty window.  ​Hungerford street sign.  ​Shop front  Naturally, ​i had to take a picture of the bookstore.  ​Clock close-up  Beautiful old building with a clock tower.​

I love writing reviews on Tripadvisor and I was happy to see the familiar owl in a shop window.

​One of my favorite sites.

Our first stop in Hungerford was the Antiques Arcade. The Antiques Arcade is deceptively small looking from the outside, but is massive. Inside, the building is split into two halves, each with a row of individual antique stalls going deep into building, including some on a second floor and in a basement. It's a place where you could spend many days and never see everything, objects are crammed into every available space.  

I don't even like antique shopping, but I have to recommend the Hungerford Antique Arcade as a must-see. It's quite spectacular and the building itself is nothing like we have in America. I quite honestly had no idea where to look, as there was just so much to see. The best thing about poking around the arcade was finding objects that were completely foreign and unusual, like old machinery. There are some really old and unique objects for sale! 

 The Hungerford Antique Arcade

The Hungerford Antique Arcade

 ​The Hungerford Antiques Arcade

​The Hungerford Antiques Arcade

 ​Caution Sign.

​Caution Sign.

 ​Taxidermy for sale ( not even remotely the strangest thing that you could purchase)

​Taxidermy for sale ( not even remotely the strangest thing that you could purchase)

 ​Books for sale!

​Books for sale!

 ​The Junk shop, located in a damp basement.

​The Junk shop, located in a damp basement.

 ​Giant flag

​Giant flag

 Cool ceiling

Cool ceiling

 Steep stairs leading to the Junk Shop.​

Steep stairs leading to the Junk Shop.​

 ​Sign for a British reality show. If this was on an American channel, it would totally be a TLC show.

​Sign for a British reality show. If this was on an American channel, it would totally be a TLC show.

 The Hungerford Antique Arcade  ​The Hungerford Antiques Arcade  ​Caution Sign.  ​Taxidermy for sale ( not even remotely the strangest thing that you could purchase)  ​Books for sale!  ​The Junk shop, located in a damp basement.  ​Giant flag  Cool ceiling  Steep stairs leading to the Junk Shop.​  ​Sign for a British reality show. If this was on an American channel, it would totally be a TLC show.

My favorite part of Hungerford was walking by the canal. The canal runs through the town and has a lock allow for boats to enter. It is filled with ducks and lined with pretty homes. 

 ​Walking towards the canal.

​Walking towards the canal.

 ​Mooring info

​Mooring info

 The crossword notice...love it!​

The crossword notice...love it!​

 The Hungerford Canal.​

The Hungerford Canal.​

 ​Ducks

​Ducks

 ​Lots of ducks!

​Lots of ducks!

 ​This house had a notice on the door...

​This house had a notice on the door...

 Just in case the message wasn't clear with the crossword.​

Just in case the message wasn't clear with the crossword.​

 Pretty canal house

Pretty canal house

 ​Door knocker

​Door knocker

 ​Ivy lined path

​Ivy lined path

 ​A boat parked on the canal

​A boat parked on the canal

 ​The walking path along the canal.

​The walking path along the canal.

 ​People fish here too

​People fish here too

 The Hungerford canal.​

The Hungerford canal.​

 ​Another fishing info sign

​Another fishing info sign

 ​The Hungerford Lock

​The Hungerford Lock

 ​The Hungerford Lock.

​The Hungerford Lock.

 The Hungerford Lock

The Hungerford Lock

 ​Written in stone near the lock

​Written in stone near the lock

 The Hungerford Lock.​

The Hungerford Lock.​

 ​The Hungerford Lock

​The Hungerford Lock

 ​The Canal

​The Canal

 ​Underneath the bridge

​Underneath the bridge

 Great name for a boat!​

Great name for a boat!​

8579700722_f5dab9105e_h.jpg
 ​Walking towards the canal.  ​Mooring info  The crossword notice...love it!​  The Hungerford Canal.​  ​Ducks  ​Lots of ducks!  ​This house had a notice on the door...  Just in case the message wasn't clear with the crossword.​  Pretty canal house  ​Door knocker  ​Ivy lined path  ​A boat parked on the canal  ​The walking path along the canal.  ​People fish here too  The Hungerford canal.​  ​Another fishing info sign  ​The Hungerford Lock  ​The Hungerford Lock.  The Hungerford Lock  ​Written in stone near the lock  The Hungerford Lock.​  ​The Hungerford Lock  ​The Canal  ​Underneath the bridge  Great name for a boat!​ 8579700722_f5dab9105e_h.jpg

After the canal walk, we went back to the main street and found a hidden path to take us back to where the Smart Car was parked. I took a ton of pictures.

 The only red phone booth that I saw on the whole trip.​

The only red phone booth that I saw on the whole trip.​

 ​Round-a-bout

​Round-a-bout

 ​Funny

​Funny

 Pub Quiz is a big thing in Los Angeles too! Love it!​

Pub Quiz is a big thing in Los Angeles too! Love it!​

 ​indian restaurant

​indian restaurant

 ​That's a lot of logs!

​That's a lot of logs!

 ​Graffiti on the hidden path.

​Graffiti on the hidden path.

 ​Another antique store

​Another antique store

 ​Warning sign on the hidden path.

​Warning sign on the hidden path.

 ​A more modern church stuck in among the old buildings.

​A more modern church stuck in among the old buildings.

 ​A dog house

​A dog house

 ​i want to live in "Mole House". I also learned all about mole holes on this trip.

​i want to live in "Mole House". I also learned all about mole holes on this trip.

 Town map

Town map

 ​The hidden path.

​The hidden path.

 ​We decided to walk up a set of stairs and found the hidden pathway.  ​

​We decided to walk up a set of stairs and found the hidden pathway.

​

 ​The local pet store.

​The local pet store.

 ​old gate

​old gate

 ​A round-a-bout without any physical barriers.

​A round-a-bout without any physical barriers.

 ​I love the vines on the brick building.

​I love the vines on the brick building.

 ​We came across a flooded road. Luckily the Smart had no trouble managing the water.

​We came across a flooded road. Luckily the Smart had no trouble managing the water.

 The Smart waiting for us in the parking lot. We left just as it was starting to pour.​

The Smart waiting for us in the parking lot. We left just as it was starting to pour.​

 Driving through Hungerford

Driving through Hungerford

 ​Driving back through the beautiful fields with dark skies.

​Driving back through the beautiful fields with dark skies.

 The only red phone booth that I saw on the whole trip.​  ​Round-a-bout  ​Funny  Pub Quiz is a big thing in Los Angeles too! Love it!​  ​indian restaurant  ​That's a lot of logs!  ​Graffiti on the hidden path.  ​Another antique store  ​Warning sign on the hidden path.  ​A more modern church stuck in among the old buildings.  ​A dog house  ​i want to live in "Mole House". I also learned all about mole holes on this trip.  Town map  ​The hidden path.  ​We decided to walk up a set of stairs and found the hidden pathway.  ​  ​The local pet store.  ​old gate  ​A round-a-bout without any physical barriers.  ​I love the vines on the brick building.  ​We came across a flooded road. Luckily the Smart had no trouble managing the water.  The Smart waiting for us in the parking lot. We left just as it was starting to pour.​  Driving through Hungerford  ​Driving back through the beautiful fields with dark skies.

A big THANK YOU to Dan's mom for taking me to Hungerford. We spent a wonderful afternoon in a charming town. 

tags: hungerford england, my trip to hungerford, pictures of hungerford, the town of hungerford england, the hungerford lock, the hungerford canal, pictures of the hungerford canal, antiques in hungerford, hungerford antique arcade, review of hungerford antique arcade, antiques in England, hidden path in Hungerford, phone booth in hungerford, ducks in hungerford, driving in the english countryside, tripadvisor, tripadvisor in hungerford, newbury england, smart car, socal smarties, smart car in the UK, smart cars with eco, cow pasture in hungerford, hungerford clock tower, map of hungerfor, hungerford community board, taxidermy badger in hungerford, dog shit signs in hungerford, funny signs in hungerford, traffic circle in hungerford, boats in hungerford canal, fishing in hungerford, graffiti in hungerford
categories: Smart Car Outings, Trips and Travels, Visit
Friday 03.29.13
Posted by Karen Lea Germain
 
Newer / Older

Powered by Squarespace 6