Family holiday – day 2

Duval Priory, the old farmhouse we were staying had monster thick walls, and boy, was it chilly! I don’t know if the place had been unoccupied before we arrived for our annual family holiday together, but the first night was really freezing! However, with more than twenty of us, and with the central heating on, cooking being done and the log fire burning after a fashion, it began to heat up.

Our first evening had been great, sausages and mash for tea, followed by a lovely variety of cakes, Victoria sponge, chocolate brownie, lemon drizzle, Battenburg, chocolate crispies, Easter biscuits, millionaires shortbread… oh and more! Some people had gone down to the nearest pub, the Exeter Arms which served very good beer, straight from the barrel!

A bright and sunny morning greeted us, and Powters chipolatas for breakfast. As usual cousin Simon and I were up first for our morning tea and chat while emptying the dish washer and getting things ready for breakfast. I would love to know the history of the old place we were staying, it certainly has been there for a long time, and must have been quite a wealthy farm before it was converted to holiday accommodation as it has extensive land and buildings.

Although we had been round Bampton, the nearest village, before, we wandered round again. It has a history of occupation going back to neolithic times, and was settled by the Romans, the Saxons and then the Normans who built a motte and bailey castle. There are a large number of listed building, including twenty-three farm houses in the area (including Duvale) and more than forty other houses. Industries from medieval times included leather working, quarrying and many lime kilns, of which there are still the remains of nine.

Back home and gathering in the kitchen we drank tea and exchanged news of our days activities, the ‘children’ – young adults really, lounged around in their rooms watching DVDs, gossiping and playing music. Soon it was Pimm’s o’clock, time for pre-dinner drinks of Pimm’s or gin and tonic. Preparations were beginning to be made for dinner, it was Carolyn turn to cook and she was busy with her chilli con carne. At last it was time to sit around the huge table in the dining room, adults one end, kids at the other, but banter and chat exchanged up and down! Another delicious dinner, washing up done by the children, then pub for some and chat for the rest of us…

I wonder what is in store tomorrow!