A couple of days at Top of Tardebigge

Thursday 27^th and Friday 28^th April

We have been moored at the top of Tardebigge the last couple of days.  It is really nice and peaceful here.  We have been out walking and doing a couple of geo-caches.

HMP Hewell Grange Farm Shop

Farm shop sign

There is a farm shop up on the main road run by HMP Hewell Grange.   It is a nurseries run by the inmates of the open prison.  The prison is about a mile away and has a farm next door to it.  They rear the animals there and then send them to slaughter and the prison officers (not the inmates) butcher the meat, make sausages and burgers etc. and they sell them in the farm shop.  They also grow fruit and vegetables and all the growing and picking is done by the prisoners.  They also have chickens and cows.

Inside the Church

Church at Tardebigge

It is a really great place.  We wanted some rhubarb and some green beans so they went off and picked us some.  Also they had frozen chickens from the farm so we got one of them, it was enormous about 3.5kg and only £7, what a bargain!  We also got some apples, some bacon and Governor’s Breakfast Sausages which apparently have all the breakfast ingredients inside the sausage so we are looking forward to trying them.

Lovely views from church yard

We also went for a walk to the local 18^th-C church, St. Bartholomew.  Its delicate spire sits atop an airy Barogue bell-chamber and slender tower, designed by Frances Hiorn and it has an unusual round end.  The church was open so we went in for a look, it is really nice inside and Smugger said his prayers and then we went outside.

Smugs enjoying the views

Tardebigge Cafe

There are some great views from the church yard and while Smugs and I admired them, Kev went into the field below to see if he could find a cache, we couldn’t go as there was sheep in the field, but he didn’t have any luck with this one. We may go back and have another look if we have time before we leave here.

Tardebigge Court craft centre

We also visited the craft centre, Tardebigge Court made up of several independent shops including music shop, hair salon, pine stripping and a bowls shop to name a few and also a café and stopped for a coffee although we had to sit outside but that was okay as it wasn’t raining.

It has been really nice staying here for a couple of days now we have found the church, farm shop and craft centre and some nice walks but it is time to move on so tomorrow we will be on our way.

Smuggler having his evening nap!