We drove down to Wimborne St.Giles (near Verwood, Dorset) taking the scenic route.

A word about “scenic routes” and Tom-Tom satnav. It has a “Winding Route” option. Don’t use it unless you’re a fan of unnamed roads with grass growing down the middle. We felt like the Starship Enterprise, boldly going where no car had gone before! Once corrected to “Shortest Route” we were served up with minor roads that were scenic and pleasant to drive.

First stop, the village of Chew Magna, just outside Bristol. A really pretty place, some lovely old buildings and a beautiful church. Also a little café. Part of untouched England: you could tell that important international issues passed it by. Overheard on the next table: a long discussion about the correct height of a box-privet hedge and whether a new neighbour should “be informed of this”. Priceless.

Next on to Shaftesbury. A long established market town (early middle ages, I think) and most famous for the filming of one of the Hovis adverts. A really pretty place to spend an hour or so.

We arrived in Wimborne St. Giles a little after 3pm. Totally in the middle of nowhere; a small village with an enormous Manor House, home to Lord Something-or-Another, a beautiful Norman(?) Church, and a lot of lovely old buildings.

We’re staying at Home Farm House. More on this later, but it seems an exceptional upscale Guest House. A warm welcome from the 2 (soppy) dogs and their owners (not at all soppy), and a lovely room in totally quiet and peaceful surroundings. Perfect!