The Eight Bells: Chipping Campden Pub Lunch

 

Set in the heart of Chipping Campden, The Eight Bells is a traditional Cotswold pub co-owned by Neil and Julie Hargreaves for almost 30 years. Built in the 14th-century to house the stonemasons who built St. James’ Church, the Inn got its name by later being used to store the eight bells that were hung in the church tower. The 17th-century saw the Inn rebuilt using most of the original stone and timbers, then was extended in the Georgian period into what stands today, an outstanding example of a traditional Cotswolds Inn with a cobbled courtyard, tremendously popular on a warm sunny day. 

With ales from Hook Norton Brewery and North Cotswold Brewery, gin from Cotswold Distillery, meat from butcher David Moore on Chipping Campden’s High Street and seasonal vegetables from the area, the Eight Bells prides itself on celebrating regional ingredients. Arriving for our first Sunday lunch while staying at Little Orchard, we enjoyed a lovely walk along the high street before being seated at a quiet corner table beside the wood burning fireplace and a view through the leaded glass windows onto utterly charming Church Street. 

Arriving with Harry, Wami and baby granddaughter Mia on a sunny Saturday, we began with a few pints of beer, as we explored the special weekend menu, and settled on some delicious starters including a spectacular Smoked Salmon Roulade with horseradish and cream cheese mousse, golden beetroot, new potato and red vein sorrel, as well as Grilled Goats Cheese with Glazed Figs, yellow beets, baby watercress, mixed nuts and balsamic dressing, and a luscious Homemade Roasted Tomato Soup. Entrées included Traditional Fish and Chips with tartare sauce and garden peas, Steak and Ale Short-Crust Pastry Pie with creamy mash and celery purée served with cherry vine tomatoes and red wine gravy, and Eight Bells signature Prime Beef Hamburger with chilli-bacon jam, Mozzarella, Costswold Relish, lettuce, jalapeno and marinated onion on a potato bun with fries and coleslaw.

Six handpumps at The Eight Bells serve local and regional ales and two ciders

Our cozy table in the adjacent dining room 

The Saturday Lunch menu

Special additions to the menu

Pale straw in colour, 1985 is a premium lager from the Wye Valley Brewery 

on the border between Wales and England

A Wye Valley Bitter

Grilled Goats Cheese with Glazed Figs, yellow beets, baby watercress, 

mixed nuts and balsamic dressing

Homemade Roasted Tomato Soup with bread and butter

Smoked Salmon Roulade with horseradish and cream cheese mousse with golden beetroot

new potato and red vein sorrel

Traditional Cod Filet deep-fried in beer batter with hand-cut chips, 

tartare sauce and garden peas

Steak and Ale Short-Crust Pastry Pie with creamy mash and celery purée

with cherry vine tomatoes and red wine gravy

Harry's Eight Bells Prime Beef Hamburger with chilli-bacon jam, Mozzarella,

Costswold Relish, lettuce, jalapeno and marinated onion on a potato bun with fries and coleslaw

eightbellsinn.co.uk

Cirencester: Roman Heritage & Medieval Charm

 

Cirencester is a vibrant market town steeped in history, offering a fascinating blend of Roman heritage and medieval charm. Once one of the largest towns in Roman Britain, Cirencester’s rich past is still evident today, with landmarks such as the Corinium Museum, which houses one of the finest collections of Roman artifacts in the country, and the town’s impressive St. John Baptist Church, with its towering Gothic architecture, dominates the bustling market square and serves as a reminder of Cirencester’s importance through the ages. From its founding in the early 12th century the church was extended and embellished over more than three centuries, culminating in a complete rebuilding of the nave in the 16th century. The south porch was built by Cirencester Abbey around 1480 and only connected to the church in the 18th century. Because of its size, grandeur and historical importance, the church is known, informally, as the Cathedral of the Cotswolds, and is constructed out of the local Cotswold stone, a yellowish limestone, now aged and weathered, that gives the building a rich, warm colour, especially when illuminated by the sun.

A short walk along the High Street is Cirencester's premier seafood restaurant, Henry's Seafood Bar & Grill, where we had made reservations for lunch. A modern British-led restaurant with a heavy seafood influence and using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, including Newlyn lobsters and delicious St Ives’ crab, Henry's was recently remodelled the 17th-century space and features a collection of modern art throughout the space as well as attractive new furniture including oak dining tables made by local tradesmen. Beginning with a glass of champagne, we started with the Cornish curried white crab and sublime Orkney Scallops that were coal roasted in their shell with oak smoked chilli and garlic butter and served on a bed of rocks, followed by entrées including Lobster Risotto with garlic butter tail, lobster oil pangrattato and fresh tarragon, as well a delicious perfectly cooked Whole Plaice with brown crab meuniere, samphire and semi cured tomatoes. A glorious day exploring Cirencester followed with a delicious lunch, we're already looking forward to being able to spend more time in this lovely town the next time we're in the Cotswolds.

The large three-storey south porch of The Church of St. John the Baptist was built about 1490 

Impressive Medieval fan vaulting in the south porch of the Church

Age old round door knocker

Built of Cotswold stone, the church is one of the largest parish churches in England

St Catherine's chapel dates from around 1150 and was extended in the 15th century

with exquisite fan vaulting

Fan Vaulting with the coat of arms of Edward III of England 

Memorial monument to George Monax who died in 1638, 

was a wool merchant and Sheriff of London under King Charles I

Medieval Trinity Chapel Stained Glass dates from 1430 to 1460

The chancel and attached chapel represent the oldest part of the Church

dating from the 12th century

The Coffee and Tea Van in the Market Square

The charming Cirencester High Street

Established in 1815, Walter Bull & Son sells sterling silver condiment caps 

that were so fabulous that we bought one for our HP Sauce

The Bear Inn, around the corner from Walter Bull & Son, is a piece of Cirencester history, 

dating back to the 18th century

The charming stone and timber interior 

The English are very dog friendly and embrace well behaved pooches on the premises

A pint of award-winning Butcombe Beer before lunch

Henry's Seafood Bar & Grill in Cirencester

The fashionable interior of Henry's with oak tables made from a local caftsmen

Henry's Drinks and Food Menu

Grand Réserve Premier Cru Champagne

View from the dining room through to the Bar

A new Lunch menu was launched the afternoon we dined at Henry's

Cornish Curried White Crab with Brown Butter Dripping Toast, Coriander & Cashew

Orkney Scallops Coal Roasted In-Shell with Oak Smoked Chilli & Garlic Butter,

served on a bed of rocks

Pinot Grigio

Lobster Risotto with Garlic Butter Tail, Lobster Oil Pangrattato and fresh Tarragon

Whole Plaice with Brown Crab Meuniere, Samphire and Semi Cured Tomatoes

Rocket Salad wth Courgette, Lemon and Pecorino

A Bunny with monocle is one of the modern pieces of art fund throughout the restaurant

Framed photos of many stars are part of the restaurant's gallery of art

www.henryscotswolds.co.uk

Amersham & The Griffin: Lunch in the Chiltern Hills

 

With its half-timbered houses and handsome Market Hall, Amersham is one of the most photogenic market towns in the Chilterns. Having spent my formative years living in Amersham and going to school at Heatherton House on Copperkins Lane, our family spent memorable years exploring the English countryside, so returning for a visit during our stay on the Cotswolds, was a heartwarming trip down 'memory lane'. The Kings Arms was the posh restaurant at the time, but we decided to enjoy a lovely lunch at The Griffin. 

Located in a late 17th-century coaching inn with a high arched gateway and cobbled yard in the historic market town of Old Amersham, The Griffin was once a popular stopover on the way from London to Oxford or Aylesbury, and was once even reported to be dined in by Oliver Cromwell in the 1600s when his family lived in the area during the English Civil War, and also McNeil Whistler, the famous 20th Century American artist, who had lunch at the inn and commented that it was "an old house, charming, and the kitchen amazing". 

In 2021, The Griffin bistro opened its doors in the heart of Old Amersham by chef patron Joe Izzo, and quickly became an elegant, warm and welcoming bistro serving high quality classically refined cuisine, using locally grown and sourced ingredients, with a delicious wine list and amazing service with chef Tomas Topolar at the culinary helm and his talented brigade. Beginning with a glass of champagne at the posh bar, we were seated at a lovely table in the elegant dining room, and enjoyed a delicious lunch and dessert before taking the slow country roads through bucolic Buckinghamshire on our way home to Chipping Camden.

Old Amersham from the hill

'Body Stones' of St Mary's Parish Church of Old Amersham dates from around 1140 AD 

Heatherton House Girls School, which was founded in 1912, is where I went 

to school from Form 3-5 while living in Amersham in the early 70's

Plump Pink English Rose in the Old Amersham Memorial Gardens

Coronation Clock in Old Amersham Memorial Garden

Nestled in the heart of Old Amersham is the iconic Market Hall which was built in 1682 

by Sir William Drake who was an MP for Amersham

Domesday Plaque on Amersham Market Hall, issued to celebrate 900 years of Norman Heritage

The Kings Arms in Old Amersham is where we went as a little girl for dinner 

with my parents and brother in the 70's

The Kings Arms was used in the film 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'

The Griffin in Old Amersham

Interior of The Griffin

The swishy Bar at The Griffin

Glass of Cuvée Brut Oudinot Champagne

The Griffin Lunch menu 

An enticing wooden board with freshly baked sourdough bread and dill butter

"for whilst we wait"

Chalkstream Trout Ceviche with citrus ponzu, sesame. seaweed salad and radish

Gazpacho with poached tomatoes and croutons

Glass of Paza la Maza Albarino

Griffin head chef Tomas Topolar and his kitchen brigade

Cornish Bream with peas, tartare beurre blanc, potato pavé and beer batter scraps

Tartare Beurre Blanc Sauce

32 Day-Aged Bavette Steak with stout and miso glaze, fries and chimmichurri sauce

Sticky Toffee Pudding with macerated cherries and milk iced cream

Macchiato

griffinamersham.co.uk