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Exeter Cathedral

After departing Forde Abbey, we headed for our next hotel in Exeter. It was the most modern hotel I've stayed in so far, and I had a very comfortable room. We were only here one night, and the following morning, many of the other travelers were unhappy. The air was out in many of the rooms, and the porters did not bring up their luggage. Oops, I thought mine was fantastic. After checking in, I had an hour to relax before heading down for our group dinner. Following dinner, Kathy and I walked one block to see the magnificent Exeter Cathedral in twilight. It was closed but very beautiful, especially lit up at night. This cathedral was completed around 1400. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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Bourton House

Located in the village of Burton-on-the-Hill, in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, Bourton House is an eighteenth-century manor house with a sixteenth-century Tithe Barn. It is surrounded by a three-acre garden and a seven-acre walled pasture that is now planted with specimen trees.


The Jacobean-style house was originally built in 1598 and was shortly thereafter purchased by the wealthy London lawyer Sir Nicholas Overbury. There is a dark history involving Overbury's son, which includes adultery and murder. It is quite a convoluted story, and I don't believe any of the shady dealings actually took place at Bourton House. You can read the story here and decide for yourself.

An interesting note about these manor houses and gardens is that the front of the houses usually faced the back of the property. At least that was the case with Hidcote and Kiftsgate. The same here with Bourton House, where the entrance to the property (right next to a busy street) contained a little walled garden, some concrete planters, the entrance to the Tithe Barn, and another building to the side that I wasn't sure what purpose it served.



A narrow passageway leads to the gardens at the back (er - front) of the house -


A small greenhouse was bursting with many exotic plants -



 And then we come to the gardens, which include several terraced areas that extend along the back and side of the house.









The Shade House -



The Tithe Barn is the original building built in 1570. It preserves the dedication stone with the initials "RP" for the then owner, Richard Palmer. The tithe barn was used in the Middle Ages to store tithes (sometimes in the forms of agricultural produce) collected from the community. Today it serves as a gift shop and small cafe which had drinks and a delicious array of desserts.



The house has seen several owners over the past century. In 1983, Mr. & Mrs. R. Paice, moved in and set about restoring and developing the gardens. In 2010, new owners continued to enhance the gardens, and it remains open to the public.

(Visited May 7, 2025)

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Kris PetersonJuly 26, 2025 at 5:03 PM

    Now that's a proper shade house! The greenhouse looks great too. Oh, to have that large a garden - and gardeners to help maintain it!

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  2. Ardith FergusonJuly 27, 2025 at 7:14 PM

    Oh, I love the basket weave pattern on the water feature structure!

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  3. tz_gardenJuly 29, 2025 at 12:54 PM

    Woah, now THAT's a shade house! Lovely grounds, such a dream.

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