Hailes Abbey

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Walk to Hailes Abbey via the Cotswolds Way
We walked northwards on the High Street and it led us to Hailes Road. Then, we found the signpost of the Cotswolds Way and Puck Pit Lane, known as Pilgrim's Way. Reading through the guidebook, Pilgrim's Way was the route where the pilgrims followed to go to the sacred place, Hailes Abbey between 13th and the beginning of the 16th century. After going past the footpath, the Pilgrim's Way led us to the open pasture land. We walked through the ground where countless sheep grazed and were wondering about, whilst viewing golden coloured corn field with scattered trees and seeing honey coloured houses and church's spire beyond. We spotted the steam railway running through the villages. We reached the destination at 12 o'clock.

Hailes Abbey
We showed our English Heritage membership cards and were offered audioguides for free. We sat down and had a picnic lunch. Like houses in Winchcombe and surrounding villages, the remains of the abbey were honey coloured, and they looked even more striking. Hailes Abbey was built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall in the 13th century, and it was running as a Cistercian monastery till 1539. We were shown the ruins of Abbey Church, Vestry, Chapter House, Parlour, Undercroft, Warming House, Refectory, Cloister, Kitchen, and the base of lay brothers. Audioguides included the information how each room would have been used, how pilgrims would have spent their time and contained interesting conversation and dialogues of the head of the monks, pilgrims, and lay brothers. Looking at the ruins of vaulted arches, recesses on the walls, window arches of the cloister walk, and fire bay which would have been chapels, together with several illustrations, we were fully convinced that Hailes Abbey was a sacred place where the Cistercian practice was carried out the duties in accordance to strict rules of Benediction orders.

We also found the remains of the watercourse which would have been used for monk's everyday life and for caring for the sick people who were laid on the Infirmary on the south of the abbey.

We returned the audioguides to the shop and looked round the museum. There were a lot of interesting small fragments of finely carved stones, most of which would have been attached on the vaulted arches and medieval floors.

It was such a hot day, we had ice cream and water after looking round the museum.

Hailes Church
We popped in the Hailes Church. The church was constructed with honey coloured Cotswolds stone, and looked very old. There were a couple of murals, which were directly painted on the walls and recesses, medieval tiles, and mustard coloured font, which still contained water. There were leaflets on the pews, and it contained the information of the local couple's silver wedding service, which had been held previously.

We took the same route back to Winchcombe. Sheep are generally shy and they usually run away when humans approach them. However, sheep on the Pilgrims' Way were different. They either kept eating grasses or rested themselves wherever they wanted. We saw a couple of sheep sitting on the bridge over the watercourse, where the walkers were supposed to walk in the afternoon on 10 July. Mark found the alternative way nearby and we managed to return to Puck Pit Lane.

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