Sad to leave our lovely cottage in Chipping Campden after almost a month - it was starting to feel like home! Thought we'd better have a look at Anne Hathaway's cottage in Stratford on Avon as it was on our way north & we were so pleased we did. This lovely thatched cottage is set in a beautiful garden & we were welcomed by a guide who was really informative. She had some interesting stories about the Hathaways, Shakespeare & life in Tudor times including anecdotes about the origins of some common expressions. "Under the thumb", "curfew" & "backlog" all originated from the fire in the hearth & the fact that it was not allowed to go out. Drove north on the M6 to Manchester & spent the afternoon at Tatton Park which is an enormous mansion set in 50 acres of parkland & gardens. This was the home of generations of Edgerton family who also had a London house in Mayfair & whose wealth is mind-blowing. Elaborately decorated rooms & fabulous "downstairs" kitchen & cellar was great to see. I just know I would have been a scullery maid & have had to scrub & polish those huge pots!