Golden Girls on Tour

We started the day with a quick trip to Burford for a coffee and a bit of people-watching. Quite unexpectedly, we ran into my old bank manager from Tamworth, Gary Littlejohn. It’s a small world!

From there we headed to Jeremy Clarkson’s pub, The Farmer’s Dog, before stopping at the Diddly Squat Farm Shop for a quick refreshment. It was great to finally visit two places made famous by Clarkson’s Farm.

Next, we made our way to the beautiful Frampton Court Estate, which would be our home for the next few days. Calling it a house doesn’t really do it justice—it felt more like a palace straight out of a fairy tale. The two-storey manor is full of history, elegance and charm. Deb is convinced she must have lived there in a past life because she instantly felt right at home.

After settling in, we changed into our riding gear and headed out through the back gate to meet our horses for our first ride. Deb was paired with a stylish bay mare by Fürstenball, while Ali definitely scored the horse of the day—a wonderfully quiet, big Irish Draught that gave her confidence a huge boost. Jan and I, meanwhile, ended up with the two more spirited horses!

We rode through the village before venturing across recently harvested cereal fields and into beautiful woodlands, where the sunlight filtered through the trees in patches of dappled light. It was exactly how you’d imagine riding through the English countryside. On the way home, Jan couldn’t resist jumping a few cross-country fences before we returned to the lorry to untack our horses.

Back at the estate, our wonderful host had prepared a stunning afternoon tea. We enjoyed the full English experience with delicate ribbon sandwiches, sponge cake topped with fresh strawberries, and a pot of beautiful tea served in an exquisite Willow-pattern china tea set. It was the perfect way to finish the afternoon.

Later, we relaxed beside the ornamental canal with a glass of wine while our host, Katy, talked us through the plans for tomorrow’s ride. Sitting there in the late afternoon sunshine was incredibly peaceful.

After freshening up, our personal chef, Georgina, prepared an outstanding dinner—a culinary experience truly worthy of the lady of the manor, Deborah, and her guests! We paired it with a surprisingly good bottle of Sainsbury’s wine, which proved to be an excellent choice.

By the end of the day we were ready for bed. It had been quite warm overnight, and with daylight arriving so early, we were all awake by 5:30 am, refreshed and excited for another unforgettable day riding through the beautiful Cotswolds.