Bourton-on-the-Water Summer Holiday May 2018 Day 5

We headed for Northleach to have a look at the Mechanical Music Museum which usefully had a bar for our first break of the day. The museum guide who showed us around was very entertaining and we all finished very impressed with the quality of workmanship needed to produce such amazing instruments many centuries ago. Afterwards some of us headed for a circular route of about 4.1/2 miles towards Hampnett and then picking up the Monarch's Way to walk in the presumed path of Charles I on his route away from Stow-on-the-Wold. Hampnett Church was a surprise inside. This 12th century church received some extraordinary decoration courtesy of the vicar, Rev. William Wiggin. Inside the sanctuary, nave and windows there is some very elaborate medieval style stencilling which the parishioners were not at all happy with, but failed to raise sufficient funds to have it all covered up. It is assumed it didn't do much for attendance. However it is very striking and well worth a visit. After dropping down into the village of Northleach we had a look at Northleach church. It is an oustanding example of the power of wool in the 15th century. The Cotswolds produced the finest wool and Northleach was the economic centre of Europe at that time. As one of the merchants had inscribed in his house " I thank God and ever shall, it is the sheepe hath payed for all" They were very generous and paid for vast improvements to the church, paid the ransom for Richard the Lionheart, subsidised the military adventures of Edward I, and paid entirely for the early years of the 100 years war.