Cotswold Farm Walks

The following tales are just a taster of the many stories you will learn whilst on Cotswold Farm Walks
Lord Redesdale first rebuilt Batsford House in 1892, the photo below is of the old house which I prefer. It is said the stone left over built the park wall, I can imagine it did build some, but not all of it. The new house is a façade the outside stone is only 6” thick, inside is brick – I imagine from Aston Magna Brlckyard.
Batsford was the home of the Mitford sisters - Nancy, Pam, Diana and Unity. The only alive Dowager the Duchess of Devonshire, Diana whose second marriage was to Tom Moseley. Unity was Hitler's girlfriend in January 1940, was so appalled at the idea of her country being at war with Germany she tried to shoot herself in the the head, but was injured badly and brought back home via Switzerland spending a lot of time at the family's lodge at Inch Kenneth in Scotland, she died 1948. Nancy wrote Love in a Cold Climate at Batsford.
The Prlson Camp On the left hand side of the A44 going to Broadway. 1,000 German prisoners were kept there; they would be dropped off at Moreton Station and marched up the hill to the camp. In 5 acres there was a steel watch tower and slit trenches above the road and by the quarry. My father had prisoners to pick potatoes In 1946, they also did walling. In the Camp I remember seeing murals and a model village.
As well as stories you will learn and hopefully see lots of birds and wildlife on the farm An RSPB search at Manor farm found the following birds on their Red High conservation list: Barn Owl, Lap Wing, Skylark, Song Thrush, Bull Finch, Linnet, Yellow Hammer & Gold Crest. On their Green List (2nd to their Red List): Mistle Thrush, Willow Warbler, Green Woodpecker, Swallow, House Martin, Field Fare, Dunnuck, Hedge Sparrow, Red Start, Kestral & Stock Dove. Also on the farm are Red Kite, Buzzard, Ruff, Wren, Blackbird, Gold Finch, Sparrow Hawk, Green Finch, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blue tit, Robin, Black Cap. Chiff Chaff, Woodcock, Pleasant Partridge, and Red Leg Partridge. and Foxes, Badgers, Monkjacks, Roe Deer, Hare, Rabbit, Pole Cat, Weasel, Stoat & Squirrel.