So following the unedifying debacle of a van trip to Spain in March, which nasty weather and electrical failure prompted us to abort, we settle down at home for a while, to undertake chores, take stock and have the van repaired.

It transpires that [according to the repair man] the Spanish campsite sockets were the culprits of our calamity in the electrical department. At home, April continues the soggy theme and it’s not until May comes around and there’s enough time between various obligations [health appointments] to chance a short break closer to home.

Husband is a devotee of Gloucester Rugby and has expressed a desire to watch them at their ground and this seems like an incentive to travel onwards into the Cotswolds, even though we went last year. This gives me an afternoon wander around the shopping areas, although I’m disappointed in the range of stores, which are predominantly fashion. There are some odd characters roaming the shopping centre, too…

Our onward journey takes us through some archetypal British villages-

We’re on our way again next day and on to Minchinhampton, a typical Cotswold village with pubs, church, cafe, grocery shop, a miniscule market area, allotments and a vast, open common. We’re booked in at ‘Tobacconist Farm’ and I can’t help running the old song, ‘Tobacco Road’ [first recorded in 1964 by The Nashville Teens] through my head. Access to the site is tucked away in a corner by the allotments and not easy to find, but when we do get in it’s a simple, open meadow next to a donkeys’ field, with a small shower block down at the end.

We’re not quite alone, but there are only a handful of vans around the edges of the meadow. The owner is a larger-than-life woman who clearly likes to talk and rides around on a quad bike.

Once installed, we go to stroll around the village, which is soon accomplished.

The following afternoon we go to visit Cirencester. It’s not a large town but has an enormous parish church that is easily cathedral sized! There are beautiful grounds to the rear of it and a tiny section of old Roman wall as well as a Norman arch. There isn’t a whole lot else to the town but it’s pleasant enough.

The weather deteriorates a little and there are a few showers, but next day, after a slow morning. we stride out across the common, which is undulating and dotted with communities of cowslips. There’s a huge pub which is clearly popular on this bank holiday weekend, judging by the throng of cars parked everywhere. We walk until we reach the brow of a hill overlooking a valley then turn to loop back, getting somewhat lost by attempting a different route back.

For our final night at Tobacconist Farm, we eat at the village pub on the square, which is more than acceptable and has a lovely decor.

Then we’re off towards the next destination, but not before we’ve visited a stunning plantation…

For fiction by me, Jane Deans, search for novels: The Conways at Earthsend [an eco-thriller] and The Year of Familiar Strangers [mystery drama]. Visit my website: janedeans.com