Exploring the Charming Old English Countryside

LOCATION: Finchingfield & Lavenham, United Kingdom
PHOTOGRAPHER: Brad Jarman

When Brad and I were in the UK, we had the privilege of escaping to the countryside for a day. When Brad’s lovely family, with whom we were lucky enough to stay with on our first couple of nights, suggested we visit some of England’s most iconic historical towns, we were thrilled. Too often do we visit a new country to only see its major cities, so this was the perfect opportunity to explore a little bit more. And, wow, it was so worth it.

First stop, Finchingfield. Don’t let the sunshine fool you; it was a freezing winters day (in fact, the next day we woke up to a blanket of snow) and we were all rugged-up. It was the perfect opportunity to wear my new MINKPINK shearling jacket in eye-catching red, styled down with a hoodie, jeans and beanie. The charming postcard town was practically empty too, a stark contrast to the bustling summer crowds, we were told.

The real question is, did you go to England if you didn’t enjoy a pint of beer at an old pub? So, we ticked this bucket list worthy moment off at The Fox Inn, a quaint 16th century pub, before going for a stroll around the village to admire the thatched roofs and colour washed buildings. Needless to say, the English countryside was truly living up to our expectations (accurately born from TV shows and movies, of course).

Just when we thought it couldn’t be any more picturesque, we drove to Lavenham in Suffolk, a medieval village with streets lined with rickety buildings so old they looked like they were about to fall over. I was so encapsulated by the rich history of the village that I could’ve strolled its streets all day, if not for the call of a traditional English afternoon tea at The Swan Hotel. I never could say no to layers upon layers of delicious food. And so, we whiled away the rest of the day with sandwiches (no crust – we were in England after all), pastries, scones, cakes, and a myriad of tea and coffee. It was just splendid, darling.

We’ve already promised that one day we’ll be back with a whole week – or longer – to hop from village to village. It really was the perfect taste test to lure us back to the UK. I can’t wait.