Brie Badby Nice

Little bit of a lie in today and very nice too.  Plan today was a little jaunt around the countryside and then pitching up at The Maltser’s in Badby for lunch to meet up with Richard Williams; into the bargain meeting up with Ali and Mark old friends from the Saracens Head in Little Brington.

Set in rural Northamptonshire, in the district of Daventry, the village of Badby is a charming stone village featuring ironstone and thatch cottages set alongside the famous bluebell woods. The earliest known recorded reference to the village comes from a Saxon land charter dating from 944AD, which records the village as 'Badden Byrig'. It is recorded in the Domesday Book that the village belonged to the church and was known as 'Badebi'. Indeed history tells us that the land in this area was used by Abbot Godric II to buy protection against the threatening Danes. He leased Badby in 1006 for 100 years to Norman, a great military officer under King Edred. The Danes attacked successfully in 1013 under King Sweyn, who was soon succeeded by his son Canute. In 1016 Norman was killed and in 1017 King Canute executed Edred. Canute later transferred Badby to Norman's brother, Earl Leofric, who had supported Canute and was married to the famous Lady Godiva. Earl Leofric gave the lordship of the manor of Badby and Newnham to the Benedictine Abbey of Evesham. This was ratified by King Canute and the Anglo-Saxons and the Danes began to settle together at last.

 

The drive from Long Buckby to Badby was more old haunts revisited and happy memories of walking Chad in Everdon Woods; of the carpets of bluebells that lent a deep hue to the woodland earth.  This truly is a spectacular place and quintessentially English Countryside.  The bluebell pictures here are from past times and Spring rather than Autumn.

 

 

We spent a couple of hours catching up with Ali chuckling about our time in Brington and sharing digital photos of our kids all much larger now than they were back then. 

 

Richard Williams was struck down with Tonsilitis and sadly couldn’t make it to see us but we pressed on with lunch regardless.

The menu very similar to the Wharf included some of our favourites so we shared starters of Brixworth Pate with Port and deep fried breaded brie with cranberry compote.  Delicious and extremely filling; you would have heard the MMMMMMmmmmm noise throughout the village.

We had the same entrée because Beef, Guinness and Stilton Pie when on the menu is a must have.  It was excellent but far too much for one sitting so we asked for a doggie bag to take away.  Chef Mark Van de Berg delivered our starters and it was excellent seeing him again.  He did so much with Marcus in his early cheffing days.

We headed for home more deep relaxation and an early night.  My jet lag caught me because 12 hours were to elapse before I emerged back into the world.