THE THAMES VALLEY & THE CHILTERNS - England 2012 and the Best of Wales - page 210

Stanley Spencer Gallery GALLERY Just 3 miles downriver from Marlow
(and some 11 miles from Henley), Cookham is another affluent river town notable
chiefly as the former home of Stanley Spencer (1891-1959), one of Britain's great-
est artists. If you've never heard of him, check out the Stanley Spencer Gallery,
housed in a former Methodist chapel, and be prepared to be enlightened; the gallery
owns more than 100 of his early Modernist paintings and drawings, many of them a
curious but powerful fusion of Biblical scenes and everyday life in Cookham in the
1920s and 1930s. Perhaps the most intriguing exhibit is the battered old pram Spen-
cer used to carry his easel and canvas while rambling around the village.
The Kings Hall, High St., Cookham. & 01628/471885. www.stanleyspencer.org.uk. Admission £5
adults, £4 students and seniors, free for children under 18. Apr-Oct daily 10:30am-5:30pm; Nov-Mar
Thurs-Sun 11am-4:30pm. From Marlow, continue southeast along the A4155.
Where to Eat & Stay
Macdonald Compleat Angler Hotel Marlow attracts many well-heeled
fishermen who like to stay at this pricey hotel because of its associations with Izaak
Walton. The hotel certainly has plenty of charm and character, though most of it was
built long after the venerable Walton passed this way. Nevertheless, it occupies an
emerald swath of lawns stretching down to the banks of the Thames, and is a well-
organized and impeccably polite center of English chintz, predictably elegant bars,
and very fine dining. Each room is outfitted like a private country home, with
antiques or reproductions and plush, comfortable beds. The more expensive rooms
look out on the Thames. The finest accommodations are in a modern wing with
balconies overlooking the rushing weir.
Marlow Bridge, Bisham Rd., Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1RG. www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/
compleatangler. & 0844/879-9128. Fax: [phone] units. £120-£220 double; £250-£370
suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; babysitting; room service; Wi-Fi in
public areas (£10 per day). In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar.
The Vanilla Pod FRENCH/ENGLISH Housed in an elegant property that
was once home to T. S. Eliot, this restaurant offers truly excellent cuisine and a menu
that changes weekly to take advantage of the best produce in any season. Starters are
memorable, especially the quail terrine with foie gras and vanilla carrot purée, or the
butternut squash risotto with chorizo sausage. Delectable main dishes are likely to
include roasted gilt head sea bream with curried cauliflower, currants, and pine nuts;
and roasted duck breast paired with cherries.
31 West St. & 01628/898101. www.thevanillapod.co.uk. Reservations required (as far in advance as
possible). Set-price lunch £16 (2 courses), £20 (3 courses); 3-course dinner £40; 7-course gourmand
dinner £50. AE, MC, V. Tues-Sat noon-2pm and 7-10pm. Closed 2 weeks around Easter.

5

OXFORD
54 miles NW of London
The city of Oxford, dominated by Britain's oldest university, is a bastion of Eng-
lish tradition, history, and eccentricity. Here students still get selected to join the
archaic Bullingdon Club, rowing competitions attract a larger audience than foot-
ball, and students still take exams dressed in black gowns (seriously). The creator of
Inspector Morse , Colin Dexter, lives in town, and where else would you film the
Harry Potter series?