Puddings, Manor Houses, and a Princess Bride Cameo: Our Bakewell UK Story

Wandering Works for Us Podcast

Date: 25 July 2026

Title: Puddings, Manor Houses, and a Princess Bride Cameo: Our Bakewell Story

Summary of EpisodeAfter the busier stretch through the Cotswolds, we slow down for a two-and-a-half-hour drive north to Bakewell — a market town we picked for two reasons: the famous puddings, and Haddon Hall, right next door. In this episode we talk through our stay at the Castle Inn, wander Bakewell's Monday market, and finally settle the Bakewell tart vs. Bakewell pudding debate (there's a clear winner).

Then we take you room by room through Haddon Hall — a nine-hundred-plus-year-old manor house still owned and lived in by the same family, and still standing largely untouched since before the Victorian era. Expect Great Hall table gouges, dry frescoes, a Princess Bride cameo, and a very good pudding-and-beer pairing.

Episode HighlightsBakewell Town

[01:00] Why we chose Bakewell: the puddings, and Haddon Hall being right on our route north toward Edinburgh[02:20] Staying at the Castle Inn, a Greene King Inn — rustic, a little basic, but quiet even right next to the pub[04:50] The Monday market: more flea market than food market — think tools, clothes, and plants, with a history stretching back generations[06:07] The real dessert debate: there are three versions of the Bakewell classic, and the pudding (not the iced tart) is the one to seek out. Find them at the Bakewell Pudding Parlour[07:53]  A fun moment on Instagram: a follower in the US wishing she could try one, and the shop chiming in to say they'll mail it anywhere[09:00] An evening walk through quiet streets and a proper sunset once the shops rolled up for the night[10:00] The River Wye walk: a genuine Roman bridge, and swans and geese that'll come looking for breadHaddon Hall

[11:00] Nine hundred-plus years old, still home to Lord Edward Manners — whose brother, the Duke of Rutland, lives at the family's other (and better-known) property, Belvoir Castle[12:20] Why it stayed so untouched: the family moved their main residence to Belvoir before the Victorian era and largely closed Haddon Hall up, so it skipped the redecorating most stately homes went through[14:10] The Princess Bride filming locations: the main square and the balustrade where Prince Humperdinck announces the wedding[15:40] Dry frescoes in the chapel, and the very deliberate restoration approach — repairing and reinstalling original stained glass rather than replacing it**Note from Beth: Dry frescoes are done on dry plaster, and wet frescoes are done on wet plaster.[18:08] The Great Hall table, still marked with hundreds of years of knife gouges from feasting[21:50] Fireplace signatures from Princess Anne and a young Prince Charles, long before he was kingNo real gift shop — but don't skip the cream teaImportant Links To follow all of our antics and adventures, please visit our social media pages and our website at wwforus.com! You can send us a message at any of these places, and feel free to email us at wandering@wwforus.com

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