Conclusion - Did we find the Twyford Code?

 

And so, we've reached the end of a Twyford quest. We've travelled to Hampshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Oxfordshire, Buckingham, Berkshire and Norfolk. We've seen four St Mary's, one St Michaels, two St Andrews, and one St Nicholas. We've driven about 600 miles, stayed in five different Premier Inns, and one excellent AirBnB in Norfolk. We've met herds of cows, some arrogant sheep and some friendly - if slightly baffled - goats. My favourite church was the riverside beauty in Derbyshire; Becky was impressed by the scale and grandeur in Oxfordshire. We both were in awe of the history in Buckinghamshire, and if we'd visited on a different day it could easily have been the best of the lot.

So have we found the Twyford Code? No, which was a relief in many ways. If there was fish symbology everywhere and the hint that other treasure hunters might be trampling over the landscape that would have been a shame because we found some untouched beauties. It's also apparent that Janice Hallett hadn't extended her research as far as visiting all the churches. If she had, then she'd know that two of the 'Twyford' churches weren't actually in Twyford. She'd know that the oldest grave is often located inside the church and is hardly a conceivable hiding place for a stash of gold. And she'd know that identifying the oldest grave is often a task frustrated to the extent of impossibility by lichen, weathering, and lack of information. I doubt the protagonist of the story would have stood a chance in pitch darkness.

But that does lead us to a rather pleasing conclusion: as far as we can tell, we are almost certainly the only people to have visited these eight Twyfords! The pleasure from doing something unique like this cannot be understated, and has (maybe) sparked an idea for a longer adventure in future years.

But do we have to stop at eight? There are least five more Twyfords in this country that we know about. They're perhaps not worthy of a lengthy photo-filled blog post, but it would be a shame not to take our tally to thirteen, wouldn't it?

So it may well be that we plan trips to the following as well:

• Twyford, Herefordshire. Really, there's no excuse for not going here because it's only about 15 miles from our front door. It's only really a farm but there are opportunities to spot fords for sure.
• Twyford, Dorset. Again, this isn't much more than a farm, but it's in a very agreeable part of the country for a weekend excursion and neither of us have ever visited nearby Shaftesbury. There's also a nearby vineyard, so that's the souvenir sorted!
• Twyford, Worcestershire. A northern suburb of Evesham; looks likely to be a one-time village that has been eliminated as Evesham has grown. Again, it's well within day-trip range and the nearby Abbey Manor looks worth a visit. The original Twyford might be nothing more than a Craft Superstore and a KFC now, but hey - we like crafting and fried chicken too, so it's never going to be a trip wasted.
• Twyford, Middlesex. Really, this is West Twyford now, a little estate crammed between the A40, Wembley and Park Royal. It's home to the now-derelict Twyford Abbey, which might have otherwise made for a good trip if it were at all accessible. Most intriguingly, this Twyford is a direct neighbour to Alperton, which already has strong Janice Hallett connections (her latest book is The Alperton Angels). Could this be the Twyford that inspired it all?
• Twyford Bridge, Kent. This is a fair old slog just to go and see a bridge, because there's no actual dwelling called Twyford Bridge, just a (very pretty, it has to be admitted) bridge over the river Medway. There's a gastropub and a very pleasant-looking cafe, too, but I'm not sure a few photos, a sourdough pizza, and a cream tea is adequate compensation for an 8-hour round trip.

Whether or not we visit ALL the Twyfords, the conclusions are the same as when we started: the UK is crammed full of history and listed architecture can be found in every single tiny village and hamlet. And if you don't explore even a tiny fraction of them, then you're missing out.