WINTER CLOAK

One of the most picturesque streets in the country, Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset, is especially appealing in the depths of winter. Under early evening skies, the thatched and stepped roofs of its traditional cottages are laden with snow, and glowing lights hint at the warmth within their cosy walls. The cobbled lane, which has appeared in a number of film and television shows, including a 1973 advertisement for Hovis bread, descends steeply from the High Street. On the corner, to the right, the side of the medieval St Peter’s Church is visible, the oldest in Shaftesbury. The church has had an inconstant history, its south aisle being used as a grain store during the Second World War. Gold Hill Museum occupies two buildings opposite.