Somerset - High Littleton

Saturday 5th June, 2010
Sunday 6th June, 2010
Monday 7th June, 2010
Tuesday 8th June, 2010
Wednesday 9th June, 2010
Thursday 10th June, 2010
Friday 11th June, 2010

Saturday 5th June, 2010



Drop Cap e started out at 0900 for the long drive to High Littleton. It was a lovely drive through Wales to Abergavenny and Monmouth then across the Severn Bridge and into England.

Valley View lounge photograph

The Lounge, Valley View Cottage

Drop Cap espite having been here twice before we had a bit of difficulty finding Greyfield Farm (I think we were coming from a different direction than formerly) but in the end Geoff's phone GPS led us here.
Valley View is just as good, even better in fact, with a renovated bathroom and kitchen. Hopefully we will do better for showers this week, the Welsh cottage showers were hot enough but very low on actual water.

We were greeted warmly by Jim Merry who expressed amazement that it was ten years since we had last stayed. He said he recognised us, just couldn't remember when he had last seen us.
We didn't get the chance to shop on the way - we didn't pass a supermarket on the very back roads we travelled - so a scratch meal tonight and shop tomorrow.

Geoff is in Heaven as they have provided free WiFi, so he can get connected again.

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Sunday 6th June, 2010

Bath photograph

Entering Bath


Drop Cap oday was a bit of a stuffup all round with frustrating mystery tours around every flyspot on the map. We tried to find Bath (which we did eventually) and we tried to find our way home via a supermarket to find they had all closed at 4 p.m. More frustration and a lot of yelling.

Drop Cap ut first, we did achieve Bath and found our way to the Bath Narrowboats Marina on the Kennet and Avon Canal. We will be hiring their small dayboat on Wednesday and wanted to know where it was etc. We spoke to the boss and he told us we could park on the street and he would give us a parking permit, so that is good. We have to get there by 0915 so we will have to start at crack of dawn to avoid commuter traffic.

Avon River photograph

Weir on River Avon near Pulteney Bridge



Drop Cap hen we left the canal we encountered a couple who wanted directions and they turned out to be from Wentworth Falls! We had a long chat and Geoff bought a street map of Bath for directions. We exchanged phone numbers and they may get in touch.



Drop Cap hen we wandered off to the centre of Bath via Laura Place and Great Pulteney Street and had lunch in a café on Pulteney Bridge. Geoff was starting to go off but we nipped it in the bud with 500ml of OJ.

Roman Bath photograph

The Roman Bath



Drop Cap hen we walked up to the Abbey and joined the large number of people going into the Roman Bath. This was much more elaborate than in 1989, and extremely well done, but there were a lot of stairs and crowds of people so I was not very comfortable and got through fairly quickly. Last time we were here it was midwinter, not summer, so the crowds were absent.

Drop Cap fter we got out we went for some tourist info pamphlets, then wandered up the street to Sally Lunn's for afternoon tea. We ordered the famous buns with cinnamon butter but felt they were rather stale and mine had a spot of mould. I pointed this out to the waitress who was horrified and took it away to replace it. The replacement was the real thing, fresh, juicy and delicious. Made us wonder how old the others were. They only charged us for two buns but it still left a dubious impression.

Bath street photograph

Bath Street Scene



Drop Cap e started walking back to the car but I got a tickle in my throat and coughing to relieve it nearly made me sick. Mac and Geoff went to get the car leaving me on a bus stop seat, which took a very short time, then we got into the shemozzle of finding our way home. I needed a supermarket because we had not had the chance yesterday but the Co-Op, Tescos and Sainsburys all closed at 1600. Getting tangled up and lost in these tiny villages was so frustrating! We eventually found a "convenience" store in some village unknown and got some foodstuffs for dinner and breakfast. We will shop tomorrow before anything else!

Monday       04:00

We were woken by Geoff in one of his major hypos. It took nearly an hour to get him back. Not enough food yesterday, I suppose.

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Monday 7th June, 2010



Drop Cap oday we had an English Heritage Day. Unlike yesterday when it rained to start and ended up fine and warm, today it started out fine and ended up wet. Nevertheless it did not stop us from our pursuits although we were all exhausted from our early morning hijinx.

Stonehenge photograph

Stonehenge, Wiltshire



Drop Cap e headed for Stonehenge, practically the jewel in English Heritage's crown. There were hundreds of people there, dozens of tour buses but, unlike the Roman Bath yesterday, it was still possible to get a good clear view of the monument. Having lots of space and no roof is a help.
We had audio guides which were very interesting, even including some of the myths and legends attached to it. I was amused to note they included the Ambrosius and Merlin story from Mary Stewart's "The Crystal Cave", a favourite of mine.

Stonehenge photograph

Stonehenge



Drop Cap nglish Heritage is in the process of trying to restore the site to grassland instead of fields, which they have accomplished, but the grand plan of burying the road to clear modernity away has foundered from lack of money. Anyway Stonehenge, after three visits, still manages to instil a sense of wonder, just how and why (although the why is less important) primitive man was able to build it. Amazing!

Farleigh Hungerford Castle Gatehouse photograph

Farleigh Hungerford Castle Gatehouse





Drop Cap fter lunch there we headed back and on the way decided to visit Farleigh Hungerford Castle. This is another EH ruin but is just as interesting. The history of the family who built and lived in it is curious, and blood soaked. Murder, mayhem and sudden death!

Farleigh Hungerford Castle Ruins photograph

Farleigh Hungerford Castle Ruins





Drop Cap he chapel was amazingly intact, with 14th C wall paintings, tombs and effigies. The garden attached to the chapel was beautiful, with arches of ivy against the walls, huge poppies and iris and many other flowers, even a fig tree in fruit. The contract gardeners were clearing weeds etc and I complimented their work as we left. It was a very interesting site.

Drop Cap e then found our way to a large Tesco at Midsomer Norton (passing a street called Long Barnaby) and did a large shop. It was then raining quite heavily. So we came home. It has been a good day, just hope the rain plays itself out tomorrow so we can have a fine day on the canal on Wednesday.

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Tuesday 8th June, 2010

Drop Cap t rained this morning so Geoff spent the morning on the WiFi. He checked our mail and there was an email from Carrot! Per Dorothy of course, including photos! Mac was rapt. Neil was on Facebook so Geoff chatted with him too, as well as his friend Steve and a girl from work. Modern communications make postcards redundant.

Stourhead garden photograph

Stourhead Gardens, Wiltshire





Drop Cap e spent the afternoon walking the couple of miles around the lake at the stupendously attractive and world famous garden of Stourhead in Wiltshire. It had been raining on and off all morning so I did a load of washing and drying and we had sandwiches at home for a change.

Stourhead garden photograph

Stourhead Garden, Wiltshire





Drop Cap fter lunch the sky seemed to be clearing so we decided to take the chance. It rained heavily most of the way and we thought it would be a washout but when we reached Wiltshire the rain stopped and Stourhead seemed viable. There were quite a lot of cars in the parking lot, even a couple of coaches.

Spread Eagle Inn photograph

Courtyard of the Spread Eagle Inn, Stourhead





Drop Cap tourhead is a National Trust property. There is a house as well, but we had come for the garden, so we walked down the hill to the entrance which is through a tiny village consisting of an old pub called "The Spread Eagle" which had a courtyard with big trees, and a couple of pleasant, flower bedecked cottages.

Folly photograph

Parthenon Folly at Stourhead





Drop Cap tourhead garden is spectacular. It is built around a large lake and incorporates several classical style decorative buildings or follies, such as the Temple of Flora, Temple of Apollo, the Parthenon, the Grotto and several bridges and arches.

Stourhead Gothic Cottage photograph

Taking a Breather at Stourhead Gothic Cottage





Drop Cap lanted with many different rhododendrons, which are just starting to go off, and lots of picturesque trees, large and small, it really tempts you to walk (in spite of arthritic knees etc) because it is just so attractive. It didn't rain and we had a very enjoyable walk.

Stourhead Garden photograph

Mac and Geoff at Stourhead





Drop Cap here were ducks, swans and geese and we saw a rabbit in the wooded section. There was a cascading waterfall and a water wheel which will be attached and they plan to generate their own hydro electricity for the site with it.

Drop Cap enerally it was a good afternoon. Tomorrow, up at crack of dawn for getting to Bath through the commuter rush to pick up our boat.

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Wednesday 9th June, 2010

Tiny narrowboat photograph

Mac and Geoff with "Avon"



Drop Cap p early, showered and breakfasted and hit the road for Bath by 0745. Considering it is only eight miles we were there by nearly 0830. We picked up some sandwiches from the Tesco across the road from the canal base and waited around for 0900, when they opened the gate.
We collected a parking permit for the day and loaded our goods and chattels into the smallest narrowboat we've ever been on. The "Avon" had a toilet, a tiny fridgelet, a basic gas stove without an oven and a table you could mount inside or out.

Tunnels photograph

Tunnel near Sydney Gardens, Kennet and Avon Canal





Drop Cap e went through all the briefing and headed out of Bath, passing through two short tunnels, one of which was really an overgrown bridge with a building on top. Through Sydney Gardens, and on to Bathampton, towards the Dundas Aqueduct and the lovely Limpley Stoke Valley.

Kennet and Avon canal photograph

Cruising the Kennet and Avon Canal





Drop Cap t seemed easy to handle and it was really good that we could communicate more easily than with a full size boat. It was also the first boat I've had where I could sit inside and still see everything. I think it had a shallower well deck.
We went through two swing bridges, not difficult, but we congratulated ourselves for our decision not to go on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal with its many swing bridges. You would always be stopping to drop or pick up someone to work the bridges.

Aqueduct Basin photograph

Dundas Aqueduct Basin


Drop Cap e moored at the Dundas Aqueduct, another lovely Rennie construction over the River Avon and the railway line. We had lunch here, then moved on towards the Avoncliff Aqueduct.
The scenery was lovely, the valley was green with woods and fields. We decided to go all the way to the aqueduct and turn at the winding hole just before it.
Unfortunately the canal was very crowded, the worst I have ever experienced and boats were moored on both sides. We got caught up behind a boat being unnecessarily cautious but we managed to lose him when he arrived at a swing bridge first.
We sailed on through and left him. The second swing bridge was seething with boats going up and boats going down and we had a couple of knocks, but no damage.
We managed to get back to the base by 1630. It was a good day, didn't even rain until we got back, and not much even then.

Drop Cap hen we got home we decided to go for a meal at the Hunter's Rest Pub, which was very good but too much for us, as usual. Complete with a pint of Pheasant Plucker Cider (no kidding - it was one of five in the bar - we are in Somerset after all.)

We got talking in the pub to a local girl who lived for five years in Australia and is going back at the end of the month. She lectures on equine dentistry of all things, in Gunnedah, northern NSW.

A good day all in all.

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Thursday 10th June, 2010

Drop Cap oday we had a rest day. I thought it was a good opportunity to get some more postpacks and send home another 12kg or so. It's ridiculous how it mounts up!

So we filled another two and a half boxes of paperwork and posted two of them, keeping one to finish up next week. Geoff also bought three boxes and filled two of them with clothes. He wants to save his luggage allowance for the new stuff he has bought. I did another load of washing and finished the PD James mystery I was reading (found in the bookcase here).

So, a peaceful day. I guess I can pack and clean tomorrow night before we start our last week.

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Friday 11th June, 2010

Cleeve Abbey Gatehouse photograph

Cleeve Abbey Gatehouse





Drop Cap oday we headed west and visited Cleeve Abbey, towards the coast. Mac and I have been here before but there have been a lot of improvements since 1992.

Cleeve Medieval Tiles photograph

Medieval Refectory Floor, Cleeve Abbey





Drop Cap don't remember the wonderful 13th C tiles which paved the original refectory. They used only to be on display during summer and of course it was November when we were last here. Now they are trying to find some way of preserving the floor with an appropriate building and have put a marquee over it for the time being.

Ceiling photograph

"Angel Ceiling" Cleeve Abbey, Somerset





Drop Cap did remember the second refectory with the amazing "angel ceiling". It is incredible that it survived the dissolution of the monasteries. Cleeve survived by being used as a farm and I guess the farmers might be a bit superstitious about mucking too much up. We spent the morning here and had morning tea and lunch at a cider farm shop and teahouse about a mile away.

Dunster Watermill photograph

Watermill at Dunster, Somerset





Drop Cap hen we went on to Dunster, a charming medieval village, very crowded as it was market day, full of thatched cottages and old bow-windowed shops. There was an ancient butter cross in the main street and a pillared yarn market building.

'Gallox' Bridge photograph

Gallox Bridge, Dunster, Somerset





Drop Cap here was a working water mill and the old packhorse Gallox Bridge. The EH guidebook says Gallox is a corruption of gallows, but this bridge is so low that I don't think the drop would kill anyone.

Wind Wing at Minehead photograph

Wind Wing, Minehead Beach





Drop Cap e went on to Minehead, by the sea, and Geoff had afternoon tea as we watched a couple of guys assembling large wings with which they took to the sea on wind boards. They really scooted along.

Minehead Beach photograph

Minehead Beach





Drop Cap inehead is the home of a large Butlins Holiday Complex and one of the buildings looked like a large circus tent. I didn't know Butlins was still around. It looks a bit more sophisticated than the basic accommodation of the fifties.

Drop Cap nyway we came back, finished packing and did a superficial cleanup.

Off at 0830 tomorrow for our last week. I think I will be pleased to get home really, we are all very tired and I am worried over Geoff's incessant headaches and blood sugar fluctuations. Doctors visits all round, I think. Mac has to check out his iron and I my Vitamin D.


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