Eagles, Vicars & Swans

 SONG - Fly Like an Eagle by Steve Miller Band

Day 6 - Sunday May 5

Above is Mr. B hamming it up for me in the Bishop’s Gardens in Wells

On Sunday morning it was sputtering rain and crowds in Bath. We had breakfast at The Abbey Deli which was only a block from our hotel and it was where the Modeste clothing shop in Bridgerton (hi Jess) was filmed! 

So we decided to head to Wells and see rain & crowds there!!! We passed beautiful English countryside- green hills, mustard fields, sheep with baby lambs, stone walls & churches, so very relaxing until we hit the narrow single track with hedgerows.  Once parked in Wells under a heavy mist we decided to go to the Cathedral first to give the weather a chance to improve. 

Wells Cathedral

We marveled at the famous scissor arches c1340…..

And the c1390 astronomical clock with the jousting knights that run around every 15 minutes. Not to be missed!

To the right of the clock, and up high on the wall, is a figure that strikes a bell at every quarter which sets off the jousters…..

Wells Starway to Heaven heavily worn by use….

A gargoyle or grotesque sticking out his tongue and according to the Gloucestershire government app…

“ Tongue-poker - Many gargoyles are poking their tongues out and blowing a raspberry. This wasn't rude like today because in medieval times this gesture was used against traitors, heretics and blasphemers”

An ancient door in the undercroft……

A chapel ceiling…….

A miséricorde (divine mercy) which allowed the priest or bishop to rest a bit while still standing - basically a quarter seat…..

We then headed to the Bishop’s Gardens to see the Palace ruins and the famous “Ringing Swans”! I have waited years to see them as I had read about them 8 years ago when we were planning our 2017 trip to the UK. And when we got here I was sad to find out that one had died and the caretaker had moved to the US.  But today they had two healthy swans (Grace & Gabriel) who had just had six cygnets just 3 weeks ago. 

As soon as the guide saw me eyeing the swan in the moat and the bell by the window, he suggested that I wait and he would try to see if he could get the male swan to ring the bell. 

The guide went into the gatehouse and opened the window and wiggled the rope to get the swans attention.  As soon as Gabriel spotted the wiggling rope he swam nearby but waited a bit to pull the rope. Finally he did several times and the guide tossed some food into the water. 

I was ecstatic….Of course 300 pigeons arrived as soon as they heard the bell ringing. They weren’t going to miss out on a free meal!  The second guide told me that he thought mama swan & her babies were just around the corner of the moat after I told him my tale from 7 years ago. So Mr. B and I walked around the croquet lawns and into the gardens.  We also discovered the it was English Civil War Weekend. Mr. B just can’t seem to catch a break from re-enactment entertainment. 

We walked around the “camp” and into the beautifully manicured gardens around the palace & ruins.  So soothing and fascinating to see what plants grow in this environment.  Near a bridge that crossed part of the moat, we found mama swan, Grace and her babies. She looked so protective and proud. 

“Follow Me”

We finished our garden tour and headed to the car park to drive over to our final destination for the day - the Vicars Close. Mr B found a perfect parking spot just behind the cathedral and in front of the Close. 

It is known as “Oldest purely residential street with its original buildings all surviving intact in Europe” completed in 1430.  It has a chapel at one end and a hall at the other with a walkway over the street to the Cathedral. 

When we returned to Bath, we decided to have an early Sunday roast dinner at The Elder. Yum!

It was proper…..

I Hear Bells

Song -  Mission Bell by Donnie Brooks

In 2017 Mr. B and I traveled to England and while there we visited Wells Cathedral and The Bishops Palace.  I was looking forward to seeing the amazing clock in the cathedral and the ringing swans in the garden at the palace.  The swans have been trained since 1850 to ring a bell on the gatehouse when they want to be fed.  Unfortunately for us the the couple who had been working there for the last 25 years had just returned to the United States so the swans were not ringing........

In 2018 the male swan died and the female left with her cygnets so that left the pond empty.  But not for long as the trust received two breeding swans from a rescue in 2019 and they are ringing again!

You can now view Grace & Gabriel on their "swan-cam"

Arches, Arches & Arches

Day 5 - Friday

We drove from Bath to Bradford-on-Avon to Wells and then on to our final stay in Dunster.  A very long, long, very long day.  Mr. B learned to drive on the "wrong" of the road and the "wrong" side of the car today.  We are both exhausted.  Besides me being his second set of eyes on the road - street signs, round abouts, pedestrians, bicyclists, speed limits, road closures, there was so much hedgerows that there were many times you could not see oncoming traffic around turns.  Anyway 2 tire rims & 1 side mirror later we survived!

 

Bradford-on-Avon was such an amazing, well kept village. We went to the Tithe barn (c1300's) where the ceiling was filled with wooden arches. We also visited the town & church then headed to Wells Cathedral. 

 

It was closed for a funeral until 4 so we had lunch in the old city center just nearby. Then we walked over to the Bishops Gardens to see the famous Ringing Swans. However apparently the don't ring anymore.  Now if you don't know the story, I'll fill you in....there was an American couple who lived in one of the moat towers and one of them would be present all day so they taught the swans to ring a bell and they would get a little food so all the swans learned to ring the bell and they taught their babies to ring for food. Just this year the couple moved back to the states so there isn't anyone to feed them regularly.....no more Ringing Swans.  But.....

 

....there were 7 week old baby cygnets to enjoy ( I think daddy kept his head underwater most of the time we watched them!)

 

There were several croquet games going on with a beautiful backdrop. 

 

The cathedrals famous scissor arches which were built into the building to support the sinking towers in the 1300's.

 

 

And the astrological clock that goes around every 15 minutes. Can you see the jousters on horseback up near the top? They go around the pillar - 2 in one direction & 2 the other - with their lances out and try to knock off the other guy, which they do until there is a "winner".  

We will be spending the next three nights in the medieval village of Dunster.  

Day 6 - Saturday

Scones & tea for breakfast - I never thought I would see Mr. B enjoy a church or a tea room but give him some history and he's a sport!

Mr. B learn to drive - Day 2 - only 1 rim and we are both relaxing a little more. Like he says " it's like being in the dentist chair all day" (sorry John K. Certainly not yours!)

 

On through Exmoor park to Bishops Nympton in Devon. Found The Black Cock Inn. Had a drink & spoke to the barkeep & owner.  She was new to the area and had no history of the area or even the age of the pub.  Oh dear.  We walked over to the old RR station house next door where my dads mother was born.  Her father was the RR station manager there.  Grandma Violet & Daisy (twins)were born in 1890.  It's a residence now so we couldn't nosy too much. It began to rain so we drove along the street to view the RR arches. 

 

Above are the old railway arches beside the train station. 

Beautiful green countryside dotted with sheep!

Then we drove to Wiveliscombe and tried to find lunch at 3pm. No go and we were both starving so we hit the local supermarket and bought sandwiches, crisps and drinks and sat in the churchyard to eat. We found James & Maria Tuckfield's headstone with help from the photo I brought. 

 

These were my great grandparents. We went inside the church & spent some time looking around - old baptismal, ancient graves.  Drove down Rotton Row behind the church where they used to live and barely made it as it was so narrow. 

Exhausted from driving & navigating-coaching, we headed back to Dunster & the hotel bar.  Took our drinks out back to "The Secret Garden" & Facetimed our family. Great to see their smiling faces!!!

 

Showed them the castle on the hill behind our hotel & lots of beautiful flowers. I guess flowers like water even more that sunshine because they are huge and plentiful here!

 

Night....

Word of the day - British word "Sorted" = it's all taken care of