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
