Posted by First stop, BOWOOD House and gardens:
Landing in the afternoon at Heathrow we hired a car for our 4 day Wiltshire/Somerset visit and after a wet and odd route that google maps sent us on we arrived at Bowood House Country club and settled into our lovely big room and enjoyed a lovely meal at the restaurant. it was very cold outside and damp so we felt the transition from the warm Mediteranian right to our bones. being a country club and part of the Bowood estate the ground were vast with beautiful gardens, Golf Course and forests.
The Autumn was alive and kicking at Bowood house and we took in a tour of the house and wandered the gardens designed by capability Brown.
Two very different sculptures took our eye, outside one from the 1970’s with a very voluptuous lady who was not shy at compared to an ancient Roman sculpture found near by and put together again but actually it was from two different sculptures from thr 2nd century AD. the over sized legs and bum were from a larger one.
The History was facinating as we should know because Andrew the Bowood expert cornered us for 30 mins and regailed everything about the famous Marquess of Lansdowne family and its off shoots who held high office throughout England, India and South Africa. But suffice it to say they were aristocratic to the core. The original bigger 3 storey Manor house had to be demolished due to disrepair which left the smaller pile, that was clearly better built to remain as the Family seat.
Yes it was cold and drizzly wet but we had enough gear to keep warm.
The family wing below
Lots of history in these rooms and especially the discovery of Oxygen by Joseph Priesty in the labority while he was tutor the the Maquess son in 1774.
There are rooms dedicated to the adventures of one Marquees son who travelled the word extensivly collecting some amzing things along the way from some very exotic locations. Ivory towers and mini palaces, the Highest awards given from france and England for galantry and somewhere there is a piece of Charles 1st moustache in a box!
BATH:
We first visited bath some 23 years ago in 2001 and apart from new Spa’s and thermal resorts not much has changed. Oh yes..the food has got amazing and the city is shining beautiful even in the drizzle.
The streets around the Roman baths were buzzing and we stayed at the Gainsborough Hotel and Spa which was right in the centre of town so everything was easy to navigate.
The Parade Gardens and the Avon weir with the Pulteney Bridge were as engrossing as ever and we learnt a bit about the history of Aqua Sulis and the pagan prince who discovered the waters before the Romans.
The Briton prince Sulis and his pig who was cured by the waters, and below the view from our room looking up the hill.
The Gainsborough was a classy joint and the Spa was fabulous with its natural mineral waters and various baths to enjoy, which we used every day.
The moods of Bath Abbey which is a stunning Gothic church with the most intricate stone design structural and cosmetic carvings we have seen.
All this ribbing is made of carved stone of the highest quality and finish. so glad we revisited and spent a good amount of time in absolute awe of the craftmanship.
Front and back views of bath Abbey.
We also revisted the relocated Thai resturant we ate at 23 years ago and it was jusrt as good, The Thai Balcony resturant is highly recommended.
We loved the yellow stone buildings of bath which id designated as essential for any restorations or new build to keep the heritage alive for good.
Two different views of St Michaels Church which is now a cafe and outreach centre for the homeless. We enjoyed lunch in there one day and chatted to a fellow in need who noticed my phone time was 12.34 which he said was lucky but the luck was on him and his partner when we shouted them lunch.
At the other end of the spectrum is “The Architect” bar and grill, located on the ground floor of the old and very famous Empire Hotel which was a lamdmark of its time when nothing was anywhere near the height of its 8 storeys and it was seen as an eyesore. Now a grade 2 listed building that has stood the test of time very well . The resturant is stunning and it has maintained its Art Nouveau style with a classy contemporary twist and foosd and atmosphere match it well.
The hidden squares and lanes of bath are where the real charm lives with small cafes, pubs and shops occupying some delightful settings.
There are some suprising buildings like the old King Edward school in Broad street built in 1752 and still in use today and the bath Assembly rooms built in 1769 which was the centre of Bath’s society events for almost 200 years.
The standout architectural icons are located up the hill a bit at the Royal Crescent and the Circle as they are the top of the line terrace homes of Bath but there are plenty of other such streets as The Paragon, Portland Place, along Great Pulteney street.
There are still many Elizabethan buildings still standing, many of which were quarried from acreamier stone than the yellow stone of Victorian Bath
To the left below is the original Victorian era bathhouse which was very excluisive and expensive to use as there were only two in town and the pools were only about 8m x 4m in size.
Bath has a fabulous common garden next to the Botanical gardens where plots are hired and farmed by those inclined.
Pulteney Bridge is still lined with shops and cafe’s that echo both days gone by and contemporay living.
The Sydney Gardens have both a railway line and a canal running through them which are both great 19th century engineering feats that served multiple purposes and at this point tey are only meters apart.
last stop, CASTLE COMBE:
We also revisited this quaint country Village 23 years ago and noting has really changed but the security around the Manor House. We wandered for a few hours down the one main street and side alleys taking in lunch at the Wadworth pub and then an ice cream at the Old Stables.
Much restoration work has been done and the heritage side of things is well looked after so it was a delight to take it all in again.
St Andrews and its churchyard along with the Market square and the famous little bridge were all as they were and its no wonder that this village has been named the quaintest in all of England many times.
Time to head home and also to celebrate the success of our two small bags “carry on only luggage” experiment. and as they say about many things, once you try it you can never go back.
