Tales from the South West - Baths, Bark and a Boat

Monday, August 13 - The Romans and Bath
There were two things my dad was keen on seeing on his visit: The SS Great Britain and the Roman Baths in Bath. We chose to do the latter on Monday as the weather was still fairly nice, especially in the afternoon. I knew my dad wasn't too keen on seeing cities, but I hoped he would like just wandering around Bath and that we would spend most of the day there.

Took the train from Bristol Temple Meads which only takes about 7 mintues to Bath and then walked up to the entrance of the baths. I hadn't been yet and thought it really was just an old bath, so a ticket price of just under £20 felt a bit steep. Well, I was completely wrong! We spend probably two hours in there.
Of course it's all centred around the main bath, but there are so many other rooms of the vast complex to explore. There are plenty of exhibits and the audio guides we got told the tale of not just the bath but also of the Sulis-Minerva temple that was built next to it and how crafty the old Romans had built everything.

Stunning entrance hall ceiling

The Roman Bath

We were quite impressed and although it got busier and busier we greatly enjoyed the visit! I even tasted the water from the hot spring the bath is built around. Not something I would generally recommend, it has a bit of a weird taste, but I paid nearly 20 quid so I better take it all in, haha.

Choosing a place for lunch in Bath is a difficult endeavour. There is simply way too much choice. Thanks to Google Maps I quickly chose the Courtyard Cafe which was less than five minutes away and got good reviews. What would we do without mobile phones and internet, eh?

Nestled in the courtyard it takes its name from, the cafe is nicely hidden away from the tourist traffic on foot, and it offers a good choice of different lunches from light to large. We both had coffees and and a bit of grub. My chicken, haloumi, bacon salad was just perfect for a bit of peckishness and dad had a jerk chicken panini. Ticked of jerk chicken for him there, haha. Something very Bristolian.

Yummy food at the Courtyard Cafe

We had a few hours left, so we headed into the Bath Abbey first. Sadly, we missed one of the rooftop tours so I took him up the hill to the Circus and the Royal Crescent then back down to Pulteney Bridge and treated him to some Marshfield ice cream. Again he was pleasantly surprised. He had had no idea that British ice cream can be THAT good. I had some Gin & Tonic sorbet which he was raving about for days, haha.

Bath Abbey

Bath Abbey

The Circus

A very typical Bath road

Pulteney Bridge

Back on the train half 4 and back to Bristol. I had still some time to kill before I had to head to my Spanish class, so we walked the Bristol-Bath cycle path from Temple Meads all the way home to St.George.

Tuesday, August 14 - Westonbirt Arboretum and Tetbury
After the awe my dad showed when we visited Castle Combe, I suggested visiting the Westonbirt Arboretum to satisfy his craving for nature and parks and go for a wander to Tetbury afterwards, another Cotsworld village with the typical Cotsworld architecture.

My suggestion was well received and so we arrived at Westonbirt around half 10 after an easy 40 minute drive from home. It was a bit overcast, but still fairly warm. Perfect for a wander in the vast arboretum. We got some coffees to go and headed for the sky walk first marvelling at the impressive trees reading all about the highest, oldest and other super trees along the way.

Back on earthen ground we headed off into the "outskirts" of the Arboretum which are much more like wild woodland once we strolled off the path. My dad was like a kid in a sweet shop. So many stunning specimen and to top it off we found some bushes ladden with perfectly ripe and deep black blackberries. Again we stuffed our faces and regretted not having brought a box of some sort to take some home.

Found this little fella on the railing of the Sky Walk

Eventually, we got back to the main path and stopped at the cafe for a cuppa tea and a wander around the shop. I couldn't say no to a glass of Mango and Raspberry jam and my dad bought me a postcard with a drawing by Hannah Dale which I will frame and hang up on the wall. I was so in love with her drawings. One of the few artist where I literally like all the work! Have a look at http://wrendaledesigns.co.uk.

Walked for another hour or two through the rest of the Arboretum. It surely is impossible to walk all the paths in one day, but we've had enough at some point. What an amazing place to visit. It was my second time here and I'll happily go again. Wouldn't mind seeing it in winter when there has been some snow.

We didn't have enough time to head over to one of the National Trust Gardens so instead we drove the 10 mins to Tetbury for a wander around. I've been there a few times and driven through even more. It's a very typical Cotsworld village so always worth a wee visit.

Had a quick peek into the church and then felt a bit peckish so we had some cream tea at The Snooty Fox hotel. With 2 scones we were both quite stuffed, half the portion would've been enough. My dad was quite impressed the the still used open market building. His words: "The whole village looks like a museum."

We wandered up and down the road with one antique shop after another! My dad loved it. Back to Bristol after yet another great and chilled day. The hours had crept by faster than we thought and before we knew it, it had been 5pm.

Wednesday, August 15 -  SS Great Britain, Avon River Trail
As the weather turned to a more typical British summer with constant rain and dark clouds, we decided to spend the first half of the day visiting the SS Great Britain. Another one of the main tourist attractions I had not done yet!

As with the Roman Baths I didn't quite fancy the steep ticket price. Yes, it's valid for a whole year, but I don't think I'd go again once I'd seen it. As with the Baths however, it was much better than I had initially thought and we easily spent three and a half hours in there,

So far, I hadn't had much interest in the SS Great Britain and didn't know why it was such a famous ship. Turns out, the iron hull was a first for such a ship and allowed a lot more passengers. You can actually go "under water" and have a look at it. It's battered by corrosion and the University of Cardiff came up with a clever de-humidifier to keep humidity under 20% to halt corrosion.

Walking around the hull "under water"

The ship's story really is a sad one with a good ending though. Twice it had to be rescued after having been severely damaged. Any conventional wooden ship would've not survived as long as sturdy SS Great Britain. It changed owners a few times and travelled to Australia 32 times! Even though it had had initially five masts which where reduced to three at some point, it was still a steam engine boat! Imagine that. A steam engine ship going to Australia and back 32 times. Incredible.

Eventually, it was sunk on the coast of the Falkland Islands when there was no one who wanted it anymore. It stayed under water for years before first an American and then a Brit attempted to rescue it. The Brit succeeded in bringing it up and float it all the way back across the Atlantic Ocean. It was in a very sorry state. Stripped of everything but it's rusty hull.
Still it was repaired in Avonmouth for months and finally was seaworthy again to make it's way back on the river Avon into Bristol where it had set sail 127 years ago. People lined the river banks and cheered their beloved SS Great Britain's homecoming.

The ship was done up to get it as close to what it looked like when it left the dock in 1843. It is an impressive sight up close. The best part for us was walking through the passenger cabins, kitchen, engine room etc. which are decorated with all the stuff people had and used on their journey to Australia. You can even hear and smell what it was like back then!

Those were the first class cabins

The kitchen

Second class cabin

Tourist class :)

Dining in style for the upper class

It was time for a quick coffee break around mid day for us, then over to "Being Brunel" another building focusing on the famous engineer, who I knew so little about. I really understand now why he was one of Britain's greatest engineers not only of his time.

After all it was well worth the money and it truly is not just a museum but a whole experience. We drove back home and headed down to the River Avon Trail as it was already 2pm. A lazy stroll along the nice path next to the river followed all the way to The Old Lock and Weir pub for an afternoon pint.
The rain had stopped and again it was very humid and warm. Really enjoyed the walk on my standard trail running route, chilling at the pub with an iced cider before heading back.

Iced Thatchers!

Another great day. Done less than planned but still had a great time and seen stuff I hadn't seen before, learned new things and made the best of the day.

Tales from the South West - Castle Combe and Bristol Sights

Sunday, August 12 - Castle Combe, Bristol Cathedral, Brandon Hill, Clifton Village, Clifton Suspension Bridge

With the weather not encouraging much outdoor activities, we had a chill morning instead and then went to Castle Combe in the Cotswolds for Sunday lunch. Gotta treat my dad to a proper roast whilst he's here.
The Salutation Inn was the place of choice, a country pub I had found on Google Maps just North of Castle Combe. With rain on and off and at times quite heavy we were glad we sat in the car. The sat nav sent us along some narrow country lanes which was actually quite enjoyable. More than a boring broad A road.
Arrived just in time at 12:30, got some drinks and were sat at our table. Very nice staff and a very welcoming atmosphere in the pub, although it was still very quiet.

Good find. That's a keeper.

Food came fairly quickly and whilst not being exceptionally good, it was a very decent Sunday roast. The Maize fed chicken my dad had, had a a lovely flavour, and Rich's and my beef was one of the best we ever had. Pink as it should be and very tender. Only downside was the small Yorkshire pud which was supposedly not home made. Boo to that.
Still, Rich and me decided that this was a great pub to come out here for food and then a walk or cycle afterwards. It's a keeper.

After a very nice lunch, we drove the five minutes into Castle Combe proper and parked on a rather big and free (!!!) car park at the top of the road into the village. It was fairly empty and soon we knew why. People chose to park alongside the road. There was limited space and it seemed a bit of a hassle when you had to turn around and look again. Why so few choose the free (!!!) car park at the top is something I don't get. There must be a lot of people who have knee or hips issues so they can't walk even 10 minutes.

Even though Rich and me had been here before, we marvelled at the amazing Cotswold houses just as much as my dad did. It is simply stunning and beautiful. Not just the houses, but the well kept gardens and driveways, too.

Paid a visit to the church and there learned from a few posters about the history of Castle Combe, that the word "Combe" comes from an old Saxon word meaning "valley". Ha. I didn't know that. Was just wondering why so many places in the area have it in their names.
There had been settlements here at least from 2300BC on all through Roman and Saxon times until today. Very interesting.

Strolled down to the bridge and the river and then lazily walked back to the car park. Again we decided to come back again and combine a visit to the local pub with a walk or cycle ride.

Back in Bristol it was now a bit too late to head to the SS Great Britain. Rich headed off to visit a friend near Reading and I took my dad for the tourist tour through Bristol.

Walked all the way from the town centre past Bristol Cathedral which was sadly closed to Brandon Hill. The rain had stopped a while ago and heading up the hill we had a good sweat on. So much so, that we didn't climb Cabot Tower and instead headed towards Clifton Village. That was enough climbing already.
Shops were closed, but we were really here for the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Walked over it and back enjoying the brilliant views of the city and the Avon Gorge.

One last climb up onto the cliff to get another view. Again there was information on display about the local fauna and flora. Apparently, Leigh Woods across the gorge hosts some trees that only grow there and nowhere else on the planet. Wow! How amazing is that? And there are some plants that grow on the cliffs that are similarly rare. One of them the Bristol Onion. Who knew?! Gosh, we learned so much today!

Still, started to head back eventually. At least it was downhill from here and soon we were at the docklands picking our boats and house boats we liked and enjoying the view over Hotwells across the river.
Quick break with a shandy outside a conveniently situated pub and then simply walked back to the centre to catch a bus just as the next shower hit.

Amazing how time had flown. It was already 8pm, so we had walked easily for three and a half hours or more. Good to make the best out of a day most probably spend at home chilling. More to come though. No rest for the restless.

Tales from the South West - Welcome to England, Dad

My dad and me had been talking about him coming to visit me in England for quite a while now, probably even for a year even, but somehow it never really worked out with two busy schedules and stuff getting in the way... until now.

He had literally announced about a month ago that he was coming over and had booked flights for one week in August. Yeah. I had some time to think of and look up some places to go and things to see and before I knew it he was here.

So as we're exploring place I myself haven't been to either, I thought I might actually blog about it and maybe some of you guys feel inspired to check them out as well.

Friday, August 10

Picked my dad up from Bristol Airport Friday late afternoon and we went with Rich to Spoke and Stringer, a nice tapas bar right by the river. 

Spoke and Stringer in Bristol

It wasn't too busy but still quite a vibrant atmosphere. The small open kitchen was right by the entrance and the two chefs greeted us friendly before one of the waitresses showed us to our table. I sat right underneath a shiny fancy fixie bike hanging off the wall. Interior was modern and had quite a few bits and bobs to look at on the walls. 

The guys had some local beer (Left Handed Giant brewery) and I tried a Rioja which was fantastic. We had pretty much all the tapas from the menu sharing them between us as you do. We agreed that the manchego and ham croquetas were the best of the lot. Whilst my dad and Rich both don't speak each other's language I think we still got a good conversation going with me translating back and forth.

Nice place, Spoke and Stringer. Unique interior, friendly staff, probably a bit nicer on a sunny day when you can sit outside with view over the docks.

Quite stuffed we walked along the riverside back into town centre and took a bus home. Day 1 done. Yay. Much more to come yet.

Saturday, August 11 - Symonds Yat, Goodrich Castle, Tintern Abbey

Wales, England, Wales, England, Wales, England... That's what we could've repeated as we drove along the river Wye Saturday morning, crossing the border between the two so many times on our way to Symonds Yat.

Symonds Yat is something Rich had suggested to have a look at. It's a village/town in the Northern part of the Forest of Dean. What's more important is, that it has a very popular viewpoint over the wooded hills and the river valley.

We parked up at the spacious car park, paid our fee and had a look at the various colour coded trails. The obvious one was the one up to the view point which had an estimate walking time of 45 mins. We chose to do that first before the crowds arrived and then go for a longer woodland walk. 

45 mins turned out to be like 10 mins to the view point which was already populated by a handful of bird watchers with their impressive binoculars and camera lenses. Size does seem to matter in that area.

Although a bit overcast the views were stunning. It's hard to explain, you really have to go there. It's not very high, but higher than anything else around so you can see far and wide. There is obviously the meandering Wye, fields of green and yellow, the wooded hills, people canoeing, cows grazing and if you're lucky buzzards or falcons circling. We weren't lucky, but still spend a good deal of time up there letting our eyes wander over the scenery.

Back at the car park we went straight for the signposted woodland walk. 6 miles and 2 1/2 hours was the estimated duration. Perfect for a lunch time walk.

The trail was super easy to walk and led through fairly wild and mixed woodland. It was great fun to spot the many different types of trees and once you do so, you're amazed how many different ones there are actually. We were all alone so far and not long into the circular route, we passed loads of blackberry bushes. Perfect time to stuff our faces. My dad was all over it. The bushes were full of big black ripe fruit and before we knew it we had each a big handful ready for the next one.

The trail was expertly signposted and we could blindly follow the big pink signs for it. It crossed the cycle and another walking trail a few times and we met a few people on the way, but generally it was a solitary walk, much to our enjoyment.

Rich was keen on coming back here to run it. At 6km it had just the right length and wasn't very technical at all. The cycle trail also looked generally easy and enjoyable and even the 17km circular walk we had seen on the map at the car park was something we would love to do another time.

Back at the car park after a rather lovely walk we decided to head over to Goodrich and its castle. Something that Google had suggested to me when I had looked up Symonds Yat. Winner.

It's only like a 20 min drive and we parked at the side of the road right outside the site car park, which is free by the way. We didn't know and thought us clever. Next time we just go in, haha.

The sky had gone a shade darker and was threatening with rain, still we opted for coffees and a wee snack at the cafe/shop. Soup of the day for Rich and me along with a coffee. Dad tried his first scone ever with butter and found it very delicious. Same goes for our soups with a cheese scone on the side.

Staff at the cafe and aligned shop were super friendly and in such a good mood despite the place being unusual busy. We bought our tickets for the castle which apparently had a "Fighting Knights" event on today. Awesome! 

Goodrich castle really is a ruin, but a quite impressive one. Built from red sandstone (?) it had all the best defence structures of the time. Four towers at the corners, a barbican, gatehouse, draw bridge, moat etc. Built in the 13th century by a french lord who was a friend of Edward I.

We took our time wandering around, reading all the information displayed around the castle ground. The only surviving mortar from the Civil War is currently displayed here as well. It had been used to bomb the castle when they tried to drive the Royalists out and apparently it had worked pretty well, once they had destroyed one of the towers.

We had a good hour to spend before the knights tournament was on at 15:30. It wasn't very busy and the reenactment group only really had a handful of tents. To be honest, it actually took us an hour to see everything anyway. However, a cold and steady wind was blowing and it was threatening with rain. Rich and me were freezing a bit, too lazy to go back to the car to get our jackets, haha.

Rain started right when the knights tournament kicked off. I'm sure everyone was really looking forward to polishing and cleaning their armour afterwards. The small crowd (at least half was children anyway) and the knights with their entourage didn't seem to mind and gave it all.

It was properly raining when we walked back to the car after a surprisingly enjoyable visit. Drove the half an hour or so to Tintern Abey which we had passed on our way to Symonds Yat. I'd been here a few times so far, but never actually entered it. And today we also didn't fancy going in with the rain pouring down relentlessly and the abbey ruin not really providing any shelter.

Instead we fled into the pub and had a later afternoon Earl Grey. Again we had never actually sat inside this one, always just outside with a cold drink. And once more we were quite surprised how nice it was.

Back home around 6pm we just chilled and cooked up some food with wine and beers to follow. Good start to exploring the South West despite some.. well... I guess actually normal weather (after a quite not so normal heat wave lately).