Avon Calling!

                                                                                                                                                           

With a weather forecast of cooler temperatures and showers increasing to rain, we altered our plans for the day. This morning we spent an hour boating on the still waters of the Kennet-Avon Canal between Monkton Combe & Limpley-Stokes. The positions vacant advertised for a deck scrubber, galley slave & a stern hand! While well qualified for these roles, the Captain was also seeking a first mate. I got the job!

The canal, dappled in morning sunlight, offered a tranquil escape from the busy country lanes. An anxious moment or two when we happened upon a pirate vessel. The Jolly Roger was at mast, but on this occasion the pirates went unsighted!

The Dundas Aqueduct, spanning a rail link, was built between 1791 & 1801. It was the first canal structure to be designated an Ancient Monument award in 1951.

History repeats! Bradford on Avon, tucked into the western corner of Wiltshire, is another beautiful historic town of great appeal. The township straddles the River Avon & is connected by an ancient bridge. Just two of its original 13th century arches have survived the ravages of time. The views from the bridge include the ranks of humble weavers' cottages which stand proudly on the hilly slope above the river & the 19th century textile mills. During a time past, textile manufacturing had been Bradford's primary industry.

The Saxon Church of St Laurence dates from 709AD. It is a characteristically Anglo-Saxon building, tall & narrow with small windows. It is still used as a place of worship and, given the chair count, it caters for a congregation numbering just eighteen.

  

An amble along the bank of the Avon took us to Barton Farm & the Tithe Barn, a stunning building dated 1341. Built of stone, it measures 168 feet by 33 feet & is spanned by massive timber roof trusses. In a time past the old barn served Barton Farm, an outlying farm of the Shaftesbury Abbey, a Benedictine nunnery.

A cuppa at the Bridge Tea Shop, built in 1502, was a delightful experience, from the waitresses dressed in period black & white costume right down to the lace table clothes, fine china & the silver tongs for the sugar cubes. I felt like I was a right proppa lady, I did, until I seed the paper napkins!

The much acclaimed 76AD Roman Baths boast a temple complex built around hot spring-fed baths. The sacred spring served as a place of veneration for the local people long before the Romans arrived. Statues of past governors of the province of Britannia & Roman Emperors with connections to Britain stand sentinel on the terrace overlooking the baths. These include Caesar, Claudius, Vespasian & Hadrian.

Courtesy of our accommodation house, we received a complimentary pass to the spa. This included unlimited use of the hammam (steam room), thermal spa & pool. An hour & a half later we felt cleansed & ravenous. We returned to the Bear Hotel for a pub meal.