England 2004
Sal and I aim to see as much of Europe as possible while we live and work in London. I imagine this will involve plenty of short trips and weekend get-aways. What brilliant luck it is that we found ourselves with a car while Caz and Simon enjoyed Christmas in the sizzling surrounds of sunny Sydney ...
South West England, December 17th - 19th
[Winchester, Bridport, Abbotsbury, Lime Regis, Dartmoor National Park, Clovelly and Bath]
Our first car adventure consisted of a magnificent weekend trip to South West England. We heard Devon was a charming part of the country so that became our target and with the Britain Lonely Planet guide as backup, this is as specific as our plans got. Just drive.
As these images attempt to communicate, this country is picturesque. Lush fields of deepest greens bordered by ancient hedges and woodland. Quaint cottages, dimly lit and smokey low-roofed pubs, cobblestone roads, friendly people and bangers & mash. Even though the roads and highways are easy to navigate, we relished losing ourselves in each road winding through the coutryside.
First stop, Winchester, Hampshire (some images to the left). We left later than we should have, which is not masterful considering dusk is 4pm. With no tight schedule, we visited the cathedral, ransacked a shop or two and wondered about indulging in the atmosphere and sunset. A pleasant introduction to English life outside of London.
Continuing south, we reached the English Channel and spent our first night in the town of Bridport (top image on the right), including a Malaysian meal and room in a pub (one of many English pubs with "The Bull" in the title). Where else but Europe do you wake to such pleasant sounds? The bell tower rings; a herald calls from across the street; a busker on the accordion; busy market stalls; unfamiliar birdlife; and the whistling of the wind (which also has quite a bite).
Australians have a different sense of distance to Europeans. Some believe we travel more frequently and we are used to traveling for longer amounts of time, most likely due to the vast distances within our country and to other parts of the globe. Upon chatting with a man in Bridport, we learnt that Abbotsbury was a alluring part of the coast (bottom images on the right) and it was unfortunate that we had come "so far" west to miss out on visiting. While his tone suggested it may be out of the way, we lacked the need to be anywhere, so took the detour south east. Sure enough, 15 minutes later we arrived. ;-)
Some more sound information, from our friendly travel advisor, was to take the coastal drive to Dartmoor National Park via Lime Regis and indeed explore the Park itself. Lime Regis is a small sea port that has been the set for many famous films (left images below). Apparently! To the embarrassment of either our advisor or myself, I had not heard of any that were listed. Regardless, the town is stunning.
On the road west to Dartmoor National Park, after getting lost for perhaps the 5th episode, this time in Exeter, we discovered some signs to Castle Drogo. A quick reference to the Lonely Planet revealed an excellent location to grab views of the Park. Sadly, while we lazed in the cafeteria over homemade parsnip soup, the skies clouded and visibility was reduced as tears fell. The gardens, castle tour and a visit from Father Christmas made the stop worthwhile.
That night we reached my favourite experience in England so far. Clovelly (images to the left). Quaint cottages cuddled closely together, shading cobblestone paths on the steep slopes flowing into the Celtic sea. The early morning walk was mystical. Something the camera (both still and moving photography) could not quite capture.
There are no cars are permitted in Clovelly village, so the night was spent in a B&B just out of town (see Clovelly Accommodation website). It was run by a nice widower who is fond of the company and conversation of his guests. One thing discussed was the hedges that escort the roads in this part, and indeed most, of the country (some images above). Amazingly, they are hundreds of years old. Some things stay with you as you see a little more of the world. One thing I will not forget will be exploring the winding, narrow roads and hedges crisscrossing the country.
I'm dreaming of a white christmas.
It hasn't snowed on the 25th December in London for many years and didn't this year, however, Sal & I were lucky as there was snow fall over night west of Clovelly. This was the path we took to Bath. It was nice to see a bit of white christmas.
We arrived in Bath at lunch time (images to the right), giving us enough time to visit the Roman Baths and walk around a bit before heading back to London. The Roman Baths audio tour was fascinating (see The Roman Baths, Bath website). It is hard to believe they function exactly as designed thousands of years earlier. Equally amazing is that people lived above them unknowingly for so long (discovered in 1880) and possibly still live above similar sites in the surrounding city.
Bath has a morish feel and attraction about it. Sal & I have decided we'd like to return there for a longer stay.
South East England, December 04
[Leeds Castle, Canterbury, Rye, Battle and Dover]
Sal informed her agents that she (and we) had a bit of the sniffles and would not be working for a couple of days. As Sal had already obtained a 2 week contract starting on the following week, we thought it a good chance to take off for a couple of days exploring before Christmas. Sal spent a hour or two flicking through the Lonely Planet guide and we decided on South East England with the goal of seeing Canterbury, Dover and Rye.
Driving in London is always an exhilarating experience. If I know the direction, I tend to be OK, although occasionally one-way streets and roads planned in the Bronze age lead you in circles. No fear. With the trusty A-Z (London street directory) and Sal Nagigating*, all will be 'right (*Nagigating = when a female "navigator" directs the male driver in a irritating or "nagging" type manner).
On the way to Canterbury, we passed the turn off to Leeds Castle (see The Leeds Castle website). We remembered some words to the effect that this is one of the world's most famous castles. I'm glad we did take the time out to investigate.
I must admit I've been a little obsessed with my camera and I went photo crazy at Leeds Castle as we trekked the many gardens, hedge maze, winery and castle itself. We have also started filming short movies in an attempt to capture more of the atmosphere. There are a couple of amusing short movies lost in the maze and our sarcastic euphoria when discovering the objective. I will endeavour to get the full collection of my photos and movies on to the net or somehow back to family and friends.
The castle grounds are spectacular. Full of lush green fields, well tended gardens, many sorts of wildlife, ancient dwellings and sites. The grey battlements ringed by a wide moat shadowed by archaic woods make for a picturesque setting. The enchanting ambience together with Christmas season attracts many young families. The scent of roasting chestnuts; Santa's slay roaming (or is it a painted gardener's jeep?); Father Christmas himself; escaping children; decorated Christmas trees; hot chocolate with marshmallows; incessantly repeated Christmas tunes bordering on muzak; fond memories of childish excitement in december.
Most unexpectedly, there is a Bird Aviary in Leeds Castle. Varieties of Toucans, Parrots, Cockatoos, you name it. Sal loves birds, indeed, she loves all wildlife. Her family frequently laugh while telling tales of formers days bringing home the many injured or lost animals to be looked after. Actually, not too long ago, mum found herself minding one of her strays - a miniature mutt that nearly became family.
It is a short distance by car to Canterbury from Leeds Castle. Here is the famous Canterbury Cathedral (see Canterbury Cathedral website). Although I am not the most pious of individuals, I did appreciate the history and the glory that is this site. The stained glass windows are incredible - I know mum admires them, too.
We drove into Dover as light dwindled, giving an eerie glow as we passed the great white cliffs. Intending to spend the night in Folkstone (not far from Dover), we decided to move on to Rye as something did not agree with us (probably my short fuse with driving in circles for parks and searching for accommodation to our liking).
We spent the night in an old pub named Top of the Hill, which funnily enough was just outside town on top of ... The funniest thing about our stay were the family running the place. All females, the grandmother was alive with energy and even approved the younger ones Christmas Festivities, which involved dressing in fairly revealing santa outfits and heading into town to cause havoc. We saw them later in town parading around giving special Christmas wishes to a lucky few. It was here that Sal helped me pick out one of her chrissy presents, an antique necklace.
From Rye, we intended to go home via Dover. Unfortunately, and probably not for the last time, we were lost not long after leaving town. Passing signs to Battle, I could not resist the urge to visit a place called so. Another quick look in the Lonely Planet guide increased my curiosity and excitement - battle! In my opinion, the better sites are those of historic events, and the best of those are battles - what better than the battle of Hastings?
Being Christmas eve, Battle Abbey was closed. So, vowing to return, we drove on... Dover castle was closed, too. What left to do? We returned home, purchasing milk and cookies to leave out for our fat greedy friend and saint, Mr Claus.
You can email me at tjcrouch@hotmail.com