France and England, October 2022: Part 3 — Somerset
Somerset, when we eventually got there, was completely at odds with our expectations. Accustomed as we were to the rolling hills of the Westcountry in Dorset and Devon, we didn’t quite expect the flat levels that had been drained out of the marshes, surrounded as they were by hills. The King Alfred story made sense once we realised that we were looking at swamp and wetlands thinly disguised as farmland!
We had originally planned to stay in Oxford for one or two nights, but industrial disruptions meant that we lost a whole day or more, so we went straight to Bristol and our hotel with the Everard Printing Works façade (and the William Morris-inspired bar across the road). We made Oxford into a daytrip, which wasn’t enough, so we will look to visit again sometime.
We did plenty of walking, and the autumn landscape was magical, if a bit damp! Both Wells and Glastonbury were beautiful, one preserved and the other pictureque ruins. Shepton Mallet was a bit quirky: the old town centre had been hollowed out by a giant Tesco on the edge of the town, but that suited us as it was five minutes walk from the cosy house we stayed in for six nights.
| Date | Travel and Activity | Food and Accomodation |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, 19 Oct | SNCF – Caen Station → Gare Saint-Lazaire3:13 pm GMT+2Eurostar – GARE DU NORD → St Pancras station5:32 pm GMT+1GWR – London Paddington → Bristol Temple Meads | Clayton Hotel Bristol City Broad Street, Bristol Dinner at The Strawberry Thief 26 Broad St, Bristol |
| Thur 20 Oct | GWR – Bristol Temple Meads → Didcot Parkway → Oxford | Clayton Hotel Bristol City Dinner at Beirut Mezze13a Small St, Bristol (!) |
| Fri, 21 Oct | Blackbeard to Banksy – The Ultimate Walking Tour of Bristol Blackbeard to Banksy | Clayton Hotel Bristol City Dinner at Hat Bistro, 5 Denmark St, Bristol |
| Sat, 22 Oct | Whitstone Cottage, 35 Board Cross, Shepton Mallet | |
| Sun, 23 Oct | Visit The Bishop’s PalaceThe Bishop’s Palace, Wells | Whitstone Cottage, 35 Board Cross, Shelton Mallet |
| Mon, 24 Oct | Walking and exploring near Blagdon Moor | Whitstone Cottage, 35 Board Cross, Shelton Mallet |
| Tue, 25 Oct | Glastonbury Abbey | Whitstone Cottage, 35 Board Cross, Shelton Mallet Dinner at The Crossways North Wootton |
| Wed, 26 Oct | East Somerset Scenic Railway | Whitstone Cottage, 35 Board Cross, Shelton Mallet Combe Hill Wood |
| Thu, 27 Oct | Westhay Reserve | Whitstone Cottage, 35 Board Cross, Shelton Mallet Dinner at The Natterjack Inn Evercreech Junction |
