Relaxing Break
By pumpkinjam
@pumpkinjam (8756)
United Kingdom
October 19, 2024 4:43am CST
Good day to you all. I think I might have mentioned that I was going away for a few days with my husband. Well, we arrived home on Thursday. We spent three nights in a beautiful 18th-century hotel, and we spent the days exploring the cities of Bath and Wells.
We were celebrating our anniversary and my birthday. I felt like I was getting old when the first thing we did on the day was head to the cathedral cafe for a hot drink and a slice of cake
It was very lovely. I wanted to share some pictures with you. The collage shows (clockwise from top left) the hotel in the beautiful village of Limpley Stoke; part of the water system at Roman Baths museum in Bath; cosy fire in the bar of the hotel; Royal Crescent in Bath (it has been used as a filming location); "wings" statue in the gardens at Bishop's Palace in Wells; Wells Cathedral (the picture is a very small part of one side. The cathedral is huge and beautiful).
We discovered a lot of history in the two cities of Bath and Wells. There were interesting facts that we already knew such as that Wells is the smallest city in England and the only city in the county of Somerset (Bath was in Somerset but is now independent from it). What I didn't previously know is that Wells is only 2.5 square miles and, while it has been considered a city (on and off) for centuries, it was in 1974 that Queen Elizabeth II gave it official city status by royal decree.
It is a common misconception that a city must have a cathedral or that having a cathedral is what makes somewhere a city. While many cities do have cathedrals, others do not. Some places are historically considered cities while others are given the status by royal decree following a request and a reason why the place deserves it. In the case of Wells, it does, in fact, appear to be a city because of its cathedral status.
The cathedral also houses the oldest working clock (with a face) in the world. There is an older working mechanism at Salisbury Cathedral but that doesn't have a face. The city of Wells is also home to Europe's oldest continually inhabited Street.
The city is small but, if you're into history, religious history or architecture, it is fascinating.
The city of Bath has a lot of museums. We only visited one (Roman Baths) but we certainly plan to return and visit others such as the Royal Crescent Museum and the Mary Shelley Museum. There is also a lot of beautiful scenery, architecture, and historic sites in the surrounding villages that we intend to see next time... whenever next time might be.
How have you all been? Have I missed much?
6 people like this
5 responses
@anya12adwi (9361)
• India
19 Oct
So happy anniversary and happy birthday!! The pictures are so good!
1 person likes this
@pumpkinjam (8756)
• United Kingdom
19 Oct
Thank you. I wish I could share more pictures. I did say to my husband that it's impossible to capture the beauty of the cathedral with just a phone camera! I also said there should be some sort of device, perhaps like a contact lens, that could take pictures on command while I was driving. I really wanted to photograph some birds of prey that flew over us!
1 person likes this
@anya12adwi (9361)
• India
23 Oct
@pumpkinjam Iphone and other camera phones come handy!! Also now people are buying gopros or vlogging cameras!!
1 person likes this
@pumpkinjam (8756)
• United Kingdom
23 Oct
@anya12adwi I used to like using my old digital camera (and, before that, a film camera) but it stopped working and I didn't replace it. My phone camera is better anyway! Of course, it also saves carrying so many things around with me. I don't want anything more modern
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (178131)
• United States
20 Oct
Happy belated Anniversary and Birthday! Welcome back. Do you know how old the cathedral is? It's magnificent. Love the pictures. Have a good day.
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@pumpkinjam (8756)
• United Kingdom
20 Oct
Thank you
The original cathedral building started in 1175 so much of the cathedral is over 800 years old. It was originally Roman Catholic but was officially opened as Anglican in 1239. More building work was completed between the 12th and 15th centuries, and some restorative work was completed in the early 19th century.
The building replaced a church that had been on the site since the beginning of the 8th century.
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@LindaOHio (178131)
• United States
20 Oct
@pumpkinjam That is SO cool! Thanks! One of my favorite periods is Medieval times.
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@marguicha (222855)
• Chile
19 Oct
Welcome back! Whenever I hear mention Bath I remember parts of Jane AustenĀ“s novels. I will never visit them, they are too far away. But reading about them is next best. And your pictures are beautiful! Thank you.
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@pumpkinjam (8756)
• United Kingdom
19 Oct
There is a Jane Austen museum as well. It's not something of interest to me but, perhaps, I will visit another time so i can share it with you.
@RebeccasFarm (89863)
• Arvada, Colorado
20 Oct
God the beauty of England I so miss it Pumpkin
1 person likes this