Time to complete the Bucket List

I’m moving! Yes it’s official. When I have been asked over the years which countries in which we had travelled I would wish to live, I would always answer “the UK”.

That view changed when we travelled to Australia as the pandemic struck and our positive experiences led me to decide upon Oz. As of today I am widening that choice to… Arthur in Illinois, USA. I think life amongst the Amish could be a rather good choice. I am not saying I would request to become part of the Amish community, but to live within Arthur could be idillic.

We spent our fourth day 70 miles from Springfield, Illinois, at the spacious town of Arthur housing 5,000 Amish and 2,300 non-Amish. We had booked a trip with local guide, and previous head teacher, Danny – a youthful 75-year-old, non-Amish who had lived in Arthur all his life. Our journey was to take us by schools, into farmsteads, lunch at an Amish-run restaurant (and subsequent mint, I might add), and on to a horse-drawn buggy ride.

We found out that each Amish community is headed by bishops and deacons who make the rules, which could be different according to different communities. Amish life is not based on religion as such (although they are religious) but on a way of life.

Amish families are usually large, with up to 10 children. The father is the rule setter within the home (although I am sure mum plays a major part in that). The children can be educated in Amish schools, or ‘public’ schools where the rest of the community attends. Both get along without any animosity, as do the adults. Amish children are educated to eighth grade (13 years old) and at that stage either leave to work within the community or can opt to continue their education at a ‘public’ school and later go on to university if desired. Teenagers from around 16 years are also able to take time out to experience the wider world (called the Rumspringa) and then opt to be baptised into the Amish church or leave, although not necessarily the area. About 30% choose not to return to Amish life.

Some might choose to leave later in life, not as a direct disconnection with the traditions but for business reasons. One lady, for example, who went on to run a burgeoning restaurant and store found that the Amish traditions put too many restrictions on ways to trade and so, whilst continuing to live and work within the community, needed to withdraw from Amish life.

Our brilliant guide, Danny, showed us one of the local schools which, rather than having car parks instead of playing fields as in the UK these days, housed sheds to stable the children’s ponies during school hours.

The Amish mode of transport is the horse, and we were delighted during our visit to take a ride in a horse-drawn buggy. In this area they do not have cycle lanes but buggy lanes (honestly)!

We also called in at a family’s homestead – a house with extensive sheds housing ponies, hand-raised deer (to ensure they become domesticated – they are pets not lunch), ducks with their numerous hatching broods, endless cats and tiny kittens, dogs, and large numbers of goats. To top it all, Verne the owner had 7 daughters and 2 sons aged 21 to 6. One child every two years is quite common in these parts.

Lunch was at Yoder’s Kitchen, a success story for a young lady who started working as a waitress at the restaurant after her eighth grade education, and later went on to become the owner of what now is an extensive restaurant, catering and gift shop business.

A lot of eighth graders start out in a similar way. When visiting Verne’s homestead we met her 14 year-old daughter who was just experiencing working life in a furniture-making company, doing the sanding. Youngsters often start at just 3 days a week and take on extra responsibilities and days as they progress. Sanding, she told us, was not her ideal job. But it would lead her on to more advanced things in time and likely give her a job for life as she progresses. Furniture making is big business amongst the Amish.

Many Amish are practical people and some have gone on to produce very successful businesses. One company started to produce up-and-over garage door systems and eventually sold this for millions of dollars. Some others are involved in farming their lands which can stretch as far as the eye can see. The Amish do not have electricity but rely on propane gas and solar power. This limits some aspects of what they can do, so they hire the ‘English’ (a term for anybody, regardless of place of birth, who are not Amish) to come in with their sophisticated gps-system combine-harvesters to carry out some of the work.

As part of the visit I had asked if it was possible to visit a fabric shop. I understood there were fabric shops in the location and I was curious as to what would be stocked for this conservatively-dressed community. Arrangements were made for me to do this.

The Amish make their own clothes. The colours are mainly subdued, but all outfits are conservative. There was very little patterned fabric, apart from a few children’s nightwear materials. The full range of fabric was, unusually, of just one fibre – polyester. I was told this prevented the need to iron the intended garments. Well, with all those children it is no wonder they wanted to make life a little easier. I was also told that buttons and clasps were only allowed on men’s garments. Women’s garments had pins to fix where buttons would be used. It seems this was the tradition rather than any practical reason.

It was refreshing to see young children so respectful, with girls in their little bonnets and long dresses, and boys with bobbed haircuts and braces holding up their trousers. We were allowed to take photographs, as long as they did not include faces, which we respected. We noted how many men had beards, and were told that once married men grew beards, but not moustaches which were considered somewhat aggressive. Ladies too wore black or white bonnets and long dresses.

Our trip was completed with an unscheduled trip back to our guide’s home – a beautiful house with extensive land for stabling and exercising his five horses and huge trailer. The trailer was used for holiday trips with his wife and housed a shower, kitchen, queen-sized bed and three horses!

Life in Arthur, Illinois, is different to what we know in the UK and, it seems, very safe. Nobody has need to lock their cars. A trip in a buggy (the Amish’s only means of transport apart from bicycles) shows life at a much slower and more comfortable pace. Those who are not Amish, the ‘English’, can enjoy their technologies, computers and streaming services. Both Amish and non-Amish live together in harmony, from cradle to grave. From our visit I think they might have just found the answer for a near perfect life.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2022

An early start this morning as we had to pick up the car by 9am at O’Hare airport which was a good one hour in the traffic. It is worth mentioning that the conventional taxi is not easy to get in downtown Chicago these days, as many just don’t want to get stuck in airport traffic, and therfore Uber or Lyft are the best options. The valet parking man at the front of our hotel very kindly got us a Lyft cab on his account for which I paid him cash.

Another post Covid change that has occurred with hire cars in the United States is that the rental companies will now not rent you a Satnav so either you take your own or use Google maps. Luckily we found this out before going so took our own Garmin loaded with the North American maps.

Even with the Satnav we eventually found our way out of the airport and onto Interstate 55 South that goes towards St Louis with Springfield being the first major city on the way. It was roughly 200 miles to Springfield. Our guide book told us that we could go off the Interstate and drive on parts of the old Route 66 going through towns like Joliet and Wilmington, which we did, but this only proved to be partially successful as we hit a diversion and due to lack of road signs could not find the old road so reverted to the Satnav and found the I55 again.

For those who have not driven in the US, they have some very nice rest areas on the side of the Interstate roads where travellers can use the rest rooms (as they are called in the US), buy snacks from vending machines or picnic at tables and chairs provided (photos below). The one we stopped at even had a small Route 66 display and it was nice to have a break and sit in the sunshine. It was up to 31 degrees centigrade today so the weather has taken a turn for the better.

We reached Springfield at about 2.30pm and found the Abraham Lincoln Doubletree hotel. For those who may not be aware, Springfield’s claim to fame is that 16th US President Abraham Lincoln lived in Springfield and bought his one and only house here in 1844 which he left in 1861 when he becane President. He never returned as he was assinated in 1865 by John Wilkes Booth, a southern confederacy sympathiser.

A few minutes walk from our hotel was the site managed by the National Park Service where the house of Abraham Lincoln and the houses of his neighbours have been restored to thier correct periodical condition and can be visited.

We then rounded the day off with a meal and, of course for the driver, a beer.

Tomorrow we are driving to Arthur, Illinois, to vist one of the oldest Amish communities in the United States.

Copyright: words and photos John Cruse 2022

We have finally arrived and resume our travels after a two year hiatus.

As the United States currently requires those entering the country to declare their Covid vaccination staus and have a negative result from a PCR test, we had to get tested and complete the attestation required by the US Authorities on the day before flying. This was fairly painless, once you get the hang of what’s required, but of course comes with a finacial cost that was not part of travelling pre the pandemnic. When we got to the airport, Terminal 5 at Heathrow was busy but not back to pre pandemnic levels as far as I could see.

After a good flight, we got a taxi to our hotel and then set out to find our bearings in Chicago. Chicago is located on the banks of one of the great lakes, Lake Michigan, which is the only great lake that is entirely within the United States. The other lakes, of course, stradle the border with Canada. Chicago is known for its skyscrapers that line the Chicago River which runs through the centre of town and originally ran into Lake Michigan until the flow was reversed to help deal with the sewage pollution problems in the 1880s. The waters from the river now finally empty into the Gulf of Mexico via many rivers including the Mississippi.

The river is crossed by many drawbridges, some of which are double deckers, the current ones were built in the first part of the 20th century for traffic and pedestrians to cross from the north to the south side of the city and, notwithstanding their age, these bridges are opened on Saturdays and Wednesdays to allow yachts and other vessels with tall masts to pass through and into Lake Michigan. We were lucky enough to witness this event and it did play havoc with the traffic but delighted the tourists. There had been bridges across the river prior to these current ones as far back as the 1830s which had been made of timber.

To get a different perspective on the river and buildings that sit along its banks, we went on an Architectural Boat Tour. The guide pointed out the various buildings, who designed and built them and for whom they were built, and gave some history on what was there before. This tour lasted 75 minutes and seemed to be very popular apart from the day we went on it when it rained heavily.

Luckily the sun came out the next day and we went on a Chicago Favourites Ultimate Food and Walking Tour that lasted for 3 hours. Along the way, our guide pointed out many of the tourist highlights of the city, like the Chicago Theatre and Millenium Park with the Anish Kapoor “Cloud Gate” (or as the local’s called it, the bean) and we made four food stops for Chicago deep pan pizza, hot dog, beef sandwich and brownie. They all tasted very nice, surprisingly.

That’s all we had time for in Chicago so we pick up the car now for the first leg of our Route 66 journey.

Copyright: Words and photos John Cruse 2022

After two years and our early exit from Australia, we are finally going to be travelling outside of the UK and on the road again, quite literally.

We are driving the legendary Route 66 from Chicago, Ilinois to Santa Monica, California covering a total distance of 2,448 miles.

Why is Route 66 so revered and iconic I hear you ask and why is it called the Mother Road? That is credited by some to John Steinbeck the American author who won the 1962 Nobel Prize for Literature. In his famous social commentary, The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck proclaimed US Highway 66 the “Mother Road.” Steinbeck’s classic 1939 novel, combined with the 1940 film recreation of the epic odyssey, served to immortalize Route 66 in the American consciousness.

Perhaps for many of us outside of the USA, it started later with Robert William (Bobby) Troup Jnr’s 1946 song Route 66 which was sung by many famous artists over the years including Chuck Berry but whatever the origins of the legend, it still holds a mystic as it did to Bobby Troup when he wrote the song on his drive along Route 66 to Los Angeles to try and make it as a musician and actor.

A short history is that in 1925, the US Government enacted a public highways act for national highway construction and the numerical designation 66 was officially assigned in 1926 to the Chicago to Los Angeles route. Route 66 was intended to connect the main streets of rural and urban communities along its course as most small towns in those days had no access to a major national thoroughfare.

Its diagonal course linked hundreds of predominantly rural communities in Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas to Chicago; thus enabling farmers to transport grain and produce for redistribution. The diagonal configuration of Route 66 was particularly significant to the trucking industry, which by 1930 had come to rival the railroad for pre-eminence in the American shipping industry. The abbreviated route between Chicago and the Pacific coast traversed essentially flat prairie lands and enjoyed a more temperate climate than northern highways, which made it especially appealing to truckers.

By 1970, nearly all segments of original Route 66 were bypassed by a modern four-lane highway. The outdated, poorly maintained vestiges of US Highway 66 completely succumbed to the interstate system in October 1984 when the final section of the original road was bypassed by Interstate 40 at Williams, Arizona.

An interesting history and, whereas much of the original road has succumbed to the interstate road system, our route will be taking the same east to west trajectory and we will be visiting many relics and pecularities of Route 66 on our journey.

Our route will be as set out in red on the map above starting in Chicago and finishing in Los Angeles with the following stages:-

1. Chicago to Springfield, Illinois
2. Springfield to St Louis, Missouri
3. St Louis to Springfield, Missouri
4. Springfield to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
5. Oklahoma City to Amarillo, Texas
6. Amarillo to Santa Fe, New Mexico
7. Santa Fe to Albuqueque, New Mexico
8. Albuqueque to Monument Valley, Utah
9. Monument Valley to Winslow, Arizona
10. Winslow to Kingman, Arizona
11. Kingman to Los Angeles/Santa Monica, California

We will be staying for 1 night at some stages and 2 at others so that we can take in the local sights. Those sights include (1) making a vist to the Amish area around Arthur in Illinois which is the 5th largest Amish community in the USA, (2) a detour off Route 66 to Monument Valley on the Arizona/Utah borders to see the unusual rock formations and (3) a visit to the Hoover Dam as last time we were there we did not have enough time to visit the museum and go on the tour inside the dam.

You may wonder why we are not including Las Vegas in the trip. Las Vegas is not considered part of the original Route 66 and, having enjoyed its delights in 2018, do not feel the need to go back there like we do with the Hoover Dam that we visited from Las Vegas.

So fingers are crossed that the dreaded COVID will not put the kibosh on our travel plans this year as we have many trips planned in addition to this one.

Copyright 2022: John Cruse

Lacock, in Wiltshire, is an interesting village. While the National Trust is well known for its historic houses, gardens and landscapes, it is less known as custodians for whole villages. Lacock is an exception, and we combined a visit here with our trip back home from Bath.

The Lacock name comes from Saxon times when settlers lived alongside the Bide Brook which runs through the village. At the time, it is said the brook was called ‘little stream’ or ‘lacuc’.

Lacock has a long history dating back around 800 years. Its foundations (pun intended) lay in its abbey, which was founded in the 1200s by a lady called Ela, who was the Countess of Salisbury. She became Lacock’s first abbess.

Ela was the only child of William FitzPatrick, earl of Salisbury. His father had been an ally of William the Conqueror and had been rewarded for his support with great estates which eventually were inherited by Ela. Her father died when she was young and she became a ward of King Richard I.

In time, she was a lady of significance. Apart from being the holy abbess (for 17 years until her death) and Countess of Salisbury, in 1227 she became the Sheriff of Wiltshire and was responsible for the rule of law as stated in the Magna Carta. Ela secured many rights for the abbey and its surrounding village. She founded two Augustine religious houses: that in Lacock housed nuns, while 16 miles away in Hinton was an abbey for monks.

Ela died in 1261 and the nunnery continued until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. In 1540 the site was purchased and transformed into a country house. Over the centuries various parts of the abbey were demolished and other parts built, resulting in several styles of architecture including early Renaissance and Gothic Revival.

The property was to changed hands over the years and one resident we all have much to thank. This was William Henry Fox Talbot, who developed the photographic negative process on this very site.

An extensive museum lies next door to the National Trust visitor centre and a whole day could be spent in here alone finding out about photography’s history, its processes and early pioneers, as well as viewing early images. One wonders what he would have thought about the developments of mobile phone technology today.

Visitors can walk all around the abbey – its very survival after 800 years and the Dissolution is extraordinary – and on the upper floor can see the residential areas including the bay window in the South Gallery where Fox Talbot created his first photographic negative. That was in August 1835.

People can also visit the remainder of the estate, which comprises four streets and represents a step back in time. So much so that the site is often used for filming, which has included Cranford, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Robin Hood, Pride and Prejudice, Moll Flanders, and Harry Potter’s The Philosopher’s Stone.

There are a considerable number of rustic houses, three pubs, several shops including the quaint Lacock bakery, and a tithe barn. The latter is pertinent. The nuns reared sheep as a means of income, as did the village’s tenants who paid rent ‘in kind’. This would include the sheep fleeces, which the abbey needed to store before being made into cloth. Cloth manufacturer was an important industry up to the mid-18th century. A tithe barn was built for this storage and still stands today having had several renovations.

The tithe barn is worth visiting to admire its cruck-framed roof and to dwell upon its history. One of the houses in Lacock is available as a holiday rent.

The last owner of the abbey and estate was Matilda Talbot who inherited in 1916. It is said she took her role as landlord seriously and when times were hard sold off some of the abbey contents for the benefit of the tenants. In 1944 she decided to gift the estate to the National Trust and thereby sharing it with the nation for us all to enjoy.

That’s it from our Bath trip, and if all goes to plan we shall be posting again soon.

Copyright: Words and photos, Sue Barnard 2022.

Berkeley Castle is a gem. As with other HHA (Historic Houses Association) member properties, it is privately owned and in this case the ancestral lineage dates back almost 900 years.

The castle, originally a motte and bailey wooden construction, is located in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, near the Severn estuary, 30 miles from Bath. This location provides its occupants and visitors fine views towards south Wales – little wonder a castle was built here. But it was to face many turbulent times throughout its history, especially for the family who gained, lost and regained the site on more than one occasion. Paying allegiance to kings and queens over the centuries helped and hindered its ownership.

Within its walls are contained many tales of intrigue and wonderment. It is claimed that in 1327 the deposed Edward II was a prisoner in the castle and later murdered within it. The year 1417 saw the start of a dispute between members of the family as to who owned the castle and estates. This was followed in the 1450s with James Lord Berkeley being imprisoned with his sons in the castle and forced to sign land over to other family members. As if family feuds were not enough, in 1572 in steps Queen Elizabeth I who claims the castle and some of the land, and then handed her ‘rights’ over to Robert, Earl of Leicester.

The original Norman motte and bailey castle saw an upgrade from the 1150s when a stone keep with five towers was built around the existing mound upon which the castle was sited. This has provided some intriguing features for today’s visitors. Within the keep is a garden, mainly laid to lawn, some 22 feet above ground. This is puzzling until one discovers the garden is sited on top of that original mound.

Also intriguing is the substantial gap in the keep, consequently breaking its vital security. During the Civil War (1642-1646) the castle changed ownership five times. By 1646, one George Lord Berkeley managed to regain the castle, but according to family sources (its archive is extensive) this was on the condition that he breached the keep wall to ensure the castle could never be used again as a fortress. Some sources say there was a Parliamentary bombardment in 1645, which breached the keep. Others are more specific saying it was Cromwell’s troops that were to blame. Whatever the actual reason, it makes for a good story.

The first question, certainly on my lips, was could it be rebuilt today? Our most informative guide told us this is still forbidden by law. “Parliament could take the castle back if the wall was rebuilt,” he warned.

Another interesting claim to fame is that the last court jester Dicky Pearce entertained here. He passed away in 1725 and is entombed at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Berkeley.

The gardens too are of note and have a relaxing feel about them. Much work appears to have been carried out in the 1700s and has continued with family involvement to this day. During the 17th and 18th centuries the moat was gradually filled in, which extended the gardens, and in later years plantswoman and garden designer Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932) worked on the planting of the terraces, which continues to influence the scene.

The whole site is beautiful and awe inspiring, and takes on a different ambience according to the light. It is certainly worth a visit and if you do so, look out for the Jacob Knyff painting of the castle. He was the brother of Leonard Knyff, mentioned in a previous posting, and son of landscape painter Wouter Knyff. Clearly a talented artistic family.

Copyright: Words and photos, Sue Barnard 2022

Bath is conveniently placed to visit several other historic sites, which we took the opportunity to call upon. Just eight miles away is the estate of Dyrham Park, a National Trust property located in Dyrham, Gloucestershire.

The owner who had the most significant impact on the house and surrounding land was William Blathwayt (c1649-1717). Unlike many who purchased great estates with their duke’s or lord’s fortunes, he acquired it by other means.

Blathwayt’s father died before the boy was a year old, leaving the family in debt. It was his well-connected uncle, Thomas Povey, who settled the estate and became the young William’s mentor, developing his cultural interests and gearing him towards a long-term and significant career in government and colonial administration.

One of Blathwayt’s earliest positions was at the English Embassy in The Hague where he developed a taste for Delft ceramics. He later rose up the ranks of the Lords of Trade and Plantations, starting from a position of clerk and then secretary. In 1680 he held the post of Surveyor and Auditor General of Plantation Revenues where he became an expert on the British colonies.

However, it was not his developing and successful career as such that led him to own Dyrham Park, but perhaps the loss of his heart… to one Mary Wynter, for it was upon their marriage that Blathwayt gained the Dyrham estate and his wife’s inheritance. Marrying for money? Well, perhaps not. Mary died just five years later and Blathwayt never remarried. They had three children.

The house was in a poor state when the couple married, but they soon set about remodelling the building and its interiors with new apartments, bedrooms and reception rooms. Stables and domestic offices were added. Many grand designers were brought in, including William Talman the designer of William III’s apartments at Hampton Court Palace.

Unlike most other buildings of the time, a lot of the materials were sourced worldwide rather than locally. Blathwayt had built up a wide circle of important contacts through his business dealings who could source fine materials. His luxurious interiors began to reflect that. Marble was shipped from Spain, softwood from Sweden, and black walnut from American colonies. Flemish oak floors were laid and grand staircases of cedar built. He was also developing a taste for fine paintings, books and textiles in addition to Delftware. Inventories listed almost 300 chairs alone.

Plants, trees, and seeds also came from afar and Blathwayt was keen to tame the undulating terrain. He took as keen an eye on the creation of the landscape as he did within the house.

Terracing, walls and gravel paths surrounded parterres, trained fruit trees, topiary and flowers. Statuary was in abundance and the owner clearly had a passion for waterworks. An associate of Blathwayt’s, Giles Jacob, wrote an ode to the waterworks in 1719 which referred to a fine canal, a large jet d’eau shooting water to the sky, multitudinous pipes, and waves of water descending down steps. He also mentions a statue of Neptune with trident. Today, if one climbs the steep hill overlooking the house a statue of Neptune can be seen.

Archival documents indicate the gardens would have provided a good supply of fruit – with exotic varieties grown in the glasshouses – as well as vegetables (such as asparagus) and nuts.

Blathwayt must have been keen on his garden for displayed today within the house is a drawing of ‘Dyrham, the seat of William Blathwait (sic) Esq’ by Johannes Kip, dated 1710. Kip (also spelled Kyp) was a Dutch artist who moved to England in the late 1600s, as did topographical draughtsman and painter Leonard Knyff. Both produced bird’s-eye perspectives of estate grounds and gardens.

Those in the know who come across such recognisable works may often be heard saying, “Ah, it’s a Kip and Knyff” – a recognition of the quality of their works. Although the drawings were not always accurate they are still breathtaking, especially as they were created when actually seeing a bird’s-eye view would not have been possible.

But, back to the estate. Surrounding the house is a deer park, which has a long heritage. In Anglo Saxon times there was reference to ‘Deorham’. ‘Deer’ has its origins in the word ‘Deor’.

William Blathwayt died in 1717 in his late 60s. Throughout the following generations Dyrham Park had a roller coaster of a ride with some looking after the site, while others let it decline. In time many of the hundreds of items which reflected William’s passion for paintings, fine furniture and tapestries (and which made the family home) were gradually dispersed. The site was eventually secured when the Government’s Land Fund purchased it in 1946.

Today it is a National Trust property. Its house, interiors and gardens are being renovated. At the time of our visit painstaking work was being carried out on the grand staircases and panelling. The natural wood Blathwayt had taken such efforts to source and ship from overseas had in more recent decades been covered in magnolia paint!

Dyrham Park is certainly worth a visit, if not several for there is a lot to absorb in this great estate.

Copyright: Words and photos, Sue Barnard 2022

A trip to Bath would not be complete without a visit to the famous Roman Baths. Compared to the interior, the entrance to the Baths is quite unassuming, but stepping inside reveals an Aladdin’s cave. Archaeologists have been studying and recording the site since at least the 1700s.

It was the Romans who ‘tamed’ the hot springs formed by water falling as rain on the Mendip Hills which then percolated through limestone to a depth reaching 4,300 metres. During this process natural heat boosted the water temperature up to 96 degrees Centigrade. The hot water then rose to burst through the land surface as hot springs… and it still does.

The Romans considered the springs were sacred to the Goddess Sulis. Baths and a Temple (of Sulis Minerva) were constructed (circa AD75), and the resulting settlement – primarily a destination for pilgrims – was named Aquae Sulis. The site today includes several baths, one being the much-photographed Great Bath (a swimming pool), the hot spring, the remains of steam rooms, underground heating systems, and some fine statues overlooking the visitors.

But it was the minutiae that also captured our attention. Amongst the exhibits was a collection of little pieces of pewter or lead dating back to the 2nd century. These are known as Roman curse tablets that were inscribed and thrown into the Bath’s spring where the spirit of Sulis Minerva lived. These were mainly from individuals suffering from an injustice and they hoped the culprit would be punished as a result. Many of the tablets can still be read, mostly relating to theft, such as of a bracelet, silver coins, or a hooded cloak. One person reported the theft of a section of a plough; another referred to stolen silver coins.

Other visitors would have felt upset too, at the loss of engraved gemstones. These were reminiscent of cameo rings today and were found in the main drain. It is considered that the warm water in which people relaxed may have softened the material holding the stones within the rings.

Nearby the Baths a hoard of almost 18,000 silver coins had been buried, the earliest dated 32BC and the latest 275AD. Some came from abroad, reflecting international trade in the area. Some were even forgeries. A considerably amount was on display.

What could be easily overlooked is that the Roman Baths, although large inside, are considered to be just a small part of what was a walled settlement. Underneath the surrounding tightly-packed town today may remain the foundations of another bathhouse, shrines, a theatre, temple, residences and mosaics.

We could have spent most of the day at this site alone, but time was of the essence and we also squeezed in the Assembly Rooms. This site was designed by John Wood the Younger in 1769 with the purpose of providing a most suitable venue for the rich and noble to converse, dance and take tea. At this time, we were to read, for medical reasons gambling was recommended – its distraction was beneficial for taking the mind off one’s ailments. Visitors to the Assembly Rooms included Jane Austen (a museum dedicated to her is nearby), Samuel Johnson, Handel and Haydn.

Those days of finery are now gone but the Assembly Rooms still form a meeting place for some. The interior can still be viewed, hung with chandeliers; tea can be taken, and its Fashion Museum visited.

Also worth seeing is No 1 Royal Crescent, built by John Wood the Younger. Visitors can get an insight of the upstairs downstairs life in Georgian times. Unfortunately, the site had closed for the season the day we arrived, but something at the entrance caught our attention. This was a link-snuffer. Before streets were lit, link-boys holding a flame could be hired to direct people to their required addresses. They have been mentioned by Shakespeare and in the novels of Dickens. When arriving at the destination the boys would snuff out the flame in the snuffer in order to save their valuable tallow. Some link-boys however were engaged by criminal gangs.

Copyright: Words and photos, Sue Barnard 2022

PS If the photos do not appear within the emails, please click on to the final link of the page which will take you to the website. Technology eh!

It’s time to step into the shoes of the Georgians. ‘Must-see’ areas of Bath have to include the Royal Crescent and The Circus. In the 1700s many of Bath’s narrow medieval streets were replaced with fine Palladian squares, terraces, crescents and pleasure gardens. Famous names of note were architect and town planner John Wood the Elder (1704-1754) and his son John Wood the Younger (1728-1782).

Wood the Elder, having a penchant for Palladian architecture and Bath’s historic roots, and the younger Wood, were responsible for the laying out of Queen’s Square which, in 1830, was visited by the young – later to become Queen – Victoria, who it is said never returned again. They also designed The Circus and Royal Crescent. Recognition of their work in more recent years was said to be, by no other than Sir Bannister Fletcher in his ‘A history of Architecture’, “The most spectacular examples of 18th century urban development.” He added: “References to the Roman past of Bath are evident in The Circus, with its three storeys of paired half-columns, and in the Royal Crescent, unified by a giant order of engaged columns.”

Just as an aside, Sir Bannister Fletcher’s work is a classic reference for those interested in architectural history. How lucky was I to come across a fine copy of this weighty tome in a charity shop. A win win, situation for all. His greatly detailed line drawings are (once seen) highly recognisable and the descriptive detail most interesting. However, back to Bath!

If you take the opportunity to see an aerial view of Bath on-line it will be well worth the effort. Better still – take a balloon ride.

Casting aside for one moment the Woods’ tremendous designs, contributing to the accolade of Bath being a UNESCO site were some of the materials used. In steps businessman Ralph Allen (1693-1764) who, having made his wealth from developing the national network of postal routes (Bath has its own Postal Museum, but not always open), owned the local quarries that supplied the honey-coloured building materials from which many of Bath’s grand houses are constructed. Allen also commissioned the nearby Prior Park with its Palladian mansion, but more about that in a moment.

A keen eye when walking along the Woods’ Royal Crescent will reveal several plaques. Notable residents have included Sir Isaac Pitman of shorthand fame (it served me well over the years); Henry Sandford, a retired businessman and Irish MP described as a ‘gentleman of the most benevolent disposition’ (a phrase not generally used today); and concert conductor Thomas Lindley whose daughter Elizabeth eloped with playwright, poet and one-time owner of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Richard Brinsley Sheriden.

Note should also be made of Elizabeth Montagu’s residence at No 16 (now an hotel) where she hosted ‘blue stocking’ events – a literary discussion group emphasising education and mutual cooperation for men and women. Those blue stockings were not, in fact, belonging to the 18th century ladies, but to botanist Benjamin Stillingfleet who, not dressing for the occasion, turned up in basic blue worsted stockings, and obviously was not allowed to forget it!

Another noteworthy aspect is the view from the Royal Crescent over the Royal Victoria Park opposite. A well-placed ha-ha running parallel to the buildings kept out the riffraff. Even today, this area is private and for residents only.

Unfortunately for Wood the Elder he did not live to see the completion of The Circus (formerly King’s Circus). He died soon after the first stone was laid. It was his son who continued the work that included serpents, acorns and nautical symbols on the buildings’ frontages. The Circus design was said to be based on Stonehenge, with the same diameter. At the time of our visit the central green space was being used for a Sunday afternoon hymn-singing gathering.

If time is of the essence, or legs tire from the continuous uphill-downhill walking, a hop-on, hop-off bus is a quicker way of seeing the town and surroundings (even though the pollution and 15-minute regularity is not popular with the locals). It was by this means that we travelled to Prior Park, now in the hands of the National Trust.

This visit came as a shock since my previous garden history-focused trip five years ago. And it was all down to some little critters, Pacifastacus leniusculus, or the American signal crayfish. The native species (white-clawed Austropotamobius pallipes) have been gradually eradicated by the aggressive and fertile signal species that has a fondness of burrowing into the banks, which opens voids, made larger by flowing water. Consequently, two of the lakes had been drained and almost half of the park was cordoned off while construction works were carried out using heavy machinery. One wonders what Ralph Allen and his contemporaries would have made of it.

Prior Park has suffered over the years. The school on site was once Ralph Allen’s mansion and what a view he would have had, high up overlooking Bath. When creating the garden he consulted Alexander Pope and Lancelot Brown, who carried out the works that incorporated three lakes and a magnificent Palladian Bridge (still spectacular, and one of only four worldwide). When the National Trust took ownership of this historic site in 1996 the garden was in disrepair. Such gardens are an uphill struggle (very much so in this case with its heart-attack climbs), but the custodians are looking to a bright future once the works are completed and restoration to its 18th century ideals are brought back once again.

If strolling is your thing the National Trust has designed a six-mile walk around Bath taking in some fine views and history, otherwise those hop-on, hop-off buses will provide a more relaxing trip through some areas as long as you can duck the overgrown branches from the open top deck, which somewhat restrict the view (usually where it matters most!).

Copyright: Words and photos, Sue Barnard 2022

Restrictions on overseas travel due to the pandemic gave us an opportunity to focus on our wonderful, picturesque, interesting and historic sites of the UK. In 2021, this included a few days away in Bath.

Bath, in the county of Somerset, south-west England, is well known for its Roman spas and Georgian architecture, but there are many other aspects worthy of note.

Its land structure has its roots in the ice ages, most notably 450,000 years and 20,000 years ago. Climate change (fluctuating between ice and warmer periods) even then affected the landscapes. Of significance was the resulting formation of the river system within the Avon Valley – the River Avon and its tributaries. A combination of water supply and light limestone soils was ideal for supporting human habitation. 

Flint artefacts dating back 10,000 years provide evidence of human life in the area, while land clearance for food crops is considered to have been in existence 6,000 years ago. Examples of round barrows and farmsteads dating to the Bronze Age (3,000 years ago) can also be found around Bath.

There are two other aspects of note. Due to its fortuitous narrow River Avon crossing point, trade and travel routes developed. The Fosse Way, a Roman road which followed pre-historic routes, crossed the river at Bath.

Additionally, various hot springs were to prove a godsend to the Romans who created a spa and religious centre that they named Aquae Sulis, drawing people from across the Roman Empire.

In relatively more recent times, it was around Bath that the importance of strata identification was recognised. One William Smith, a surveyor and geologist (1769-1839), was commissioned in his late 20s to survey routes for a proposed Somerset coal canal, intended to take coal via other canals to London. His work led him to examine and identify differences in land strata and the fossils contained therein, later referred to as stratigraphy, but not by Smith at the time. Canal digging provided the opportunity to examine depths of the landscape in this way, which was considerably earlier than railway excavation.

Smith went on to create a map of geological cross-sections throughout England and Wales, dated 1815. This had significant benefits for coal exploration at a time when prospecting was a hit-and-miss affair, and would have help fuel (pun intended) the Industrial Revolution.

He was not alone in his discoveries, but in addition to mapping and written works he produced a ‘Geological table of British organized fossils’, which is still referred to today. He presented some of his works to the Geological Society. Unfortunately, his achievements did not bring him wealth. Instead his debts landed him in prison for a short time. It was only in later years that the significance of his works was recognised.

An interesting link is that at one stage he entered into business in Bath with a Jeremiah Cruse, perhaps an ancestor of our very own John Cruse.

Today Bath is of such significance it has UNESCO accreditation. 

Copyright: Words and photos, Sue Barnard 2022