Thursday 11 July 2019

All the Bs.

As I started to write this post about the last week or two, I realised that a lot of the things I was writing about began with B


This is where stayed. It's a Bed-and-Breakfast called Seymours Court, a farm on the Somerset-Wiltshire border, not far from Bath. 

It looks very grand, and in some ways it is - it's thought to have been a hunting lodge for the family of the man who married Henry VIII's final wife, Catherine Parr, after Henry died.  It seems to have been let out as a farm when hunting lodges went out of fashion, and it has been a farmhouse for five centuries. Personally, I think there might be more to it than that - any old house known as a "Court" often really was one, where local disputes were settled.  But anyway, because it is a farm and not a stately home, it's fairly simple and old fashioned inside, and the present tenants have some very old furniture which was probably in the house for generations. 

The front door is magnificent, made of oak, and with a "lock" that is extremely effective. Here is the farmer's wife, Jane, showing it to me - it's a gigantic oak Bar which is pulled out at night. When this bar is extended fully, the door is as immovable as a stone!

 They only have one b&b room, which is the one on the top right. So that's where we were.  Very peaceful, very nice hosts and great breakfasts. 

I was doing a bit of work in Bath.  I've been there before  (though not for years) and didn't get much time to look around before I had to continue, but here are some pictures that T. took of the restored  Baths, which were built in Roman times.  Amazing collection of ponds and pools in the middle of the city, lots of Roman remains and later medieval additions.  And a rather cool tourist, I thought. 


It's strange that people still keep up the custom of throwing coins in water, which originated in the pagan idea of placating water spirits. The Roman Baths were certainly considered to be magical by those who used them, and among the exhibits on display are visitors' written-out prayers for help, or curses on thieves or crooks,



And here is the gilded head of Minerva, to whom the people used to pray.  It was found chucked in a pond and forgotten about but is very nicely displayed now. 


Bath Abbey was being renovated, so was noisy and full of builders, but I liked this reflection of windows and stone tracery....


And outside, the 16th century sculpture of angels climbing a ladder to heaven was apparently based on a dream of one of the  Bishops of Bath & Wells.  Or so they say....  I think it's a wonderful image to have on a church! 


We took the chance to have some walks - luckily the weather was really good, not too hot but sunny and bright.  I've been getting a bit obsessed with spotting Butterflies, so here are a couple I snapped although there really were clouds of them around, a marvellous sight. I'm not very knowledgable so forgive me if the names are wrong but I think this delicately coloured butterfly is a Painted Lady...



and the much brighter Comma, which is brilliant orange


And this is my favourite, although it's not a very good picture, or shall we call it an "action shot"?   I was photographing a Small White on a nettle when all of a sudden a Marbled White flew down and landed right on top of it. Butterfly confusion, and they both fluttered off in a hurry.


The area is very pretty round there, some of it is indeed what we used to call "chocolate-boxy" which I suppose relates to the days when boxes of chocolates and sweets often had pictures of country cottages on them.  I had to take a picture of this Blossom beneath a window.


and a Blue-eyed cat which was one of two very elegant cats patrolling around Iford Gardens, an Italianate garden deep in the countryside.


Here is Iford Manor, and you might just be able to spot Britannia on the Bridge


It's a medieval bridge so most odd to see what seems like an 18th century statue on it, her helmet on her head and her shield by her side, guarding the charming little river that flows by the house.
 

The garden was very well worth a visit and we spent hours there. It's not very large but there are all sorts of curious corners and some beautiful Blooms.  This poppy was deep red and looked as if it was scattered with silver.


And here are roses climbing up a pillar. 




We returned to London by the M4, stopping off at Hungerford, West Berks, and noticing a Boat that seemed to have a bit of a problem... 


And went for a walk on Hungerford Marsh, a nature reserve by St. Lawrence's church, listening to the Bells.  The ringers were practising the changes, and went on for about an hour. It sounded very nice but they must have been exhausted at the end of it, not to mention a bit deaf.  But to me it felt like an archetypal English country afternoon.   



Altogether a Beautiful trip. 

61 comments:

  1. A B&B with only one guest room must make a person feel special! It does look like it was a fun time, i also like to watch the butterflies, but have never seen one land on another.

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    1. Me neither. I wonder if it somehow mistook it for an attractive member of the same species ?

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  2. Lovely photos. The church ladder is super!

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    1. I have remembered the name of it now, a Jacob's ladder. I have seen it portrayed on stained glass windows sometimes but never like this.

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  3. Hello Jenny, Every place you went was quite beautiful, but I would most want to explore those Roman baths. You mention the head of Minerva found in a pond--when I was in the British Museum, I was surprised how many major objects had been retrieved from the Thames or from other watery resting places.
    --Jim

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    1. Yes, I was busy working and only managed to get into the part of the baths that were accessible free to the public, but T. did the whole tour- and said it was amazing, fascinating and well worth it. A lot of artefacts were thrown into water when they became obsolete. Water always has some kind of magical significance. It is possible that it was a kind of sacrifice, perhaps by people who still believed in Minerva and the British river god that she was a development of, and they threw her into the water when religious beliefs changed, to protect her or return her.

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  4. What a wonderful post with Bs!
    The bed and breakfast looks like a place where I'd love to stay, too, but is probably difficult to reach without a car. I've never been to Bath, but every time I see pictures, I want to go. The angels on the ladder are, as far as I remember, referring to the biblical scene of a dream Jacob had.
    The picture of the blossoms in front of the house is my favourite of this post!

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    1. The b&b is indeed hard to reach without a car, unless you go by bike, that is. It's down such narrow little lanes that I don't think a bus could actually get along them, because there would be no way to pass another vehicle. Most of these lanes have passing places and you have to reverse up to one and often go on the verge too! Yes, it was the most wonderful plant by the old cottage, i think a "mock orange" because it had a fabulous scent.

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  5. Thanks for another fascinating post, Jenny. Every time I visit your blog I get informed and become relaxed at the same time. And I always love the photos. That gigantic ancient door lock is amazing, I've never seen anything like it. I especially like those 16th century angels climbing the stairs to heaven - it's really unique and whimsical.

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    1. Thanks Jon. I wouldn't have believed that door "lock" was so effective. One night the B&B host went out and asked us to lock the door after them (there was also a back door with a real key!) but anyway I pulled the bar across and then tried to move the door but it wouldn't budge a centimetre, those medievals certainly knew how to keep people out!

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  6. What a great and interesting time, and well done with the pics.

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  7. Every bit of this is just about the very definition of "scenic." Also "charming".
    Lovely, Jenny.

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    1. Thanks. It did feel like being in "olde England" but the thing was, the whole area was like that! It seemed quite strange to see a gas station or something.

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  8. That was a Beauty of a post, Jenny.

    The angels climbing up the ladder to heaven is awesome.

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    1. I am so glad you liked it. I love that so many people have commented on the climbing angels. They are among my favourite things too.

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  9. Wow -- those bells are loud considering you were that far away! Hope they were wearing protective headphones! I loved all the B's. The B&B looked nice -- that IS quite the lock! And glad you were able to spend time in Bath. I never got inside the abbey but enjoyed the baths a great deal. Love the chocolate box blossom shot, blue eyed cat and all the butterflies! Looks like a splendid time!

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    1. It was also helped by the weather. And those bells are loud, which of course is the intention since they were designed to signal the church service to folks all over town. Actually the church is a bit out side the centre of the town, but although they are loud they are such a familiar noise that they merely seem picturesque to me, and I love hearing the changes, don't know how they keep going for so long.

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  10. I like your photo of angels climbing a ladder, nice idea!
    I think the old farmer house is very suitable to be a guest house, B&B.
    It's a pleasure to travel like you did, Jenny.

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    1. We found it a pleasure too, and so relaxing!

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  11. Absolutely magical!! Love the angels climbing their way to heaven and all the gorgeous landscaping and flowers. That door lock is something else! I'm always grateful when you share your travels. :)

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    1. Thanks Rita, I love to share them, too. I'm feeling I should be writing more posts this summer.

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  12. I’ve not been to Bath. OF course, I have had a Bath, and I’ve been to it’s namesake, Bath in North Carolina, but not Bath GB. Did you know that Bath, NC is the oldest town in the state? And once, the infamous pirate Blackbeard called it home.

    www.thepulpitandthepen.com

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    1. I had never heard of Bath NC but that's nice that it is an old town, some friends of mine recently went to Charleston and found it very charming. Many people don't have a Bath from one years end to the next but I am one of those who prefer it to a shower!

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  13. In the picture with the very deep red and black flower, there is a curious eight petaled flower (?) resting on the blossom and another on the green ball in the background. Any idea?
    The bell ringers were very good.

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    1. That is the seed head of the poppy, they are so decorative, and now you mention it it really does look like a flower. I always loved those poppy seed heads as a child because they are like a pepper pot, when they dry you can shake them around and hear the seeds rattling, then you turn it down and the seeds come out of the little holes in the top. I guess you can eat them, as poppyseed is edible, though I am not sure I would risk a variety I didn't know!

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  14. Beautiful photos. I have always wanted to stay in a home with roses growing all over the columns and roof like that.
    parsnip

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    1. Yes, me too. I have an idea I'll plant a rambling rose like one of those, this autumn, in our communal garden. It is called Rambling Rector and is very prolific. I am a big fan of roses.

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  15. I love the variety in your photos here. Indeed a wonderful trip. You mentioned the Baths being renovated. What will be done once completed? Best to you.

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    1. They are pretty well renovated now, although there are always bits to do. They had to do quite a major excavation since the Roman baths had been covered over a few centuries ago by more modern baths, (this was still several centuries ago) and the Roman ones had been all but forgotten! That seems an extraordinary thought to me.

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  16. Another worthwhile trip!
    I am beginning to earn that names often indicate something from the distant past, such as 'Court.' All to easy to overlook such words.
    Nice old building well worth staying in.
    Great photos, I never saw the staircase on the Abbey before, i missed that. It is superb and I am usually not impressed with such as that.
    I can do without clanging bells mind!
    Great post again.

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    1. Yes, I think a lot of place names are quite interesting, did you know the ones that all seem to have similar double barrelled names often belonged to the same family but the villages had different characteristics and landmarks? In Dorset I was always struck by Toller Porcorum, Toller Fratrum and Toller Whelme, so I suppose they all belonged to the Tollers but perhaps there was a monastery at Toller Fratrum???? i wonder.

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    2. Wiki says:- The name is taken from the village's situation on the brook formerly known as the Toller, now called the Hooke. The addition Fratrum is the Latin for brothers and refers to the mediaeval ownership of the manor by the Knights Hospitaller, which distinguishes it from the other Tollers, namely Toller Porcorum and Toller Whelme. It is often referred to as Little Toller.

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  17. What a gorgeous place to stay. I'd have a hard time leaving it.

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    1. It was very hard to leave with such pretty weather and with everything in full leaf and bloom. LUckily we still have lots of summer to go and some nice countryside to explore.

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  18. Indeed a beautiful trip Jenny - I enjoyed it very much. Britannia looks fabulous standing by the bridge, guarding that gorgeous countryside view. The Roman Baths of Bath remain a wonderful memory of our first trip to the UK in 2004, and they clearly continue to fascinate, and maybe have even more to show today. I absolutely love the angels climbing the ladder, biblical but also sweetly whimsical!

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    1. Yes, they are so unusual, at first I thought they must be modern because I never saw anything like them in all my years of church or abbey visiting. To find out they were 16th century was a real surprise. A pity that the idea wasn't copied in later years.

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  19. What a wonderful trip! Lovely images for the letter "B". I like the bed & breakfast place. The flowers and butterflies are beautiful. I love the angels on the church wall. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day. Wishing you a happy new week ahead

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  20. So a Court often used to be just that - interesting.

    I love the sculpture of angels climbing a ladder to heaven. I've never seen that before. The staircase looks pretty steep, climbing it must be pretty difficult!

    I like the idea of Britannia guarding the river. But I doubt if she could do much about any major flooding!

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    1. It is so interesting looking at old names on maps, they can tell you a lot about the past. Of course in Ireland you'd have to speak Gaelic to get the most out of that pastime!

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  21. Love all your pictures! It looks like a wonderful, relaxing trip.

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    1. Thank you, it was relaxing when i was not working, specially when walking through the countryside.

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  22. Another interesting post, Jenny, accompanied by lovely photos.

    When I hear the mention of coins being tossed into water, I'm reminded of a movie I loved when I was a little girl..."Three Coins in a Fountain".

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    1. I heard of it but I don't think I ever saw it. I wonder what the title refers to, wasn't it set in Rome?

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  23. Wow incredibly beautiful place dear Jenny!

    Glad the your stay was joyous and peaceful ;)

    Oh throwing coins in water is satanic? That is news
    I thought it was something about love

    Garden views are breathtaking !

    River passing by house sounds so lovely

    Flowers below window are gorgeous

    I loved butterflies

    Beautiful post ;)))

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    1. No, it is not satanic to throw coins in the water, it is just something that I think originated in old fashioned gods before Christianity. And I think it was taken over by Christianity because even now many people do it for luck! Have a lovely weekend, my friend.

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  24. and it's been a beautiful British bonanza of a summer to enjoy all your B's ... actually bees would have been a great one too as they seem to be enjoying all the wildlife gardens that are blooming in Britain these days.... oh look you've got me going with all the b's!
    Have a beautiful day
    Wren x

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    1. Thank you Wren. What a lovely name you have by the way, when I was young sometimes my friends called me "Jenny Wren" and it made me very happy but the name never stuck !

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  25. Various different things starting with “B” look to have spiced up the beautiful trip. Seymour Court is kind of the manor house I’d like to stay in person, I often see coins in the water of basin or pond at Japanese parks and temples, but haven’t seen the moment the coins are thrown into. Nice time for photographing butterflies and blossoms.

    Little sunlight and low temperatures is typical of the rainy season, but it was extremely so this rainy season. Summer is just around the corner . Enjoy your summer, Jenny.

    Yoko

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    1. Thank you Yoko, and the same to you. I hope it is not too hot. We had very high temperatures (for England) yesterday. Up to 38 degrees.

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  26. Bainted lady... Well someone has to say that was a b****y good post, Jenny. Very English!

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    1. Baint seen a Bainted Lady this year though Mike!

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  27. Haha loved the B theme, lots of Beautiful photos but I think my favourite is the Blue eyed cat. I think "butterfly confusion" should become an everyday expression.

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    1. Sometimes it feels like that phrase describes my brain.

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  28. Thanks for your excellent collections of "B"eauty.

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  29. Some very interesting Bs indeed!

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    1. I didn't get any of the bumble variety into the piece sadly :)

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  30. There's a Bath somewhere in between Cleveland and Akron, but it doesn't have any of the historic features of your Bath. I love how how the centuries, even the millenniums, exist side by side.

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    1. I sometimes smile at how different New York is from historic "old" York here in England!

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