One of the many places I’ve dreamed of
visiting is Cornwall and this summer my dream became reality. After two days in
London we departed for the West Country, the southwestern region of England
that includes the counties of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset. The first
day of our week-long tour took us to the city of Wells and Dartmoor National
Park.
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| Dartmoor National Park |
We were travelling on the popular Corners
of Cornwall tour with Back-Roads Touring, a British company that specializes in
small group travel. A short while after hitting the open road we drove past the
prehistoric stone circle, Stonehenge.
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| Stonehenge |
The first stop on our itinerary was Wells,
the smallest city in England. This historic town in the county of Somerset has
the earliest English cathedral to be built in the Gothic style.
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| Wells Cathedral |
The medieval Bishop’s Palace with its drawbridge and moat is the residence of the
Bishops of Bath and Wells.
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| Bishop's Palace, Wells |
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| Bishop's Palace Moat |
Vicars’ Close is thought to be the only
complete medieval street in Europe. These homes have been continually occupied
for 700 years.
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| Vicars' Close, Wells |
Three ancient springs (wella in
Anglo-Saxon) gave the city of Wells its name. One spring is located in the Market
Place and its waters flow down a narrow channel along High Street. The other two
springs bubble up in the grounds of the Bishop’s Palace.
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| Wells Market Place Fountain |
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| Wells High Street |
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| Water Channel along High Street |
Our final destination for the day was Dartmoor
National Park in the moorlands of Devon. The rugged, open terrain is dotted
with granite tors, outcroppings of rock. A chill wind swept the
hilltop when we got off the coach but the wild Dartmoor ponies
grazing at the roadside paid us no mind.
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| The Moors of Dartmoor National Park |
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| Granite Tor |
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Paragliding in Dartmoor National Park
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| Wild Dartmoor Ponies |
We made a brief rest stop in the village of
Widecombe-in-the-Moor. The village church, Saint Pancras, is known as the
‘Cathedral of the Moor’.
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| Village Sign |
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| Saint Pancras Church, Widecombe-in-the-Moor |
Our hotel for the night was Two Bridges,
where Wallis Simpson and Winston Churchill are said to have been guests (but not together). This traditional country inn was a welcome change from the
hustle and bustle we’d left behind in London. We joined the members of our tour
group for a pre-dinner drink in the lobby and then sat down to a delicious meal
prepared by the hotel’s chef.
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| Two Bridges Hotel, Dartmoor National Park |
I slept well that night in the heart of the moors, dreaming of a hearty English breakfast and our morning visit to
the Cornish coastal village of Port Isaac.
I am so envious that you got to Port Isaac . I look forward to that post. BTW - 'but not together' - love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Denise. I loved Port Isaac.
ReplyDelete