Cotswolds to Bath

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

We spent the first part of the day continuing our exploration of the beautiful Cotswold villages.  Our first stop was in Stratford-on-Avon, home to Shakespeare’s birthplace and also his grave, inside Trinity Church. We enjoyed the riverside walk along the Avon and through the town.

 It would be hard to find a homely town anywhere along any of the roads and byways in the Cotswolds, we certainly did not.  We drove off the main routes to towns we’d never heard of, as well as to better known places on the tourist circuit in this very popular part of the country.  At breakfast at our B and B this morning, our hostess directed us to several places and mentioned that Chipping Campden is particularly appealing to Americans.  As we wandered through its beautiful St. James Church and along the High Street, with the old Market Hall, it was obvious why that is so.  The native honey-colored stone has been used to good effect at every turn.

It seemed as if there were very few tourists around and that was much to our liking.  It was another lovely autumn day and we once again appreciated our good fortune to be able to travel at this time of the year.

We arrived in Bath mid-afternoon and, after moving in to our apartment, we walked across the Avon into the center of town for a brief look around and some photography.  Much of the city, from its magnificent Abbey, Roman baths, Georgian houses, pedestrian shopping street and bridges is constructed of a warm limestone and is beautifully harmonious, though the construction spans centuries.  We’re looking forward to tackling it in earnest tomorrow.