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Friday 15 July 2011

Summer's Day outing


Apparently yesterday there was an earthquake in the English Channel and the tremors could be felt in Portsmouth and the rain was falling in the south East but here in Somerset we had one of the best days this year with blue skies and warm sunshine so we decided to go off for an outing.  We intended to go to the Challice Gardens at Glastonbury but we decided after all to visit Wedmore a pretty little town we have been through several times on our way to the airport at Bristol and always thought we'd like to look around.

It is indeed a pretty little town - pity about the traffic though! - and we enjoyed a wander round and a look at the little independent shops.  There was a fishmonger/greengrocer, a butcher (called Baker!), a delicatesen cum cafe, several little shops selling gifts and things for the home and so on and a papershop/bakers where we bought some sandwiches made to our specifications whilst we waited which we ate sitting outside the shop on a bench in the sunshine along with a cup of coffee.

 This chap was enjoying the sun outside a delightful little gallery - I didn't buy anything but I could easily have done so had I had the cash!

 This was also outside the gallery.

 Pretty houses at every turn..

 Now why couldn't my hollyhocks have been content to be this size I wonder!

 After lunch we set off for Wells - England's smallest city and not far from Wedmore.   We had a wander up the main street towards the cathedral and the Bishop's Palace.  This is the moat round the Palace - all very tranquil now but I am guessing that if they needed a moat and crenellated ramparts at the time it was built 800 years ago that it wasn't always so peaceful!  I gather they had permission to pour boiling oil and molten lead from the ramparts on top of any marauders who might be attempting to climb the walls - not very Christian was it?!!

 Nothing like that happening yesterday though of course and all was very peaceful.  The cathedral looking serene in the sunshine from the gardens inside the palace.

This was one of the windows in what had been the Great Hall - only one wall left standing now along with a couple of towers which served to illustrate the immense size of the building when it was built 800 years ago.

 Lovely clematis clambering up the wall....  Oops I have just realised it should have been turned through 90 degrees - as I will ruin the whole post if I mess about now I will just leave it and wonder if you would have noticed!




Hydrangeas everywhere with some beautiful big blooms but nearly all pink.


Under this tranquil pool lie the four wells which gives Wells its name and the calm surface belies the great quantity of water which surges up - the average flow being about 40 gallons a second and the overflow fills the moat. 




This cute little building is the well house the original being built in 1451 by Bishop Beckynton and was perhaps his greatest gift to the people of Wells as it provided them with a supply of fresh water from the stone conduit in the market place which was fed by a run of 255 meters of lead piping.  It was rebuilt in the Victorian period and the dog on top is a Talbot which was apparently a favourite hunting dog of the Bishop - so now you know eh?!

 This is the high street with channels of spring water running along both sides.  Take care where you are putting your feet if you don't want a shoe full!


We'd had a great day out but sadly on our return I received a call from the vet with the results of a blood test Thomas had had on Monday - it seems he has a weak heart and needs to go on medication.  This had been picked up by the vet we saw earlier in the week when both cats went for their yearly check and vaccincations and poor Tom has yet another bald patch - this time under his chin so he looks like a scraggy plucked chicken when he lifts his head and you can see his skin!  It is difficult to imagine life without him after 15 plus years but I guess the time will come when I must.  This photo is very unusal since it shows both Tom (on the right) and Bambi sharing a resting place something they never normally do - do you think Bambi knows she has to be kinder to her brother now and wallop him a little less often?!  Bambi too has her problems as she has harvest mites (no not harvest mice!) in her ears and I am annointing her with some noxious stuff along with giving her her arthritis medicine - it's not only humans for whom "getting old is not for wimps" is it?!

Thank you all for your lovely comments on my previous posts I really do appreciate them all and hope to be able to catch up with you all soon.


31 comments:

  1. Beautiful photographs, what a lovely day out you had. You could have got away with that photo without disclaimer, I wouldn't have noticed!

    Dear little Thomas, give him a gentle cuddle and kiss from me (and our ailing Susie Cat who, after a good start, now refuses to take her tablets, grrrr).

    x

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  2. What a nice little tour through this pretty part of the West Country. I didn't know about the earthquake, though.

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  3. What a lovely day out and you're right I think we both shared the same gorgeous weather. I have to agree boiling oil and molten lead doesn't sound too friendly!!
    Sorry about poor Thomas's results, hopefully the medication will help.
    Vivienne x

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  4. Your photos are absolutely stunning, I could enjoy them for hours. There are so many beautiful places to visit in England and I love to read of your little adventures.
    Its quite sad when our pets get older, they become so much like family. I hope the medicine for Tom's heart will make him feel better and allow him to enjoy a few more good years.

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  5. Beautiful photos of your day out. Thanks for sharing.
    I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty being unwell. I hope the medication helps him. They do look cute sitting their together.
    Anne xx

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  6. Poor Tom, I have the greatest sympathy for him and am sorry to hear of his troubles, and Bambi's (aging human that I am, and lover of all cats too). It is obvious, though, they are well loved and life with you has been good.

    Your post was so very pleasurable to read and view because I have a special place in my heart for Wells thanks to my great love for the novels and other works of Elizabeth Goudge (1900-1984) who was born there and has written of it. My husband and I visited there two years ago, but we were on a bus full of fellow American tourists and the stop there was to tour the amazing cathedral and not much else. How I would have loved to wander down the streets of town. So, I'm thrilled to see your photos of some views we didn't get to see. Next time...I'll come on my own with all the time I need to wander and enjoy! So, thank you so much for sharing your visit...you had a marvelous little jaunt this day.

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  7. Hi Jane,

    Sorry I have not visited for a while but I have not had an internet connection for 16 days...more than frustrating.

    Poor Thomas....so sad when our much loved pets are entering their final months/year. I believe that animals instintively know when something is wrong. I have seen it so often with all the animals that have lived with me. I am sure you will take care of your Thomas.

    You do have some lovely days out. I could almost feel the sunshine on my back as you ate your sandwiches and drank your coffee. We do have some pretty villages in the UK.......

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  8. Another place to visit -and no excuse as I don't live far from the place!
    Sorry to hear about your cat, animals do sense things when something is wrong
    Julie xxxxxxx

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  9. So sorry to hear about your little cat, and hope the medication helps him.
    These little towns with 'proper' independant shops are such a delight to visit. i used to love going to Wells, too, always somethiong new to gaze at.

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  10. What a pleasure to see Wells - I haven't been there for decades.
    Poor Tom, he must feel miserable. To help with his bald patch - try him on homeopathic sulphur pills, one a day, and see if it helps. I've done this with a cat in the past and cured the skin problem. No side effects. You can get them in Boots.
    Ashley, who's 18, has decided to go out in the rain and is sitting under the water butt watching the world (not) go by.

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  11. What a lovely day out.
    I'm so glad you managed all that before today's glorious rain.

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  12. Thankyou for sharing your day out - it looks a lovely place to visit. Sorry to hear about Tom, but I'm sure that the medicine will make him feel much better.

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  13. What a lovely and informative post. Your photos are excellent, my favourite is the view of the Cathedral through the tall window.

    So sorry to hear that Thomas is ill.

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  14. Ooh, I thought when I saw your first photograph, I know that place! Tod and I had a holiday in Wedmore in 2003! It was a pretty village and we had a lovely cottage rented by a lady who had her own business making cards and gifts from vintage fabrics - I had forgotten all about it 'till now!
    Poor old Thomas, and Bambi - good job they have you to ease their old age - do give them a special tickle from me.

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  15. Haven't been to Wells or Wedmore for years - photos made me want to just get up and go! Harvest mites are a pest, poor Bambi. Hope Tom responds wel to his medication.

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  16. A beautiful day out. Thank you for sharing all your lovely photos. I am sorry to hear about your cat. Pets are a constant worry aren't they? I hope he improves with the medication. x

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  17. Sorry to hear about Thomas. I hope the medicine helps him. Your photos show some beautiful places!
    Lucy xxxxxx

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  18. That's weird, I was in Wells yesterday too! Did you see that old gentleman playing the spoons? reminded me of Dublin :-D
    Great photos.
    Get well soon Tom.

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  19. Lovely photos.
    Sorry to hear your kitties are not so healthy, age gets everyone eventually with something doesn't it?
    Give them a hug from me,
    Hugs,

    Sandie xx

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  20. I am so sorry to hear about your cat. Those creatures really find a place deep in our hearts, don't they? I hope the medication works its magic.

    Thank you so much for your amazing guided tour. My heart craves England often even though I am VERY happy here in France. Anyway your post gave me a lot of pleasure.... More hollyhocks I see ;-)

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  21. Hi just come across your blog via Silverpebble and thought id say hello. What a lovely place you visited and some great photos

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  22. What beautiful photos Jane. I haven't been to Wedmore in years but always try to get to Wells and Glastonbury at least once every couple of years. It's old stamping ground for me when I used to work on the Western Daily Press. I love the exterior photos of Wells Cathedral. Time to plan a trip this year I tihnk! Lesley x

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  23. Lovely pictures, and a very informative and interesting tour of a place I haven't yet visited, but should definitely do so! I'm sorry about your poor cat and hope the medication works well for him.
    Helen x

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  24. I love Wells an Glastonbury - both lovely for a trip out.
    What a lovely pair of cats you have there, sorry to hear that old age is catching up them. Ours is beginning to show signs of wear and tear too and is slowing down considerably!

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  25. Gorgeous photos of what looks like a wonderful day out. It has been pretty bleak here the last few days and I notice it is quite windy this morning.

    Hope you have a good week.

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  26. What a beautiful day, and what beautiful photographs ... you have made me quite homesick for the county where I grew up! I love it here in North Wales, but Somerset still calls me.

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  27. How lovely! Thanks for taking us along on your day out. I don't know that part of the country, but it looks so beautiful. Fabulous pictures you took. Hope kitty soon feels better.
    Penny xx

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  28. It certianly is a beautiful area. Hope the cats will cuddle up together regularly !

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  29. I am jealous of people who get to live in such quaint, charming and pretty homes. I love all that history! Thank you so much for sharing your trip. Poor kitties.

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  30. Thank you for the virtual tour Jane, such pretty places and i feel all the more knowledgeable for it! So pleased you didn't succumb to any oil and molten lead. sorry to hear about poor Thomas, I wouldn't be surprised if Bambi has picked up on his woes, our little Millie was stroking Alfie when he clearly wasn't feeling great one day and we couldn't believe what we were seeing. Female empathy in cats too, obviously (not so sure it would be the same the other way round though!). X

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  31. Hi Jane

    Beautiful tour showing off some of Somerset's loveliest places. Somerset is such a beautiful and varied county! Wedmore is a lovely village, I haven't been there for a while.
    I am sorry to hear about your cats' health. I know that as they get older we do have more concerns for them. As a huge cat lover I understand how you feel about them getting older. I've had many cats over the past 30 odd years. I used to take in strays and got attached to them very quickly. Some were young and some were elderly.
    At least there is better medicine available now adays, I am sure that will help Tom.
    Take care
    Isabelle x

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