GLOUCESTER, BOURTON & HOME

SEVERN BRIDGE

ST ARILDA'S CHURCH

BRIDGE OVER SHARPNESS AND GLOUCESTER CANAL AT PURTON

SLIMBRIDGE WETLAND CENTRE

WHO IS THE BIGGEST BIRD?

GLOUCESTER HIGH STREET

GLOUCESTER CANAL BASIN

CLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL

LIGHT DISPLAY IN CATHEDRAL 

ENTRANCE TO BOURTON'S MOTORING MUSEUM

FOOTBRIDGE IN BOURTON

On Thursday 20th the weather was still looking rather uncertain so we decided to take a drive along the Severn river, initially heading south to the old Severn Bridge, which is rather more attractive than the more recent 'Prince of Wales' bridge, although the latter owes its existence to the inadequacy of the older bridge to handle the volume of traffic which now crosses between England and Wales.

I was delighted that it was now free of charge to cross the bridge (the cost of the Prince of Wales Bridge having been recouped) and we parked briefly at the Chepstow services for refreshments. However, we found that an issue (breakdown?) on the return lane of the bridge prevented us from going back the same way. We thus followed the M48 until we reached the M4, then turned back at junction 23a to cross back into England via the Prince of Wales Bridge. We followed the M49 down to Avonmouth and then took the A403 back to the eastern end of the Severn Bridge which, frustratingly, was now freely flowing with traffic both ways. Ho-hum.

We continued driving generally north-east, as near to the River Severn as we could. We came across the magnificent St Arilda's Church on a hill near Oldbury-on-Severn, from which we enjoyed clear views back to Wales. Further on, we passed through Berkeley and then reached the picturesque bridges over the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal at Purton, where we stopped to enjoy a picnic lunch and a short walk. Not long after, we arrived at Slimbridge Wetland Centre, run by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and founded by Peter Scott in 1946. We didn't have sufficient time to make it worthwhile paying to enter the site, but we did manage to sneak a few photos near to the information centre. Perhaps we will return some day for a proper visit.

After a full day, it was back to the Hotel for our final night. However, we were not in any hurry to return home, so in the evening we booked to stay the following night at the Edward Hotel in Gloucester.

It didn't take long to drive to the Edward Hotel in the morning. We parked the car in their car park and were given our keys to the room, enabling us to spend the rest of the day exploring the historic city of Gloucester. Founded by the Romans in AD97, and later the site of a magnificent Norman Cathedral, there was much to see.

Gloucester is also to end-point of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. once the broadest and deepest canal in the world. The area is now the location of shops, bars, luxury flats, and a museum illustrating the former maritime history of the area. After a pleasant (and dry) walk around the area we proceeded to the Cathedral, where we were most impressed. This was where Henry III was crowned and Edward II was buried. I (Steve) have visited many Cathedrals, including Salisbury and Winchester, but this one trumps them all. It is truly magnificent and I recommend anyone to visit. There was a light display being exhibited in the Cathedral when we passed through, and this was particularly impressive.

On the way back to the Edward Hotel we noticed a Wetherspoons pub where we could eat, so we came back here in the evening.

The following morning we headed for Bourton-on-the-Water, and parked the car at HF Holiday's Harrington House. We immediately donned our walking boots and embarked on a 6 mile loop around the area, which gave us the opportunity to appreciate the lovely town and the beautiful lakes that surrounded it. It was a great finale to our (nearly) week long break. From here it was back home and back to normality (whatever that means).

A WET WEEK IN BERKELEY

DYRHAM PARK GARDEN (photo James Dobson)

UNUSUAL PERSPECTIVE ARTWORK IN CORRIDOR

OUR HOTEL

PUDDLES!

PREPARING TO CLIMB STINCHCOMBE HILL

THE 'TOP'

WINDOW IN ST MARY'S CHURCH, BERKELEY

BERKELEY CASTLE

EDWARD JENNER'S HOME

NEWARK PARK (photo by Roy Douglas)

Monday 17th of February was the start of a surprise holiday treat booked by Rubi. She had got a good deal for a half-board stay at the Bay Price of Wales Hotel just outside Berkeley, which is close to the River Severn and half-way between Bristol and Gloucester. The intention was to do some walking in the area, although the weather was looking rather wet for the ensuing week. Not to be put off, we brought wellies and adequate wet-weather gear along with us.

It would be a 2 hour drive to the Hotel, but there was no necessity to arrive in Berkeley until late afternoon, so we decided visit somewhere else along the way. Rubi had recently enrolled us as members of the National Trust, so we obviously looked for a suitable NT property. This turned out to be Dyrham Park, around 7 miles north of Bath, where we arrived around midday.

After parking, it was a short walk down through the ancient deer park to the 17th century house itself. We enjoyed viewing the superbly decorated interiors, furnishings and art. Outside, the gardens were not at their best at this soggy time of year, but we enjoyed a walk around the ponds and were permitted to eat our picnic lunch in the canteen.

By late afternoon we were continuing our way to Berkeley, avoiding the M4 so that we could travel slower and enjoy the views along the minor roads. On arriving at the Hotel, we had time to shower and rest before supper. The menu was limited as one might expect for a half-board arrangement, but the food was very acceptable. The restaurant was full of guests who had arrived by coach, courtesy of Shearing's Holidays, who apparently use this hotel frequently. The older couple on the next table to us were quite chatty and had stayed at the hotel several times before.  

The weather was wet and dreary the following day, but we were determined to get outdoors. I devised a walking route that would take us to Dursley, a place I (Steve) had visited before when I walked the Cotswolds Way. We immediately encountered deep puddles and, although following a public footpath, soon found our progress thwarted by brambles so thick that we had to turn back.

After a bit of road walking we regained the footpath and eventually arrived at Dursley town where we sheltered in an old market building to enjoy our picnic lunch. This building happened to be on the Cotswold Way route so, afterwards, we following it up onto Stinchcombe Hill, walking anticlockwise around the elevated golf course. From the trig point, we descended west, passing  through Stinchcombe village on the way back to our Hotel. The route turned out less straightforward than expected when another blocked footpath was encountered, requiring yet more deviation. The day's drizzle had been relentless, so it was a race to be first in the shower when we finally got back to our room.

Wednesday's plan was initially to visit the house of Edward Jenner, considered to be the father of vaccination although not necessarily the originator of the idea. In 1796 he found that individuals injected with the pus from a cowpox blister did not develop smallpox, which was a common and deadly disease at the time. It seems odd writing about this now whist under 'lock-down' at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. A vaccine is desperately required to bring this particular disease to a halt.

We arrived early, so while we were waiting to enter the house we took a look at St Mary's Church nearby, with it's magnificent window, and Berkeley Castle which, from the scaffolding in evidence, seemed to be undergoing renovation at the time.

In the afternoon we drove to Newark Park, near Wooten-under-Edge. another National Trust property. This was originally a Tudor hunting lodge, but was enlarged over the years until eventually being given to the NT in 1949. The Trust let the house out as a nursing home, but by 1970 it had fallen into a state of disrepair. It was at this point the American Architect Robert Parsons took over the tenancy and restored it to it's present condition. Although the wet weather prevented us exploring the full extent of the grounds, the history was certainly fascinating.