|
A short drive south west of Bath will take you to Wells,
this is England’s smallest but one of the most
beautiful cathedral cites you will find in the British
Isles. It is probable that a Saxon church stood on
the site of the present cathedral which was
commenced in 1180. The Bishop’s Palace with
its fortification and moat is one of the oldest inhabited
houses in England. Stay in Wells for a light lunch
at one of the many lovely pubs, restaurants or cafes
and of course spare some time for a spot of retail
therapy. Continuing now further down the region head
for Glastonbury. Glastonbury today is famous
mainly for two things - its international music festival
and strong links with King Arthur. Legend links Glastonbury
with both King Arthur and Joseph of Arimathea.
It is said that upon his death, after the great battle
of Camlan, King Arthur was borne away to the Isle
of Avalon (Glastonbury), where he was buried
with Queen Guinevere, his wife, who upon her
death was brought from Amesbury by Sir Lancelot.
Centuries later the monks of Glastonbury Abbey moved
the bodies and re-interred them before the high Altar
in the now ruined Abbey.
Glastonbury’s link with Joseph of Arimathea
goes back to an even earlier time. It is said that
Joseph travelled to Glastonbury with the Holy
Grail and standing his staff in the ground it
took root and flowered – a sigh that his travels
were over. Joseph was given land on which to build
a small church and this was probably the first Christian
community in England.
Rising like a beacon from the flat Somerset plain, Glastonbury
Tor seems to beckon the pilgrims who journey
in their thousands to this remarkable spot. Beneath
the hill is said to lie a subterranean kingdom
ruled over by the Lord of the Wild Hunt,
Gwynn ap Nud. The Tor may once have been an island,
hence it’s identification with Avalon, to
which tradition says Arthur came to be healed of
his wounds.
Drive now to Taunton, the county town of Somerset and
home of the famous cider makers, dates back
to Saxon times. During the Civil War the town saw
much fighting. At nearby Sedgemoor in 1685 the Duke
of Monmouth led his ill –fated army into
battle. Many of his followers were taken prisoner
and tried before Judge Jeffrey’s at
his famous ‘Bloody Assize’ held
in Taunton Castle. Now on that site stands
The Castle at Taunton hotel.
Overnight Taunton
A chance today to explore the beauty of Exmoor and North
Devon. From Taunton drive through the stunning Quantock hills
to Dunster, an ancient town with views of
Exmoor and the coast. The hilltop castle has been
continuously occupied since 1070. Medieval prosperity
from cloth built the intriguing 16th century octagonal
Yarn Market and the church. A riverside mill,
packhorse bridge and 18th century hilltop folly
occupy other interesting corners in the town. Continue
westwards along the coast and you will now find
yourself on the coast in Lynmouth a resort
set beneath bracken-covered cliffs and pinewood
gorges where 2 rivers meet, often called ‘Little
Switzerland’. Lynton, set on the
cliffs above, can be reached by water-operated cliff
railway from the Victorian esplanade. Stop
here for lunch before continuing further along
the coast and up into the heart of Exmoor, and
right into Doone Country, this area is where R.D.
Blackmore set the scene for the novel Lorna
Doone.
Spend the afternoon exploring either Bideford or Barnstaple or
both if time permits. Bideford ‘The little white town’ was
formerly an important sailing port and Barnstaple, which is England’s
oldest Borough stands beside the River Taw, which is crossed by a 13th
century bridge.
Overnight Bideford or Barnstaple
Today you will be exploring Cornwall and the first
stop on the itinerary must be Tintagel, a
small Cornish town set on the dramatic and rugged North
Cornwall Coast. Geoffrey of Monmouth,
in his 12th century History of the Kings of
Britain, claims this is the birthplace of
King Arthur. The dramatic ruins of the castle, which
date from the 12th to the 13th century and are thus
too late to have anything to do with the real Arthur,
have nonetheless inspired romantic speculation. A
much earlier 6th century site on the island promontory
behind the castle is more or less contemporary with
Arthur. Excavations in 1994 indicate that this may
have been a Celtic site associated with a local leader
of some importance. Also in Tintagel is Merlin’s
Cave.The 19th century poet Tennyson made
this site famous in his ‘Idylls of the King’ when
he described a huge wave that carried the infant
Arthur to the shore where he was discovered by Merlin.
Local legend has long associated this cave with the
great enchanter. It is certainly a very atmospheric
place where one might expect to see Merlin coming
with his shining staff held up to illuminate the
darkness of the cave.
After a traditional Cornish Pasty for lunch,
drive along the Cornish coast to St Ives.
Situated around a harbour, St Ives has been the haunt
of artists and potters since the 1880’s. The
many lanes and alleys known as ‘Down-Long’,
a name which surivives from the old days are worth
exploring. Just around the corner is Zennor.
A flat stone can be found here which is reputed to
be where King Arthur dined with four Cornish Kings
before a battle with the Danes. At Loe Pool,
South West of Truro, is a huge inland lagoon with
a pebble ridge between it and the sea. It is one
of the three places which claims to be where King
Arthur cast his sword Excalibur, into the
water and a ghostly arm caught it.
Overnight Truro
From Truro take the journey to Exeter, stopping
on the way at Dozmary Pool, situated on Bodmin
Moor, close to Jamaica Inn (immortalised by Daphne
Du Maurier in her novel of the same name) is
the still silent tarn which also claims to be the
lake where Arthur cast Excalibur.
Once in Exeter take time to visit the stunning
cathedral which stands on the site of a Saxon monastic
church and take a trip around the city with one of
the many free red coat guided tours which depart
daily from the cathedral green. The ancient Roman
walled city takes its name from the River Exe upon
which it stands. Have lunch in one of Exeter’s
great restaurants, bars or cafes, either in the city
centre or in the relaxing quayside area.
Drive now to Salisbury, being sure to call in at Cadbury
Castle en route. This magnificent Neolithic
hill fort is possibly the ledgendary ‘Camelot’.
Another must see on the way is Stonehenge.
Among the many legends of this famous site is one
which tells of its construction by Merlin. Asked
by Arthur’s father, Uther Pendragon to
construct a fitting memorial for his brother Ambrosius and
the warlords of Britain, the enchanter journeyed
to Ireland in search of the fabled Giant’s
dance. Merlin conveyed the stones by magic to the
shore of the sea then floated them on rafts across
to Britain and set them up on a plain near Salisbury.
Salisbury is world famous for its gothic
style Cathedral with the highest spire in Britain.
It was founded in the 13th century and called New
Sarum. There are many medieval buildings worth
visiting as well as a number of inns and hotels with
historic connections.
Overnight Salisbury
Drive to airport to drop off hire car for return
flight.
 Back
to Flights homepage
|
