TASHY TRAVELS
These are some stories from my travels in 2019.
I hope you enjoy the text and the pictures.
COTSWOLDS 2 - July 30 2019
Day 2 started like most English summer days. It was raining. However, after some discussion about which village to go to, we had decided to visit a typical Cotswold village and so, ignoring the weather, we set off for Bibury. Well all of us English people ignored the weather, or maybe were too stupid to think it might rain in summer, but our New Zealander visitor had her brolly with her and it was much in evidence.
The village is on the River Coin which is a tributary of the River Thames. The river gently flows through the village with a series of low stone bridges which carry the tourist from either side of the water. I'm not sure how the river may look in winter or after heavy rain but on the day we were there it was just a peaceful little stream, made prettier by the rain drops sprinkling across its surface.
Further along the road low trees overhang the water and ducks can be seen paddling through the reeds. There are also some little streams you have to cross and, at one such crossing, very narrow, we had all crossed while a couple waited for us to go over the narrow crossing. Jen, bringing up the rear and possibly blinded by the now light rain, approached the small bridge and, seeing us standing waiting for her, performed a lovely little dance as only she can. She then realised it wasn't us and, embarrassingly nipped across hoping the people hadn't seen her. Their little laughter told a different story.
Arlington Row cottages, in the photo on the left and the four below, were built in 1380 as a store for the wool from the local monastery. They were converted into cottages for weavers in the 17th century. This was the time before the invention of the machines in the industrial revolution and was when the phrase cottage industry first came into use. People would both spin and weave the wool in their own homes. Many of those who did this work were unmarried women, married ones would be too busy looking after their homes, children and husbands and so the term spinster for an unmarried older lady was used.
Arlington Row is said to be one of the most photographed Cotswold sites and was used in the films Stardust and Bridget Jones's Diary. It is also said that Japanese tourist particularly come to the town as the Emperor Hirohito apparently stayed in the town on his European tour.
We then went back to our accommodation to dry out, or dry our umbrella, had something to eat and then headed out again, this time to the city of Bath and, more importantly, to the Roman Baths within the city. By the way, for those that don't know, traditionally a place in England can only be a city if it has a cathedral. Bath does so Bath is. Bath is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, gaining that honour in 1987.
We didn't get much of a chance to look around the rest of the city but from the little bit I saw the architecture is very imposing. However I do feel the Baptist Church looked more like a mosque.
It would appear too that the city is settled in somewhat of a hollow with a wooded area all around and this we noticed as we drove in.
They also obviously cater well for disabled badge holders but, despite its Roman heritage, I saw nowhere to park my chariot should I decide to bring one next time. We though were heading for the Roman Baths which were part of a major site constructed by, guess who, yes the Romans way back in about 60AD.
The Celts had discovered hot springs of water on the site and they built a shrine to their goddess Sulis. When the Romans arrived they went one better and built a temple to their goddess Minerva who was the goddess of wisdom. However, in deference to the Celts, possibly, they called the town Aquae Sulis or the waters of Sulis for those of you not skilled in the Latin language. The whole site is one of the finest historic sites in all of Northern Europe and as well as the temple contains the remains of the Baths, the Sacred Spring and a museum of artefacts found at the site.
The Baths are below modern street level but all the buildings at or above street level date from the 19th century. This was true of the main gallery which overlooked one section of the Baths. The statues there were of famous Roman emperors and governors of Britain and created in Victorian times, being made in 1894 before the opening of the Baths in 1897. The Baths were only rediscovered in the late nineteenth century.
The major part of the Roman baths is the Sacred Spring where hot water at a temperature of 46 degrees centigrade rises at the rate of 1.17 million litres a day. This is now housed in the 18th-century buildings, designed by architects John Wood, the Elder and John Wood, the Younger, father and son funnily enough. The main area is the Great Bath and you can see this in the picture. At night, which was when we were there, they light torches all around the bath area.
In this photo you can actually see the spring water bubbling up in the bottom left hand corner. I find it fascinating to think that nearly 2,000 years ago people were looking at and walking on the ground that I can now see. The following photos take you on that same journey through the baths area and the underground channels where the water flows. The Baths now are unsafe for bathing because the water has gone through the lead pipes built by the Romans.
Two other things of interest are a model showing how the complex might have looked in Roman times. That's in the photo on the right. By the way it would appear that thefts were quite prolific in Roman times as there were a collection of about 130 Roman Era curse tablets discovered in 1979/1980. The tablets ask the goddess Sulis Minerva for the return of stolen goods and to curse the people who stole them.
There is also a wall display showing how the front of the temple may have looked. The face is the god of the waters, which some people think is Medusaa, the Gorgon that Minerva has on her shield. Gorgons had snakes instead of hair and if you looked at them you turned to stone!
Bathing in Roman times was far more of a social event. There were rooms to meet in, play dice or games in and several different rooms which you would go through ranging from the Apodyterium or changing room where you would take off your clothes, the Caldarium or hot room heated by underfloor heating making wooden shoes an essential, the Tepidarium or warm room filled with warm water pools and the Natatio or swimming pool with water from the spring. By the way Romans didn't use soap. They rubbed olive oil into their skins and when they sweated a lot they would scrape the oil (and dirt) off with something called a strigil.
Let's finish with four family photos. The Roman in the last photo has a very apprehensive look on his face and this may be because he has noticed the hand resting on his shoulder.
Please note the ancient Roman goddess loitering just in front of the realistic Prosecco stall. No mineral water for her although you can have a quick slurp of genuine spring water which hasn't gone through lead pipes.
Day 2 started like most English summer days. It was raining. However, after some discussion about which village to go to, we had decided to visit a typical Cotswold village and so, ignoring the weather, we set off for Bibury. Well all of us English people ignored the weather, or maybe were too stupid to think it might rain in summer, but our New Zealander visitor had her brolly with her and it was much in evidence.
The village is on the River Coin which is a tributary of the River Thames. The river gently flows through the village with a series of low stone bridges which carry the tourist from either side of the water. I'm not sure how the river may look in winter or after heavy rain but on the day we were there it was just a peaceful little stream, made prettier by the rain drops sprinkling across its surface.
Further along the road low trees overhang the water and ducks can be seen paddling through the reeds. There are also some little streams you have to cross and, at one such crossing, very narrow, we had all crossed while a couple waited for us to go over the narrow crossing. Jen, bringing up the rear and possibly blinded by the now light rain, approached the small bridge and, seeing us standing waiting for her, performed a lovely little dance as only she can. She then realised it wasn't us and, embarrassingly nipped across hoping the people hadn't seen her. Their little laughter told a different story.
Arlington Row cottages, in the photo on the left and the four below, were built in 1380 as a store for the wool from the local monastery. They were converted into cottages for weavers in the 17th century. This was the time before the invention of the machines in the industrial revolution and was when the phrase cottage industry first came into use. People would both spin and weave the wool in their own homes. Many of those who did this work were unmarried women, married ones would be too busy looking after their homes, children and husbands and so the term spinster for an unmarried older lady was used.
Arlington Row is said to be one of the most photographed Cotswold sites and was used in the films Stardust and Bridget Jones's Diary. It is also said that Japanese tourist particularly come to the town as the Emperor Hirohito apparently stayed in the town on his European tour.
We then went back to our accommodation to dry out, or dry our umbrella, had something to eat and then headed out again, this time to the city of Bath and, more importantly, to the Roman Baths within the city. By the way, for those that don't know, traditionally a place in England can only be a city if it has a cathedral. Bath does so Bath is. Bath is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, gaining that honour in 1987.
We didn't get much of a chance to look around the rest of the city but from the little bit I saw the architecture is very imposing. However I do feel the Baptist Church looked more like a mosque.
It would appear too that the city is settled in somewhat of a hollow with a wooded area all around and this we noticed as we drove in.
They also obviously cater well for disabled badge holders but, despite its Roman heritage, I saw nowhere to park my chariot should I decide to bring one next time. We though were heading for the Roman Baths which were part of a major site constructed by, guess who, yes the Romans way back in about 60AD.
The Celts had discovered hot springs of water on the site and they built a shrine to their goddess Sulis. When the Romans arrived they went one better and built a temple to their goddess Minerva who was the goddess of wisdom. However, in deference to the Celts, possibly, they called the town Aquae Sulis or the waters of Sulis for those of you not skilled in the Latin language. The whole site is one of the finest historic sites in all of Northern Europe and as well as the temple contains the remains of the Baths, the Sacred Spring and a museum of artefacts found at the site.
The Baths are below modern street level but all the buildings at or above street level date from the 19th century. This was true of the main gallery which overlooked one section of the Baths. The statues there were of famous Roman emperors and governors of Britain and created in Victorian times, being made in 1894 before the opening of the Baths in 1897. The Baths were only rediscovered in the late nineteenth century.
The major part of the Roman baths is the Sacred Spring where hot water at a temperature of 46 degrees centigrade rises at the rate of 1.17 million litres a day. This is now housed in the 18th-century buildings, designed by architects John Wood, the Elder and John Wood, the Younger, father and son funnily enough. The main area is the Great Bath and you can see this in the picture. At night, which was when we were there, they light torches all around the bath area.
In this photo you can actually see the spring water bubbling up in the bottom left hand corner. I find it fascinating to think that nearly 2,000 years ago people were looking at and walking on the ground that I can now see. The following photos take you on that same journey through the baths area and the underground channels where the water flows. The Baths now are unsafe for bathing because the water has gone through the lead pipes built by the Romans.
Two other things of interest are a model showing how the complex might have looked in Roman times. That's in the photo on the right. By the way it would appear that thefts were quite prolific in Roman times as there were a collection of about 130 Roman Era curse tablets discovered in 1979/1980. The tablets ask the goddess Sulis Minerva for the return of stolen goods and to curse the people who stole them.
There is also a wall display showing how the front of the temple may have looked. The face is the god of the waters, which some people think is Medusaa, the Gorgon that Minerva has on her shield. Gorgons had snakes instead of hair and if you looked at them you turned to stone!
Bathing in Roman times was far more of a social event. There were rooms to meet in, play dice or games in and several different rooms which you would go through ranging from the Apodyterium or changing room where you would take off your clothes, the Caldarium or hot room heated by underfloor heating making wooden shoes an essential, the Tepidarium or warm room filled with warm water pools and the Natatio or swimming pool with water from the spring. By the way Romans didn't use soap. They rubbed olive oil into their skins and when they sweated a lot they would scrape the oil (and dirt) off with something called a strigil.
Let's finish with four family photos. The Roman in the last photo has a very apprehensive look on his face and this may be because he has noticed the hand resting on his shoulder.
Please note the ancient Roman goddess loitering just in front of the realistic Prosecco stall. No mineral water for her although you can have a quick slurp of genuine spring water which hasn't gone through lead pipes.
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