Phew, glad they let us in ... late and ticketless!
LOCATION: London
What's happening?
Great start to our private road trip.
Nigel reported front and centre on the dot of 9 full of enthusiasm with a broad smile and energy to burn. A fabulous first day filled with magic places to see and lots to learn.
The itinerary that we have was compiled for us by the team at South West Select with input from the four of us - then tailored to the highlights that we wanted to include. They were so accommodating in those early days - swapping and changing making sure that we got the photographic highlights in the right light and that we could cover the distances required at a relaxed pace.
The Adventure
Gosh, the day was so full. A simple breakdown of the day would be -
Stonehenge, three towns of the Cotswolds and finally, Bath. Interwoven with lots of driving through beautiful green countryside through endless archways of trees and a patchwork of green and gold fields broken and divided with even greener hedges or endless low height stone walls. Sheep and cows add the dots of colour and small towns and villages were the constant queue to change speed.
Stinehenge: We had visited before but always something new to pick up on. Started with visit in museum where we jagged a young guide who gave us the historic run down on the stones! Brought its possibilities to life and certainly prepared us for the walk around in the field. Stopped by the "village" before taking the bus to the site.
A definte wow factor again to be strolling around the prehistoric stone circle (about 4,500 years old), rising from the Salisbury Plain. How and why of course the subject of conjecture but apparently just a few days ago 20 000 assembled here to celebrate the solstice.
It was busy today - not quite that many though - and we dutifully jockeyed with others to get the cheesy posed shots.
The towns of the Cotswolds: absolutely picture perfect medieval English villages. Set on gently rolling hills, dotted with sheep tge villages such as Stow, Altwood and Burwood showcase the narrow lanes, the honey coloured stone buildings, churches, streams, bridges and quiet charm of what you imagine England to be. Oh, and always something OLD. Very different from the craziness of London and the tube!
Straight from Nigel - they're called the Cotswolds because the name comes from Old English: “cot” meaning sheep enclosure and “wold” meaning rolling hills. So it literally means sheep‑hills. The region was once rich with wool merchants, and these golden villages grew from that medieval sheep wealth.
Bath: Arrived at the end of the lane at 5 and had to dash on foot to the doorway of the Roman Bath. Unfortunately for us, the big doors were closed right on time and,after 5 minutes of knocking on the door and peering through the window looking for a staff member to help us. With no luck, we had turned away. @Mac glanced back to notice the door swing open to let out a gentleman in a wheelchair. They were also manoeuvring two crutches which slowed the exit down just enough for @Mac to pounce on the staff member.
It allowed him time to explain to the staff member our convoluted story of the complication of our late arrival, the predicament of just two instead of four visitors and the decided lack of a printed ticket. The gentleman couldn't have been any more gracious - took the booking name, did his thing to locate the booking and ushered us through with our audio tour.
The sky wouldn't have fallen in if we hadn't made it - but we were glad we did. Well set up, the tour takes you through the various rooms of the bathroom house and the audio tour gives the details of what you are seeing.
We were done and dusted by 6:30 and headed to our home for the night. To save time, @Nigel had dropped us at the baths and he had taken care of checkin. A bit of a bonus becaise this was an apartment above the ground floor shops. While we were swanning around the exhibit at the Roman Baths, @Nigel was hauling our bags up two flights of stairs.
Comfort is appreciated at the end of a long day and sprawled over three floors we were rattling round in this spacious apartment perched above the street action just one block from the Cathedral. Got the makings of dinner to eat in - used the oven - cracked a bottle of wine and alternated between views of the sunset and the World Cup.
A moment 💋 for our vicarious adventurers the @Littlens
Survival Barometer
Steps: 13 847
Weather: 24 - very pleasant
Can you believe that?
A little background from Co-Pilot.
🧪 Weird & Wonderful Facts About Roman Baths
🔮 Sacred Spring — A Portal to the Underworld
Romans believed the hot spring at Bath was a direct link to the Underworld, where the goddess Sulis Minerva listened to prayers and punishments. People threw jewellery, coins, and written pleas into the water — over 12,000 coins have been found.
🧷 Curse Tablets — Petty Revenge, Roman Style
More than 130 curse tablets were discovered — most complaining about stolen cloaks or bathhouse theft. One tablet asked the goddess to “strike the thief blind” until the item was returned. Many were written backwards or in mirror script so only the goddess could read them.
🏛️ Roman Plumbing — Still Working After 2,000 Years
The lead‑sealed stone tank still channels water either into the Great Bath or out through a Roman drain into the River Avon. The system is still functioning today.
🛁 46°C Hot Water — Hotter Than Your Shower
The spring gushes out water at 46°C, loaded with minerals like iron, calcium, and silica. The orange staining around the pool comes from dissolved iron.
"I could be Nigel's backup!"
