 |
| Two old Mariners |
We left Cornwall after a lovely breakfast cooked up by our Host Rebecca and, with the sun breaking through, headed east to our next stop near the Bristol Channel. After passing through Exeter again we turned north to follow the wooded and rolling countryside at the edge of the Quantock Hills, an area of outstanding natural beauty in Somerset county. I found it the most pleasant of scenery since we left Kent and could live here for sure! Shortly after noon we parked by the wharf in the coastal town of Watchet as we had a few hours to explore before reaching our destination. This old Saxon port was highly valued by Alfred the Great as he successfully defended it from three Viking attacks. Coins minted in Watchet have been found in Scandinavia, suggesting that they even tried to buy off the Viking raiders. On the Esplanade is a statue of Samuel Coleridge's The Ancient Mariner, put up to pay tribute to Coleridge who lived for many years nearby. The harbour here inspired him to write his most enduring poem, The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, the first lines written at the local Bell Inn. Another interesting tidbit I discovered while we were here was my favourite English artist William Turner came here to sketch in 1814. Maybe that is what drew me to come here at the last minute.
 |
| Watchet harbour |
We followed a coastal trail (South West Coast Path) from the harbour to Helwell Beach where over the years beachcombers have picked through the mud at low tide for old iron treasures and chipped off the cliff walls bits of 200 million year old fossils. We didn't find anything of interest but the walk was nice all the same. Before leaving we stopped of at the Watchet Boat Museum which celebrates the maritime heritage of the area, especially the local flatner boats that plied the shallow waters along the coast. One prize display is the last seagoing flatner boat ever built, but there are other varieties of boats including turf boats made for transporting peat. Getting to our next AirBnB from there was a challenge on the narrow, winding roads and small ancient stone bridges. But we arrived safely at the little house in Huist Champflower where we were staying and wandered about the church grounds just feet away. The early history of this church is obscure, as is often the case when the history dates back to the Norman times and beyond, but there has been a church community in this village since early medieval times. Someone named Thomas de Huish Champflower was the Patron with the responsibility for providing a priest for the church up to the year 1297. The church was unlocked and empty but a wonderful little retreat for the occasional passing visitor. Then it was time to do our ritual unpacking of the car and meeting up with our host Terri. She suggested for food the Black Bear Pub in Wiveliscombe, a few miles away. and we once again did the pub thing for supper. Great pub fare and friendly people to remind us of our short visit here in beautiful Somerset! GWS
 |
| Peat boat, Watchet Boat Museum |
 |
| AirBnB, Huish Champflower, Somerset |
 |
| St Peters Church, Huist Champflower, Somerset |
 |
| Bottoms up! |
