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Kristina's London 2001 Journal
 
 

Kristina's Journal:
London, U.K.
(Bath, Stonehenge, and the Cotswolds)

June 12, 2001-Day 4

 Day 4 dawned quite early, we had a long day ahead. Before we left, I'd booked a day trip for us all with a company called Astral Travels. David and I had done their "Stones and Bones" tour when we'd been in London a few years prior and loved it, good value for the money. This tour, called the "History and Mystery Tour", was slightly different, but covering some of the same ground. Today we were to go to see the Cotswolds, the town of Bath and the Roman Baths therein, and the mystical ruins of Stonehenge. This tour was good, but a bit rushed. We were also unhappy with the tour guide, who hadn't bathed in days, and appeared hung over. That said, I'd still recommend the company if you are pressed for time. The tours are small and much better than the giant bus tours.

Our first stop was a village called Lacock in the Cotswolds.
The above manor home was used in the filming of the Harry Potter movie.

The village was quite charming.
 
 

From there we drove to Bath which was an interesting city, filled with history. We all agreed that this was a place we'd like to come back to and spend a few days, preferably in the "off season" when there would hopefully be less tourists. The ruins and museum of the Roman baths are very interesting, and with your admission, you get a self guided recorded tour.

The Cathedral in Bath is absolutely stunning, both inside and out. On the outside facade was something I've never seen before; a ladder carved into the stones on either side of the stained glass window with the angels climbing to heaven.

Inside the Bath Cathedral is even more beauty; gorgeous stained glass windows and lacy arches adorn the ceilings.

 

Our last stop was an all too brief one at the mystical ruins of Stonehenge. Here too, with admission you will get a personal recorded guide to carry around with you. The stones are no longer accessible to the public. Years of vandalism put a stop to that. However, Astral Travels does offer a tour that allows night access behind the ropes so if you want you can actually walk among the stones.

 

One of the things I found interesting was that there are little "knobs" carved in the tops of the post stones. The lintels (the top crossing stones) had notches carved into them and would fit snugly into place on top. You can see that in the photo above.

 

Please see the links below for more photos from Day 4.

 
 
 

 
 

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If you have comments or suggestions,
email us at krisdave@dnai.com
 

 last updated on May 12, 2002