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Definitely A Change Of Scenery!!!
From Bath to Bristol took me through rolling hills and picturesque countryside for the short one hour trip. The minute we hit the city limits though, I wished I was back in Bath.
Bristol is a city of workers. Coming from it's history as a main sea port for Britain and from the major centre for the slave trade back a few centuries, the city was damaged heavily in WWII and in the rush to provide housing and trade, the city constructed the blandest, most mundane buildings in the place of what used to be wealthy abodes. The city is now combating this through projects of redevelopment like the new docklands to attract trendier business and clientele. Aside from this, the city does have one of the better transport systems to get around and quite a few nice, cosy bars to while away an afternoon.
First stop on the list was
St Mary's Redcliffe, a Church standing out of the town centre, but steeped in history all the same. Like all the other Cathedrals, Abbeys and Churches I've seen, it's old.... about 900 years old, but what fascinated me about this Church is
the fact that it was only recently reconstructed after receiving heavy damage during the Second World War. There is still a train line stuck upright into the ground outside that had been blasted there from a bomb being dropped nearby, to remind everyone of how close destruction can be.
In the town centre,
Bristol Cathedral stands next to the council offices and shows the full history of the city. Dating back to 12th Century Norman times, the only remaining structures are the Chapter House and Gate. The rest of the building was rebuilt and added to from the 13th Century all the way through to after WWII when stained glass was replaced on the North face commemorating the efforts of both combatants and civilians in the war.
Leaving Bristol the next morning, it was another short ride to
Gloucester for one very specific reason. Another Cathedral!!! Now I know your saying... "God, not another one!", but this one is a little different. Yes it has the architecture I've seen over and over. Yes it has a beautiful nave and stained glass windows. What it also has is famous corridors!!! "Why?" you ask.... because scenes from the first two
Harry Potter movies were filmed in this very place (something I just couldn't resist seeing in real life).
Gloucester itself is a quiet little town with a real English country feel. I liked the overhanging buildings and the little local shops and pubs, it felt homely and comfortable. Tomorrow is a whole different kettle of fish though. The capital beckons from the land of the red dragon.
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the places and moments that take our breath away." - Anonymous
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