3 July: Mendips

Various things around the Mendips.

That was pretty  much what happened.  I have a feeling that had I given more detail above it would have included the word 'Bath' - a city (aka bog-hole) which we feel about the way some UK birders feel about Canada Geese (or mink).

Our starting point was going to Wells where I spat a large dummy about the absolutely naff parking arrangements.  We ended up being directed to a place about 500m from the cathedral from which the Carthedral could not be seen.   As usual there were no obvious signs from the Cathedral parking station to the Cathedral.  Then they wanted an extra Stg3 for a 'photography license' after Frances had given them a 'donation' of Stg 3 to get into the place.

I was tempted to snap away and dare some jobsworth - or even better the vicar - to challenge me.  The ensuing debate about whether the Church of England was a better landlord than Peter Rachman would have been good fun for me but probably not approved of.  So I didn't take any pix inside the Cathedral, which was a pity because they had some good stuff.  The most unusual bit was a scissor buttress found necessary when the tower seemed to be sinking.  Here are a couple of snaps from outside (one way outside, from the top of Glastonbury Tor.

 After a visit to Tescos - which I still hate, but Wells isn't big enough to attract attention from Sainsbury's - we headed off to Glastonbury.  The aim was to visit the Tor (free) rather than the Abbey.  Fortunately whoever runs Glastonbury had disobeyed the main rule of British Councils and put in good signage.  (Just as well as their tourist map bore no resemblance to what we found!) Thus we got to the vicinity of the Tor and were able to ascend it quite reasonably.  It was about 250m high and the views were rather good.

We then headed for Montacute a National Trust pile for which we had a couple of recommendations.  I rated it as OK, but nowhere near as good as Laycock or Anglesey Abbey.  They had a very good Gobelin tapestry apparently of the birds of Brasil but featuring such things as Cassowary!

On through the Mendips to Cheddar Gorge.  This was quite a pleasant view but compared to Gorges we have seen elsewhere would have to be rated as "of local interest'.  On the way down there was a lass standing at a stall marked RSPB Peregrine Watch, but the falcons were not there to to be  watched.

There were birds to be watched at our final stop - Chew Lake.  They were waterfowl and largely ones we had seen before.  However we did nail a  Ruddy Duck there.  The other good sighting of the day was Frances spotting a Buzzard soaring over Cheddar Gorge.

In the matter of beer Tescos delivered.  I have just supped a Cotleighs "Barn Owl" - very hoppy and Malty, and a Badger "Golden Champion".   When I looked the latter up in the GBG they referred me  to an entry for Hall and Woodhouse, so I doubted the authenticity of the brew.  It emerged that Hall started brewing in 1777 and they adopted the Badger logo in 1875 so they have credibility in vast order.  The specific beer apparently has elderflower added which explained the unusual, but extremely pleasant. taste of the brew.  I would have to rate this as close to the best thus far!

In the matter of roads the SW has not delivered!  The low number A roads were about the same level as country lanes in Yorkshire or East Anglia.  As far as I can see the only difference between many A roads and the white (ie un-numbered) jobs is the number of signs on the A roads. All are crap by the standards of anywhere more economically developed than Tanzania.

While having a rant about roads, the other astonishing thing about roads are the ways people use them. The most egregious sight was some guy leading his small (say 7 year old) child on a pony down the A368 at a point where it was not as wide as Whiskers Creek Rd.  This would have to enroll him in the 'nice try' category of the Darwin awards.  People also seem to ride push bikes down these roads which is IMHO equally insane.  As very few riders seem to wear helmets the death toll must be incredible.  Perhaps that is why there are so many apparently fat folk around: it is an airbag not adipose tissue.