Day Tour of Southern England

 

Tour group at Castle Combe, Wiltshire 

This evening, I am reprising a one day section of a large group tour.

First, we departed our lodgings in Bath and drove about 1 hour east to Castle Combe. Latter is a ”picture postcard’ village near Chippenham in Wiltshire.

Castle Combe comprises a small community of stone built houses which date back hundreds of years. At the foot of the village is a stream whilst in the centre is St Andrew Church parts of which date from the 13th and 15th centuries.

Castle Combe Churchyard

Castle Combe

Castle Combe

Next, we drove west to Buckfast Abbey in Devon. The current building dates from period 1882-1938 and houses a community of Benedictine monks. Architecture is ‘Norman Transitional and Early English’. This Abbey is built on the site of an earlier abbey dating from 1018-1539 which, post Dissolution of the Monasteries, fell into ruin and was ultimately demolished.

 

Inside Buckfast Abbey

Lavender Garden at Buckfast Abbey

 

Buckfast Abbey

Next, we drove across Dartmoor, a high elevation, relatively barren landscape which is home to a population of semi-wild ponies.

Dartmoor ponies

Dartmoor Landscape

Tour Group with Dartmoor Ponies

Finally we reached our destination of Plymouth where we spent a short time at the historic Hoe district before checking into our lodgings for the night.

Plymouth

Tomorrow, we visit sites in Cornwall.

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