Day 9 Pennsylvania to Bath

The last leg was a short one so we weren't in any rush today. Old Swan Cottage definitely had the freshest eggs we had eaten. The dining room was full of ornaments and even the table mats, tea pot and toast rack had hens on them! The owner was very chatty and told us about an interesting guided walk around Bath that we might like to do.
We left the noisy A46 behind us and set off across the fields to Cold Ashton, a very classy place.

The Rectory

Gateway to the Manor House

We passed an interesting plant nursery called Special Plants and Margaret and Stuart were kind enough to let me look around for a few minutes. I now have a catalogue to send for unusual seeds.
Then on to the battlefields at Lansdown Hill which were clearly marked and stretched for some distance.

Sir Breville Grenville Monument

Sir Breville, a Royalist, received a blow to the head by a pole axe on 5 July 1643 and was taken to the rectory at Cold Ashton where he subsequently died. Just past the battlefields another trig point nestling in the nettles.

Not long before the last views of Bristol turned into the first views of Bath. But just time for another extension up to the top of Kelston Round Hill.

View of Bristol From Kelston Hill

First sight of Bath

It looked all down hill from here but of course it wasn't as the trail took you around to the east of Bath before dropping down into the city. A celebratory ice cream was needed in Queen Victorias's Park before winding through the streets to the Abbey where the trail finishes.

The Circus

The End

Trail marker stone

One of the things you have to do as a tourist in Bath is to visit Sally Lunn's house, one of the oldest houses in Bath, for tea and buns. This was on my wish list so out of curiosity we all went for a Sally Lunn. Not a bit what we expected. I thought it would be an iced bun but no, it was like a large squashy tea cake that you had toasted with jam, very delicious and just what was needed after a long walk.

We looked around the Abbey first and then as it was very busy with tourists of all nationalities we made our way beside the river to the YMCA, our final bed for the night.

Paradise gardens looked very nice but as you had to pay to get in and we're from Yorkshire, well you can guess the rest!

Paradise Gardens

Pulteney Bridge

The YMCA compared very favourably with YHA. Our twin room had two single beds, a wardrobe, book shelves and a wash basin and the beds were already made up for us. The only downside was the noise as it holds 200 people and was very popular with young foreign tourists and school groups.

We had already decided that we would eat in Wetherspoons and we soon found The King of Wessex in the more modern part of the city. It lived up to expectations and provided us with a good meal at a reasonable price.