As you may have guessed, I failed to post last night due to us staying up way too late chatting with new acquaintances at our B&B. But, we did have a lovely day yesterday. After a great breakfast, we loaded our bags into Phoebe and headed off down the road to Wells Cathedral. Being good Episcopalians, we arrived fashionably late by thirty minutes to the Holy Eucharist service which happened to honor St. Francis of Assisi. I've previously participated in an evensong service at the Church of England, but this was my first full-on regular service. Incense, an amazing choir, and people happy to have American visitors made for a great morning. And thank goodness we were at the back of the church so we could figure out the "how-to" of taking communion (very slightly different than we are used to).
Wells was begun in 1175 and was the first cathedral in England built in the Gothic style. Unlike many of its counterparts, Wells was not destroyed by Henry VIII during the Protstant Reformation. Its West Front is unique in that it contains nearly 300 medieval statues of various figures in Christianity. The front is also different than other cathedrals as it's more flat-fronted and it faces an open green area where we saw kids flying kites and dogs chasing each other while parents and owners looked on.
On the north side of the cathedral is the Vicar's Close, built in 1348. The houses in this area were for the men who sang in the choir so they could live communally. Now, I'm in the choir at St. Peter's in Conway and while I like my fellow singers, I think communal living might not make us bond over song...just saying. I love the lines involved in the architecture of the Close.
After a quick walk back to the car, we headed for Glastonbury and lunch. Arriving for lunch on a Sunday in England is problematic if you want a sit-down place. Brits like to have "Sunday roast" and nearly every seat is taken in restaurants. We found a pub, however, and during our hour and 20 minute wait for lunch (yep...really...and not just us) we people watched through the window. Glastonbury has cosmic energy according to many so it has become a counter-culture haven. We saw many dreadlocks, hippies, probably witches, senior citizens (concessioners in England), teens, and toddlers stroll by. Cigarette smoke, hookah smoke, incense, and I'm sure other types of smoke waft across the streets and down alleys. The highlight of our wait was seeing a Hare Krishna parade including a single float come down the street.
After lunch we headed to Glastonbury Abbey which was originally built in the 10th century, but fire destroyed most of it in 1184. The current ruined structure was completed in 1213. It remained an active monestary and abbey until Henry VIII came along in the 1530s and destroyed the it, took the led and other valuables from them, and scattered the abbots, monks, and nuns throughout the region. The remains of Glastonbury Abbey are set off from the city by a wall and truly once you're inside, the rest of the world disappears. This place has historical, spiritual, and religious meaning and it never fails to make an impression upon me. And mythically, King Arthur and Guinivere are buried here...maybe even St. Patrick (the staff won't directly answer if you ask them). Glastonbury Abbey also has an apple orchard which just happened to be blooming its fruit currently.
We then booked our way over to Lynmouth in Devon on the Bristol Channel. This was a new area for me, and I must say, I fell in love with it. What a tremendously cool area. Anyone want to split a house purchase? We stayed at the Rock House Hotel with a wonderful staff and owner. A fantastic evening wrapped up very late in the night. Next up Countisbury Hill, Dunster Castle, and Tintern Abbey.
