Glastonbury House Exchange - A New Travel Experience - July 2015

House Exchange in Glastonbury – A New Travel Experience

July 6- July 26, 2015

Sometime during the cold winter months, I was contacted by a woman from Glastenbury in Somerset, UK. She wanted to know if Jim and I would consider exchanging houses with them for a period of time in the summer. She had found our name and house listing through an organization called teachertravelweb.com to which we all belong.

The winter of 2015 was a cold bleak time for us. Travel plans that we had made needed to be set aside which led to us spending far more time in a very cold Ontario climate than we had ever anticipated. We do not generally make significant travel plans for the summer months so our next significant adventure would not occur until late October. All of these factors led to us responding with a resounding yes to Maggie (the woman who had contacted us).

And so we began to explore the concept and eventually settled on dates and a general plan to trade houses, cars and food in the fridge. Somerset is a part of England that we have not explored so there was certainly lots of potential for new experiences, new sights and new discoveries.

Time passed …. Slowly, at first …. But suddenly the dates were upon us. Our plan was that Maggie and Paul St. Quintin would arrive in Toronto one day prior to us flying to London. That way we could meet in person, show them the ropes at our house and exchange car and house keys in person.

Jim picked Maggie and Paul up at the airport while I put the finishing touches on the house. As soon as they walked through our front door, tired and jet-lagged, I knew we had made the right decision. We embraced physically but also philosophically and the conversation never seemed to end.

Later that night, Iain drive Jim and I to the airport for our Monday flights. (Yes, once again we were flying on different planes but would meet at our destination.) Jim left Monday morning, hours before I did, and I flew out Monday night on a direct flight to Gatwick. All things went very smoothly and we did meet about 30 minutes after my flight landed.

The next part of the plan was to locate Maggie and Paul’s car, parked in a secure lot at a nearby Holiday Inn. We found the transit bus stop and it was not long before we were at the Holiday Inn standing beside their car. So far so good.

Next we took to the roads. It was a bit like riding the proverbial bike. I guess I have driven often enough in countries where cars travel on the left, that it was familiar right from the start.  Although the journey to Glastonbury was about 3 hours, we arrived at our home away from home without a problem. We stopped at a supermarket for some supplies and also for fish and chips at a famous Glastonbury fish shop, Knights, before actually entering our home. Once there, fatigue took over and we almost instantly fell into bed. That was Tuesday, July 7.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

We had long planned to take this day off. We had just spent two delightful weeks at cottages, the first with friends in Pembroke, and the second with grandchildren in a rustic cabin at Geneva Park on Lake Couchiching. And, we got our house ready for guests and our suitcases packed for England. It was time to lay low.

During the day, we got the internet up and running (a critical feature for both Jim and me); we explored the organization of the kitchen; we sampled UK television: and, I have to be honest, we had a couple of naps.

We explored our Glastonbury home which we found to be both spacious and comfortable. Large kitchen, dining room, lounge room  and powder room on the main floor, and 3 bedrooms and a large bath upstairs. Maggie and Paul have done an attic conversion and their bedroom is in that space. We chose a room on the second floor closer to the bathroom for our use.

Paul is an excellent gardener and their property reflects that. Set right at the street, the house has no front yard at all.  The property behind the house is on a steep slope and has been designed and contoured to maximize the use of that space with raised gardesn, sitting area, a small glass house and a myriad of crops just ready for the picking. All manner of salad greens, rhubarb, raspberries and small tomatoes have been harvested and integrated into the simple meals we are creating here.

The house is at the top of a hill on The Roman Way. Behind us is pastureland, a flowing river, a myriad of footpaths and a herd of dairy cattle that move from field to field throughout the day. Birds of many varieties flutter about. In particular, the swallows are fun to watch as they swoop and glide, catching the air currents. Their morning chorus is a lovely wake-up call.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

We were up early and ready to go. Jim had done some reading about the local area so we had a sense of what we might see around town.

From our home in Glastonbury, we have an amazing view over pastureland, across a river and into Street, the next village over. We were curious about the traffic patterns that we were observing from a significant height above the village. So we ventured off The Roman Way (our street) and meandered through the countryside in search of this road of curiosity. We knew we had been successful when we were able to look over the pastureland from the other side and see the house that we were living in.

We continued along the streets of Street, paying particular attention to the Clarks Outlet Mall. It seems that Street is, in fact, the world headquarters for the Clark Shoe Company. Although all the shoes are now manufactured in Asia, Clarks still has a significant presence in the village as the world administrative headquarters of the entire international enterprise. Additionally, we have read the largest outlet shoe store in the world is located in Street and that all the buildings previously used to manufacture shoes have been transformed into a large outlet mall. Definitely a place we MUST go!

We continued along High Street and enjoyed the many and diverse little shops that make up this village. It was a bit like taking a step back into time to note the ago of the buildings and the nature of the stores – bakeries, butcher shops, green grocers, apothecaries, dry goods, confectionaries, a furniture store, a florist and a women’s dress shop – side by side they created the shopping area of the village. Ohhh, did I forget to mention the pub??

From Street, we continued our exploration of the area and headed to another nearby city called Wells. Wells does not actually have the population to be considered a city but it does have a cathedral. Having a cathedral provides a civic status and automatically that place becomes a city.

Wells also had a central business district that was larger than Street’s and encompassed about 4 city blocks. By now, it was lunchtime and our eyes fell upon a bakery, the name of which fascinated us – Burns the Bread! Well, it turns out that Burns the Bread is headquartered in Glastonbury and all of the baked goods are prepared there. No, they do not burn them …. But Mr. Burns owns the business and works hard to promote the notion that in Somerset, Burns (is) the Bread!!

After indulging in a couple of savoury treats, we commenced our search for the Wells Cathedral. Between one way streets and prohibited access in the central area (and no map), it did take us a while, but we finally persevered and found the cathedral, a glorious building.

On our way out of Wells, I spied a road sign indicating the direction to Burnham-on-Sea. It was a glorious sunny day and a coffee along the seaside sounded like a great idea. So we quickly made a turn and travelled along a narrow and winding road en route to the sea. Travel distances in the UK are measured in miles. A mile is MUCH longer than a kilometer!! And on winding narrow roads, a mile sometimes seems like a very long way. Although it was only 11 miles to Burnham-on-Sea, it took almost an hour to get there. But the journey was well worth it. There we sat at a little table overlooking Bristol Channel enjoying the sun on the glistening water, watching the tide pour out, seeing children play in the sand. And our cappuccinos were perfect!

We chose a different route to return from Burnham-on-Sea, one that turned out to be equally circuitous and equally interesting. Somerset is largely an agricultural area. Vast fields of crops spread out over rolling hills and dominate the landscape. Dairy cattle are prevalent and small farms seem to be a thing of the past. The range of colours in the fields makes the landscape very pretty and the wide vistas provide an exquisite panorama.

Due to the narrow, circuitous roads and the high hedges, it is not always possible to enjoy the landscape. And sometimes, as one rounds a corner there is a surprise in the waiting. Such was the case in the tiny village of Westhay. This area is surrounded by peat bogs, lush black soil, well moistened by the high water table. And a major industry here is the harvesting of peat. We came upon this scene totally unexpectedly and thoroughly enjoyed taking in the views of layers of peat being removed from fields, mixed, sorted, piled and bagged so that gardens everywhere could flourish. One of the delights of choosing the road less travelled as we explore an area.

After Westhay, it was time to head back to Glastonbury. Home for dinner that night and a leisurely evening of reading and planning for the days to come ….

Friday, July 10, 2015

Today we set out to explore the central area of Glastonbury. We were confident that we could find our way to the central area car park and from there, stroll the streets. Not so ….  Before long, we found ourselves on yet another country thoroughfare heading out of town to villages we had not even heard of. Now, that is not such a bad thing if one was able to simply turn the car around and go the other way. Easier said than done on the highways and biways of Somerset. These roads are very narrow, shouldered by stone fences and high hedges. Driveways are infrequent and crossroads are even narrower than the main thoroughfares. Consequently we travelled quite a long distance before we had an opportunity to turn around. We did enjoy the landscape along the way so the drive was not in vain.

Back in Glastonbury, we made our way to the nearest carpark. Coincidentally, it was the same one we parked in when we had fish and chips the other night. It sure looked different coming in from a totally different direction. But it did help us get our bearings as we left the car behind and strolled the streets.

Glastonbury has some unusual stories/myths associated with it, contributing to an ethereal atmosphere throughout the town. One story involves a visit from Joseph of Arimathea with the Holy Grail when he thrust his staff into Wearyall Hill, which then grew into the original thorn tree. A second story purports that Joseph of Arimathea, in fact, brought Jesus, himself, to Glastonbury. Consequently, there is a highly palpable and visible spiritual nature to this community. There are many, many churches of various denominations and faiths. There is a wide range of seminars, learning experiences, faith groups offered to assist in your spiritual development. There is also a well developed commercial market for products connected with various forms of spirituality – incense shops, crystal shops, essential oils, herbs and spices, long flowing clothing, hair colour shops, bookstores, organic food shops and restaurants, music stores … the list goes on. These shops create an ambience along High Street that would be rarely found with such concentration. The only other place even a bit like it that comes to mind is Sedona, Arizona.

As we strolled, we found one very familiar shop – another Burns the Bread. We took that as a sign that we were to eat lunch and once more indulged in their delicious morsels – pasties and sausage rolls are our favourites.

One of the significant features of Glastonbury’s history is the ancient abbey which has been partially preserved. The abbey was constructed in the 7^th century and enhanced and enlarged during the next 8 centuries. Then, during the reign of King Henry VIII, everything changed. The Glastonbury Abbey. along with 10,000 other monasteries, nunneries and friaries were torn down and destroyed. The materials that had value were sold and the king lined his pockets with the proceeds. What a sad time it must have been.

We spent some time (and money) in the Abbey store but we will wait to visit the Abbey itself until Iain arrives to spend several days with us here.

We completed our Glastonbury experience for this day by meandering into a series of shops known as The Gauntlet. As we moved deeper into the building, it became clear that the rear exit was in fact, a gauntlet of sorts.  The shops narrowed into a very small corridor and the way out was to ‘run the gauntlet’ of shops in this small alleyway. We did so …. And lo and behold, found ourselves back in the carpark. How convenient.

Jim had visited the local tourist office earlier in the day and returned, armed with brochures that described everything from musical concerts to children’s entertainment venues. Near to our home is a placid park with a single bench. We sat on the bench under the arbor of trees and perused the brochures as a part of planning our activities for the next several days. There is certainly no shortage of choices to be made and places to be visited.

And then … time to go home. We enjoyed dinner at the table, prepared with all sorts of great things from the ample garden that dominates the back yard. A quiet evening followed ….. and bed.

Saturday, July 11, 2015

We had a slow start to this day, performing some household functions within the house. And following that up with a bacon and egg breakfast. Delicious!

Today in Glastonbury, there was a pilgrimage to the Tor (a tower high atop a hill overlooking the entire countryside). This pilgrimage had something to do with parishioners from the Church of England who support a potential merger with the Catholic Church. (There is another pilgrimage tomorrow for parishioners from the Catholic Church who support a potential merger with the Church of England. Isn’t it ironic that the two groups did not plan their pilgrimages together if, indeed, they share the same goals and values?)

What this pilgrimage meant for us was confusion and disruption – closed streets, traffic diversions and loads of people in interesting outfits overtaking the streets. As a result, we headed out of town, once again to Street, our village neighbor. There we found an interesting array of shops, many closed because it was Saturday afternoon.

After a bit of a meander, we settled into a table at Puddy’s bakery for a late lunch. A jacket potato with trimmings for me and roast lamb dinner for Jim, both very British selections, in a very old British bakery.

From there we wandered down the street to a Witherspoons Pub, Jim’s favourite watering hole, and sat on the sidewalk patio, enjoying a beverage, soaking in the sunshine and watching the world go by. A very pleasant activity for a Saturday afternoon.

In the evening, we attended a concert that featured performances by students of a local music teacher, Viola Nagel, who is a friend of Maggie and Paul. We were treated to a wide range of vocal and instrumental performances by students from age 8 to 28. A featured performer was a bassoonist who played some especially unusual music, not necessarily to our taste, yet another way to broaden our music appreciation. We sat directly behind the composer who was also introduced and acknowledged for his contribution to the concert.

This lovely concert took place in a beautiful church of England, St John’s, right on the High Street in Glastonbury and directly adjacent to the now very familiar carpark. It was easy to find our car and our way home.

Sunday July 12, 2015

On Sunday, it rained. That did not stop us though. Today was to be another day of exploring the surrounding towns and villages. And once again, the day was filled with some delightful surprises and a deeper appreciation of the diversity of Somerset.

We headed out early, hoping to take in a folk festival near the village of Priddy. After much discussion (and some whining about the weather on my part), we dispensed with that plan due to the very wet conditions and the likelihood of more rain as the day went on. 

We entered the area known as the Mendip Hills. We were amazed at the height and steepness of many of the hills we traversed. Up and down …. Even through the grey of the sky, we were able to see for miles and appreciate the beauty of the agricultural landscapes to be seen in every direction. We also encountered hundreds (yes, hundreds) of bicyclists who were also enjoying the landscape, peddling hard to attain the crest of each hill and thoroughly enjoying the freedom of the descent. While the bikes added a dynamic to the driving, we could also appreciate what was so appealing about this area from their perspective.

We had no set itinerary so chose directions at various intersections based on the appeal of the village names on the roadsigns. One such choice was to go to the village of Cheddar, to honour our love of the cheese. What we encountered was beyond anything we might have imagined!! The village of Cheddar is located deep in the rocky and precipitous valley created by Cheddar gorge. Cheddar Gorge is the largest gorge in the UK with many parts of the roads built at 16 – 20% slopes. It was, at times, a hair-raising and spectacular drive. And still their were people on bikes ….

The town of Cheddar has capitalized on its location at the bottom of the gorge and is a premier mountain tourist community. The village is long and narrow with the main street lined with shops selling souvenirs, fudge, t-shirts, coffee, baked goods, sausage rolls, maps, bike equipment, hiking equipment … and, of course, cheese. 

After we left Cheddar, we headed off to find a cider farm recommended by Paul, the man whose home we are in. When we found it, our mouths dropped open.  Wilkins Cider Mill is located near Mudgley. It is difficult to find as the signs are often hidden by overgrown hedges and the roads to follow are somewhat less than major. The last road is in fact a deadend road that looks more like a farmer’s lane leading to the back of a farm.

When we finally got there, what we found was a rambling farmhouse and a large well used barn. The barn is where the cider is made and stored in wooden barrels. It is structurally sound although it does show the signs of aging, probably several hundred years old at this point. Once inside, we saw several plastic picnic tables with chairs surrounded by visitors and locals (it was Sunday about noon when we got there) and 4 huge barrels of cider. Down 3 steps to the Lounge Room (truly just another dark room in the barn) where you are given a glass and invited to pour your own cider. Sweet or dry? And if you want medium simply mix some from each barrel.  Then as you sip your cider wander around the barn and look at the ancient equipment, visit the veggie market, pick up a jar of pickled onions or pickled eggs, select one of many t-shirts with the mill’s logo on them …. Or “By the way, would ya’ like some cheese – cheddar or stilton?”  Somehow these words do not capture the ambience of this miil. First of all, I am sure it had not been cleaned properly for about 100 years. Spider webs covered everything that was not in use. Rusted equipment and piles of clutter adorned each corner. Treacherous cement steps led you from one level in the barn to the next – the veggies were 4 steps down from the pickles. The cider barrels were 4 steps down from the tables and the Lounge Room was 3 steps down from that. Somehow, through a back door, one could reach the veggie display that was on the same level as the Lounge Room.  The eggs were back up with the pickles and the t-shirts. As someone on Trip Advisor simply stated, “You really couldn’t make this up. This place is great!” When Iain arrives, we will make a return visit. At no point will we ask how they wash the cider mugs. It’s worth a minute or two to look at the website wilkinscider.com for a good chuckle. It’s open from 10 am to 8 pm daily.

From the depths of the cider mill to the refreshing sounds and scents of the marsh. We drove to the Marshes of Avalon, a sadly underfunded site that maintains several walking tracks, sponsors several interpretive walks and offers a small interpretation centre for the surrounding marshes and peat bogs.  We spent some time exploring the interpretation centre and enjoyed a freshly made lunch but we were not dressed appropriately to head out into the marsh on a rainy Sunday afternoon. 

The Somerset Craft Shop was also a part of this complex and offered a wide array of crafts from natural products, photographs, paintings, jewellery, silk scarves and mosaics. Lovely items but we are most definitely in a phase in our lives where we re happy to admire but reluctant to purchase lest we add more stuff and clutter to our lives. Yes, we left empty-handed.

We had read about Holy Saviour Church in Puxton in a brochure that described interesting churches in Somerset. Based on the description, we knew we wanted to see this church. And we were not disappointed.

Holy Saviour Church was built during the 1200’s and has consistently held services from that time until just a couple of years ago. Although a small community church, it is certainly steeped in history. A Norman baptismal font, a Saxo-Norman nave, box pews (early 1700’s), an  oak reading desk and a very high pulpit  (early 1600’s)  are all in good repair and lead one to wonder about the kinds of messages that would have been delivered within these walls over the last several hundred years. The church tower (1400’s) was built on a peat base and began to lean before it was even completed. It was never constructed to the full height of the original design. Graves in the floor and artifacts on the walls complete the components inside the church. But for one thing … in spite of the fact that regular services are no longer held here, fresh flowers are found on the window sills and the church remains open daily to visitors.  Quite remarkable.

From the church we turned the car toward home. We visited a Farm Shop along the way, looking for fresh fruit to enhance our kitchen. Although there is an abundance of fresh seasonal fruit available, the prices are unbelievably high. We will have to wait until we get home to enjoy fruit in the quantities we would like.

After a short rest at home, we headed out to a pub in Street for dinner, a rather ordinary affair.  It was good to get back home and kick off our shoes for the night.