UK & Ireland - Summer 2006

Day 3 - Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and the City of Bath

With the idea to see more of England we took a group bus tour to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and the city of Bath. This was a rather gray and rainy day with our time at Stonehenge being especially wet. A few of us sampled not only the natural water from the pump room (nasty), but also the Cornish Pasties as we wandered around the streets of Bath. This was a long day so we enjoyed dinner and an after dinner cocktail in the executive lounge of the hotel rather than head out again.

A view of Windsor Castle and St. George’s Chapel, from the streets of Windsor. A few shops along the street in Windsor, with the England flag still proudly showing, as they had won their match the night before. Do we want to bet how many of the people in the picture are tourists? The walk up to the castle entrance. The Round Tower from a far.
The flag on the tower once again says that the Queen is home, and once again we are not invited in for tea. Windsor Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited royal residence in Britain. A view of some of the garden that makes up the middle ward. The Round Tower, built in 1170 is the home to the Royal Archives and Photographic Collection. More of the middle ward gardens, with winding pathways up to the Round Tower.
Part of the castle wall that divides the middle and upper wards. The small waterfall is almost visible flowing down the slope. The perfect resting spot within the middle wards walled garden. Even Windsor Castle has a mailbox. The crest of the Order of the Garder, the highest level of Knoghthood.
An outerwall of the castle. A combination of walls and towers built from the 11th century up to the 20th. The Round Tower from the other side. If the castle does not interest you, you could always count the bricks. St. George's Gate leading into the upper ward.
A bowsman's station along the castle wall. Melissa passing through Norman Gate. The guard on duty. Looks pretty young to be guarding the queen. Melissa at the gate to the upper ward
The far side of the upper ward, to the right out of the frame would be the Round Tower. No photographs allowed inside Windsor Palace, not really sure how we ended up with a photo of the grand hallway. St. George's Chapel in the lower ward. The very quick due to the rain, changing of the guard in the lower ward. That is 15 guards to change out one?
Nice rain coats they have there. Notice the large radio packs on the back of the final two guards. Stonehenge. Melissa, the umbrella and Stonehenge. Stonehenge was started in 3000 BC.
Each sarsen stone was at one time toped with a lintel to be held in place by mortice and tenon joints. The smaller stones are the Bluestones which were not capped. Here you can see one to the joints that would have secured a lintel. The monument itself goes beyond the rock formation and uncludes banks and circles dug into the ground. As you can clearly see this was not a bright and sunny day to be out walking through a feild.
Proof that Chris made it to Stonehenge. There are two circles of stones, within which two horseshoes of stones are placed. Teh open end to the horseshoe's face the doorway, or Slaughter Stone. These stones have been standing in place for over 4,000 years. Stonehenge as we finish the circle around it and head back to the bus. The domed roof of the Roman Bath Museum.
A terrace above the open bath is lined with statues of famous Romans. The tarrace is from the late 19th century Can you find Caesar? The bath, steps, column bases and paving stones are all from the time of Roman rule. One of the many mosaic pieces on display within the museum.
Tina and Brad discuss the artifacts on one level of the winding museum. Much of the stone walls are from the Romans, only discovered by the English in the 1870's. A segment of a Roman archway. From this angle you can see more of the detail in the carving A segment of the Roman structure.
After the Roman's lef the area did not become popular again until 1702, meaning that since 410 AD, there had been no interest in the baths. Another intricate mosaic uncovered while excavating the baths. Not really sure of the reason of this depiction, anyone read Ancient Roman? Not caskets, stone tubs. One of the many areas that the warm water flows within the structure.
On bath level, you can see the steam from the 115° F water. The border of the Great Bath. Here you can see the rain drops hitting the water. The top of the Bath Abbey appearing beyond the spa complex. Is that Casesar?
The base along the edge of the bath were are what is left of the supports of a barrel-vaulted roof. As you can see a little rain will not stop tourists. Tina, Brad, Melissa and Chris all together at the Roman bath. This enclosed area off of the main bath is were the "sacred spring" begins. The resevoir is now named the King's Bath.
Queen Anne is attributed to bringing the City of Bath back into fashion. In the window you can almost see the drinking fountain in the Pump Room from which you can sample the "healing" water. Melissa surprised by the photo - at the area where the water flows form teh resevoir into the main bath. The Bath Abbey. The Georgian Townhouse that make up the city of Bath.