Bus Challenge No 46!

Yet another stunning blue sky day! Even though the temperature only just managed to rise to 3c, with wall to wall gorgeous sunshine, it was too nice a day to stay indoors!!

So I cadged a lift to Bathampton where, after a visit to St Nicholas Church, we enjoyed a delicious, warming lunch in front of a roaring log fire at The George Inn, a former 13th century monastery, and now a beautiful old canalside pub.

Fortified by lunch, we headed back into Bath, following the Kennet and Avon Canal tow path, only a three mile walk. This photo was taken as the canal makes it way through Sydney Gardens.

Some 'interesting' facts about Bathampton:

- St Nicholas Church is the final resting place of Captain, and later Admiral, Arthur Phillip, the founder of Australia and the first Governor of New South Wales.

- Another notable resident of Bathampton was William Harbutt, who invented and manufactured Plasticine.

- The George Inn is said to be haunted by the ghost of Viscount John Baptiste Du Barre, a foreign noble, who died in the last legal duel fought in Britain. Following a quarrel over a game of cards, a challenge was thrown down and he and his opponent met on Claverton Down at dawn on 18th November 1778. The Viscount was mortally wounded and his body was transported back to the George Inn where it was laid out for a post-mortem. Today, a mysterious apparition thought to resemble Viscount John Baptiste is often spotted standing by the bar. His body is buried in St. Nicholas Church. (Glad I didn't know this when I spent a Summer working at this pub!!)

Total bus journey time = 25 minutes