Bath Abbey again!

This time inside.
I was up early to be out of the way in the bathroom and useful with getting the girls ready for the day so Grace could get off to work. John is usually key at this time but he’s currently in Brussels hence Granny is here.

Eda was taken down to the nieghbours’ who were taking her to school with their two children and I came back to get Jude ready for pre school. I don’t have a car here and I’m definitely not riding a bike so Grace wasn’t sure how Jude would take being told she was walking especially as she was grumpy when she woke up! It was drizzling a bit but she was quite stoic, held my hand all the way and gave me directions. What a sweetheart!

This meant I was out early and didn’t fancy walking back up the hill and doing it all again later. So I walked round the back of the Georgian terrace where the nursery is and headed towards the Kennet and Avon canal. Great to see these magnificent five storey buildings from the back.

It’s a lovely walk along the canal which we have done several times and blipped,  I thought this would again probably provide my blip which, to my surprise, is apparently a special one. 5,500 coming so soon on top of my 15 year blip anniversary. 

The extra shows the canal near the entrance, on the right, into Sydney Gardens and the Holburne just a short walk from the Pulteney Bridge.
Stopped in one of the nice little cafes on the bridge for a reviving coffee and croissant. 

Had a wander through the Parade Gardens which I’m pleased to say are now free to enter and then headed to one or two shops. I didn’t want to return too soon so decided to pay the entrance fee for the Abbey, a pleasant place for some respite. Fortuitous as almost as soon as I sat down they announced there would be a short communion service at 12.00 noon so I decided to participate. It was a lovely Easter based service, very special.

Looking around afterwards I went into the Gethsemane chapel where I was totally taken by this magnificent alter cloth.  A lady told me it was one of three the Abbey has by Jane Lemon and the Sarum group * which is an embroiderers guild. Their work is mainly in Salisbury, Wells and Exeter cathedrals as well as Bath Abbey. We plan to visit Salisbury in the summer so hope we’ll see more then. It includes metallic work and the blip barely does it justice. Lots of symbolic use of the crown of thorns and barbed wire, even on the candle holder, appropriate as the chapel is for the remembrance of victims of war and persecution. 
She also pointed out the offset stained glass window and the rounded arch into which it is set is part of the Norman Cathedral that stood here before the Abbey and was built alongside an early 7th century convent/ monastery. The Norman cathedral was huge and the current Abbey would apparently have fit inside.
A lovely visit as in the Discovery Museum below there was a small Jane Austin exhibition showing the links some of the many memorials in the Abbey have to the Austin family. Appropriate for her 250th anniversary this year.

I’ve had a lovely day even though not a very sunny one. 
Happy St George’s  Day!

* A bit more information here if you’re interested