Isn’t it glorious when rain clouds turn to happy, round little suns on the weather app? These were my sentiments throughout a recent sojourn in Somerset, where we were blessed by the literal parting of clouds to reveal brilliant blue skies and warmth enough to shuck off our coats! Passing fields of heavily pregnant sheep, seeing neat brooks that gave the appearance of miniature canals, and watching tractors roll by put us in the heart of the surrounding countryside; a place we came away from feeling well-rested, restored, and ready for a celebratory springtime…
Driving from Oxford, we travelled in a convoy of two cars containing myself, Cassian, my Mum, Grandma, my Great Auntie, Cissy, and Willow, the family dog. We like to go by Stonehenge if we can (that ancient, quietly imposing circle on Salisbury Plain, whose origins stretch back over four thousand years), as it’s something of a novelty seeing people troop around it adjacent to ourselves on the motorway! My lovely Mum had created an itinerary for us, which she emailed over with postcodes and pitstops, the first of which being a break at Stourhead for a spot of lunch and stretch of the legs. Why go to a service station when you can stop by a National Trust?! Stourhead is something of a gem for it’s convenient situation en-route to Somerset, vast dog-friendly cafe, shop of goodies, and, if you have a toddler, well-appointed loos. As members, we’ve been to Stourhead ‘proper’ (one of the finest examples of an eighteenth-century landscaped garden, designed in the classical style to resemble a living painting) a few times for the house and gardens, with a pavillion that featured in my particular favourite adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, but, for this leg of the holiday, we suited ourselves with coffee and some choice sandwiches for lunch.
Motoring on, we arrived at Cheddar Woods Resort & Spa following an incident through the gorge where Ciss’s car hit a pot hole and got a punctured tyre… cue much panic, lack of signal, and not even a goat able to roadside assist. Thankfully, there was a National Trust chap with a van who also just so happened to be a mechanic, and was able to fix an emergency tyre onto Cissy’s car, just as my Mum arrived back on the scene for our part of the rescue mission. I remained at the lodge with Cassian, where I’d failed in my attempt to get the AA to help on Cissy’s behalf, pointing out to the man on the phone that it was impossible to call them without any signal. Anyway, ordeal over thanks to Ciss’s saviour, we were all able to unpack and settle in; rewarded by panoramic views over the hills from our sprawling patio windows.
On the starting Saturday, Mum and I took a pleasant drive to the village of Wedmore in the car, while Cassian had a doze in the back. It was there that I found my idea of heaven in the form of charming little shops, acorn-shaped street lighting, and all the old-fashioned amenities one could possibly ask for close at hand. I popped into
@thelittlegreyrabbit_shop and couldn’t quite believe my luck: it was positively filled with a delightfully pleasing mix of vintage, secondhand, and interestingly-made goodies, all reasonably priced and temptingly arranged.
It was a pleasure chatting with the lovely owner, Alicia, about everything from our love of children’s books to the joys of collecting Beatrix Potter for our respective cabinets at home. Having filled my reusable shopper with treats, I ambled to the local convenience store where I was able to procure a handmade “half-size” chocolate cake – which was just the ticket for our pudding that evening. It was pleasing to note that, later on in the week, on watching an episode of ‘Escape to the Country’, Wedmore and its ‘Alfredian’ history (Wedmore being closely associated with Alfred the Great and the peace said to have been made there with the Danes) featured! I’d happily live in Wedmore, if given the chance to do so.
Sunday was Mother’s Day and, prior to his travels in Tokyo, my husband had pre-packed a basket of gifts for me to open while we were apart. My little boy Cassian and Darren picked out the most delightful choices from
@avalovesrosie_shop to make up a special Mother’s Day basket for me. It included a beautifully-scented soap, jar of hand cream, bookmark, and other pretty treats. Apparently, they had a lot of fun putting it all together! It’s wonderful feeling so looked after and loved. With Mother’s Day, it’s important to take care of yourself, whatever your situation, since it’s a day that can bring up a lot for many, and as such, must be treated with care and kindness.
We took the obligatory trip to Clarks Retail Outlet, built on the site of the original Clarks shoe factory, where there happened to be a most charming ‘handmade’ pop-up shop, with crafts from the local area. On our return, I got stuck into a book and a butterscotch Border biscuit. I particularly enjoyed ‘A Wedding in the Country’ by Katie Fforde
@ffordekatie, which was set in 1963. My Grandma went to catering college and the young girls in this book all go to a cooking and upholstery class in London, living together in a big old house, with antique’s dealer and theatre chap David as their unofficial guardian. This set-up all reminded me of the most recent episodes of Call the Midwife, particularly with the younger women joining Nonatus House and having their parties in ‘swinging’ London. The character of David in the book was a lot like Geoffrey in Call the Midwife, which I loved; he really looked out for the ‘dolly birds’ in the story. With Katie Fforde, you can easily slip into the world and feel duly charmed by it. What a happy discovery it was to find out that she writes ‘period’ stories as well as contemporary ones!
Throughout our trip, some good cake was had by all, naturally! We visited
@sweet_stearooms in Somerset for a spot of lunch followed by something sweet. I was delighted to be able to satisfy my craving for both a floury sausage bap and a slice of Victoria sponge, both detailed in the Katie Fforde book I was reading, which made me feel most content. Sweets Tearoom doesn’t look much from the outside, rather like an aeroplane hangar; however, inside had plenty of interesting things to look at, dog-friendly seating, and farm-fresh foods, which made for a pleasant surprise. I believe that there was also some sort of machinery museum housed there, but this was behind lock and key. At any rate, it made for a good pit stop.
Wells, the UK’s smallest city, so designated for its historic cathedral and long ecclesiastical importance, is such a gem, not in the least for its spectacular cathedral, which provided many of the interior shots for the recent Dungeons and Dragons film. The high street is also very strong there, with a fine selection of independents and other pleasing shopping spots for a leisurely outing. We went on a market day, which added a veritable visual feast into the mix. A splendid time was had by all, it being one of our favourite places to shop and potter. At the cathedral, there’s a café called ‘The Loft’ where they serve delicious homemade soups, cakes, and other sweets/savouries. We sustained ourselves there for lunch, where I happily stumbled upon the most delicious coffee cake, free from walnuts, which is just how I like my coffee cake! This followed a particularly tasty parsnip soup. The best part of all of this was the beautiful weather, where sunglasses were required, and not a coat in sight!
The latest
@landscapemag had landed in the local Waitrose when we popped by there for supplies in the afternoon , so I came away feeling very ahead with the April edition! That evening, I started on another Katie Fforde in the ‘swinging sixties’ series I’d been enjoying, borrowed from the library back home. I also managed to find a delightful hardback collection of ‘Little Grey Rabbit’ stories in Well’s Oxfam Books; I plan on using the illustrations for sketching practise… They’re packed with charm and character!
No trip to Somerset is completed without a visit to Cheddar Gorge; England’s largest gorge, carved over millennia and long associated with caves, cheese-making, and early prehistoric finds. Cassian enjoyed his apple slices while watching the beautifully clear running water, then had a pit stop for his first “solo” ice cream scoop, sampling my own favourite flavour, honeycomb. We perused the gift shops, took in the sunshine, and made our way back down for some lunch. I thought it most appropriate to partake of a cheddar cheese scone!
We were so fortunate with the weather, character, and undeniable charm of Somerset. It was a blissful break and interlude to the coming Spring.
With the joy of a jolly good staycation,
Chloe
(Noted by Chloe)
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