Welcome to Southwest England, the West Country, a land of contrasts and conflicts.
For centuries, the rolling hills and sheer cliffs of the West Country have
stood as silent witnesses to the battles and builders which shaped a nation.
Southwest England, with its gracious disposition, friendly pubs and charming homes, is so much
more than what we see here.
Ruins and grand cathedrals offer glimpses into a rich and tumultuous history.
Castles, fortresses and stone age structures beckon visitors to be a part of the vivid
stories of kings, conquerors and mysterious builders.
Legends of King Arthur, clashes between church and state, and tales of daring sea captains
can all be explored within a day trip of each other.
This will be a view of England as you've never seen it before, a view of life in the West
Country.
St. Michael's Mount, off the Cornwall coast, is connected to the mainland by a causeway
which is flooded twice daily as the tide turns the mount into an island, an island whose
crucial location figured prominently in many battles.
When the ships of the Spanish Armada threatened Cornwall in 1587, a beacon in the Abbey Church
Tower signaled their approach.
The granite stronghold provided a commanding view of the sea and all warships on the horizon.
So valuable was this strategic advantage that the Roman Empire, Spain, France, Normandy,
and various factions of Englishmen shed much blood in order to control this fortress mount.
The mount was named for the Archangel Michael.
Ancient Cornish legend tells of a vision of St. Michael appearing high on the cliffs to
fishermen in the sea below.
The vision reportedly took place in the year 495 A.D.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the faithful would make pilgrimages to this holy place.
A monastery was erected in 1135 A.D.
It was associated as a dependency of the Benedictine Abbey of Mount St. Michelle, located across
the English Channel off the coast of Normandy in France.
Today, tourists walk the same path that the pilgrims trod hundreds of years ago.
Then, the devoted would gather at the town of Marizion and pause in their long trek.
The only time that they could walk to the mount was at low tide.
At other times, the path would be impassable due to the incoming waters, and boats would
be the only way to access the mount.
Richard Carew wrote in 1602,
Who knows not St. Michael's mount, the pilgrim's holy vaunt, both land and island twice a day,
both fort and port of haunt.
The mount was, for most of its history, an abbey first and foremost.
But in 1535, King Henry VIII seized the wealth of the monastery during what is known as the
dissolution of the Catholic Church in England.
The buildings and land then passed into private hands.
In the village of Tintagel, there stands a manor house that has been around for 600 years.
The old post office has survived while most other domestic buildings of the Middle Ages
crumbled away centuries ago.
Today, the sturdy slate roof and three-foot-thick stone walls of the former post office and
residence are maintained by the National Trust for visitors to enjoy.
Under Penzance stands one of England's best-preserved stone circles called the Merry Maidens.
About 77 feet across, it is made up of 19 four-foot-high stones.
All are evenly spaced around the circle except for a gap in the position facing exactly east.
An age-old tale recounts that the frolicking maidens were forever turned to stone for dancing
on a Sunday.
The westernmost point of land in Cornwall and all of England is Land's End, the last
stop before New York City.
There's no town here, just a cluster of restaurants, hotels, and attractions to accommodate tourists
who have flocked to this isolated spot over the years to view its rustic beauty.
The treacherous rocky coastline and hidden reefs prevent ships from landing here and
have been the cause of many shipwrecks over the centuries.
Now, a lighthouse stands a mile and a half offshore to warn sailors of the danger.
There are over a thousand recorded shipwrecks within five miles of this coast.
The Dollar Cove Suspension Bridge gives tourists a dramatic view of the cove, accompanied
by the cry of the gulls.
Savage winds and turbulent currents have etched out fabulous rock formations such as Dr. Johnson's
Head, named after Dr. Samuel Johnson, British writer and commentator of the 18th century.
Today, the natural stone likeness of the good doctor gazes eternally out from the sculpted
shorelines of Land's End.
Named for its location at the mouth of the River Plim, Plymouth is a city rich in history.
As a large port, it was a key departure point for colonization voyages, the most famous
of which was the Mayflower in 1620, which carried the pilgrims to their religious refuge
in New England.
It was also the launching point for Sir Francis Drake on his 1577 circumnavigation of the
globe.
Later, Drake commanded the English fleet from this port in a series of battles with the
invading Spanish armada, ending in a British victory in 1588.
During the English Civil War, which spanned the years from 1642 to 1660, the people of
Plymouth supported Oliver Cromwell and Parliament.
Once the war was over and Charles II was restored to the throne, he commissioned the building
of the Royal Citadel, supposedly to provide protection against invasion by sea.
But with its cannon directed at both sea and town, some believed the fort was intended
to remind the rebellious people of Plymouth that the monarchy was again in charge.
Alongside Sutton Harbor lies the Barbican or Elizabethan section.
This is what was left of Old Plymouth after 75,000 buildings were destroyed by the German
blitzkrieg in World War II.
Among other historic buildings, tourists can tour the Elizabethan house and gardens as
well as the Blackfriars distillery, now owned by Coates, makers of the famous Beef Eaters
gin.
In the city center, which was largely rebuilt after World War II, a few original buildings
remain, including the imposing Guild Hall.
The Merchant's House, once home to several of Plymouth's mayors, was almost lost to
the wrecking ball.
Thankfully, it was saved and later renovated to be a museum.
Today, modern Plymouth is one of the largest cities in the West Country.
It's location and history ensure that Plymouth will play an important role in the future
of Southwest England.
Buckland Abbey was established in West Devon at the end of the 13th century by Cistercian
monks.
It remained a monastery and farming estate for about 250 years.
Today, Buckland Abbey's property manager for the National Trust, Michael Coxon, explains
the abbey's changeover from a religious institution to a private residence.
When Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries during the 16th century, the estate was acquired
by the Grenville family and eventually Sir Richard Grenville the Younger undertook to
do something rather unusual.
Rather than just knocking down the abbey and its buildings and building a mansion house
nearby, he decided that he would convert the shell of the church into a domestic dwelling.
The Grenville family didn't hold the house for very long because eventually it was acquired
by Sir Francis Drake and it remained not only his home until he died, but also the home
of the Drake family all the way through to the middle of the 20th century.
the abbey.
From the Tudor period, a number of rooms remain, including the Great Hall with its Tudor tiling
on the floor and the plaster work put in by Sir Richard Grenville, the main frieze of
which depicts Sir Richard Grenville having set aside his war horse, thrown down his armor,
sitting under the tree of life, waiting a peaceful death.
The National Trust acquired the property from the Drake Estate in 1948 and opened it to
the public so that generations to come would be able to enjoy this unique estate.
The Georgian dining room, we know the exact date of this because the foreman of works
at the end of the 18th century actually chalked in the date of the completion of the room
and now it reflects not only the Georgian period in terms of the style of the decoration
and the paintings but also in the furnishings.
Looking at such an elegant room, it's hard to believe that this mansion was actually
designed as an austere stone abbey.
Tudor Bay is made up of the towns of Torquay and Payton.
It's referred to as the English Riviera because of its warmer, sunny climate, palm trees and
numerous hotels on the hills overlooking the sea.
People from all over the United Kingdom find their way to Tudor Bay in the summer months
to vacation and enjoy the relaxed pace and warm ocean breezes.
The city of Exeter, the council home of Devon County, is a popular tourist destination because
of its modern attractions as well as its grand history.
Started as a tribal settlement, it was captured by the Romans in the first century AD.
The Romans then built up the city and surrounded it with a great stone wall.
Large portions of the wall remain to this day, marking the limits of the old city.
Some other points of interest in Exeter are the custom house, shopping areas including
various street performers, the Royal Albert Museum and the Exeter Cathedral dating back
to 12th century AD.
Exeter is a vital city with its roots firmly planted in history.
Its inhabitants have worked to preserve this historic district for all to enjoy.
The vast pasture lands of Dartmoor National Park are dotted with grazing animals who seem
oblivious to the human traffic whizzing by.
Although the population of the Dartmoor area is only about 30,000, the park is visited
by more than 8 million tourists each year.
Far from feeling crowded however, one need only take a short walk along one of the many
footpaths to find solitude among the hills.
Nestled along the winding roads of Dartmoor lie the granite cottages of the quaint village
of Whiticum in the moor.
Children throughout England know this small village in Devon because of a very old fair
which was immortalized in a folk song.
The Whiticum Fair, one of the oldest fairs in England, is still held annually in the
open space next to this church on the second Tuesday in September.
Although it is the parish church of St. Pancras, this imposing structure is widely known as
the Cathedral on the Moor.
Glastonbury Abbey, once a monument to its religious, educational, and political power,
today lies mostly in ruin.
Legend has it that this is King Arthur and Queen Guinevere's final resting place, the
fabled Avalon.
This magnificent abbey church was rebuilt starting in 1190 after the original Norman
Church was destroyed in a catastrophic fire.
During the reconstruction, the bones of Arthur and Guinevere were said to have been unearthed.
This discovery heightened the fame and distinction of the abbey.
Ironically, the great wealth and power the abbey experienced in its heyday contributed
to its downfall.
It became a prime target of King Henry VIII in his clash with Pope Clement VII.
In 1535, the forces of one of the king's inner circle of counselors, Thomas Cromwell, seized
the abbey and plundered its enormous wealth.
Unprotected and unprotected, the abbey lay victim to peasants who scavenged stones for
local construction.
The only building left whole today is this 14th century abbot's kitchen.
Here, an historical actor gives a personal account of a monk's life in Glastonbury Abbey.
I am the cook here in the abbot's kitchen.
I welcome you all, and I welcome all pilgrims, friends, and travelers.
My job is to cook for the abbot and for his guests.
Most of my day, you see, is taken up by working, for as St. Benedict said, labore est orore.
Labor is prayer, work is prayer.
And so my work is my prayer, although we do have eight services per day.
We are woken at two o'clock in the morning with the office of vigils, and then we have
matins, and then we have the office of lords.
We are then allowed to return to our dormitory for our second sleep.
You see, that's where we're blessed, for we have two sleeps per day instead of the one.
And then we are woken again at six o'clock in the morning for the office of prime.
After the office of prime, we are allowed to wash our hands and to comb our hair.
That's one of the shortest services I attend.
After that, we are then allowed to work, and we are allowed one meal per day.
Yes, normally about two o'clock in the afternoon, we are allowed bread and vegetables and beer
and wine.
Well, that is our day complete.
We finish at nine o'clock in the evening with the office of complin.
I welcome you to Glastonbury, and hope you have a marvelous day here.
Till we meet again, may God be with you, and may St. Christopher protect you on your travels.
Thank you.
All that remains of this once glorious abbey are these ruins.
Not only was this treasure trove of architecture destroyed, but centuries of knowledge contained
in illuminated manuscripts were lost to the ages.
These barren remains serve as a reminder of the disastrous possibilities in the struggle
of power between church and state.
Wells Cathedral, which is over 800 years old, is known as the greatest triumph of English
sculpture.
The west front portrays Christ in majesty, flanked by two angels with His twelve apostles
just below, as well as an array of saints, kings, queens, bishops, and cardinals, many
of which are life-size.
In medieval times, the statues were brightly colored and gilded, creating what has been
called the Bible in stone.
The cathedral and town were named for the wells that fed and continue to feed this pond.
The waters were widely believed to have curative qualities and attracted visitors from far
and near.
An early Saxon church was originally founded on this site in 705 A.D.
This is the cathedral church of St. Andrew in Wells, which was begun in the year 1180.
It was begun at the eastern end, and the point where the tower was reached was about 1200.
But because the eastern end was altered in the 14th century, you get a much better idea
of the original architecture from where we're standing now in the name.
One of the things which is unusual about Wells Cathedral is that under the tower it has inverted
arches.
These are not part of the original architecture, but were installed in 1338 when the tower
was raised to its present height.
The tower had in fact been leaning in this direction.
It's about three and a half inches out of true.
They tried various first aid measures to shore it up, blocking up the arcading at this end
near the tower.
But then eventually they put in the big arches, which you see there.
Another fascinating aspect of Wells Cathedral lies below the architecture itself.
Throughout the ages, the cathedral has been the final resting place of many of the most
influential bishops, deans, canons, and even some family members.
But as each important religious leader died, the cathedral carried on.
The medieval church had services going on throughout the day, and an accurate clock
was needed.
An astronomical clock was built to keep track of the daily church activities as well as
holy days throughout the year.
The clock was first mentioned a hundred years before Christopher Columbus left on his historic
journey, and over six centuries later, the Wells clock is still keeping accurate time.
The grandeur of Wells Cathedral continues to enchant tourists to this day.
The size, the architecture, and the history of Wells Cathedral combine to leave visitors
inspired with a sense of awe.
The city of Bath in Avon County is unique among English cities.
Bath was a small village known for its hot springs with alleged curative powers.
When the Romans conquered England in the first century A.D., they transformed Bath into a
spa resort, complete with formal baths, recreational buildings, and a temple to the Roman gods.
Following the departure of the Romans in the fifth century, the city declined and the baths
fell into disrepair.
The Saxons took over the town in the sixth century and built an abbey.
The Bath Abbey has evolved over the centuries from a humble Anglo-Saxon monastery to this
imposing Gothic cathedral.
For its first 800 years of existence, it was a true monastery.
It was started as a women's convent and was then followed by communities of monks, first
Anglo-Saxons, then Norman.
This heritage came to an end with the dissolution in 1539.
The Abbey Church then lapsed into ruins until it was restored as a parish church in the
early 1600s.
In the 1700s, Bath became quite a fashionable city, and the Abbey Church was a prominent
part of that social scene.
Today, modern tourists enjoy Bath much in the same way as the lords and ladies of years
gone by.
The city of Bath is filled with what seems to be ancient Roman architecture.
In actuality, these striking columns and ornate cornices were created less than 300 years
ago in the Palladian style, inspired by the great buildings of Rome.
Moving the Avon River into central Bath is the Pultini Bridge, whose architecture was
based on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence.
A unique aspect of its design is that the shops were integrated into the structure of
the bridge.
Another striking example of the Palladian style is the circus, originally known as the
King's Circus.
This circle of townhouses is broken only by three access roads evenly spaced.
These townhouses were designed by John Wood from Yorkshire, who was inspired by Bath's
Roman past.
They were completed by his son John Wood the Younger, who also designed and built the Royal
Crescent, a half-elipse of 30 townhouses overlooking a common green.
Bath is a one-of-a-kind destination which recalls the high society of 18th century Britain
and pays tribute to its Roman roots.
A huge mystery looms above this southwestern English countryside.
This is Silbury Hill, one of the largest man-made hills in all of Europe, yet no one knows why
it was built.
We do, however, know when and how.
During the late Neolithic period, an estimated 700 workers labored a total of 18 million
man-hours to construct this 130-foot-high chalk and soil structure.
The only tools used to create this monolith were shovels made from oxen shoulder blades
and picks fashioned out of reindeer antlers.
Silbury Hill was constructed in three phases.
In approximately 2700 BC, an 18-foot mound was built using layers of turf and gravel.
Phase two consisted of methodically layering a million cubic feet of chalk rubble, which
was transported to the site in wicker baskets from an adjacent quarry.
The final phase, at least 6.5 million cubic feet of chalk, were used to complete the huge
conical pyramid as we see it today.
Despite extensive archaeological investigations in the 18th and 20th centuries, the original
purpose of this hill remains a mystery.
Though it holds many secrets, it also holds proof of the remarkable organizational skills
of its Neolithic builders.
Fort Kennet Long Barrow is England's best-preserved ancient burial chamber.
It was built from huge, upright sandstone rocks called sarsens, which were moved into
position using ropes and log rollers.
One of the unique aspects of this long barrow is the fact that it was not a place for internment
of whole bodies.
Rather, it held only skulls and selected bones.
This suggests that this repository of clan remains served as a momentous link, a unity
of sorts, between the living and their forebears.
The long barrow consists of five burial chambers or vaults, opening onto a 300-foot central
walkway terminating in the west chamber.
It was built around 3500 B.C.
Now, over 5000 years later, aside from the absence of bones, the tomb remains substantially
as it was in prehistoric times.
In the West Country, there stands a Bronze Age monument that is familiar to us all.
Stonehenge dominates the countryside and remains today as it has for over four millennia.
It is believed that Stonehenge was a solar calendar that marked important religious and
agricultural dates.
It was an homage to and study of the sun.
But Stonehenge is not one of a kind.
In fact, located not 30 miles north are the mysterious Ava Berry circles, what historians
have called the second greatest henge in Britain.
About 5500 years ago, Neolithic people transformed this part of England from nomadic life to
farming with domesticated animals.
They cleared the forest and constructed causeway camps like this one at what is now Ava Berry
Village.
Originally, the site was a 28-acre circular clearing surrounded by a 30-foot deep trench.
Time has filled in the trench, thus forming the far more gradual slopes we see today.
At Ava Berry, two causeways or roads cross the trench and lead into the camp intersecting
at the center.
It's believed that at this initial phase, Ava Berry was used as a common grazing ground
and meeting area.
The stone circles were erected much later, around 1800 BC by a Bronze Age people known
as Beaker Folk, named for the unique pottery they left behind.
Within the huge clearing of the original causeway camp stood many sarsen stones arranged all
along the circular boundary and in smaller patterns inside.
Unlike the sarsens at Stonehenge, which are dressed and have capstones, the stones at
Ava Berry are roughly hewn and not capped.
The purpose of the stone circles in Ava Berry is still unknown.
There are many theories, ranging from a solar calendar to a gigantic burial ground.
Celtic priests or druids may have used the already completed hench for pagan rituals.
These druids practiced their religion here in the 4th century BC, over 1500 years after
the circles were constructed.
By the early Middle Ages, the growing influence of the Christian church led to the suppression
of lingering pagan beliefs.
Consequently, the massive stones were buried.
Later on, as the village of Ava Berry grew, most of the larger stones were unearthed,
broken up and used to build houses, churches and other structures.
Over long, the Ava Berry circles were lost to history.
Then, in 1649, antiquarian John Aubrey happened to rediscover Ava Berry while on a hunting
trip.
But it wasn't until three centuries later in the 1930s that archaeological studies were
made, culminating with the re-erecting of about a third of the original 98 stones in
the outer circle.
Old hairy rocks in Dorset County are two chalk cliffs which have broken off from the mainland
due to the effects of gale-force winds and powerful waves.
The large gap between the two rocks was formed in the winter of 1920 after hundreds of years
of erosion.
Geologists predict further breaks in the future as small arches expand over time.
The name Old Hairy is a country expression for the devil.
Because of the many shipwrecks on this outcropping, sailors of old may well have viewed this ancient
crag as Lucifer himself.
This peaceful view belies the destructive potential of this natural formation.
The imposing chalk cliffs are accessible by a picturesque mile-long footpath.
The view of the coastline and channel, as well as old hairy rocks, makes this a popular
tourist stop.
Lime is a busy seaside town, known for its imposing white cliffs.
Since 1284, when the king gave it a royal charter, the town has been called Lime Regis
or the King's Lime.
It had a rich seafaring and shipbuilding tradition throughout the Middle Ages.
Long boats would pull up alongside the cliffs in order to mine the limestone.
Now the only mining done there is for the rare fossils found embedded in the soft rock.
In the 1700s, lime gradually transformed itself into a summer place for the wealthy as medical
writers began to prefer the healing powers of seawater over the crowded waters at Bath.
Author Jane Austen described Lime Regis in her novel Persuasion, the remarkable situation
of the town, the principal street almost hurrying into the water.
Today, Lime Regis is a tourist town, alive mainly in the summertime, famous for its fossils
and proud past.
The English are known for their love of formal gardens.
Compton Acres is famed for having an abundance of flowers blooming in all four seasons.
It boasts a variety of garden styles in its 15 acres, ranging from formal gardens to the
woodland glen.
The
gentle and accessible paths at Compton Acres make it especially inviting to older tourists.
However, anyone who appreciates beauty and nature will find it well worth the price of
admission.
British novelist Thomas Hardy, author of Far from the Madding Crowd, was born and grew
up in Higher Bochampton in Dorset County.
A ten-minute walk down this quiet lane brings us to his boyhood home, built by Hardy's great
grandfather in 1800.
The author had frail health as a child and was sent to Mr. Last's Academy for Young
Gentlemen at age nine.
There he excelled in spite of his late start and quickly surpassed his classmates in reading
and writing ability.
He became a prolific author and poet, his name immortalized in stone in the poet's corner
of Westminster Abbey.
In spite of Hardy's sickly youth, he lived to the ripe old age of 88.
Maiden Castle, located near the town of Dorchester, isn't a castle in the modern sense.
It is in fact an Iron Age hill fort.
The building of these earthen ramparts was begun around 3000 BC and was completed in
approximately 100 BC.
The height of the fortress provided a military advantage, while the 50-foot deep trenches
slowed enemy advances.
In 43 AD, Maiden Castle fell due to relentless attacks by Roman conquerors.
The structures were burned and the inhabitants killed.
The Romans occupied the hill until 400 AD when the site, including a Romano-British
temple, was abandoned.
This once-fought-over man-made hill is today perceived by visitors to be just a natural
part of this peaceful landscape.
In central Dorset, a 180-foot giant watches over the countryside.
This is the Cern Giant, a Roman artifact which was carved into this chalk hillside and dates
back to the 2nd century AD.
It is believed to be a fertility god, or perhaps an image of the Emperor Commodus, the self-declared
reincarnation of Hercules.
The town of Corfe has a gruesome history.
Legend tells of 17-year-old King Edward's murder at the request of his own stepmother.
In this village in 978 AD, young Edward was stabbed in the back by assassins and his body
disposed of in a plot to place his half-brother, Ethelred the Unready, on the throne.
Corfe Castle was built in the late 11th century by William the Conqueror.
It was built as a royal residence and fortress.
In its prime, it overflowed with opulence.
In 1635, after the royal seat of power had been moved to London, the castle was purchased
by Sir John Banks.
While Sir John, a royalist, was away in London, his wife, Lady Mary, resided in the castle.
During the British Civil War, heavily armed parliamentary troops attacked the fortress.
Lady Mary successfully defended the castle with a makeshift army of Corfe's villagers
and shopkeepers.
Miraculously, only two townspeople were lost in the battle, while 100 of the experienced
parliamentary soldiers died in the six-week siege.
Eventually, however, the castle succumbed to a second, more intense siege.
To keep this effective stronghold out of royalist hands, Parliament voted in 1646 to destroy
the castle with explosives.
Today, these ruins stand as a chilling reminder of the turbulent past of Corfe Castle.
This has been only a modest sampling of the variety that southwest England has to offer.
Its people, places, and stories are woven into a tapestry that is the West Country.
And we're back.
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