Tolldown to Bath via the American Museum: 25/4/23

 Tolldown's full English breakfast at the Crown was less generous than most other places, with only one small slice of toast and a single egg, but it was adequate, and I set out for the drive towards Bath in bright sunshine and a good mood -- which abated as I wrestled with the traffic. I had decided to come in obliquely via the large recreation areas to the south-east of Bath, but even getting there involved lots of narrow roads, up and down hills, one-way traffic lights for roadworks, and crossing the centre line to get around parked cars. On the way I drove through Bathhampton, which is where Arthur Phillip came from, and is buried, though I didn't know it at the time. This is also where they have a genuine private toll bridge, with two collectors holding out a bag and getting GBP1 from every car that comes through.

At about 9:30 I reached my first destination, the American Museum, set up on the outskirts of Bath by yet another couple of rich gay Americans. This claims to be the only official collection of US memorabilia set up outside the US itself. There are gardens as well; but since they didn't open till ten, and the museum didn't open till eleven, I had plenty of time to hang around outside and enjoy the sunshine and the view.

Everntually I got into the gardens -- with various garden sculptures for sale -- and then the separate building used to house a US photographic exhibition. This used to be a series of pictures from the late 60s, but they have been supplemented by a new set from the recent era. Nothing particularly new or interesting -- it's the kind of thing that the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney likes to display its liberal credentials by showing off from time to time. But the buildings and gardens are pleasant, the cafe serves nice lattes, and when I finally got into the museum, that was genuinely interesting, with rooms set up to duplicate typical US fashions and furnishings, from an alehouse in the 1760s to a New Orleans bedroom in the early 1900s.

After ninety minutes or so I set off for my next stop, which was going to be the Prior Park Landscape Garden -- but after driving up and down next to it looking in vain for a way to get in and park the car, I gave up, and proceeded on to return the vehicle at Europecar Bath, in Brassmill Lane on the River Avon. The car GPS did its best, but it was utterly foiled by roadworks blocking the access road, and in the end I had to use Google Maps on my phone to find a way around. But I got there eventually and handed the car over to an uninterested man, before walking back along the sealed riverside path into town -- about 3k overall.

Bath is quite compact, built on a gentle slope, with the hotel near the bottom and the Abbey and the Roman Baths higher up. Lots of tourists around, even though it's not peak season; in August it would be a nightmare, but now it's still possible to avoid queues and crowds. After settling in I went out for a stroll, and visited the Abbey. This has had a much more chequered history than Gloucester Cathedral, which was preserved as the burial place of Edward II. With no such claim to fame, Bath Abbey has been knocked down and pulled apart several times over the centuries. The current building began with Queen Ellizabeth I, and was gradually added to since. There are still lots of repairs that need to be done and vast swathes of plain windows that are set up to receive stained glass -- but probably never will. But the end windows are impressive, and perhaps slightly bigger than Gloucester's, athough unlike Gloucester's there is no higher vantage point accessible from which to see them.

The walls and floors are studded with gravestones and memorial inscriptions, including one to Arthur Phillip, and there are some impressive sculptures. All told I probably spent an hour here before emerging into worsening weather, buying some grocery supplies, and making my way to the Bath Brew House, just down the road from my hotel. Here I had an excellent beer, on an effectively empty stomach, and sat quietly for a while letting all the stress of the trip and the driving percolate away before I staggered back to the hotel for a dinner of cheese, grapes and crackers.

Tomorrow I have booked a visit to the Roman Baths and will probably visit the Museum and Gallery afterwards. And I've discovered they have tours of the Brew House at 5 pm, so that's an option for later in the day.