After going to bed with our stomachs half-full of baba ghanoush and waking up in our 500+ year-old room, we eagerly made our way down the tight and crooked staircase to enjoy another morning of a full English breakfast. This was something we were really looking forward to since the meal from the night before wasn’t quite to our content. And unlike the previous morning’s full English breakfast where we served ourselves in a traditional continental breakfast style, this morning we waited at our table while the chefs cooked our food, before serving it hot and fresh. It once again consisted of bacon, eggs, sausage, hashbrowns, baked beans, cooked tomato, black pudding, mushrooms, and toast. It was the perfect breakfast we needed to give us a boost to begin another adventure-filled day.

Now, it is a common known fact that it rains a lot in England. Even spotty periods of showers throughout the day in between sunshine is very common. So, like any travelers to England, we made sure we packed our raincoats and had them ready at all times. But surprisingly, this was the only day we actually needed them. We were extremely lucky because all week long (aside from this day) was sunny or partly cloudy. I don’t know how often that happens to get almost a full week straight of perfect weather in England, but we were fortunate enough to be able to experience it. But that Monday morning we woke up to a light rain that never really let up all day long. The good thing was, it wasn’t the type of rain that left you soaked, but instead it was just a rather annoying-type of rain. However, for some reason, in the twenty seconds it took for us to walk from the exit door (after checking out of our room) to our car that morning, the skies opened up and it poured on us to get us nice and soaking wet to begin our day.

The rainy day wouldn’t get us down, though. We had some exciting things on the agenda, with the first being a trip to the famous Stonehenge. Stonehenge has fascinated so many people over thousands of years, including me, sparking a curiosity of “why,” “who,” and mainly, “how?” How was it possible to stack those 25-30 ton pound stones on top of each other without the use of any modern equipment? And why would they go through all the trouble to take years to complete it? But no matter, it was a pretty surreal experience being there. Almost everyone in the world knows of Stonehenge, whether they have seen it in television shows, movies, the news, learned about it in school, or read about it somewhere. Everyone has seen a picture or video of it at some point. But to actually be there and see it in person was astonishing.

In one sense, it is just a pile of rocks. And because of that, it’s not a place that you would typically want to stay for longer than 45 minutes to an hour. But in the much greater sense, it is something much larger. It evokes wonder, imagination, curiosity, and the feeling that you are somewhere in the world that is very special. We learned Stonehenge was built around 5,000 years ago, which is almost impossible to comprehend. But, as I walked around the circular monument, I couldn’t help but think how much had been accomplished in this world since the beginning days of Stonehenge. Pretty much everything I know about the history of the world has come after the formation of Stonehenge. It was established for more than 2,000 years before the days of Christ. I had a difficult time wrapping my mind around all of that, but for that reason, visiting Stonehenge was a terrific venture and one that I would recommend to anyone traveling to England.

Before leaving Stonehenge, we toured the museum and way more importantly, I purchased one of those traditional English hats that guys wear…those wool hats with the very short brim. I had been very much wanting to buy one to help fit in while I was there, and of course, to stand out when I came back to America. I spotted some authentic and dapper-looking ones in the gift shop, tried a few on, and very shortly after a middle-aged English woman commented that I looked handsome wearing one, found myself standing in the check-out line with that particular one in my hand. I wore it for the rest of the trip and was extremely proud of that purchase. If I hadn’t opened my mouth to talk, some people over there would have probably sworn I was an Englishman myself.

After touring the ancient site, we climbed back into our vehicle and set out for the city of Bath. With a population of over 101,000, the entire city is actually considered a UNESCO World Heritage site with its supremely rich history, the only city in the UK to be designated as such. Bath got its name from the Roman Baths built there in the 1st century, while the area was under Roman rule until the 5th century. The baths were built over hot springs and were used for bathing and social gatherings. Today it is visited by over a million people worldwide, like us, to catch a glimpse of ancient Roman life and to marvel at the architectural wonder. We were able to go right up to the water itself, but were not allowed to touch the water, although I’m sure people do all the time. But there were plenty of spots to get great pictures of the place, and it was easy to imagine you were in an ancient Roman movie such as The Gladiator.

We were able to walk around the entire place and see ancient artifacts that were preserved or found centuries later underneath the ground. Coins used in the time period were on display, as well as carvings such as the gilt bronze head of the goddess Sulis Minerva. There were also plenty of other rooms which featured a cold pool, the sacred pool, changing rooms, and other every-day use areas. We really enjoyed our self-guided tour of the Roman Baths that were well preserved throughout all these years.

Before we visited the Roman Baths, however, I should mention that just upon arriving into the city, we finally had our first fish and chips experience. England is not exactly known for their food, but I think whenever people do associate food with England, fish and chips is the first dish that comes to mind. We didn’t have very long to enjoy it, though. After finding parking in the city, we had just about 30 minutes until our scheduled time to enter the Roman Baths. Luckily, there was a pub within just a few minutes-walk from us. Pretty much, in any English city, I think there is a pub within a few minutes-walk from wherever you might be. That was one of the many awesome things about England.

The Ale House was our spot that day for lunch. Ordering a beer and the classic fish and chips, we sat down and eagerly awaited. Was fish and chips going to be all it was cracked up to be? When we were finally served our food, we only had about 10-15 minutes to eat. And, of course it was piping hot. But the fish was amazing. The portion size was plenty big enough to satisfy any American traveler, with a huge piece of fish and a couple potatoes-worth of chips. The chips (or steak fries as we call them in the U.S.) were fine. They are not my top preference when it comes to styles of fries, but they got the job done. The breaded fish was definitely something to brag about, though. As an additional side note here, The Ale House was where the song “White Flag” by Dido came on the radio, causing my cousin to sing it about 200 times throughout the remainder of the trip. It is a great song, though.

After we left the Roman Baths, we walked over to Bath Abbey, a church built in the 7th century, and rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries. We had a guided tour at 4:00 p.m. and got there about ten minutes early. The outside, as well as the inside of the church, was stunningly beautiful. It is considered a style of Perpendicular Gothic architecture and is one of the largest examples of such in Western England. Our guide led our group of about 10 folks up the stairs inside the church and it was like getting a backstage tour. These areas were for guided tours only, and we were able to see all the behind-the-scenes things in the church such as the handles to ring the church bells and the backside to the face of the huge church clock that is seen from the outside. We kept climbing and climbing very steep and old stairs, finally making it all the way to the roof of the church.

From the roof, our guide told us we were at the highest point in the entire city. It was too bad there was lightning all over the sky. The whole situation was suddenly not quite as cool. But we walked around on the roof for 5-6 minutes and looked out over the historic city from every direction. On a clear day it would have been gorgeous. The thunder and lightning edged closer to us and one final, loud crash of thunder sent us right back down the hundreds of steps we came up.

Almost as soon as we made it back down to the bottom, however, the thunderstorm seemed to disappear, leaving just a misty rain that would come and go. So, we walked around the city for an hour or so with no destination in mind. The architecture of the entire city is beautiful, and it really seemed like a neat city for the small amount of time we spent there. We walked over to Pultney Bridge to take some pictures, as well as to some other areas of the city to snap pictures, but night was quickly approaching and we were getting hungry for dinner. It was a good thing our lodging that night was less than ten minutes away. But little did we know we were in for a little surprise when we got to The King’s Arms, a rustic pub with four bedrooms on the above floors.

Outside of our bedroom window at The King’s Arms

Completed in the 17th century, the pub has been catering to visitors for many centuries. But it is believed that the oldest part of the building was built by the monks, dating back to 1090. Though it is a very short distance from the city of Bath, the pub is situated in the River Avon Valley countryside, considered part of the Cotswolds. From the outside looking in, it is a quaint-looking pub in a very picturesque countryside. On the inside, the place is decorated with historical and rustic charm, equipped with plenty of dining tables and a bar. It was an incredible place, and the employees were extremely friendly as well. We did soon find out, however, that we could potentially be in for a long night.

As one of the employees walked us up to our room, The King’s Room, and showed us around while providing us some information about the place, he casually mentioned the word “ghost.” Really, it was nothing to even think twice about. “If you guys have any problems or need anything throughout the night, just call the number to the hotel and it will re-direct you to one of the owners, who lives just a few minutes away. Whatever you need…if you need a beer, if you see a ghost, etc.” We just sort of laughed at his little “joke.” But it wasn’t more than two minutes later, before he went back downstairs, that he mentioned the word “ghost” again, and this time I can’t remember how he used it. So, after he gave us the key to the room and went back downstairs, we all thought aloud to each other that it surely was strange that he mentioned ghosts twice. There must be some kind of history there or something.

We were hungry though, so we didn’t think any more about it and made our way downstairs to the pub to eat. I ordered a steak and a Laine Brewing Company Rippa IPA, and enjoyed winding down after a busy day with my meal. As we ate, we were inquiring about the whiskey selection to our waitress, to which she casually made some kind of joke about drinking one of their particular stronger whiskeys, “depending on how many ghosts you want to see.” And at that point we’re all thinking, “alright, that’s the third time hearing about ghosts. What’s the deal?” So, we asked her. And we were instantly captivated.

She had actually only been working there for a week, but already had several stories to tell. Most of her ghostly interactions were things falling from a shelf, or chairs being moved around. But the story that stuck with me, and probably everyone, was her claiming she and one other guy were cleaning up the pub late one night before closing it down. It was just the two of them. She said she had gone to the restroom (or “toilet” as they say in England) and while in the stall heard someone enter the restroom and turn on the sink. She said she apologized to whoever entered the restroom for making a little too much noise (whatever that meant), to which the lady at the sink replied “it’s ok, no problem.” A few minutes later, upon leaving the restroom, our waitress told us that she had mentioned a lady being in the restroom, to which the other employee promptly told her that there hadn’t been anyone else in the place.

After talking to her, we did a quick Google search of the place and found out that it was indeed considered one of the most haunted pubs in England. I think each one of us felt a little different about that discovery. Personally, I was pretty excited because I find that sort of thing fascinating. I wasn’t necessarily hoping to have a ghost encounter, but at the same time I did. I wanted to have my own story to tell.

We talked to one of the other employees that night before retiring back up to our room. We found out that apparently, the place is haunted by three different ghosts and it was pretty much a daily thing to have strange things happen like chairs moving out of place by themselves, or other items moving around mysteriously, but the employees were all just used to it. He even told of one guest they had that came down in the morning, looking like he hadn’t slept at all that night. When they asked him how his stay was, he replied that everything had been good except he couldn’t sleep that night because there had been a woman sitting at the foot of his bed all night long. Everything our ears took in was all so very interesting to us. Before going up the stairs, they told us good luck and that maybe we’d even have our own story to add. We didn’t really know how to feel about that.

I’d be lying if I said we didn’t hear some strange noises in the room, throughout the night, but they weren’t anything definitive and definitely could have just been noises from a 400+ year-old building. Plus, with ghosts on our minds, we were definitely going to hear every tiny noise there was. But we woke up in the morning with a good night’s sleep and no ghost stories to tell. Maybe that was a good thing. Cheers!

View from atop Bath Abbey, the Roman Baths below

Captured a ghost in the wardrobe mirror. Nevermind that’s just cousin Beno

Garett

England Trip: Day Three