Stops along London-Wales Drive – Bath, Bristol and Beyond

Ahh the English countryside. Play some Tom Odell in your head, and drive down the dark grey road with an even greyer overcast sky. You’ll see beautiful hillsides, primed and green. They are the kind of hillsides you’ll want to run around with a long skirt on, like Anne of the Green Gables. You’ll see herds of sheep. You’ll see vintage, brick houses that you’d like to invite yourself into for a cuppa. There are sights, towns and small cities between these long, winding roads that are worth visiting. Here are some highlights I thought was worth visiting along the London-Wales route.

Bath
A beautiful, Romanesque town with extensive, historical remains of the Roman Empire. The buildings are square with tall, long square windows. The central has gorgeous old churches and old roman baths to visit (for £12/person), interesting eateries and high-end shops. Walking around town on foot is the best mode of exploration. As the day turns darker you should drive up the hill around the local houses to engross yourself in the top-of-the-hill view of the entire town – breathtaking.

Stonehenge
Well of course I had to come and see this. General observation: you’re better off not buying the ticket and taking a walk through the woods and fields to see the Stonehenge from outside the barbed-wire gates. It is a wonderful walk across the cattle field on a windy sunny day, and as you walk through the small woods you would see the little gems that are the blackberries growing in the bushes, and wild flowers. The Stonehenge itself was quite impressive, and if you have a wild imagination like me, you would start picturing the ancient Neolithic community doing all kinds of worships here.

Bristol
Once, when I was younger, my parents took us to visit the Bristol Zoo. It was a wonderful experience, but coming back as a full-grown adult to this city seemed like a whole other affair. We stayed at a backpacker’s lodge, a youth hostel called YHA Bristol. It was located next to the river with rows of waterfront cafes, and the place was unbelievably clean and efficient. I remember having a massive headache when we arrived, and was glad that the place was not at all rowdy and loud as I have imagined it to be.

Where to Eat: If you’re in Bath, it might be worthwhile to have a meal at Jamie’s Italian (of the renowned Jamie Oliver). The ambience is great, and the pasta is even better. In general I would say the Cornish pasties are a delight, eaten warm out of their paper bags while you’re walking down the street. Roadtrip snacks? Fresh sandwiches from the gas stations, and Walkers chips.