15/02/15 - Awesome Wells

Distance - 3.5 Miles
Geocaches - 8
Walk Inspiration



The Night Before
After an afternoon getting over the simply stunning Albion progression into the FA Cup Quarter Finals, we put on our glad rags and hit the high spots of Glastonbury.

1. The Who'd a Thought It - Despite everyone calling this Gastropub by the incorrect name, it provided damn fine food (Legendary Steaks are matured on site).  We enquired with our waiter about local nightclubs and there is one behind the Co-Op - but "you don't want to go there".
2. The King Arthur - We passed the Mitre as a youth was berating his girlfriend outside by swearing loudly at her.  Well it was Valentines Day.  We stumble into this place with four real ales, all with the label turned round and sit in the window alcove.  An elderly gent with a jaunty hat keeps putting adverts up in the window, presumably announcing the imminent arrival of real ales.
3. Beckett's Inn - Well, a jukebox that has the Bonzo Dog Doodah Band adjacent to the best of the Wurzels cannot be knocked.  Damn fine Wadworths Beer
4. The George and Pilgrims - Back to our haunted digs, where we sit in the fireplace and watch a classical guitarist serenade either his mother or the world's oldest groupie.  A nightcap, before climbing the spiral staircase.  An hour after dropping off, the door handle creaks downwards.... a key enters the lock.  Sonia starts making the sign of the cross and then we hear "we've got the wrong bloody room" and the scuttle of rapidly departing feet.  We scan the breakfast tables in the morning for the couple who have the guiltiest looking faces.  Thank the lord, Sonia actually locked the door.

Today's Walk
We head off to Wells today.  I want to revisit the Cathedral and look at the filming locations from the Film "Hot Fuzz".

I have a choice of two walks - one 6.5 miles, the other 3 miles.  Can you guess which one Sonia chose?  I can only surmise that she was tired from the nocturnal visitations.

Strangely park up in Waitrose - which is offered as Long Term Parking - head out to the Cathedral and surrounding grounds for the plentiful photo opportunities and a few urban caches.

It is a stunning place.

Nice View from the Swan Beer Garden

Across the Green to Wells Cathedral

The Bishops Palace

One of the Pubs from Hot Fuzz

There are just too many places to take snaps but my favourite place, almost stumbled on by accident, was row of houses at Vicars Close.  This is reported to be the oldest street of residential properties in Europe and some lucky people are living there today.  Got to love Psychogeography - the art of aimless wandering - that geocaching takes you on.

Loved It

The walk takes us out of the City into some proper countryside on Torshill.  There are few caches to be found, including one where brazen Sonia dives into a bush whilst I tell her to wait as a couple are approaching.  These are other cachers.  Then, as I am signing and others are waiting, a jolly fella comes past and asks us laughingly "if we're all looking for the cache".

Near a Cache GZ

After navigating some muddy fields, we are grateful for the tarmaced path that takes us back to the grounds of the Bishops Palace.

Take me to the Palace

Post walk celebration is provided by Cream Teas in the Square.  What a beautifully British way to spend an overcast February morning.