Deal Beaches

While we're in Southeast England, we're staying in a little house in Deal, a town right on the coast. It's just a few miles east of Dover--we can actually see the White Cliffs from the beach just a block away from the house.

Speaking of the beach...

It's lovely. And very rocky. I'm sure you can guess who absolutely loves that...

Yup. This kid. 

He loves throwing the rocks into the sea and collecting the pretty ones to give to me. 

Our first day here, all of us went down and walked along the shore searching for treasures and listening to the sound of the waves pulling against the rocks. Henry and Daddy actually found a few pretty shells, which Henry immediately presented to me and Grandma--he's sweet that way. :) It's very windy, and as it's autumn now, a bit chilly. Nonetheless, we love spending time on the coast. 

Throwing rocks with Daddy

One of the beautiful shells Henry and Daddy found together

Sunday evening, Derek, Henry and I went for a walk just the three of us. We threw lots and lots of rocks, spun around in the wind, and took jumping pictures. Something Henry LOVES. Seriously. As soon as we start getting the camera set up, he starts giggling, reaches for our hands, and tries to jump. When we actually get around to jumping, he laughs his head off. Upon landing, he runs towards the camera, because he knows we'll review the photos to make sure they are acceptable. It's adorable. 

Anyway, our walk was so relaxing and beautiful. The day was clear, so we could actually see the coast of France from where we stood (pictures didn't quite turn out--it's hard to see it in the photograph). We talked about how thrilling it would have been to see the fleet all lined up out on the sea--the might of the British Empire, and then the combined power of the Allies in the Second World War. The coast here is beautiful and tells such a story--of the struggle, and power, of the British Isles. 

Being silly and hiding his face in my shirt. 

He noticed Daddy was taking pictures, so he smiled for the camera. This kid. 

Spinning and spinning!

One of the infamous jumping pictures of the Bruton Fam

Bruton, Somerset, England

There's a little town in Somerset, the Jewel of Western England, called Bruton. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Your ancestral home! That's wonderful! So cool that you got to go there!" Yes, of course--so cool that we got to go there, really gorgeous town, and we think it is our ancestral home. Don't know for sure.

Now that we've got that cleared up, let me tell you about Bruton, Somerset, England.

Bruton is a charming little town in the western part of England, not far from Bath. It has a population of around 2,000, which is just right for such a town.

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 We parked on High Street the first day we were there (both days, actually) and walked down to the river for just a minute. We were only there in the evening on the 16th, so we grabbed dinner at a little restaurant called "At The Chapel." Yes, it actually is an old chapel converted to a restaurant that serves delicious food. It was fun to just sit, relax, and eat good food while enjoying the views out of the windows.

We also stopped by the post office, just to take a look. Nice to have our very own Post Office!! See--it has our name on it. :)

When we walked down to the river, we took a Chapel Barton. A barton is a narrow alley that connects two streets--unique to Bruton, actually. Originally, a barton denoted an enclosed courtyard or farmyard (it's a Somerset word, apparently), but when they decided to connect the High Street to the other bit of town in Bruton, they called them bartons. They're all quite steep, as they lead down to the river.

The River Brue runs right through it, and it can be quite the rushing, rapid river, but usually it is quite calm, moving quickly, but not very deep. While we were there, it was just perfect.

There is an incredible bridge over the River Brue, which myth and legend claim is medieval. The curator at the Bruton Museum told us that is false--most likely, it was built much later--probably Victorian. But as he said---no one really knows! We're going to go on believing it's several centuries old. :) It looks like it is, and it's more fun.




The first evening, Derek let Henry lean down and stick his hands in the water. Of course he LOVED that, and today, when we were there for lunch, he and I stuck our toes in. Trust me--it was just our toes, as the water was very cold!

The church is incredibly charming, with an incredible wood ceiling. While the church has been renovated and updated over the past few centuries, it was nice to sit and think about the possibility of our ancestors listening to the scriptures being read and coming to know Jesus Christ there.

Mostly--Henry enjoyed walking around and looking at all the cushions. He rearranged them a bit, wanted to sit on them, and wanted to take one for himself--sorry buddy!

Overlooking the town, is the Bruton Dovecote. Built in the 16th century, they say it was one time used as a house, possibly a watchtower (watching for invaders!) and then, eventually, as a dovecote.
There are over 200 pigeon holes in the dovecote, which is quite impressive. We really enjoyed the view and the gorgeous green grass at the top. Taking care to avoid the cow pats and stinging nettles (though Derek did get in to both of those things watching after Henry!).

blurry, I know--but I love it. 

Visiting Bruton offers a lot of time to think and wonder about where we come from. Derek and I have been quite conscious about our ancestors while we have lived here in England. I wish that we had had more time to do family history, but what we were able to do produced some fun results. Again, we don't actually know if the Brutons come from this charming town in Somerset, but the important thing is that visiting this little town on the River Brue has turned our hearts to our fathers.

Before Derek, Henry, and I embarked on this adventure, Derek's dad, Tom, gave him a father's blessing. One of the things he said has stuck with me. In summary, that those who have gone before us are mindful of us and watching over us. Immediately, I thought of a few people: Derek's grandpa Tom (his paternal grandfather), and John Bruton--Derek's ancestor who moved to the United States in the 1630s.

I thought about how proud they must be of Derek and all he has done. His hard work, his desire to do good, and his drive to become more than he is. I felt, and still feel, very strongly that they wanted us to return to England. I'm not sure why, and I do hope that we fulfilled the purpose that we had in coming here. I'm so glad we have these connections to our past, to the shoulders of those who we stand upon to reach incredible heights.

Wells Cathedral and Bishop's Palace

While we're in the Somerset, we are staying in a little carriage house in Wells. Actually, we are just around the corner from Wells Cathedral and the Bishop's Palace.

The Cathedral is absolutely stunning, with an enormous west end covered in decor. Our first day here in Wells was a Sunday, so while Henry and I took a nap, Tom, Cindy, and Derek went to Evensong. Apparently, it was a beautiful service with the music of an incredible choir, trained at the Wells Cathedral School of Music that his links to a school founded in 909. WOW! Over a thousand years of music education in this city, the smallest city in England.

One of Henry's favorite parts was watching the clock. We were there at the half hour, so the knights rang the bell while we were sitting there. After that, every time we heard the bells he wanted to go see!

Today, our fourth day in Wells, we decided to sleep in, rest, and visit the Bishop's Palace, which is just behind the cathedral. Talk about an amazing place!

We did the house first, which was built in pieces by several Bishops, beginning in 1210 by Bishop Jocelin. Today, the Bishop of the Diocese of Bath and Wells lives in part of the palace, and the rest is open to visitors during the day. They've done a wonderful job making it visitor friendly, even for kids!

Henry's favorite bit was a stained glass puzzle on the first floor (not the ground floor, mind you). The pieces were plastic, of course, but as it was lit from underneath, it gave a beautiful impression of stained glass. He wanted to take the pieces with him, of course, so we had to explain that we leave toys in museums behind for other kids to play with. He really wasn't satisfied with that, until I told him we could go outside and run around the beautiful gardens.

And yes, they really are beautiful. About 14 acres of gardens open for visiting, including St. Andrew's Spring, where the city takes its name (Wells, you see: there is a well here. Very clever and original, I know). Henry ran about collecting sticks (as he does all the time now) and pointing out the beautiful flowers that have been planted throughout the gardens. It was lovely and calming, a beautiful outing.

We didn't feed the swans, but we learned from Neils, the man who owns the house we are staying in, that the swans have been trained to ring a little bell hanging on the wall of the moat when they are hungry. We did feed the ducks the first night we were here, which Henry thought was just awesome.

If you get a chance, do visit Wells. The market was also beautiful and delightful, with local farmers and artisans.

Stourhead Gardens with the Brutons

We took Grandpa and Grandma to Stourhead Gardens today. We took Nana when she came, but we didn't mind going again--it's one of Mummy's favorite places in England.

When we first arrived it was tea time, so we got some scones with clotted cream and jam from the Spread Eagle Inn. It was delicious and the perfect snack before we spent almost an hour and a half walking around the gardens.

Mummy was so excited, because just before we got there, some important people had been there to see the gardens and so the bridge was open. She's been to Stourhead Gardens three other times and the bridge was always closed. We got to walk across it, and Mummy even ran across it just like the lady does in a movie Mummy likes (**Mummy's note: that's Pride and Prejudice, with Kiera Knightly!).  I liked going across it and looking down at the water.

I decided I would collect lots and lots of sticks while we were there. I filled both of my hands with as many sticks as I could pick up. Sometimes, I got frustrated, because I tried to pick up another stick and two would fall out of my hand. Then I had to pick those up again!

The leaves were just starting to turn bright colors while we were there. I wish it was October, because they would all be bright yellow, orange and red.

We had a great time walking around, sitting on benches, and collecting sticks. I'm excited to go back there again someday!

--Little Brute--

Enjoy the movie--which is 90% Henry collecting sticks. 

A Circle of Stones

Stonehenge is just one of those places you have to see at least once in your life. Honestly, I think it is everything you think it will be, plus.

We arrived at lunch time, so Henry insisted we sit down and eat our lunch. He did a pretty good job at first, but then he noticed all the sticks and rocks on the ground and that was the end of that. Particularly the sticks near the Stone Age huts they have built near the Visitors' Centre. Those sticks were quite special, because he was able to take them inside the huts! He and Daddy tried to take a little nap, but Henry was way too excited to sit down for very long. Oh--and of course he had his audio guide again. He loves those.

We found our new house, though! Here it is, in all its glory. Henry and Derek both agreed we could build something like it in Utah. :)

After we explored the Visitors' Centre, Tom and Cindy took the shuttle and Derek, Henry, and I walked the mile and a half up to the actual thing--the real Stonehenge! It was a glorious day--perfect, honestly--a lot better than the last time I was at Stonehenge (cold, pouring rain, ech). We sat on the grass/bench right up next to it and just enjoyed the scenery. Henry fed everyone dried apricots, while we rested for a bit. Couldn't ask for a better view, really.

I think the thing that is amazing about Stonehenge is that it is a tangible display of what humans can really do, even with limited tools. Despite the fact that it was built thousands of years ago, it is a beautiful feet of human engineering. Seriously: trekking across the countryside with those huge stones--even if they did take them on the water--is incredible. I truly admire what humans can do.

Bath

We spent most of the day in Bath today. It's just half an hour from Wells, where we are staying, so it was a nice quick trip today after a crazy week and a half.

Not knowing where to park, we just headed straight into the city. Luckily, there were several spots on the road right next to the Royal Crescent, which is just a little ways away from the city centre. Henry enjoyed playing on the grass for a few minutes, and he and Grandpa found a feather to play with!

The Royal Crescent is a poster child of Georgian architecture, displaying some of the most beautiful elements of the style in the world. It's quite beautiful, and very ritzy looking. I'd love to live there, actually. Especially since my address would be Royal Avenue!

We walked from the Royal Crescent down to the city centre and found a bench to eat lunch. Poor Henry was starving! As soon as he saw a pastry shop, he started jumping up and down and tried to run in there! We convinced him to eat his PB&J and a sandwich instead, which he was happy about since he got to chase a few pigeons while he ate.

The Roman Baths only had a few visitors when we arrived, which was quite nice. We got to enjoy all of the exhibits without horrible crowds. It's incredible how intact the Baths are, and with the museum around it, we were able to see the incredible Roman plumbing.

Henry really enjoyed running around and playing with the audio guide. He wouldn't put it down the whole time we were there, and was pretty sad when we had to return it at the end.

After the Roman Baths, we stopped in the Pump Room to take the waters. Derek and I both agree that the water tasted a lot better this time--they must have filtered the water a little bit. :) Henry wasn't sure about it; he only took a sip before he refused more. I had forgotten how beautiful the Pump Room was--the chandelier, the wall paneling, and the gorgeous Kings Spring where the water comes through.

Just outside the Roman Baths and the Pump Room, is the stunning Bath Abbey. With impressive fan vaults and stained glass, it was a nice place to sit down and relax for a while. The whole Abbey is built out of Bath Stone, a soft, but incredibly beautiful, white stone from the area. Tom really wanted a piece to take back, and inquired in the Abbey shop about where he could find some. The kind old ladies had no idea, so one suggested he chip a piece off the Abbey "they'll come and repair it," she said. (Of course we didn't do that, but we did fiend a piece that chipped off a wall on our way out of the city.)

On our way back to the car, we took a quick look at the Pulteney Bridge, one of only 4 bridges in the world that has shops on it. It's beautiful---just another spot in the city of Bath where I could sit and stay all day.

We probably could have stayed and wandered around for a few more hours, but we decided to call it a day and head back to our little house in Wells.