This week I pulled out the red and blue Liberty prints to make a few more quilt blocks for another Regent Street quilt. Playing with classic Liberty floral prints + making these Union Jack quilt blocks never get old for me. (I think this is the 5th or 6th? Union Jack quilt I've made.) You can read more about the background on this quilt here.
And as I was sewing, I realized I never shared the rest of my visit to the UK last fall. So if you're up for a little virtual sight-seeing (that includes a stop at a lovely quilt shop!) I've got plenty of pictures to share. My trip started out in London, but finished with a drive west to Somerset to visit the city of Bath and nearby Lacock village in Wiltshire.
A visit to Bath, Great Britain
Bath is a stunning small city in the south west of England. It's the site of natural mineral hot springs where Roman baths (hence the name) were built over 2000 years ago. And you can visit them! In the 1700's it became a popular and fashionable town to see and be seen and much of the city is still full beautiful Georgian architecture and attractions. The city has history galore. You can read more about visiting Bath here. Here are some of my highlights.
I've been to Bath a couple times before but only stayed for a few hours each time as they were part of a day tour or passing through on the way to someplace else. This was my first time getting to visit the city and stay over night and really explore and see more.
Beautiful Bath Abbey
One of the most elite addresses in Bath is the Royal Crescent. This elegant arc of 30 posh terraced houses was built in the 1770's and still immaculately kept with manicured plants and outdoor spaces.
If you've seen the 2009 (ish?) version of Persuasion you'll recognize this as the spot where Anne is running to find Captain Wentworth. 😉 Bath is a bit of a Jane Austen-lovers site as she lived there for a period of time as well as set some of her novels in Bath.
One of the spaces frequently mentioned in Jane's novels are the Assembly Rooms - think Northanger Abbey or Persuasion again. I didn't realize this but those very same Assembly Rooms still exist and have been restored to look as they would have during the Regency Era. (On the left is the Ball Room and the right is the Tea Room. Middle picture is of the Royal Circus - another elite address in Bath with 18th Century terraced homes in a full circle. They Royal Crescent, Royal Circus, and Assembly Rooms are are fairly close by and easily walkable.
Housed in the same building as the Assembly Rooms is the Bath Fashion Museum housing authentic articles of historic clothing from the past 500 years. Here's some of the collection from the Regency era again.
The collection is AMAZING. If you are a lover of history, or fashion, or historic garments, or couture design, it is well worth the effort of going. Everything is displayed beautifully.
A Quilt Shop in Bath, Somerset, England
There is also a fantastic quilt shop right in Bath! Country Threads Patchwork was established in 1994 and is a well-stocked, beautiful quilt shop!
In addition to bolts of fabric there are lots of precuts, panels, fat quarters, trims and other haberdashery to inspire your creativity and choose from.
SO many reasons to visit Bath if you're ever making a trip to the UK. (And don't just take my word for it - Rick Steves agrees!) It's not far from London (a couple hours by car or even shorter by train) and the trip through the countryside to get there is worth the journey as well!
I love visiting Wiltshire. My grandpa's father was born in Chippenham, Wiltshire where his family goes back generations. I feel a connection and a familiar happiness when I'm there. Definitely a piece of me is from this place and I love to visit.
Lacock Village, Wiltshire, England
Another new-to-me stop this time - because I had access to a car - was visiting Lacock (pronounced Lay-cock) village just a few miles outside of Chippenham and not far from Bath.
Lacock Village is a place where time stands sill for a bit. The homes and surroundings are beautifully preserved stone and half-timber structures.
As a result of the town's picturesque and historical charm, Lacock has it's own film career. The village has played lots of roles, including Merryton in Pride and Prejudice to Godric's Hollow in Harry Potter - and a bunch of other sites in between. (You can read more about the Lacock on screen here.)
Don't you love the little cubbie for the wellies (boots) next to the green door?
Also part of Lacock Village is Lacock Abbey. The oldest part of the building was built as an Abbey for nuns in 1232. After Henry VIII dissolved all of the monasteries it was bought and extended to become a country home for Sir William Sharington.
Here is the entry hall to the "newer" portion of the house. (Top right photo is of the crests on the ceiling of the entry hall.) The grazing sheep outside also provided some nice charm.
But as you can tell, there is still lots of the original gothic windows and architecture. (Which was also used for filming some of Hogwarts' classrooms).
Ahh, England. I love you to bits. I'm still feeling so lucky I got to make the trip last fall, when there was a little bit of a travel window. And that I was safe and healthy for the whole journey. Can't wait to go again.
We also passed this quaint little spot along the side of the road on drive back to London. Yep, that's the actual Stonehenge. I didn't stop to visit this time (did on the last trip) but I was happy to wave as we passed. My Grandpa would always joke that maybe our ancestors helped build Stonehenge. 😉
Speaking of driving, I will give myself some mad props for driving on the left side of the road. The muscle memory kicked in at those roundabouts and I made to back to Heathrow. With one more stop along the way, but I'll save that for another post.
For more of my history with England (and my infatuation thereof) or just more armchair travel you can find more in these posts:
Traveling and Living in England with Kids
An introduction to the Isle of Man and Manx Quilting
The previous trip to London and the West
Union Jack Quilt Pattern
As I mentioned previously, I'm working on another version of my Regent Street Union Jack quilt pattern. Here is my progress on the blocks! I just love how they're playing so nicely together. I really enjoy playing with different print scales, shades of color, etc. to give these flags lots of movement and depth.
Hoping to start adding the sashing this weekend.
Most of the fabrics in this quilt are from the Liberty Winter Flower Show collection and the Riley Blake Jane Austen at Home collection. Other smaller scale prints are Buttermilk Farm Basics. The rest are prints from my stash.
Happy sewing and happy memories. 🙂
Emilee
Thank you for sharing! What an amazing trip!!! I love all the Austen info and pictures!
elvira
Thank you Amy for sharing your travel story and esp. about Bath. The place always fascinates me as I love Jane Austen's novel too! After looking at your photos, I am going to read the book one more time 🙂
Kay
How absolutely lovely. I keep meaning to visit Bath one day. The quilt is going to be outstanding, another quilt that I hope to make one day too.
zoefruitcake
You probably know but the cubby that has been repurposed for wellies is a boot scraper for when you needed to remove the mud from your shoes because the roads were not paved and/or kept clean
Amy
Ahh! That makes perfect sense. I saw them next to other doors, but I loved this one most because it actually had wellies there. 🙂
Penelope Kindt
I loved the pictures of your Trip to Bath. I've been there and it brought back good memories. I want to live in the Regent Crescent. Wouldn't that be wonderful. Lacock was awesome too. Thank you so much for sharing. I am an Anglophile also. I felt like I was home when I went to England. I didn't want to leave.
jaybirdinohio
Thanks so much for this wonderful travelogue, Amy! I'm pretty much an armchair traveler anymore, and posts like this fill my heart. How wonderful to see the Assembly Rooms, the Royal Crescent and the Roman baths. And the clothes! I loved the references to some of my favorite books and movies, too. I'm so glad you were able to make this trip, and so grateful that you're sharing it here with us.
Kristi
Oh, my goodness! I took a trip to England in 2015 with three girlfriends. We took a bus trip to Bath, Lacock and Stonehenge. But I missed the quilt shop!! I guess I'll have to go back! Your photos brought back so many fond memories of our trip.
Amy
Yes! I did the same thing three years ago (except my tour was Bath, Stonehenge, and Windsor) and after I shared it someone told me about the quilt shop. So yep, you'll have to go back. 😉
Jan Dudley
Thanks for showing us your trip to Bath. Love Persausion, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility (the earlier versions) (especially when Ann's sister is seething when the Captain asks for Ann's hand). Would love to see Downton Abby and the countryside. You've been a lucky girl!
dondim
Thank you for sharing your pictures! I was in Bath for all of two hours so I didn't see too much. It's a good thing I didn't see the quilt shop or I would have missed the bus ride back to London! I have mostly English ancestry so your pics really help me!
Penelope Kraemer
Used to live in a small village in Hampshire till my Canadian husband moved us back to his home in Kitchener Ont. Loved to visit my mum and 9siblings every year, Covid has stopped that and age prevents me now. Great memories though. Penny