All is soft and green when the wind is from the south-west. It’s so restful compared with the Scandinavian winter struggle against the elements. I’m not sure that I could live in the West Country – there’s too much of what I am today that wouldn’t belong. But I love to be reminded of what it feels like to be in this countryside, which was my everyday life in my teens.
I decide to walk to Bothenhampton, a few kilometres from Bridport, past sad no longed served bus stops. It’s deeply rural, quiet with few people about although we are not far from suburban West Bay and the artics on the A35.
I’m pleased to find Prior’s Gothic revival church open and go in to admire the arches. I’m becoming very interested in Gothic revival architecture. Once very dismissive, I have now seen both the horrible and the very good and want to know more. I have to make a reading list and integrate this into my plan for 2019 (which is still at the vision stage, although the delay hardly matters as large parts of my plan for 2018 will be recycled).
I manage to do my 10,000 steps, the first time for a while.
I’ve decided to use my time in Bridport to study the local area thoroughly and not wander too far afield in the county. Tomorrow I shall try to see what i can find of Bridport’s industrial heritage, what lies behind the attractive central streets.