Welcome to the Rudloe and environs website.
Here you will find news, articles and photos of an area that straddles the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in north-west Wiltshire.
Contributions in the form of articles or photos are welcome. Even those with completely contrary views to mine!
Thanks to the website builder 1&1 and Rob Brown for the original idea.
Rudloescene now, in January 2014, has a sister, academic rather than anarchic, website about Box history here: http://www.boxpeopleandplaces.co.uk/
It contains thoroughly professional, well-researched articles about Box and its people.
Contact rudloescene through the 'Contact' page.
Bath, World Heritage City - Lansdown's up and Twerton's down. In fact, most of it is down in my estimation as (as usual) the walk into the city was accompanied by the screams of emergency vehicle (ambulance) sirens. Even here, in Rudloe, each time I ventured out into the garden yesterday doing chores, an emergency vehicle siren provided the background sound of the countryside. We shouldn't be living like this - old style alarms (dee-dah, duddle-de-duh) were immediately recognisable but much easier on the ear and environment. Many sensible countries (in Europe) still use these 'old' alarms; in fact 'screaming' alarms are banned by city ordinances from urban environments because of their disturbing effect. But here, no, we couldn't do that - we love to make a drama out of a crisis.
Back to Wednesday's (12th July 2023) walk - the title pictures show prolific nettle growth in Bathampton Meadows and a question 'What are you grateful for today' on the gate of a cottage on the Kennet & Avon canal towpath. I was and am grateful for waking up.
A river of nettles in Bathampton Meadows - the Limpley Stoke Valley beyond
Nettles in the foreground, Bathford and Bathford Hill beyond
Fescue and dock in the meadow; Bathampton Down (at right) beyond
A patch of thistles in the meadow; Bathford Hill (at left) beyond
Heading to the Kennet & Avon towpath, we cross the Heart of Wessex line at Glasses Crossing, Bathampton Junction
Adjacent to the Kennet & Avon, we find this urban farm with hairy pigs and other exotic animals
Also on the farm - bees
And yes, here's the canal with the Meadow Lane bridge
East Bath: Larkhall, Swainswick and Lansdown from the canal towpath
The eastern end of Hampton Row, quite recently derelict, has been rebuilt. There used to be a railway halt here.
Hampton Row (eastern end) now habitable following years of dereliction
Cleveland Pools Lido (you say lee-doe, I say lie-doe) was supposed to open in 2022 but remains closed apparently due to a flooding problem and contractual issues
A Rosemont Place garden
The Kennet & Avon cuts through Sydney Gardens. Cleveland House above the tunnel was known as Canal House during its occupation by the Kennet & Avon Canal Company.
I guess that this is some kind of martial arts class taking place in Sydney Gardens. Can't see Number 1 Son!
Grand Cotoneaster in a Pulteney Street basement garden
He may have been a great boxer but he certainly didn't respect everybody (see some of his Parkinson interviews). Anyway, what the hell has this to do with Bath life apart from 'our' current obsession with all things black.
"Black, Johnny, black" - see the Fast Show e.g. Black, Johnny, black
Kensington Meadows alongside the Avon - we couldn't figure out what these posts were for
My travelling companion wondered how all this concrete (Batheaston bypass) was supported by such 'thin' posts and was intrigued by the path which descends into the river and emerges on the other bank
The Avon at Batheaston, Bathampton Down beyond
Purple loosestrife by the Avon at Batheaston, Bathampton Down beyond
We actually saw some tiddlers in the river here
A Batheaston riverside property - we were 'warned off' by the owner's small terrier
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