From caves to cathedrals in western England

THE swan shifted delicately to one side, craned her graceful neck and slowly turned the clutch of large, pale green eggs beneath her. Her mate sat beside her on the big, untidy nest, stretching his neck occasionally to add a few more wisps of straw to their bed.
It was a sight anyone would be privileged to see, but in the circumstances I could hardly believe my eyes.
This pair of prospective parents were not on some remote lake, nor was I watching them through binoculars. Their nest was on a bank of mud beside the ancient bridge in the town of Bradford on Avon.
It’s a bridge that carries plenty of foot traffic as well as the cars that travel up and down the A363, which passes through the town centre.
The swans were no more than eight or ten feet away from anyone who cared to stop and look down on them, as I did. Their undisturbed domesticity spoke volumes for the character of this charming town.
To be honest, I had never heard of Bradford on Avon before taking part in an excursion to Somerset and Wiltshire a couple of weeks ago. Now I was revelling in this wildlife display, which I suspect has been a feature of spring in Bradford for many years. Swans do not nest where they are not welcomed.
The west of England does not loom large on the horizons of most visitors from Ireland. Apart from the obvious attractions of London and the other big cities, most Irish people to whom I have spoken talk of the Cotswolds or of Stratford, birthplace of the Bard.
But three days of leisurely driving between the cities of Wells, Salisbury and Bath revealed a part of England that has much to offer the visitor who seeks scenery, historical interest, the occasional quirk, and interesting old towns.

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