My West Country
I’ve lived in England’s West Country all my life: Born and bred in Bristol, I migrated out of the city to Somerset, and then moved further south into Devon where I’ve lived ever since. I’ve seen many changes over the years, but it’s still essentially the same place it’s always been. It may seem strange for someone like me who has always enjoyed travelling, that I’ve chosen to continue to live in this corner of England, but I’m more than happy to admit that this is where I feel I belong.
During all those years living here, I’ve explored large parts of the West Country, an area which is not easy to define, but for the purposes of these pages, includes the whole of the counties of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, plus parts of Dorset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, but also includes its unofficial capital – the City and County of Bristol.
I can’t profess to have been to every single place worthy of a mention, but I’ve got to know many of the best to visit, when to go, what to see, and even what to avoid. Some are better-known than others, but hopefully, Easymalc’s West Country can guide you in the direction of those that appeal to you the most, and maybe at the same time, introduce you to some unexpected gems that you never knew existed.
Top West Country Stories
Salisbury Cathedral Pt 2 – The New Cathedral
Having explained how the new Cathedral came about in Salisbury Cathedral Pt 1, I’d like to talk a bit more about the building itself. To start with I don’t suppose any building that’s been around for almost 800 years would have been untouched in any way, and of course Salisbury Cathedral is no exception, […]
The Cotehele Garland
The tradition of making a garland for the Tudor Hall at Cotehele House only started in the 1950s, but has since become a firm annual favourite at Christmastime. People come from miles around to see this 18 metre (60 foot) long decoration that starts its life in the Cut Flower Garden at Cotehele. The […]
The Mayflower Connection
Many ships carrying settlers and explorers have left Plymouth’s Sutton Harbour over the years, but The Pilgrim Fathers’ journey on the Mayflower in 1620 resonates with the city more than any other. There’s a Mayflower St, Mayflower College and a Mayflower Centre. Plymouth Argyle, the local football club, has a Mayflower Stand and call themselves […]
Wistman’s Wood
Nowhere conjures up the spooky mood of Dartmoor more than Wistman’s Wood. Legends abound about how this small remote wood of dwarf, stunted oak trees hanging with beards of lichen and moss have attracted ‘Wisht Hounds’ – a “pack of huge black dogs with blood red eyes, huge yellow fangs and an insatiable hunger for […]
Featured West Country Pages
Old Sarum
Old Sarum probably won’t be the first place visitors will come to see on their first visit to Salisbury, but it should be the first place to know about, because without Old Sarum there would be no Salisbury. On a hilltop overlooking the valley where present day Salisbury lies are the remains of Sarum, […]
Golden Cap and Fossil Hunting at Charmouth
How do you drag kids away from their social media lives without annoying them? That’s a question that lots of parents must wrestle with these days, but thankfully it’s one I don’t have to, but if I did, I think that I would take them for a day out to somewhere like Charmouth. As a […]
SS Great Britain
On the 19th July 1843 crowds thronged the slipway at Bristol’s Great Western Dock to watch Prince Albert launch the ‘world’s first great ocean liner’, and on the 19th July 1970, exactly 127 years later, crowds once again lined the banks of the Avon to see the grand old lady brought back home to her […]
Daniel Gumb’s Cave
Cornwall is a land full of tales, myths and folklore – many of which are somewhat economical with the truth, but Daniel Gumb was a real man who became a legend in his own lifetime. Born to a humble family in nearby Linkinhorne in 1703, he worked as a stonecutter up on the moor around […]
West Pentire and the Wildflower Fields
From Newquay Harbour the town has spread inland and along the coastline northwards, but the River Gannel has at least contained the expansion southwards. On the opposite side of the river is the small and attractive village of Crantock, which because of its access to the nearby beach can become busy at peak times, […]
Have you seen the light?
Don’t worry, I’m not going to come knocking on your door with the latest edition of the Watchtower: This article is about the clarity of light that has brought artists to West Cornwall for years. I’m no artist, and before you start to snigger, I mean I can’t paint or draw, which is why I’ve […]