Day Six - St Catherines and Iford


4/18/18
We start the day with another lovely breakfast with K+A, then start off in the direction of St Catherine to visit the church of St. Catherine, about a 5 minute drive north west of Batheaston.

The Church of St Catherine is an Anglican parish church in St CatherineSomerset, England. It was built in the 12th century as a chapel of ease of Bath and has been designated as a Grade II listed building.
The manor of St Catherine belonged to Prior Cantlow of Bath Abbey in medieval times.
The church was remodelled by him around 1490, with the tower being added in 1503, and underwent further changes in 1704, 1846 and 1880. The interior includes a 12th-century font and a 15th-century pulpit.
The church stands within the grounds of the 16th century St Catherine's Court, which is Grade I listed.
The parish is part of the benefice of Batheaston with St Catherine within the archdeaconry of Bath.
St Catherine's has been part of the parish since it was annexed in 1258.

View from K+A's front porch

St Catherines Church (circa 1258)






Norman Font - 11th Century


St Catherine Manor House - Formerly a Catholic Priory

Next we stopped by the Fine Cheese Company warehouse, and picked up a platter we had seen the Fine Cheese Cafe location in Bath earlier this week. 



For our main destination of the day, we chose Iford Manor house and gardens, in nearby Iford.

The Iford valley has been occupied since Roman times and the manor house sits idyllically by the Frome river in the steep-sided valley. 

Iford Manor is mediaeval in origin, the classical facade being added in the eighteenth century when the hanging woodlands above the garden were planted.

The Grade 1 Italianate garden at the Manor is famous for its tranquil beauty and was designed by the architect and landscape gardener Harold Ainsworth Peto who lived here from 1899 to 1933. A unique and romantic hillside garden, it is characterised by steps, terraces, sculpture and magnificent rural views.

Before touring the gardens on the manor estate, we enjoyed tea and cakes on the terrace by the Romanesque fountain and were entertained by two gorgeous Himalayan cats, Oscar and Lotti









Cloister building used for operatic concerts










Find Oscar

We had a late lunch at Timbrells gastro pub in Bradford-On-Avon, visited a Saxon (700-900AD) church, and stopped of at the Hatley Farm Shop on our way back home.


Saxon Church in Bradford-On-Avon


Merangue Heaven at Hartleys Farm Market - Emily would love these!