Sham Castle

The rain stopped for a while, so we took the bus to Bath. Darren's request to me was to find something that we had not seen before.

After a quick flick online I decided on Sham Castle. 

It's a Gothic folly built high up on the hillside overlooking Bath. 

Actually it is just a very fancy wall, and was built by a Bath gentleman in 1762 so that he could see it from his own garden, and brighten up his view. 

He didn't really bother with the back so it is just quite flat. 

This side of the castle is next to the driving range of Bath Golf Course and was very busy when we were there, with lots of shots going off in surprising directions. 

That was the highlight of the day, but the journey there and back was pretty nice too. After getting off the bus we walked along the canal by the big locks that quickly raise it above the level of the town. 

This tall gate was particularly nice with all of the ferns growing on it. 

The canal goes through a very posh area called Sydney Gardens and initially the people living there were not keen on a working canal being built through their estate. 

To keep them happy the canal owner agreed to put in beautiful bridges across the water and also disguise a chimney as a lovely pillar. 

In the garden of Sydney Gardens was another folly, although this time it was more classical Greek. 

We walked back into Bath past the Holburne Museum, which is a gorgeous building at the end of Great Pulteney Street.

I have included this photo because it shows a poster for an exhibition that is currently on at the museum. It's Gwen John and that's the names of my mum and dad, so we need to go and see it next time we are in Bath.