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TOUR
No. 5 BRISTOL ZOO and BATH |
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PASSING through Westbourne
and Parkstone and skirting the broad
expanse of Poole Harbour, our road
traverses wooded Upton Heath and then
descends to the valley of the River
Stour on its way to Wimborne Minster
and Christchurch Priory. Passing on
our left Spettisbury Ring, an early
British entrenchment, we cross the
Stour and see the entrance gates to
Bryanstone Park, once the residence
of Lord Portman.
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A few miles farther
on we enter Blandford, a market town
of considerable architectural interest,
which was largely rebuilt after a
disastrous fire in 1731 had destroyed
all but 40 of its houses. Our road
now wends its way through the well-wooded
hamlet of Stourpaine where the chalk
hills rise on both sides of the road
-- hills that were the scene of much
fighting in the Civil War. Through
Stourpaine and to the left of the
road, Hodd Hill crowned by the remains
of a Roman Camp and some earlier British
earthworks can be seen. Driving on
through the pretty modern village
of Iwerne Minster we reach Compton
Abbas. On our right is Compton Down
and, a little farther on, Melbury
Hill.
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Our journey next brings
us to Shaftesbury, perched on an eminence
over-looking the Vale of Blackmore.
Shaftesbury is reputed to be one of
our oldest towns (some historians
maintaining that it existed in the
days of King Lud, that is about 1000
B.C.). Leaving Shaftesbury, we cross
into Wiltshire, and passing through
the village of Knoyle, travel along
Salisbury Plain, reaching the hamlet
of Longbridge Deverill. Crossing the
River Wylye, we enter Warminster,
whose ancient church has a 15th-century
tower.
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Travelling on into Somerset,
we drive through the villages of Beckington,
Monkton Combe and Combe Down, perched
high on the hills above the City of
Bath. Combe Down is noted for the
purity of its air and is accordingly
visited by many invalids. High on
the hill to our left stands Claverton
Manor House, the scene of a skirmish
in the Civil War which preceded the
Battle of Lansdown. Our road then
descends into Bath itself, through
which we pass on to Keynsham. Leaving
Keynsham we are soon in Gloucestershire,
entering the outskirts of the City
of Bristol.
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It was from Bristol
that in the year 1497 John and Sebastian
Cabot set sail on their voyages of
discovery. Bristol is a busy port
to-day and its docks run to the cery
heart of the city. The crowning glory
of the city so far as ecclesiastical
architecture is concerned is the Church
of St. Mary Radcliffe. The Cabot tower
and that of the University can be
seen on the high ground to the right,
whilst to our left and ahead of uslies
the Avon Gorge, spanned by the Clifton
Suspension Bridge, under which we
pass. This famous bridge, 700 ft.
long, rises 245 ft. above the river
at low water. It was completed in
1864 and its chains actually came
from the old Hungerford Bridge across
the Thames. Leaving Bristol, we climb
to the top of the Downs and reach
the Zoological Gardens, where a stop
is made for lunch, tea and sightseeing.
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On our return journey,
we retrace our way through Bristol
to Keynsham, passing Messrs. J. S.
Fry & Sons' Chocolate Works at
Somerdale, and reach Bath, where time
is allowed for sightseeing. Bath was
first built in Roman times and called,Aqua
Sulis. Many of the palatial baths
erected then have been unearthed in
recent years, and Bath has retained
its popularity as a health resort
to this day.
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Leaving Bath, we pass through Warminster,
and, travelling on through the Vale of Wylye,
have a glimpse of the villages of Codford St.
Mary, Deptford and Serrington, before reaching
the ancient town of Wilton, noted to-day for the
manufacture of fine carpets.
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Keeping the River Nadder
on our right, we drive into Salisbury,
the only city in Britain whose date
of founding can be exactly quoted
-- April 28th, 1220. The crowning
glory of Salisbury is its magnificent
Cathedral, which has the distinction
of being the only one in England begun
and completed in one style of architecture,
namely early English. Passing through
Salisbury, we see the ancient Poultry
Cross in the centre of the City, a
picturesque survival from the Middle
Ages.
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Travelling on through
the villages of Downton and Fordingbridge
to the pretty old market town of Ringwood,
a short run through pleasantly wooded
country brings us back to Bournemouth.
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Other
Attractive Tours Available |
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Tour
No. |
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1 |
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Round the Isle
of Wight |
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(Day Tour) |
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23/6 |
Tour
No. |
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2 |
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Cheddar Gorge and
Wells Cathedral |
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(Day Tour) |
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15/- |
Tour
No. |
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3 |
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Salisbury and Stonehenge |
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(Day Tour) |
|
10/6 |
Tour
No. |
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4 |
|
Exeter and Torquay |
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(Day Tour) |
|
21/- |
Tour
No. |
|
6 |
|
Morris Works at
Oxford |
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(Day Tour) |
|
16/9 |
Tour
No. |
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7 |
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New Forest and
Hythe |
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(With Steamer trip
to Southampton Docks to view liners) |
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10/6 |
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(Steamer Fare) |
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4/- |
Tour
No. |
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8 |
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New Forest, Romsey
and Winchester Cathedral |
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(Day Tour) |
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10/6 |
Tour
No. |
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9 |
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Weymouth and Lulworth
Cove |
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(Day Tour) |
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10/6 |
Tour
No. |
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10 |
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Marlborough and
Savernake Forest |
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(Day Tour) |
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14/- |
Tour
No. |
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11 |
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Beauty Spots of
Bournemouth and Poole |
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(Morning Tour) |
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4/- |
Tour
No. |
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12 |
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Ringwood and Burley |
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(Morning Tour) |
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4/- |
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(Evening Tour) |
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4/- |
Tour
No. |
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13 |
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Wimborne Minster
and Canford |
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(Morning Tour) |
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4/- |
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(Evening Tour) |
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4/- |
Tour
No. |
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14 |
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Lulworth Cove |
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(Afternoon Tour) |
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7/- |
Tour
No. |
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15 |
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Weymouth and Dorchester |
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(Afternoon Tour) |
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7/- |
Tour
No. |
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16 |
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Swanage and Corfe
Castle |
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(Afternoon Tour) |
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7/- |
Tour
No. |
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17 |
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New Forest, Brockenhurst
and Beaulieu Abbey |
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(Afternoon Tour) |
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7/- |
Tour
No. |
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19 |
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New Forest, Rufus
Stone and Lyndhurst |
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(Afternoon Tour) |
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7/- |
Tour
No. |
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20 |
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Shaftesbury |
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(Afternoon Tour) |
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7/- |
Tour
No. |
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21 |
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Longleat House |
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(Day Tour) |
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12/- |
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Ask
for fully illustrated leaflets giving
details of the above tours. Available
from:- |
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HANTS
& DORSET |
MOTOR
SERVICES LIMITED |
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TOURS OFFICE,
THE SQUARE, BOURNEMOUTH |
Phone
: Bournemouth 3444 |
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