Please check out one of these related videos: Why we Love Living in Cheltenham - ruclips.net/video/cayFSSoHrEk/видео.html Flats we ALMOST bought before moving to Cheltenham (“Ones that Got Away”) - ruclips.net/video/ijxlCU1kECQ/видео.html
I was born in Bradford on Avon and now live just a few miles away. Such a beautiful place. There is a great walk along the river and railway to Avoncliff.
Loving your videos as you showcase my home country. Many of the paces You visit I have not been to yet and a big thank you as I love hearing all the important info about these places.
Dara & Ian! You two are rockstars! I just love your team work! Keep doing what you are doing! We love it! Such fascinating information here and I appreciate you putting it all together for us. I now want to visit! Happy Monday beautiful people ❤
Dara, so many things to comment on. Ian, hat off to you for the fabulous drone footage. What a gorgeous town. Indeed a consoderation to live there - provided one can live with the one lane bridge access. I loved how you categorised the areas. Made for pleasant watching. That loooooonnnnnggg boat sure was exactly that. I love driving but like you wouldn’t feel comfrostble ‘driving’ a long boat. Who needs a gym when the roads are so steep😂? I know I come home fitter after our trips than when we left. Not a place I thought to visit - you’ve now made me curious and keen to walk those streets myself. Maybe one! Thanks for this lovely video Dara and Ian. A pearl, truly a pearl. ❤👍🇳🇱🙋🏼♀️🥝
Thank you. I've really been enjoying the new drone I got last Christmas. Just like you, despite all the treats, I seem to come back from a Holiday in better shape than before. Unfortunately, it doesn't last through the holidays.
Awesome tour of Bradford on Avon Dara! You’ve captured the town very nicely. Don’t know if you saw on the news, but Storm Bert hit pretty hard and the River Avon flooded through the town. Hopefully it will recover soon!
I loved the attractive historic architecture, and the shops (great recycling initiative + low prices). The church was beautiful, with some fabulous ancient features. Aw, it was lovely to see the doggies having fun in the pond.
Another great vlog from you! Such detail and interesting facts about a town I've passed through on the train but never visited. Thank you for unpacking its delights so well!
The tithe barn was massive and magnificent. Beautiful walks by the river and canal. Hehe, I would have loved to see you driving a narrow boat and negotiating the locks! 😂
Oh Dara what a beautiful video! We were grateful to visit the beautiful Stratford upon Avon, but hope one day to visit here. I think we need 1 more time, 2 a driver to explore more of the charming towns & villages of the UK. Outstanding video we cannot wait to return. ~Cara 🌺
I'm not sure if you realise this, but Stratford‐upon‐Avon and Bradford‐upon‐Avon are on two completely different River Avons. In fact, England has at least four River Avons! "Avon" comes from a Celtic word meaning "water".
I only learned after publishing this video that Stratford and Bradford are not on the same River Avon! That is so crazy! I hope we can travel with you on your next trip to Britain! After Thanksgiving we need to have a chat by phone and catch up! XX Dara
Love the bells and the organ music of course. Churches are so enjoyable to visit. We visited at least one every day we were in the UK. Our tour driver liced on a narrowboat based in Stratford-on -Avon. Thanks for sharing!
I might like to ride on a narrowboat one day, just to try it out... but I certainly could not live on one! I would be constantly queasy ;-) Yes, I love visiting churches everywhere we go! When you have a chance to visit a church that is well over a thousand years old... how can you say no?! Thanks for watching, Ruth! XX Dara
Thank you for the video. You really open my eyes to the beauty which surrounds us. Despite living in this country my entire life I know so little about such places but you are helping fill in this hole in my knowledge and this is very much appreciated.
What a lovely thing to say! I'm glad that I can share some beautiful gems of Britain with people in the Magenta Otter Tribe who enjoy that type of thing ;-) Cheers for your kind comment! XX Dara
That brings back memories ... first time I went to BoA was by narrow boat on the way to Bath. More recently (in 2021), went there by train to make a video - I remember the Tithe Barn very well.
Looks lovely from the sky! Some cracking aerial shots Ian. BOA is that the common term for it? Some wonderful medieval architecture. Nice to see the shops thriving. The Dandy Lion, great name. Yay we both have shambles going out on the same day! Very bright Church with some interesting memorials and monuments. Nice intact pill box, interesting to see one so far inland. The Tithe Barn looks like the perfect wedding location. Who doesnt love a canal walk? Especially with so many places for refreshments! Newtown 1600s? Gosh. Did not know that Tory means hill, thanks for that! Stunning views. Fantastic historic detail Dara especially re the Mills. Yes we have so many Mills converted into apartments in these parts too. Looks a lovely place to live, maybe up the Tory away from the river (just thinking about buildings and contents insurance)! 👍
Speaking of buildings and insurance did you notice the large burned out house at the beginning of the drone footage? Evidently that happened just a few days before we got there.
Yes, Ian got some lovely shots of Bradford on Avon with the new drone! Apparently some locals call it BOA... but I have DEEPLY upset some other people by using that shorthand. Trust me, I have been severely scolded!!! I fancy a mill apartment. They have lovely water views! Thanks for watching, my friends! XX Dara
I'M an Ex Londoner living in Wales. Thank you for your wonderful video's. You have both inspired our family to visit the Cotswolds. This year we went to Cirencester and Wotton under Edge and loved it.
Oh, I'm so happy to hear that! It's always nice to hear that people are inspired by our travels. The Cotswolds is not that big a place but I still have so much more of it to discover! Are you in North or South Wales? We visited both last summer and I need to get around to editing some videos of those travels!! Thanks for your comment. XX Dara
We have had a bad storm in the UK and Bradford on Avon seems to have suffered some flooding. I hope they can get back to normal soon your video makes it look a beautiful place
As an American I naturally say train station. But Boppy, one of my most loyal subscribers, is obsessed with trains and has badgered me into saying railway station 🤣
I love Bradford on Avon. I've eaten a few breakfasts at the Lock Inn, cycled up those steep streets. The rather specialised Moulton Cycles are manufactured in the town (one of their models sells for around £22,000, although they aren't all so inaccessible). It's got pretty well anything anybody can need. A river, canal, railway, lots of places to eat, lovely architecture, history and so on. Bath is easily accessible too, and there are some lovely villages if you know where to look. There are a couple of wonderful aqueducts to be found a modest walk down the canal towpath towards Bath. Those are the Avoncliff and Dundas Aqueducts designed by the canal's engineer, John Rennie. They carry the canal across the river Avon from one side to the other of the narrow valley. nb. I've never heard Bradford on Avon referred to as BoA. Is this a recent trend. I hate it, as it sounds like the initials of a airline, not a historic town.
That is a pricey bicycle!! I admire you for having the strength and energy to cycle those steep hills! I would love to discover some more of the nearby villages... on foot perhaps ;-)
@@MagentaOtterTravels I'm not sure I could manage it these days. Time for an electric bicycle I think. As for that expensive Moulton, there is a video on RUclips of Peter Gabriel (who lives nearby) riding that very model of bicycle around a circular stage whilst singing Solsbury Hill (which is a hill overlooking Bath). The Bradford on Avon Museum website has a map of the local parishes, along with a brief summary and a picture or two. Collectively the villages and hamlets are called the Bradford Hundred. Note, that's not hundred as in the number, but an old Anglo-Saxon English term for a local administrative unit that was used for judicial, military, and tax purposes. It used to be the case when an MP wished to resign, they applied for the post of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham. That custom appeared in the 17th century when it was deemed that MPs could not resign, even if elected against their will. However, it was also deemed it was incompatible for an MP to receive payment from the crown, and thus if they applied for such a post, then they would be expelled from the House of Commons. I think the rule still applies.
Great video of dear Bradford. In the Parish church I smiled when you spoke about various tombs and burial plates and the names thereon. The word "Gent." is not a name, you are to be forgiven for thinking it is but it is simply an often used shortening of the word "Gentleman". On tombs and plaques words and particularly suffixes were shortened. My 3rd gt grandfather was the son of a wealthy Silk mercer in London his shop being in Bond Street and his name, upon his death, was noted as George Compigné Gent. The Anglo-Saxon Church of St. Laurence is certainly over a thousand years old and well may be more than 13 hundred years old. The original building was built as a chapel dedicated by St Aldhelm to St Laurence in the early 8th century. It was rediscovered by the then vicar in 1856 it being in use as a school. There have been suggestions, by Jackson and Fletcher, that the original building stood to the height of the first stringcourse and that the ‘upper’ part of the walls (containing the blind arcading) was a later addition. I have listed it in my A-Saxon church website; there are as many as 400 plus churches in England that have A-Saxon features remaining in their fabric and some 15 or so churches are substantially as built with much later alterations. I have discovered A-Saxon work in several churches which had not been previously discovered. Norwich cathedral has a wall being one side of the square cloister and with circular Anglo-Saxon windows in it. So much pre Conquest work still remains in England and Bradford on Avon has a rare and beautiful survivor to its credit. Thank you "MagentaOtterTravels" for a fascinating video of a wander around the wee town of BOA which I know so well and love.
I didn't realise that there is so much surviving Anglo-Saxon and even Roman (as I learned from your website) fabric left in English churches. It was good to read about your experience with Sir John Betjeman. He is truly a hero to anyone who cares about British architecture and history. Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge with us
@@ians3586 Gosh, thats quick Ian; glad you found my A-Saxon church website of interest. Yes, dear old John, wish I still had those letters he wrote to me but sadly I lost much in a burglary decades ago. Sir John incidentally was a cousin of my wife's family but although we never had the opportunity to meet up we often dropped in on a super lady who was cousin to both John and my wife, she and her husband lived in the Cotswolds in a great stone built medieval house and would always put on the kettle and produce homemade cakes when we dropped in, a very dear soul. Your lovely video rekindled happy memories tho my friends in Bradford-o-Avon are now all gone but I must go again next year and have a wander around including St. Laurences church and find a wee tea room for a tea and a bun. Thank you so much, all best wishes, Frank. PS. I always follow you both in your adventures.
I love the story of that Saxon church and the fact that it is probably from around 700 AD but it was "re-discovered"! I am amazed at your knowledge of Anglo-Saxon churches. Ian showed me your website and that is amazing! What a noble work you have done with all that research!! My favourite church near us that was an Anglo Saxon building which was forgotten and later rediscovered is Odda's Chapel in Gloucestershire. Ian says it is on your site. It's a tiny little forgotten place that is fun to visit because there is never anyone there. But such a historic gem not far from where we live ;-) Cheers for your support of my channel and your lovely comments! XX Dara
@@MagentaOtterTravels Hello Dara, very good to have your reply and thanks for your interest. I first visited Deerhurst church and Oddas chapel in around 1960 with my parents. It was a damp overcast day and we met a very elderly lady wearing a long heavy black coat down to her ankles, she was outside the church door, by the name of Miss Margaret. She knew everything about the church, far more than you'd find in a Guide book! Before we left she pointed us in the direction of Odda's Chapel just that short walk away. Oddas chapel at some point in the later medieval period had fallen out of use and served as a house. The inscribed stone belonging to the chapel was found back in the 19th century and the inscription mentioned the date of it being built and consecrated, 1050 or 55 (but its in my website). In those days the year & month was described as being in the ninth year of the reign of Augustus, in the second day of the third quarter of the moon, etc. The wonderful richly decorated Anglo-Saxon font in St. Marys church had been dumped in a farmyard and was serving as a trough for water for the cattle, that was some 180 years ago. and it now stands proudly in the church where it belongs. I'd started studying medieval churches at the age of seven or eight, about the same age as I started digging up my fathers veg garden because I'd read one of Prof. Mortimer Wheeler's books on archaeology! I was an amateur archaeologist or the strength with our local Museum for some 20 years. Now I'm an armchair archaeologist but I do get out and about to sites within 70miles and take an interest with whats happening currently. Stonehenge is barely 5 miles distant and Avebury is only an hours drive. I have my own "slant" on Avebury and have a 12 page leaflet which takes the henge back to 8,000 BC before stone henges were even thought of let alone built and timber posts some 30 feet high, or more, were erected as is evidenced at both henges by excavation. Originally they were set in lines (rather as found on Dartmoor and Exmoor). At Avebury a 6 thousand plus year old rectangular dwelling (or hut) with a stone flagged floor has been identified, it is one of several in the south. I enjoy unpicking sequencies of building and henges are no exception. My Avebury leaflet is available in pdf form if in an idle moment you might wish to have sight of a copy? In fact anyone stumbling upon this text, just email me at - frank.church800@yahoo.co.uk I am a great believer in "information is for sharing". Thanks again Dara and especially for wading though this lengthy epistle! xx Take care, Frank
Hi Dara and Ian, hope you are both well. Half my family are from Bath. Such a beautiful place with many steep hills and great scenery. My uncle used to live in Bradford on Avon, don't know if he still does not been in touch with that side of my family since my mum died. You live in a lovely part of the world in The Cotswolds. Love the architecture there with all the limestone built buildings :D
This is a great place to claim as your ancestral home, certainly a step up from where half my family originated in Handsworth, Birmingham and environs. The combination of beautiful stone architecture and picturesque hills really is unbeatable.
I think we shall stay in lovely Cheltenham for now. But it's fun to window shop occasionally ;-) I also filmed a couple videos in Bath which I still need to edit and publish... thanks for the reminder, MP! XX Dara
Great video, excellent drone footage. Never been, only 90 mins drive from us. looks lovely, i get the need for abbreviation ….BoA…too much of a mouthful otherwise to say Bradford upon Avon more than once or twice
Thanks for watching, David! I hope you check out the town sometime. It has a lot to see and do! When I had to say Bradford-on-Avon a couple times in the same sentence, it was a bit much! But apparently it causes some folks to get their knickers in a twist. Oh well. Can't please everyone! ;-)
Any of these towns would be fantastic. Stay in Cheltenham and spend a few night elsewhere when you want. I wish I could do what you are doing. The only switch is that I would spend summers in Chicago and the rest of the year in the UK. There is something magical about those misty fall/winter/spring nights in the UK.
Do you currently live in the Chicago area? I went to high school with Rakows who owned a furniture store in East Dundee ;-) Thanks for your comment! Dara
@@theresabigwideworld2632 Bradford near Leeds is very well known...but quite different! If you go visit Bath, I recommend a detour to Bradford on Avon 👍
Another great vlog Dara, I hope you are back over by early May as we are down south for a family wedding and might bump into you at church Not for somewhere to live but to explore, Pembrokeshire is beautiful with some of the best beaches Also, if you were heading back to Scotland, we'd be honoured to show you some truly unique things up here, including the Gala day, which is a celebration of children aged 11/12 leaving primary school for high school
We fly back to England 5 May! Hope to see you then! Please come say hello ;-) We love Pembrokeshire. I'm hoping to go back because I have so much more that I want to explore there. What area of Scotland do you call home? We will definitely be heading back one of these days... I need my friends Tracy & Brett GLASGOW to see the city they are named after! XX Dara
@MagentaOtterTravels we will be in Pembrokeshire just before you arrive back We are in Edinburgh, my fiance has lived either here or in Loanhead, just outside the city all her life We'll have to check our plans for the journey home after the wedding and see if we can include Cheltenham along the way
Dara, You produce the most beautiful vlogs. BoA is a lovely place to visit. I think the Slaughters are my favourite places, not quite so crowded. Keep up the good work. May 2025 in England will be so much better when Ian & yourself return and continue your adventures! i
Thank you Ian. We agree that the Slaughters are lovely and one of our favourite places to take visitors. We're looking forward to being back there again!
The traffic on BOA is horrendous, as it is on a route to bypass Bath going north to south & vv. Lovely place to visit, but not somewhere I'd live. Nearby Shaftesbury, OTOH...
Ifv you're feeling energetic it's a great walk to Bath along the canal (about 9 miles), there are refreshments available at various places along the route so makes a good day out. BOA itself is a nice place but the traffic around the narrow streets in the town centre can get gridlocked when busy, especially in the summer.
That's a great suggestion that we will have to try out. We are finding that there are many lovely and interesting places to explore in the area. Dara's next video (out next Friday) is about a couple of places we enjoyed visiting nearby - Iford Manor Gardens and Corsham Court.
Oh no... now that Ian read about this lovely hike, he might make me go on it! Nine miles sounds a bit long... But seriously, thanks for the suggestion! I'm sure it's beautiful.
@@MagentaOtterTravels The Bath to BOA bus service stops at Dundas Canal Centre and Claverton, both by access to the canal and around the mid-point of the walk so it's possible to do it in two sections rather than all in one go. Also if you make it as far as the George Inn at Bathamton (about one hour from Bath centre) you can stop there and book an Uber if you've had enough. In practice if you stop at the cafe at Dundas Canal Centre and the George the walk isn't that difficult. Better to go midweek when there aren't so many cyclists.
Dara: I suspect "William Tasker Gent" is actually "William Tasker -Gentleman", this presumably being his rank in life. I imagine that the fact that he was prepared to be a humble churchwarden despite being born to the gentry was thought worth commemorating.
Good video Dara...Yes it's very picturesque BUT it has become popular as a commuter town for Bristol, Bath and even London....So traffic is a problem...Also parking looks "challenging "😊😊😊😊😊😊!!
You are right. I'd hate to have to deal with the traffic problems caused by a couple of bottlenecks on the main road through the town. Parking seems pretty good for short-stay visitors at the station but for people who are there for extended periods it does look challenging.
Railway station, fish in the river, greengrocer, veggie sausage rolls, window shopping. Everything was going so well until Ian decided to walk up the mountain. Rosemary Walk Footpath is a pretty name. 7:05 That wasn't you ringing the bell was it Dara? 11:30 Remember that our trains drive on the left too. Pill-box because the first ones were shaped like round pills. Mildly amusing fact. There are more narrow boats in use now than there were at the height of commercial canal traffic. If you did decide to take a narrow boat trip the first thing the instructor would say is that you steer them, not drive them. 😁 I wonder if they'll put a plaque on me when I'm gone? Here lieth Boppy. 'I told you I was ill'. Walking up hills never made me fit. They just made me tired. Take Ian's batteries out and put them in the other way round, then it will be downhill walking all the way. The roof of the hermitage looks like there should be a stained glass window and more building behind it. Weirs = Scary 😲😲😲 20:03. I think the sign means 'Beware - Elderly lady pickpockets operating in this area'. The town looked very nice. I'll bet the houses are a nice price too! (Does nice price translate into American? It's the opposite of cheap.) Avoid buying a house on the same level as a river.
@@Poliss95 what a very entertaining comment, Boppy! If I were ringing the bells, they wouldn't sound nearly that lovely! You know I'm a rubbish bell ringer. I thought of you when I was doing the narration about Ian climbing up the steep hills! He has way too much energy!😖 Why are you scared of weirs? You just need to stay a good distance away from them ...
@@MagentaOtterTravels Funnily enough there was a weir in the Doctor Who I was watching last night. Marlow Weir which is much scarier than your one. The villain gets pushed over the side and hangs on with his fingertips as the torrent rages beneath him. 😲
We've never heard of it, it looks pretty though. Actually lie!!! We drive through it on the way home from Dorest and said what a pretty place it was and wednlikentoncomenback and visit. There is some stunning architecture. It definitely looks like a place you'd like to live. Well you've made us want to come back and visit! It seems to have everything. I thought you going to move..... but it's not to be!!! Cheers 🍻
@@PostcardAndAPint it is definitely a place worth visiting on your next journey through that area! I think we will be staying put in Cheltenham for a while. We have to stay there long enough for you to come see it! Lol
Hiya Dara, on Gary Eats RUclips channel, in his latest vlog Gary is at an Indian restaurant in Glasgow, have a listen to what Gary says 4 minutes 11 seconds into the vlog, this is Choppy
The traffic is a big issue in BoA, as is the flooding down at the river level. If you are happy with Cheltenham area, I would suggest stay there but you can always visit BoA whenever you like.
@@MagentaOtterTravels yes, we are near neighbours ! I plan to get up to Cheltenham this summer, and we've also been exploring a little more of South East Wales around Chepstow and the Wye Valley. Lots of beautiful places to visit.
I thought Bradford-on-Avon had to be near Stratford-upon-Avon. And they're not even the same Avon river. Who knew? We have a Stratford here in Victoria. Guess why? Because it is also on an Avon river. They actually have a Shakespeare festival there. But Bradford does look quite lovely. Quaint even. It would be nice to visit but you'd probably get sick of all the touros and traffic. But is there a quaint little town in England that would be different? Michelle always tells me to engage my glutes when walking up hill. That just makes me cranky because I think I'm using every muscle I thought I had. It is part of walking after all. 😂 My knees need more glutes or whatever other muscle I can scrounge up. That is the most painful part. Especially on the ears. Sounds like someone scrunching up cellophane when I'm going down stairs. 😁 I've mentioned Ian's drone work before, sensational as always, but your video work is just getting better and better. Great framing, moving or still. I love your shot selection and timing - especially with the excellently scripted and spontaneous voiceover.
I just saw Dara's video for next week and I think it's even better. I agree with you, she's getting very good at editing after several years of practice. I'm with you on the knees. Even though I do like climbing hills, my knees don't make particularly pleasant sounds and downhill can be problematic for me. Good to hear that you have a Shakespeare festival there on your local Avon river. Based on the videos I've seen of Australia, you have some lovely places there with great Victorian architecture. I'm looking forward to eventually visiting. Bradford-on-Avon isn't actually as touristic as the typical Cotswold town but the traffic really is problematic.
OK, that comment that Michelle makes to you really made me smile! haha I have the same problem with noisy knees. It's not a pleasant sound!! I had no idea that Bradford and Stratford were not on the same River Avon!!! I had to look up a map and trace it, because I didn't believe you! Wow, an Aussie taught me something about English geography today ;-) That's fun that there is a Shakespeare Festival in the Stratford in Oz. We have similar festivals in Utah and Oregon... but I don't think either place has a Avon River, so yours is more legit! Thanks for the wonderful compliments, Shane! Next week's video of Wiltshire Wonders is going to be a pretty one!
@@ians3586 Tasmania is very good for Georgian too as well as the plethora of Victorian stuff around the country. Unfortunately the distances are a little further than between English villages. 😂
Hi Dara, that is a great looking place. You gave the size of the tithe barn in metres 😮, I'm English and only do measurements in feet and inches, non of this European metric nonsense 😂. Joking aside, this is yet another fantastic video with great filming, editing and is very informative and entertaining 😊
@@michaelblake8498 of course you know I think of things in feet and inches, but I was just relaying the information on the sign of the Tithe barn. I guess they were trying to be all EU at the time they wrote it and gave the measurement in metres! Lol
Hello again! .... I should have watched the whole video before my last comment about the name 'Gent' .... you mention your favourite monument to Anne Yewe, wife of 'Gyfford Long Gent'. I'm pretty certain, on reflection, that 'Gent' is not part of the name, but rather an abbreviated reference to the deceased's status .... "Gentleman", which was a more specific and important reference to a person's position in society back then and not just a suggestion that he was a well-mannered sort of chap.
Hiya! That lovely song is by Cody High and is called Drops of Rain. Here's the link to it in RUclips, but I get all my music from Epidemic Sound - ruclips.net/video/c0O-5GXH4b8/видео.html
Yes, you should have gone into all that before you married him. When he proposed, your reply should have been - "first, I need to know how many English hills I'm going to have to walk up!!!".
Haha, fortunately I distracted her from anything like that by saying that I owned an English cottage while failing to mention that it was a wreck with and outdoor loo.
Dara!! I used to live in Bath and never heard the term B.O.A. I don't know if that's been adopted since I left but it's a horrible acronym. It cheapens the name of the lovely Somerset town. Please desist. X
It's commonly used in the town. See the notice board for events and signs on shops. It's also on the official website for the town. Towns that have long names often are shortened in some way. No one objects to using Stratford or LA for those places. I think she did a good job of using the full name Bradford-on-Avon frequently enough in the video to avoid confusion.
Best place to live in the UK? Leverstocke Greene (well that's how it was spelt 300 years ago)😅 Old pub called The Leather Bottle is my local in the village
@@MagentaOtterTravels I watched it on the news tonight … the river Avon burst its banks and flooded the streets … there were other villages and towns that have been flooded … the weather has been atrocious. We’ve been very fortunate where we live as we haven’t experienced any of the extreme weather except for some high winds but even that didn’t last very long …. I feel for those people living in those villages and towns whose homes and businesses have been destroyed by the floods …. I hope all is well with you and yours … 🇬🇧❤️🇺🇸👍🦊
It's lovely, but the traffic ruins the centre. It's terrible. Also too small for me. It's easy to get to from Bath (which I do heartily recommend) so we go for the day.
Why BoA ? Firstly it’s Upon Avon not on. Secondly why not just Bradford exactly like we call Stratford (upon Avon) - far too many acronyms about these days. Finally , nice video of a lovely town.
@ when you’ve introduced the town as Bradford upon Avon it’s not hard to work out that they don’t mean the Yorkshire one. There are a lot of Stratfords in the UK perhaps you’re just looking to argue?
BOA is used by the official tourist site for Bradford-on-Avon and also many local businesses. That being said, I do agree that perhaps too many acronyms are used. Bradford-on-Avon and Bradford-upon-Avon are both legitimate names for the town.
@@martynadams2011 there's a very popular Bradford up north. Didn't want to create confusion. If me conserving syllables upset you, then you have my apologies.
Hello. Some lovely camera work and an enjoyable video .... although 'SEAweed', in a freshwater river? .... it's just weed ;-) I just wanted to flag something with you about the lovely monument you showed in the church. I might be wrong, but I think the name you highlighted .... "William Tasker Gent" .... should actually be read as .... William Tasker, 'gentleman' .... in the past the term "Gentleman" (often abbreviated to 'gent' on tombstones, legal documents, etc.) was a designation afforded to people of property (e.g. landowners, and people of local elevated status), but falling short of higher ranking such as the 'gentry' (not to be confused with 'gent' but, e.g. a knight - 'sir') or 'aristocracy' (an 'earl', 'marquise or duke, for example). It would have been important in the 17th Century to make clear to his memory, his status as someone of 'substance' in that part of the world. I think there are numerous records going back centuries of a 'Tasker' family in the Bradford on Avon area, but am not aware of any Tasker-Gents .... but I could be wrong.
You are correct. Others have also pointed out that the "Gent" is gentleman. That's the great thing about doing these videos, we learn things from the viewers.
If I just say "weed" around here, it is meant to be marijuana ;-) haha Yes, I have learnt from publishing this video that Gent is Gentleman! Every day's a school day! I will know better when I read monuments in the future. Cheers! Dara
Go completely mad, move to Bakewell. Be in the heart of the Peak District, and have Haddon Hall and Chatsworth virtually on your doorstep - plus all the Bakewell Pudding/Tart you can eat.
Hiya Dara, when I read you were going to Bradford, I thought you meant the city in South Yorkshire, because you've been to Yorkshire in your latest vlogs, how silly of me, this is Choppy
Haha, yes that's why I had to say "on Avon" so people didn't get confused. When I abbreviated I didn't want to say just Bradford because people would think of the one up North... so I said BOA and everyone got their knickers in a twist. Just can't please everyone!
The official tourist site for Bradford-on-Avon uses the moniker BOA. Some locals also refer to it as such so I don't think it's a cardinal sin to use that acronym.
@@ians3586 Acronyms can be confusing for example BoA could mean the Bank of America, of be the name of a snake , depending on how it's written. Language is used to communicate, unless you say what you mean you could be misunderstood
Whoever it was in the Tourist Board office who decided to call it BOA sounds to me like a on-trend recent graduate. I doubt most of the inhabitants over the last few hundred years who gave the place its character would have been familiar with it. Disneyland comes to Wiltshire? Personally I find the term fairly loathsome.
@@MagentaOtterTravels I like peace and quiet so would pick iether Wenslydale near the Masham area as can be very pritty, especially in winter, or the are of Dunfries and Galloway as very pritty and peacefull. but that me. If you look for city life Then same areas you have to small but well catered for towns Ripon with its cathedral and Dunfries town which has about all you need and both have decent access too the rest of the country, but as I said that is my pick you might not want such tranquility.
@@robertlee6479 Wensleydale is quite gorgeous! I enjoyed visiting Ripon, but we were in a bit of a hurry so I didn't get to see the cathedral. Who would love to do that next time! I do love peace and tranquility, but I also like having a bit of convenience... access to shopping and good restaurants. I would probably like to live in a small town with beautiful countryside nearby, but also access to a bigger town or city. Thanks for your comment!
@@MagentaOtterTravels With Ripon you have both Harrogate and the city of Leeds on your doorstep not 30 mins away in the car and Dunfries you have the city of Carlisle the next stop on the train so both worlds at your finger tips.
Please check out one of these related videos:
Why we Love Living in Cheltenham - ruclips.net/video/cayFSSoHrEk/видео.html
Flats we ALMOST bought before moving to Cheltenham (“Ones that Got Away”) - ruclips.net/video/ijxlCU1kECQ/видео.html
I was born in Bradford on Avon and now live just a few miles away. Such a beautiful place. There is a great walk along the river and railway to Avoncliff.
You are in an enviable position to call such a beautiful place Home.
We really need to do that walk next time! Cheers for watching and taking the time to leave your comment. XX Dara
Wow, those views from the cottages on the hill were fabulous! Wonderful drone footage too, Ian 👏👏
Thanks much!
Loving your videos as you showcase my home country. Many of the paces You visit I have not been to yet and a big thank you as I love hearing all the important info about these places.
If you are in the Bath area, I would put Bradford-on-Avon on your list to visit! Such a pretty town with amazing history.
A very impressive overview of Bradford on Avon. Informative with first class visuals.
@@mikesaunders4775 thanks so much for watching and leaving such a lovely comment. That place is brilliant! 🙌
Dara & Ian! You two are rockstars! I just love your team work! Keep doing what you are doing! We love it! Such fascinating information here and I appreciate you putting it all together for us. I now want to visit! Happy Monday beautiful people ❤
Thank you so much! You are too kind.🩷
Dara, so many things to comment on. Ian, hat off to you for the fabulous drone footage. What a gorgeous town. Indeed a consoderation to live there - provided one can live with the one lane bridge access. I loved how you categorised the areas. Made for pleasant watching. That loooooonnnnnggg boat sure was exactly that. I love driving but like you wouldn’t feel comfrostble ‘driving’ a long boat. Who needs a gym when the roads are so steep😂? I know I come home fitter after our trips than when we left. Not a place I thought to visit - you’ve now made me curious and keen to walk those streets myself. Maybe one! Thanks for this lovely video Dara and Ian. A pearl, truly a pearl. ❤👍🇳🇱🙋🏼♀️🥝
Thank you. I've really been enjoying the new drone I got last Christmas. Just like you, despite all the treats, I seem to come back from a Holiday in better shape than before. Unfortunately, it doesn't last through the holidays.
@@ians3586 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I so know what you mean Ian.
Yes, it is a lovely place to visit. If you venture to Bath, I would work Bradford on Avon onto your trip plan as well!
Oh yes. BOA is just so pretty. So much history. And Quintessential Englishness.
👌🏻
I agree! I loved all the history there.
Awesome tour of Bradford on Avon Dara! You’ve captured the town very nicely. Don’t know if you saw on the news, but Storm Bert hit pretty hard and the River Avon flooded through the town. Hopefully it will recover soon!
@@HipOverFifty yes, I heard about the flood damage! So awful. I hope those affected can restore things quickly!
I loved the attractive historic architecture, and the shops (great recycling initiative + low prices). The church was beautiful, with some fabulous ancient features. Aw, it was lovely to see the doggies having fun in the pond.
I think Layla and Lily would love a visit to Bradford on Avon!
Another great vlog from you! Such detail and interesting facts about a town I've passed through on the train but never visited. Thank you for unpacking its delights so well!
@@RichardWells1 thanks so much for watching! You just might have to hop off the train next time and have a wee look around 😉
@@MagentaOtterTravels 👍 Certainly will...after your vlog!
The tithe barn was massive and magnificent. Beautiful walks by the river and canal. Hehe, I would have loved to see you driving a narrow boat and negotiating the locks! 😂
I would be hopeless at the helm of a narrowboat! haha
Gotta love a church over 1,000 years old!
Fabulous intro - Bradford on Avon looks idyllic. Immediately I'd say "yes" to moving there!👍😂
There are definitely worse places to live!!
Most enjoyable vid Dara. Better than a lot of what's shown on tv imo.
That is so kind of you to say! Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment. Cheers! Dara
Oh Dara what a beautiful video! We were grateful to visit the beautiful Stratford upon Avon, but hope one day to visit here. I think we need 1 more time, 2 a driver to explore more of the charming towns & villages of the UK. Outstanding video we cannot wait to return. ~Cara 🌺
I'm not sure if you realise this, but Stratford‐upon‐Avon and Bradford‐upon‐Avon are on two completely different River Avons. In fact, England has at least four River Avons! "Avon" comes from a Celtic word meaning "water".
@ thank you we weren’t aware. We did know Bradford is south of Stratford. ~Cara
I only learned after publishing this video that Stratford and Bradford are not on the same River Avon! That is so crazy!
I hope we can travel with you on your next trip to Britain! After Thanksgiving we need to have a chat by phone and catch up! XX Dara
@ 💖💖 Absolutely we have a full house starting this evening it’s going to be a wonderful Thanksgiving. The best to you & Ian!
Martha and I visited on a day trip from Bath! We loved it so much we often talk about going back again!
Yes, it is a captivating place! Wait till next Friday... we show you places nearby that you need to see when you go back ;-)
@ ooooh can’t wait!
Love the bells and the organ music of course. Churches are so enjoyable to visit. We visited at least one every day we were in the UK. Our tour driver liced on a narrowboat based in Stratford-on -Avon. Thanks for sharing!
I might like to ride on a narrowboat one day, just to try it out... but I certainly could not live on one! I would be constantly queasy ;-)
Yes, I love visiting churches everywhere we go! When you have a chance to visit a church that is well over a thousand years old... how can you say no?! Thanks for watching, Ruth! XX Dara
Thank you for the video. You really open my eyes to the beauty which surrounds us. Despite living in this country my entire life I know so little about such places but you are helping fill in this hole in my knowledge and this is very much appreciated.
What a lovely thing to say! I'm glad that I can share some beautiful gems of Britain with people in the Magenta Otter Tribe who enjoy that type of thing ;-) Cheers for your kind comment! XX Dara
That brings back memories ... first time I went to BoA was by narrow boat on the way to Bath. More recently (in 2021), went there by train to make a video - I remember the Tithe Barn very well.
How fun that you went there on a narrow boat!!
Looks lovely from the sky! Some cracking aerial shots Ian. BOA is that the common term for it? Some wonderful medieval architecture. Nice to see the shops thriving. The Dandy Lion, great name. Yay we both have shambles going out on the same day! Very bright Church with some interesting memorials and monuments. Nice intact pill box, interesting to see one so far inland. The Tithe Barn looks like the perfect wedding location. Who doesnt love a canal walk? Especially with so many places for refreshments! Newtown 1600s? Gosh. Did not know that Tory means hill, thanks for that! Stunning views. Fantastic historic detail Dara especially re the Mills. Yes we have so many Mills converted into apartments in these parts too. Looks a lovely place to live, maybe up the Tory away from the river (just thinking about buildings and contents insurance)! 👍
Speaking of buildings and insurance did you notice the large burned out house at the beginning of the drone footage? Evidently that happened just a few days before we got there.
Yes, Ian got some lovely shots of Bradford on Avon with the new drone! Apparently some locals call it BOA... but I have DEEPLY upset some other people by using that shorthand. Trust me, I have been severely scolded!!!
I fancy a mill apartment. They have lovely water views! Thanks for watching, my friends! XX Dara
Ian is the "Energizer Bunny"!! 🤣🤣
Yes, I can't keep up!!
I'M an Ex Londoner living in Wales. Thank you for your wonderful video's. You have both inspired our family to visit the Cotswolds. This year we went to Cirencester and Wotton under Edge and loved it.
Oh, I'm so happy to hear that! It's always nice to hear that people are inspired by our travels. The Cotswolds is not that big a place but I still have so much more of it to discover! Are you in North or South Wales? We visited both last summer and I need to get around to editing some videos of those travels!! Thanks for your comment. XX Dara
@@MagentaOtterTravels I am on the Gower peninsular in South Wales. x
We have had a bad storm in the UK and Bradford on Avon seems to have suffered some flooding. I hope they can get back to normal soon your video makes it look a beautiful place
I just heard about that. So sad! I hope the damages are not too extensive... I feel bad for everyone whose homes/businesses are affected.
Glad you say ''Railway Station''!
As an American I naturally say train station. But Boppy, one of my most loyal subscribers, is obsessed with trains and has badgered me into saying railway station 🤣
I love Bradford on Avon. I've eaten a few breakfasts at the Lock Inn, cycled up those steep streets. The rather specialised Moulton Cycles are manufactured in the town (one of their models sells for around £22,000, although they aren't all so inaccessible). It's got pretty well anything anybody can need. A river, canal, railway, lots of places to eat, lovely architecture, history and so on. Bath is easily accessible too, and there are some lovely villages if you know where to look.
There are a couple of wonderful aqueducts to be found a modest walk down the canal towpath towards Bath. Those are the Avoncliff and Dundas Aqueducts designed by the canal's engineer, John Rennie. They carry the canal across the river Avon from one side to the other of the narrow valley.
nb. I've never heard Bradford on Avon referred to as BoA. Is this a recent trend. I hate it, as it sounds like the initials of a airline, not a historic town.
That is a pricey bicycle!! I admire you for having the strength and energy to cycle those steep hills! I would love to discover some more of the nearby villages... on foot perhaps ;-)
@@MagentaOtterTravels I'm not sure I could manage it these days. Time for an electric bicycle I think. As for that expensive Moulton, there is a video on RUclips of Peter Gabriel (who lives nearby) riding that very model of bicycle around a circular stage whilst singing Solsbury Hill (which is a hill overlooking Bath).
The Bradford on Avon Museum website has a map of the local parishes, along with a brief summary and a picture or two. Collectively the villages and hamlets are called the Bradford Hundred.
Note, that's not hundred as in the number, but an old Anglo-Saxon English term for a local administrative unit that was used for judicial, military, and tax purposes. It used to be the case when an MP wished to resign, they applied for the post of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham. That custom appeared in the 17th century when it was deemed that MPs could not resign, even if elected against their will. However, it was also deemed it was incompatible for an MP to receive payment from the crown, and thus if they applied for such a post, then they would be expelled from the House of Commons. I think the rule still applies.
Great video of dear Bradford. In the Parish church I smiled when you spoke about various tombs and burial plates and the names thereon. The word "Gent." is not a name, you are to be forgiven for thinking it is but it is simply an often used shortening of the word "Gentleman". On tombs and plaques words and particularly suffixes were shortened. My 3rd gt grandfather was the son of a wealthy Silk mercer in London his shop being in Bond Street and his name, upon his death, was noted as George Compigné Gent.
The Anglo-Saxon Church of St. Laurence is certainly over a thousand years old and well may be more than 13 hundred years old. The original building was built as a chapel dedicated by St Aldhelm to St Laurence in the early 8th century. It was rediscovered by the then vicar in 1856 it being in use as a school. There have been suggestions, by Jackson and Fletcher, that the original building stood to the height of the first stringcourse and that the ‘upper’ part of the walls (containing the blind arcading) was a later addition. I have listed it in my A-Saxon church website; there are as many as 400 plus churches in England that have A-Saxon features remaining in their fabric and some 15 or so churches are substantially as built with much later alterations. I have discovered A-Saxon work in several churches which had not been previously discovered. Norwich cathedral has a wall being one side of the square cloister and with circular Anglo-Saxon windows in it. So much pre Conquest work still remains in England and Bradford on Avon has a rare and beautiful survivor to its credit. Thank you "MagentaOtterTravels" for a fascinating video of a wander around the wee town of BOA which I know so well and love.
I didn't realise that there is so much surviving Anglo-Saxon and even Roman (as I learned from your website) fabric left in English churches. It was good to read about your experience with Sir John Betjeman. He is truly a hero to anyone who cares about British architecture and history. Thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge with us
@@ians3586 Gosh, thats quick Ian; glad you found my A-Saxon church website of interest. Yes, dear old John, wish I still had those letters he wrote to me but sadly I lost much in a burglary decades ago. Sir John incidentally was a cousin of my wife's family but although we never had the opportunity to meet up we often dropped in on a super lady who was cousin to both John and my wife, she and her husband lived in the Cotswolds in a great stone built medieval house and would always put on the kettle and produce homemade cakes when we dropped in, a very dear soul. Your lovely video rekindled happy memories tho my friends in Bradford-o-Avon are now all gone but I must go again next year and have a wander around including St. Laurences church and find a wee tea room for a tea and a bun. Thank you so much, all best wishes, Frank. PS. I always follow you both in your adventures.
I love the story of that Saxon church and the fact that it is probably from around 700 AD but it was "re-discovered"! I am amazed at your knowledge of Anglo-Saxon churches. Ian showed me your website and that is amazing! What a noble work you have done with all that research!!
My favourite church near us that was an Anglo Saxon building which was forgotten and later rediscovered is Odda's Chapel in Gloucestershire. Ian says it is on your site. It's a tiny little forgotten place that is fun to visit because there is never anyone there. But such a historic gem not far from where we live ;-)
Cheers for your support of my channel and your lovely comments! XX Dara
@@MagentaOtterTravels Hello Dara, very good to have your reply and thanks for your interest. I first visited Deerhurst church and Oddas chapel in around 1960 with my parents. It was a damp overcast day and we met a very elderly lady wearing a long heavy black coat down to her ankles, she was outside the church door, by the name of Miss Margaret. She knew everything about the church, far more than you'd find in a Guide book! Before we left she pointed us in the direction of Odda's Chapel just that short walk away. Oddas chapel at some point in the later medieval period had fallen out of use and served as a house. The inscribed stone belonging to the chapel was found back in the 19th century and the inscription mentioned the date of it being built and consecrated, 1050 or 55 (but its in my website). In those days the year & month was described as being in the ninth year of the reign of Augustus, in the second day of the third quarter of the moon, etc. The wonderful richly decorated Anglo-Saxon font in St. Marys church had been dumped in a farmyard and was serving as a trough for water for the cattle, that was some 180 years ago. and it now stands proudly in the church where it belongs. I'd started studying medieval churches at the age of seven or eight, about the same age as I started digging up my fathers veg garden because I'd read one of Prof. Mortimer Wheeler's books on archaeology! I was an amateur archaeologist or the strength with our local Museum for some 20 years. Now I'm an armchair archaeologist but I do get out and about to sites within 70miles and take an interest with whats happening currently. Stonehenge is barely 5 miles distant and Avebury is only an hours drive. I have my own "slant" on Avebury and have a 12 page leaflet which takes the henge back to 8,000 BC before stone henges were even thought of let alone built and timber posts some 30 feet high, or more, were erected as is evidenced at both henges by excavation. Originally they were set in lines (rather as found on Dartmoor and Exmoor). At Avebury a 6 thousand plus year old rectangular dwelling (or hut) with a stone flagged floor has been identified, it is one of several in the south. I enjoy unpicking sequencies of building and henges are no exception. My Avebury leaflet is available in pdf form if in an idle moment you might wish to have sight of a copy? In fact anyone stumbling upon this text, just email me at - frank.church800@yahoo.co.uk
I am a great believer in "information is for sharing".
Thanks again Dara and especially for wading though this lengthy epistle! xx Take care, Frank
Hi Dara and Ian, hope you are both well. Half my family are from Bath. Such a beautiful place with many steep hills and great scenery. My uncle used to live in Bradford on Avon, don't know if he still does not been in touch with that side of my family since my mum died. You live in a lovely part of the world in The Cotswolds. Love the architecture there with all the limestone built buildings :D
This is a great place to claim as your ancestral home, certainly a step up from where half my family originated in Handsworth, Birmingham and environs. The combination of beautiful stone architecture and picturesque hills really is unbeatable.
I think we shall stay in lovely Cheltenham for now. But it's fun to window shop occasionally ;-)
I also filmed a couple videos in Bath which I still need to edit and publish... thanks for the reminder, MP! XX Dara
Great video, excellent drone footage. Never been, only 90 mins drive from us. looks lovely, i get the need for abbreviation ….BoA…too much of a mouthful otherwise to say Bradford upon Avon more than once or twice
Thanks for watching, David! I hope you check out the town sometime. It has a lot to see and do!
When I had to say Bradford-on-Avon a couple times in the same sentence, it was a bit much! But apparently it causes some folks to get their knickers in a twist. Oh well. Can't please everyone! ;-)
Any of these towns would be fantastic. Stay in Cheltenham and spend a few night elsewhere when you want. I wish I could do what you are doing. The only switch is that I would spend summers in Chicago and the rest of the year in the UK. There is something magical about those misty fall/winter/spring nights in the UK.
Do you currently live in the Chicago area? I went to high school with Rakows who owned a furniture store in East Dundee ;-) Thanks for your comment! Dara
School cake seems a little like birthday cake from the look of it.
Yes, Americans would call it birthday cake or sheet cake ;-)
Looks like a great place to live, a lovely part of old England where time seems to have stood still, would be great place to live all year round
@@puma55792 yes, I think it would have a milder climate, I agree!
I've been to Bradford in Yorkshire, I didn't know there's another Bradford in the UK. Bradford on Avon looks like a lovely quaint town to visit.
@@theresabigwideworld2632 Bradford near Leeds is very well known...but quite different! If you go visit Bath, I recommend a detour to Bradford on Avon 👍
Another great vlog Dara, I hope you are back over by early May as we are down south for a family wedding and might bump into you at church
Not for somewhere to live but to explore, Pembrokeshire is beautiful with some of the best beaches
Also, if you were heading back to Scotland, we'd be honoured to show you some truly unique things up here, including the Gala day, which is a celebration of children aged 11/12 leaving primary school for high school
We fly back to England 5 May! Hope to see you then! Please come say hello ;-)
We love Pembrokeshire. I'm hoping to go back because I have so much more that I want to explore there. What area of Scotland do you call home? We will definitely be heading back one of these days... I need my friends Tracy & Brett GLASGOW to see the city they are named after! XX Dara
@MagentaOtterTravels we will be in Pembrokeshire just before you arrive back
We are in Edinburgh, my fiance has lived either here or in Loanhead, just outside the city all her life
We'll have to check our plans for the journey home after the wedding and see if we can include Cheltenham along the way
Dara, You produce the most beautiful vlogs. BoA is a lovely place to visit. I think the Slaughters are my favourite places, not quite so crowded. Keep up the good work. May 2025 in England will be so much better when Ian & yourself return and continue your adventures! i
Thank you Ian. We agree that the Slaughters are lovely and one of our favourite places to take visitors. We're looking forward to being back there again!
@@iankelly5387 we are looking forward to nice weather and lots of pretty flowers!
The traffic on BOA is horrendous, as it is on a route to bypass Bath going north to south & vv. Lovely place to visit, but not somewhere I'd live. Nearby Shaftesbury, OTOH...
Thanks for the suggestion. We shall have to check out Shaftesbury some time! Cheers! Dara
Beautiful video 👍
Thank you so much! I appreciate you taking the time to watch and leave a comment!
@ 👍
If you walk out of Bradford upon Avon passing the tithe barn there is a great walk to Avoncliff and it’s impressive Aqueduct
@@danjudson5661 oh, that sounds lovely! Is it uphill? That would make Ian happy 😆 lol
@ ha ha no the walk there is level. But there are circular walks in guide books that are very hilly not far from there.
Ifv you're feeling energetic it's a great walk to Bath along the canal (about 9 miles), there are refreshments available at various places along the route so makes a good day out. BOA itself is a nice place but the traffic around the narrow streets in the town centre can get gridlocked when busy, especially in the summer.
That's a great suggestion that we will have to try out. We are finding that there are many lovely and interesting places to explore in the area. Dara's next video (out next Friday) is about a couple of places we enjoyed visiting nearby - Iford Manor Gardens and Corsham Court.
Oh no... now that Ian read about this lovely hike, he might make me go on it! Nine miles sounds a bit long...
But seriously, thanks for the suggestion! I'm sure it's beautiful.
@@MagentaOtterTravels The Bath to BOA bus service stops at Dundas Canal Centre and Claverton, both by access to the canal and around the mid-point of the walk so it's possible to do it in two sections rather than all in one go. Also if you make it as far as the George Inn at Bathamton (about one hour from Bath centre) you can stop there and book an Uber if you've had enough. In practice if you stop at the cafe at Dundas Canal Centre and the George the walk isn't that difficult. Better to go midweek when there aren't so many cyclists.
Dara: I suspect "William Tasker Gent" is actually "William Tasker -Gentleman", this presumably being his rank in life. I imagine that the fact that he was prepared to be a humble churchwarden despite being born to the gentry was thought worth commemorating.
Thanks for explaining. Duly noted. Now I'll know when reading future monuments ;-) Cheers! Dara
And also the gorgeous village of Turliegh just further up from Newtown 👍🏻
@@AdrianCurtis-n7f oh we shall have to check it out next time! Thanks for the recommendation!
Good video Dara...Yes it's very picturesque BUT it has become popular as a commuter town for Bristol, Bath and even London....So traffic is a problem...Also parking looks "challenging "😊😊😊😊😊😊!!
You are right. I'd hate to have to deal with the traffic problems caused by a couple of bottlenecks on the main road through the town. Parking seems pretty good for short-stay visitors at the station but for people who are there for extended periods it does look challenging.
Yes, for a retired couple who likes to drive around to different places a lot, it probably is not the new home for us ;-)
If you turned right on the canal from the tyth barn you come to stunning avoncliff 🤔👍🏻
We must do that next time! Thanks for the recommendation. Cheers! Dara
The swan appears to be closed now - we walked past it a couple of weeks ago and all boarded up. I would recommend Pablos Bistro excellent tapas
That's sad to hear. It's unfortunate to see so many businesses failing.
@@ians3586 must admit never been in but it looked a very large pub.
Pretty building, so I hope something else opens in place of the pub!
@@MagentaOtterTravels I suspect flats or a Tesco express
You need to rent a narrow boat! It's another sign. Just bring your Excalibur sword with you.
HAHAHAHA! Great plan, Will!
Railway station, fish in the river, greengrocer, veggie sausage rolls, window shopping. Everything was going so well until Ian decided to walk up the mountain.
Rosemary Walk Footpath is a pretty name. 7:05 That wasn't you ringing the bell was it Dara?
11:30 Remember that our trains drive on the left too. Pill-box because the first ones were shaped like round pills.
Mildly amusing fact. There are more narrow boats in use now than there were at the height of commercial canal traffic. If you did decide to take a narrow boat trip the first thing the instructor would say is that you steer them, not drive them. 😁
I wonder if they'll put a plaque on me when I'm gone? Here lieth Boppy. 'I told you I was ill'.
Walking up hills never made me fit. They just made me tired. Take Ian's batteries out and put them in the other way round, then it will be downhill walking all the way.
The roof of the hermitage looks like there should be a stained glass window and more building behind it.
Weirs = Scary 😲😲😲 20:03. I think the sign means 'Beware - Elderly lady pickpockets operating in this area'.
The town looked very nice. I'll bet the houses are a nice price too! (Does nice price translate into American? It's the opposite of cheap.)
Avoid buying a house on the same level as a river.
@@Poliss95 what a very entertaining comment, Boppy! If I were ringing the bells, they wouldn't sound nearly that lovely! You know I'm a rubbish bell ringer.
I thought of you when I was doing the narration about Ian climbing up the steep hills! He has way too much energy!😖
Why are you scared of weirs? You just need to stay a good distance away from them ...
@@MagentaOtterTravels Funnily enough there was a weir in the Doctor Who I was watching last night. Marlow Weir which is much scarier than your one. The villain gets pushed over the side and hangs on with his fingertips as the torrent rages beneath him. 😲
We've never heard of it, it looks pretty though. Actually lie!!! We drive through it on the way home from Dorest and said what a pretty place it was and wednlikentoncomenback and visit. There is some stunning architecture. It definitely looks like a place you'd like to live. Well you've made us want to come back and visit! It seems to have everything. I thought you going to move..... but it's not to be!!! Cheers 🍻
@@PostcardAndAPint it is definitely a place worth visiting on your next journey through that area!
I think we will be staying put in Cheltenham for a while. We have to stay there long enough for you to come see it! Lol
Hiya Dara, on Gary Eats RUclips channel, in his latest vlog Gary is at an Indian restaurant in Glasgow, have a listen to what Gary says 4 minutes 11 seconds into the vlog, this is Choppy
Let me guess... Bad Boys?
You've guessed that tune in one,I nearly put my foot through the telly@@MagentaOtterTravels
BoA is only 10 mins from where I live. Nice to see you in this part of Wiltshire.
The traffic is a big issue in BoA, as is the flooding down at the river level. If you are happy with Cheltenham area, I would suggest stay there but you can always visit BoA whenever you like.
I'm so glad to have discovered more of Wiltshire the past couple summers. We love it! And it's great that we can visit as it's not too far ;-)
@@MagentaOtterTravels yes, we are near neighbours ! I plan to get up to Cheltenham this summer, and we've also been exploring a little more of South East Wales around Chepstow and the Wye Valley. Lots of beautiful places to visit.
I need to see this
Thanks Jerri-ellen!🩷
I thought Bradford-on-Avon had to be near Stratford-upon-Avon. And they're not even the same Avon river. Who knew? We have a Stratford here in Victoria. Guess why? Because it is also on an Avon river. They actually have a Shakespeare festival there.
But Bradford does look quite lovely. Quaint even. It would be nice to visit but you'd probably get sick of all the touros and traffic. But is there a quaint little town in England that would be different?
Michelle always tells me to engage my glutes when walking up hill. That just makes me cranky because I think I'm using every muscle I thought I had. It is part of walking after all. 😂 My knees need more glutes or whatever other muscle I can scrounge up. That is the most painful part. Especially on the ears. Sounds like someone scrunching up cellophane when I'm going down stairs. 😁
I've mentioned Ian's drone work before, sensational as always, but your video work is just getting better and better. Great framing, moving or still. I love your shot selection and timing - especially with the excellently scripted and spontaneous voiceover.
I just saw Dara's video for next week and I think it's even better. I agree with you, she's getting very good at editing after several years of practice. I'm with you on the knees. Even though I do like climbing hills, my knees don't make particularly pleasant sounds and downhill can be problematic for me. Good to hear that you have a Shakespeare festival there on your local Avon river. Based on the videos I've seen of Australia, you have some lovely places there with great Victorian architecture. I'm looking forward to eventually visiting. Bradford-on-Avon isn't actually as touristic as the typical Cotswold town but the traffic really is problematic.
OK, that comment that Michelle makes to you really made me smile! haha
I have the same problem with noisy knees. It's not a pleasant sound!!
I had no idea that Bradford and Stratford were not on the same River Avon!!! I had to look up a map and trace it, because I didn't believe you! Wow, an Aussie taught me something about English geography today ;-)
That's fun that there is a Shakespeare Festival in the Stratford in Oz. We have similar festivals in Utah and Oregon... but I don't think either place has a Avon River, so yours is more legit!
Thanks for the wonderful compliments, Shane! Next week's video of Wiltshire Wonders is going to be a pretty one!
@@ians3586 Tasmania is very good for Georgian too as well as the plethora of Victorian stuff around the country. Unfortunately the distances are a little further than between English villages. 😂
Hi Dara, that is a great looking place. You gave the size of the tithe barn in metres 😮, I'm English and only do measurements in feet and inches, non of this European metric nonsense 😂. Joking aside, this is yet another fantastic video with great filming, editing and is very informative and entertaining 😊
@@michaelblake8498 of course you know I think of things in feet and inches, but I was just relaying the information on the sign of the Tithe barn. I guess they were trying to be all EU at the time they wrote it and gave the measurement in metres! Lol
Hello again! .... I should have watched the whole video before my last comment about the name 'Gent' .... you mention your favourite monument to Anne Yewe, wife of 'Gyfford Long Gent'. I'm pretty certain, on reflection, that 'Gent' is not part of the name, but rather an abbreviated reference to the deceased's status .... "Gentleman", which was a more specific and important reference to a person's position in society back then and not just a suggestion that he was a well-mannered sort of chap.
Ah yes! That makes much more sense! I think I did pretty well translating most of the old English. But I missed that one! Thanks for pointing it out 😉
@11:30 Do I hear Harry Dwyer music??!
Hiya! That lovely song is by Cody High and is called Drops of Rain. Here's the link to it in RUclips, but I get all my music from Epidemic Sound - ruclips.net/video/c0O-5GXH4b8/видео.html
Sadly Bradford On Avon's main street is severely flooded, Storm Bert has caused a lot of damage to this pretty town
Oh no! My friend in Hereford said the floods there have kept them from being able to go home! Sorry to hear that Bradford on Avon was affected too...
Next stop - Silverdale, Cartmel , Keswick.
Yes, Cartmel for some sticky toffee pudding!
Yes, you should have gone into all that before you married him.
When he proposed, your reply should have been - "first, I need to know how many English hills I'm going to have to walk up!!!".
I was such an Anglophile, even if we had discussed it I would've agreed to walk up hills as long as they were in England 🏴 🤣
@MagentaOtterTravels
Maybe a suitable term to call your husband would be "a hillbilly"!
Haha, fortunately I distracted her from anything like that by saying that I owned an English cottage while failing to mention that it was a wreck with and outdoor loo.
The church so nice
So old and very interesting!!
AND Is there a Weatherspoons?? Or Greg's!!😅😅😅😅😅😅
No Greggs... and I didn't even look for a Wetherspoons. I'm NOT a fan of those pubs, so I turn a blind eye ;-) haha
NO! But plenty of live music or gastro experiences, with the essence of boater community in others!
Dara!! I used to live in Bath and never heard the term B.O.A. I don't know if that's been adopted since I left but it's a horrible acronym. It cheapens the name of the lovely Somerset town. Please desist. X
OK
It's commonly used in the town. See the notice board for events and signs on shops. It's also on the official website for the town. Towns that have long names often are shortened in some way. No one objects to using Stratford or LA for those places. I think she did a good job of using the full name Bradford-on-Avon frequently enough in the video to avoid confusion.
@@MagentaOtterTravels People just call it "Bradford" around here (Bath). B-O-A is hideous.
Best place to live in the UK? Leverstocke Greene (well that's how it was spelt 300 years ago)😅 Old pub called The Leather Bottle is my local in the village
@@iankelly5387 that is a fantastic name for a Pub!
Oh Dara … I don’t know if you can access BBC news in Texas but because of the storm Bradford-on-Avon has been flooded causing extensive damage …
I just heard! How terrible!!
@@MagentaOtterTravels I watched it on the news tonight … the river Avon burst its banks and flooded the streets … there were other villages and towns that have been flooded … the weather has been atrocious.
We’ve been very fortunate where we live as we haven’t experienced any of the extreme weather except for some high winds but even that didn’t last very long …. I feel for those people living in those villages and towns whose homes and businesses have been destroyed by the floods …. I hope all is well with you and yours …
🇬🇧❤️🇺🇸👍🦊
Has anyone noticed the large burned out house at the beginning of the drone footage?
I did! LOL
It's lovely, but the traffic ruins the centre. It's terrible. Also too small for me. It's easy to get to from Bath (which I do heartily recommend) so we go for the day.
You're right about the traffic but it is a lovely place to visit.
I think Bath and Bristol (on the outskirts, not city centre) are definitely good options!
Nip from the top of the hill round via Woolley Street to park, then down the vill via Silver Street. Never any traffic that way.
The Moulton Bicycle company Bradford on Avon…
❤
Why BoA ? Firstly it’s Upon Avon not on. Secondly why not just Bradford exactly like we call Stratford (upon Avon) - far too many acronyms about these days. Finally , nice video of a lovely town.
Because just Bradford could mean the town in Yorkshire. When you say Stratford most people think of Shakespeare
@ when you’ve introduced the town as Bradford upon Avon it’s not hard to work out that they don’t mean the Yorkshire one. There are a lot of Stratfords in the UK perhaps you’re just looking to argue?
BOA is used by the official tourist site for Bradford-on-Avon and also many local businesses. That being said, I do agree that perhaps too many acronyms are used. Bradford-on-Avon and Bradford-upon-Avon are both legitimate names for the town.
@@martynadams2011 there's a very popular Bradford up north. Didn't want to create confusion. If me conserving syllables upset you, then you have my apologies.
Every day a School day😋
I have definitely been educated after publishing this video ;-)
@MagentaOtterTravels my sort of schooling
Hello. Some lovely camera work and an enjoyable video .... although 'SEAweed', in a freshwater river? .... it's just weed ;-)
I just wanted to flag something with you about the lovely monument you showed in the church. I might be wrong, but I think the name you highlighted .... "William Tasker Gent" .... should actually be read as .... William Tasker, 'gentleman' .... in the past the term "Gentleman" (often abbreviated to 'gent' on tombstones, legal documents, etc.) was a designation afforded to people of property (e.g. landowners, and people of local elevated status), but falling short of higher ranking such as the 'gentry' (not to be confused with 'gent' but, e.g. a knight - 'sir') or 'aristocracy' (an 'earl', 'marquise or duke, for example). It would have been important in the 17th Century to make clear to his memory, his status as someone of 'substance' in that part of the world. I think there are numerous records going back centuries of a 'Tasker' family in the Bradford on Avon area, but am not aware of any Tasker-Gents .... but I could be wrong.
You are correct. Others have also pointed out that the "Gent" is gentleman. That's the great thing about doing these videos, we learn things from the viewers.
If I just say "weed" around here, it is meant to be marijuana ;-) haha
Yes, I have learnt from publishing this video that Gent is Gentleman! Every day's a school day!
I will know better when I read monuments in the future. Cheers! Dara
Go completely mad, move to Bakewell. Be in the heart of the Peak District, and have Haddon Hall and Chatsworth virtually on your doorstep - plus all the Bakewell Pudding/Tart you can eat.
You make a compelling case! LOL
Shouldn't it be The Stumbling out
@@wencireone that is an excellent point! Lol
Option move to Bakewell in Derbyshire Dara base yourself in the Peak District which proper half way point.
It certainly would be more affordable and in a very beautiful area.
We do love Bakewell! And going to visit nearby Chatsworth House!
Hiya Dara, when I read you were going to Bradford, I thought you meant the city in South Yorkshire, because you've been to Yorkshire in your latest vlogs, how silly of me, this is Choppy
Haha, yes that's why I had to say "on Avon" so people didn't get confused. When I abbreviated I didn't want to say just Bradford because people would think of the one up North... so I said BOA and everyone got their knickers in a twist. Just can't please everyone!
Christine's Sustainable Supermaket sounds good ..... just don't buy their reused toilet paper.
Good one Jean!
Yes, good advice!
Until it floods
@@meglomania2001 yes, I had no idea when I published this video that there would be such terrible flooding soon thereafter!
BOA 🤔 Bank of America 😂
Yeah, that does come to mind.
@@wencireone our friend Gary who went to Yorkshire with us works for BOA!
Please stop calling it BoA, it's Bradford on Avon
The official tourist site for Bradford-on-Avon uses the moniker BOA. Some locals also refer to it as such so I don't think it's a cardinal sin to use that acronym.
@@ians3586 Acronyms can be confusing for example BoA could mean the Bank of America, of be the name of a snake , depending on how it's written. Language is used to communicate, unless you say what you mean you could be misunderstood
@@richardjames3022 Duly noted. I agree that acronyms can be overused and when I hear BoA the first thing that comes to mind is Bank of America.
@@richardjames3022 ok
Whoever it was in the Tourist Board office who decided to call it BOA sounds to me like a on-trend recent graduate.
I doubt most of the inhabitants over the last few hundred years who gave the place its character would have been familiar with it.
Disneyland comes to Wiltshire?
Personally I find the term fairly loathsome.
There are many places in U.K. to live far better than Bradford on Haven. All depends what you want in life
What is one of your ideal spots... given what you want in life?
@@MagentaOtterTravels I like peace and quiet so would pick iether Wenslydale near the Masham area as can be very pritty, especially in winter, or the are of Dunfries and Galloway as very pritty and peacefull. but that me. If you look for city life Then same areas you have to small but well catered for towns Ripon with its cathedral and Dunfries town which has about all you need and both have decent access too the rest of the country, but as I said that is my pick you might not want such tranquility.
@@robertlee6479 Wensleydale is quite gorgeous! I enjoyed visiting Ripon, but we were in a bit of a hurry so I didn't get to see the cathedral. Who would love to do that next time! I do love peace and tranquility, but I also like having a bit of convenience... access to shopping and good restaurants. I would probably like to live in a small town with beautiful countryside nearby, but also access to a bigger town or city. Thanks for your comment!
@@MagentaOtterTravels With Ripon you have both Harrogate and the city of Leeds on your doorstep not 30 mins away in the car and Dunfries you have the city of Carlisle the next stop on the train so both worlds at your finger tips.