Cave houses and Simmons Yat

Saturday 21 December 2024

Today, we headed off on our next big adventure – a day touring and a night in Nottingham.

JRR Tolkien grew up in the area around Birmingham, and it is believed that a number of features of the area inspired his creative writings.

Cave Houses – the original Hobbit house?

The cave houses were built by filling in the walls between large standing sandstones.  The soft walls could be carved to shape, and the structure provided natural protection. People have inhabited these places since before 1717 when it was first documented that a family lived in one.  The last resident left in the 1960’s.

Simmons Yat

Our next stop took us 90 minutes south to Heretodshire, just next to Glouceshire in Wales. The views from the top are amazing, and it only took us a short 30-minute walk to see all around the area.

We then crossed the river and headed up the Wye for a bit of a streth of the legs. The weather held long enough for us to enjoy some sunshine and the countryside.

The Gathering

As the light started to fade, about 4pm, we hit the road and headed to Nottingham and a party. Sarah and family welcomed us to their relaxed and friendly gathering where we caught up with extended family. We spent the night with my Aunt Jane in Attenborough. Jane has been a second mother to Olivia while she has been in the UK, providing a welcoming home to he

Tomorrow, we will explore the local area and say goodbye to my aunt Jane.