Pershore Bridge

Today was a day to relax with a visit to Pershore, a pretty town, not overly touristy. We began with a cruise round the charity shops in search of a teapot as the one in the cottage (pretty, old and repaired) spills tea all over the place doesn't work. We also wanted a milk jug as there isn't one.

There was actually a reasonable selection between the five shops and we found suitable items at very reasonable prices. An amble round the town took us to the Abbey church with the Saxon font recovered from many years as a garden planter following the Victorians' overkeen upgrades. Time was passing and refreshment needed, we had a very nice lunch in Coffee And More (how many places offer mushrooms on toast?) before driving the short distance to the old bridge, where there is a small parking area.

This was an important crossing of the River Avon between London and Worcester and in 1413 replaced a wooden bridge which required frequent repairs. This stone one has also suffered and not all the present stones are original, coming from the Abbey following the reformation and Elmley Castle. Of note is the upstream side has cutwaters and pedestrian refuges but the downstream side is straight.

We waved to a couple of narrowboats that passed, watched dragonflies flitting around yellow water lilies, shoals of tiny fish and a few a little bigger. Other wildlife chose to illustrate the information board (see extra).

By late afternoon we returned to the cottage to test the teapot (resounding success, it didn't spill a drop) and sit, shaded from the sun, reading on our patio. Because that's what holidays are for, isn't it!