Chippenham & Cheddar
Somerset, South-West England, July 2005

 Why Chippenham, of all the places in England? Well, it's like this. We wanted to visit the Fox Talbot museum (Fox talbot was the founder of modern photography and was the creator of the film negative). Even though we managed to take pictures, no photography is allowed in the museum. Out of respect for that rule, any such pics we managed to take discreetly inside the museum will not be published here.

The second attraction, Cheddar is about 30 miles away from Chippenham, and was not on our itinerary for the day. That visit was a totally spontaneous thing. Cheddar is famous for its gorge (or canyon), the largest in England (and of course, its cheese).

Feeling itchy to learn more about Cheddar? Click here!

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Lacock Abbey, built in 1232 AD

Getting ourselves photographed while getting a soaking in the downpour is what we really needed at this time

Lovely gardens of Lacock Abbey - Have the gardeners come from Peradeniya? Sadly, no.

Tee hee. It's us, posing in front of the abbey entrance.

And it's still pouring! I am not surprised. Met department said it was going to be a bright sunny day.

"Mehema giyoth naannai wenne"

The cloisters of the abbey. Some shots from "Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets" were filmed here.

Now showing - "Harry Potter & the Bored Tourists"

The outside of the abbey

"Harry Potter & the prisoners of the pebbled walkway"

It's us in Cheddar - heard of Cheddar Cheese? Yes? This village is where the original Cheddar Cheese comes from.

Unusual geographic formations in the Cheddar Gorge, the largest gorge in the UK

Cheddar Gorge - near this place was where skeletal remains of the Cheddar Man (who lived 9000 years ago) were found.

Well, "Cheddar Maanavaya" is a bit youngish....our "Balangoda Maanavaya" lived more than 40,000 years ago.

Wonder what the Cheddar man ate for breakfast 9,000 years ago. Cheese?

Or could it be baked cheese in cheese sauce?

I know these pics look boring, but don't blame me. You really have to see this place with your own eyes to appreciate this wonder of the nature.

More rocks for the Cheddar man to climb.

When I come to think of it, the Cheddar man could have easily run an "Outward Bound" adventure group from this location. At the end of a task, he could have fed the participants cheese.

More rock formations

Spectacular!

The beginning of the end of yet another trip. Now let's drive 200 miles back to London. And no - I am not fat!

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All rights reserved - Yasiru Samarakoon 
2006