Exeter

Before we flew to the UK in October an Exeter homeowner contacted us to ask if we'd housesit while she and her husband holidayed in Tenerife. Because the sit included taking care of two gorgeous Norwegian Forest cats, Buffy and Angel, we quickly agreed. 

Bath

Visiting Bath has been on our bucket list for ages, but for whatever reasons it was not until this month that we made it happen. After checking into the Premier Inn (fantastic location, btw) our first stop was the Roman Baths.  The entrance is impressive while the Christmas tree and street performer made it all the more festive.

Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury is a short train ride from Chester and as it's also the birthplace of Charles Darwin John insisted we pay it a visit.  It's a smaller community than most of the towns or cities we've toured, making it easily walkable and in our opinion a quaint, welcoming, hidden gem.

Chester: Cathedral & Grosvenor Museum

While we were strolling the Chester Christmas Market we reached a point where we both stopped in awe. "Do you see that?" I asked John. "I certainly do!" Imagine my surprise when I realised I was looking at the Chester Cathedral while John was looking at..

Chester

We visited Chester during the last week of November when its Christmas Market was in full swing and the city abuzz with shoppers. Gifts and deciding what to get whom, however, paled in comparison to Chester's architecture. It literally took our breath away.

John Rylands & Chetham's Libraries

We'd heard a great deal about Manchester's John Ryland's Library and how it is a must-see when visiting Manchester, so we made a point of putting it on our itinerary.