The old "kingdom" of Wessex is a fascinating area of these Isles. I have always felt that the place has a certain "vibe" to it which is hard to pinpoint - and one which is more subtle than the traditional annual congregation of hippies at Stonehenge.
Wessex was one of the main early kingdoms of the territory which is now known as England. A literary vision of Wessex was recreated in the novels of Thomas Hardy.
However - despite boasting an Earl, a water authority and a railway operator, Wessex has failed to establish itself at all as a political or administrative entity.
Like Kurdistan, the ancient Wessex kingdom is now scattered across several, more recent creations, i.e. the more familiar counties of England - Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Wiltshire, or the South West Regional Development quango.
Anyway, we stopped at Shaftesbury on the Dorset / Wiltshire boundary and eat at the Mitre Inn. I'm glad that beefburgers were off the menu because I was treated to the most wonderful seafood salad (pictured).
I then embarked on a misjudged detour across the Salisbury Plain before struggling home at dark.
Wessex was one of the main early kingdoms of the territory which is now known as England. A literary vision of Wessex was recreated in the novels of Thomas Hardy.
However - despite boasting an Earl, a water authority and a railway operator, Wessex has failed to establish itself at all as a political or administrative entity.
Like Kurdistan, the ancient Wessex kingdom is now scattered across several, more recent creations, i.e. the more familiar counties of England - Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Wiltshire, or the South West Regional Development quango.
Anyway, we stopped at Shaftesbury on the Dorset / Wiltshire boundary and eat at the Mitre Inn. I'm glad that beefburgers were off the menu because I was treated to the most wonderful seafood salad (pictured).
I then embarked on a misjudged detour across the Salisbury Plain before struggling home at dark.
