Lyte's Cary Manor, near Somerton, in South Somerset.

After a couple of scorching hot days – too hot for me these days – the temperature dropped enough to contemplate taking the car out for spin.  I decided on a visit to the National Trust’s Lyte's Cary Manor, just a short drive along the A303 and then only a couple of miles from the Podimore roundabout.

Lyte's Cary Manor, near Somerton in South Somerset, is one of the National Trust’s smaller properties.  Over one hundred years ago Edward Hutton in his Highways & Byways in Somerset (Macmillan & Co., 1912) wrote:
“Lyte's Cary is the ancient home of the old Somerset family of Lyte which has been apparently settled here since the middle of the thirteenth century.  The manor house as we see it however dates from the fifteenth century and has attached to it a fourteenth century chapel.  These buildings which of old surrounded a small court upon all its four sides, now stand upon but three.  On the east is the Great Hall with the chapel to the south of it; to the south is the old part of the dwelling house, the north wing of which has been much altered and has served as a farm-house.  The whole of the buildings upon the west have perished.  Perhaps the best view of the place is to be had from the north-east, where we see the beautiful porch with its oriel, the Great Hall also with its oriel and chimney stack, and the sanctuary of the chapel with its fine traceried windows – three gables projecting from the low roof and body of the house.”

Lyte's Cary Manor in South Somerset, viewed from the north-east.

I was able to wander around the grounds and garden and take some photos but the sky was darkening and eventually it began to rain.  There was no wind to hurry away the grey clouds so I headed back to the car park, which was conveniently close to the house, and decided to make for home before the evening rush on the A303.

In my humble opinion the standard of driving on the A303 is not of the greatest, especially on the approach to junctions and roundabouts.  Therefore, as I drove home, I was not unduly surprised to see lots of flashing blue lights in the distance as I climbed westward to the approaches to the junction with the A356 for Crewkerne.  Near the approach to the slip road a car towing a caravan was on the embankment facing the carriageway the wrong way!  Several police cars were in attendance, but I did not notice any ambulances so hopefully no-one had been hurt.  Both westbound lanes were unaffected so I reached home without delay.