Weekend in Wales – 12-13 May 2012

The annual MG Y Type Spring Run was based in Goodrich this year, on the border with Wales. This seemed a perfect opportunity for one last visit to Wales.

Straight off the M4 motorway is Caerleon. This small town is built among the remnants of a Roman border town. They have done a wonderful job of bringing the Roman baths back to live, with use of clever lighting, and projected swimmers using the pool.

Nearby are the remains of the Roman barracks, and an easily identified Amphitheatre.

From here, our tour took us to Abergavenny, and we had difficulty finding a park, we wondered at all the visitors. It turned out to be market day and all the neighbouring towns must have been visiting.

The town is well worth a visit too, We started with the ruins of the castle, which has a gruesome history. The founder visited in 1176, and invited all the leading locals to a Christmas banquet.. While they were enjoying his hospitality, William de Breos ordered his soldiers to kill them all. He obviously didn't have a grasp of the true meaning of Christmas!

St Mary's Church is the same age as the castle, but still complete and standing. Inside are some handsome marble tombs, but the most interesting item is the largest wooden sculpture in the UK. The reclining figure of Jessie is carved on a section of a hollow tree, and is part of what was once just the base of an even larger sculpture of the tree of Jessie.

The large indoor market was very appealing, so not surprising so many people were visiting.

Not far from here, but in a very remote spot, is White Castle. This was one of three English castles controlling the Welsh border. We really enjoyed the calm and peaceful spot, very different from the days when it was in use!

We were hoping for a cup of tea, but surprisingly, this remote attraction does not have a tea-rooms. We asked advice at the ticket office, and were recommended 'to visit the Chinaman' near the second castle of the fortified trio.

We found his tearooms, and would have loved to have stayed the night (it's also a B&B). The lovely old stone house overlooks gardens and an appealing valley view. The tea and apple scone were just perfect.

Grosmont castle is nearby, and this one has free entry, as it is slightly more ruined than White Castle. Once again, a really dramatic statement on the hillside above the town.

The last town we visited was Llanvihangel Crucorney. This boasts the oldest pub in Wales, so we had to call in for a drink. It was once a courthouse, and we checked out the holding cell, and the beam where criminals were hung. Certainly the most atmospheric place we've stopped in for a drink.

Across the main road is Llanvihangel Court. This had a sign outside advertising tours. We thought it was another courthouse, and it may have been once, but now it is a Tudor home, and so liveable and homelike, we were captivated. It is probably is the most appealing historic house we have visited. Full of wonderful period furniture, but totally delightful and felt like a home.

We were the only two on the tour, so we had a personal guided tour by the owner, who mentioned a ruined abbey up a nearby valley. We decided we had just enough time for one last visit, before the evening MG dinner.

The road up the valley was very narrow, and we were delayed by a constant stream of traffic coming the other way. When we finally reached the ruined Abbey, it turned out that the crowds had been at the Black Mountain challenge. Fortunately, by the time we made it there, the crowds had nearly left, and we were able to experience the abbey atmosphere.

A Record Day – 27 November 2010

When we realised today was the All Black's test match against Wales, we decided this was one of those “101 things to do before we retire”. By checking online, we found a company who offered a day return bus trip to Cardiff, with tickets for the game.

We were not sure how it would work out, as the closer we got to the weekend, the more pessimistic the weather reports became. So we set out from London with plenty of extra warm clothing, and as predicted by the BBC weather report, we hit snow before we had got 50 miles from London. Fortunately it was not heavy like the north half of the country, and we made it safely to Wales. It was obvious that Cardiff had had a substantial snowfall the previous day, and although it was cold, the sun was making it reasonably pleasant.

“German” Christmas markets had invaded the town centre, which was great, as all the pubs, restaurants and cafes were chocka with queues out the door for some! So we enjoyed a takeaway duckburger with a mug of hot mulled wine, with the pleasant company of a local couple who had come to town for the game too.

The Millennium stadium is impressive, in fact, we read that the NZ coach thinks it the best stadium in the world. We went in to enjoy the pre-game singing, as the temperatures were dropping outside. Fortunately we didn't need all the warm clothing we'd brought, as the roof was closed for the game. No one seemed to know if the roof would be open or closed, as we were told this decision is made by the participating teams. We were glad they choose to close it, as it was still fairly cold even so, and we sat through the match wearing scarves, hats and gloves.

The game was great, even though the All Blacks didn't seem in best form for the first half. At one stage it got quite tense as it seemed we may not walk away the the records we were hoping to witness. But all was well, and Dan Carter broke the world record for the most points scored, and the All Blacks made their record of a 75% winning average, which is better than any team in any sporting discipline.

The amazingly lovely thing about a rugby game in the UK is the friendly rivalry between spectators of the opposing teams, unlike Football, where the stands are segregated with barriers and police are required to break up fights and keep opposing supporters separated outside the stadia to avoid violence.

The bus trip back also got rather tense towards the end, as our last train left the drop-off point at 11.51pm. Fortunately we made it with five minutes to spare. The alternative route home using three busses had very little appeal on a freezing cold winter's night!

Home of the Morgans - 15 June 2008

Our weekend accommodation was near Bridgend which, sadly, features in the news on a regular basis due to the, statistically disproportionately, high number of local young people who commit suicide. At the top of the town is another impressive castle ruin, with a very deep but now dry moat; all that remains of Coity Castle. We also checked out the cute hump-backed bridge, after which the town is named. Pilgrims used to pass over this bridge on the way to St David's church further west in Wales.

Llantwit Major is a picturesque town; with a number of interesting buildings and from there we toured nearer to the coast, and drove through Barry for a look at their “island” seaside resort. In true British fashion it is wall-to-wall arcade and fast food: we did not bother to get out of the car. Far nicer was Penarth; this Victorian seaside town has a colourful pier, and did appeal to us.

Tredegar House was the main focus of the day. Newport Council now runs this, the former estate of the Morgan family. They have done an excellent job in restoring the huge mansion, and we went on a conducted tour, made interesting and amusing by our excellent guide. The house has many beautifully decorated rooms; the best would have to be the oak room. Completely panelled in intricately carved oak, and with wide oak floorboards, the longest of which is 14m long. Although built in 1670’s, it still looks very beautiful today, a room anyone would love to spend time in.

The gardens are also pleasant to walk around. They have very successfully recreated a parterre, using shells, coloured sand, grass and coal chips. Coal gave a very different look, and was appropriate, as the family made their fortune from coal mining.

Vale of Glamorgan - 14 June 2008

The crescent shaped area west of Cardiff, goes by the enticing name of the Vale of Glamorgan. Although we have visited Wales several times we had not been to this area so we finally made a weekend trip to explore the Vale. It's only a little over 2 hours from London, providing you get a good run on the M4.

Dyffryn Garden is a Grade 1 listed garden, and this was our first stop. To be honest, it wouldn't rate as the best English garden we've seen, but nevertheless, was very pleasant to stroll around in the sunshine.

Just up the road from the gardens is the Tinkinswood Burial Chamber. Built around 4000BC it has the largest capstone of any such burial chamber in Britain, estimated at weighing 40 tons, it was pretty impressive. The logistics of early civilizations moving and placing this slab are incredible.

The road through the centre of the Vale was pretty uneventful, but the fascinating thing about Wales is old abbeys and castles dotted regularly around the countryside. We felt obliged to check out the Heritage sign to Ewenny Priory; marvellous walls left behind in the middle of nowhere.

Then it was time for our walk of the day: combining one from the Country Walking magazine, with one in a Walking Wales publication, we ended up with a very picturesque 8.5 mile ramble starting from Dunraven Bay. Wonderful stacked cliff faces line the beach along the coast here. At the start there was the remnants of a castle on the headland, and half way round the walk were the ruins of Ogmore Castle; set on the banks of a river with a fun set of stepping-stones.


The final leg of the walk took in a few miles of the Glamorgan Heritage Coast trail, a very pleasant way to end a lovely sunny June day.

World Heritage day - 8 May 2007

We had previously known King Edward I as a romantic from the memorial crosses he built marking Queen Eleanor's funeral journey.

From our trip to north Wales, we saw him in a different light. In the 13th Century he commissioned a series of strategic castles, around the coastline of northern Wales; these are all now classed as world Heritage Sites

On our final day we visited another three of his castles. Beaumaris is a perfectly symmetrical castle; built on a marsh beside sea it had a channel cut to allow ships to tie up beside the walls. Possibly the pinnacle of medieval military architecture, this castle was built from scratch on a new site, so was unfettered by previous constructions and allowed the designer free reign to explore the latest defensive techniques. Ironically, it was never fully completed and never saw action until the Civil War some four centuries later.

The whole of Conwy is like a film set. A C 19th suspension bridge leads to the castle walls. Like Caenarfon, the castle has walls to walk along, corridors to explore and towers to climb. It is a stunning castle set at one corner of an amazing town, itself a World Heritage Site.

Surrounding the town, almost intact, are its medieval walls. Unlike Caenarfon where what remains of the walls seems to get lost in the modern town, Conwy’s walls are its defining feature. Inside the walls medieval houses have survived: we visited one of the oldest and reputedly the finest remaining Elizabethan Townhouse in Britain, a Tudor merchant's house. The exterior of Plas Mawr is white plaster, which apparently is how the town walls and castle originally looked: it must have been very impressive. In fact all of the castles we visited on this trip were originally plastered inside and out and lime whitewashed. They must have made a fantastic sight on the occasional sunny Welsh day.

Just outside Conwy is Bodnant Garden; these were equally impressive, in a different way. These gardens are famous for their rhododendrons and azaleas; and, in spite of the inclement Welsh weather, everything was looking stunning.

As we headed back to London, on a rather quicker journey than King Edward could ever have imagined, we had a quick stop at one more of his castles. Castle Rhuddlan is inland, and a 2-mile section of the passing river was straightened and channelled to bring the ships up to the foot of the castle. This was the first of Edward’s northern castles; Beumaris was the last.

One weekend is not long enough to visit all the surviving castles in Wales; there are 641, and not even long enough to visit all the castles Edward built, but the 13 we saw gave us a great appreciation of the building skills from so long ago.

Edward's Jewel - 7 May 2007

Leaving South Wales, we set off for the north. On the way, but curiously seemingly in the middle of nowhere, was the National Woollen Museum. This provided an interesting look into the work methods and conditions of the past. Fascinating fact for this visit was the wool gatherers: women who followed the drovers, collecting the scraps of wool from the bushes and hedgerows as the herds made their way across country. Tufts of wool caught on barbed-wire fences are such a common part of our childhood that it is sobering to realise how tough times past were; in that these scraps were precious enough to be gathered, spun and woven to produce saleable goods to supplement the meagre living of these women.

However, the focus of the day was the two castles at Harlech and Caernafon, both World Heritage Sites. Harlech Castle is little more than a shell, but has a great walk around the walls from where the views are magnificent. When built, the sea came right up to the base of the rock the castle is built on, allowing the castle to be re-provisioned from the sea: a feature of the next three castles as well.

The Bank Holiday traffic meant that we were later than planned arriving at Caernarfon. We could have spent much longer there, but in the 1.5 hours we had left before closing we raced around the extensive walkways and corridors and up and down most of the towers. Caernarfon Castle is amazing, and it is not surprising that it has World Heritage status.



Much more a statement of Kingship than military power, it has retained its ceremonial significance by hosting the investitures of the last two Princes of Wales



After checking into our hotel, we had a look around Bangor. The best feature of the town is the pier, extending half a kilometre out into the Menai Strait.

Castles: a tour de four - 6 May 2007

Kidwelly Castle really appealed to us although it is now an extensive ruin. It has an especially impressive gatehouse with double layers of defence and the slots for the portcullis and murder holes etc all still well defined.

Picton Castle is a very different type of castle: rather than the ruins we had been visiting this castle has been occupied for the last 850 years by direct descendants of the original builder. The castle was extended in the Regency Period, and the result is a splendid residence that is open for guided tours. We started the tour in the library, which has been made in one of the round towers, saw some of the other 'great' rooms and then the 'below stairs' area where they have an amazing collection of kitchen, laundry and domestic household items . The gardens are, once again, a rhododendron showplace, being home to several hybrids that were bred here and are unique to Picton.

The forecast rain had not arrived, so we decided to visit Tenby, via the Lamphey Bishop’s Palace. Although this is now a ruin and not really worth a detour it does hint at the style to which the mediaeval church fathers thought they were entitled and the power that they wielded. As one visits Bishop’s Palaces around the UK one wonders were they saw any justification for their excesses and extravagance in the words and teachings of Jesus.

Tenby is a busy little town full of tourists and tourist tat. The tourists flock here, as it is a perfect relic from the past: the town walls and entrance arches have survived well; unlike the castle, which is no more than a ruin.

The harbour is very sheltered and surrounded by gaily-painted houses. Hidden behind the front row, is a Tudor Merchant’s House, furnished in period furniture. One of the room stewards was a font of information and we learnt the derivation of expressions such as “left on the shelf”. One only graduated to a bed once one was married, until then you slept on the floor, as close to the fireplace as possible. Pride of place went to the eldest daughter who could sleep on the shelf (or hearth as it is known today). So, clearly, if the daughter never married, she was “left on the shelf”.



As the rain was still holding off we stopped at one final village, Carew. This small village is well worth a visit, and on a sunny day would look even better. As well as the large castle, (closed by the time we arrived) there is an impressive, and rare (one of only three in Wales) C 11th Cross; and the only restored tidal mill in Wales. The mill dam and a medieval bridge at the village provide a 1 mile loop track which we walked in the intermittent drizzle.