Travelogue Wales 1996

Adventures in Castle Hunting

by Jeffrey L. Thomas

Wales 1996: An all-Wales Trip. The Gower Peninsula, Snowdonia & Anglesey, Llangollen and the Dee Valley. This trip we visited lots of new castles in south Wales and on the Gower Peninsula, then revisited Snowdonia, and some of our other favorite places in north Wales. As is the case with most of my earlier essays, you will find better quality photographs by clicking on the links leading to the site's individual pages.

Places Visited:

Part I: South Wales → Chepstow Castle → Skenfrith Castle → Grosmont Castle → Tintern Abbey → Caldicot Castle → Penhow Castle

Beaupre Castle → Coity Castle → Ogmore Castle → Part II: Gower Peninsula → Fairyhill Hotel → Three Cliff's Bay → Arthur's Stone

Rhosili, Wurm's Head → Weobley Castle → Loughor Castle → Llansteffan Castle → Pennard Castle → Penrice Castle → Oxwich Castle

Mumbles → Oystermouth Castle → Bovehill Castle → Dryslwyn Castle → Dinefwr Castle → Talley Abbey → Llandovery Castle → Bulwark Hillfort

Part III: North Wales → Newcastle Emlyn Castle → Strata Florida Abbey → Llanberis: Royal Victoria Hotel → Snowdonia → Dolbadarn Castle

Devil's Kitchen Hike → Llanberis Path Hike → Watkin Path Hike → Part IV: Anglesey → Bryn Celli Ddu → Holyhead → St Cybi's Church

Ty Mawr Hut Group → Llanbadrig Church and Stone → Din Lligwy Hut Group → Ye Olde Bull's Head → St Mary's Church → Beaumaris Castle

Penmon Priory → St Cybi's Well → Plas Newydd → Part V: Llangollen → Degannwy Castle → Conwy → Llanwrst Parish Church → St Winefride's Well

Basingwerk Abbey → Caergwrle Castle → Llangollen → Castell Dinas Bran → Hike to Eglwyseg Escarpment→ Llangollen Canal Walk → Plas Newydd

Chirk Castle → Valle Crucis Abbey → Eliseg's Pillar → Powis Castle → Montgomery Castle → Dolforwyn Castle → Chester → Whittington Castle

Stokesay Castle → Ludlow Castle → Part VI: Oxford, Town & Colleges → Ashmolean Museum → Museum of Natural History → Pitt Rivers Museum

The Trout Inn → London & Home

Part I: South Wales

As 1995 turned into 1996 we began making plans to return to Britain, however this time we would do things a bit differently. In previous years we had divided our time between England and Wales. This time it would be an all-Wales holiday. We would revisit some places we had seen on our previous trips, but also explore a part of Wales that was new to us, the Gower Peninsula. For this essay I am not spending as much time describing the castles we had seen on previous trips. After all, how many different ways can you describe a gatehouse, tower or curtain wall?

We took out usual flight from Baltimore to Gatwick, rented a car, and headed west towards Wales via the M4. Our first stop was another visit to Chepstow Castle, partly because it’s one of my favorite castles and partly because it’s a convenient place to stop and break for lunch after driving from Gatwick. It was our third time here in the last four years. Chepstow certainly has its place in the history of the castle in Wales. Construction began in 1067, less than a year after William the Conqueror was crowned King of England. Therefore, Chepstow is the earliest stone castle in Wales and one of the earliest in Britain. The original builder was William FitzObern, one of the king's loyal Norman barons. Chepstow eventually passed by marriage to William Marshal, who expanded on FitzOsbern's original stone Keep or Hall by enlarging the curtain wall and adding two large towers to protect the eastern side of the castle. It is Marshal's gatehouse that we see today. The rest of the castle is a typical Norman structure - a large gatehouse with high curtain walls connecting a series of tall towers. Because Chepstow was built in stages along the river Wye, the castle is constructed in a long, terraced fashion as opposed to a concentric layout. This unique construction is another reason the castle is so memorable. We completed a quick tour of the castle and then enjoyed a pub lunch at The Three Tuns, directly across from the castle. We had also stopped here on our 1992 visit. Nothing like walking across the street from a historic castle right into a good pub.

We basically had the rest of the day to explore this part of Wales. We had booked a 1-night stay at the small hotel directly across from Tintern Abbey so that meant we could visit several sites in the area and still be close to our accommodation. In the afternoon we visited Skenfrith and Grosmont castles. We had visited nearby White Castle the previous year, so this completed our tour of the so-called "Three Castles," Skenfrith, Grosmont, and White. Our first stop was Skenfrith Castle. Historian Lise Hull tells us that:

"Skenfrith Castle is situated at the northeastern entrance into the tiny, picturesque village of the same name, adjacent to the River Monnow which severs the Welsh Marches from England. Initially the work of Norman William FitzOsbern, the first castle at Skenfrith was probably a motte and bailey. Hubert de Burgh remodeled the earth and timber castle at Skenfrith into the enchanting site that survives today. Not surprisingly, de Burgh patterned his new castle at Skenfrith after ones he had encountered in France, which were dominated by round towers. Skenfrith's round keep is Hubert's great gift to us."

We found the village, parked the car and approached the castle. Although de Burgh's large round keep still dominates the site today, the castle itself seems to occupy a low position in the valley. The ground was a bit soggy as we approached, likely due to the fact that the River Monnow once filled Skenfrith's defensive ditches, and still tries to do so today. At Skenfrith the curtain wall is nearly complete and three of the 4 corner towers survive, although one of the towers has been incorporated into a modern building. The original gatehouse is basically gone, reduced to a large gap in the curtain wall. The round keep stands at the center of the castle. We entered through a big gash in the side of the keep which extends about half way up the height of the tower. Looking inside, we saw remnants of a fireplace and latrine on the upper levels, once the private apartments of the lord of the castle. Next we explored the Hall Range and Domestic buildings, but, like most ruined Welsh castles, all that remains are the low footings of walls. We spent some time walking around the outside the castle viewing the curtain wall and the exterior of the towers, before heading back to the car. Although Skenfrith was an important early castle in this part of Wales, the round keep and the beautiful surrounding countryside are the primarily reasons for coming here.

Our final stop of the day was Grosmont Castle, not too far from Skenfrith. Like Skenfrith, Grosmont is a smaller castle but a lot better preserved and therefore more interesting. The castle was established by the Normans to protect the route from Wales to Hereford. Possibly commissioned by William fitz Osbern, the Earl of Hereford, it was originally an earthwork design with timber defenses. As was the case at Skenfrith, Grosmont was later rebuilt in stone by Hubert de Burgh. The main features here are the inner ward, the gatehouse, two circular mural towers, a hall, and a north accommodation block, all protected by a ditch. The gatehouse was originally a two storey tower accessed by a drawbridge. The castle rests peacefully just outside the small village. We parked the car along a lane close to the entrance. We entered the castle via a modern drawbridge spanning the deep ditch and proceeded through the gatehouse into the inner ward. Much of the castle seemed intact. We immediately noticed a tall, slender surviving section of the North Block, topped by a fine surviving 14th-century chimney, one of Grosmont's most recognizable features. We climbed a set of metal stairs leading to a walkway along the curtain wall where we were able to view the castle from above. We spent some time exploring the Hall Block where we saw the ruins of doorways, windows, and fireplaces. The first floor of the block was comprised of the hall and a solar. The hall had a fireplace in the middle of its exterior wall with two large windows on either side, and the ground floor had two service rooms lit by narrow loop windows. We finished by walking around the outside of the castle where it's a bit easier to appreciate the size of Grosmont's towers and the deep ditch that protected the castle.

By the time we finished it was late afternoon. We were a bit tired from the flight and drive so we decided to check in to our hotel. As mentioned, the hotel is directly across the street from the Tintern Abbey. We had dinner later than evening at the Anchor Inn, a pub and restaurant next to the abbey. The lovely stone inn is also historic. The bar was once the abbey's cider mill, and has been run as a licensed premises since 1806, as the fashionable ‘Picturesque’ movement swept down the Wye Valley, bringing with it notable artists. I wonder if Turner stopped here? After dinner we took the short stroll back to our hotel, enjoying views of the abbey in the evening light.

Below: Grosmont Castle and the Anchor Inn

We slept late the following morning because we needed the rest. Also we wanted to hang around until the abbey opened at 10am. We had breakfast and then spent some time walking around outside the abbey before opening time. Tintern has always been my favorite Welsh abbey due primarily to its substantial surviving remains that now rest peacefully along the picturesque River Wye. For the most part, other abbeys in Wales that suffered during the Dissolution have fewer remains, which can make it difficult to imagine how they once appeared. Not so at Tintern. The abbey has a very nice visitor's center, which had been newly remodeled since our first trip here in 1992. The visitor center offers different Cadw guidebooks, and gifts, including pottery castle coffee cups made in Laugharne, Wales. (We have a nice collection of these.) We paid our admission and headed inside. I never cease to be amazed by the wide-open spaces of Tintern's Nave, with its huge arched windows at either end and the large stone columns that once supported the abbey's roof. Just wandering about the Nave admiring the abbey's fine surviving detail is my favorite thing to do at Tintern. I enjoyed seeing again the fine surviving tracery in the windows and the Nave's decorated columns and arches. Similar details are also found in the North Transept. We spent less time here than normal because we had a full day of castle hunting ahead of us, primarily in south Wales, before settling into our accommodations on the Gower Peninsula. For this part of our trip, all the sites and sights would be new.

Below: the romantic ruins of Tintern Abbey

Caldicot Castle is an extensive medieval castle located in the town of Caldicot in Monmouthshire. Again, Humphrey III de Bohun was the likely builder of the present-day castle, the stone keep and curtain walls being built in the last quarter of the 12th century. The Bohun family held the manor and castle of Caldicot for more than two centuries. The castle's other associations include Thomas of Woodstock, son of King Edward III, and The House of Lancaster. We parked and headed towards the castle which is part of a country park. We entered through the Gatehouse, a large block dating from the 15th century, and entered into the large courtyard. From here we could see Caldicot's Great Keep in front of us to our left. The keep, resting on a mound surrounded by a ditch, dates from the 13th century still dominates the site today. The keep is four storeys high, with fireplaces at each level, and stairs built into the thickness of the wall to move from one level to the next. A curtain wall surrounds the site and is linked to the Great Hall. In between the Keep and the Southwest Tower we found the ruins of Caldicot's original 13th century Gatehouse which included a doorway leading to the wall-walk along the battlements. We climbed modern stairs inside the Great Keep where were able to survey the castle and enjoy the beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. All in all we were very impressed by our visit to Caldicot. Although it's not as well known as other castles found in southeast Wales, we found Caldicot to be an interesting, largely complete castle, with plenty of history and medieval detail, set in a beautiful country park. What's not to like?

Our next stop was Penhow, a somewhat unique, smaller "Knight's Castle" located about six miles northwest of Caldicot. The castle has seen a succession of owners and by the mid-10th century was in a state of disrepair. In 1973 the castle was sold to Stephen Weeks, a young American film director and writer, who began a full-scale restoration of the castle. By 1978, "having suffered arctic winters" with the roof off and all the usual privations of restoring a building while living in it, he had completed enough of the castle to open Penhow to the public. The restoration was a spectacular success.

As far as the history of the castle goes, the official guidebook for the castle we learn that:

"A perfect example of the smaller type of fortified manor house, Penhow was developed from a heavily-built keep necessary to protect the knightly retainers of the local earl, who lived in almost impregnable majesty at nearby Chepstow Castle. This great Norman stronghold and bridgehead into Wales was the first castle with a stone keep to be built in Britain by the conquering Normans in 1070. "Knight's Fee" manors and castles like Penhow were established to protect the outlying farmlands and give advance warning of any Welsh uprising. The area that is now known as Gwent was settled by families that had come over from France with or in the wake of William the Conqueror, and we know that Sir Roger de St Maur was at Penhow by 1129, for he witnessed the charter that founded the priory of Monmouth in that year. In return for the task of keeping down the Welsh, providing a quota of men for guard duty at Chepstow every month, and for supplying one man mounted on a horse in times of War, Sir Roger was permitted to usurp the Manor of Penhow from its native Welsh prince, and gain a toehold on the feudal ladder. Sir Roger's home was a cold stone Pele tower that stood alone on its rocky knoll, and directly overlooked the conquered natives in their 'Welshry' at Talgarth. It was the first home in Britain of a family destined to become one of the greatest in the land."

We toured the castle inside and out. Inside the main rooms had been restored to represent different periods in Penhow's history. The rooms were magnificent, retaining their medieval character, and were fitted with appropriate period furniture. Everything looked perfect. Most of the rooms had original stone on the walls and ceilings, fully operational medieval fireplaces, period windows, and stone staircases to access the upper floors. The only evidence of restoration we saw was a pie of rubble thrown in a ditch just outside the castle. We explored outside the castle before visiting The Church of St. John the Baptist which is next to Penhow. The church was erected at the end of the twelfth or early thirteenth century. Penhow was a very different type of Welsh castle experience; smaller than a regular castle Penhow still played a part of the history of the Norman invasion of Wales.

Update: In 2002 Penhow Castle was sold to a private buyer and unfortunately the castle is no longer open to the public. We feel fortunate that we were able to explore Penhow while it was still owned by Mr. Weeks.

After visiting Penhow we hopped back on the M4 and headed west about 35 miles west to our next destination. Beaupre Castle, or Old Beaupre Castle is actually a ruined medieval fortified manor house located in the community of Llanfair, outside Cowbridge. It was built circa 1300 by the Basset family who owned the castle until the 18th century. It was a bit tricky finding the castle which was not well signposted. Using my trusty OS map for the area we finally spotted the castle in the distance surrounded by fields of grazing cattle. I saw no way to park close to the castle so we had to make our way carefully through a hedge, then and across a field with the herd of said cattle. The ground was soggy in places and that, plus the numerous cow pats, made for slow going. Fortunately we had our boots with us and it was a good thing we did! We approached the castle, walking through the Outer Ward to reach the Gatehouse. This wasn't a typical castle gatehouse, but more like a fortified entrance with heraldic emblems carved above an arched wooden double door. This brought us into the Inner Court where our eyes were immediately drawn to the lavishly-decorated porch directly in front of us, the castle's most iconic feature. In describing the porch, the official guidebook for the castle (Hague) tells us that:

"The porch, designed by Richard Twrch, consists of varying architectural styles including a Tudor arch, strapwork decoration and three tiers of flanked columns. The columns rise in ascending order from Doric to Ionic to Corinthian and the second tier bears the Basset family heraldic set on panels. Through the entrance porch is the fourteenth century great hall, now without a roof. The windows were probably enlarged in the sixteenth century but the fine, heraldic fireplace dates back to the fourteenth century."

Although clearly not medieval, the porch was still very striking and reminded me of some of the finer Tudor-style detail we had seen at Raglan Castle. The courtyard is bordered by the Hall, Drawing Room, and Lodgings blocks. We found a well-preserved fireplace in the Great Hall, decorated with armorial shields. We then climbed a set of what appeared to be original stairs and explored some of the rooms on the upper levels. The rooms here were basically complete, although mostly roofless. Here we found more fireplaces and lots of windows with some of their delicate tracery intact. We returned to the gatehouse where we found another set of stairs that took us to the top of the castle with sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. We explored the castle for quite a while because there was so much detail to see, then retraced our steps back through the field to the car. This was definitely a different type of castle experience. Although Beaupre isn't a true medieval castle, our visit here was a prelude to a couple of similar castles/manor houses we would be visiting on the Gower Peninsula.

After visiting Beaupre, our next stop was Coity Castle, about 13 miles northwest of Beaupre and close to the town of Bridgend. Coity is a Norman castle built by Sir Payn "the Demon" de Turberville. The castle began as a late 11th-century ringwork. A rectangular stone keep and the main curtain wall were added by the Normans in the 12th century, under the de Turberville family. The three-storey keep was primarily a defensive structure. In the 1180's, Sir Gilbert de Turberville had control of the Lordship and Castle of Coity. During his tenure, the castle was refortified with stone. Some fragments of the original masonry have survived. Sir Gilbert's greatest contributions were the keep, the curtain wall which encloses the Inner Bailey, and the northeast tower. Cadw describes the castle as follows:

"Originally founded in the early 12th century, Coety’s remains are a centuries-spanning jumble of architectural styles that reflect its lengthy occupation. Begun as an earthwork castle around AD 1100, the stone keep and curtain wall were late 12th-century additions. Major rebuilding took place in the 14th century and again in the 15th, after Owain Glyndwr laid siege to the castle during his uprising against English rule. Further modifications were made in the early 16th century, including the addition of a third floor."

We found a small parking area beside the main gatehouse on the west side of the ruins, and there was no visitor center or admissions hut. We entered the castle via a wooden bridge spanning a ditch and leading us through the South Gatehouse into the large Outer Ward. The Outer Ward features a nearly complete curtain wall protecting the rectangular enclosure. The defenses of the Outer Ward looked pretty substantial to me. After walking the perimeter of the Outer Ward we entered the Inner Ward through the Middle Gatehouse. Coity's Inner Ward is a circular area of approximately 150 feet and is protected by walls that survive up to 30 feet. Very impressive. Here we saw what seemed like a jumble of ruined buildings, including the Keep, Service Range and the Chapel. Nevertheless, the ruins here are extensive and equal to many of the more famous castles of South Wales. Well-preserved portions include the eastern face, parts of the battlements, and the wall-walk which connected the three-storied keep with the curtain wall. We were able to ascend one of the towers for an elevated view of the castle. From here we could view and better understand the layout of the castle, including the stout defenses and battlements of both the inner and outer wards. We walked around the Outer Ward again as we made our way back to the car so I could get a better look at the defenses there, including a series of preserved arrow-loops in the curtain wall. Like many of the places we had visited in Wales, Coity was something of a surprise. Having seen guidebook photos of the site I wasn't expecting much here. What we found was a substantial castle with much of its medieval architecture still intact. In my opinion, lesser-known Coity Castle is definitely worth a visit.

Our final stop of the day was a visit to Ogmore Castle located near the village of Ogmore-by-Sea, south of Bridgend. Ogmore was one of three castles built in the area in the early 12th century, the others being the just-visited Coity Castle and Newcastle Castle. Coity was originally the work of Robert Fitzhamon, the Norman conqueror of Glamorgan, yet another early 12th century Norman castle built within a generation or two of the Conquest. A steep, banked ringwork was constructed first and the stone fortress built inside next to the River Ewenny. Construction here continued with William's son Maurice who built the oblong keep in about 1120. It is thought that the keep is perhaps the oldest Norman keep in Glamorgan. As was the case at Coity, the castle was damaged during Owain Glyn Dwr's revolt in the early 15th century.

We found parking close to the castle and began our exploration. This is a popular spot for hikers and picnics and it was busy when we arrived. Although there are plenty of ruins here to explore, Ogmore is a smaller castle and the site seemed more like a scenic beauty spot that just happens to be next to a ruined medieval castle. A lot of people come here to see the famous set of stepping stones across the river in front the castle which are also a Scheduled Ancient Monument. We entered the castle through the Outer Ward with the ruins of a Lime Kiln to our left, then proceeded across a bridge spanning the ditch to reach the Inner Gate Tower. Only the facade of the tower remains and it was just as easy to go around it by stepping over the low stone footings to the right. This brought us into the Inner Ward which was once surrounded by a Tidal Moat, the ditches I mentioned above. The large Keep was to our left, although only the wall facing the Outer Ward remains. In front of us we saw an interesting arched stone doorway with stairs leading down to what was apparently once the cellar, although its exact purpose in uncertain. Beyond here was the castle's other remaining section of tall curtain wall, and to the left were the ruins of the Hall. Basically there is nothing left of the Hall which is found on the north side of the castle. In fact, it was easy to admire the countryside from inside much of the castle due to the absence of most of the curtain wall. Afterwards we ventured back outside and visited the stepping stones. Yes, I had to go across them and they were a little slippery. I managed not to fall in but I suspect not everyone is as lucky. By this time it was late afternoon and time to check into our accommodations for the next 5 days. We made a quick pass through Swansea, and afterwards the wild beauty of the Gower Peninsula appeared before us. I know that we were in for another great week of exploring the historic beauty of Wales.

Part II: Gower Peninsula

We had booked a 5-night stay at the Fairyhill Hotel near Reynoldston, pretty much located in the center of the Gower Peninsula. We had chosen the Gower, not only for the castles, but because it is a designated area of "outstanding natural beauty" that we wanted to explore. I knew that here we could relax a bit, take our time and simply enjoy the countryside. We experienced the beauty and history of Three Cliff's Bay and the wild horses, Arthur's Stone, Rhosili and Wurm's Head, and most of the castles including Weobley, Loughor, Pennard, Penrice, Oxwich, and Oystermouth. We also visited Reynoldston where we enjoyed pub lunches and pints of real ale at the King Arthur Hotel, which offered both indoor and outdoor seating. We checked into Fairyhill and relaxed a bit before exploring the hotel and grounds. Fairyhill is a handsome and well-appointed manor house with period furniture, a bar, and a well-regarded restaurant and chef. We enjoyed dinner here a couple of nights and it was definitely a fine-dining experience. We had a very nice en-suite room with a queen bed and separate seating area. After a busy day we decided to simply rest at the hotel for the remainder of the day, topped off by dinner in the formal dining room. The food was excellent, including the desert!

Update: Fairyhill was sold in 2018 and transformed into a wedding venue. I'm not sure that the new hotel accepts non-wedding party reservations for their accommodations.

We began the next morning by having breakfast at our hotel before heading out to begin our exploration of the Gower. We began by visiting the coast close to Three Cliff's Bay, one of the most photographed places on the peninsula. We drove to the village of Nicholaston, only a few miles from our hotel. We were looking for the short and easy path to the coast and Tor Bay, which is just to the west of Three Cliff's Bay. We parked the car along a lane close to the village and next to a farm. We changed into our hiking boots and were soon joined by a group of cattle walking down the middle of the lane in no particular hurry. They didn't seem very interested in us. It was only about a 15-minute walk to the coast and as the shore emerged we were greeted by a pleasant surprise. On a bit of green grass in front of the bay we found a few of the Gower's wild ponies grazing peacefully. We were hoping we would see some of these beautiful animals during the week and felt lucky that we encountered them on our first try! One of the foals was still nursing his (or her) mother. It was a remarkable scene; a group of grazing ponies, framed by rugged cliffs covered in bright yellow gorse. Can't get much more picture-postcard than that! We observed the ponies for a while, took some photos and quietly moved on. We walked along the coastal path for about an hour. It was easy to understand why coastal Gower is so popular, and why in the late 1950s the area was Britain's first "Designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty".

Below: Gower coastline and wild ponies

After our lovely walk we went back to the car and headed back towards Reynoldston. From here we located a small track road leading to the summit of Cefn Bryn, a high ridge offering sweeping views of the wild countryside and featuring a couple of interesting ancient monuments. We were looking for Arthur's Stone, and soon found it with the help of my OS map. Arthur's Stone is a large double-chambered Neolithic tomb, dating from 4,400 BC topped by a 25-ton capstone. Legend says that while traveling through Carmarthenshire, King Arthur removed a stone from his shoe and threw it across the Loughor Estuary. By the time it reached its final resting point at Cefn Bryn the stone had become an enormous boulder. OK, sounds good to me! Nearby is a Neolithic Age mound of stones known as the Great Cairn. Historians tell us that they are uncertain when the Cairn was built. There was a pit found in the middle of the Carin that contained bone fragments, but they were so degrade that it was not possible to date them. As we surveyed both of these ancient monuments we were even more aware of the silence and the wild desolation that surrounded us. There was nothing modern in sight, and surely the views were seeing were similar to those of many, many centuries ago. We remained on the ridge for a while longer. By this time it was noon and time for lunch. We returned to Reynoldston and enjoyed a pub lunch and a pint of real ale at the King Arthur Hotel. We sat at one of the tables outside and took our time enjoying both our lunch and the views.

Below: Arthur's Stone and the Great Cairn

From Reynoldston it was a mere 6 miles to our next destination, Rhosili and Wurm's Head. Rhosili is a small village on the southwestern tip of the Gower. The views from the headland beyond the village are panoramic, and several pleasant walks begin, end, or pass through here. At the southern end of Rhosili Bay is Worm's Head, the furthest westerly point of the Gower Peninsula. The name Worm's Head is derived from an Old English word 'wyrm' for 'sea serpent'. The headland comprises three islands: the Inner Head, the Middle Head which features a collapsed sea cave, and the Outer Head. In total, its approximately one mile long. Unlike the eerie solitude of Cefn Bryn, Rhosili is very popular with tourists and it was busy on the afternoon we arrived. We found the public car park (did you pay and display?) and made our way towards the coast. We found an asphalt track leading from what looked like a store and visitor center at the end of the parking lot. A few yards down the track is a gate and from this vantage point you get great views of the cliffs, coastline and Wurm's Head. The views from here are so good that its is as far as many people venture. Beyond the fence the track leads all the way to Wurm's Head, and that's where we headed. Again, we had no difficulty understand why so many people flock to this location. We didn't find any wild ponies, but the scenery was just as breathtaking. The left side of the track is bounded by a low stone fence, but the right side of the track was completely open, and you can wander freely all the way to the edge of the cliffs, if you like. It didn't seem to bother the many sheep we saw, some of which were precariously perched right on the edge of the cliff, mother and their ewes. This is a great picnic spot and there were several groups of people doing just that. Also to our right were the wide, sandy beaches of Rhosili Bay. We saw just a few people walking on the beach, but we were so high above them that they looked like ants. We walked to the end of the track for closer views of the Wurm's Head. We saw parts of what looked like a rough trail winding its way over the humps of the island. I know that people actually go on the island(s) but we couldn't see any way to do so. There is apparently a causeway leading from the mainland to the island but it's only accessible at low tide. We took our time making our way back down the track, stopping and sitting at several places along the way. This was our third "beauty spot" of the day and we simply didn't want to leave. But, all good things must come to an end and we had one more place to visit.

Below: (top left) the beginning of the track with Wurm's Head in the background, (top right) the wide sandy beaches of Rhosili Bay Beach

Our final visit of the day was Weobley Castle which was a short, 10-mile drive north. Weobley is a 14th-century fortified manor house overlooking the Llanrhidian salt marshes and the Loughor estuary. The existing buildings were largely created between 1304 and 1327 by the de la Bere family. According to the official guidebook for the castle (Cadw, Williams):

"Although various modifications were subsequently made to the 14th-century buildings, there were no significant additions to the castle until the late 15th century. Weobley was then held by Sir Rhys ap Thomas and it is he who added the porch block to provide a more stately entrance to the hall and private quarters. The solar now houses an exhibition entitled, Weobley: A Gower Castle and the Peninsula through the Ages. It tells the story of Weobley, set against the colorful background of the many ancient historic sites on the Gower Peninsula."

We parked the car near the castle and headed towards the gateway. We decided to first view the exterior of the castle and its prominent position overlooking the estuary. Here we saw the exterior of a couple of impressive towers, turrets, and halls. The north side of the castle is fronted by a shallow rock-cut ditch that seems less defensive than ditches we had seen at other castles. We entered the castle through a simple and very tall gateway. The ruins at Weobley are substantial and there is a lot to explore. The northern range of the castle, including the hall, kitchen and porch leading from the inner courtyard, is the most substantial of the surviving sections. Although most of the outer fortifications no longer exist, the remaining portions demonstrate that Weobley was well provided with guest rooms and facilities. Some of the buildings here have roofs that make Weobley seem a bit less ruined. The castle has buildings on the ground and first floors. The first floor rooms including the Solar, Hall and guest accommodations, were all later additions. We saw the remains of fine windows, fireplaces, doorways and arches, and domestic buildings, all the trappings of what was once a stately fortified residence. We checked out the "Gower Castle" exhibition in the Solar which gave us a preview of other castles we were planning to visit later in the week. We spent a while exploring Weobley's rooms and then headed back outside and sat on the flat grassy area in front of the gatehouse. Castle or no castle, the views of the cost from here were impressive. By this time it was late in the day so we headed back to our hotel where we had dinner reservations later that evening. Our first full day on the Gower was amazing. We were exploring a different part of Wales, with history and beauty that seemed to rival other parts of Wales we had visited on previous trips. We couldn't wait for the next day.

Below: the lavish interior of Weobley Castle. Photograph copyright © by Jan Kohl

We spent the following day both on and off the Gower Peninsula. From Fairyhill we took the northwestern route leaving the peninsula, via the "New Road" the B4295 and A4240. Just before crossing the bridge over the River Lougher, we stopped at our first site of the day. Lougher Castle was built around 1106 by the Anglo-Norman lord Henry de Beaumont during the Norman invasion of Wales. The site overlooks the River Loughor and controlled a strategic road and ford running across the Gower Peninsula. The castle was designed as an oval ringwork, probably topped by wooden defenses, and reused the remains of the former Roman fort of Leucarum. We parked the car and approached the castle by climbing up a steep hill to the summit. Here it was easy to see why the Roman chose this spot to build a fort. Its location provided good visibility across the region. Although there is not a lot of castle left here, the ruined and keep along with just a few fragments of the curtain wall survive on top of the original ringwork castle. The castle is part of the Loughor Castle Park, and on the day we visited there were children playing in and around the ruins. Nice playground! We explored the keep that still retains one of its arched windows and remnants of interior stairs. On the back side of the keep we found the ruins of an arched doorway and to the left we saw a portion of the keep that had collapsed and was now laying on its side. We didn't spend a lot of time here because there really wasn't a lot to too. On the other hand, visiting a site that has both Roman and medieval history is always time well spent, in my estimation.

Below: only fragments of the ruined Keep survive at Loughor Castle

Our next destination was Llansteffan Castle in Carmarthenshire. Rather than getting on the M4, we crossed the River Loughor and took the longer, more scenic coastal route to the castle via the A484. It took us a little more than an our to get there but we enjoyed good views of the coast for much of the trip. The castle sits high atop an Iron-age promontory fort where it commands the River Tywi estuary below. The castle was built by the Normans sometime after 1100 as part of their invasion of Wales, and the castle change hands several times as the fortunes of war ebbed and flowed between Norman and Welsh. Llansteffan is a two-for-one castle deal. It began life as a Norman earth and timber ringwork located on what is now referred to as the Upper Ward of the castle. Llansteffan was eventually acquired by the de Camville family who refortified the castle with stonework in 1192, adding two towers and masonry walling. In the mid 13th century the de Camvilles extended the defensive boundaries of their castle, and created the Lower Ward.

We parked in the large lot located in the village at the foot of a steep hill and began our ascent. The path was long and steep in some sections but we were rewarded for our efforts with occasional views of the estuary and beach as we climbed. Eventually the path led us to Llansteffan's Great Gatehouse built in the late 13th century. The three-storied gatehouse is comprised of two massive D-shaped towers with two smaller turrets facing inward at the southern end. We passed through the gatehouse and into the expansive Lower Ward. Just to the right and at the far end of the castle we saw the Upper Ward that was clearly separated from the Lower Ward by its own gatehouse, curtain wall, and tower; two castles in one. There was a lot to explore here. We first spent some time at the rear of the Great Gatehouse. The upper levels were reached by an entrance on the western side of the gatehouse, and consisted of a single large chamber. Moving to the North Tower which is to the left of the gatehouse we were able to climb stairs to the top for elevated views of both the Lower and Upper Wards. Next we visited the much smaller, but well-fortified Upper Ward, site of the original castle. Here we found the ruins of the castle's Inner gatehouse, certainly not as impressive as the later Great Gatehouse, but still a substantial square tower. To the left were the ruins of a round tower that bisected the circuit of curtain wall surrounding the Upper Ward. In front of us was the castle's well. After exploring the towers and other structures, we walked along the eastern and southern sides of the castle for views of the beach and estuary. Although the ruins of Llansteffan are substantial and very interesting to explore, they are almost rivaled by the wonderful views from the summit of the castle. Eventually we hiked back down the hill and returned to the car. We drove to the opposite side of the estuary for some distant views of the castle perched on the hill above. We really enjoyed our visit to Llansteffan. It takes a bit of effort to get there which almost always makes a castle visit more rewarding. The ruins were extensive and the castle and its history were very interesting. Add the great views from the summit, and you definitely have a most worth-while Welsh castle experience!

Below (1) the entrance to the castle, (2) Great Gatehouse from the Lower Ward, (3) Inner & Outer Wards from the North Tower

Our final stop of the day was Pennard Castle, a greatly ruined smaller Norman castle set against the dramatic backdrop of Three Cliff's Bay. On the previous day we had explored a portion of Tor Bay in the morning and now we were going to see Three Cliff's Bay by the light of the early evening. As far as the history of the castle is concerned, we learn from Elisabeth Whittle (1992):

"Pennard Castle's situation is dramatic and beautiful. It is perched on the edge of the valley of the Pennard Pill, with a sheer drop below to the north and west. It was a perfect position for a castle, except for one thing which cannot have been foreseen when it was built: it was vulnerable to sand blow. In the early 12th century Henry de Beaumont was granted the lordship of Gower, and it was probably he who built the ringwork castle here. In the late 13th or early 14th century the castle was rebuilt in stone, using local limestone and reddish sandstone, and the present-day ruins are the remains of this castle. The castle is small and rather crudely built, with a curtain wall around a courtyard."

The castle is located on the western side of the Pennard Golf Course. We parked on a side street opposite the golf course, and followed a white stone marked path to reach the castle, taking care not to disturb the golfers. (Four!) The path runs for about a half-mile, at which point we spotted the castle perched on the edge of a cliff surrounded by grassy sand dunes with Three Cliff's Bay in the background. Not bad. As we approached the combination of the gatehouse and north-side curtain wall presented an impressive picture, although it was deceiving because the rest of the castle is basically gone. The archway entrance through the gatehouse still stands but the towers on either side are greatly ruined, the left tower looking as though it could collapse at any moment. On the other hand, the long stretch of curtain wall on the north side of the castle is still impressive and gave us an idea of the nature of the castle's outer defenses. It didn't take much time to explore Pennard, but the real attraction here are the wide, elevated views of Three Cliff's Bay. We lingered here for a while and snapped some photos before walking to near the cliff edge where we sat down and simply enjoyed the evening. It was the end of a beautiful sunny day and the setting sun bathed the castle and the surrounding dunes in a wonderful golden light. The only thing missing was a picnic and a glass of wine! It was another great day on (and off) the Gower.

Our plan for the following day was to begin with a visit to nearby Penrice Castle. Penrice is another one of those multi-structure sites that you encounter all over Britain. First there was a ringwork castle here known as Mountybank that was built in the early 12-century next to the parish church. What remains of that castle is pretty much covered by trees and vegetation. Although we saw it (the clump of trees) from a distance, we did not explore the site. (I'm not even sure you're allowed to.) The later medieval Penrice Castle was constructed in the 13th-century, and in the 1770s a neoclassical mansion was built close to the castle, that is also referred to as Penrice Castle. Mike Salter (1991) gives us a brief history of the site:

"The ringwork called Mountybank near the church is the site of Henry de Beaumont's original castle. The earthworks are extensive but very much overgrown. Penrice passed later to a family of knights who took from it the name de Penres. Robert de Penres at about the time of his marriage in 1237 transferred to the other side of the ravine north of the church, building a round keep and a thin curtain wall running NE from it to cut off the promontory neck. After the Welsh revolts of the 1250s and 60s he enclosed the rest of the site with stone walls with tiny round flanking turrets. His son Robert added a solar block with pleasant upper rooms with fireplaces west of the keep and a chemise on the east side in c1290-1310."

We were here to do a bit of hiking and view the stone castle from the public footpath the runs through the Penrice estate. We parked our car in a small lane near the Millwood Gate and started towards the mansion down the well-trodden public footpath. The path led us past the Lady's Well, the Lake and then in front of Penrice Castle (the mansion), where we paused to view the mansion's exterior architecture. Although I'm sure the rooms inside the mansion are resplendent, the exterior looked a little plain. We then turned left and headed towards the medieval castle, which was resting in an elevated position on a cliff above the path and to our left. The path actually gets you pretty close to the castle, and we are able to see the high curtain wall and several small towers from it. Access to the interior of the castle is not allowed and there were several signs along the way warning us not to enter. I had read that parts of the castle were unstable, and therefore dangerous, and we respected the property owner's directives. We continued following the path through green woodlands ending up near the Home Farm. From here we simply turned around and backtracked. We then took a circuit drive around the estate and finally found a decent pullover where could view the medieval castle from a distance (below). Although we failed to explore the castle, we enjoyed our walk here and it was interesting to see the ruins of what was a substantial medieval castle next to an 18th-century mansion. That's a pretty nice lawn ornament!

Below: long distance and close up views of Penrice Castle from the public footpath

From Penrice it was a short 2 miles south to reach Oxwich Castle. Oxwich, like Beaupre and Weobley, is a mock-fortified manor house rather than a true medieval castle, but that didn't matter to me. I love exploring this type of "castle" as well. For one thing, these later houses often feature interesting and more complete rooms than their medieval counterparts, and finer surviving details. In many cases the owner's heraldic arms are carved prominently here and there, which is always interesting to see. The official guidebook for Oxwich (Williams, Cadw), describes the castle as follows:

"The magnificent Tudor mansion created by Sir Rice Mansel and his son Edward stands on a headland above the wide sweep of Oxwich Bay. The house is known as Oxwich Castle, and there indeed appears to have been an earlier true stronghold on the site. As completed, Oxwich was arranged around an enclosed courtyard with some military pretension. It was entered through a showy gateway, and, typical of the period, was emblazoned with the arms of Sir Rice Mansel. Within, there are two adjacent ranges of buildings which appear to have been designed independently, each capable of functioning as a household in its own right."

We parked our car next to the castle and headed for the Gateway. As we approached I thought to myself that the castle was a bit odd looking. The Gateway stands by itself fronting what used to be the Courtyard. Only a low square wall survives here. To the left of the courtyard is the East Range. The wall has numerous doorways and windows, and a tall, crenellated top. To me this was the only part of the castle's exterior that looked a bit medieval. Beyond the Gateway we saw the substantial ruins of the South Range where we could see three finely-carved window frames on the first floor. The right-hand side of the Gateway is connected to the South Range by a round tower surviving to its original height and retaining its roof. Standing at the Gateway we admired the carved plaque featuring the arms of primarily of the Mansel family. We explored the South Range first, which features the Tudor Kitchen, where we purchased our entry tickets. Both the Kitchen and the Middle Room retain their original fireplaces. Walking through a small doorway at the end of the range we visited the South Tower. The tower is a six-story ruin that would have provided ample accommodations for guests. One of the first-floor fireplaces had beautiful yellow wildflowers growing from its base, and we saw lots of these springing from the walls and windowsills of the castle's ruined interior. They were quite beautiful! Exploring the center of the castle we found a set of modern wooden stairs leading down to two large, vaulted undercrofts, we assumed were used for food storage. As was the case at Weobley Castle, there was a lot to explore here. We ended our visit by viewing the remains of a Dovecot outside and next to the Northwest Tower. After visiting the castle we drove the short distance to Oxwich Bay, a 2 1⁄2-mile long sandy beach, and a popular spot for swimming, food and shopping. It was still Spring so the beach wasn't busy.

From Oxwich it was a quick 12 miles to our next destination, the town of Mumbles and Oystermouth Castle. By this time our overcast skies had changed to rain but there was no way a little rain was going to alter our plans. We were here to visit the castle and explore the town, but we were also visiting my brother-in-law Bob's Aunt Lola who lived in Mumbles. Mumbles is a lively seaside town overlooking the beach and Swansea Bay. The town is known for it pubs and restaurants, and is famous for the "Mumbles Mile," a pub crawl where you try to drink a pint at multiple pubs along the beach. It was only lunchtime when we arrived so we decided to forgo this particular local tradition. We had exchanged letters with Lola prior to our trip and said she would be happy to meet us. We arrived at her house a few blocks back from the High Street but she wan't there. Undaunted we waited around for a while and before too long she arrived. She invited us in and offered us tea which we gladly accepted. We chatted for a bit and she gave us several brochures and magazine clippings of places she thought we might like to visit. That was very nice. I think we stayed for about an hour. We thanked her for her hospitality and the information and took our leave. It was nice to meet one of Bob's relatives, and in Wales of all places. I believe Lola later moved to Oxfordshire.

Although we didn't do the Mumbles Pub Crawl, we did enjoy lunch at one of the many pubs along the High Street. I can't remember exactly which one but it could have been either The Pilot or the White Rose. After lunch we made our way to the castle. Oystermouth is a Norman castle which dates to the early 12th century. Like other castles on the Gower, it was attacked by the Welsh and then rebuilt. During the 13th century Oystermouth was in the hands of the notorious de Braose family (Boo!) who rebuilt the castle in stone. A high curtain wall was built, internal buildings added, a chapel, basements, and residential buildings with fireplaces and garderobes on each floor. It is the ruins of this castle that we primarily see today. We parked in the convenient lot at the base of the castle and headed towards the gatehouse. The castle sits in an elevated position on a slight hill overlooking the bay and commanding the ground surrounding it. The gatehouse and curtain walls are very tall, but even taller still is the chapel located at the rear of the castle. We entered through the gatehouse that at one time was flanked by two half-round towers, now gone. From here we entered into the Court, with the Main Hall and Private Chamber directly above us. The East Wing was to our right, and the Chapel was behind the East Wing. The Chapel, added in the 14th century, is quite large and most of its fine arched windows survive. It blends in well with the rest of the castle, and its detail suggest a much greater level of refinement than is found in the rest of the castle. We were able to climb to the top of the castle via a set of metal stairs and walk a portion of Oystermouth's wall-walk. From here we could better see the layout of this strongly-defended castle, as well as beautiful views of the bay and surrounding countryside. We could have spent more time here but eventually gave in to the driving rain and headed back to the car.

We decided to spend our last day on the Gower mostly off the Gower by exploring a few castles to the north as well as a medieval abbey. On our way off the Gower we stopped at what I thought was a minor castle that apparently isn't a castle at all, Bovehill, near the village of Landimore. I had read about this one in Mike Salter's book on the castles of South Wales, who says:

"Sir Hugh Jonys, who was knighted at Jerusalem in 1440, became the Knight Marshall of England. He was granted the manor by John, Duke of Norfolk, Lord of Gower, is said to have had a fortified manor house here, but the thinly walled ruined domestic ranges set on a shelf above the Landimore marshes are of the time of Sir Rhys ap Thomas or a still later owner. The ruins, much overgrown and difficult to find are located on what today is called "Bovehill Farm."

We parked in a farmer's lane and set out to find the site. Even using my OS map to guide us, this site was difficult to find. We finally came across a set of uninteresting, overgrown, ruined walls that were way too thin to have been anything close to a castle or fortified residence. This was it? A bit disappointing. This was one of the few times when visiting a castle was not worth the effort, and I would definitely give Landimore Castle a miss.

Our principal sites for the day were the native-Welsh castles of Dryslwyn and Dinefwr in Carmarthenshire, both associated with one of my favorite Welsh medieval princes, the great Rhys ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth. Our first stop was Dryslwyn. Although it can be argued that Dryslwyn Castle is not as historically significant as Dinefwr, the ruins here and siting of the castle are just as magnificent. Dryslwyn was another important stronghold of kingdom of Dehuebarth. It is thought that a son of the aforementioned Rhys ap Gruffydd began building the castle during the second quarter of the 13th century (Rees). You approach the site via a public footpath leading from the base of the castle through the remains of the western gatehouse. Continuing through the much-ruined, grass covered middle ward we arrived at the principal masonry ruins on the side of the castle facing the river. Here I was surprised to find the ruins of halls, towers, and curtain walls, more than is hinted at when viewing the castle from below. Much of the structure of the Great Hall is intact including the remains of a large central hearth, while a long stretch of curtain wall still protects the chapel. As we continued to explore I was continually surprised by how much castle survives. Remains of the castle's stone drainage system, an interesting archway with stone steps, and portions of the southern apartment block, are all still here.

Next we visited Dinefwr Castle. The castle is set in the grounds of the beautiful Dinefwr Park, which includes historic Newton House surrounded by a nature reserve, an 18th-century landscaped Deer Park, beautiful woods with hiking trails, and (of course) the castle. We arrived at the park, paid our admission and set out through the park on the way to the castle. It was spring and the woods were full of beautiful bluebells and other flowers that made the hike enchanting. At the time Dinefwr was in the middle of an extensive and much needed restoration and consolidation but was still open to the public. In regards to the history of Dinefwr, Sian Rees tells is the following:

"The Welsh lawbooks of the medieval period, the earliest of which is a text of the 13th century, accorded to Dinefwr a special status as the principal court of the kingdom of Deheubarth. The earliest reference to the castle at Dinefwr in historical sources belongs to the period of Rhys ap Gruffydd, the Lord Rhys. One of the greatest Welsh leaders of the 12th century, Rhys ap Gruffydd was able to withstand the power of the Anglo-Norman lords of the March, supported on occasion by the intervention of King Henry II (1154-89) of England, and recreate the kingdom. Deheubarth flourished over a period of relative peace and general harmony, with Welsh culture and religious life, as well as legal and administrative affairs, all benefiting from Rhys’s patronage and self-assured governance."

With much attention being rightly afforded to the successful medieval rulers of Gwynedd, it is sometimes easy to forget that Rhys ap Gruffydd was, arguably, the most successful of all the Welsh medieval rulers in reviving and expanding his kingdom in the face of Norman aggression. He should be celebrated as such. In light of the current excavations, we explored Dinefwr carefully as some parts of the castle were still undergoing consolidation and not open to the public. As always, were were mindful and respectful of this. Dinefwr's great round keep still dominates the site today, although I believe the stonework at the top is a folly dating from much later. Fortunately for us, the castle's magnificent wall-walks had been recently reopened with repairs to the stairs and new guardrails. And, it is here that most people spend their time, as we did, admiring the outstanding views of the River Towy and the Tywi valley below. We lingered here for quite a while (hard not to) before returning back through the woods and taking our leave of the park. Our visit to Dinefwr was certainly one of the highlights of our trip to Wales. Beauty, and important Welsh history, again rolled into one magnificent site.

Our next stop was Talley Abbey near Llandeilo. This was another new site for us. Talley is unique in Wales in being founded for the monastic order of the Premonstratensians, or White Canons. The ruins here are slight with sections of the crossing tower, presbytery, and cloister remaining. The modern entrance leads into the church from the west, but immediately below the entrance gate, you can see stone footings of walls on the right, and of three pairs of columns that were apparently begun but never completed. It was nice to cross another medieval Welsh abbey off our list, but, in reality, there's really not much to see here. The ruined and difficult to reach Talley Castle lies on a hill close to the castle.

After visiting the abbey we made a quick stop in the market town of Llandovery to see Llandovery Castle and a much-ruined motte castle near the town center. If I recall correctly, Llandovery is a livestock market town. We walked around the town first to get our bearings and visited a couple of the shops on the High Street. We also found the town's large number of livestock pens, mainly empty on this afternoon. Then it was on to the castle. Llandovery features a few bits of substantial masonry atop a much eroded, but still steep motte. John Cotton describes the castle as follows:

Motte and bailey beside the river. D-shaped tower with fragments of twin-towered gatehouse and curtain on motte. Part of the curtain rests uncomfortably on a stepped foundation near the north angle, perhaps of 12th-century date. First mentioned in 1116, when the Welsh took the castle but failed to capture the tower. Its destruction in 1158 was followed by strengthening and garrisoning at royal expense in 1160-2. The castle was partly burned by Gruffydd ap Rhys in 1116. It has an obscure history but which appears to have been held by the Welsh more than by the English. The remains are on a hillock near the Castle Hotel, and approached through the Hotel yard.

Historian Lise Hull tells us that the castle was once controlled by the sons of Rhys ap Gruffydd (The Lord Rhys), and has associations with both Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and Owain Glyn Dwr. There is an interesting metal sculpture statue of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd onsite. We climbed to the summit of the motte to to explore the surviving remains, primarily consisting of a portion of curtain wall and large tower. This is yet another castle that was much fought over by the Welsh and the English, and where significant events unfolded. Today its scant remains belie the role the castle played in Welsh medieval history.

We left Llandovery and began out journey back to the Gower. We had one final stop on the way back. The Bulwark Iron-Age hillfort is located on Llanmadoc Hill not too far from Fairyhill. It is uncertain when the hillfort was built but historians believe it was occupied for a long time. Again, using my OS map we were able to locate the site which we first spotted at a distance from a track road above the fort. From here we could see that this was a very large enclosure. The enclosure is surrounded by a massive bank, with an external ditch on all sides except the north, and an outer, counterscarp bank along the south. The entrance to the hillfort is a simple gap located on the east side. We were able to park close to the site and we spent some time walking up and down the banks, ditches, and piles of rock, admiring the elevated views of the surrounding countryside. There were no other visitors, but about half of the fort was being occupied by an army of sheep! After spending some time here we got back in the car and returned to our hotel, for one final night of fine dining in the Fairyhill restaurant before departing the following morning.

Our time on the Gower was over. We departed the following morning and headed towards our next destination, Llanberis in Snowdonia. Once again we experienced a wonderful week exploring the beauty and history of the Gower Peninsula. One of the things that I enjoyed the most about our time here is that there was so much to see and do in a relatively compact area. That meant less driving for me and more time exploring the countryside. (Plus, with the short distances I was able to enjoy a couple extra pints of ale at lunch.) Yes, visiting the castles of the Gower was great, but they definitely came in a distant second to places like Three Cliff's Bay, Rhosili, the wild landscapes of Cefn Bryn, and those marvelous Welsh ponies. I can honestly say that if we ever return we will likely ignore the castles and simply spend our time hiking the coast.

Part III: North Wales

It's a good 160 miles from The Gower to Llanberis, a journey that would take us most of the day. We took a pretty direct route using primarily the A48, A487, and A470 north to travel to Snowdonia. We only visited two sites along the way; a quick visit to Newcastle Emlyn Castle and a more lengthy visit to Strata Florida Abbey near Aberystwyth. Up first was Newcastle Emlyn which is found in the market town of Newcastle Emlyn about 10 miles southeast of Cardigan in Carmarthenshire. The castle is strategically located on a steep-sided promontory overlooking the River Teifi and was probably built by the Welsh lord Maredudd ap Rhys in about 1240. It changed hands many times over the years in battles between the Welsh and English. In 1403 the castle was taken by Owain Glyndwr, but was described as being in ruins by 1428. The castle was also once owned by Edward The Black Prince, son of King Edward III, and later by Sir Rhys ap Thomas. We found the castle on the outskirts of the town and parked close to the entrance. The remains of the gatehouse and adjacent towers, and some fragments of curtain wall are all that remain visible today. We approached the castle via a well-worn grassy path leading to the front of the gatehouse. The twin towered gatehouse is the dominant feature of the castle, however even here the ruins are fragmentary. We walked through the gatehouse and entered the Inner Ward, where we saw blocks of masonry which belonged to a square tower, and a ruined curtain wall running from the tower and alongside the south side of the ward. We spent just a bit of time exploring additional interior detail and enjoying the elevated views of the river below. Then it was back in the car as we continued our journey north. I was glad we visited Newcastle Emlyn. Unfortunately, despite the castle's history and impressive list of owners, and because of its ruinous state, Newcastle Emlyn seems relegated to the ranks of the lesser-known and less-visited castles of west Wales.

The Cistercian Monastery of Strata Florida, or Ystrad Fflur was established in 1164 by monks from Whitland on land provided by Robert Fitzstephen, the Norman Lord of Pennard. It was built on the banks of the Afon Fflur, a tributary of the Teifi, rising on Garn Gron, a western outlier of the Cambrian Mountains. The original site is now occupied by Old Abbey Farm, just east of the main road, about 2 km south-south-west of Pontrhydfendigaid (Richard Hartnup). The abbey is tucked into the countryside away from major towns or villages. Although the ruins here are not nearly as impressive as those found at Tintern, Strata Florida's associations with the native princes of Wales (Rhys ap Gruffydd and Llywelyb ap Iorwerth), some who are interred here, makes Strata Florida more or less sacred ground. This is the place where in 1238 Prince Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (The Great) held a council where, in a calculated political move, he made his Welsh nobles acknowledge his son Dafydd as his rightful successor rather than his illegitimate son Gruffydd (who was in fact legitimate under Welsh law). Unfortunately Llywelyn's death initiated a period of instability which saw King Henry III reestablish his control of Wales and Llywelyn's kingdom, and Dafydd did not succedd his father.

We pulled into the car park next to the abbey, paid our admission and began exploring the grounds. We entered the abbey through the beautifully carved west doorway, first surveying the North Transept, Monk's Choir, and Cloister Court. At the back opposite the west doorway we found the covered chapels of the south transept that protect the abbey's finely-decorated medieval tiles. The tiles have incised decoration glazed or slip-inlaid, with a variety of devices, including 'the man with a mirror' which probably represents vanity, a griffin, patterns of flowers, leaves and crosses, and heraldic shields. The graves of the Welsh princes lie outside the church, east of the south transept. Their decorated headstones and grave slabs supposedly marking the graves of two of the Lord Rhys's sons. Tradition has it that Dafydd ap Gwilym, the greatest poet of medieval Wales, was also buried within the precincts of the abbey, and a memorial slab commemorating him stands in the north transept. The old school building at the entrance to the site is a small exhibition with some of the items found during excavations of the abbey. Since this was the day's main activity we spent a lot of time here, exploring and learning about Strata Florida's important and noble history.

After visiting Strata Florida we still had about 100 miles to go to reach Llanberis. Llanberis is a busy town located on the southern bank of the lake Llyn Padarn and at the foot of Mt. Snowdon. It's a center for outdoor activities in Snowdonia, including walking, mountaineering, climbing, mountain biking and pony trekking. We had visited here briefly the previous year, mainly to see Dolbadarn Castle. This year were were staying in the town for a few days. We were here to do some hiking in Snowdonia. I had hiked to the summit of Mt. Snowden the previous year (1995) and it was a memorable experience. I wanted more. Our accommodations were the Royal Victoria Hotel just outside of town. We had booked a large room on the upper level that was spacious and had a separate sitting area; nice for relaxing with your favorite adult beverage following a day of hiking. The hotel had a bar, restaurant, and room service. The grounds included 30 acres of Victorian gardens and woodland, and there was a short path through the woods that led directly to Dolbadarn Castle. That meant we were able to visit the castle in the early morning and in the late evening, which provided some different perspectives of the site. A full service hotel with Snowdonia and a castle as its backdrop. Can't do much better than that! We checked into the hotel at about 4pm. It had been a long day but we were excited to be back in Snowdonia. We enjoyed dinner in the hotel restaurant, and afterwards found the path to Dolbadarn castle for our first of several visits there. We didn't stay long because it was nearly dark and therefore a little tricky negotiating the woods. We decided to return the following morning.

Below: (1) The Llanberis Pass heading towards the town, (2) town of Llanberis, (3&4) Royal Victoria Hotel

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel (full English) and did in fact visit Dolbadarn Castle afterwards. As mentioned we had seen the castle the previous year and now (with the castle literally in our back yard) we had the time to explore the site more throughly. Dolbadarn is a castle built by the Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great during the early 13th century at the base of the Llanberis Pass. It was important both militarily and as a symbol of Llywelyn's power and authority. The castle features a large stone keep, which some consider the finest surviving example of a Welsh round tower. In addition to the great round tower or keep, the castle features a courtyard that was once surrounded by several towers (now gone). The castle fell to the forces of King Edward I (Boo!) during the Second Welsh war of 1282-83 and some of its timbers were used in the construction of nearby Caernarfon Castle. Later the castle was used as a manor house and by the 18th century was ruined and uninhabited.

We approached the castle from the path leading from the hotel, which is a different route from the public car park. Llyn Padarn and the mountains of Snowdonia form the backdrop of the castle, both beautiful in their own right. It's no wonder that artists like J.M.W. Turner painted here. Although you can call Dolbadarn's remains "slight" there was nothing slight about Dolbadarn's round keep. There are a set of stone stairs winding around the base of the keep providing access to the interior. (The stairs were a later addition and were not contemporary with the castle.) In the foreground we saw low stone footings and piles of rubble, remnants of the castle's former halls, towers, and curtain wall. We climbed the stairs of the Great Keep that led to a platform inside where you can view some of the castle's interior structures, including windows, doors, fireplaces and latrine chutes. The stairs continue up to the top of the keep. At this height we were able to better appreciate the plan of the castle laid out below us. Back outside we walked around the perimeter of the castle. I took the time tracing the outline of the castle's vanished towers, the South and East Towers, and the Hall. I then turned my attention to the ruins of the curtain wall, and other walls that seemed to extend beyond the perimeter of the castle. Dolbadarn was built using purple and green slate stone, and was mainly constructed in a dry stone fashion without mortar, except the keep. Walls without mortar can be difficult to distinguish from random piles of stone, but I tried to make sense of what was there. Before leaving we spent some time walking around a portion of the lake where we saw a family of swans swimming near the shore. Nice!

The day's main activity was a hike in Snowdonia. Not to Mt. Snowden itself, but rather a Hike to the "Devil's Kitchen". The Devil’s Kitchen is the name given to the dark, black crack which splits the rock of Clogwyn y Geifr (Cliff of the Goat) between Y Garn and Glyder Fawr. The Welsh name for Devil’s Kitchen is Twll Du, meaning ‘black hole’. Twll Du is known as the Devil’s Kitchen because of the plume of steam that is often seen rising from the crack resembling a chimney. Our starting point for the hike was the Youth Hostel at Idwal Cottage, next to beautiful Llyn Ogwen. The YHA isn't far from Llanberis but there is no direct route to get there and it took us about a half-hour to drive the 15 miles or so. We choose the scenic route using the A4086 up the Llanberis Pass to Pen-y-Pass, another Youth Hostel that is the starting point for hikes up Mt. Snowden via the Miner's and Pyg tracks. I had hiked both tracks the previous year (1995). From here we went through Chapel Curig, another popular hiking center, then picked up the A5 which takes you directly to Llyn Ogwen and the YHA cottage.

Follow this link for a map of our hike to The Devil's Kitchen (pop-up window)

We pulled into the parking lot and looked around the cottage and store before heading to the trail. It wasn't exactly busy when we arrived, but there were several groups already hiking the trail. Many hikers either climb up through the Devil's Kitchen, or take one of the routes around to reach Y Glyder Fawr, a 3,300-foot peak that provides some of the most spectacular views in Snowdonia. Our hike would be more modest. We would hike just to the field of boulders in front of Devil's Kitchen. We decided to leave the more difficult hike to the top of Y Glyder Fawr to the experienced climbers. We used the public footpath leading from the center to a picturesque wooden footbridge over the Afon Idwal (river), with a style-ladder at the end. We climbed over the style and got our first glimpse of the main trail. The beauty was stunning. I had been overwhelmed by the beauty of Mt Snowden the previous year, and the views here were just as magnificent. In the distance was Llyn Idwal, a large lake that dominates the landscape as you approach Y Glyder Fawr. Our plan was to hike the path to the right of the lake on the way there, and the path on the other side of the lake on the way back, in order to get the recommended circuit tour of the lake. We were now in the Cwm Idwal Valley where we saw the famous Darwin Idwal Boulders, a group of large rocks deposited in the valley by a glacier, observed by Charles Darwin, who conducted a scientific study in the area. It took us a while to hike around the lake, primarily because we kept stopping to enjoy the scenery. As we approached the southern end of the lake, the trail became more rugged and we headed up a steep slope towards Twll Du. The path continued and we eventually arrived at the boulder field in front of the Devil’s Kitchen. We had been hiking for a while and this seemed like a good place to stop and rest. As we rested we were entertained by a group of rock climbers attempting to scale one of the steep faces of Y Glyder Fawr. They were taking their time and seemed to be skilled at what they were doing. Since we were not going to the summit of Y Glyder Fawr, I decided to see how close I could climb up the boulder field leading to the Devil's Kitchen. Even though I had on good hiking boots, I stopped short of reaching the "Kitchen" which on close inspection looked like a large cave entrance. From here I could see that there were a few hearty souls who had made it up and into the cave, but this was as far as I would go. I snapped a few photos and then carefully worked my way back down to a relieved Parthene who was hoping I would make it back in one piece. It was time for lunch. I had packed a hearty lunch in my backpack, that included sandwiches, potato chips (or crisps), fruit, and a couple of cans of (now warm) beer. We found a fairly comfortable set of boulders that served as our table and chairs, and we spent about an hour here enjoying our lunch and the stunning scenery surrounding us. On the way back we hiked the opposite side of the lake, completing our circuit. Although we no longer had Y Glyder Fawr or Twll Du in front of us on the return hike, the views were just as beautiful. We took our time returning. This was basically our only activity for the day and we saw no reason to hurry back. So...what is usually a 3 or 4 hour hike became an all-day affair for us. No problem there! We regrouped and rested a bit at the youth hostel before getting back in the car and returning to Llanberis. We had spent another great day in Snowdonia. Hiking and exploring the beautiful scenery is what brought us back to Snowdonia, and is the reason we would continue to visit this stunning region of Wales in the future. We had two other hikes planned for the next couple of days, and I was looking forward to both. Little did I know that trouble lay ahead.

Below: (1) bridge over Afon Idwal, (2) approaching Llyn Idwal and Y Glyder Fawr, (3) view of Y Glyder Fawr from the lake, (4) The Devil's Kitchen

We had two more days to go in Llanberis and I had hikes in Snowdonia planned for both days. First up was the Llanberis Path. While the trail is often described as the easiest route to the summit, you should never underestimate any of the routes to the peak of Yr Wyddfa. The National Park Authority classifies the Llanberis Path as a hard and strenuous route, and a good level of fitness is essential. We decided on the same plan as the previous year; I would hike the 4 1/2 miles to the summit and Parthene would wait, then take the train and meet me there. We would then hike back down together. The path begins opposite the car park for Dolbadarn Castle which was an easy walk from our hotel. I had checked the weather forecast for the day which said the morning would be overcast and about 45-50 degrees F, with light rain, possibly changing to heavier rain. Sounded like good hiking weather to me. I was hiking in a t-shirt and shorts, but I also packed a rain jacket and long pants just in case.

I located the path which was pretty much opposite our hotel. After a short walk I went through a gate next to a cattle grid where I began hiking a steep incline. After a while I passed the ruins of an old cottage on my left and soon reached a mountain gate. From the mountain gate the path continued to climb gradually and
I noticed that I was now hiking parallel to the railway. Although the scenery here was quite nice, it wasn't as beautiful as what I had experienced hiking the Miner's Track or The Devil's Kitchen. I had about a mile to go to reach the Halfway House, which was 2 1/2 from my starting point, and here is where my troubles began. By the time I reached the first railway bridge, the cool, overcast, wet morning suddenly changed. The wind started blowing hard (I later learned that it was gusting at 50 mph), and was accompanied by sideways-blowing hail (and man, did that hurt!). The temperature also dropped into the low thirties. I made it to the Halfway House, cold, wet, but undeterred. The Halfway House was basically a ruined building with only some of its roof intact, and therefore didn't provide much shelter. I rested a bit and put on my rain jacket with hood and my gloves. I then made the foolish decision to continue. The mile stretch between the Halfway House and the Clogwyn Bridge required every ounce of my strength and stamina. It reached a point where I could no longer stand upright (yet alone walk), as the wind kept knocking me over (that hurt too). I had to crouch on the ground and wait for the wind gusts to subside before I could stand up. I finally made it to the Clogwyn Bridge (just barely), an overpass for the train, where I was able to press against the walls of the bridge to escape most of the wind. I was now 3 1/2 miles up the track and only a mile from the summit. Ahead of me was the Cwm Glas Bach section of the hike, where the path narrows. On the right-hand side was the mountain, and on the left nothing but a steep drop. At this height I was well into the clouds and as I looked ahead from my refuge under the bridge, I saw trails of clouds being whipped down the mountain, across the path and down the unprotected slope. I decided to stop. I was beat up, exhausted, soaked through to the bone, and I could feel my body temperature dropping. Now my challenge was to get back down. At about the same time Parthene was on her way up, but the conductor had stopped the train well short of the summit where he informed his passengers that he could go no further for fear of being blown off the tracks.

After resting for a few minutes, I started back towards the Halfway House. I was no longer getting knocked over by the wind, but the hail and cold rain continued. At the Halfway House I ducked into one of the ruined rooms and rested again, but not for long. I changed into my long pants but it was a struggle because I was having trouble moving my fingers. I did manage to tear open an energy bar I had brought with me and finished that before continuing. I still had 2 1/2 miles to go. As I continued my descent the winds died down. That, and the fact that I was now hiking downhill really helped. (Perhaps the mountain had decided that I had been punished enough.) I finally made it to the base of the track, crossed the road and limped back to the hotel. Parthene had not yet returned from the train. Knowing that my body temperature was below normal, I quickly ran a barely-warm bath and hopped in. Although it helped, I was basically trashed, and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening recovering. About 20 minutes later Parthene returned and we shared stories about our aborted attempts to reach the summit of Snowden. The mountain had taught me a valuable lesson. I had made several stupid mistakes. I was hiking alone on a day when the weather was questionable, I had taken a change of clothes, but not the correct change of clothes, and I had continued up the mountain long after I should have turned back. My "adventure" definitely gave me renewed respect for Mt Snowden, and when I hear someone say that the Llanberis Path is the easiest way up, well.....I still cringe a little.

Below: the route of the Llanberis Path up Mt Snowden.

I slept well that night and the next morning fortified myself with a Full English breakfast at the hotel. We actually had another hike planned for the day, but because I was still tired, we decided to put it off until the afternoon. After breakfast we hopped in the car and drove northwest on the A4086 next to Llyn Pardan, towards Caernarfon. We pulled off into a lane leading to a folly castle offering self-catering accommodations. We briefly viewed the building, but I can no longer remember the name of the castle. We spent the rest of the morning driving the smaller track roads of Snowdonia, stopping frequently to enjoy the scenery. We eventually opted for a pub lunch at the Vaynol Arms in Nant Peris. The pub is a traditional Welsh long house situated in Llanberis Pass at the base of Mount Snowdon, and is a favorite stop for local hikers.

Returning to the hotel we began preparations for our afternoon hike. This time we were going to tackle the Watkin Path. Whereas the Llanberis Path is generally considered the easiest way up Snowden (cringe) the Watkin Path is rated as one of the most difficult, and is recommended for only experienced climbers. Not to worry. We were only hiking the first half of the trail, a fairly level walk through the Cwm Llan Valley with only a couple of steep sections. The Watkin Path was first opened in 1892 by Prime Minister William Gladstone. This was the first official footpath in Great Britain, hence the importance of the ‘Gladstone Rock’, which we would see later. We parked at the Pont Bethania car park in Nant Gwynant, off the A498, about 11 miles south of Llanberis. To reach the path we followed the main road from the car park, over a bridge and then crossed the road where we saw the entrance to Hafod y Llan, a National Trusts farm. Here we found a sign directing us to the path where we began hiking a set of stone steps leading into the woods. Nice start. We eventually broke out into the Cwm Llan valley, where saw a series of waterfalls. Walking was pretty easy for the first couple of miles as the track climbed gently. We paused at the Afon Cwm Llan waterfall, a popular beauty point along the trail, and then pressed on. The path continued to climb as it followed the river where we eventually saw sheep pens made of traditional slate fencing. Here tall pieces of slate only a few inches wide, were driven into the ground and tied together at the top via holes that had been drilled through each slate. Definitely different. We passed the ruins of Plas Cwm Llan, the home of the South Snowdon Slate Quarry manager. During World War II, soldiers who were training used the building for target practice, and the bullet holes were still evident. The ruins reminded me of the roofless barracks I had encountered along the Miner's Track the previous year. A little further along we finally came to Gladstone Rock and the ceremonial plaque commemorating the opening of the path. We paused here for a while, admiring the countryside and snapping the obligatory photo of the rock and plaque. Then it was on to the ruins of the old South Snowdon Slate Quarry, home to the miners who worked here, and this is where we stopped. Past the quarry the Watkin Path gets really steep as it makes its way towards the very difficult ridge-hike between Bwlch Ciliau and Crib Goch, on the way to the summit of Mt. Snowdon. This was way beyond our hiking skills. Instead we simply headed back down the trail, enjoying the beauty of Cwm Llan in the opposite direction. As we neared the edge of the valley we decided to have a rest and take in the beauty of Afon Cwm Llan. It was so enchanting here that we simply stayed. I had bread, cheese and wine in my backpack (it's always good to be prepared) and we enjoyed an impromptu picnic overlooking the waterfall. We had made dinner reservations back at the hotel for 6pm, but that time quickly came and went. We knew that this was our last opportunity (on this trip) to surround ourselves with Snowdonia for as long as we wanted. We eventually made it back to the car and to our hotel, and the day was over, as was our time in Llanberis.

Follow this link for a route map for the Watkin Path (pop-up window)

Below (top): hiking the beautiful Cwm Llan Valley, (middle): slate fencing & bridge over the river, (bottom right): Gladstone Rock

It isn't difficult to sum up our time in Llanberis in a single word, hiking. The previous year we spent an entire week in Betws-y-Coed, in what was our first true exploration of Snowdonia, and it was unforgettable. This year, although our time in Snowdonia was shorter, I felt just as exhilarated by our adventures. Chasing down castles is great, but simply walking and hiking in Snowdonia, letting the incredible landscapes simply envelop your spirit, was something special. That said, we had more exciting days ahead of us as we left Llanberis and headed for Ynys Mon.

Part IV: Anglesey

For the next part of our holiday we had booked two nights on the Isle of Anglesey, specifically the Ye Old Bull's Head Hotel in Beaumaris. It was a very short trip from Llanberis across the Menai Straight and onto Anglesey, and we had basically all day before checking into out accommodations. We decided to spend most of the day doing a clockwise tour of the island. To get there we drove through Bangor and then crossed the Britannia Bridge. Instead of getting on the A545 and heading to Beaumaris (our usual move) we went in the opposite direction, taking the A4048, to arrive at the Bryn Celli Ddu Burial Chamber located in the tiny farming village of Llanddaniel Fab. Bryn Celli Ddu is a Neolithic burial chamber and henge (bank and ditch), that is generally considered the finest passage tomb in Wales. Historians think it was probably built between 4,000 and 3,000 BC. Our OS map for Anglesey showed us where to go and we parked in a lay-by, which appeared to be in the middle of a farmer's field. A well maintained footpath led to the site where we found a historical marker explaining what was in front of us. The cairn is large, much larger than the other burial chambers we had visited in Wales, likely because it was the only one we had seen with its grassy mound still intact (rebuilt) on top of the chamber. We went inside where we found a long, narrow passage leading to an octagonal chamber about 8ft across. This was the main burial chamber where human bones, arrowheads and carved stones have been found. An unusual feature of the chamber is a large free-standing pillar. It wasn't tall enough to have supported the roof, and seems to have been sculpted to be almost circular in shape, with a rounded top. Then it was back outside where we spent some time walking around the monument. This was a good first stop as we had visited what is certainly one of the most impressive ancient monuments on Anglesey.

Below: Bryn Celli Ddu Burial Chamber, Isle of Anglesey

Returning to the car we continued our circle tour of the island by hopping on the A55 and heading towards Holyhead; first the town, then the island. We didn't do much in the town. We visited St Cybi's Church, which dates from medieval times. The original church was built around 540 AD by St Cybi, a cousin of St David. St Cybi chose to build his monastery within the walls of a ruined Roman fort. The church was sacked by Viking invaders in the 10th century and damaged again in 1405 by Henry IV's invading force. The present church was built in the 13th century and stands near the Roman fort in Holyhead. We found parking close to the church and made our way there. Inside we found a variety of stained glass windows, and the impressive carved monument of W.O. Stanley, a white marble effigy between two angels with dramatically spread wings, offering a wreath and a torch. We saw what looked to be a medieval mural painting in the North Transept, and some ancient-looking decorative masonry carved in an arch above the Porch. We had a short visit here and then looked for a pub nearby for lunch. We only found one but for some reason it was closed. We had to settle for a cafe instead, and I was denied my usually lunch-time pint of ale.

After lunch we drove to Holyhead Island, just to the west of the town. It's called "Holy" because of the high concentration of standing stones, burial chambers and other religious sites on the small island. The extreme western portion of the island is called South Stack, a geological feature formed by wave erosion of the sedimentary rocks that once connected the island to the mainland. We parked at the South Stack Lighthouse and walked around a bit. The lighthouse was completed in 1809 and is 135 feet above sea level. We got back in the car and with the help of my OS map located the Holyhead Mountain Hut Circles (Ty Mawr), on the south side of the mountain close to South Stack. These are the remains of a group of Celtic Iron Age huts with thick stone walls, similar to the ones found at Din Lligwy, which we would visit later that afternoon. We got out and hiked up a steep, wet incline to reach the site. Here we found a collection of low, round stone walls with entryways. There was an information sign at the site that helped explain its history and offered an artist's interpretation of how the huts once appeared. We stayed here for a little while but the weather was a bit nasty, and being near the top to the mountain we were being buffeted by rain and wind. No fun. We wanted to see this part of Anglesey but had come away a bit disappointed with what we found in Holyhead. Maybe it was the bad weather. Fortunately, later in the afternoon our luck would change as we visited several very interesting sites as we made our way around Anglesey.

Below: South Stack Lighthouse and the remains of an Iron-Age hut, part of the Ty Mawr group, Holyhead, Anglesey

For the remainder of the day we drove east and then south across Anglesey via roads that allowed us to be close to the coast, primarily the A5025. By this time the rain and wind we had experienced at Holyhead had turned to blue skies with a few clouds, and our mood lifted. Our first stop was Llanbadrig Church in Cemaes Bay. Eglwys Llanbadrig - or The Church of St Patrick - is said to have been founded by Saint Patrick in 440 AD and some claim it's the oldest church in Wales. It sits on the windswept headland overlooking the small islet where St Patrick is said to have been shipwrecked. The oldest parts of the church are believed to date from the 12th and 13th centuries. A cemetery surrounds the church on all four sides, and has numerous table-top tombs near the entrance. Inside we found a modest-size church with whitewashed stone walls. There were rows of unusually small pews in the Nave that looked like they could fit only about 4 people each. On the west wall of the church we found what looked like an ancient carved gravestone with early Christian symbols, thought to date from the 9th century. Behind the gravestone were other upright grave markers, dating from much later, but still early. Wonder why they were placed here? We finished our visit by going back outside, exploring the graveyard and enjoying the magnificent views of the hills and ocean. Llanbadrig is simply a beautiful, historic church set in the loveliest of locations, and is definitely worth visiting.

Below: Llanbadrig Church, Cemaes Bay, Anglesey

Our next stop was the one I had been waiting for, the Din Lligwy Hut Circle near the village of Moelfre. There are several ancient sites here including the hut circle, a Neolithic burial chamber, and a ruined medieval chapel. The Din Lligwy Hut Circle is an incredibly well-preserved 3rd-4th Century fortified village, and the site covers approximately half an acre. It’s thought that Din Lligwy dates to the Iron Age, and there have been all sorts of ancient artifacts discovered here, including Roman pottery shards, glass, and Roman coins. To reach the site we drove through Moelfre and turned right at the roundabout just outside of town. Prior to a fork in the road we stopped to view the Lligwy burial chamber, an impressive Neolithic tomb with a circle of short upright stones supporting a 25-ton slab or roof. Archaeological investigations have shown that the chamber was used in two different settlement periods, and bones from up to thirty people have been found in the chamber, as well as animal bones and fragments of pottery. After a quick visit we returned to the car. At the fork in the road we turned right and parked in a lay-by on the left-hand side of the road. From here we walked through a gate leading to a field with the ruins of Capel Lligwy to our right. We would return here later. The footpath then led us through the woods where we finally broke out into a large cleared area and the settlement. Din Lligwy has two complete round houses with entrance ways, one large rectangular building, and the whole site is enclosed by a five-foot stone wall. At the end of the field opposite the village we saw a group of modern houses that seemed a little out of place. I was fascinated by this site and we spent a lot of time here. The surviving structures and walls at Din Lligwy make it possible to imagine how the village once appeared, and I could see why this is one of the most celebrated ancient sites on Anglesey. We then retraced our steps through the woods and visited Capel Lligwy. Talk about a picturesque ruin. The chapel dates to the first half of the 12th century, and its original purpose is unknown. Some feel it may have been used as a memorial chapel or in connection with a local royal court. The walls still remain but there is no roof. Inside the chapel we found a rectangular hole cut into the floor. We weren't sure what that was all about. Some sort of cellar? As was the case at Din Lligwy, we were surrounded by grazing sheep, which always adds to a site's ambiance (if not the bottom of your boots). By this time it was late in the afternoon and we were ready to check into our hotel in Beaumaris. Our circuit tour of Anglesey had opened our eyes to the island's other historic treasures, and now we could no longer be counted among the thousand's of tourists who only cross the Menai to visit Beaumaris Castle. It was a baptism long overdue.

Below: (top row) the Din Lligwy Hut Circle, (bottom row) the Lligwy burial chamber and Capel Lligwy

As mentioned previously, we had booked a two night stay in Beaumaris, where we were finally able to explore more the island and town than on previous visits. It was late afternoon when we checked in to the Ye Olde Bull's Head Inn, a lively pub offering accommodations. The pub dates to the 15th century and is a Grade II listed inn that retains its period character. The pub is located on the High Street close to the castle, and we had enjoyed lunch here on both of our previous trips to Beaumaris. The inn offers accommodations in the main building, but we booked one of the larger courtyard rooms (carriage house rooms) located at the rear of the property. Not only were these rooms larger but they were further away from the pub so they were quieter too. We were ready to relax when we arrived so after unpacking we walked around the town a bit and then had dinner at the pub. We also had the opportunity to try other places in town too; we had lunch at the George & Dragon pub nearby, and enjoyed fine dining at The Buckley Hotel across the street. The Buckley is a Georgian hotel dating from 1832 that today retains most of its period charm. The rooms at the hotel were fancy and a bit above our budget, but the dinner was good and they had a decent wine list. We walked around the town again after dinner and finally returned to our room for a good night's sleep.

Below: the Ye Olde Bull's Head Inn and The Grorge & Dragon, Beaumaris

The following morning we spent in the town, visiting St Mary & St Nicholas Church and Beaumaris Castle. St Mary & St Nicholas Church is a large and handsome church, built in the early 14th century, with additions in the 15th century. Many of the objects of interest in the church came from nearby Llanfaes Priory. We were here to see the stone sarcophagus of Princess Joan, wife of Llywelyn the Great. Joan, also known by her Welsh name Siwan, was the illegitimate daughter of King John, and it is said that she often mediated between her husband and her father over political matters. When Joan died in 1237 Llywelyn founded a Franciscan friary in her honor on the seashore at Llanfaes, which also functioned as a Welsh royal seat of government. King Edward I (boo!) removed the town and priory (which is why Joan's sarcophagus is now here) when he planted his new castle and English town here in the late 13th century. We entered the church and found Joan's final resting place, not in the church, but in the porch close to the front door. I was surprised that a relic of this historical significance hadn't been accorded given a more prominent place within the church. Joan's effigy was magnificent. The upper part of the effigy features the intricately carved face of a woman, her head dressed in a wimple, with her hands resting on her chest. The bottom 2/3rds of the effigy features a series of carved symbols. Above the sarcophagus was a slate plaque explaining who Joan was, written in both Welsh and English. We looked inside the church briefly but did not explore the interior. We had come here to see this remarkable piece of history and pay homage to a remarkable woman with ties to two of the most powerful rulers of the 13th century, Llywelyn ap Iorwerth and King John. Rest in Peace, Princess Joan (whereever you are).

Below: coffin & effigy of Joan, wife of Llywelyn ap Irowerth, St Mary & St Nicholas Church, Beaumaris. (Click on the images below for a larger photo)

Next we visited Beaumaris Castle. We had visited the castle the previous two years (1994 & 1995), but now that were staying in town we could afford to spend more time here and do a lot more exploring. Although never completed to their planned height, Beaumaris' large towers are impressive and the towers, along with the moat surrounding the castle, is generally the first thing that strikes visitors. Construction of the castle began in 1295 and a substantial workforce was employed in the initial years under the direction of James of St George. Beaumaris was never completed as planned, partly because funds for its construction were diverted to Edward's Scottish campaign.

We entered the castle via a wooden bridge and a substantial gatehouse complete with murder holes. The castles exterior towers are quite large but Beaumaris' six inner ward towers are even larger. Once inside the gatehouse the dimensions of these towers become apparent, if not a bit confusing. Confusing, because the concentric design of the castle means that one set of walls and towers looks exactly like the others as you make your way around the ward. After exploring the large inner ward we entered one of the towers and began exploring the castle's fascinating interior passageways running inside the walls of the castle. The passageways were intended to allow members of the castle to move between the towers, accessing the guardrooms, sleeping chambers and the castle latrines. We worked our way along the passageway which eventually brightened and led to the Chapel Tower, one of two of the inner ward's large D-towers. We continued our exploration of the castle's passageways including the latrine chutes stationed along the way that emptied into the moat. Then it was back outside to explore the Outer Ward, including the large towers and battlemented curtain wall. From this vantage point the Chapel and Middle towers are even more impressive, tall, stout structures that dominate the outer ward. This area of the castle also leads to the Llanfaes Gate, the dock that was used to resupply the castle from the water. Although Beaumaris lacks the spectacular siting of some of Edward's other north Wales castles, the beauty of the castle and surrounding countryside is undeniable. Beaumaris has been designated a "World Heritage Site" because it represents a significant accomplishment in the art of medieval castle-building. Although it was our third time here in as many years, we never tire of visiting Beaumaris Castle.

Below: (1) moat & exterior towers, (2) the Great Gatehouse, (3) rear of the Great Gatehouse complex, (4) exterior of Chapel from the Inner Ward

Driving east from Beaumaris we headed towards Penmon Priory. Along the way we attempted to find and visit the ruins of Aberlleiniog, a ruined 11th century Norman motte castle, but we failed so we pressed on. The monastery at Penmon is reputed to have been founded by St Seiriol, a 6th-century holy man and friend of St Cybi. The monastery prospered and in the 10th century fine crosses were set up at its gates, but the Viking raids have destroyed all other evidence of this date. During the 12th century, revival under Gruffydd ap Cynan and Owain Gwynedd the abbey church was rebuilt, and it remains the finest and most complete example of a church of this period in Gwynedd. In the 13th century the Celtic monasteries were persuaded by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth to adopt a more regular rule, and Penmon eventually became an Augustinian priory with quite substantial conventual buildings. The priory survived the Edwardian conquest and expanded slightly, but was dissolved in 1538. The buildings passed into the hands of the Bulkeleys of Beaumaris, who enclosed much of the land as a deep park and built a fine dovecote. They also converted the prior's lodging into a rather attractive house. Throughout this time the priory church remained in use, as it does today.

We parked our car near the 15th-century Dovecote, which sits close to the priory, and headed first to the ruins of the 12th century abbey church. The abbey is roofless but the walls remain and you can explore inside from the ground floor. Here we saw remnants of windows and fireplaces, and on one of the walls we found a tall, carved cross. We were unsure if it was a true ancient cross, but if so, we were surprised that it has been left unprotected in the roofless abbey. We then entered the priory church through the 13th century chancel. Inside we found the two ancient crosses mentioned above. The smaller of the two crosses is in the South Transept, and the larger one in the Nave. The larger cross, the so-called "Deer Park" cross retains its original base but the carvings on the cross are a bit weathered. (I guess so after 10 centuries.) The smaller cross in the South Transept is decorated on both sides with various figural patterns typical of the High Crosses found in Ireland. We also found an ancient square font decorated with patterns similar to the smaller cross in the Nave. It is thought to also be contemporary with the early monastery. If so, this was the oldest font we had yet seen. Quite a collection. We spend time here exploring before going back outside and walking to St Seiriol's Well. The well is located down a path in a small building built into a hill behind the priory. Although the building dates to the 18th-century, the flooring and lower parts of the well are believed to be much older. There are foundations and ruins of another building next to the well, and according to legend, these are the remains of the cell where St Seiriol once lived. And, yes, there was water in the holy well!

After finishing with the priory we visited nearby Puffin Island. Puffin Island is an uninhabited island at the far eastern tip of Anglesey. It was formerly known as Priestholm or Ynys Lannog/Glannog in Welsh. A hermitage was established here around the 6th century, and there are remains of a 12th-century monastery on the island. The island is also a Special Protection Area for wildlife. The headland overlooking the island is a popular place for picnicking, fishing and wildlife enthusiasts, as grey seals, bottlenose dolphins, and harbor porpoises regularly visit the area. Nice. We parked the car and got out to explore. This is another beauty spot on Anglesey. We could see Puffin Island from the headland, but that's as close as we got. There are boats that take visitors around the island, however access to the island itself is strictly prohibited. That made sense to us. We sat here for a while, taking in the sea air and the beautiful views across the ocean before leaving. We had one more place to visit before returning to Beaumaris.

Top row: Penmon Priory, Bottom row: the entrance to St Seiriol's Well, and Puffin Island, Anglesey

From Penmon we drove about 20 miles west to reach our final destination, Plas Newydd. Plas Newydd is a country house set in beautiful gardens, parks, and woodland on the north bank of the Menai Strait. The current building dates to about 1470, and was the country seat of the Marquesses of Anglesey. The property has been in the care of the National Trust since 1976. Interestingly, there are two scheduled ancient monuments on the grounds. In front to the house is the Plas Newydd Burial Chamber, a Neolithic burial chamber with low upright stones supporting a large capstone. Another mound with two burial chambers side by side is found south of the parkland. (We didn't see this one.) We parked the car and walked around the front of the house where we were able to view the aforementioned burial cairn from a distance. That's a nice lawn ornament. Although we spent some time in the gardens, we spent most of our time here exploring the house, or rather the large mansion. In describing the house the National Trust website tells us that:

"With views across the Menai Strait to the mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia), it’s easy to see why a house has stood in this spot since the early 16th century. Today, you can discover art, military history and the interior design that made Plas Newydd what you see today. Discover Whistler’s mural in the Dining Room, or the first articulated wooden leg, designed for the 1st Marquess of Anglesey in the Military Museum."

Well, I'm not sure about the leg, but this was a truly fine mansion and the equal of other similar sized estate houses we had seen in England and Wales. We finished our tour and returned to Beaumaris for our final night on Anglesey. We made dinner reservations at the Buckley Hotel (nice) and enjoyed an evening of fine dining.

Below: Plas Newydd, Anglesey, Wales

Our time on Anglesey really opened our eyes to the remarkable beauty and history of this corner of Wales. From a historical perspective our explorations read like a timeline of Welsh history. We covered the Neolithic Age (Bryn Celli Ddu), the Romans & Iron Age (Din Lligwy), the Age of Saints (Penmon Priory/St Cybi's Well), and the stately house of Plas Newydd. That's a lot of history packed into one island. The beauty of Anglesey also stands out with its wonderful seascapes, and views of Snowdonia and the Menai Straights. After breakfast we checked out of our hotel and headed west over the bridge and then east along the A5. We were on our way to the final leg of our trip and what had become one of our favorite places in Wales, Llangollen and the Dee Valley.

Part V: Llangollen

Our first stop along the A55 was Deganwy Castle. Deganwy was an early stronghold of Gwynedd located at the mouth of the River Conwy, and is directly across the estuary from the later built Norman castle of Conwy. The site was used by the Romans and traditionally Deganwy was the headquarters of Maelgwn Gwynedd, King of Gwynedd (c. 520–547). In the early 13th century the site was fortified by prince Llywelyn ap Iorwerth and the castle changed hands between the Welsh and Normans before Llywelyn had Deganwy refortified in stone. It was later taken by King Henry III who embarked on an extensive building program. That castle was captured and destroyed by prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in 1263. In 1283 Edward I (Boo!) decided to leave the castle in ruins and instead built his new fortress of Conwy across the estuary. We found the village of Deganny and, thanks to my OS map, knew where to find the castle. We followed York Street and then turned left onto a smaller road right before York turns into Gannock Park. We found a small trail leading to a bigger trail that circles the castle. It's a steep 360 foot climb to reach the plateau where the remains of the castle lie, and an ever steeper climb to the summit of either of the twin hills. The views from the summit of either hill were spectacular, however the ruins of Deganwy are fragmentary and difficult to interpret. Still, it was easy to see why these hills were fortified for so many centuries. The summit easily commands all the ground surrounding it, and it made me ponder Edward's decision to not rebuild here. We saw bits of walls and stumps of towers and other structures, but most of the castle is down to piles of rubble. So, if you're visiting Deganwy to see the ruins of an important medieval castle, you will likely be disappointed. Nevertheless, with a history that stretches back to and even earlier than the 6th century Kings of Gwynedd, this was a site that I had to visit. We spend about an hour here before climbing back down the hill and returning to the car.

Below: the ruins of Deganwy Castle. Photographs copyright © by John Northall

It was lunchtime so we decided to drive the short distance to Conway and look for a pub. We had lunch (and a pint) and then spent time in the town, walking the streets, exploring the quay, and walking some of the town walls. We didn't visit the castle (we had done so the previous two years), but still snapped a few photos of this magnificent fortress as we made our way around the town. After finishing we got back in the car and made our way south through the beautiful Vale of Conwy towards our next destination.

Below: photo(s) of the beautiful Vale of Conwy

It's about a 30-minute drive from Conwy to our next destination, Llanwrst. Rather than switching over to the A470 at Ty'n-y-groes, we remained on the B5106 for a slower paced drive. No need to hurry through this beautiful part of Wales. We were stopping in Llanwrst to visit St Grwst's Church. The church was built in the late 15th century, and The Gwydir Chapel was added in 1633–34 by Richard Wynn of Gwydir (Castle). We were here to see what reportedly is the 13th-century stone sarcophagus of Prince Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, also known as Llywelyn The Great, arguably the most accomplished medieval ruler of Wales. Llywelyn died in 1240 and was buried in Aberconwy Abbey, but his body was removed when King Edward I took the site to build Conwy Castle and the adjoining walled town. We parked at the church and looked at the exterior before going inside. The church consists of a nave and chancel in a single range, a north aisle, a south porch, the Gwydir Chapel at the southeast corner, and the west tower. We found Llywelyn's sarcophagus (no lid) in the Gwydir Chapel, close to a tomb effigy (just the lid) of Hywel Coetmor, a knight who fought at the Battle of Agincourt, and direct descendant of Llywelyn. The sides of Llywelyn's sarcophagus are elaborate, perhaps an indication they were done in the English style. The church, the chapel and the village are peaceful and beautiful places, and perhaps an appropriate resting place for this great ruler of Wales who saw mostly battles and strife during his glorious reign. We had seen Joan's coffin in Beaumaris, and now we had visited her husband's in Llanwrst. Rest in Peace, noble Prince.

Below: two views of the stone sarcophagus of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, St Grwst's Church, Llanwrst

We had a couple more stops to make before checking into our accommodations in Llangollen. It took us about an hour to drive the 35 miles from Llanrwst to our first destination, St Winefride's Well in Holywell, northeast Wales. St Winefride is a 7th-century martyr for whom the well is named. The holy spring of St Winifred, an important center of medieval pilgrimage still venerated today, is said to have risen where St Beuno restored his niece St Winifred to life after her head had been severed by Cardoc, a rejected suitor. St Beuno is a well-attested 7th-century figure, responsible for bringing Celtic monasticism to much of north Wales.

Instead of heading north to the A55 we decided again to take the slower route, the A548 and B5382. We found parking near the Chapel of St Winefride next to the well. We had visited other holy wells in Wales that were mostly humble structures and not necessarily easy to find. Not so here. We found the well, or rather what was a rectangular pool being fed by the well, outside and in front of what looked to be an impressive chapel (although it is called a crypt). It looked very well organized. To the right of the pool were four yellow and blue tents for people to change clothes before entering the pool. I didn't realize that this was a well where people could actually immerse themselves completely in the water, like a baptism. There are steps in the pool which makes it easier for the informed to enter. There were already a couple of people at the pool who looked like they were there for the St Winefride's supposed healing powers, so we waited respectfully, and I put away my camera until they were finished. For the record, I have no problem with people who believe in the healing powers of certain holy sites in Britain. I do not dismiss their beliefs and furthermore accept the possibility that there may be something to them. We explored the small but impressive crypt that houses the well feeding the pool. Here we found the well bordered by a zig-zag pattern of decorated stone, finely carved doors and ceilings, and a statue of St Winefride. It was lovely. We then visited the chapel next to the well. The chapel has a beautiful stained glass window showing St. Winefride and her uncle, St. Beuno, apparently at the site of the holy spring. We finished out trip with a visit to the gift shop but didn't buy anything. This was definitely a different holy well experience for us, and I have to admit that I was impressed by it all. Believer or non-believer, I recommend a visit to St Winefride's Well.

From St Winefride's Well it was only a mile down the road to reach our next destination, Basingwerk Abbey. Basingwerk was probably founded in 1131 by Ranulf, earl of Chester, as a 'daughter' of Savigny Abbey in western Normandy. Much of the plan at Basingwerk follows the standard Cistercian layout, similar to that at Valle Crucis. Only a little of the 12th-century walling apparently survives, around the cloister and in the east range. Much of the fabric visible today, including the church, dates from the early 13th-century, when the buildings were generally refurbished and extended. We parked in the visitor's lot, paid our admission and headed to the abbey. We approached the ruins via the cloister where we immediately saw a pair of lovely arched side by side doorways along the south range of the buildings. What struck me immediately was the color of the stone. Most of the surviving ruins at Basingwerk feature multi-colored stone creating an almost checkerboard appearance. No drab ruins here. Instead the different colored stone patterns seemed to make the ruins both lively and interesting. The are few surviving buildings at Basingwerk. Instead the ruins are made up mostly of walls standing to different heights, and some of the surviving details within the walls are amazing. We saw the remains of fine, arched Norman-style doorways, tall, decorative windows, and small and large columns, some of which retained their ornamental decoration. So, what the abbey lacked in complete structures was offset by the detail that does survive. Very nice.

After Basingwerk we began working our way south along the A55 to reach our final destination of the day, Caergwrle Castle, located just outside the town. Caergwrle is a Welsh-built castle with Norman bits as well, and played a controversial role in the wars between Llywelyn ap Gruffydd and Edward I (Boo!). In describing the castle, King (1974) and Manley (1994), tell us that:

"The masonry castle, on the highest point of the hill, was probably first built by Dafydd ap Gruffydd, in lands given him by Edward I after the first Welsh campaign of 1277, in recognition of his help in their capture from his brother Llywelyn. Its architecture reflects Dafydd's divided loyalties, with English elements incorporated into a basically Welsh pattern. A single curtain wall, which survives on the east, is fronted by a substantial ditch with an outer counterscarp bank; there are towers, with blunt apses of English pattern, on the north and south-east and a round keep at the south. The south-east tower, again unusually, apparently had a living chamber at ground level, and its poor defensive position offers inadequate cover to the eastern curtain. It is uncertain where the entrance lay, although one on the north-west seems likely."

For some the castle is significant because it's Welsh-built. For others, it represents an unforgivable betrayal of Llywelyn by his brother Dafydd during the first Welsh War of Independence (1276-77), a betrayal that contributed to Llywelyn's defeat. Dafydd had aligned himself with the enemy in order to defeat his brother, and this castle was one of his rewards. Dafydd and Llywelyn would reconcile during the Second Welsh War of Independence (1282-83), where Dafydd fought nobley against Edward, but to no avail. OK, I have to admit that although the castle is significant because of the reasons stated above, there aren't a lot of remains to explore here. A few remnants of the round keep, the D-shaper tower, and short sections of curtain wall is about it. So, come here for the site's important history, but don't be expecting an impressive castle.

Below: the ruins of Caergwrle Castle. Photographs copyright © by John Northall

We had booked the next few nights at the Royal Hotel in Llangollen. The hotel is pretty nice and occupies a prime location in the middle of town, next to the bridge overlooking the River Dee. We had been to Llangollen before, but only on day trips. This year with local accommodations, we would take more time exploring the region. We had a nice room on the 2nd floor at the back of the hotel with views of the the bridge and river from our windows. It was a great room because we had a river view and we could also see the action on the bridge. This included watching groups of boys and men jumping off the bridge into the river. We had enjoyed another full day's with a lot of driving, so we unpacked, rested a bit and then walked around the town, finding a shop where we purchased all the essentials for the room; beer, wine, cheese, bread, assorted snacks, and Welsh Cakes. Later we had dinner at the hotel and then enjoyed an after dinner drink as Gales Wine Bar. Our day was complete.

Below: The Royal Hotel, Llangollen (L), and the view from our room (R)

We began the following morning with a hike to the summit of Castell Dinas Bran. We had done this hike on a previous trip but this year we were doing something different. Instead of approaching the castle from the Llangollen Canal, which is actually the back of the castle, we drove the car around to the other side of Dinas Bran and attempted the steeper approach from the opposite side, the front of the castle. We were using this approach because after visiting the castle our plan was to hike up the opposite hill to the Eglwyseg Escarpment. It was an ambitious agenda that would end up taking us most of the day. Castell Dinas Bran sits atop a hill about 1,000 ft above the valley floor, however, the climb to the top is not an easy one. Various sources, including the castle guidebook tell us that:

"Castell Dinas Bran occupies one of Britain's most spectacular sites. A rugged, foreboding pinnacle, the hillock was the ideal spot to erect a castle. Reid (1973) speculated that the hill at Dinas Bran was occupied in the 8th century by a man named Eliseg. The same Eliseg also gave his name to an ancient pillar that stands just north of Valle Crucis Abbey, near Llangollen. The historical record also conflicts over whom really built the remains at Dinas Bran. The most reliable sources state that Gruffydd Maelor II, son of Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor I, began the castle in the late 1260's. The elder Madog founded nearby Valle Crucis Abbey, where both men were buried. During those final two decades, the castle on the hilltop became a prized possession of the princes of Powys Fadog. Dinas Bran's power did not go unnoticed by English forces. In 1277, during Edward I's initial foray into Wales, the Earl of Lincoln, Henry de Lacy, besieged the castle. The Welsh lord of Dinas Bran was forced to submit to the invading army, which promptly set the site afire, completely destroying it."

(I've posted plenty of good photographs of Castell Dinas Bran at the website, and here I'm using a different set of photos showing our front-side approach to the castle.)

As mentioned, we had been here the previous year (1995) when I climbed to the summit of the castle via the more popular route leading from town. During my ascent I experienced first hand the "changeable" Welsh weather, as I was accompanied by sunshine, overcast rain, wind, and even hail during my ascent. No such problems this year. We parked the car on a small track road next to the castle and began our climb. The front-side ascent is shorter, but steeper. On the town side you approach the castle via a steep but gentle criss-crossing track to reach the summit, whereas on the front side you approach the summit via a zig-zag trail that is mostly vertical. After a bit of exertion we reached a rocky plateau opposite the ruined gatehouse. The ruins of the modest gatehouse are to the far left and are connected to a high stretch of curtain wall to the right. From here we entered into the large inner ward which is surrounded by various bits of the mostly-ruined castle. The ruins are romantic but slight, and you really need a guidebook to sort things out. The two most impressive things about Dinas Bran are the rock-cut ditch (which dates to the Iron-Age) that defend the sides of the castle not protected by the cliff, and the stunning views of the Dee Valley from the summit. Like Castell y Bere, the views are why most people visit Dinas Bran, and are so stunning that you might forget the castle altogether. I remembered from the previous year that there was a tent pitched in the inner ward when I arrived, so it appears that people like to spend the night here too. This time there were only one or two other people exploring the castle. We spent a lot of time at the summit simply admiring the views before climbing back down.

Castell Dinas Bran: the approaching the castle from the shorter but steeper front side path

Now it was time to tackle the hike the hill opposite the castle, to the Eglwyseg Escarpment. The escarpment has several archaeological sites of interest, including four burial cairns and other ritual monuments dating from the Bronze Age. I had my OS map to help guide us on what would be about a 4-mile circular hike atop the escarpment, and (of course) I had packed a picnic lunch including appropriate refreshments. We started up an inclined track road with the Trevor Rocks on our right. Trevor Rocks is a collection of quarried limestone walls on the face of the escarpment. The walk up the road was not very steep, but rather a steady incline. We gained height gradually until we finally reached the top edge of the escarpment. From here it was a short uphill scramble to reach the top of the plateau. Overall, it seemed like an easier climb than our earlier direct assault of the castle. As was the case from the summit of Dinas Bran, the views from here were spectacular. We turned around and noticed that we were now level with the castle on the hill opposite. I had never seen Dinas Bran from this perspective. We were not alone on our hike. There were a few other hikers and lots and lots of sheep, grazing peacefully and largely ignoring our presence. The path for this part of the hike was level, and you have two tracks to choose from. You can either walk the path closest to the edge of the escarpment, or the one above it. We did a little of both and also explored areas between the two trails. Some of these excursions resulted in steep climbs. As we started our way across the plateau we saw the Trevor Rocks up close, just a little above the track. We hiked to Craig Arthur, a rocky outcropping with views west to the Horseshoe Pass. Here we saw the remains of two Bronze-Age burial cairns, one with large stones around the border, and a smaller one nearby. We were now at he far end of our hike so we turned around and started back, keeping mainly to the upper trail. We found a good high spot on the plateau and enjoyed our picnic lunch before continuing. We passed a stone-built sheepfold and past this point we found another large burial cairn situated on the highest point of Creigiau Eglwyseg. There were burial artifacts discovered here in 1879. After photographing the site we continued making our way back to the point where we had first climbed up. From here it was an easy walk back to the car, although by this time both of us were pretty tired. We spent the rest of the afternoon in Llangollen and enjoyed dinner at our hotel that evening. Afterwards we walked the town and along the river enjoying the sights and sounds of Llangollen at night. It had been another great day. Although it wasn't Snowdonia, we had spent another sunny warm day hiking some of the Dee Valley's most spectacular peaks.

One of the great things about staying in one location for multiple days is that you get the opportunity to better explore the immediate area. You don't necessarily have to do far-flung day trips to enjoy yourself. (We do a lot of those anyway.) You can stay local, and I can't think of very many places better than Llangollen to do just that. So the next day we stayed local. Our main activity was a walk and picnic along the beautiful Llangollen Canal. The canal is part of the historic Shropshire Union Canal. Until recently it was known as the Ellesmere Canal, and is a popular destination for holiday makers. It was first proposed in 1791 by a small group of industrialists who owned coal and iron mines near Ruabon, and runs from Llangollen to Hurleston in south Cheshire. The canal ends four miles west of Llangollen at Horseshoe Falls near Valle Crucis Abbey. We crossed the bridge over the River Dee and began our hike at the Llangollen Wharf. There were several colorful narrowboats tied up at the wharf. We had visited here before and enjoyed watching the narrowboats coming and going. Our plan was to hike to Sun Trevor, about three miles from the Llangollen Wharf. Of course I had packed a nice picnic lunch to enjoy along the way. (Did you have to ask?) We started our walk by heading east down the tow path that runs next to the canal. The first section of our walk was mostly in the woods and here we saw other narrowboats tied up. What a beautiful spot to park! We continued along the wooded section pf the canal for a while but eventually broke out into the open. We were now surrounded by green hills and pastures with Castell Dinas Bran looming on the hill directly behind us. As we made our way along the tow path we saw benches at various intervals and we couldn't resist stopping at a couple of these and taking in the scenery. We had discovered yet another of Llangollen's beauty spots. We came upon the canal's first overpass about two miles from the wharf, a pretty stone arched bridge spanning the canal and path. I don't remember what bridge it was (they're all numbered), but it was the one right next to the Canal Cottage. I think the cottage offers accommodations. As we were taking in the views here a couple of cyclists sped by us and darted under the bridge. A little further along we found a picnic table next to the path and this is where we decided to have lunch. Following lunch we walked just a bit further until we reached Sun Trevor, a small village along the canal. He we found another canal bridge, and just across the road from the bridge was the Sun Trevor pub. (Don't mind if I do!). This looked like a good place for "dessert" and we enjoyed a couple pints of ale on a table outside the pub before starting back. We took our time walking back because, as usual, were were in no hurry to end our walk. This was a vastly different experience from the previous day's more strenuous hiking, but we found that we enjoyed our time walking along the canal just as much.

Below: Llangollen Wharf and Canal. Bottom right: first bridge with the Canal Cottage in the background. (Watch out for those cyclists!)

It was still early when we got back from our canal walk, and we had plenty of time for more adventures. First we made a quick stop at Plas Newydd that quirky former residence of the famous "Ladies of Llangollen." Located on a hill behind the town is Plas Newydd, which for 50 years was the home of Lady Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby, who moved here from Ireland in 1780. The two were involved in what was then a scandalous same-sex relationship, but here in Llangollen they became local celebrities. We had been here the previous year (1995) so I'll only make a few comments. The original cottage was expanded by the ladies, and then again by subsequent owners in the 19th century. Although the grounds and gardens here are lovely, what makes this place different are the many oak carvings collected by the ladies and set in patchwork style over much of the exterior and interior of the house. The grounds and house are both bizarre and beautiful at the same time, and I think Plas Newydd is definitely worth a visit for both reasons.

It was a short 8 miles from Llangollen to our first destination, Chirk Castle, near Wrexham, primarily via the A5. The next two days we would visit Chirk and Powis castles, similar in a number of ways. Both are National Trust properties, and both are medieval castles that were later transformed into stately residences (mansions, really), that feature stunning gardens and landscaping. Chirk went through a succession of owners, including, Sir William Stanley, Sir Thomas Myddelton and his descendants, the Myddelton-Biddulph family, and Thomas Scott-Ellis. For the most part each owner added to the castle as it transformed from medieval stronghold to stately manor house and gardens. The parkland was originally laid out as a deer park in the 14th century, and from the early 17th century there were both formal and kitchen gardens adjacent to the castle. A section of Offa's Dyke runs through the park. The official guidebook for Chirk Castle tells us that:

"Chirk Castle, occupied virtually continuously as a castle and stately home for almost 700 years, sits on a hilltop with its best views over the Ceiriog valley to the south. The successor to two known mottes in the area, it was probably built by Roger Mortimer, of the powerful Marcher family, who was granted the area by Edward I after the Welsh defeat in 1282. He was almost certainly given royal assistance in its design and construction, and its similarities to Beaumaris suggest that work may have started as late as 1295, perhaps in response to the Welsh rising of 1294."

Most national Trust properties don't open until 1pm (or 14:00) which I've always found to be a bit annoying, and this was the case at Chirk and Powis. We arrived a little early and had to wait until the castle opened. The public car park was a short distance from the castle and the walk allowed us to survey the exterior of the castle and enjoy the interesting brown sheep grazing in front of the castle (mothers with their ewes). The first thing we noticed as we approached were the castle's large drum towers. I understand why they have been compared to the ones at Beaumaris; they are huge. We entered the castle through the impressive gateway with two of those large towers on either side. The Myddelton-Biddulph coat of arms are carved in stone over the gateway. From here we entered into the Courtyard with each side of the quadrangle displaying a different building period. There are lots of thing here including a shop, a tea room and cafe, and necessary facilities. There was a jester in the Courtyard entertaining children when we arrived (how medieval). We took the tour of the castle and were impressed with the lavish interiors. The Cromwell Hall, the Grand Staircase, the Dining Room, the Drawing Room, the Long Gallery, and the King's Bedroom, one more magnificent than the other. We had seen a lot of castles, but never one that had been transformed into a show-palace, and survived. After touring the house we adjourned to the gardens. I won't spend much time describing the grounds because it would simply take too long. They are just as magnificent as the castle and I suspect that a lot of people come here primarily for the gardens. There are groups of neatly-trimmed shrubs surrounding the castle in addition to, the Long Border, the Rose Garden, the Ha-ha, and the Hawk House, a thatch-covered cottage that was about half-way along our garden walk. There are lots of statues too, including the Hercules statue. One thing is certain. There is no way you can see everything here in a single day, and, since our time was somewhat limited, we did the best we could. Before we left we decided to grab a bite at the cafe, and enjoyed some cake and tea from the bakery, sitting outside in the courtyard watching the parade of schoolchildren and other visitors go by. We finished our visit to Chirk and then drove back to Llangollen. We rested a bit from another long day before searching for a place to have dinner. I remember we ate outside overlooking the river and I think we dined at the Corn Mill pub and restaurant.

Below: beautiful Chirk Castle and Gardens

The following morning we had breakfast at the hotel before heading out on what would be another busy day. Out first stop was Valle Crucis Abbey, a site we (again) had visited the previous year. Valle Crucis is a Cistercian abbey only about 4 miles from Llangollen, and is set in stunning countryside. The abbey was built in 1201 by Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor, Prince of Powys Fadog. Although the ruins of the abbey are not nearly as impressive as those found at Tintern, the countryside is more picturesque, and the abbey also holds a unique surprise for visitors. We parked the the modest car park close to the entrance and paid our admission to the site. The first thing that struck me about the abbey was the beautiful west front with its rose window tracery still intact. The nave is large, with green grass, and the stumps of large pillars that once carried the weight of the roof, all now framed by the hills beyond. The most impressive survival here is the vaulted chapter house, a nearly-complete building with two floors. The chapter house holds a very fine collection of medieval memorial sculpture preserved in the upstairs (the surprise) primarily from the late 13th century. Some of these are magnificent, including the slab for Madog ap Gruffudd. His inscription reads "Here lies Madog son of Gruffudd called Fychan." Madog ap Gruffudd (d.1306) was the great-grandson of the founder of the abbey, and great-grandfather of Owain Glyndwr.

The site is also home to the only remaining monastic fishpond in Wales (yet another surprise). A bench located on the far side of the pond provides outstanding views of the rear of the abbey. We remained here for quite a while. I find that the history and beauty of Valle Crucis makes it one of those places that is difficult to leave. But we had another interesting site to visit right next to the abbey, and with it we departed medieval Wales and entered the Anglo-Saxon world and the Welsh kingdom of Powys.

Found immediately next to the abbey is the 9th-century Eliseg's Pillar. According to the Cadw guidebook for Valle Crucis Abbey:

"Eliseg's Pillar is the remaining portion of a tall round-shafted cross of Mercian type, which gave its name to the valley and the neighboring abbey. All that survives today is part of the rounded lower shaft, on one side of which it is just possible to see weathered traces of early lettering. The roll mouldings at the top of the surviving section mark the point at which the squared and tapering upper portion of the cross would have originated; this may have continued to a height similar to that of the rounded shaft before being surmounted by a cross-head. The monument was probably erected in the early 9th century, celebrating the exploits of a king up to a century earlier. Eliseg's campaigns may have provoked the construction of Offa's Dyke by the English, as a defence against the Welsh, in the mid 8th century. "

We parked the car on the side of the road n across the street from a local hotel and pub. The pillar is surrounded by a low iron fence, and the inscription was very difficult to find. Although not as impressive as the carved crosses found at Nevern and Carew, it predates these fine monuments by a couple of centuries. It is one of the few surviving monuments in Wales that can be traced back to the turbulent 9th-century in Anglo-Saxon Britain; Powys, Mercia, and the great King Offa. For me, that alone makes Eliseg's Pillar unique and well worth visiting.

After finishing our visits to the abbey and pillar we made a quick stop at Horseshoe Falls before heading down the road to our next destination. The falls are part of the Llangollen Canal. The distinctively shaped weir, (460 feet long), helps create a pool of water that can enter the Llangollen Canal. It was designed by none other than Thomas Telford. Telford had a knack for making the unnatural seem natural and the man-made Horseshoe Falls are no different. Because it was such an important supplier of water, both to canals further along the route and to reservoirs for Cheshire, the canal survived the closures after the Second Word War.

We visited Valle Crucis in the morning because we had another National Trust property to visit in the afternoon (another 1 o'clock opening). It was about a 45-minute drive from Llangollen to Powis Castle in Welshpool. Powis is a medieval castle, fortress and grand country house. The seat of the Herbert family, earls of Powis, the castle is known for its formal gardens and its interiors, the former having been described as "the most important", and the latter "the most magnificent", in the country. Well, I'm not sure about that, but who am I to argue? Although similar to Chirk which we had visited the previous day, due centuries of alterations, Powis really doesn't look much like a medieval castle. It looks more like a tall, elongated manor house perched atop a serious piece of rock. The original castle dates from the 13th century, and, unlike Chirk, the builder was Welsh, Prince Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn. His son Owain inherited the castle and was eventually raised to the peerage as Owen de la Pole, 1st Lord of Powis. This was a Welsh family that did very well for themselves for two reasons; (1) Gruffydd made an alliance with King Edward I, and (2) and the lands and armies he controlled were of lesser consequence. There is an earlier Welsh-built castle nearby that dates from the 12th century, (known simply as Domen Castle) the slight remains of which can be found (if you look hard enough) adjacent to the railway station not too far from Powis Castle. It's one of hundreds of vanished Welsh castles. There are lots of similarities between Powis and Chirk. Both are medieval castles that were transformed into stately homes (mansions), and feature lavish and richly-decorated interiors, and outstanding gardens and landscapes. Powis also offers limited accommodations in small cottages located on the grounds. They are very popular and very difficult to book. (We tried and failed.)

Upon arrival we parked and made our way towards the entrance. We walked past a grove of trees to our left and in front of the castle. We entered through a gate into the Outer Ward. It was hard not to be impressed with what we found here. The Outer Ward, or Courtyard, is a rectangular enclosure with a lavish statue in the middle and two large drum towers fronted by a staircase (the Grand Staircase), at the opposite end. The statue is called "Fame borne aloft by the Winged Horse Pegasus" and was created by Andrew Carpenter circa 1705. Fame (not sure who she is), blowing a trumpet, is carried triumphantly by the rearing winged horse. Now that's an entrance piece statement if I've ever seen one. Even more impressive was the West Front with its large drum towers dating from about 1300. We toured the castle and here (again) the rooms were lavish and stunning, with names like the Oak Drawing room, the Blue Drawing Room, the State Bedroom, the Long Gallery (all stately houses apparently had to have one of these), and the Dukes Room, located in one of the West Front Towers. We toured most of the rooms then exited the castle, walking past the range of servant's quarters and kitchen on our right. Beyond here were the castle's gift shop and tea room. The next range of buildings contained the Ballroom and the Clive Museum, which houses artifacts associated with Robert Clive, also known as Clive of India. Something of a hero in his day, he was a moving force behind the founding of the East India Company, which was partly responsible for initiating the subjugation of India under British rule. We didn't spend any time here.

OK, now on to the gardens. Like Chirk, they are magnificent, but different. The gardens and landscapes at Chirk are more in the natural garden style, while those at Powis Castle seemed more formal. There are rows of terraces tumbling down from the cliff-side of the castle loaded with the most beautiful flowers you can imagine. The terraces lead to the Great Lawn, a wide stretch of perfectly manicured grass that seems fit for a lawn bowling tournament. Beyond here we saw in the distance a large field of grazing sheep. Nice. To our right were a series of paths through the woods, where we found a lake, the Daffodil Paddock, and a pet cemetery. To our left the gardens continued with the Yew Walk, the Formal Garden, the Croquet Lawn, and the Fountain Garden. I think the accommodations were in the buildings next to the Croquet Lawn. In the Fountain Garden we found the impressive Bodley Gates, stone pillars with decorative wrought iron gates topped by the family coat of arms, and two menacing-looking dragons. Cool! I think one of the dragons had something in its mouth, but I couldn't tell what. (Perhaps a servant who had strayed into a restricted area of the property). There was definitely a different vibe here as opposed to the gardens at Chirk. I'm not exactly sure why but I found myself preferring the gardens at Powis Castle, possibly because of the ridiculously-stunning trimmed rows of shrubs along the Formal Gardens, Fountain Gardens, and Croquet Lawn. On the other hand, I liked the castle at Chirk better, likely because it looks a bit more medieval. No matter, both are well worth visiting if you are into history, castles, gardens, or all three. We finished our tour of the gardens, then made our way back to Llangollen, having once again experienced more of the history and beauty of Wales.

Below: magnificent Powis Castle with views of the castle exterior from the gardens, and the Courtyard.

The following day we returned to exploring ruined medieval castles along on the border region between Wales and England. From Llangollen it was an easy drive of about an hour primarily down the A483, to reach the town of Montgomery and its castle. Montgomery Castle overlooks the town and played an important role in the wars between Wales and England. The original motte and bailey, now known as Hen Domen, was built by Roger of Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury, sometime between 1071 and 1074. The rebuilding of Montgomery Castle in stone began in 1223 a mile to the south-east of the original site. The stone castle featured a high curtain wall, a strong gatehouse protected by a ditch, two D-shaped towers, and apartments around the curtain wall of the inner ward. It was attacked by the Welsh on several occasions and rebuilt, and in 1402 the associated walled town was attacked and burnt by the forces of Owain Glyn Dwr. In 1649 following the Second English Civil War, the castle walls were demolished by Parliament, although the castle continued as a residence until 1655.

Follow this link to view the demolition orders for Montgomery Castle.

We drove through the town and soon found the castle car park. From here there is a path leading up the aptly-named Castle Hill which leads to the entrance of the castle. After a short hike we broke out of the woods and on to the summit of the castle. There is no charge to visit the castle, which is a popular place for dog walkers too. (Please pick up after your dog.) It was easy to see why Montgomery's Norman builders chose this site to replaced Hen Domen. The castle sits atop a steep rocky outcrop protected by a series of deep ditches on most of its sides. Today you enter the castle over a wooden bridge spanning the ditch and leading to the Outer Ward. There isn't much to see here other than the low ruins go the castle's curtain Wall. We continued over a second bridge spanning a ditch to arrive at Montgomery's Inner Gatehouse towers, now greatly reduced. Here we could see evidence of the gates and portcullis in the masonry slots still evident on the sides of the gatehouse. We were now in the Inner Ward where we viewed the ruins of the Kitchen, Well Tower and the Brewhouse. Like other ruined castles you have to use your imagination here to picture the castle when it was complete. Still, the lack of ruins were offset by the magnificent views of the hills that surround Montgomery. Magnificent. We took our time exploring, then decided to walk around the outside of the castle, and here the ruins took on a decidedly different look. From the outside and from the ditches surrounding the castle the height of some of Montgomery's walls and towers are still quite impressive, as was the outcropping of rock upon which the castle was built. This is where one has to go to appreciate Montgomery's defensive positioning, something that is not apparent from inside the castle. After completing our tour we returned to the car park and then drove up Castle Walk for pub lunch at The Dragon Hotel, a Tudor-era building that sits at the base of Castle Hill. According to the Hotel's website, The Dragon was originally built as a Coaching Inn around 1630, and it is believed that some of the materials used for the completion of the hotel came from the castle ruins, including a number of the exposed beams seen throughout the hotel. Maybe we would get to see more of the castle after all. We parked and headed to the pub which had a variety of spring flowers blooming around the entrance. The building and pub were both interesting and we enjoyed our usual Plaice and Chips along with a couple of pints of real ale on the hand-pump. After lunch we headed back to the car to ponder our next destination. We had visited the Norman Castle of Montgomery. Now we were going to visit the neighboring Welsh castle built in opposition to Montgomery, a construction that help spark the First Welsh War of Independence (1276-77).

Below: the ruins of Montgomery Castle

Dolforwyn Castle is somewhat unique in Welsh history as it is claimed that it is the only native Welsh castle built entirely by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd (the Last). Llywelyn built the castle in the early 1270s which was taken by King Edward I as a direct threat to the nearby English castle at Montgomery. After being ordered by the king to cease construction at Dolforwyn, Llywelyn issued his famous reply saying that, as Prince of Wales, he did not need the king's permission to build a castle within his own territory. Some historians feel that Llywelyn's castle at Dolforwyn was the last straw in a chain of events that brought the last native Prince of Wales into a state of war with King Edward. Unfortunately, Llywelyn's hold on Dolforwyn did not last long, and the castle was captured by the English in 1277, only a few years after it was completed. Custody was first given to Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn but subsequently to Roger Mortimer along with the lands of Ceri and Cedewain. Following its fall, the castle design was modified by its new English overlords.

Until recently, this important Welsh castle lay all but forgotten, buried beneath the ground. Indeed, photographs of the site from the early 1980s show a series of grassy mounds interrupted by a single piece of forlorn masonry protruding from the ground. Fortunately the entire site was excavated and examined between 1981 and 2002 as a joint project between the University of Leeds, University of York, and Cadw. Over the course of three decades, students and Cadw employees spent three or four weeks each summer examining specific parts of the castle. The work was under the directorship of Dr Lawrence Butler. As a result, the transformation of the castle has been nothing short of amazing. I should mention that one of the contributors to the Castles of Wales website, Mr. Daniel Mersey, was part of the Dolforwyn excavation team for several seasons, and has provided a first-hand account of some of the activities he participated in. My wife and I were able to revisit the castle in 2002 when the excavations were near their completion, and see the transformation for ourselves. For this essay, however, I will focus on our 1996 visit when the excavations were in their mid-stages. (Please note that the photographs of the castle below are from our 2002 visit.)

The castle was not exactly easy to find, but with the help of my trusty OS map (yet again) we found parking near the base a hill and began our ascent. We ascended via a steep path through the woods. The trail up the hill finally broke out into the open countryside and led to a mound on which we saw the remains of the castle. It was obvious that, although the castle was still fragmentary, a lot of excavation had already taken place; a lot of Dolforwyn had already been uncovered and was seeing the light of day for the first time in centuries. We saw long stretches of fairly tall curtain wall along with the remains of what were once impressive towers, including the low ruins of a trademark Welsh D-tower. We went through the gatehouse and entered the inner ward. Here we were very careful to not disturb areas being excavated and those that had been marked off for excavation. We watched were we were stepping. In the Courtyard we viewed the fairly substantial remains of the Keep and the fragmentary remains of the Round Tower at the opposite end of the castle. The Welsh D-Tower was being excavated and stood at a height of about 10 feet. The remains of the northern curtain wall were substantial rising to a height of about 15-20 feet. Like Montgomery, we saw the same outstanding views of the surrounding hills. Outside the castle were the wide open spaces of the bailey, and I seem to remember that Llywelyn also founded a town somewhere close to the castle. Although when we visited the castle the ruins were still slight, being able to see this much of Dolforwyn was special, especially after centuries of being buried underground.

The construction of Dolforwyn was a pivotal moment in the history of Welsh relations with King Edward I. The castle was Llywelyn's bold declaration that he was unwilling to subjugate himself to his would-be Norman overlord. It was both a bold and calculated move. Although the conflict the castle sparked ultimately resulted in Llywelyn's defeat, he was willing to risk everything in order to maintain control over his kingdom. Other Welsh princes had attempted to survive (most, unsuccessfully) by bowing to the dictates of English kings, but Llywelyn was likely aware of this history, and chose instead to make a stand rather than capitulate. I have always admired him for that. The cycle repeated itself during the Second Welsh War of Independence (1282-83) which unfortunately resulted in Llywelyn's death. His passing, which initiated the near total subjugation of Wales, in my opinion, represents one of the darkest moments in all of Welsh history. I always list Dolforwyn as one of my favorite Welsh castles, not because of its ruins or dramatic siting, but rather because of what the castle stood for.



Dolforwyn Castle: (top left) approaching the gatehouse, (top right) the Eastern Tower, (bottom left) the Courtyard, (bottom right) curtain wall

The following morning we had breakfast at the hotel and walked around Llangollen in the morning. We like to explore the town before the tourists arrive. First we visited St Collen's Church. Collen was a monk from Glastonbury who is reputed to have arrived in Llangollen in a coracle and founded the first church on the site in the 6th century. In the 13th century a new church was built on the site and developed further in the following centuries. Inside the church we saw a beautiful series of Victorian stained glass windows, and in the cemetery we found the tomb of "The Ladies of Llangollen," Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby. They are buried here along with their loyal servant, Mary Carryl. We also spent time revisiting the Llangollen Canal and the narrowboats that were docked there. Finally, we walked along the river before returning to the hotel to begin our day's adventures.

Our first stop of the day was the historically important and lively town of Chester, just over the border in Cheshire, England. It was about a 45-minute drive from Llangollen to Chester, primarily north along the A483. Chester was founded in 79 AD by the Romans and there was a fort here during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. In the late 7th century Chester became an important Saxon town when King Aethelred of Mercia founded the Minster Church of West Mercia. Following his victory at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William The Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle to dominate the town and the nearby Welsh border, and Chester became an important Norman stronghold. He eventually gave Hugh d'Avranches control of the city as the 1st Earl of Chester. As the Normans began pushing into north Wales and building castles, they suffered setbacks from time to time as the Welsh rulers resisted their invasion attempts. Even when the Normans were pushed out of north Wales altogether, they still maintained their base at Chester as a fallback position.

We found parking near the city center fairly easily and decided first to explore the shops nearby. It was overcast and raining when we arrived but the city was still alive with people shopping and, like us, exploring the many sights. We found one of those medieval shops (can't remember the name) that had been sending me catalogues through the mail, so we put on our tourist hats and headed inside. And yes, I did but something but I don't remember what. (I was still decorating my basement.) As we continued walking we came across the magnificent Eastgate clock atop one of the city gates, one of Chester's best-known landmarks. The gate is an opening in the Roman-built wall and was originally guarded by a timber tower which was replaced by a stone tower in the 2nd century. The clock wasn’t added until the Victorian era to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The clock has a face on each of its four sides, and is supported on an open-work wrought iron pavilion on pylons with a round arch on each side. The gate, tower and clock are quite impressive, and is said to be Britain's most photographed clock after Big Ben in London. After snapping a few photos of the clock we decided it was time for lunch so we looking for a pub. I think we chose the City Tavern where we enjoyed a decent lunch and a couple of pints of real ale. Following lunch we began searching for a stretch of town walls we could walk. Chester's impressive town walls were built by the Romans, and maintained by both the Saxons and the Normans. They remain some of the best preserved town walls in England, and this is what I really wanted to see. We finally located a section of the wall and climbed a set of stairs to the top. We spent just a bit of time walking the walls because the rain forced us to consider other activities. We toured the outside of Chester Castle, which, like other castles in Britain (Shrewsbury) has modern buildings incorporated into the medieval structure. Our final activity was a visit to Chester Cathedral, and the ruins the associated Abbey, originally a Benedictine monastery. We ducked inside the cathedral but didn't spend much time there. I was more interested in the abbey. The abbey church, the forerunner of the cathedral, was dedicated to Saint Werburgh and now lies in splendid ruin next to the cathedral. I found the ruins interesting and the red colored sandstone combined with the rainy day made the site quite atmospheric. We had been enjoying ourselves in Chester for a couple of hours and it was time to move onto our next destination. As we departed we thought that if we ever returned, Chester would be a great base for exploring this part of England and Wales.

Below Top row: Chester's busy city center, Bottom row: Eastgate Clock and town wall

We remained in England for the rest of the day, exploring some of the castles found along the Marches; the border between Wales and England. Our first stop was Whittington Castle, just a short 45 minutes south of Chester on the A483. Whittington was originally a motte-and-bailey castle, but was rebuilt in the 13th century with large stone towers and a curtain wall surrounding a courtyard. The site was originally fortified as a castle in 1138 for William Peverel, a supporter of the Empress Matilda, daughter of King Henry, I against King Stephen during the civil war between the two rivals for the English crown. We parked next to the castle and headed towards the outer gatehouse next to the road. The gatehouse has two large towers and is surrounded by a moat. A low stone bridge straddles the moat and leads through the gatehouse. Inside the north tower we found a Grade I listed 17th-century cottage. The layout of the castle is a bit confusing. The actual castle is over another bridge to the left of the outer gatehouse and is also surrounded by the moat. There is only one tower of the inner gatehouse still standing. In the Inner Bailey we saw the remains of the great hall, a stone keep, the castle well, and footings of the curtain wall. To the right were the castle gardens and a large mound with steps that looked like a motte. A sign told is that this was a "Viewing Mound for the Gardens." We spent some time exploring the perimeter of the castle trying to piece together the layout. Once we understood the castle's true dimensions, it became apparent Whittington was once a substantial medieval fortress. The castle witnessed some important history too; not only the border conflicts between Wales and England, but the dynastic conflicts between Stephen and Matilda. On that count alone, Whittington is a remarkable survival. We only spend about half an hour here because I was anxious to visit the next two castles on our agenda. (As a side note, I seem to remember that shortly after our visit I came across an advertisement for a caretaker to live in the castle. I was tempted but...)

Below: the Outer Gatehouse and moat at Whittington Castle

It took us a little over an hour to travel the 50 miles or so to our next destination, Stokesay Castle, located just a few miles from the market town of Ludlow in Shropshire. Stokesay isn't exactly a medieval castle, but rather an impressive fortified medieval manor house currently under the care of English Heritage. Architecturally, Stokesay is considered one of the best-preserved medieval fortified manor houses in England. From the English Heritage guidebook for the castle we learn the following (Julian Munby):

"Stokesay Castle is a remarkable survival, a fortified manor house which has hardly altered since the late 13th century. The house was built by Lawrence Ludlow, a leading wool merchant of his day, who created a comfortable residence combining an aesthetically pleasing design with some defensive capabilities. In doing so, he took advantage of the newly established peace on the Welsh border following Edward I's defeat of the Welsh prince Llywelyn the Last. This enabled him to build a large hall, comfortable solar, or private apartment, with windows on the outside world, without fear of attack. "

We found parking close to the castle and approached the gatehouse, passing the Church of St John the Baptist along the way. The gatehouse, the entrance to the castle, is a 17th-century timber and plaster building painted in bright yellow and quite handsome. This is where we paid our admission. The building itself is a fascinating survival, and features many fine carvings on its exterior wooden beams and framing. Through the Gatehouse we entered into the courtyard. The courtyard faces a stone hall and solar block, protected by the North and South Towers. We climbed a set of wooden stairs leading to the South Tower, a large three-storied building topped by battlements and dating from the late 13th century. The tower is complete and we were able to visit all three levels and explore the different rooms. Although the tower may not have been constructed for military purposes, the thick walls and crenellated roof definitely made it look like it could handle any would-be attackers. We then visited the three-storied North Tower which is reached via a 13th-century staircase in the hall. On the top level we found those iconic half-timbered walls jutting out above the tower's stone walls, probably the castle's most photographed feature. We also visited the 13th century Hall and the castle's apartment range. We finished our tour by walking around the castle so we could see the exterior of the towers and other buildings. I bet a lot of people don't bother to do this, but it was interesting to see the castle's construction techniques from this vantage point. Stokesay is a marvelous, basically complete castle with lots of different buildings and rooms to explore. The surviving detail here covers several centuries, beginning with the castle's late 13th century construction. We had never visited a castle quite like this, although in some ways it reminded us of Penhow, a smaller "knight's castle" in southeast Wales. After spending some time in the gatehouse gift shop we got back in the car and headed to our final destination for the day. We would be visiting an important castle that for centuries was the key to English control of the Marches and Wales.

Below: (1) general view of the castle, (2): view of the south Tower, (3): interior of the North Tower (4): the gatehouse with the church in the background

Ludlow Castle is only 8 miles south of Stokesay. The origins of the castle go back to the mid-12th century when it is mentioned by chroniclers, although some historians feel that parts the towers and gatehouse date from the 11th century. Ludlow was part of a string of Norman castles built on the borderlands between Wales and England, the Marches, in an attempt to control and conquer Wales. For more than a century Ludlow was virtually the capital of Wales and its courts were busy with criminal, ecclesiastical and civil cases. This resulted in much new building at the castle, especially in the 1550s and in 1581. Originally the castle was part of the important manor of Stanton, held since 1066 by the de Lacy family. Roger Mortimer of Wigmore refurbished the castle in the early 14th century and was created earl of March before his downfall following the murder of King Edward II in 1326. During the Wars of the Roses the castle came into the possession of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York. When his son became King Edward IV, the castle reverted to the Crown and remained a Crown possession for the next 350 years. In 1502 the heir to the English crown, Prince Arthur, son of King Henry VII, died at Ludlow, and his early death allowed his brother to eventually become king. Just imagine how history might have been different had Arthur become king rather than his younger brother, Henry VIII.

Ludlow is a lively market town with lots of Tudor-style half-timber buildings, and is a popular place to both live and visit. The town and castle offer superb views over the Shropshire countryside. It was easy to find parking in the town, so we paid-and-displayed then headed to the castle. The first thing that struck us was that Ludlow is huge. The castle is protected by a very large inner bailey surrounded by a tall curtain wall. We paid our admission at the Gatehouse, which is part of a complex of buildings along the curtain wall of the outer bailey. Other building here include the Porter's Lodge, Prison, and Stables. From here we made our way across the grassy courtyard to the castle's inner gatehouse. The square gatehouse is flanked by the castle's curtain wall on the right, and a massive Keep a the left. We passed through the Judges Lodgings, a range of apartments along the back of the Gatehouse and entered the Inner Ward. We first explored the lodgings where we saw some of the castle's finest surviving detail, including rows of decorative windows, arched doorways, and fireplaces. Quite magnificent. Directly in front of us was Ludlow's Norman Chapel, a round, crenellated tower that is one of the castle's most recognizable features. Even in ruin the chapel is magnificent. It looked like a tower on the outside, but definitely a chapel on the inside. We entered through a sculpted, arched Norman doorway and inside we found small decorative columns supporting low stone arches. Very nice. We next explored the massive Keep and the buildings found along the North Range. Both places had stairs leading to the top of the castle. From here you can really appreciate Ludlow's strategic positioning. There is a lot to see at Ludlow Castle and we spent most of the late afternoon here. I think my two favorite things about Ludlow are the Norman Chapel and the range of apartments behind the gatehouse. I kept marveling at the fine windows and doorways, still in evidence after all these centuries, and imagining the luxury its residents enjoyed. Following our visit to the castle we stopped in several shops in the town and spent some time admiring the many half-timbered buildings we found. Afterwards we drove back to Llangollen for our final night in Wales.

Below: mighty Ludlow Castle. Top row: Gatehouse and rear gatehouse apartments. Bottom row: the Norman Chapel and view from the Keep.

As usual, we had so many satisfying adventures on this leg of our holiday that it's difficult to single out one moment. Nevertheless, for me the most emotionally uplifting and humbling moment was our visit to Dolforwyn Castle. I felt something here. Whether it was the angst of Llywelyn and his followers at this brave but ultimately futile attempt to maintain his rightful rule over his kingdom, or just my imagination, I don't know. Coming in second was our beautiful walk and picnic along the Llangollen Canal, an exercise in pure, beautiful relaxation. The following morning we checked out of our hotel and said a reluctant good-bye to the Dee Valley. We had a final two nights in Oxford before returning home. Even so, we find that it's always hard to leave Wales, and I felt a tinge of sadness as we crossed the border into England.

In Oxford we had booked a couple of nights at the Randolph Hotel close to the city center. The Randolph is a good central location for exploring the town and is right across the street from one of my favorite museums, the Ashmolean. We did the usual touristy things; explored the town and a couple of the colleges, checked out the Bodleian Library, Radcliffe Camera, and the Bridge of Sighs, visited the Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum, the Ashmolean (of course), and had dinner at the Trout Inn. We had a great time in Oxford too, but I'm not going into detail here because that's not really what this essay is about.

After returning home I spent some time reflecting on all we had done and seen on this trip. (As always) I was surprised by the number of places we able to visit in a two-week period. The Gower Peninsula, Snowdonia, Anglesey, and the Dee Valley; they were all beautiful and wonderful. God willing, I will never forget the two beautiful hikes we did in Snowdonia (along with the scary one), the stunning beauty of the Gower Peninsula, the magic of Anglesey, and history and beauty we saw during our stay in Llangollen. I am still amazed at the number of paces we had visited in Britain in a 3-year period. (It was nice being young.) We gave Britain a break the following year, but returned for a whopping three-week holiday in 1998, with only a couple of days in Wales. It was time to explore elsewhere.

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