Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category
October 23rd, 2009
CARDIFF — I walked back into the city centre this morning and visited Cardiff Castle. The castle grounds are very spacious what with the castle’s surrounding earthworks having been built over the top of the walls of a Roman fort giving it a square shape. I climbed to the top of the keep to get some good views across Cardiff before taking a tour through the castle apartments.
Read the rest of this entry »
October 22nd, 2009
CARDIFF — I left St Clears with the windscreen wipers going but it wasn’t long before the sun came out. My first stop was at Burry Port as this was where my grandmother’s brother had once lived. I managed to find the street and the house without too much trouble but finding a park was another matter.
Read the rest of this entry »
October 21st, 2009
ST CLEARS — I awoke to a clear blue sky and the promise of a good drive to St Clears. And for most of the day it stayed fine, only beginning to rain mid-afternoon. I stopped at quite a few lay-bys (those that didn’t appear suddenly) to view the scenery and snap some photographs. After a while I realised I couldn’t do this at very lay-by as I’d never get to St Clears!
Read the rest of this entry »
October 20th, 2009
PONTERWYD — The day dawned wet and miserable. Showers kept coming and going; some light and some heavy. My first stop was the Llechwedd Slate Caverns. Some 120 man-made caverns exist within the mountain on 16 levels. I went on one of the tours that took you by train into the mountain to see a cavern where slate was mined; followed by a demonstration of how the mined slate is split. Still done by hand as no machine has been developed that can do it better.
Read the rest of this entry »
October 19th, 2009
BANGOR — I walked to the University of Bangor this morning to visit a former work colleague now working at the university. We spent an hour and a half or so chatting and I was given a quick tour of the Library and Archives.
And before anyone asks, I wasn’t able to obtain a model release!
Read the rest of this entry »
October 18th, 2009
BANGOR — Now that I’m in Wales I have to get used to seeing everything written twice. The road signs now take twice as long to read.
I continued on into Wales: destination Bangor. I arrived about 12:30 pm. as I took the slower coast road through Flint and Prestatyn.
Read the rest of this entry »
October 17th, 2009
WREXHAM — Nottingham to Wrexham was a very pleasant drive I didn’t take as direct a route as I might have (Nottingham, Riplay, Belper, Ashbourne, Uttoxeter, Stone, Whitchurch, Ruabon, Wrexham) as I wanted to miss the most built-up areas.
Read the rest of this entry »
October 16th, 2009
NOTTINGHAM — This morning dawned brighter but decidedly chillier. I went north on the M1 and followed the signs to Bolsover Castle. This is a 17th century home built by William Cavendish as a medieval-style fantasy castle. He was an accomplished horseman and his horses lived in style as well.
Read the rest of this entry »
October 15th, 2009
NOTTINGHAM — After checking out of the Travelodge I drove into Lincoln and found a park in the cathedral quarter. The weather was overcast with patchy drizzle so I thought a visit to the cathedral might give the weather a chance to clear. I was very impressed with Lincoln Cathedral—from its impressive west front to its stained glass windows. Its windows are probably the best and most colourful I’ve seen in a cathedral.
Read the rest of this entry »
October 14th, 2009
LINCOLN — Leaving Norwich, I headed west towards King’s Lynn and a Norman Keep called Castle Rising. Hmmm, I seem to have a bit of a theme going here. This one was in a much more ruinous state than the last two and wasn’t being used as a museum but there was still plenty to look at and climb over. The castle was once the residence of the widow of Edward II and later belonged to the Howard family.
Read the rest of this entry »