Wynmelvin » Gwynedd

October 20th, 2009

Russell — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:36:12 +0000

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.

It was then on to Portmeirion. The weather stayed lousy and I can only imagine that Portmeirion would look stunning on sunny day. Luckily Portmeirion has plenty of doorways and arches etc. that allowed me to take photographs without the camera becoming waterlogged.

It was then time to head for Aberystwyth—which I did via Harlech where I stopped and had a look at another of Edward I’s string of castles. The tallest tower provided stunning views over Harlech and the surrounding countryside. The road leading to the castle was steep and winding and I nearly came to grief when surprised by a descending car—almost stalled.

I turned inland at Aberystwyth and headed for my lodgings for the night in Ponterwyd. The B&B was actually just before Ponterwyd—I was passed it before I had finished reading the sign. I also overshot it on the way back from dinner in Ponterwyd—but my excuse is it was dark at the time!

October 19th, 2009

Russell — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:30:11 +0000

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!

I walked back to the Bed and Breakfast via the town centre as I needed to get some more cash and came across Bangor Cathedral. I didn’t realize Bangor had a cathedral so I couldn’t pass by without having a look.

In the afternoon I followed a suggestion from Tracey and headed for South Stack near Holyhead. Wind swept cliffs which are the breeding ground for thousands of pairs of birds, though there were no birds visible, it was a very picturesque location.

October 18th, 2009

Russell — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:39:37 +0000

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.

I stopped and did the tour of Penrhyn Castle—another fantasy castle built by a very wealthy man but 200 years after Bolsever Castle. The amount of decoration in the stonework, woodwork and plasterwork was staggering.

After Penrhyn Castle I drove across the Menai Strait and on to Beaumaris. Unfortunately I didn’t have Tracey’s address immediately to hand (it was tucked up in my laptop cushioned deep within my suitcase) so I was unable to make a surprise visit. So I visited the Castle instead.

One of Edward I’s string of castles, Beaumaris Castle presents an impressive ruin. I particularly enjoyed the long passage within the wall that linked two of the towers—managed to scare off a couple of pigeons along with giving myself a fright.