Waterfalls of Wales

To round our castle trips off we stopped off at Caerphilly Castle. A stone mountain of a place, surrounded by a series of moats and watery islands which was the brainchild of Gilbert ‘the Red’ de Clare. After 1486, the castle went into decline. The water defences drained away. In 1583 the castle was leased to Thomas Lewis, who stripped it of much of its stone to extend his house, causing extensive damage.

In 1642 the English Civil War broke out. South Wales was predominantly Royalist during the conflict. It is also uncertain whether or not Caerphilly Castle was deliberately slighted by Parliament to prevent its future use as a fortification. Although several towers had collapsed by the 18th century, possibly as a result of such an operation, it is probable that this deterioration was the result of subsidence damage caused when the water defences retreated, as there is no evidence of deliberate destruction having been ordered. One of the main towers still stands at a precarious angle which, it is claimed, leans more than twice that of the tower at Pisa.

So on to our base in Merthyr and the start of out waterfall walks. Wales really is five star walking country - but one sadness it has currently a major problem with verge side littering and fly tipping which, if left unchecked, could spoil one of its best natural resources.

First up was the Melincourt Trail (Llwybr Melin y Cwrt)

 After the hillside trek we took a gentler meander along part of the Neath Canal around Resolver:












After tea at the Aberdulais tea shop we rounded the day off with a short walk to the Henrhyd Falls (Sgwd Henryd) which, at over 90 ft, is the largest waterfall in South Wales. One of two major falls we found where, if fully waterproofed, you can walk behind - a magnet for school adventure trips.














After a good nights rest it was on to Nant Llech river trail 

After refreshments at the Garwent Forest Centre it was off to the Taf Fechan Trail near our base in Merthyr. The river course contained some amazing geological formations caused, over the years, by river erosion. The river crossing turning point is at the base of an impressive worked out stone quarry.



Ending the day in the marvellous Star pub in Talybont on Usk purveyors of fine real ale and good company.














The penultimate day saw us on the Four Falls Trail from Cwm Porth, taking in Sgwd Clun-Gwyn, Sgwd yr Eira and Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn.

at the outset there are some serious caves, reserved for experienced cavers only!

Sadly it was time to meander home, but via Craig y nos country park. Situated in a picturesque location in the secluded upper Swansea Valley there are woodlands, meadows, ponds, lawns and rivers The historic grounds of Craig-y-nos Castle, once home to the internationally famous opera singer Adelina Patti, 

Adelina Patti

are spread on the banks of the River Tawe. There are Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman remains in the surrounding hills, and it is believed that the current castle sits on the same site once occupied in the early medieval period by the castle of the local Welsh Prince. The castle and the country park that occupy the site today date back to the Victorian era.

Castle can just be seen behind the trees

Drama and Daffodils III

So to the last of the three Golden Triangle weekends, this time Dymock.

a great year for celandines too

Then off to Wales for the theatre, this time an audience with the incomparable Dylan Moran at the amazing Donald Gordon Theatre in the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

just an amazing stained wood interior

It was packed to the rafters. Moran's unique brand of humour left - very reminiscent of the early days of Billy Connelly -  you with aching sides. Have to say, though, on balance his Black Books side kick Bill Bailey has the edge on sheer versatility and vitality.

Also had time to peruse Cardiff Castle and its neighbouring park. Seems much of South Wales was colonised by the Earl of Bute and his cohorts bringing their own unique style of interior decorating to the area:

The Roman fort at Cardiff was probably established at the end of the 50s AD, on a strategic site that afforded easy access to the sea.

After the Norman conquest, the Castle’s keep was built, re-using the site of the Roman fort. The first keep on the motte, erected by Robert Fitzhamon, Norman Lord of Gloucester, was built of wood.

The Castle passed through the hands of many noble families until in 1766, it passed by marriage to the Bute family. The 2nd Marquess of Bute was responsible for turning Cardiff into an international coal exporting port. The Castle and Bute fortune passed to his son John, the 3rd Marquess of Bute, who by the 1860s was reputed to be the richest man in the world.

From 1866 the 3rd Marquess employed the genius architect William Burges to transform the Castle lodgings. Within gothic towers he created lavish and opulent interiors, rich with murals, stained glass, marble, gilding and elaborate wood carvings. 

The 3rd Marquess and Burges went on to create Castell Coch, which can be seen in the distance from the battlements of Cardiff Castle:

During the war reinforced battlement corridors were opened as air raid shelters holding almost 2,000 local residents.

Following the death of the 4th Marquess of Bute, the family decided to give the Castle and much of its parkland to the city of Cardiff. For 25 years, the Castle was home to the National College of Music and Drama.

Earl of Bute's country seat :)

There is a wonderful walk along the river in Bute Park which begins and ands at the wonderfully atmospheric Pettigrew Tea Rooms.

The Calm and the Storm

Another extraordinary Spring day here in Gloucestershire so it was a return to the Daffodil Way to walk a different woods around Kilcot.

Been a good lambing season too:







The other fascination about walks here and in the Forest are the unexpected finds you keep coming upon. At the tail end of one field was the remains of the ill fated Newent coal mine - 

click to enlarge

We took a detour to wander a stretch of the Brokemoorhead Brook and a few miles on, would you believe, we ended up back at the Oxenhall tea tent and downed another welcoming bowl of broth before retracing our steps :-p

A strange coincidence. As we left Betty Dawes Wood yesterday a convoy of classic cars went by - Ford Anglias, Minis, Rileys et al. Today as we arrived, again, at Dymock Church for tea n cakes there was a rally on the green of Morgan three wheelers. Loud, brassy and just an amazing sight!

Often started with a side mounted starting handle the front mounted open twin cylinder engines ROARED into life Though a draw back seemed to be a lack of reverse gear so when one owner failed to complete a dog leg onto the main road he had to be pushed backward on an opposite lock in order to complete the manoeuvre :)

Drama and Daffodils Part II

Repeating the success of last weekend, this week ...

The play was "The Absence of War" at the Everyman Cheltenham. We first saw this play at the National in London some years back with the amazing John Thaw playing The Rt Hon George Jones M.P. (read Neil Kinnock). Wasn't sure if that performance could be matched but it was, and with ease, by Reece Dinsdale. Congrats to the entire cast for a magnificent play!

BY DAVID HARE. DIRECTED BY JEREMY HERRIN.

A HEADLONG, ROSE THEATRE, KINGSTON 

AND SHEFFIELD THEATRES CO-PRODUCTION

It's now or never for George Jones. The charismatic leader of the Labour Party needs to get out of opposition and into Number Ten. Plagued by a hostile media, beset by divisions in his party and haunted by his own demons, George has three weeks to convince the Great British Public that he's their man. But how much compromise is he prepared to make? How can you truly appeal to the man in the street from the House of Commons? And which tie should he wear for Prime Minister's Questions? 

Headlong presents a vigorous new production of David Hare’s funny, stinging political drama on a timely national tour during the build up to the 2015 General Election.

Then off to  Oxenhall for the second of the three Gloucestershire daffodil weekends... 

... finishing with the traditional tea n cake at the Poets Church Dymock :-p

Wicked Weekend

It was the  second part of Sis's chrissie pressie (did Strictly Live in Glasgow earlier in the year) this weekend it was Wicked in Bristol.

Escaping Munchkins :)

Map to the Emerald City

A sort of adult type pantomime noir it was a solid production with strong leads 'Gravity' being the memorable number.

Sis was due back on the 10am from Gloucester but due to a terminal jumper on the line north of Bristol all trains were cancelled, no one knew for how long and no replacement bus service. Jean had a connection in Brum in an hour and a half so we grabbed her + a goerdie couple trying to get back to Newcastle, bundled them and suitcases into the back of the car n headed for the M5. The motorway was unusually clear n got there in under an hour. Almost got to the station but all the roads had been dug up due to the Bullring revamp so disgorged passengers and luggage and they ran the last few hundred yards to New Street. Jean made her train with about 5 mins :) Good deed for the day done :)

M and I returned to continue our planned day of walking the daffodil woods at Kemply (the first of the three daffy weekends in the Golden Triangle). Lovely wander but despite a fairly mild winter the daffs were not as far on as last year though there were still many pleasing clumps of gold and catkins on the walk.

... and some of our own home grown

Terry - "With his passing the world is a less fantastic place".

So much universe, and so little time

"I once had to buy a suitcase on a book tour. It had four wheels and a mind of its own. I went right, it went left. I went straight on, it veered in random directions. And because I was in America and Homeland Security searched it every time I flew, whenever I opened it, my clothes were configured differently. Inevitably, I christened it The Luggage, after Terry Pratchett’s sapient pearwood invention, an object generally announced by the patter of its many feet, and characterised by its ever-changing and apparently random contents.

And that for me is the key thing about Pratchett’s fantasy. It always has reality stitched into it, so people like me who don’t read much fantasy feel at home in his world of magic, monstrousness and mortality".

 

Val McDermid

As a family we were lucky enough to catch the great man at one of his last public appearances at the Cheltenham Literary Festival. We have, as have many, an extensive collection of Discworld novels and have visited Ankh Morpork on many occasions past and present.

So as he shares a ride on Binky into the sunset we wish a fond farewell to an inspirational writer.

A short collection from his extensive original quotes:

Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.

It’s not worth doing something unless someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren’t doing it.

Stories of imagination tend to upset those without one.

Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can.

The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they’ve found it.

There are times in life when people must know when not to let go. Balloons are designed to teach small children this.

The truth may be out there, but the lies are inside your head.

Goodness is about what you do. Not who you pray to. 

The Guardian 13/3/2015