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Just before the Covid-19 lock-down started we visited the Long Wood Nature Reserve in north Cardiff. Running through the Reserve is part of the old Glamorganshire Canal.
Nearby is the Mellingriffith Water Pump. The pump was built around about 1793 to pump waste water from the nearby tin plate works into the canal to maintain water levels.
Cardiff Castle was featured prominently in the news recently. It was the host venue of a dinner at the 2014 NATO Summit held in South Wales in September 2014. It’s a great castle situated right in the centre of the city. The castle has a long history of development from a Roman fort to a Norman castle through to the modern Marquess of Bute incarnation. It has imposing stone walls and a wonderful shell keep in the centre.
Of great interest and held in great affection by the locals is the Animal Wall which was designed by William Burges and built in 1890. The photo shows the lioness which is one of 15 animals that stretch along the wall from the castle tower to the River Taff.
The Castle is well worth a visit and you can even visit the animals for free as you walk along the pavement towards the river. Entrance to Cardiff Castle is quite expensive at £12 for adults. If you do visit make sure you pay the small extra charge for a tour of the Castle itself. It’s well worth it to see some amazing rooms! The tour takes about 50 minutes.
Thanks to Darren Waters for the photo from his Flickr collection. Click on the photo for a better view.
Cardiff Castle is located right in the centre of Cardiff at the west end of the main shopping street of Queen St.
Autumn is fully upon us in Cardiff Bay.
These trees are alongside the Roath Basin next to the Atradius building, and show some great colours.
Across the basin the new BBC studios are currently being built. When finished they’ll be used for Casualty, Doctor Who and Torchwood.
This weekend Cardiff Bay is buzzing with visitors to the Cardiff Armed Forces Day with a large number of activities planned for the day on Saturday 26th June 2010.
The day is focused around the Roald Dahl basin and the area in front of the Senedd in the Bay.
There will be various displays, shows and static stands.
HMS Kent is also moored in the Roath Basin alongside the Atradius building and it will be possible to have tours around this Type 23 frigate.
Well worth a visit.
I recently discovered Stuart Herbert’s Photo Diary.
Stuart is an excellent amateur photographer who concentrates on landscapes and Post-Industrial South Wales.
He’s currently documenting the Merthyr Road – the legacy of the industrialisation of the South Wales Valleys from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff Docks.
Stuart is great at capturing the essence of the industrial South Wales valleys and his photos are well worth a look.
You can find Stuart’s photo diary here – http://blog.stuartherbert.com/photography/ and more of his photos on Flickr here – http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuartherbert/
We visited St Augustine’s Church in Penarth last week. The church is set high up on the headland between Cardiff Bay and the Bristol Channel. Its prominent position means that it’s clearly visible for miles around.
I see the church almost every day but have never visited it before. It has stunning views back across the Bay towards the Pierhead building, Mermaid Quay and the city centre, and then on to the hills and mountains north of Cardiff.
The church is pretty impressive, though the graveyard needs a bit of love and attention.
Dr. Joseph Parry (1841-1903), the composer of “Myfanwy” is buried in the churchyard.