the best pubs, restaurants, hotels and places to visit
I’ve recently started as a volunteer lock keeper on the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal at Llangynidr. Not knowing that much about the canal I decided to research it all as the basis for a new website about the canal. There are some great resources out there about the canal, so the website just builds on what’s already been done. The website focuses more on contemporary photos of the main locations on the canal.
It’s still a work in progress but worth a visit I think – Mon and Brec Canal
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.
Last week we went to the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Llandow, in the Vale of Glamorgan. We were invited as guests of the Principality Building Society which was very nice. 🙂 The Principality is Wales’ largest mutual building society and is the main sponsor of the National Eisteddfod choral competitions.
The Eisteddfod is a cultural festival and is held annually in Wales. Its location alternates each year between north and south Wales and is normally held at a new site each time. This year Llandow between Cowbridge and Llantwit Major was chosen.
The Eisteddfod is held on the ‘Maes’ which is home to a big pink Pavilion and up to three hundred stands and exhibits. The Pavilion is the focus of competing and ceremonies during the week long event. The whole festival takes place in the Welsh language but it welcomes visitors from all nations and speaking all languages.
We stopped off today at Llantrithyd Church. It’s situated in the centre of the rural Vale of Glamorgan half way between Cardiff and Cowbridge. It’s off the beaten track along a small lane that runs from Bonvilston through the countryside eventually ending up in Llantwit Major.
The church appears to date from the 1500s and is a beautiful place. The inside of the church is well worth a visit when it’s open – “Here is a massive 16th century family altar tomb dominating the tiny interior. It retains its colourful paint and gilded detailing and shows a man in armour laying next to his wife, both with their hands together in prayer.” – Wales Online
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.