Wales – A Traveling Fool

September 8, 2024

Viking British Isles Explorer Cruise: A Private Tour of Gwydir Castle in Wales

On part of my mother’s maternal side, I have Welsh ancestry. They came from Caernarvonshire. By the time they settled on a last name (when they came to the US) the name was Jones. Prior to that, the name changed with every generation. Jones was for the son of John. Roberts was the son of Robert. Davies was the son of David. And on from there. This makes tracing one’s ancestry interesting. Even so, I have managed to get into the late 1700s to someone with the last name of Thomas.

Due to my Welsh connection, I have been to Wales many times in the past. It is a beautiful country and I love visiting there. I have also toured some Welsh castles in the past, but they have mostly been in ruins.

Considered to be the ‘finest Tudor House in Wales’, Gwydir Castle is also located in Caernarvonshire. It is on the River Conwy across from the market town of Llanrwst. This is actually one of the easier Welsh words to try to pronounce – “Clanwurst”.

While having tea after the tour of Gwydir (“Gwideer”) I repeated a couple things my grandmother had taught me in Welsh, especially a particular word I used to hear a lot. It was “kirikeg”. The lady of the house, Judy, laughed at that one. It means “shut up”, not a polite “be quiet”. No surprise there. My grandmother was not exactly the cuddly type. She (and my paternal grandmother too), were much more prickly types. Who knows how I ended up being such a hugger.

The oldest part of the castle is thought to date back to sometime around 1500. By the time the current owners (Peter and Judy Welford) purchased the property, several parts of the castle were missing. They were really quite fortunate that anything was left. Judy said during our tour that it was quite a daunting task. I purchased both the guide book (Gwydir Castle: A History and Guide) that Peter wrote and the book (Castles In The Air) that Judy wrote telling the story of the restoration. Both are well-written and quite fascinating.

After giving us an introduction in the Great Court with its adjoining knot garden (populated with some of the 25 peacocks roaming the grounds), Judy took us around to the Great Terrace to the East of the castle. Then we went through Sir John’s Gate. Sir John Wynn was the 1^st Baronet of Gwydir and inherited the castle in 1580. One of the dogs was hanging out there, keeping an eye out as dogs do. We passed through the Old Dutch Garden on the North side of the castle to enter through the main entrance into the Lower Hall. This was originally the kitchen, but became the entrance hall fairly early on as the manor house expanded into a castle.

From there we entered the Hall of Justice, which served as a manorial court at the time of the 1^st Baronet. The Dining Room was next. The contents of this room (not just furniture, but paneling, fireplace overmantel, chandelier, etcetera) had been sold in 1921 to William Randolph Hearst during an auction of the remaining contents of the house. It was subsequently sold to the Metropolitan Museum of New York and finally tracked down and returned to Gwydir in 1996.

The Solar Hall in the Solar Tower has been used as a parlor for much of its life. From there we had a choice of taking either the medieval turnpike stairs or the Victorian staircase to get up to the First Floor (in the UK, it is Ground Floor, First Floor, and so on). I chose the medieval stairs. Reaching the top, I found myself alone in the Great Chamber. The rest of the group had chosen the Victorian staircase. Plus I could hear questions being asked and answers being given from below, so I decided to move on to the passage and explore that until the rest of the group came upstairs.

There, to the left of a chimney, I found an old Tudor loo. Across the hall was a bedroom furnished in the manner of the mid-1600s. The 2^nd Baronet, Sir Richard Wynn, was the Chief Gentleman of the Bedchamber to King Charles I and so this room was furnished for that time period. It is called the Ghost Room. I found it to be somewhat creepy, but not terribly so.

It was the small space between the Ghost Room and another chimney that really creeped me out. I didn’t know why a Priest’s Hole would feel so odd to me. All it contained was a trap door where the Catholic founder of the Wynn family, Meredith Wynn, could hide a priest and/or any specifically Catholic religious objects. In addition to the decidedly spooky feeling that I was not entirely alone, I had also experienced a very unpleasant aroma.

The others were coming up the stairs, so I decided to rejoin the group in the Great Chamber. My favorite part of the Great Chamber was a smaller area with windows on three sides which jutted out over the Great Court with wonderful views of the Knot Garden. Once we had explored the Great Chamber, everyone moved on through the corridor to reach the Hall of Meredith, which was directly above the Lower Hall. This time, the Priest’s Hole didn’t unnerve me so much as I passed. I also didn’t smell anything disturbing. I shrugged and continued on with the rest of the group.

Later, in the guide book, I read about the ghosts at Gwydir Castle. It seems that one of the former owners seduced a serving maid in his youth. Then, when the relationship became complicated, he murdered her in the ghost room and walled her up in one of the chimney breasts. Earlier this century, both the loo and the priest’s hole were discovered during the renovations. The skeletal remains of the dead girl were found in the priest’s hole. So, when I was on my own, did I encounter the serving maid’s ghost?

We spent quite some time in the Hall of Meredith before moving on to the Paneled Parlor. The Hall of Meredith was named after the Wynn family founder, who was descended from Welsh royalty. He managed to father 27 children with three wives and four ‘concubines’. He also had a reputation as quite the warrior. The Hall of Meredith had a really cool arched-braced collar truss ceiling.

After visiting these last two rooms, we headed back downstairs (I took the main staircase this time) to the Lower Hall to enjoy some tea and scones. This was when my Welsh grandmother and the word “kirikeg” came up in the conversation.

Back in the Knot Garden, one of the male peacocks was showing off for one of the females. I got him to show off for me too and got some beautiful photos of him in all of his glory. Then, another male decided to fight it out with him and I needed to quickly jump out of the way before ending up in the middle of the fight. The original male was defeated by the interloper and ended up going up onto the garden wall to sulk. The newcomer then showed his fine plumage to three female peacocks and me. As another male strode over towards us, I decided to move elsewhere so as not to possibly end up in the middle of another territorial ruckus.

Before heading back to the ship, we took a drive through Snowdonia National Park. It really is a gorgeous place with loads of mountains. We also went through the town of Betwys y Coed. It is a place I have been to on four or five of my other trips to Wales. We didn’t stop this time, however. A shame really as I had learned on other visits some great places for wine, cheese, meat pies, and pastries.

Our final destination on our way back to the ship was to the town with the longest name in Wales. This was Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Do not ask me how to pronounce it. I do know that both Welsh actor Michael Sheen and Scottish actor David Tennant can say it correctly as they memorably demonstrated on the Graham Norton show one of the times that they appeared on that British chat show together.

Back at the ship I attended Russell Lee’s discourse on “The Story of the Beatles in Four Songs” after the port talk on the next day’s visit to Liverpool. Sherry and Christine joined me for both and the wait staff brought me “the usual”. Then we went to dinner.

Next time – Liverpool: The home of the Beatles.

September 6, 2020

Conwy Castle & Chatsworth House

When we arrived in Conwy, Jamie gave us a grand tour of the town and then dropped us off at the castle for three hours on our own to spend at the castle, around the town, or any combination thereof. Bet you know what I chose. You know me too well. I went straight to the castle.

Built between 1283 and 1289 by King Edward I of England, Conwy was one of castles meant to subjugate the Welsh. It was a temporary haven for Richard II in 1399 and was used during the English Civil War as a stronghold for Royalist forces, finally surrendering to the Parliamentarians in 1646. The Parliamentary forces damaged the building so it couldn’t be used against them again. It was completely ruined in 1665 and has been a site for artists and tourists ever since.

Mom and I had visited Caernarfon Castle back in 2005. Her maternal grandmother’s family was from Caernarfon. We had explored every inch of that castle and a fair amount of the town as well. Conwy wasn’t that far from Caernarfon. They were both built for the same purpose.

At Conwy, as had been the case at Caernarfon, it was possible to explore pretty much all of the castle that remained. I could go down into the cellars and climb up on the walls. I happily spent two hours there, exploring, climbing, and taking tons of photos.

The Conwy Suspension Bridge was built in 1822-26 by Thomas Telford in a style to blend in with the castle. It is a beautiful bridge. Now it is pedestrian only with a covered rail bridge to the right in the photo and a road bridge to the left.

While up on part of one of the walls, I had noticed that there was a Knight’s Shop across the street from the castle. Dogging traffic, I went across the road and checked to see what they had. I found a dagger that I really liked. It was a replica of one that had been owned by Edward, the Black Prince (Richard II’s father, for whom one of my knight ancestors served).

After purchasing the dagger, I walked around town for a while, sticking to the really old parts. Then I stopped in at a tea, sweets and gift shop, bought some mint chocolate chip ice cream and sat down with it at a table outside. Christine from Australia, who was also exploring everything she could, soon joined me with some tea and a pastry.

We spent a second night in Shrewsbury and I had dinner at the same pub across the road. I think I had the same exact food and cocktail too. The next morning, I checked out of the B&B after breakfast. I really liked the lovely couple who ran the B&B. I had also enjoyed my fellow guests.

One couple was older and was visiting town because of their son being installed as the new pastor for one of the churches. Another couple was in their twenties and backpacking their way through this part of England for their holiday. There was also a couple of women who were spending some time in Shrewsbury to see some friends of theirs. Then there was a woman from Poland who was a student at a university in London and wanted to see more of the country while on a break from school.

Our morning stop was in the Village of Leek, which is the highest village in the Staffordshire Peak District. Where we stopped, there were several houses scattered over the hillside and a small cluster of buildings, including a Bed & Breakfast called The Knight’s Table.

Our next stop was the town of Buxton. It was a spa town in Derbyshire fed by geothermal springs with a large, very beautiful, public park with several lakes and streams. There was also an Opera House which, since the town is 1,000 feet above sea level, has the honor of being the highest Opera House in Britain. After exploring the park, a couple of women from Australia and I explored some of the town.

Our big excursion that day was to Chatsworth House. I was really looking forward to that. Ever since seeing a photo of Chatsworth House when a little girl, I have wanted to visit there. That desire intensified when the house was used as Mister Darcy’s house in the mini-series of “Pride & Prejudice” in which Colin Firth starred as Darcy. For many years, I had been looking for a tour that included Chatsworth.

The house dated back to Bess of Hardwick who tore down the old house and built a new one from 1553 to 1560. Bess of Hardwick was a very interesting Elizabethan character. She married four times, each time to someone with greater wealth and power who then died and left her everything. Her second husband was Sir William Cavendish who sold his estates in southern England and bought the Chatsworth property in Bess’ home area of Derbyshire. They were married for ten years and had eight children (two of whom died in infancy) before the much older husband died.

Bess’ fourth child and second son, also named William, became the 1^st Earl of Devonshire. A few generations later, the 4^th Earl became the 1^st Duke of Devonshire. The Dukes of Devonshire, still named Cavendish, still own Chatsworth.

Bess’ fourth husband was one of Mary Queen of Scots jailers at one point, and kept Mary at Chatsworth. Mary and Bess got to be pretty good friends while Mary was there. They even took trips over to Buxton for the waters.

The 1^st Duke of Devonshire rebuilt much of the house in the late 17^th and early 18^th centuries. In the 19^th century, the 6^th Duke went on a redecorating spree.

Though he didn’t do much to change the house at all, the 5^th Duke married Georgiana Spencer, the great-great-great-great aunt of Princess Diana. Their story was portrayed in the film The Duchess.

I took 76 photos of Chatsworth House that I kept, both inside and outside. After touring the house, I had some lunch and then explored the gardens. Still having some time left, I took a buggy ride around the grounds. I had waited a long time to get there and wanted to make sure I didn’t miss a thing.

From Chatsworth House, we drove to York to spend two nights. I was in another B&B that was just outside of the old walled city.

Next time – York & Cambridge

August 30, 2020

Heart of England & Wales

I had signed up for a five day tour with Rabbie’s to the Heart of England & Wales. Although this tour schedule would take me back to three places I had been before – Stratford-Upon-Avon, Llanglollen (pronounced something like “Clan-glock-glen”) in Wales, and York – for the most part it was all new territory for me.

I needed to meet up with Rabbie’s at the Victoria Bus Terminal, which is across the street from the Victoria Train Station. Since luggage was involved, I took a taxi. We had nine people for the tour on the van that could handle sixteen. I was the only American with people from Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Our Tour Director/Driver was named Jamie.

Our first stop on the tour was Stratford-Upon-Avon. Jamie drove us around and showed us some of the sites before he parked the van. Then he led us to Shakespeare’s Birthplace on Henley Street, where he set us free for several hours with a time to return to the van.

Since I was already there, I started with the birthplace. I had been to Stratford back in 1983 when I had encountered an articulated lorry (a semi) a little too close for anyone’s comfort. That had been my first ever trip to the UK. I was much better versed regarding where to look for oncoming traffic by 2017. It had become second nature.

I remembered the birthplace as being small and cramped. I also remembered being schmushed into the tiny rooms to listen to a guide tell us about the place. This time, we could walk around on our own and chat with the costumed interpreters who were in the various rooms to answer questions. I could see everything so much better and even take photos.

Downstairs in what would have been Shakespeare’s father’s glove-makers shop, they had a woman who demonstrated what the gloves for men and women would have been like and how they were made. We could feel the gloves and even try some on. John Shakespeare was also a wool dealer.

There were costumed interpreters not only in the house, but tending the garden as well. Some actors were giving mini performances in the garden area. After touring the house and garden, I had some lunch in a patisserie across the street.

There must be something about Stratford. First visit, I had a near death experience with a huge truck. This visit, I turned down the second turn on the right from Henley Street as I had been instructed only to discover much later that, as it was a pedestrian only street, the person giving me directions hadn’t counted it. I turned one street too soon. It took several blocks before I realized I was not heading for the church in which Shakespeare had been buried. What did I learn? Make sure I have my own map – even if it is printed off of the internet or hand drawn.

Coming out to a fairly busy street, I asked someone I saw there where I could find Trinity Church. Because the street I was on had angled away from where I wanted to go, it was a bit of a hike from where I was. When I reached the intersection with Hall’s Croft (the home of Shakespeare’s daughter, Susannah, and her husband, Doctor John Hall), I sighed with relief. If I turned left, I would return to Henley Street eventually and, if I turned right, I would end up at the church. I checked my watch and turned right.

I had lost quite a bit of time with my detour. So, I figured I could spend time at the church, but didn’t have time to visit Hall’s Croft again or the site of New Place or pop on over to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s theatre. On my way back up the road towards the birthplace, I found that the school was now open to the public. Pooh! I didn’t have the time to wait in line to go inside. So I vowed to return on another trip when I had more time and a map. I made it back to our rendezvous point on time.

Our next stop was Ironbridge Gorge, which was a deep gorge containing the Severn River in Shropshire, England. It is a World Heritage Site because in 1779 the first ever iron bridge was built there. It is still there – pedestrian only now. Jamie drove us through town and dropped us off at the other end, so we could walk out onto the bridge and then back through town. Actually it was a village and a small one at that.

There was some time to stop off and get an afternoon snack or tea or a pint or something. I joined some of the others in the group who had gathered in a tea house and had some tea with a pastry. Then we headed down to the rendezvous point at the bottom of the village.

For accommodations, Rabbie’s gives choices regarding whether you want to stay in a hostel, a B&B, or a hotel. They book whatever you choose and drop you off and pick you up there. But you are on your own to pay for it. I chose B&Bs for this trip. Rabbie’s informed me when I made the reservations that most B&Bs take only cash. They gave me an approximate amount per night with the idea that I would make certain I had enough cash on me (in British pounds, of course) to cover the cost of the rooms. I would be two nights in Shrewsbury and two in York.

The rest of the group had chosen hotels. They were all dropped off in Shrewsbury, mostly along the main road. I was dropped off last at a big Victorian house on a more residential street. Jamie was staying at another B&B next door to the one I was in. So he parked the van for the night, helped me into my B&B with my luggage and introduced me to the couple who owned it. They were friends. The couple apologized for having run out of rooms and putting him up with their neighbor. But he was an easy-going type and was fine with that.

After hauling my cases up the stairs for me (which was really kind of him) and letting me know what time we would be leaving in the morning, he was off. The couple showed me what was what, gave me the key to my room (and the house) and left me to settle in. I decided to head for the nice looking pub across the road. The food and the cocktail I had with it tasted great. There were some local women on a “girl’s night out” at the next table who invited me to join them. After spending an enjoyable time with them, I headed back “home” to the B&B to turn in.

There was a shower, sink and toilet in a little room in a corner of my room. I had specifically asked for an en suite room when I booked since I didn’t really want to go down the hall in the middle of the night. However, I couldn’t get the toilet to flush. The man of the house showed me how he did it and it worked for him. However, he exerted quite a bit of force on the downward movement of the handle. It took me two hands and a little bit of a jump to give it as much force as he had. But then it worked for me too.

In the morning, all of the guests had breakfast together at a large table in the dining room. We could have whatever we wanted. It would be cooked for us. I went for an almost full English breakfast with eggs, sausage, beans, and toast with orange juice and tea. Good thing as it would be a while before lunch. I met Jamie out at the van and we set off to pick up everybody else.

We had just entered Wales when we were diverted by the police from the route we were on. Because Wales is so mountainous, it can be quite an adventure to get from one place to another in the best of times. But a diversion (detour) can complicate matters – especially when there are no signs to direct anybody to the alternate route. The GPS kept trying to get us to go back to the route from which we had been diverted.

We ended up a tad lost for a bit. We were in an area that was sparsely populated, which made asking for directions difficult as well. I was the only person on the tour who spoke any Welsh. But my two phrases (that I had learned from my Welsh grandmother): “Siarad Cumraeg?” (meaning “Speak Welsh?”) and “Cau eich ceg” (meaning “shut your mouth”) just weren’t going to cut it. Yes, I am kidding. Pretty much all Welsh people speak English.

He had a compass, so Jamie just continued to head north and west as best as he could until he finally found a fella working on repairs to his barn. We had just come up a steep road that a full-sized tour bus would never have been able to manage. The fellow directed us around a tight bend and another narrow, steep road and said we would find a village when we came down on the other side.

We did find the village and it was one with which Jamie was familiar. We took a rest stop, a group photo, and piled back onto our intrepid van. Jamie had found out that we were only four miles from Llanglollen and had just one more mountain to climb before we got there.

Since we were behind time, we ended up zipping through Llanglollen, giving it a little wave as we went. We headed straight for Betws-y-Coed – a much smaller place that seems to be good for tours to stop for lunch. When Mom and I had been on the tour that took us to Caernarfon, we had stopped for lunch in Betwys-y-Coed (which is in Caernarfonshire and means “Prayer House in the Woods”). So this ended up being another place I had been to before.

As we were running a little late, some places had stopped serving. Despite the later time, I wasn’t overly hungry, so I stopped off at a place that had homemade food at the counter. I got some cauliflower cheese soup with Welsh cakes and hot chocolate. Welsh Cakes are a cross between a pancake and a scone. They are made on a griddle, not baked. These particular Welsh Cakes had red currants in them and were sprinkled with sugar.

After lunch I visited the village church. It was not long after Easter, so they had banners up by the altar. The English one said, “Christ is Risen”. The Welsh banner said, “Atgyfododd Crist”. “Atgyfododd” means “He Rose Again”, the banner literally said, “He Rose Again Christ”.

We had a shorter time at Betwys-y-Coed to try to make up some of the time and still have plenty of time at Conwy Castle, our main excursion of the day. To reach Conwy, we needed to travel through Snowdonia National Park – a beautiful, very mountainous area. Fortunately we had no detours or anything else to slow us down and arrived at Conwy with plenty of time to spend at the castle.

Next time – Conwy Castle, the Peak District and Chatsworth House.