Archive for the tag 'Wales'

Away, away, from men and towns, To the wild wood and the downs, – To the silent wilderness, Where the soul need not repress Its music.
Percy Bysshe Shelley

16 Comments CherryPie on Feb 18th 2024

The current structure was originally the church of the Benedictine Priory, established under Hamelin de Balun the first Norman holder of the title Lord Abergavenny, which in the 1090s became Baron Bergavenny. At this time it was a cell of the Abbey of Saint Vincent at Le Mans in France. Henry de Abergavenny was a prior here and later at Llandaff in the late 12th [...]

8 Comments CherryPie on Sep 19th 2023

The unmistakable silhouette of Raglan crowning a ridge amid glorious countryside is the grandest castle ever built by Welshmen.
We can thank Sir William ap Thomas, the ‘blue knight of Gwent’, for the moated Great Tower of 1435 that still dominates this mighty fortress-palace. His son Sir William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, created the gatehouse with [...]

2 Comments CherryPie on Sep 18th 2023

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.
Robert Louis Stevenson

6 Comments CherryPie on Sep 17th 2023

Monmouth castle is tucked away in a lane off Monmout’s main shopping street.

Strategically located at crossings of the River Wye and River Monnow, only a few fragments – ruins of the 12th-century Great Tower and 13th-century hall – remain of this once-important castle.
It was founded in the 11th century by Norman lord William fitz Osbern, [...]

10 Comments CherryPie on Sep 14th 2023

Our breakfast was accompanied by a loud teleconference call that was taking place on a nearby table. The call was upsetting and my heart went out to the family who were coping with a premature birth. The nature of some of the conversation turned my stomach a little whilst I was trying to enjoy my [...]

4 Comments CherryPie on Aug 27th 2023

We had lunch at Chirk Castle followed by a walk around the gardens and woodland area. Due to it being bank holiday Monday the cafe’s main seating areas were busy. We found the secret additional seating area which was almost empty allowing us to enjoy our lunch in a calm oasis away from the hustle [...]

6 Comments CherryPie on May 31st 2023

Older Posts »