Around the Valleys

We spent a day going around the valleys of South Wales.  We stared off at Blaenavon in the neighbouring valley to our cottage to visit the Ironworks and then went on to Myrthyr Tydfil where we had hoped to take a ride on their Mountain Railway.  However, it was closed that day so  we went off and visited Tredegar House and Gardens on the outskirts of Newport.

The drive across the hills to Blaenavon was quite exciting as our Sat Nav took us through some of the narrowest and picturesque lanes I have ever visited with great views across the valley.  I first heard of the town whist watching a Time Team episode relating to finding a viaduct that had completely disappeared under the slag.  It was most interesting to visit the former Ironworks which is now a World heritage site dedicated to the history of the works.

Blaenavon - Wikipedia
The Blaenavon Website for the Iron Works Museum

 The Jackhammer in the car park

The view of the site from the car park

A model of the site as it was

 The foundry and Blast Furnaces

 The Blast Furnaces

 The top of the balance Tower with the cottages in the background

As we were not able to ride the railway, here is their website:

The Brecon Mountain Railway, Myrthyr Tydfyl

 Tredegar House, Newport

 Tredegar House - Wikipedia

 The Stables

 In the gardens

The next day Viv and I departed for Pembrokeshire.  On the way through we stopped at Rhossili Bay on the Gower Peninsular

 Rhossili Bay - Wikipedia

A mysterious wreck

A Cottage at Goytre Wharf

Together with our friends Eve and Alan we stayed for three days at Aqueduct Cottage Goytre Wharf situated on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.
Goytre wharf

 Looking towards Aqueduct Cottage and the Aquaduct from the Cafe

 The cottage from the canal towpath

The Cottage

 The canal

 Looking towards the cafe with the old kilns on the left

 The tunnel under the canal

 Bluebells in a nearby wood

Our friends Eve and Alan with Viv enjoying a coffee at the Cafe

All of us enjoying dinner at the nearby Horsehoe Pub

 We stopped for lunch in a very nice pub in Crickhowell

The monument

Crickhowell - Wikipedia

A Week in Wales

Just over a week ago we headed off for a visit to South Wales.  We spent the first night in Gloucester and then set out for the Welsh/English borders looking for Castles.  After many miles driving through many miles of narrow and winding roads we arrived at the border town, Hay on Wye, which is famous for literary events.
Hay-on-Wye - Wikipedia
After lunch, we headed back south towards Abergavenny we looked for three castles and an Abbey.  We missed the Abbey and the first castle (Grosmont), bit we did find the other two Castles - Skinfrith and the White Castle.

The Church of St Bridget at Skinfrith dating back to the 12th Century

St_Bridgets_Church,_Skenfrith - wikipedia

Skinfrith Castle

Skenfrith Castle - Wikipedia

The White Castle situated between Skinfrith and Abergavenny, so called as it was whitewashed in it's heyday.

The gatehouse

TYhe bridge over the  moat

The moat

The Inner Ward
The White Castle, Monmouthshire - Wikipedia

A Day on the South Devon Railway

Yesterday, we went for a trip on the South /devon Railway with my sister in law, Nina, and her granddaughter, Isabella.  Isabella has turned into a real railway fanatic!

 Isabella and Thomas the Tank Engine

 About to set off

 Lunchtime at Totnes

Train riding cab be very exhausting!

The following three links will take you to videos I took at Totnes Station of a train arriving and then shunting the engine from one end of the train for the return journey to Buckfastleigh followed by the departure of the returning train.

Arriving

Shunting

Leaving

Out and About in Cornwall

Over the last week and a bit we have been visiting some places we like in Cornwall.  We went out to Rame Head which is one of the headlands protecting Plymouth Sound.  It was quite a blustery day.

 Rame Head.  The building in the distance is an old chapel

 The Coastguard Lookout

 A small bunch of windswept bluebells

 Viv with our friend Eve

 

 Dartmoor Ponies who spend their winter here

 Viv and Bob with Rame Head in the background

 Spring flowers in a hedgerow close by

Rame Head (Wikipedia)

Rame Head - Medieval Chapel and Prehistoric Fortress

Nearby their is a  small seaside village called Seaton which has an interesting beach cafe which caters for dogs in a very different way - you can buy your dog some canine ice cream.

It has been a very late spring in the UK after a quite severe winter.  Consequently, the spring flowers have been delayed.  We went up the Tamar Valley looking for bluebells (and other spring flowers of course.

 Wild flowers (including Bluebells) in a lane near the town of Callington

 In the grounds of Cotehele House near Calstock

The Duchy Nursery Garden Centre is not far from Lostwithiel and Bodmin and they have a nice cafe with great views over the Fowey River valley.  It is a great place to go for a coffee or to have lunch.

 Viv and I just about to tuck into brown onion soup with a Gouda floater.

There is a great view of Restormal Castle from the Cafe.

Restormel Castle - Wikipedia

Restormel Castle - Engish Heritage

We also visited Falmouth recently where I took some photos of a naval Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ship being refitted.  My great uncle, Richard Billett, a marine engineer served his apprenticeship at these docks back in the first decade of the 20th century and worked there again at the end of the First World War for a short time.

Falmouth Docks - Wikepedia

Falmouth Docks History