South Wales August 2002

During August 2002 Korina and I made a small tour of South Wales whilst she was over for Jonathan & Tracy's wedding. She arrived on the 9th August, and we made visits to a number of Towns, some of which are included with photo's below. Obviously I have been to all of the places before, having lived in South Wales for most of my life, but it was a first visit for Korina, and she seemed to enjoy it, especially Cardiff, and it's new big bar scene! We stayed at a number of locations during our travels, which started with the wedding in the Bridgend area; we then moved onto Porthcawl, Tenby, Brecon, Caerphilly, Castell Coch, Cardiff, then through England to Bath, Stonehenge, Newbury, Windsor and finally onto Heathrow, where Korina jetted off back home to Munich on the 19th August.

Tenby

Robert and Korina in Tenby, on the welsh coastline

A view of the Atlantic Ocean

The small fishing village of Tenby

A medieval walled town with three of the loveliest and most popular award-winning beaches in Wales. The harbour is one of the most photographed scenes in Britain and from its picturesque quay you can take a boat trip to nearby Caldey Island and its Monastery.

Brecon

Our hotel in Brecon

Famed for its annual Jazz Festival, Brecon is a typical market town. The castle has been damaged over the years but much of its curtain wall is now built into the Castle Hotel. There are a number of museums, a new theatre and superb walks in the hills or along the River Usk.

The rather misty Brecon Beacons

The Brecon Beacons are known as Wales’ Great Outdoors. This green, fresh and refreshing landscape of high mountains, lakes, rivers, vales and forests attracts walkers, cyclists, mountain bikers, watersports enthusiasts, ponytrekkers - and those who simply want to relax in surroundings of great natural beauty.

Rolling landscape - Beauty is guaranteed, protected by the Brecon Beacons National Park. This huge swathe of hill, moor and mountain, rolls westwards from the Wales/England border for mile after undisturbed mile and right in the centre is the distinctive, flat topped summit of Pen-y-fan, the highest peak in South Wales.

Caerphilly

The ruins of Caerphilly Castle

Caerphilly Castle in south Wales is one of the largest castles in the United Kingdom. It was built by Gilbert de Clare between the years 1268 and 1271. By 1267 Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the last native prince of Wales, had become lord of the greater part of Wales. He posed a threat to de Clare, the Anglo Norman lord of Glamorgan and the castle was built in response to this threat.
Caerphilly is considered to be the earliest and finest example of of the true regular concentric fortification in the British Isles. The water defences are thought to be modelled on those of Kenilworth Castle. Visitors will be interested to see the collection of massive siege engines, based on known early examples.

Castell Coch

The fairytale castle situated on the face of a mountain at the start of the welsh valleys, Castell Coch

Robert & Korina at Castell Coch

Castle Coch ("Red Castle"- welsh) was the country retreat built on earlier foundations of a medieval structure for the 3rd Marquis of Bute by the architect William Burges. The castle perched over vertical cliffs to the west and surrounded by wooded glades in all other directions is just a few miles north of the city, just inside the county in the village of Tongwynlais, a pure fairytale, just out the pages of The Sleeping Beauty. The visitor is never sure what surprises are around the next corner.

Cardiff

Korina at Cardiff City Hall

The National Museum of Wales & Cardiff City Hall

One of the world's great civic centers, Cardiff’s Civic Centre houses the Law Courts, Government Offices, Alexandra Gardens, City Hall, Cardiff University and the National Museum of Wales. The buildings are of white Portland stone and are classically designed with ornate sculptures standing amidst broad avenues and parkland. From early spring to late autumn beds of summer flowers come alive with daffodils, cherry blossom and tulips.

Cardiff Castle is one of Wales's leading tourist attractions. Situated in the very heart of the capital, alongside city centre shopping and the magnificent Bute Park, the Castle's enchanting fairytale towers conceal an elaborate and splendid interior.

Contained within its mighty walls is a history spanning nearly 2,000 years, dating from the coming of the Romans in the first century AD. After the Norman Conquest, the Castle's Keep was built and a number of Medieval fortifications and dwellings followed.

The Castle fell into the possession of many noble families, until, in 1766, it passed by marriage to the Bute family. The 2nd Marquess of Bute was responsible for turning Cardiff into the world's greatest coal exporting port. The Castle and the Bute fortune passed to his son John, the 3rd Marquess, who by the 1860's was reputed to be the richest man in the world

From 1866 the 3rd Marquess employed the genius architect William Burges to transform the Castle lodgings. Within gothic towers he created lavish and opulent interiors, rich with murals, stained glass, marble, gilding and elaborate wood carvings. Each breathtaking room has its own special theme, including Mediterranean gardens and Italian and Arabian decoration.