A Short Visit to Wales

My second great grandmother was from Wales. I know little about her but I've always been a bit curious about England's neighboring country to the west. So, when we decided to base for a week in Bath, it was an added bonus that a trip to Wales would make for a fun and interesting day.

So, Rick and I took off on the train from Bath. It was a fairly short ride, about 90 minutes, and soon we were in Cardiff. And, I have to say it was the smoothest, most quiet train ride I've ever had -- quite different from our American AMTRAK (at least in Michigan!)

 

Our first visit would be to Cardiff Castle, which had been recommended to us from some people we met at the Frome Independent. The magnificent medieval castle was built in the 11th century on a Roman site established in 50 AD and was strategic due to its easy access to the sea. 

 The present castle was presumably commissioned by William the Conqueror. Work and rebuilding continued for over a century. The castle was often attacked in the 12th century and even stormed in the 1400s as the Welsh and Anglo-Normans experienced years of conflict.

There were plenty of steps to get up there (steep ones, too!) but I made it. Rick ventured all the way to the top. (I passed up the final narrow spiral stairway.) The views were magnificent.

The castle changed hands many times over the centuries, eventually into the hands of the Marquesses of Bute in the mid-1700s. It was at this time that the first Marquess renovated the main lodgings into a Georgian mansion -- and quite the mansion it was! 

This remodeling continued, employing great gothic revival techniques. The Third Marquess worked with architect William Burges in 1866 to transform the mansion. (Work continued well into the next generation.) He created opulent, over-the-top interiors using murals, carvings, stained glass and gilding. The rooms had themes and four of them are available on the "general ticket" tour. (For the other four, you have to buy the guided tour, which we didn't. We also couldn't go into the clock tower, which was fine. But the outside was lovely!)

These are the steps to get to the clock tower area and another look out. Not for the faint of heart! They are steeper than they look!

The Arab Room was one of the theme-based rooms and it was beyond spectacular and almost too difficult to take in. The ceiling was covered in gold leaf and made of wood, while the floor was of Italian marble. 

The little video I did on my phone wasn't very good but this one from youtube gives you an idea of the scope. Amazing what an unlimited budget can do!

(And by the way, the Butes didn't "live" there. It was more like a cottage or second home situation where they would entertain. It's a whole different vibe from when I go up north to the cottage!)

The Banquet Hall took fifteen years to complete and was quite spectacular. (And here I was, kvetching when it took a couple of weeks for a guy to redo my bathroom shower.) While there was no furniture as such, the walls and fireplaces were magnificent.

I do have to say the murals, while beautifully done, were a tad gruesome! Reflecting medieval history, they They scenes from a civil conflict known as the "Anarchy" when the sister of Robert Earl of Gloucester (Henry I illegitimate son and Lord of the Castle) fought King Stephen for the throne. 

The 2014 NATO Summit Dinner was held here, with leaders including Barack Obama, David Cameron and Angela Merkel, among the 60 heads of state.

The small dining room was more intimate, though still pretty fancy with a painted and gilded ceiling. Based on the Book of Genesis, the fireplace's chimney piece features three angels flanked by Abraham and Sarah with an inscription of "Entertaining angels unawares."

 

I was also very fond of the library -- but then, give me a bunch of books and I'm happy. Countless volumes were all part of a set -- it was enough to make one wonder if they were purchased that way for show, although a number of them showed signs of wear.  

The room's decor is based on literature and language. Above the fireplace, five carved figures hold tablets in the scripts of Greek, Hebraic, Assyrian, Hieroglyphics and Runic. The red and gold walls are embellished by the addition of putti, each one carries the name of one of Lord Bute’s favourite authors, including Shakespeare and Molière.

There was more to this remarkable place, a good bit of which I'm included in my Veterans Day post. We did enjoy a walk along the ramparts . . . 

And I would have loved to see the trebuchet in action!

But this post is long enough -- and we have more of Cardiff to explore next time!

Travel Tips: 

Train tickets are easily available at the station. Check schedules for the timetables. You may have an option to pick a train with fewer stops and that's always a plus.

Before you buy the BIG ticket, (which may include a guided tour) consider how much time you have to spend. While it would have been fun to see the additional rooms available only on the guided tour, that would have taken much longer. As it was, to see the castle, mansion and the underground tunnels, we spent several hours. With only one day in Cardiff and wanting to explore a bit more, we chose to do the self-guided. Info on your phone can fill in some of the historic details if you take this option.

If  you missed our earlier posts about England 2024, you can check them out on the menu tab at the top of the blog or click here. 

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