We went to Wales for the weekend. Across on the Severn Bridge and into the land of words with no vowels.
We drove up the motorway and then through countryside to Blaenavon where we went to a steel mill site. It had been used for a BBC series where 4 families had to live in the style of Welsh miners at the turn of the century. They used the tiny little cold cottages, which used to house 8 or nine family members and often a lodger, in only 4 rooms, the whole house the size of a kiwi lounge. Was interesting reading the history. The countryside was very like Central Otago, but by 4.00 was pitch black and time to find somewhere to stay.
We were going to stay in a YHA but could not find the one we had the address for and drove up and down the side of the reservoir at Talybont-on-Usk.
So we headed off through a lot of town with Ll 's on the front,Llanfrynach,Llanhamlach etc and got to Brecon in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Drove about a bit after finding the Information centre was closed. Found a lovely B&B on Bridge street. Looked quite small but they had
extended into 2 barns at the back , so a little maze like. The room had a lovely big soft bed, a wall heater and a chimney coming from downstairs that was lovely and warm to lean on. And the bathroom was all new ( with and electric powered flush on the loo). Headed out for an explore and some food. Up past the blue lit castle hotel and past two incredibly drunk women who fell together onto the road with a horrible head cracking smash, they will have terrible headaches this morning.
Back to the room and food and telly, watched the come dancing show.
Slept well and had a lovely breakfast and then a walk around Brecon in the daylight.
Nice cathedral, different in that the staff all lived on the premises, the deacon, bishop etc all have houses ( the same age as the cathedral ) in the grounds which are surrounded by a high stone wall. We`also passed a very old Christs College school that could have been used in Harry Potter movies. The we headed into the park itself and it was freezing cold up on the hill tops where we met lots of ramlers, trampers and other outdoorsy types heading off along the many paths. The puddles were frozen solid and P spent some time trying to photograph a frozen waterfall on a tree ( must have a look and see how it came out)
We headed off to the "Big Pit" a Coal mine. We had to wear hard hats and lights etc and went 90m down under the ground, P banged his head a couple of time, even though the guide gave a quake to remind
him to duck as we reached each low point. What a dreadful place to work, for all the children, horses ( 71 that never saw the sunshine for months, in fact panicked when they were finally allowed up ) and the coal minors that worked 6 days and then got paid in tokens that could only be spent at the company store.
After a good hour or so we headed off into the countryside, through nice lanes back past the reservoir again in daylight this time. Tried to go on the steam train but it was Santa day for the kids.
Drove to Griffithstown to look for Panteg ( my grandmas family are from Wales and called Griffiths and the family farm was Panteg ) and we found a huge steel mill called Panteg.
Then headed back to Bristol, a lovely weekend all round, even if the language was a bit difficult to understand.
We drove up the motorway and then through countryside to Blaenavon where we went to a steel mill site. It had been used for a BBC series where 4 families had to live in the style of Welsh miners at the turn of the century. They used the tiny little cold cottages, which used to house 8 or nine family members and often a lodger, in only 4 rooms, the whole house the size of a kiwi lounge. Was interesting reading the history. The countryside was very like Central Otago, but by 4.00 was pitch black and time to find somewhere to stay.
We were going to stay in a YHA but could not find the one we had the address for and drove up and down the side of the reservoir at Talybont-on-Usk.
So we headed off through a lot of town with Ll 's on the front,Llanfrynach,Llanhamlach etc and got to Brecon in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Drove about a bit after finding the Information centre was closed. Found a lovely B&B on Bridge street. Looked quite small but they had
extended into 2 barns at the back , so a little maze like. The room had a lovely big soft bed, a wall heater and a chimney coming from downstairs that was lovely and warm to lean on. And the bathroom was all new ( with and electric powered flush on the loo). Headed out for an explore and some food. Up past the blue lit castle hotel and past two incredibly drunk women who fell together onto the road with a horrible head cracking smash, they will have terrible headaches this morning.Back to the room and food and telly, watched the come dancing show.
Slept well and had a lovely breakfast and then a walk around Brecon in the daylight.
Nice cathedral, different in that the staff all lived on the premises, the deacon, bishop etc all have houses ( the same age as the cathedral ) in the grounds which are surrounded by a high stone wall. We`also passed a very old Christs College school that could have been used in Harry Potter movies. The we headed into the park itself and it was freezing cold up on the hill tops where we met lots of ramlers, trampers and other outdoorsy types heading off along the many paths. The puddles were frozen solid and P spent some time trying to photograph a frozen waterfall on a tree ( must have a look and see how it came out)
We headed off to the "Big Pit" a Coal mine. We had to wear hard hats and lights etc and went 90m down under the ground, P banged his head a couple of time, even though the guide gave a quake to remind
him to duck as we reached each low point. What a dreadful place to work, for all the children, horses ( 71 that never saw the sunshine for months, in fact panicked when they were finally allowed up ) and the coal minors that worked 6 days and then got paid in tokens that could only be spent at the company store.After a good hour or so we headed off into the countryside, through nice lanes back past the reservoir again in daylight this time. Tried to go on the steam train but it was Santa day for the kids.
Drove to Griffithstown to look for Panteg ( my grandmas family are from Wales and called Griffiths and the family farm was Panteg ) and we found a huge steel mill called Panteg.
Then headed back to Bristol, a lovely weekend all round, even if the language was a bit difficult to understand.
photo link above.
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