A Day Out In Wales

Sunday comes round again and in order to make the most of the day, we set off at dawn and drove west. We had decided beforehand that we would avoid the motorways and take the slow scenic route through Gloucestershire and Snowdonia. The view going through the mountainous regions of Wales was breathtaking, as we wound our way along the passes and dipped into cloud filled valleys; almost dreamlike.

Emerging on the other side, we arrived at Caernarfon and found a place to park by the castle. Deemed worthy of World Heritage status, this castle is set out to impress. Caernarfon castle stands on what was originally the site of an old Roman fortress and then later on a Norman motte and bailey castle. The castle as we now know it began construction under orders of King Edward I in the 13th century as a display of magnificence and of his power over the Welsh. Even today, it is still one of the finest examples of medieval castles in Wales and draws in tourists from all over the world.

Before going into the castle we wanted a spot of lunch so we went for a potter around the small town that surrounds it and after a couple minute walk we stumbled upon The Black Boy Inn. If you like your history and appreciate a traditional pub like I do, then you’ll love this place! Built in 1522, this medieval inn comes with low, oak-beamed ceilings, thick stone walls, narrow passageways, old wooden furniture and an excellent bar. This place was right up my alley as it oozed history. So we stopped for a drink..and some lunch..

We finished lunch and walked back towards the castle following the path around to the water front. It was a gloomy day but there was something pleasant about the fresh sea air that blew in so we kept walking and headed to the following shore and stopped on the pebble beach to skip stones across the water. This also gave us chance to get a better view of the castle which dominated the shore line. After a short distraction we headed into the castle to do some exploring.

Castle tour over we decided we would drive back through Conwy. I’d been told what a lovely little town Conwy was and that I would really like the castle there. Unfortunately, they were closed by the time we got there so we walked around the walls surrounding it instead and made the most of the view.

This led us to the waterfront where I discovered the smallest house in Great Britain which used to be owned by a six foot 3 inch tall fisherman! He wouldn’t even have been able to stand upright in this tiny abode, although, I discovered it was the perfect sized house for a short Stacy! After sticking our heads into this miniature house we stopped and sat for a while outside a pub overlooking the water and watched all the boats slowly tootering along, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere over a cold drink and watching as the sun made its departure for the evening.

Such a shame we didn’t have more time but I will be back to explore this quaint little place in the future. I look forward to being able to get inside the castle to nose bout their kitchen and walk the city walls, and to visit one of the best examples of Elizabethan architecture still surviving!