Experience UK: April 2019

Tuesday 9 April 2019

Here it is....the North Wales Itinerary for Saturday, April 13th

Monday 8 April 2019

Erddig House and gardens date back to 1684 and remained in the same family until 1973, when Philip Yorke III entrusted the house and gardens to the National Trust. The house had become neglected and was in urgent need of restoration, which took four years to complete. In 1973 he was interviewed for a television documentary in which he reflects on his family's connection to the hall.

Thursday 4 April 2019

The name Llandudno derives from the name of a famous Welsh saint: Saint Tudno, who founded a small church here in the 7th century. This little church is situated on the Great Orme, the massive rock overlooking the town and the sea. Saint Tudno was undoubtedly the patron saint of the local fishermen who once fished in these hostile waters.

Llandudno is a typical Victorian Seaside resort. The town has a wide seafront promenade, a famous peer and a sandy beach. In fact, the town is fortunate enough to have two beaches. The western beach is considered the most sheltered with its fine sandy beach and dunes.

One of the town's most famous visitors was the writer and mathematician Lewis Caroll, author of Alice in Wonderland. Look out for the curious statue of a white rabbit on the West Promenade not far from the house where the writer spent many summers.

The town lies at the foot of the Great Orme's Head, which towers over it like a dormant volcano. You can visit the Orme by cable lift form Happy Valley. There is also a tramway from Victoria Station in Church Walks. If you are feeling energetic, you can also go up by foot. The views are spectacular and on a clear day, you can see Anglesey, Snowdonia and sometimes even the Isle of Man and the Cumbrian mountains in the North-West of England. The Llandudno area is also steeped in history. Man first arrived here in pre-historic times more than 4000 years ago to mine copper, which they used to make tools and weapons and probably exported as well. Several examples can be seen in the town's museum. Numerous caves have also been found around the Orme, with the remains of many extinct animals besides humans.

Conwy

Conwy is probably the best example of a medieval walled town in the whole of Britain. The castle with its imposing 21 towers and three gateways was built by King Edward I between 1283 and 1287. The castle formed an important link in a chain of large English built fortifications along the Welsh coast, built by the English kings in an attempt to control and subdue the Welsh people. On our way to Conwy you will see several imposing castles but they are not all as old as they appear. Some were built by wealthy Victorians to beautify the surrounding views.

It is believed that the Romans were attracted to this area in search of pearls and mussels. In fact, there is a fine Mussel Centre on the town's quay and the industry still continues today.

The town contains some fine example of period architecture. Aberconwy House (in Castle Street) is a fine example of a 14th Century Merchant's house. Just around the corner from here in the High Street, is Plas Mawr or Great Mansion, built in 1576 for the noble Wynne family.

Don't forget to look out for the small red door on the Quayside. This fisherman's cottage is just over 3 metres high and is reputed to be the smallest house in Britain. It is now a museum and the guide is a Welsh lady dressed in traditional Welsh costume.

Next post...Llandudno, our final destination

Erddig

Sitting on a dramatic escarpment above the winding Clywedog river, Erddig tells the 250-year story of a gentry family’s relationship with its servants.

A large collection of servants’ portraits and carefully preserved rooms capture their lives in the early 20th century, while upstairs is a treasure trove of fine furniture, textiles and wallpapers. Outdoors lies a fully restored 18th-century garden, with trained fruit trees, exuberant annual herbaceous borders, avenues of pleached limes, formal hedges and a nationally important collection of ivies.

The 486-hectare (1,200-acre) landscape pleasure park, designed by William Emes, is a haven of peace and natural beauty, perfect for riverside picnics. Discover the ‘cup and saucer’ cylindrical cascade or explore the earthworks of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle. A walk through the estate spans the earliest origins of Wrexham to the technology of an 18th-century designed landscape. All around, tenant farmers continue the work of generations.

Erddig is a place where old memories are found and new memories are made.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/erddig#Overview