^TM

A picturesque place for making movies and fabulous food

by Valerie Summers

A fierce wind blew as I forged my way along the narrow path bordering the rugged cliffs of Pembrokshire Coast National Park in Southwest Wales.  The last blooms of lavender clung to the hills.  My destination was the site of the last invasion of the British mainland which took place at the quiet village of Fishguard more than  200 years ago.

It began with the landing of four French ships in the inhospitable bay of the peaceful coastal town in February 1797.  The first party of 25 invaders to land were cold, hungry and under-supplied with military gear.  They headquartered themselves at a nearby farmhouse known as Trehowel.  It was abundantly stocked with food and liquor and well, you know the reputation of the French when it comes to eating and drinking. They were not in a fighting mood.

Fourteen hundred French troops followed, but Lord Cawdor, a major Pembroke landowner, took charge of the defense and successfully brought the French to surrender in an almost bloodless victory.  Two of the French were killed by a farmer and his son as they attempted to steal two calves out of a stable while a third was run through with a pitchfork by an irate cottager as he stuffed himself with stolen bread, cheese and ale.

Some of the invaders attempted to escape but were speedily rounded up by Cawdor’s supporters.  Among these was a woman cobbler named Jemima Nicholas, who, at age 47, captured fourteen of the attempted escapees thereby becoming a  legendary heroine.

This last invasion had many somewhat comedic overtones and several of them have been recaptured by the women of the Fishguard Art Society in a stunning 100 foot long hand-embroidered tapestry which is on display for all visitors to enjoy.

The main attraction of Wales, however, is its natural beauty.  Wales remains a principality of unspoiled beauty. The path which I hiked along for five miles in the Pembrokshire Park was only a fraction of 180 miles of a gloriously scenic hilly  walkway  overlooking Cardigan Bay and a wonderful introduction to the beauty of  the region.

On a theatrical note, Fishguard was the location for the 1956 filming of Moby Dick, starring Gregory Peck and of Dylan Thomas’s Under  Milk Wood, featuring Richard Burton.

Wales sings a song of mysticism and untamed beauty.  The moment I crossed over from England, the scenery abruptly changed to undulating hills and majestic mountains.  I drove down winding country lanes often wide enough only for one car to pass, although it was a two way street.  On either side were green, green pastures dotted with sheep and cattle.  Often both sides of the road were lined with hedges eight to ten feet high obscuring what lay beyond.   The sky above was filled with puffy white clouds and bright sunshine which at a moments notice might turn bleak and threaten rain.

Imposing gray stone castles stood high on hills, situated in such a way as to give a clear view of any approaching enemy.  Many of them remain in excellent condition and are great fun to explore. There are more castles, both ruined and still lived in, per square mile in Wales than anywhere else in Europe.

English Kings built many of them in the 12th and 13th centuries as a means of subduing the unruly Welsh.
Carreg Cennen Castle, slightly off the beaten path, stands high on a remote 300 foot cliff among the foothills of the Carmnartheshire Black Mountains near the village of Trapp in Dyfed.  From the castle the view is that of  a beautiful pastoral setting of gentle hills and valleys as far as the eye can see.

In Caerleon, since the 18th century, Chepstow Castle and the surrounding area has been a popular center for visiting the magnificent scenery of the Wye Valley.  The castle was one of the first stone built strongholds in Britain and is situated on the cliffs overlooking the River Wye, defending what was once one of the most vital crossings between England and Wales. This imposing fortress is in excellent condition and provides a dramatic backdrop for many special events including those during Festival Month in July when more than 60 separate performances and events are staged, many on castle grounds.  Just outside the fortress walls, is a most unusual amphitheater.  Built around AD90, this circle of grassy expanse surrounded by raised, grass-covered embankments seats more than 5,000 spectators.  Lounging on these embankments, the audiences of long ago may have witnessed some of the most blood-thirsty activities of the time.

However, legend has it that Caerlon was one of the courts of King Arthur and that this was the site of the Round Table.  At the Ffwrrwn Arts and Crafts Centre, a retired medical doctor , Russell Rhys, an Arthurian expert, guided us through the courtyard’s  wooden sculpture garden featuring carved figures of Guinevere, the King’s throne, Merlin, and more, all significant  the legend of King Arthur,  delighting the ever expanding group surrounding him with stories of Camelot. Llangoed Hall, Llyswen, Brecon, one of the finest country hotels in all of  Great Britain, is owned by Sir Bernard Ashley, Chairman of Laura Ashley PLC.

Formerly known as Llangoed Castle, the hall is set in 17 acres of garden and parkland in the valley of the River Wye, nine miles west of Hay-on-Wye.  The hall has an extensive history, but the present building was completed in 1919, although part of it dates from 1632. Sir Ashley’s dream of creating an atmosphere of an Edwardian house party with the opening of Llangoed Hall came to fruition in 1990.

The approach to the Hall is breathtaking – driving down a country road with nothing but open spaces for miles around,  it suddenly appears  like a grand manor for a movie set .  Inside, the feeling of being a guest in someone’s home pervaded. There was no lobby, no reception desk, just a welcome and helpful assistance with luggage.  Each of the 23 guest rooms is individually decorated in the most glorious Laura Ashley designed fabrics setting off fine furniture and antiques.  There was a large bright room decorated in lemon yellow print,  centered by a grand four-poster bed; a one bedroom suite done in rich crimson with a bathroom large enough to house an overstuffed arm chair in addition to all the expected amenities; an intimate bed chamber decorated in  a delicate green print and on and on, each  room with its own special charm. A decanter of sherry and mineral water and a bowl of fresh fruit awaited each guest adding to the feeling of luxurious homeyness.

In the Great Hall I seated myself on an overstuffed sofa next to the great stone fireplace with a roaring, crackling fire.  This was the spot where I enjoyed  afternoon tea and cocktails before the evening meal in the cheerful yellow and  cornflower blue Dining Room.

The cuisine offered is the best of Wales – Modern Classic Cuisine with an emphasis on lightness featuring Welsh Lamb, Wye Salmon and Black Beef,  all enhanced by herbs  freshly picked from the gardens of Llangoed Hall.  The inspired cooking by head chef Ben Davies was recently acknowledged by the award of a Michelin star, as only one of two restaurants in Wales to achieve this honor. Telephone (01874) 754241

Lyrical is the perfect description for the language of the Welsh whose culture is filled with music.  Welsh voices are famous the world over and I was privileged to hear the Talgarth men’s choir perform one evening at Llangoed Hall.

The men’s choirs are serious business and even when they broke into their rendition of When The Saints Go Marching In, restraint and discipline prevailed.  There is a saying that “To be born Welsh is to be born with music in your veins and poetry in your heart.”.   Baritone Bryn Terpel, one of Wales’s most beloved sons, is an operatic star of such magnitude that many think he  will reach the stature of Pavarotti.

Llangoed Hall not only provided a retreat of unsurpassed beauty, but also turned out to be well located for touring the nearby sights.  The Oscar award-winning 1941 film, How Green Was My Valley, the story of Welsh coal-miners, stereotyped the Welsh as Midnight Express stereotyped the Turks.

I toured the Big Pit (Pwll Mawr), a working colliery for exactly 100 years until 1980, when it was turned into a mining museum.  Donning safety helmets and cap lamps, the docent, Malcolm Howls, a former coal miner who began his “underground” career at age 15 as a blacksmith,  guided our group into the pit  cage.

We descended down the 300-foot shaft, into the mine and through tunnels of  darkness and despair where men and boys and animals labored, many barely ever seeing the sunlight.  It was a difficult and dangerous life.  If breathing the coal dust didn’t get you, then an explosion or a runaway coal bin might. For more than an hour, our guide offered insight into the crucial role which mining played in Britain’s Industrial Revolution, described the working conditions and life of the coal miners, but  he described it lovingly, as a man who had spent a good part of his life as a miner.

Big Pit Mining Museum is located in Blaenavon, Gwent. Telephone (0495) 790311.

Close by, Hay-On-Wye, with its flower baskets decorating many of the  buildings,  is noted both for its book stores and for its ornamentation. Awards are regularly presented to the most beautifully decorated buildings including the most attractive gas station which I have ever come across.

The book stores come one after another, filled with interesting and unusual Books on all sorts of subjects.  It was in the town of Hay-On Wye, which boasts the largest selection of antiquarian books in Europe, that I appropriately purchased a book written by the poet laureate of Wales, Dylan Thomas. There is even an outdoor bookstore in the center of the town, with bookshelves lining the walls stuffed with weather-beaten books of all shapes and sizes which are kept outside regardless of the weather.

Each spring the town hosts a renowned, celebrity-filled Festival of Literature highlighted by lectures, discussions, exhibitions and readings which the literati flock to attend.

What had initially struck me as a strange, seemingly voweless language became like musical notes strung together. I was startled to discover many Welshwords which were familiar.  Having spent time in Pennsylvania, I had come across the names Bryn  Mawyr,  Haverford and  Bala Cynwood, but until my visit to Wales, had no idea as to their origin. Each morning I looked forward to the greeting “bore da”  and each evening to “nos da.”  Once getting the hang of the pronunciation of some of the double letters in this Celtic language, it sounded lyrical and was not peculiar and intimidating as perceived initially. The exception was a tiny northern town called Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch,” which translated to “St. Mary’s by the white aspen over the whirlpool, and St. Tysilio’s by the red cave.”

My last stop in Wales, the seaside city of Swansea, filled me with great emotion.  It was here that I visited a small, well-kept home on Marlborough Road, the house where my mother was born. Swansea is also the birthplace of Dylan Thomas . This cosmopolitan city, the second largest in Wales, is filled with a variety of shops, restaurants, parks and a brand new 600-berth marina and Maritime Quarter which is the city’s centerpiece.

Entertainment of all kinds is available. For a condensed version of  traditional Welsh culture, I spent an evening of good fun and plentiful food and drink at Hwyrnos on Green Dragon Lane where I donned an apron and clogs and was made a part of the show. The international audience was treated to music played on a harp, the national instrument of Wales; readings of Dylan Thomas, clog dancing, singing and story telling.

On a classical musical note, the city will host the upcoming Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts taking place in October when the city, at its best, becomes a symphony of song and visual arts.

A popular nearby sailing and water sports area with locals and visitors, The Mumbles,  on the western flank of Swansea Bay,  is a  trendy little Victorian seaside village filled with pubs and first class restaurants. The beautifully preserved  13th century Oystermouth Castle stands high above the Mumbles and the bay, guarding the landward approach to the Gowerpeninsula.  Swansea is a city reborn, a combination of modern sophistication, Victorian charm and medieval history.

Wales, the country of my heritage, a land of beautiful voices and red dragons and awe-inspiring natural  beauty,  remains one of the loveliest places on earth.

For help with planning a trip to Wales a free brochure called “Wales – A Different Country: A Different World” is available from British Tourist Authority 551 Fifth Avenue, Suite 701 New York, NY  10176-0799  (800) GO2-BRITAIN, ext. 4.

I took a scenic ride on the Reading Railroad from Swansea to Reading and connected with the Rail Air Bus to London Heathrow for my flight back to California. BritRail has something for everyone, be they first time visitor or confirmed Anglophile, from the independent traveler to the customer who prefers an  escorted tour.  Affordable passes are available for unlimited travel in England, Scotland and,Wales for eight, 15, 22 days or one month.

For information:

BritRail Travel International at (800) 677-8585.

American Airlines astounded me by having my luggage at baggage claim at Heathrow before I arrived to pick it up.  The flight was on time, the food was delicious, the service was attentive.

Passengers traveling from European airports with hand baggage only may check in by telephone up to two hours before their flight and those departing from London-Heathrow may bring passport, airline ticket and luggage to  Moonlight Check-In desks to check baggage and receive boarding passes  prior to the day of the flight.  For added convenience, passengers can pre-reserve  their favorite seat up to 11 months in advance and receive round-trip boarding  passes up to 30 days before the flight.  American Airlines offers service to  more than 290 cities in over 45 countries worldwide.
(800) 433-7300.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on travel to Wales

Paula Bardell lds@enterprise.net
A Visitors' Guide to North Wales & Cheshire
http://www.marl.com/lds/

Subscribe to FREE monthly newsletter by contacting the address above

Back to TravelLady Magazine