re at first planning to fly somewhere warm for the January break, but then decided to brave the cold and explore some of the sites surrounding us so close! We didn't plan too much in advance, just a basic idea of driving around west/south England and Wales. Our plan changed a bit, and we didn't make the long drive down to Cornwall, but instead made our way to Bath, England and through almost all of Wales (a country Kent or I had never been to before). We drove over 700 miles in our little Peugeot, which was a big part of the experience. Kent did all of the driving, and he did quite well on the wrong side of the road. We made sure to get an automatic, and of course a navigation system. Our TomTom (who we affectionately named the British accented lady Jane) kept us from going insane, and from going round the round-a-bouts more than one time. It was such a scenic trip on windy country roads....the pictures don't really do it justice! We took over 250 pictures, so I've only included a few here. I'll send you the Ofoto album if you'd like to see more (I pared that down to 93). The short days made it tough to see a lot every day - dark and cold at 4:30pm made it difficult to see much (besides the inside of a pub!).
Here's a recap of our trip Jan. 7-12:
Day 1 (Weds): Oxford to Bath
We picked up our rental car here in Oxford, and the weather was looking good for a drive. Kent took off on the left side of the road and we followed Jane's directions to the motorway (aka Interstate/highway). We got a late start, and decided it was time for lunch before we even made it to Bath. We randomly pulled off the road, following one of the brown signs advertising "historic market village." We would come to love these brown signs later in the trip, but this one proved to be a bad move. There wasn't much in the town and most shops/restaurants were closed for the winter. We finally found one little Italian cafe serving lunch at 2:00pm, and it was great, BUT we ended up getting a parking ticket! What kind of tourist town does 30 min parking with hidden parking signs! We are protesting the ticket. Anyway, I digress.....
We picked up our rental car here in Oxford, and the weather was looking good for a drive. Kent took off on the left side of the road and we followed Jane's directions to the motorway (aka Interstate/highway). We got a late start, and decided it was time for lunch before we even made it to Bath. We randomly pulled off the road, following one of the brown signs advertising "historic market village." We would come to love these brown signs later in the trip, but this one proved to be a bad move. There wasn't much in the town and most shops/restaurants were closed for the winter. We finally found one little Italian cafe serving lunch at 2:00pm, and it was great, BUT we ended up getting a parking ticket! What kind of tourist town does 30 min parking with hidden parking signs! We are protesting the ticket. Anyway, I digress.....Bath is only about an hour and a half from Oxford, so we made it there with some daylight to take a walk around town, find a hotel for the night, and see some of the beautiful architecture. We stopped in for a pint (doesn't Kent look happy?!) and found a small, touristy restaurant for dinner....supposedly Bath's oldest house and restaurant.
Day 2 (Thurs): Bath & drive through South Wales
Bath has so much history I can't possibly write it here (see here). Between 50 and 400 A.D. the Romans built temples and baths here at the only mineral hot springs in Great Britain. It stayed pretty small until the town's revival in the 19th century when the royal family made visits to Bath, and the town has since become quite touristy. To learn a little more, we decided to take the
town's free walking tour this morning, and it was definitely worth it! One of the town's historians led us on a two hour walk around town, giving mostly history since the mid 1800's, focusing on architecture. It was really fascinating, and I'm glad we did it even though it was really c
old. We didn't actually go in to the Romans Baths because we ran out of time (and it cost like £16!). We had time before the tour to go in to the famous Bath Abbey....one of the most beautiful churches we have seen! This is where the very first King of England (Edgar) was crowned. So many tombstones were laid out along the walls and floors --- many dating before 1700.
Bath has so much history I can't possibly write it here (see here). Between 50 and 400 A.D. the Romans built temples and baths here at the only mineral hot springs in Great Britain. It stayed pretty small until the town's revival in the 19th century when the royal family made visits to Bath, and the town has since become quite touristy. To learn a little more, we decided to take the
town's free walking tour this morning, and it was definitely worth it! One of the town's historians led us on a two hour walk around town, giving mostly history since the mid 1800's, focusing on architecture. It was really fascinating, and I'm glad we did it even though it was really c
old. We didn't actually go in to the Romans Baths because we ran out of time (and it cost like £16!). We had time before the tour to go in to the famous Bath Abbey....one of the most beautiful churches we have seen! This is where the very first King of England (Edgar) was crowned. So many tombstones were laid out along the walls and floors --- many dating before 1700.After a late lunch (soup to warm up from our chilly 
walking tour), we left Bath for our next destination: Wales! Flying by the seat of our pants, we just started driving. We crossed in to Wales over a huge suspension bridge - paying the most expensive toll I've ever paid: £5.40! That's US $8.00 at today's exchange rate! We decided to bypass the capital of Cardiff, as the guidebooks said there wasn't much to see. I happened to bring the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, and read through some of the Wales listings in the car. I called one of the fancy country manor hotels listed, and they happened to have a room for the night (at a great winter special price!). So we changed course with the TomTom, and headed through the Brecon Beacons National Park. A little different than US national parks, as there are towns & farms with people & sheep living in the park. The drive was so beautiful, we only wished that it didn't get dark so early. We finally found Llangoed Hall and checked in to our beautiful room with a four poster bed (and complimentary sherry in the room for Kent).
walking tour), we left Bath for our next destination: Wales! Flying by the seat of our pants, we just started driving. We crossed in to Wales over a huge suspension bridge - paying the most expensive toll I've ever paid: £5.40! That's US $8.00 at today's exchange rate! We decided to bypass the capital of Cardiff, as the guidebooks said there wasn't much to see. I happened to bring the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, and read through some of the Wales listings in the car. I called one of the fancy country manor hotels listed, and they happened to have a room for the night (at a great winter special price!). So we changed course with the TomTom, and headed through the Brecon Beacons National Park. A little different than US national parks, as there are towns & farms with people & sheep living in the park. The drive was so beautiful, we only wished that it didn't get dark so early. We finally found Llangoed Hall and checked in to our beautiful room with a four poster bed (and complimentary sherry in the room for Kent). 
Dinner at the hotel had to be reserved in advance (and was quite expensive) so we ventured out to the next village at the recommendation of one of the hotel staff. We found the Seven Stars Inn for a dinner of pub grub and pints. We were the only ones there, besides the few locals that worked there (or used to work there). Very quaint place, sitting by the wood burning stove. Back at the hotel, we lounged in the sitting room by the roaring fire, helping ourselves to a nightcap from the "honour bar."Day 3 (Fri): A Winter Walk & Castle Drive through Central to North Wales
We woke up to a wonderful, fancy full Welsh breakfast and sadly checked out of the Llangoed Hall. We left our card parked there, however, and went out for some fresh air and one of the most typical British pastimes--- a winter walk. We explored the grounds of the hotel (imagining how they will look in springtime) including a hedge maze! The weather was actually quite mild, and we almost didn't need a coat. The River Wye was almost frozen solid though! We tried cracking the ice by throwing rocks, but the past few weeks of deep freeze made for some thick ice. We walked for a few miles along the river before coming back to jump in the car and continue our driving tour.Now begins our castle tour via tiny tiny country roads! Wales has over 300 castles, som
e well preserved and some in heaps of rubble. We didn't plan to go on a castle tour, but there are so many that we just followed any brown road sign we saw that pointed to a castle. Most of these stops, we were alone in exploring the castle. The first we saw on our trip north was Dolforwyn. We drove a bit off the main road and climbed a small mountain (while being heckled by sheep) and took some wonderful sunset pictures. It's strange to have the moon out in the daylight---see Kent picking it up? :-) Most castles had great historic placards explaining who built it, what it was used for, what it would have looked like, etc. Most castles in Wales are actually "offensive" castles built by the English, rather that "defensive" built by the Welsh. I can't possibly post all of these pics -- let me know if you want to see the Ofoto album!
We made our way in the dark along some of the smallest roads, with tall hedges on either side. The entire country is covered with these hedges - every farm -- to keep the sheep in, instead of walls or fences. We arrived at the Ffarm
Country House . This was more of a family-run B&B, with only a few rooms in a TINY village. After a welcome glass of sherry from the owner, we ventured out to the village pub, The Wheatsheaf. It was a chilly 5 minute walk on frozen sidewalks, but we made it! The pub was actually bustling, and we were pleasantly surprised that the menu was more restaurant rather than strictly deep-fried pub grub. I had never seen such a range of Heinz products. :-)
e well preserved and some in heaps of rubble. We didn't plan to go on a castle tour, but there are so many that we just followed any brown road sign we saw that pointed to a castle. Most of these stops, we were alone in exploring the castle. The first we saw on our trip north was Dolforwyn. We drove a bit off the main road and climbed a small mountain (while being heckled by sheep) and took some wonderful sunset pictures. It's strange to have the moon out in the daylight---see Kent picking it up? :-) Most castles had great historic placards explaining who built it, what it was used for, what it would have looked like, etc. Most castles in Wales are actually "offensive" castles built by the English, rather that "defensive" built by the Welsh. I can't possibly post all of these pics -- let me know if you want to see the Ofoto album!We made our way in the dark along some of the smallest roads, with tall hedges on either side. The entire country is covered with these hedges - every farm -- to keep the sheep in, instead of walls or fences. We arrived at the Ffarm
Country House . This was more of a family-run B&B, with only a few rooms in a TINY village. After a welcome glass of sherry from the owner, we ventured out to the village pub, The Wheatsheaf. It was a chilly 5 minute walk on frozen sidewalks, but we made it! The pub was actually bustling, and we were pleasantly surprised that the menu was more restaurant rather than strictly deep-fried pub grub. I had never seen such a range of Heinz products. :-) Day 4 (Sat): North Wales chilly drive & castles
Today we intended to go on a long hike to the second tallest "mountain"
in Great Britain, Snowdon, in Snowdonia National Park. We even tried to dress for hiking....BUT on the way there the weather turned very cold and windy....you could barely tell that the sun was up and definitely couldn't see the top of the mountain. We drove to the bottom of Snowdon and decided against hiking up to the top. We drove through a mountain pass and stopped at a few castles on our way to one of the famous, touristy castles.
in Great Britain, Snowdon, in Snowdonia National Park. We even tried to dress for hiking....BUT on the way there the weather turned very cold and windy....you could barely tell that the sun was up and definitely couldn't see the top of the mountain. We drove to the bottom of Snowdon and decided against hiking up to the top. We drove through a mountain pass and stopped at a few castles on our way to one of the famous, touristy castles. 
Our first stop was Dolbadarn, and we did a little hiking there. This castle was situated across the valley from a slate mine (another famous Welsh product) and hydro-electric plant built deep inside the mine hill. After a short stop there we drove on and the next castle sign we saw was for Chirk Castle. This one looked occupied, like someone lived there (groundskeepers maybe?) and didn't look open to the public. We did a drive-by and took a pic of the castle, with it's black sheep in the front yard. Back to the country roads, and we made a quick stop at one of the many huge garden centers along the way. I found a couple of cute pots for plants/herbs and some potting soil (hey we have to take advantage of having the car!).Next up was the the tourist spot of 
Caerfronon Castle (if you only look at one of these links-- look at this one!). This is one of the best preserved of the old English castles in Wales. So much history here! We learned a lot about why the Prince of Wales is called so, and saw a great exhibit on the history of the English princes. The "investiture" of the princes takes place at this castle, including the current one of Prince Charles in 1969. I've only posted one pic here, cause this blog is getting LONG, but we explored this castle for a few hours. It's right on the coast, with some great views of the medieval town and sea from the triple tower. It started getting cold and dark, so what do we do? Head to the pub for a warm-up pint of course. :-)
Caerfronon Castle (if you only look at one of these links-- look at this one!). This is one of the best preserved of the old English castles in Wales. So much history here! We learned a lot about why the Prince of Wales is called so, and saw a great exhibit on the history of the English princes. The "investiture" of the princes takes place at this castle, including the current one of Prince Charles in 1969. I've only posted one pic here, cause this blog is getting LONG, but we explored this castle for a few hours. It's right on the coast, with some great views of the medieval town and sea from the triple tower. It started getting cold and dark, so what do we do? Head to the pub for a warm-up pint of course. :-) Back in the car, we continued on our castle journey in the direction of our B&B. We stopped in the larger village of Conwy, home to another well preserved castle. It was too late to go inside, so we admired it from afar and wandered the city. On our way back for the night, we stopped and picked up a picnic dinner to enjoy while watching a movie back at the B&B.....we were pooped from a day of castle-climbing!
Day 5 (Sun): North Wales to Oxford
By now it's Sunday, and we're ready to slowly make our way back to Oxford. After our Welsh breakfast, we said goodbye to our hosts at the Ffarm B&B and programmed Jane to direct us south down the Welsh/English border. Along the way, we saw a few more of those brown signs that led us to a shell of a castle with a beautiful old church, Acton Burnell. We saw quail running on the old hunting park grounds, and explored the ruins. We were able to go inside the small church, which had some really old tombs inside.
By now it's Sunday, and we're ready to slowly make our way back to Oxford. After our Welsh breakfast, we said goodbye to our hosts at the Ffarm B&B and programmed Jane to direct us south down the Welsh/English border. Along the way, we saw a few more of those brown signs that led us to a shell of a castle with a beautiful old church, Acton Burnell. We saw quail running on the old hunting park grounds, and explored the ruins. We were able to go inside the small church, which had some really old tombs inside. We had a nice light lunch at a modern cafe in the small town of Shrewsbury (inEngland I think). We took a walk around town to stretch our legs, and the pedestrian shopping streets looked a lot like Oxford, with a small Abbey.
Next stop was a quick peek at the Stokesay Castle grounds. The guides were just closing up for the day, but they let us wuickly walk around the castle and take some photos. This was the first castle that we saw with an actual moat, and also the first we'd seen with a wooden addition (see left).
So there's the not-so-quick recap of our trip! It was fun to drive and see some of the beautiful countryside, so close to where we live. When the weather warms up, we're looking forward to seeing the Cotswolds even closer to Oxford.....and hopefully some vistors from the US!!
--Karen
PS: Thanks to Travis and Melanie for the Great Britain Guidebook from our going-away party......it was invaluable on this trip!
Oh, yay. We can comment now!!
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What wonderful pictures. Loved hearing all about your trip and the links to view all the castles.
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