Cardiff to Crickhowell

 Friday 29th June 

Our first stop on the way was Caerleon, A little village known for its Roman Ruins, and quite impressive what they have there and may still have to uncover.

First stop was the Ampitheatre, would have  been handy to have a drone as hard to feel the effect in the photos, but the arena area is quite large

Just in a field they were, then we went to the local museum, met by our Centurion and spent an hour or so looking at the exhibits that they have uncovered at Caerleon, and a little bit from elsewhere.

The finds included,, coins, pottery, tombstones, gem stones and jewellery, clay coffins with a little bit of skeleton left inside, Some stamps to put on their bread

Then there was bits of pretty glassware, some of it very fine, one big glass jar had cremation remains in it.

After the museum we went to the bathhouse, I didn’t take photos in there as they had coloured lighting effects, which I felt spoilt it, but had interesting information around the walls and some recorded conversations between Centurions and slaves, slightly Monty Pythonesque. Amazing technology though, all those years ago,  An outdoor pool and exercise yard, both heated and cold pools, tile flooring that was up on top of little stacks of tiles so they could blow warm air under to keep their tootsies warm. They probably needed all the heat they could get living in Wales in the Winter.

After that it was a stroll down beside a park where the foundations of some barracks had been discovered.

There were four rows of Barracks here, apparently there would have been seventy rows originally in Isca what was what the Romans called Caerleon. But off they went in 410 AD.

Next stop was Abergavenny to pick up something for lunch, it was a wander from one end of the High Street to the other, quite pretty and also a little bit unusual.

I know!  A Storm Trooper walking down the Main Street of Abergavenny, hoping the weather is fine, If you should see a storm trooper running free, well you know he’s mine ……A chase in the hill up to Abergavenny, I’ve got to get there and fast, If you can’t go, then I promise to show you a photograph.   Not sure who will understand the above - its a song - google it !!

Next stop was at Big Pit Amgueddfa Lofaol Cymru. (National Coal Museum) I don’t have many photos as you can’t take anything with battteries down into the mine, this included watches phones cameras etc, it’s a safety precaution and also good as they had our undivided attention. Needless to say no smoking materials either. 

Some of the guides that are there are actually ex miners as was our guide Ian. They have a good sense of humour and have you on a bit. So we got a head lamp and a self rescue breathing apparatus. The lift went down 90 metres underground at 2 metres per second, when the mine was working it was 12 metres per second. We learnt about the two shafts in a mine, the down shaft and the up shaft, the air comes in the down shaft and is extracted up the up shaft, there are doors that are kept closed so that the air will circulate to all side tunnels of the mine, so 5 year olds used to be employed to open and shut  the doors when required, they would sit there for a 12 hour shift in complete darkness until the miners or the ponies dragging the coal wagons ( there is a proper word for them) out. The ponies went down at 4 years old and stayed down the mines until dying, probably about 10 -15 years earlier than they would if they lived in the fields. Ian our guide had worked in a level mine that only gave him 14 inches of height to work in, he told us that his father retired at 65 but was in ill health because of all the coal dust, got compensation but was too sick to spend it and died at 67.  When the Thatcher government closed the mines down it was a terrible for the Welsh Vallies and all the people that lived there. For all that he had a passion for the mining and seemed to be very cheerful. What an experience to go down there! Walls had the best Steam coal there is, lit made the mine owners very rich during the Industrial Revolution.

When you get back up there are lots of exhibits to see some simulations of explosions etc, and you walk through the mines, locker areas, baths, canteen etc, and there are displays of mining gear as well, could have stayed for hours, How lucky we are not to have been born at that time in a mining area 

Next stop was CrickHowell where we are staying for the night in a 500 year old coaching Inn called The Bear

It was put the bags in the room and go for a walk in the village as dinner was at 6.30 and we would be leaving again in the morning, so now was the time to look at the village, check out the river and also the castle ruins. Lovely little streets and stunning countryside.

The building at the end of the Bridge, the Bridge INn has a road on either side, would be tricky getting in and out  

Next to the Cricket field were the ruins to Crickhowell Castle 

There was a small hill next to the castle ruins with a path up amongst the long grass and wildflowers, gave some lovely views over the country side.

 

 

The front of the bit of castle was a little more impressive, Walking back towards the hotel on the main road came across this Op shop called purple Flamingo 

 

 

Dinner was another lovely meal, this was the starter with goats cheese in the pastry, with beets and goodies, I had a wild mushroom tart with green verges, followed by Strawberry Elton Mess and strawberry ice cream, yum!