WALES Aberconwy House Medieval merchant’s house dating from the 14th century. Aberdeunant A traditional Carmarthenshire farmhouse in an unspoilt setting providing a rare insight into an aspect of agricultural life. Public footpaths give access to the surrounding land. Entry to the farmhouse is by guided tour only and must be booked in advance. Aberdulais Falls
For over 400 years this waterfall has provided energy to drive the wheels of industry. Today it houses a unique hydro-electric scheme. Bodnant Garden A spectacular garden situated above the River Conwy with stunning views across Snowdonia. Chirk Castle A magnificent Marcher fortress, completed in 1310. The rather austere exterior belies the comfortable and elegant state rooms inside, with elaborate plasterwork, superb Adam-style furniture, tapestries and portraits. In the formal gardens there are clipped yews, roses and a variety of flowering shrubs. After 400 years of occupation, the Myddelton family still live here. Colby Woodland Garden A beautiful woodland garden with year-round interest. There are walks through secluded valleys and along open and wooded pathways. Conwy Suspension Bridge Designed and built by Thomas Telford, this elegant suspension bridge was completed in 1826. The toll-keeper’s house has recently been restored and furnished as it would have been a century ago Dinefwr Park An 18th century landscape park surrounding Newton House with its Victorian facade. Dolaucothi Gold Mines These unique gold mines are set amid wooded hillsides overlooking the beautiful Cothi Valley. The Romans who exploited the site almost 2000 years ago left behind a complex of pits, channels, adits and tanks. Mining resumed in the 19th century and continued through to the 20th century, reaching a peak in 1938. Guided tours take visitors through the Roman and the more recent underground workings. Erddig One of the most fascinating houses in Britain. The beautiful and extensive range of outbuildings includes kitchen, laundry, bakehouse, stables, sawmill, smithy and joiner’s shop, while the stunning state rooms display most of their original 18th and 19th century furniture and furnishings, including some exquisite Chinese wallpaper. The large walled garden has been restored to its 18th-century formal design and has a Victorian parterre and yew walk. It also contains the National Collection of Ivies. There is an extensive park with woodland walks. Llanerchaeron A rare survivor of a Welsh gentry estate. The house was designed by John Nash in 1794–96, and is the most complete example of his early work. Penrhyn Castle This neo-Norman fantasy castle sits between Snowdonia and the Menai Strait. Built by Thomas Hopper between 1820 and 1845 for the wealthy Pennant family, who made their fortune from Jamaican sugar and Welsh slate, the castle is crammed with fascinating things such as a one-ton slate bed made for Queen Victoria. The stable block houses an industrial railway museum, a countryside exhibition, a railway model museum and a superb dolls museum displaying a large collection of 19th and 20th century dolls. The 18.2ha (45 acres) of grounds include parkland, an extensive exotic tree and shrub collection and a Victorian walled garden. Plas Newydd This elegant house, set on the banks of the Menai Strait, was re-designed by James Wyatt in the 18th century and is an interesting mixture of classical and Gothic. It displays Whistler’s largest painting and an exhibition about his work. A military museum houses relics of the 1st Marquess of Anglesey who commanded the cavalry at the Battle of Waterloo. There is also a spring garden and an Australasian arboretum. Plas yn Rhiw A small manor house with ornamental gardens and wonderful views. The house is 16th century with Georgian additions. Powis Castle & Garden A medieval castle originally built c.1200 by Welsh princes. The garden is laid out under the influence of Italian and French styles. A beautiful collection of treasures from India is displayed in the Clive Museum. Tudor Merchant’s House A late 15th century town house, characteristic of the building tradition of south-west Wales. Tŷ Isaf This 17th-century cottage, formerly known as Bwthyn Llywelyn, is situated in the picturesque village of Beddgelert, near the Aberglaslyn Pass and within the Snowdonia National Park. There are superb walks in the area. Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant Birthplace of Bishop William Morgan the first translator of the entire Bible into Welsh. The house has been restored to its probable 16/17th century appearance. |
