CARDIFF to PLYMOUTH – pilgrims and the Rock

Monday – after leaving the hotel – where I give them some more rather curt comments about my embarrassment caused by uninvited visitors from yesterday  we are off to enjoy another Insight Optional –

#14 OPTIONAL: Cardiff Castle Tour – Cost ₤10.00

It’s a little showery – but not heavy enough for raincoats and umbrellas, which is a good thing because my umbrella is packed in my suitcase. It doesn’t dampen our spirits and we look forward to enjoying our guided tour of this ornate and rather overly decorated masterpiece – Cardiff Castle.

HISTORY LESSON : Cardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian Gothic revival mansion.  The original motte and bailey castle was built in the late 11th century by Norman invaders on top of a 3rd century Roman fort.

The castle was commissioned by either William the Conqueror or by Robert Fitzhamon, and formed the heart of the medieval town of Cardiff and the Marcher Lord territory of Glamorgan. In the 12th century the castle began to be rebuilt in stone, probably by Robert of Gloucester, with a shell keep and substantial defensive walls being erected.

Further work was conducted by Richard de Clare in the second half of the 13th century. Cardiff Castle was repeatedly involved in the conflicts between the Anglo-Normans and the Welsh, being attacked several times in the 12th century, and stormed during in 1404 during the Owain Glyndwr rebellion.

For what went on since 1404 you will have to click the above link.   The rooms are fabulous, the grounds are great and there is a family of peacocks wandering around. I am adventurous yet again and climb to the top of the Norman Keep to get some great views and great photos.

Even though it is early in the morning – the lights are on because – yep, it’s really overcast. I think the blue sky has gone on holidays – – –

Taken from the top of the keep – the really ornate clock tower is on the left and the Cardiff Millenium Stadium (opened in 1999) is in the background.

The stadium is on the site of the Cardiff Arms Park. There are some ancient Roman walls around the castle and we are told we can go down into the dark to have a look at them. I do – and take more photos.

Across the road to the shops (a few more souvenirs) and back on the coach but in the seat and looking out the window I notice that there are carved animals all along the castle wall.

Everyone is not back yet – so I get off the coach and start dashing around like a mad woman taking more photos. Then a few more people see me taking the photos and they decide they will take some too.

HISTORY LESSON : the animal wall was designed in the 1866 by architect William Burgess for the third Marquis of Bute who was the owner of Cardiff Castle at that time.  The wall was completed in the early 1890s following Burges’s death by his former deputy William Frame.

The original animals were carved by Thomas Nicholls and painted in naturalistic colours although there is no plan to repaint them.  The wall was originally located in front of the castle but was moved to its current position to the left of the entrance in 1922 when Duke Street was widened. 

Six new animals were commissioned at this time and stylistically they are different and do not have the glass eyes of the originals.  The wall has been cleaned and undergone minor repairs over the years, but problems have been caused by the use of inappropriate mortars.

So now it is not only me holding up the tour it is everyone else – I don’t feel so bad and anyway I won’t be back here again as far as I know and I will not be rushed, but I can see a few frowns from our Tour Director so after a rather lengthy delay I head back to the coach.  Paul makes sure that we are all on board, promptly shuts the door and Kenny and the coach gets going.  Sorry – – – – – well, not really.

We cross the Severn Bridge on our way to Bath. Arriving in this historical town, Paul gives us a tour and we go inside to visit the Roman Baths. Really interesting and full of Roman history.

HISTORY LESSON :  The Roman Baths complex is a site of historical interest. The house itself is a well-preserved Roman site for public bathing.  The Baths themselves are below the modern street level and there are four main features: the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House and the Museum which has many articles from Roman times. The buildings above street level date from the 19th century.

The waters in the bath are green because of the oxides coming up from below the ground, but I don’t plan to take a swim even though there are a few people ignoring the signs and paddling their tootsies.

This pool was also used to throw messages of retribution to the goddess Minerva.  If you thought someone had done wrong by you then you wrote their name on a piece of metal and threw it into the pool and Minerva would punish them for you.  There are also statues on the Terrace but these are relatively modern and not from Roman times.

We go underground and see the natural spring from where the hot water comes.  There is a very strong smell of sulphur and there is also a lot of Roman architecture and a history museum of sorts along with some interesting headstones.  One particular item of interest is the head of the Goddess Minerva.

HISTORY LESSON : The first shrine at the site of the hot springs was built by Celts and was dedicated to the goddess Sulis whom the Romans identified with Minerva. Geoffrey of Monmouth in his largely fictional Historia Regum Britanniae describes how in 836 BC the spring was discovered by the British King Bladud who built the first bath.

Early in the 18th century Geoffrey’s obscure legend was given great prominence as a royal endorsement of the waters’ qualities, with the embellishment that the spring had cured Bladud and his herd of pigs of leprosy through wallowing in the warm mud.

We can take as much time as we want here because Paul has cut us loose and after soaking up as much of this fabulous history that I can, I decide to go back to Bath Abbey.

Unfortunately there is a service going on and it is suggested that we do not go inside at this time.  And as we do not have time later on I just take photos outside.

Originally a Norman church built on even earlier foundations, Bath Abbey was later transformed into a Gothic fantasy of flying buttresses and pinnacles decorating a parapet. The style of architecture employed is Perpendicular (English late-Gothic).  I could put another History Lesson on here but I think it’s best to hit the link above and read for yourself.

Wandering around I go down towards the river and find a fabulous spot – ready to take some great photos and I am besieged by a group of Japanese tourists taking photos. I swear they are worse than me, at least I wait until people are finished before barging in.

However, I am patient and wait until every one of them gets their photo taken by themselves and with a group at the same spot and then I can start clicking away.

Do you think it was worth the wait? I do. Then it’s time to head back to the coach but I manage to grab a bit of lunch and we are on our way south west through Exeter and onto Plymouth.

We arrive in Plymouth and there is no time to catch our breath as it’s time for our ‘Highlight Cruise of Plymouth Harbour’ (which means we don’t have to pay extra – it is included).

It is very relaxing on the water and we see the red and white striped Smeaton’s Tower that was erected in 1759 on the treacherous Eddystone Rocks.  It was replaced by a larger lighthouse and this one was moved here and reassembled.

Cruising around we also see the steps where the Mayflower and the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for the New World in 1620.  After our cruise we check into our hotel – Plymouth Moat House – for our 2 night stay.

I have a nice big room which overlooks the Plymouth Hoe (hill) and down to the water so that suits me just fine!

We have the rest of the afternoon to ourselves so there is plenty of time to wander around Plymouth and take in the sights – – so I take advantage of this and head off.

Plymouth was the tiny port from which Drake, Raleigh, Cook and Darwin all set sail on pioneering voyages and if you paid attention in school then you will know who these people were.

There is a dirty big anchor down from the front of our hotel – it is from the British warship – HMS Ark Royal which was a Royal Navy aircraft carrier. She was the first such vessel to have an angled flight deck which allowed landing and take-off to be carried out at the same time.

Based in Devonport she underwent several re-fits at the Royal Dockyard and on the 4th December 1978 she entered the dockyard for the last time and was decommissioned the following year.

There was a plan to preserve her but in 1980 it was announced that she was to be scrapped.   The Admiral of the Fleet presented one of the anchors to the City of Plymouth.

After learning a bit more history I go down into the town.  Lots of people around soaking up the sun and the weather is still hot.  Discovering lots of interesting little alleyways there are many tiny shops selling all sorts of crafty things.

I go over to Plymouth Rock and the harbour to have another look around but I cannot find the place where, so they say, the boats left for Australia.

The town is very much a seafarer’s town with lots of shops that have ‘marine’ objects and there are also lots of crafty places.

Highlight of the day: Bath