Wales

Our trip to Wales begins at Chester in England which is about 2 miles (roughly 3km) from the Welsh border and travelling to Bangor in Northern Wales. The border actually runs through the western suburb of Saltney, making some of the built-up areas part of Wales. Chester is widely considered the closest English city to the Welsh border.

We drove through the varied Welsh countryside seeing the northern edge of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park and coastal views of Dee estuary, Liverpool Bay, the Irish Sea and the Menai Strait. Our dinner was at The Castle in Glanrafon Street with views of the the iconic Main Arts Building, Bangor University from the car park.

Today we started with a visit to one of Britain’s most iconic medieval towns, Conwy, including the beautifully preserved 13th Century Conwy Castle.  Built on the instruction of Edward I of England, between 1283 and 1289, as part of his conquest of the principality of Wales. Conwy was the original site of Aberconwy Abbey, founded by Llywelyn the Great.

We explored the streets and lane ways of Conwy where the castle’s walls and arches are an integral part of the walled market town.  The Smallest House in Great Britain can be found nestled at the end of a terrace of houses on Conwy’s quayside overlooking the River Conwy and Llandudno on the other side of Conwy Estuary.

From Conwy we crossed the Menai Strait to the Isle of Anglesey, the largest island in Wales and the Irish Sea.  After crossing the Britannia Bridge our first stop was Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, known more commonly as Llanfairpwllgwyngyll or Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll and shortened to Llanfairpwll or Llanfair PG which is a popular tourist village because of its extraordinary name made up of 58 characters and split into 18 syllables.

Driving through Menai and along Beaumaris Road we passed Château Rhianfa before stopping at the seaside town of Beaumaris with its large green space along the seafront, Royal Anglesey Yacht Club and Beaumaris Castle.

Leaving the island we crossed the Menai Suspension Bridge continuing along Holyhead Road to Bangor Garth Pier, opened on 14th May 1896.  We drove past 1971 Eisteddfod Gorsedd Stones with its speaker’s stone at the centre before having dinner at The Management Centre restaurant, Bangor University.

Today we are off to explore the stunning Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, including a ride on the Heritage Snowdon Mountain Steam Railway and it did not disappoint, was amazing.  The tourist train runs from Llanberis to the summit of Mount Snowdon, it is a rack-and-pinion railway along some of the strikingly rugged landscape of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park.

Llanberis train station, opened on 1 July 1869 by the London & North Western Railway and was the terminus of a 13km branch line from Caernarfon. The line was primarily for moving slate and other minerals mined locally to destinations on Britain’s rail network.

Before continuing our drive through Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park to Beddgellert we enjoyed lunch at The Royal Victoria Hotel Snowdonia Restaurant.

Situated on the west coast of Britain, covering 823 square miles of diverse landscape, Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park is the largest National Park in Wales.  From calm streams to towering waterfalls, Epic lakes, peaceful ponds, Eryri’s landscape has an abundance of lakes, rivers and rugged, mountainous landscape. 

Eryi (Snowdonia) National Park was the area where members of the first successful attempt on Mt Everest trained, it’s been the training ground for many of Britain’s best-known mountaineers since then and about half a million people climb, walk or take the train to the summit each year.

We drove along the A4086 past Llyn Peris through the Pen-y-Pass, past the National Park’s Youth Hostel, YHA to the junction with the A498 where we turned off for Beddgellert.  Before arriving at Beddgellert we saw more stunning landscapes including Llyn Gwynant, Nant Gwynant, Plus Gwynant and Llyn Dinas.  

Beddgelert is a picturesque village in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park and is renowned for its stunning mountain scenery, the legend of Prince Llywelyn’s faithful hound Gelert and the Welsh Highland Railway. The village is nestled where the rivers Colwyn and Glaslyn meet, it offers cozy pubs, cafes and easy access to walking trails like the Aberglaslyn Pass.

Leaving Beddgellert in the area of Gwynedd we headed back to Bangor seeing another heritage train travelling across the stunning landscape.  This train operates from Porthmadog to Caernarfon (and vice versa). Beddgelert is approx half way between the two.

It is time to say good-bye to beautiful Northern Wales where Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park continued to be the most breathtaking backdrop for us as we travel along the A5 seeing Point Pen-y-benglog and views of the valley and lake of Llyn Ogwen from our coach.

We stopped at the unique, Ugly house where legend says that the house was built in the 15^th century overnight – a ‘tŷ unnos’ or ‘one night house’, then crossing the River Conwy at Waterloo Bridge before stopping at Llangollen on our way to the Roman city of Bath, the only UK city designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Llangollen is a small market town in Denbighshire, North Wales, situated on the south bank of the River Dee it is renowned for its tumbling river and surrounding hills.

Thank you Sage Travel, Heather McFall and Britannia Luxury Coaches for a wonderful adventure.