Going West

Take a planned trip in the Marches and visit lots of the castles there. Drop in on some really lovely small towns such as Montgomery. Much as Ludlow is pretty Bridgenorth is probably more interesting as is Welshpool as they are more working towns. Personally I found the Stiperstones to be a bit of a disappointment although the views are wonderful. There's Clee Hill which is a very odd area on the way to Ludlow.

Once you start going as far as Snowdonia you'll struggle to be disappointed I'd have thought. To my delight we have just bought a flat in Barmouth which is a very traditional seaside town - even had donkeys on the beach last Saturday! Very small mind - the town not the donkeys.

How long was your trip - a month did you say?

And when will you visit the West Country then?

Mike

Emms,
Virtually everywhere is west from Essex!

You're headed for God's country and it feels like a different country even though I've been going there twice a year for the past thirty years! Some even speak English as a second language!

You must go to the slate museum al Llanberis. Walk up the incline plane to the slate quarry at the top.

Get round the back of the Snowdon Mountain Railway esrly in the morning when the engines are being brought to steam.

Take the main road that circles the Snowdon range and keep stopping for great landscapes. I like the flat coast north of the A55 and Conway for its walls and castle. The Lleyn peninsula is good as is Anglesea...

How long are you going for? I wouldn't try to do Snowdonia and the Marches in the same holiday: it would be difficult to do either justice.

Best wishes,

Andrew

P.S. Might see you up there for the May Day weekend and Whitusn, perhaps October...

Have a look around Rhayader on a map or use Google Earth - the Elan Valley has been a popular place for shooting landscapes for decades and with good reason. If you head over the mountain road to Aberystwyth you'll find a mix of wild moorland and abandoned mine workings, while Aber itself is a great seaside town. Also worth looking at the dunes out at Ynyslas.

Further south, Llyn Brianne looks like something from a Bond film (gigantic dam with spillway) and there are miles of fun mountain roads which often have amazing scenery.

We are a country by the way, the "principality" thing was an English attempt to conquer us. Hasn't really worked...

Wales is a different country to England.

You mentioned you're going to Blists Hill, so on the day you're there make sure you check out the rest of Ironbridge, and you could also do Bridgnorth the same day.

Ludlow in South Shropshire is also worth a visit for food fans, some of the UKs best restaurants can be found there. It also has a nice castle.

Shrewsbury is also very nice, situated in a bend of the River Severn, with numerous old buildings, you could do a morning there with an afternoon around the Stiperstones.

Someone mentioned Welshpool, personally I wouldn't bother (especially if you only have a few days). Although you could stop there on the way through to other places (e.g. Snowdonia, Aberystwyth, etc.), or if you want to visit Powys Castle (which is just outside Welshpool).

As well as Powys Castle there is also Chirk Castle (just north of Oswestry)for National Trust fans, or Attingham Park (just outside Shrewsbury in Atcham).

I wouldn't bother with Oswestry (I live there, reason enough to avoid it :lol, although 15 miles north of Oswestry is Llangollen, home of the Eisteddfod, and gateway to the Horseshoe Pass (nice drive and photo opportunities).

Further north than Llangollen is Chester which is a stunning historical city, that may be vebturing a bit far though, you don't want to spend too much time travelling everywhere!

I'm a little biased with regards Aberystwyth (I went to Uni there), Borth and Ynyslas to the north of it are good for dunes etc. Aberaeron to the south of Aberystwyth is also quite nice.

A day in and around Snowdonia would be good.

Lake Vrynwy is a beautiful place to visit if the weather is right, the walk around the lake gives you plenty of great photo opportunities, it also has an impressive dam, plus you're in some good forest country there.

That's all just for starters...

Good shout on the slate mine, I'd forgotten all about that.

I'd second that, it's a really unique place.

I haven't been there for around 20 years mind, when I was there last they were filming an episode of "Bread".

"Wales is not in a different country"

are you serious?

Wales, scotland, Eire...all countries in their own right.

The 'West Country' is the collection of English counties South West of Bristol roughly....Dorset, somerset, Devon & Cornwall...I am amazed at the ignorance here.

I think I would also include South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire in the West Country.
david

So would I, David, with the refinement of West Wiltshire: things get a bit "home counties" east of, say Devizes!

Best wishes,

Andrew

P.S. Emms with all this excellent advice, you'd better take a couple of months off work, not a couple of days!

Emma,

I'm guilty of not making myself clear and enraging my friend Gareth. When I used the phrase "God's country" I was, of course, referring to Wales.

Gareth should have known how I feel about the land of his fathers, by now!

Apologies for the unintentional ambiguity!

Best wishes,

Andrew

Oh my......... Thats alot of place to visit in a few days, I will have to see what i can do
And all this chatter of Wales England Scotland and Ireland we are all in the UK. Also referring to Shropshire and Snowdonia as west country I forgot to put in West 'OF THE' Country.

Hey,you don`t want to clump Cormwall in with this lot,you`ll get the Kernow Mob onto you...he he he.

Nic

Wroxeter Roman city is near Shrewsbury which is interesting but not all that photogenic. The Wrekin is worth a climb though.

K.