During this year I shall be posting photographs from places around the UK, many of which have not been published before. Where I have previously blogged about a location I will provide a link to the post, though you won’t be able to comment on it as I restrict comments to six months.
V is for Vrynwy (Lake)
Lake Vyrnwy (pronounced Vernwee) is a reservoir in Powys, Wales, built in the 1880s for Liverpool Corporation Waterworks to supply Liverpool with fresh water. Just on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park and south of Lake Bala, Lake Vyrnwy is set amidst the remote and beautiful Berwyn Mountains. It’s a short drive from the Shropshire border (The Welsh Marches).
View of the lake from the dam bridge.Picnic TablesThe Straining Tower at Lake Vyrnwy is an intake tower built to extract water from the lake.
There are lots of trails and walks around the 5 mile long lake with several picnic spots and viewpoints and bird hides from which to watch the variety of birdlife in the area.
Dolphins carved from driftwood
There are many other activities too including sailing, fishing and mountain biking. Visitors can embark on a relatively easy 12-mile bike ride around the lake or hike one of the many walking trails, such as the Rhiwagor Trail or the Craig Garth Bwlch Trail.
During this year I shall be posting photographs from places around the UK, many of which have not been published before. Where I have previously blogged about a location I will provide a link to the post, though you won’t be able to comment on it as I restrict comments to six months.
S is for St Bride’s Bay and Skomer and Skokholm Islands
Another one from Wales, this time in Pembrokeshire.
Lying in the Celtic Sea two miles off the southwest Pembrokeshire coast, Skokholm has its own charm and sense of remoteness with tall, sandstone cliffs and a wild landscape
In the warmer months Skokholm is colonised by tens of thousands of nesting seabirds. By day there is frenetic activity among the puffins, razorbills, guillemots and gulls – and by night there is more commotion from the Manx shearwaters and storm petrels! (Source: Welsh Wildlife Trust)
Skomer Island is less than a mile off the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast.
Between April and July, Skomer is well known for its puffins, but there is so much more to this National Nature Reserve – including Manx shearwaters, dolphins, seals, razorbills, and so much more! You can visit for just a day or even stay overnight in a hostel. (Source: Welsh Wildlife Trust)
Incredible views from the top of Wooltack Point
Our visit was on the last day of our family Christmas holiday in Wales in 2011. We stayed in a former pub near Rosebush and well remembered for being absolutely freezing cold all week with rain and/or fog every day bar this one! Whilst the children and grandchildren went off to visit Pembroke Castle, the OH and I decided to have a little road trip around the Pembrokeshire coast first to Fishguard then on to St David’s (the smallest city in Wales) before following the coast down to Marloes and St Brides.
Wild white-capped waves
We parked at Martin’s Haven close to the Deer Park for a walk and to get a glimpse of the islands. Although it was a dry and sunny day the wind was fierce so it was a very quick walk.
The car park at Martin’s haven (the end of the road)
From here we returned to Marloes for some lunch and then a quick drive to Dale which is on the Milford Haven Waterway, an estuary forming a natural harbour that has been used as a port since the Middle Ages, before dashing back north to catch the sunset at the Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber in the Preseli Hills.
If you haven’t already visited Pembrokeshire then I recommend that you do. It has an amazing landscape with towering cliffs, pristine beaches, rolling moorlands rich with wildlife and history, beautiful coastal towns like Tenby (equivalent to Cornwall’s St Ives) and Britain’s smallest city, St Davids with its Cathedral and the ruin of The Bishops Palace.
During this year I shall be posting photographs from places around the UK, many of which have not been published before. Where I have previously blogged about a location I will provide a link to the post, though you won’t be able to comment on it as I restrict comments to six months.
Let’s start with A for Aberdovey/Aberdyfi.
Aberdyfi is a thriving little harbour resort set within the Snowdonia National Park, where the river Dyfi meets the blue waters of Cardigan Bay.
I didn’t know very much about Wales before I met the OH and moved to live with him in Shrewsbury in 2002. Weekends saw us popping over the border on many occasions. This was on a very cold February day and I recall having a lovely lunch in the picturesque Dovey Inn overlooking these stunning views of the estuary.
The theme for Becky’s April Squares challenge is ‘top’
On Top of the World – summit, crown, peak or uppermost part of something
Under the Big Top – topping or covering (or if you’re really lucky circus)
Room at the Top – first or highest in position
Cherry on Top – something made even more wonderful by becoming square
Top and Tail – or maybe you’d prefer to play around with word combinations such as top dog, top stitch, top full, top line, top fruit, top hat, top secret, top knot, top drawer and top dollar!
Top Row
This wonderful row of candy-coloured four storey Victorian townhouses (mainly holiday apartments, B&Bs or hotels) is situated at the beginning of the Esplanade above the rocky cliff and stairs that lead down to South Beach in Tenby, South Wales. What a commanding view they have of the monastic Island of Caldey and St Catherine’s Castle.
But be warned, this town gets extremely busy in the school holidays and parking is almost impossible to find. It’s the Welsh equivalent of St Ives, Cornwall and also boasts three fine beaches. Take a look for yourself by clicking the link above.
the modern entrance to the castle viewed from the edge of the outer ward.
Dinefwr Castle is a Welsh castle overlooking the River Tywi near the town of Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It lies on a ridge on the northern bank of the Tywi, with a steep drop of one hundred feet to the river.Wikipedia
TRAVEL WORDS 