Finally, after a three year delay due to Covid, twenty four members boarded the bus for our long drive to Wales on Thursday 30th June. For many of us this was the first time we had actually been anywhere so we were so looking forward to a ‘change of scene’!
Our first stop en route was at Hanbury Hall just outside Droitwich Spa, a country retreat, the house and gardens originally a stage-set for summer parties offering a glimpse of life at the turn of the 18th century.
We then proceeded to our hotel, the Parkway in Cwmbran on the outskirts of Cardiff. This was a very pleasant hotel, set in its own grounds with friendly staff who made us welcome and looked after us extremely well.
On Friday we boarded our bus for the short drive to Cardiff Castle where we had a tour of the ‘house’ – the Castle is now an 18th century mansion having been converted and highly decorated by the Marquis of Bute for him and his family. We then explored the arcade area opposite the Castle before heading to our next location Castell Coch, a fabulous fairy tale fortress and a Victorian vision of luxurious medieval life. This was a ruin when rescued by the Marquis and turned into his summer home.
St. Fagans, an outdoor museum, was our destination on Saturday which proved to be such an amazing experience as we explored the various buildings brought from all over Wales to be re-erected within the grounds of the museum.
Our next stop was the National Museum and Art Gallery housing one of Europe’s finest Impressionist collections. Sadly, it had been necessary due to Covid restrictions and other factors to close some of the galleries so we were unable to view the complete collection – a big disappointment.
Sunday saw us preparing for our return north but with time to visit the Roman Fortress at Caerleon, one of the most fascinating Roman sites in Britain incorporating a Fortress, the Baths and a row of Barrack-Blocks – the only examples currently visible in Europe – together with Amphitheatre. The open-air swimming pool once held more than 80,000 gallons of water and you might even see a Roman diving into the depths of the pool! We were then able to wander round the nearby National Roman Legion Museum which displays a remarkable collection of finds from the site before returning to our bus and making our farewells to Stella Thomas, our lovely knowledgeable Welsh-speaking guide.
19th August 2022
Jenn Bullen