Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
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- Muzorewa
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Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
I have to admit that I really have had this one on the back-burner since 2008, awaiting suitable weather and timing. We got the Bongo specifically to watch some 24-hour sportscar racing in Europe and it served us well at Le Mans, the Nürburgring, Spa-Francorchamps and Zolder. Then I thought, instead of doing the 24 hours of Le Mans, how about inventing our own event and doing the “24 castles of North Wales”?
Now some of these castles are easy to get to. But some are a bit of a trek on foot, indeed a positive scramble in some cases. So with none of us being fitness fanatics it was with much trepidation that we embarked on this latest adventure. But I have to say that the views from the tops of some of the locations were stunning and it was no wonder they decided all those years ago to use such high ground to build defensive forts.
We’ve driven past many of these magnificent castles many times over the last few years but purposely not gone into them in order to hit them all in one go for this tour.
Our biggest challenge was to get into the medieval castle at Hawarden and also the new castle, formerly Broadlane Hall, as it’s all owned by the estate of former Prime Minister William Gladstone, and is still lived in by Gladstone’s great grandson, Sir William Gladstone. But if you ask politely….
Hawarden new castle taken from the old castle, with Blacon towers just over the border in the distance
Here’s the MasterPlan
We were also unsure if they had shops in Wales. Or would accept our English pounds instead of Euros
Anyway, back to the tour. Castle 1a. Hawarden old castle, Flintshire
Hawarden old castle, Flintshire
Hawarden old castle, Flintshire
Hawarden castle garden, Flintshire
Castle 1b. Hawarden new castle, Flintshire
Hawarden new castle, Flintshire
Hawarden new castle, Flintshire
Hawarden new castle, Flintshire
Hawarden new castle, Flintshire
Castle 2. Ewloe castle, Flintshire
Ewloe castle, Flintshire
Ewloe castle, Flintshire
Ewloe castle, Flintshire
Castle 3. Flint castle, Flintshire
Flint castle, Flintshire
Flint castle, Flintshire
Flint castle, Flintshire
Castle 4. Ruthin castle, Denbighshire which looks like and is a hotel....
....but dates back to the legend of King Arthur with notable owners including King Edward I, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I
Ruthin castle, Denbighshire
Ruthin castle, Denbighshire
Castle 5. Denbigh castle, Denbighshire
Denbigh castle, Denbighshire
Denbigh castle, Denbighshire
Denbigh castle, Denbighshire
Denbigh castle, Denbighshire
Castle 6. Gyrn castle, Flintshire. This is some rich geezer’s house
Castle 7. Rhuddlan castle, Denbighshire
Rhuddlan castle, Denbighshire
Rhuddlan castle with the bridges over the River Clwyd in the distance
Rhuddlan castle with Bodelwyddan church and Bodelwyddan castle in the distance
Rhuddlan castle, Denbighshire
Rhuddlan castle – the battle for Rhuddlan bridge!
Castle 8. Bodelwyddan castle, Denbighshire
Bodelwyddan castle, Denbighshire
Bodelwyddan castle, Denbighshire
Castle 9a. Gwrych castle, Conwy
Gwrych castle, Conwy
Gwrych castle, Conwy
Castle 9b. Hên Wrych Hall tower, Conwy, once home to the poet Felicia Hemans....
....who wrote Casabianca (“The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck” and all that malarkey )
Castle 10. Deganwy castle, Conwy
Deganwy castle, Conwy. Not much remains of this....
....but there are some good views out to Llandudno and the Great Orme
Castle 11. Conwy castle, Conwy
Conwy castle, Conwy
Conwy castle, Conwy
Wild-camp above Abergwyngregyn. Whilst the power lines spoil the view, they do confirm that they have electricity here now
Not the world’s most level camping pitch
I can’t remember what was said here but it did tickle Muzette
A quality repast in progress....
....courtesy of Lidl
Castle 12. Penrhyn castle, Gwynedd
Penrhyn castle, Gwynedd
Penrhyn castle, Gwynedd
Penrhyn castle, Gwynedd
Penrhyn castle, Gwynedd
Penrhyn castle, Gwynedd
Penrhyn castle, Gwynedd
The Grand Hall, Penrhyn castle
The Library, Penrhyn castle
The Library, Penrhyn castle
The Drawing Room, Penrhyn castle
The Drawing Room, Penrhyn castle
The Ebony Room, Penrhyn castle
The Dining Room, Penrhyn castle
The State Bedroom, Penrhyn castle
The Walled Garden, Penrhyn castle
The Walled Garden, Penrhyn castle
Penrhyn castle
Wild strawberries, Penrhyn castle
Bluebells & wild garlic, Penrhyn castle
Penrhyn castle
Penrhyn castle
Penrhyn castle
Penrhyn castle
Castle 13. Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey – this gatehouse had a triple portcullis
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey – A bridge to nowhere
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey – A pigeon-scaring plastic raptor – with pigeons nesting on top
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey – Pigeon egg
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey – A very young pigeon
And so to lunch on a rainy Bank Holiday – the Tap & Spile, Bangor, Gwynedd
A fish finger & coleslaw stottie for Mrs Muz....
....and for me?...
....a fish finger & fish finger stottie
Castle 14. Caernarfon castle, Gwynedd
Caernarfon castle, Gwynedd
Caernarfon castle, Gwynedd
Castle 15. Dolbadarn castle, Gwynedd, viewed from Dinorwig
Dolbadarn castle, Gwynedd
Dolbadarn castle, Gwynedd
Dolbadarn castle, Gwynedd
Dolbadarn castle, Gwynedd
Dolbadarn castle, Gwynedd. Bank Holiday weather
Porth Ysgaden wild-camp, Llŷn Peninsula
Porth Ysgaden, Llŷn Peninsula
Porth Ysgaden, Llŷn Peninsula
We didn’t see William & Kate on Anglesey, but we got a wave from Will as he rescued someone at Whistling Sands
Porth Ysgaden, Llŷn Peninsula
Porth Ysgaden, Llŷn Peninsula
Porth Ysgaden, Llŷn Peninsula
Morning campers!
Porth Ysgaden, Llŷn Peninsula
Castle 16. Tre'r Ceiri Iron-Age hillfort, Gwynedd....
....right at the top of there....
....Muzette & I were yet to be convinced this was a good idea
A breather to see how Mrs Muz is doing....
....who’s checking how we are doing
Good views from here though
....all around the peninsula....
....you can kind of understand why they built this here.
Muzette tasting the clouds
One final scramble....
Dating from 78AD, this is one of the best preserved and most spectacular stone-built hillforts in Britain....
....The interior contains the remains of over 150 huts....
....which you can see within the ramparts on the Google satellite image
On our way down, and we notice the Bongo roof is now up – this can only signal one thing....
....Mrs Muz has cooked us a conqueror’s breakfast!
Castle 17. Criccieth castle, Gwynedd
Criccieth castle, Gwynedd
Criccieth castle, Gwynedd
Criccieth castle, Gwynedd
Criccieth
Cadwalader’s world-famous ice-cream
....Now if only we knew someone who liked ice-cream
One....
....two....
....three
Castle 18a. Deudraeth castle, Gwynedd – the original is merely a pile of stones in the Portmeirion woods
Castle 18b. Deudraeth castle, Gwynedd – a pretty hotel handy for visitors to Portmeirion
Deudraeth castle, Gwynedd
Castle 19. Harlech castle, Gwynedd
Harlech castle, Gwynedd
Harlech castle, Gwynedd
Harlech castle, Gwynedd
Harlech castle, Gwynedd
Harlech castle, Gwynedd
Harlech castle, Gwynedd
Castle 20. Castell y Bere, Gwynedd – another trek to the top of there
Castell y Bere, Gwynedd
Castell y Bere, Gwynedd
I spy with my little eye, something beginning with “R”
Snowdonia National Park wild-camp
Snowdonia National Park
Fruit Shoot or Cider – which will it be?
Ah – another quality breakfast so we’re ready for the final push!
Castle 21. Dolwyddelan castle, Conwy
Dolwyddelan castle, Conwy
Dolwyddelan castle, Conwy
Looking south from the top of Dolwyddelan castle, Conwy
Looking north from the top of Dolwyddelan castle, Conwy
Castle 22. Castell Dinas Brân, Denbighshire. Right at the top of there, viewed from the east
....or this ascent from the west – excuse the haziness, this was taken from 4km away
Castell Dinas Brân, Denbighshire
Castell Dinas Brân, Denbighshire
Castell Dinas Brân, Denbighshire
Castell Dinas Brân, Denbighshire
Castell Dinas Brân, Denbighshire. Good views from up here though
Castell Dinas Brân, Denbighshire. Looking east along the river Dee
Thomas Telford’s Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen canal, from the old Dee bridge
Castle 23. Chirk castle, Wrexham. Only just in Wales at about 500 metres from the border
Chirk castle, Wrexham
Cromwell Hall, Chirk castle
The Saloon, Chirk castle
The Drawing Room, Chirk castle
The Long Gallery, Chirk castle
The Library, Chirk castle
The Bow Room, Chirk castle
Muzette on the Broadwood grand piano in the Bow Room, Chirk castle
Dress-up time, Chirk castle
Chirk castle
This is more like it – where’s the rotten tomatoes?! - Chirk castle
Chirk castle
Chirk castle gardens
Chirk castle gardens
Chirk castle gardens
Chirk castle gardens
Chirk castle gardens
Castle 24. Caergwrle castle, Flintshire
Caergwrle castle, Flintshire
Caergwrle castle, Flintshire
Caergwrle castle, Flintshire
So there you have it – another mission successfully accomplished! There are more than this but there are only 24 hours in a day and I thought these were the best 24 to choose. The others may well follow in a sequel....
Now some of these castles are easy to get to. But some are a bit of a trek on foot, indeed a positive scramble in some cases. So with none of us being fitness fanatics it was with much trepidation that we embarked on this latest adventure. But I have to say that the views from the tops of some of the locations were stunning and it was no wonder they decided all those years ago to use such high ground to build defensive forts.
We’ve driven past many of these magnificent castles many times over the last few years but purposely not gone into them in order to hit them all in one go for this tour.
Our biggest challenge was to get into the medieval castle at Hawarden and also the new castle, formerly Broadlane Hall, as it’s all owned by the estate of former Prime Minister William Gladstone, and is still lived in by Gladstone’s great grandson, Sir William Gladstone. But if you ask politely….
Hawarden new castle taken from the old castle, with Blacon towers just over the border in the distance
Here’s the MasterPlan
We were also unsure if they had shops in Wales. Or would accept our English pounds instead of Euros
Anyway, back to the tour. Castle 1a. Hawarden old castle, Flintshire
Hawarden old castle, Flintshire
Hawarden old castle, Flintshire
Hawarden castle garden, Flintshire
Castle 1b. Hawarden new castle, Flintshire
Hawarden new castle, Flintshire
Hawarden new castle, Flintshire
Hawarden new castle, Flintshire
Hawarden new castle, Flintshire
Castle 2. Ewloe castle, Flintshire
Ewloe castle, Flintshire
Ewloe castle, Flintshire
Ewloe castle, Flintshire
Castle 3. Flint castle, Flintshire
Flint castle, Flintshire
Flint castle, Flintshire
Flint castle, Flintshire
Castle 4. Ruthin castle, Denbighshire which looks like and is a hotel....
....but dates back to the legend of King Arthur with notable owners including King Edward I, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I
Ruthin castle, Denbighshire
Ruthin castle, Denbighshire
Castle 5. Denbigh castle, Denbighshire
Denbigh castle, Denbighshire
Denbigh castle, Denbighshire
Denbigh castle, Denbighshire
Denbigh castle, Denbighshire
Castle 6. Gyrn castle, Flintshire. This is some rich geezer’s house
Castle 7. Rhuddlan castle, Denbighshire
Rhuddlan castle, Denbighshire
Rhuddlan castle with the bridges over the River Clwyd in the distance
Rhuddlan castle with Bodelwyddan church and Bodelwyddan castle in the distance
Rhuddlan castle, Denbighshire
Rhuddlan castle – the battle for Rhuddlan bridge!
Castle 8. Bodelwyddan castle, Denbighshire
Bodelwyddan castle, Denbighshire
Bodelwyddan castle, Denbighshire
Castle 9a. Gwrych castle, Conwy
Gwrych castle, Conwy
Gwrych castle, Conwy
Castle 9b. Hên Wrych Hall tower, Conwy, once home to the poet Felicia Hemans....
....who wrote Casabianca (“The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck” and all that malarkey )
Castle 10. Deganwy castle, Conwy
Deganwy castle, Conwy. Not much remains of this....
....but there are some good views out to Llandudno and the Great Orme
Castle 11. Conwy castle, Conwy
Conwy castle, Conwy
Conwy castle, Conwy
Wild-camp above Abergwyngregyn. Whilst the power lines spoil the view, they do confirm that they have electricity here now
Not the world’s most level camping pitch
I can’t remember what was said here but it did tickle Muzette
A quality repast in progress....
....courtesy of Lidl
Castle 12. Penrhyn castle, Gwynedd
Penrhyn castle, Gwynedd
Penrhyn castle, Gwynedd
Penrhyn castle, Gwynedd
Penrhyn castle, Gwynedd
Penrhyn castle, Gwynedd
Penrhyn castle, Gwynedd
The Grand Hall, Penrhyn castle
The Library, Penrhyn castle
The Library, Penrhyn castle
The Drawing Room, Penrhyn castle
The Drawing Room, Penrhyn castle
The Ebony Room, Penrhyn castle
The Dining Room, Penrhyn castle
The State Bedroom, Penrhyn castle
The Walled Garden, Penrhyn castle
The Walled Garden, Penrhyn castle
Penrhyn castle
Wild strawberries, Penrhyn castle
Bluebells & wild garlic, Penrhyn castle
Penrhyn castle
Penrhyn castle
Penrhyn castle
Penrhyn castle
Castle 13. Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey – this gatehouse had a triple portcullis
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey – A bridge to nowhere
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey – A pigeon-scaring plastic raptor – with pigeons nesting on top
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey – Pigeon egg
Beaumaris castle, Isle of Anglesey – A very young pigeon
And so to lunch on a rainy Bank Holiday – the Tap & Spile, Bangor, Gwynedd
A fish finger & coleslaw stottie for Mrs Muz....
....and for me?...
....a fish finger & fish finger stottie
Castle 14. Caernarfon castle, Gwynedd
Caernarfon castle, Gwynedd
Caernarfon castle, Gwynedd
Castle 15. Dolbadarn castle, Gwynedd, viewed from Dinorwig
Dolbadarn castle, Gwynedd
Dolbadarn castle, Gwynedd
Dolbadarn castle, Gwynedd
Dolbadarn castle, Gwynedd
Dolbadarn castle, Gwynedd. Bank Holiday weather
Porth Ysgaden wild-camp, Llŷn Peninsula
Porth Ysgaden, Llŷn Peninsula
Porth Ysgaden, Llŷn Peninsula
We didn’t see William & Kate on Anglesey, but we got a wave from Will as he rescued someone at Whistling Sands
Porth Ysgaden, Llŷn Peninsula
Porth Ysgaden, Llŷn Peninsula
Porth Ysgaden, Llŷn Peninsula
Morning campers!
Porth Ysgaden, Llŷn Peninsula
Castle 16. Tre'r Ceiri Iron-Age hillfort, Gwynedd....
....right at the top of there....
....Muzette & I were yet to be convinced this was a good idea
A breather to see how Mrs Muz is doing....
....who’s checking how we are doing
Good views from here though
....all around the peninsula....
....you can kind of understand why they built this here.
Muzette tasting the clouds
One final scramble....
Dating from 78AD, this is one of the best preserved and most spectacular stone-built hillforts in Britain....
....The interior contains the remains of over 150 huts....
....which you can see within the ramparts on the Google satellite image
On our way down, and we notice the Bongo roof is now up – this can only signal one thing....
....Mrs Muz has cooked us a conqueror’s breakfast!
Castle 17. Criccieth castle, Gwynedd
Criccieth castle, Gwynedd
Criccieth castle, Gwynedd
Criccieth castle, Gwynedd
Criccieth
Cadwalader’s world-famous ice-cream
....Now if only we knew someone who liked ice-cream
One....
....two....
....three
Castle 18a. Deudraeth castle, Gwynedd – the original is merely a pile of stones in the Portmeirion woods
Castle 18b. Deudraeth castle, Gwynedd – a pretty hotel handy for visitors to Portmeirion
Deudraeth castle, Gwynedd
Castle 19. Harlech castle, Gwynedd
Harlech castle, Gwynedd
Harlech castle, Gwynedd
Harlech castle, Gwynedd
Harlech castle, Gwynedd
Harlech castle, Gwynedd
Harlech castle, Gwynedd
Castle 20. Castell y Bere, Gwynedd – another trek to the top of there
Castell y Bere, Gwynedd
Castell y Bere, Gwynedd
I spy with my little eye, something beginning with “R”
Snowdonia National Park wild-camp
Snowdonia National Park
Fruit Shoot or Cider – which will it be?
Ah – another quality breakfast so we’re ready for the final push!
Castle 21. Dolwyddelan castle, Conwy
Dolwyddelan castle, Conwy
Dolwyddelan castle, Conwy
Looking south from the top of Dolwyddelan castle, Conwy
Looking north from the top of Dolwyddelan castle, Conwy
Castle 22. Castell Dinas Brân, Denbighshire. Right at the top of there, viewed from the east
....or this ascent from the west – excuse the haziness, this was taken from 4km away
Castell Dinas Brân, Denbighshire
Castell Dinas Brân, Denbighshire
Castell Dinas Brân, Denbighshire
Castell Dinas Brân, Denbighshire
Castell Dinas Brân, Denbighshire. Good views from up here though
Castell Dinas Brân, Denbighshire. Looking east along the river Dee
Thomas Telford’s Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen canal, from the old Dee bridge
Castle 23. Chirk castle, Wrexham. Only just in Wales at about 500 metres from the border
Chirk castle, Wrexham
Cromwell Hall, Chirk castle
The Saloon, Chirk castle
The Drawing Room, Chirk castle
The Long Gallery, Chirk castle
The Library, Chirk castle
The Bow Room, Chirk castle
Muzette on the Broadwood grand piano in the Bow Room, Chirk castle
Dress-up time, Chirk castle
Chirk castle
This is more like it – where’s the rotten tomatoes?! - Chirk castle
Chirk castle
Chirk castle gardens
Chirk castle gardens
Chirk castle gardens
Chirk castle gardens
Chirk castle gardens
Castle 24. Caergwrle castle, Flintshire
Caergwrle castle, Flintshire
Caergwrle castle, Flintshire
Caergwrle castle, Flintshire
So there you have it – another mission successfully accomplished! There are more than this but there are only 24 hours in a day and I thought these were the best 24 to choose. The others may well follow in a sequel....
Re: Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
First class pics again mate.youre bongos served you well.what miles has it done now?
- kingbillybongo
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Re: Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
Once again ,fantastic pics.wish I had the time to do this myself but at least I've got your pictorials so I don't completely miss out! Top class.
[color=#0000BF]billybongofreedom[/color]
- Northern Bongolow
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Re: Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
picture no35,
is that the rare welsh tree climbing sheep, if it is, amazing you caught it on film.
further on there is the more familiar 2 long 2 short legged sheep (a native to wales) that you caught rock face grazing.
thanks for sharing paul. .
is that the rare welsh tree climbing sheep, if it is, amazing you caught it on film.
further on there is the more familiar 2 long 2 short legged sheep (a native to wales) that you caught rock face grazing.
thanks for sharing paul. .
- helen&tony
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Re: Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
Hi
Great pictures, great breakfasts....but I like a bit o' Lorne Sausage with my bacon, eggs, sausages, mushrooms, kidneys and beans
AND....where can I get one of those magnetic lambkins like the "No. 6" stuck to the mountain....I'd love one for the 'fridge door!
Cheers
Helen
Great pictures, great breakfasts....but I like a bit o' Lorne Sausage with my bacon, eggs, sausages, mushrooms, kidneys and beans
AND....where can I get one of those magnetic lambkins like the "No. 6" stuck to the mountain....I'd love one for the 'fridge door!
Cheers
Helen
In the beginning there was nothing , then God said "Let there be Light".....There was still nothing , but ,by crikey, you could see it better.
- Muzorewa
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Re: Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
No Ady, it's the even rarer sheep-tree, captured on film by Muzette Not ready for harvesting yet thoughNorthern Bongolow wrote:picture no35, is that the rare welsh tree climbing sheep.
Re: Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
Again,WOW bloody WOW.
Brilliant photos as usual Paul,
So jealous as Im retired and cant find the time to do the tours you and team muz do
Brian
Brilliant photos as usual Paul,
So jealous as Im retired and cant find the time to do the tours you and team muz do
Brian
Confucious once said " To be fluent in Bongolese is to hold the key to the world!"
Re: Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
Found this post really interesting. I used to be a sevice engineer covering this area and have driven past (or the sign posts) most of these castles but never had the time to visit the more obscure ones. It is really nice to see them close up, thanks Team Muz.
It's hard nowadays to imagine Harlech castle was actually 'by the sea' in them long ago days, and the famous song was sung? by Lancastrians being sieged by the Yorks. (correct me if i'm wrong)
It's hard nowadays to imagine Harlech castle was actually 'by the sea' in them long ago days, and the famous song was sung? by Lancastrians being sieged by the Yorks. (correct me if i'm wrong)
Alan & Dot
Yes sir, I can Bongo !!
I now walk with an angel by my side.
Yes sir, I can Bongo !!
I now walk with an angel by my side.
- Muzorewa
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Re: Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
All apparently correct Alan. I did check with the mother-in-law as I was sure she would remember it, but not soblobber wrote:Found this post really interesting. I used to be a sevice engineer covering this area and have driven past (or the sign posts) most of these castles but never had the time to visit the more obscure ones. It is really nice to see them close up, thanks Team Muz.
It's hard nowadays to imagine Harlech castle was actually 'by the sea' in them long ago days, and the famous song was sung? by Lancastrians being sieged by the Yorks. (correct me if i'm wrong)
There was an outer wall and steps down to the sea so that supplies could be replenished during a siege - which is how they managed to go for seven years under siege.
When you look at the land though, it's pretty flat out to the sea so there didn't need to be much of a change to get that land. Times change, prior to that it was reckoned that the whole of what is now Cardigan Bay was the legendary Cantre'r Gwaelod, the drowned Lowland Hundred. We went in search of the evidence of this in one of our previous tours, details HERE
Re: Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
Wow!
I dont suppose you have the route as a word document? I fancy doing this my self
I dont suppose you have the route as a word document? I fancy doing this my self
- Muzorewa
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Re: Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
No, I use Google Maps - if you stick all the placemarks on in exactly the right places, then string them together in some semblance of a route - if you use a smartphone you can then use your GPS on the phone to track where you are on your map, this is really handy for the offroad sections on foot so you can check you're still heading the right way.winchman wrote:Wow!
I dont suppose you have the route as a word document? I fancy doing this my self
Most of the places are easy, you just navigate to the town in question and it's pretty obvious where you need to be from there although it's useful to have thought about where you might get a good photo from a distance, like the Conwy, Caernarfon, Dolbadarn, Harlech and Dinas Brân sites, and also what time of day (assuming it's sunny) would be best.
Deganwy is an odd one, you access it via a footpath between some houses on Maes-y-Castell. For Ewloe you have to know where to park but it is signposted. For Caergwrle the footpath starts by the war memorial, you can park in a pub carpark just down the road. For the iron-age hillfort you have to know what you're looking for although there is a layby right by the footpath to it but you can easily miss it, we did even though we were looking. It's on the B4417 about a mile SW of Llanaelhaearn, you can see the fort on the satellite view.
For Dinas Brân, the footpath we used starts at the junction of Wern Road and Panorama Walk. For Hawarden you need to speak to the estate office. And for Gyrn you just have to drive in boldly and claim to be lost tourists if challenged
If you're a member of National Trust and English Heritage, they're all free so your only cost is the diesel. Chirk and Penrhyn are NT, most of the rest are Cadw which is free for EH members
Armed with that, the opening times of the various places, and some potential wild-camping spots in mind, off you go!
- Muzorewa
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Re: Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
Well I wasn’t at all happy with the photos from Dolbadarn castle (just over halfway through the pics), trying to get a good picture in poor light and rain is never going to work. This was a real shame as I could see some potential there – so then I thought about having another look. I kept an eye on the weather for a nice sunny evening and decided to whip round there yesterday on my way home from work (yeah I know, Llanberis isn’t exactly on the normal route from Liverpool to Manchester )
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Re: Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
as it says in your bottom of the page strap line.
Re: Team Muz 24 castles of North Wales tour
ThanksMuzorewa wrote:No, I use Google Maps - if you stick all the placemarks on in exactly the right places, then string them together in some semblance of a route - if you use a smartphone you can then use your GPS on the phone to track where you are on your map, this is really handy for the offroad sections on foot so you can check you're still heading the right way.winchman wrote:Wow!
I dont suppose you have the route as a word document? I fancy doing this my self
Most of the places are easy, you just navigate to the town in question and it's pretty obvious where you need to be from there although it's useful to have thought about where you might get a good photo from a distance, like the Conwy, Caernarfon, Dolbadarn, Harlech and Dinas Brân sites, and also what time of day (assuming it's sunny) would be best.
Deganwy is an odd one, you access it via a footpath between some houses on Maes-y-Castell. For Ewloe you have to know where to park but it is signposted. For Caergwrle the footpath starts by the war memorial, you can park in a pub carpark just down the road. For the iron-age hillfort you have to know what you're looking for although there is a layby right by the footpath to it but you can easily miss it, we did even though we were looking. It's on the B4417 about a mile SW of Llanaelhaearn, you can see the fort on the satellite view.
For Dinas Brân, the footpath we used starts at the junction of Wern Road and Panorama Walk. For Hawarden you need to speak to the estate office. And for Gyrn you just have to drive in boldly and claim to be lost tourists if challenged
If you're a member of National Trust and English Heritage, they're all free so your only cost is the diesel. Chirk and Penrhyn are NT, most of the rest are Cadw which is free for EH members
Armed with that, the opening times of the various places, and some potential wild-camping spots in mind, off you go!
I don't know when but its on my list, I love the area and wish we could live there