HomeMy WebLinkAboutVillage Squire, 1975-04, Page 27CAERNARVON CASTLE - One of the many castles that are an
integral part of Welsh history and a must for any visitor.
BY GEORGE OSTERMANN
Spring breakup hardly begins before
Canadians start planning their summer
vacation. For many, the big event of 1975 will
be a trip abroad.
Those looking for something different than
the usual tours of European cities might be
fascinated with a trip to Wales, the tiny
country on the western side of Britain.
It is said that four out of five people in
Wales bear the surname Jones, and signs
advertising family business in that part of
Britain bear out the theory.
There's a story of the stranger who arrives
at a small Welsh village and asks an
inhabitant where he might find his friend,
whose name is Jones.
"Is it Jones the grocer?" asks the local.
"No," replies the stranger. "Jones the
postman?" "No." "Jones the mayor,
maybe?" "No." "Well, where did you meet
him," asks the local. "In Moscow," replies
the stranger. "Oh, well, that's it then. You
want Jones the spy."
If the choice of surnames is circumscribed,
there is no limit to the variety of scenery and
attractions to be found within the relatively
small area (about 8,000 square miles) which is
Wales.
Standing amid the remains of Criccieth
Castle, the visitor, by turning his head, can
take in Cardigan Bay vyith miles of sandy
Travel
A different destination
for a liesurely summer
beaches to the south, rolling forests to the
north-west, the Cambrian Mountains to the
east and the century -old town of Criccieth to
the north-east.
Castles are an integral part of Welsh
history and a must for any visitor. Caernarvon
Castle is perhaps the best known and
certainly among the most grandiose. Built by
Edward I, it was begun in 1283 and completed
in 1327. It was planned to be both a fortress
and a castle.
Edward's successor, the first Prince of
Wales, was probably born in the castle
precincts and although the title of Prince of
Wales has ever since been accorded the
eldest son of the sovereign, the first to be
ceremonially invested was Edward, later
Edward VIII, in 1911. Most recently, in 1969,
Prince Charles was invested at the historic
castle.
Criccieth, less than 20 miles to the south, is
one of the few in Wales which has remains
partly of Welsh and partly of English
construction although little survives of the
Welsh work forming the outer ring of
defences which date back to before 1200.
English improvements were carried out
between 1285 and 1326 and the castle was
held for Henry IV for some years after war
broke out in 1400 between him and the Welsh
under Owain Glyndwr of Glendower. The
castle was burned and left derelict.
A simple list of the historic castles,
mansions, cathedrals and abbeys scattered
throughout Wales would fill pages and the
prospective visitor is well advised to do some
research before setting out in order to
formulate the most interesting itinerary.
The ideal way to see the real Wales would ,
be on foot, by bicycle or on horseback.
Unfortunately, time usually dictates against
this sort of unorthodoxy, but there are two
other excellent choices -- rail or automobile.
Train service, as in the rest of the British
Isles, is excellent in Wales. Trains depart
London's Euston Station hourly for Chester,
in Cheshire, just a stone's throw from the
Welsh border.
Within Wales itself, regular rail service
connects even the smaller hamlets and offers
a leisurely opportunity to absorb some of the
most spectacular scenery in the British Isles.
An automobile offers unlimited freedom of
choice. Go when you want, where you want
and stop when you feel like it. Those opting
for a car should be sure to do at least some
driving on the narrow, meandering secondary
roads, blanked by high, colorful hedgerows
which provide shelter for a wide 'ange of
small animals, birds and insects.
The experience provides a nice balance
between serenity and excitement. You never
know if the next blind corner will bring a
confrontation with a multi -ton truck or bus, or
VILLAGE SQUIRE/APRIL 1975, 25