Holy Island plus a bit more.

En-route to Holyhead we travelled the scenic route (by choice, not the GPS’s choice!) through Snowdonia a National Park in Wales. One place we stopped at was LLangollen situated on the Dee River one of the many towns along the way; it was a very picturesque spot. The mountains in Snowdonia are quite high some 3000 feet plus. They are rather rugged but at the same time quite beautiful.

Llangollen one of the towns in Snowdonia situated on the Dee River.

Llangollen - the Dee River and some early autumn colour.

We travelled to Holyhead because we need to get a ferry to Ireland. We thought Holyhead was on Anglesey Island so we wondered what a sign saying “Holy Island” meant as we arrived. The town of Holyhead is actually on a smaller island – “Holy Island”. When we arrived in Holyhead, it first appeared to be a town doing it tough and much of what we first saw certainly gave us that impression. As it turned out, once you start exploring you uncover some hidden gems. The B&B where we stayed was in the high part of town that had lovely views over the harbour and it was opposite a park where you got great views of Mt Holyhead. Holy Island is 12 square miles of history, sacred places, rugged landscape, nature reserves and archaeological sites surrounded by towering cliffs and beautiful beaches. Over thousands of years people have travelled here to visit holy places, enjoy the peace, the wildlife, the legends, and to discover one of Wales’ best kept secrets.

In the park opposite the B&B in Holyhead, an ancient Druid stone circle.

The  B&B with views over the harbour at Holyhead.

The town (Holyhead) is built around the church of St Cybi which is built inside the walls of a Roman fort that was founded in the 3rd century to try and control pirates in the Irish Sea. But the history of both the town and Holy Island go back much further. Holy Island has monuments dating back to the Neolithic period and beyond. The island is called "Holy" because of the high concentration of ancient stone circles and several burial sites and other religious sites on the small island.

We drove to South Stack where there is a lighthouse, a bird watching area and walks along the very rugged coastline. South Stack also has one of the highest concentrations of prehistoric sites in Wales; including standing stones, burial chambers and Celtic hut circles.

The South Stack lighthouse and bird watching area.

The cliff-top walking path at South Stack.

View from the walking path at South Stack.



One of the stone circle huts at South Stack.

Welsh Heather growing at the stone circle huts at South Stack.

 

When we were in Brugge (Belgium) we met a chap there who was an archeologist and he told us that a trip to Caernarfon Castle would be worthwhile and it was. Caernarfon is possibly the most famous of the Welsh castles. Caernarfon was constructed not only as a military stronghold but also as a seat of government and royal palace.  It was designed to resemble the walls of Constantinople and built by Edward I. It is a huge castle at the mouth of the Seiont River. The fortress dominates the walled town also founded by Edward I. In 1969, the castle gained worldwide fame as the setting for the Investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales.

You can walk up into the towers and along the ramparts and you get great views of the local town and the river. The castle also houses the Regimental Museum of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, Wales's oldest regiment. Caernarfon is now a World Heritage site.

Caernarfon Castle.

Ancient Oak beams at Caernarfon Castle.

This is where Prince Charles was invested at Prince of Wales.

 

The other castle that is popular to visit is Beaumaris Castle and we did drive there along a magnificent coastal drive. The castle itself is a moated castle but not nearly as large as Caernarfon Castle. These two castles are among several that were built about the same time for defense purposes.

At the side of Beaumaris Castle.

Bridge over the moat at Beaumaris Castle.

 

Now it is off to Ireland by ferry and the forecast is for ‘rough seas’ – that’s all I need!