This post features Conwy, Llandudno, Ruthin and Mold visited during August 2024; Monmouth, Tintern, Chepstow and Swansea, Brecon, Kidwelly, Carmarthen, Tenby and Narberth visited during two trips in February 2025. The visits to Abergavenny and Hay on Wye were in February 2026.
Wales has four UNESCO World Heritage sites (see below) and three gem towns: Conwy,Monmouth and Tenby.
Myths and Legends
It was always believed that Columbus was the first European to discover America in 1492, but it is now accepted that Viking explorers reached parts of the east coast of Canada around 1100. What is less well known is that a Welshman may have followed in Erikson’s footsteps, this time bringing settlers with him to Mobile Bay in modern day Alabama. According to Welsh legend, that man was Prince Madog ab Owain Gwynedd. A Welsh poem of the 15th century tells how Prince Madog sailed away in 10 ships and discovered America…
On the death of King Owain Gwynedd in 1169, his many sons fought amongst themselves for the right to rule Gwynedd. Two of his sons didn’t want to get involved, and so Madog and Riryd sailed from Aber-Kerrik-Gwynan on the North Wales Coast in two ships, the Gorn Gwynant and the Pedr Sant. They sailed west and are said to have landed in what is now Alabama in the USA. Prince Madog then returned to Wales with great tales of his adventures and persuaded others to return to America with him. They sailed from Lundy Island in 1171 but were never heard of again…
They are believed to have landed at Mobile Bay, Alabama and then travelled up the Alabama River along which there are several stone forts, said by the local Cherokee tribes to have been constructed by “White People”. These structures have been dated to several hundred years before the arrival of Columbus and are said to be of a similar design to Dolwyddelan Castle in North Wales…
Conwy is part of one of Wales’ four UNESCO World Heritage sites. The four sites are: the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales; Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal; Blaenavon Industrial Landscape and the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I in Gwynedd.
The castles in the list are: Biwmares (Beaumaris), Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech. In addition, the towns of Caernarfon and Conwy are also included in the list.
If the Welsh government doesn’t know then there’s not much hope for us meidrolion…
I like the Cadw site as it breaks its list into several different categories, so it’s easier to see how castles developed and which ones are worth visiting…
* curiously / mortals
Conwy
The Castle:
King Edward I and his architect Master James of St George built both castle and walls in a barely believable four years between 1283 and 1287. It is one of several castles built during King Edward’s reign, including Beaumaris, Caernarfon, and Harlech Castles. These castles are UNESCO World Heritage SitesThe castle was captured by Owain Glyndŵr in 1403. He was born in 1359 into a powerful family of the Anglo-Welsh nobility, during a time of relative peace between the tribes of Wales and the English aristocracy. During September 1400, Glyndŵr instigated the Welsh Revolt against the rule of Henry IV of England. A group of Owain’s supporters proclaimed him Prince of Wales at Glyndyfrdwy. Although initially successful, the uprising was eventually put down. After the final battles of the revolt in 1412, little is known of Owain Glyndŵr…
The Harbour:
The Town:
The town walls – 1.3km long – are currently closed for restoration…A statue of Llewelyn the GreatAberconwy House- a 14th century merchant’s housePlas Mawr (the Great Hall) is believed to be the finest surviving Elizabethan town house in Britain. The original house was bought by Robert Wynn, son of a local landowner. He became a diplomat in the service of Queen Elizabeth I and travelled around the royal courts of Europe. His fortune made, he bought a mansion house in Conwy and transformed it between 1576 and 1585 into something much grander… The town is clogged with traffic…
St Mary’s Church:
St Mary’s is Grade I Listed and one of the most historic churches in Wales. Cistercian monks founded it as Aberconwy Abbey in 1172. It became central to Welsh learning and national identity because its connections with the Princes of Gwynedd. Edward I cemented his victory over the Welsh by evicting the monks in 1283 and built the castle and walled town. The St Mary’s seen today is Edward’s garrison church but includes the remains of the Abbey and additions from the 14th to 20th centuries…
Llandudno
The Bay:
Mostyn Street:
Intriguing coffee and plant shop – very good coffee, too…
The Palladium:
This Wetherspoon pub is the former Palladium cinema, built in 1920 on the site of the Market Hall. Llandudno continued to expand in the early years of this century. During the interwar years, it acquired the Palladium and the Astra Theatre & Winter Gardens. The striking Palladium building is now this pub, while the Winter Gardens has been replaced by a block of flats…
Holy Trinity Church:
Construction of the Holy Trinity Church began in 1872 and it was consecrated in 1874. The church doesn’t appear to be open outside of services but it does have its own pay and display carpark – bizarre…
Ruthin
Ruthin – pronounced “Rithin” – is a 13th century town in Denbighshire
St Peter’s Square:
This Georgian building dates from c1730 and was originally named The White Lion. The inn was owned by the Myddleton family of Ruthin Castle, whose coat of arms featured a white lion. Its main drinking area was next door, in what became a separate building named the Myddleton Arms. The seven dormer windows, set at different levels in its high pitched roof, are known as ‘the eyes of Ruthin’. In c1883, The White Lion became The Castle Hotel. It re-opened as a Wetherspoon in 2012 following extensive restoration…The former Myddleton Arms
St Peter’s Church:
Castle Street:
The Castle:
Ruthin Castle, a baronial castle ordered to be built by Edward I, around 1277, was largely constructed in 1282. It consisted of two wards and five round towers originally guarding the inner ward. All that remains are three towers and the ruined double-towered gatehouse. According to local history, the lordship of Dyffryn Clwyd was given to the Grey family in 1282 after the defeat of Llywelyn effectively ending the principality of North Wales.In the early 15th century the castle was held by Lord Grey, a gentleman who had made an enemy of Owain Glyndwr by trying to acquire his Dee estates. Glyndwr launched his bid for an independent Wales in September 1400. Ruthin and Lord Grey became the first target. Ruthin was ravaged and burnt but the Castle held out…During the Civil War, Ruthin Castle was attacked several times by Parliamentary forces. In 1646 the Royalist garrison surrendered to Major-General Mytton and the castle was destroyed by order of Parliament. Ruthin Castle is now a hotel and spa…
The Town:
Mold
St Mary’s Church:
Monmouth
Monmouth has its origins in Roman times when a small Roman garrison was stationed here. The settlement was called Blestium and local archaeologists have found various pieces of pottery, coins, and jewellery from that period. Monmouth takes its name from the River Monnow, a tributary of the Wye. The area was managed during the eleventh and twelfth century by French lords and a castle was built with views over the surrounding countryside. A Benedictine priory was also founded. In the thirteenth century a fortified bridge was built at the western end of the town, one of only three such fortified river crossings in Europe.
Henry V was born at Monmouth Castle in 1387. By about 1450 the street plan of the centre had evolved and is still recognisable today.
By 1600 Monmouth was a wealthy, bustling town, with potters, tanners, nail makers and cappers boosting the local economy. In 1605 James I gave the town a Charter in the form of letters patent. It was granted in order that the town and borough should “at all perpetual future times…. be and remain a town and borough of Peace and Quiet, to the example and terror of the wicked and reward of the good”.
The castle changed hands three times during the Civil War and, following its final capture by the Parliamentarians, most of the fortifications were demolished. Great Castle House, built in 1673 by the third Marquis of Worcester, is now the home of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia), the oldest regiment in the British Army.
The Castle:
The castle was founded in the 11th century by Norman lord William fitz Osbern, and by the mid-14th century was in the hands of Henry of Grosmont, who modified the tower with large decorated windows whose outline can still be seen in the east wall. The castle sits high above the River Monnow not far from the confluence of the River Wye and River Monnow…Henry V was born here in September 1386, and he is commemorated at the Shire Hall in Agincourt Square. The castle is closed between November and March…Great Castle House was built in 1673 by Henry Somerset, third Marquis of Worcester (later first Duke of Beaufort). He had just been made Lord President of the Council for Wales and the Marches…
St Mary’s Priory Church:
St. Mary’s Priory Church was established in 1101 as part of a Benedictine priory by Bernard, chaplain to Henry IParts of the original Norman church still remain within the 14th century tower, although most of the church dates from the Victorian rebuilding in 1882…
Monnow Bridge:
Monnow Bridge was built around 1270 and is the only surviving fortified bridge in the country to retain its gate tower. It is also one of only three remaining fortified bridges in Europe…
St Thomas’ Church:
St Thomas’ Church dates from around 1180 and restored in the early 19th century…
Historic Monmouth:
Shire Hall was built in 1724 as a combined market hall and assize court. The statue of Henry V was added in 1792. In 1840 the Chartist trials were held here and the court continued to be held here until 1939. In 1839/40, John Frost and other Chartists were tried for their involvement in the Chartist Riots in Newport...Drybridge HouseThe Rolls Hall was presented to the people of Monmouth in 1887 in commemoration of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. In 1992 it was converted from being a public hall to a public library…The 16th century Queens Head is Grade II listed is closed now, sadly, like the Market Tavern and the Beaufort Arms…The Robin Hood dates from the 16th century, with 17th and 18th century alterations. Fortunately, for the good folk of Monmouth, it is still open – bizarrely on the day I visited the two cask ales were from Black Sheep and Theakston’s – both breweries are in Masham, North Yorkshire…The Griffin, on the left, is another recently closed pub and the building with the blue plaque is the former Angel Inn, which closed in 1965. The building dates from around 1240 and had a varied history before becoming the church brewery by 1613. By around 1700 it had become The Angel Inn…Glendower HouseThis house dates from the 18th century with 19th century additions. In 1857 it became a dispensary and then, additionally, a hospital in 1868. It closed in 1903… Monmouth’s last malthouse – converted between 1868-70 from existing buildings, it closed in 1949
The Town:
Agincourt SquareThe Kings Head is a Wetherspoon pub and hotel – I stayed here…St John’s Street has lots of intriguing little shopsThe Savoy Theatre, on St John’s Street, opened in March 1928 In May 2020, Monmouth declared itself the UK’s first bee town…Looking down Monnow Street towards Monnow Bridge – traffic is chaotic, not helped by a throat that restricts passage to a single lane…Looking up Monnow Street toawrds St Mary’s Priory Church…
Handsome Monmouth:
Two Rivers:
The River WyeThe River MonnowThe River Monnow
Tintern
The Abbey:
The Abbey was founded in 1131 by Cistercian monks, initially built of timber, a simple stone church and cloisters came later. In 1269 they began to build a new abbey church and created one of the masterpieces of British Gothic architecture. The great west front with its seven-lancet window and the soaring arches of the nave still take the breath away.
So grateful were the monks to their powerful patron Roger Bigod that they were still handing out alms on his behalf in 1535. But by 1536 Tintern had surrendered in the first round of the dissolution of the monasteries — and the great abbey began slowly to turn into a majestic ruin…
The River WyeThe Abbey is crumbling and so is undergoing remedial restoration
Chepstow
The Castle:
Building started in 1067 by Earl William fitz Osbern, close friend of William the Conqueror, making it one of the first Norman strongholds in Wales. In turn William Marshal (Earl of Pembroke), Roger Bigod (Earl of Norfolk) and Charles Somerset (Earl of Worcester) all made changes before the castle declined after the Civil War. It claims to have the oldest castle doors in Europe – they’ve recently been dated and we now know that they were constructed no later than the 1190s, which is quite remarkable…
St Mary’s parish church was originally the church of the Benedictine Priory, founded by 1071 and dissolved in1536. The central tower collapsed in 1701 and was rebuilt over the west front in the eighteenth century. Remaining portions of the early Norman fabric are the west front and entrance arch, and the skeleton of the nave.The church was heavily restored in 1841 and again in 1890…The Worcester Tomb and dates from 1549. The figures depicted are Henry, second Earl of Worcester and his wife Elizabeth…The Cleyton Monument is a memorial to Margaret Cleyton, who had 12 children. The memorial dates from 1620 although Margaret didn’t die until 1627…
The Town:
Chepstow’s Town Gate, built in the late 13th century at the same time as the Port Wall, has been rebuilt over the years. It once had a gate, portcullis and guardroom, tolls were collected from it… Bridge Street
Swansea (Abertawe)
The Castle:
The first timber castle was built on this naturally defensible knoll above the River Tawe around 1106 by Henry de Beaumont, the first Norman Lord of Gower. This was the start of a 200 year battle for control of Swansea and Gower – between the Marcher Lords and the Welsh princes.Though there has been a castle here since at least the early 12th century, the remains that stand today date from the late 13th and early 14th centuries. The most striking feature is the distinctive arcaded parapet on the south block…Remarkably, the castle survived the Blitz of 1941 that destroyed much of Swansea’s city centre…
Cathedral and Minster:
The Cathedral Church of St. Joseph was consecrated in 1888 although not completed until 1919. It was elevated to cathedral status in 1987By the decree Fiducia freti of 12 February 1987, the whole of the Catholic Church in Wales was restructured. The area known as the Welsh Province contains three dioceses; the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cardiff and the suffragan sees of Menevia and Wrexham. Hence, St Joseph’s is known as the Menevia Cathedral…St Mary’s was rebuilt between 1954-9 after being burned to the ground during the three-day blitz of the city in 1941 – it is the first and, so far, only minster church in Wales…
Museums:
The Glynn Vivian Art GallerySwansea MuseumThe National Waterfront MuseumThe marina adjacent to the National Waterfront MuseumThe Egypt Centre is on the Swansea University Singleton campus. The museum has the largest collection of Egyptian Antiquities in Wales. It holds over 6000 artefacts with approximately 2000 on display in the two galleries: the House of Death and the House of Life. It’s a nice 40-minute walk from the city centre along the Swansea Bay path…
The City:
I stayed at the Grand Hotel, which is adjacent to the railway station and an easy 10-15 minute walk to the city centre and bus station…Wind Street is pedestrianised and full of bars and restaurants…The Dylan Thomas CentreMorgan’s Hotel is in the Grade II listed former Associated British Ports Authority building…The former pumping station was built by the Swansea Harbour Trust in 1899-1900 to house the steam-powered hydraulic pump for Swansea’s south and north docks. To the left is the former church of St Nicholas, built in 1868 as a seamen’s mission – it is now an art gallery…The Palace Theatre was built in 1888 – it reopened in November 2024 after a 3-year restoration programme…
Brecon
The Cathedral:
Brecon Cathedral dates back to 1093 as the Benedictine Priory of St John the Evangelist, built by the Normans on the site of an earlier Celtic church. At the dissolution of the monasteries in 1537 it became Brecon’s Parish Church. It became a Cathedral in 1923, on the establishment of the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon.The Cathedral is set in a walled Close, unique in Wales. The remains of the former monastic buildings today provide the administrative centre for the Diocese as well as housing for the Cathedral clergy, a Heritage Centre and Restaurant…
The Castle:
The remains of the castle overlook the confluence of the Afon Honddu as it flows into the River Usk at the Watergate, Brecon…The original castle built by the Normans around 1093. This photo shows the 13th century Great Hall and the early 14th century tower…
The Town:
Kidwelly
The Castle:
The Church:
Town Walls:
Carmarthen
The Castle:
The Church:
The Town:
Tenby
The Castle and the Walls:
The Harbour:
The Church:
The Town:
Narberth
The Castle:
The Church:
The Museum:
Hay on Wye
The Castle:
The castle dates from the 12th century and the Jacobean house from the 1640s…
The Town:
Some of the Book Shops:
In 1987, Hay Festival was dreamt up around a kitchen table in Wales by the Florence family. Marrying Hay-on-Wye’s unparalleled offer for booklovers with its ability to throw a great party, the first event saw 2,200 people squeeze into the back room of the British Legion and a tent in the garden of Kilverts Pub to hear from writers and thinkers on the big issues of the day. In 1989, Arthur Miller famously showed up to utter the most repeated joke of the festival’s history, “Hay-on-Wye, is that some kind of sandwich?”
Word spread and the annual event, which runs over 11 days in May, grew quickly. By 2001, the festival was building its own tented village to fit the thousands who travelled to hear from the likes of Doris Lessing, William Golding, Margaret Atwood, Amos Oz, Bob Geldof, Edna O’Brien, Tony Benn, Michael Palin, Salman Rushdie, Joseph Heller, Christopher Hitchens, Ian McEwan, Louis de Bernieres, Helen Fielding, Stephen Hawking, Terry Pratchett, Nigella Lawson, Stephen Fry, Vikram Seth, Paul Auster, Tom Wolfe, Marian Keyes, Bill Bryson, Patricia Cornwell, Gillian Clarke, Kazuo Ishiguro, Martin Amis, and Zadie Smith. See:
Held over a weekend in September, the Abergavenny Food Festival began in 1999, thanks to two local farmers, Chris Wardle and Martin Orbach. They wanted to boost consumer confidence in British produce after the BSE crisis. Their vision was to create a space where food lovers could come together to celebrate the best of Wales. From humble beginnings with just 39 exhibitors in the Market Hall, the festival has grown into a key event on the UK’s culinary calendar…
