Caerphilly - Blaenavon - Mumbles

Pictures taken in Caerphilly, Blaenavon and Mumbles on our Summer Holiday 2014.
Twyn Community Centre This building, which features a distinctive tower, was erected in 1791 as the Twyn Methodist Chapel. It has had many different uses. It became a community centre in 1974 and today is also home to Caerphilly Town Council. : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, historia, history, kesäloma, matka, summer holiday, travel Tommy Cooper statue Tommy Cooper - thought by many to be the greatest comedian of his generation - was born in Caerphilly on 19th March, 1921 and died of a heart attack during a TV show in 1984. The 9ft (2.7m) bronze statue on a 4ft (1.2m) plinth was sculpted by James Done and depicts him wearing his trademark fez. The statue was commissioned by the Tommy Cooper Society and unveiled by its patron Hollywood star Sir Anthony Hopkins in February 2008. : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Swans A swan family leisurely swimming in the lake surrounding the castle : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Caerphilly Castle A model of Caerphilly Castle : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel
Caerphilly Castle Caerphilly Castle was built in 1268-1271 by the Anglo-Norman lord, Gilbert ‘The Red’ de Clare to defend against Llywelyn ap Gruffydd ('Llywelyn The Last'), the last Prince of a united Wales before the conquest of Edward I. The castle was Britain's first concentric castle, with a ring of shallow lakes surrounding it. It is the largest castle in Wales and the second largest in Britain. The castle is also well known for it’s leaning tower, which has leaned 3 metres out of the perpendicular since 1648. : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Caerphilly Castle Caerphilly Castle was built in 1268-1271 by the Anglo-Norman lord, Gilbert ‘The Red’ de Clare to defend against Llywelyn ap Gruffydd ('Llywelyn The Last'), the last Prince of a united Wales before the conquest of Edward I. The castle was Britain's first concentric castle, with a ring of shallow lakes surrounding it. It is the largest castle in Wales and the second largest in Britain. The castle is also well known for it’s leaning tower, which has leaned 3 metres out of the perpendicular since 1648. : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Caerphilly Castle South Gatehouse, also called Giffard's Tower – originally accessed via a drawbridge, which led into the town. : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Caerphilly Castle Outer Main Gatehouse. The eastern defences were reached via the Outer Main Gatehouse, which featured circular towers resting on spurred, pyramidic bases, a design particular to South Wales castles. Originally the gatehouse would have been reached over a sequence of two drawbridges, linked by an intervening tower, since destroyed. To the north side of the gatehouse was the North Dam, protected by three substantial towers, and which may have supported the castle's stables. Despite subsidence damage, the dam still holds back the North Lake.[55] The South Dam was a massive structure, 152 metres long, ending in a huge buttressed wall. The remains of the castle mill – originally powered by water from the dam – survive : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel
Caerphilly Castle Outer Main Gatehouse, the gate itself. : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Caerphilly Castle East Gatehouses. Access to the central island occurred over a drawbridge, through a pair of gatehouses on the eastern side. Caerphilly Castle's Inner East Gatehouse, based on the gatehouse built at Tonbridge in the 1250s, reinforced a trend in gatehouse design across England and Wales. Sometimes termed a keep-gatehouse, the fortification had both exterior and interior defences, enabling it to be defended even if the perimeter of the castle was breached. Two huge towers flanked the gatehouse on either side of an entrance that was protected by portcullises and murder-holes. The substantial size of the gatehouse allowed it to be used for accommodation as well as defence and it was comfortably equipped on a grand scale, probably for the use of the castle constable and his family. : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Caerphilly Castle The Inner Castle. This picture shows how difficult this castle was to conquer and in fact it never really was. : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Caerphilly Castle The South-East tower, leaning at an angle, probably due to subsidence on the left. The Great Hall and Inner Ward on the right. Against popular belief there's no evidence that the tower was subject to a delibrate explosion during the civil war. : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel
Caerphilly Castle Interior of Caerphilly Castle Great Hall : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Caerphilly Castle Interior of Caerphilly Castle Great Hall : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Caerphilly Castle The Great Hall and Inner Ward. Caerphilly was built with fashionable, high-status accommodation. In the medieval period the Great Hall would have been subdivided with wooden screens, colourful decorations, with rich, detailed carving and warmed by a large, central fireplace. Some carved medieval corbels in the shape of male and female heads survive in the hall today, possibly depicting the royal court in the 1320s, including Edward II, Isabella of France, Hugh Despenser and Eleanor de Clare. To the east of the Great Hall was the castle chapel, positioned above the buttery and pantry. On the west side of the hall were the castle's private apartments, two solar blocks with luxurious fittings : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Caerphilly Castle Views from the top of the Great Hall, towards the Outer Gatehouse : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel
Caerphilly Castle Views from the top of the Great Hall, towards the Inner Ward. : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Caerphilly Castle The Great Hall interior, one of the towers. : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Caerphilly Castle A series of four head sculptures commissioned by CADW for installation inside Caerphilly castle. The heads are based on four historical figures connected with Caerphilly Castle , namely King Edward the 2nd, his wife Queen Isabella of France also known as the she wolf of france, Roger Mortimer ( Isabella’ lover ), and Edwards closest friend Hugh Le Despencer ( Known as The Greediest of Men ) The sculptures are cast Jesmonite resin with iron and bronze dust additives. and set onto solid Oak plinths Completed March 2013 Among them a curious tourist :). : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Caerphilly Castle The Great Hall : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel
Caerphilly Castle The Great Hall : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Caerphilly Castle The Great Hall, the "new" dining room : 2014, Caerphilly, Wales, castle, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, linna, matka, summer holiday, travel Peugeot 203 An old Peugeot 203 in great condition, registered in France, with old plates as well. The base model was in production in 1948–1960, but this two-door coupe version was produced by the factory only in 1952-1953. : 2014, Peugeot 203, Wales, auto, car, kesäloma, liikenne, matka, summer holiday, traffic, travel Peugeot 203 An old Peugeot 203 in great condition, registered in France, with old plates as well. The base model was in production in 1948–1960, but this two-door coupe version was produced by the factory only in 1952-1953. : 2014, Peugeot 203, Wales, auto, car, kesäloma, liikenne, matka, summer holiday, traffic, travel
Peugeot 203 An old Peugeot 203 in great condition, registered in France, with old plates as well. The base model was in production in 1948–1960, but this two-door coupe version was produced by the factory only in 1952-1953. : 2014, Peugeot 203, Wales, auto, car, kesäloma, liikenne, matka, summer holiday, traffic, travel Blaenavon Ironworks In 2000 Blaenavon was awarded World Heritage Site status for the industrial landscape including the Ironworks and are now under the care of Cadw. The land on which the Ironworks reside was at one time the property of Lord Abergavenny and was leased in 1787 by three Midlands businessmen, Thomas Hill, his brother-in-law Thomas Hopkins and Benjamin Pratt. Work constructing the Ironworks began immediately and included several "luxury" cottages. It is believed that Blaenavon Ironworks was the first to be designed as a multi-furnace site from the outset, with three furnaces, calcining kilns, cottages, and a company shop. By 1833 the company owned 430 houses and employed 1000 workers. In 1904 the ironworks finally ceased production, restaring briefly in 1924 but was unsustainable. : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel Blaenavon Ironworks Model of the Ironworks : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel Blaenavon Ironworks The furnace : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel
Blaenavon Ironworks Water Balance Tower was built in 1839. This form of lift technology using water to counter-balance loads was used in the mine shafts of south east Wales and at several ironworks. This site is the best preserved example. The lift tower was linked to high ground behind by a wooden bridge, which was quickly replaced by the stone bridge which remains. Its winding gear consisted of a cast iron frame with Classical detailing, on which was mounted a pulley wheel over which a chain linked a pair of lift cages, each incorporating a wrought iron water tank. By piping water in or out of the tank, wagons could be lifted or lowered as required. : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel Blaenavon Ironworks A view from the Water Balance Tower : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel Blaenavon Ironworks Casting iron : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel Blaenavon Ironworks Casting iron : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel
Blaenavon Ironworks Adjacent to the Ironworks stands Stack Square and Engine Row, a small group of solidly constructed stone cottages, incorporating patterns of building, notably door and window heads, characteristic of the West Midlands in England alongside more local building practices. The houses were probably erected in 1788 for the first skilled workers who operated the furnaces from the time they were built. The central range of the square was originally the Company office, shop and manager's house in 1788, and was converted to dwellings in the 1860s, which were of a much smaller size than the skilled workers' homes which surrounded them. : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel Blaenavon Ironworks 1927 home : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel Blaenavon Ironworks 1955 home : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel Blaenavon Ironworks 1955 home : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel
Blaenavon Ironworks 1967 home : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel Blaenavon Ironworks 1967 home : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel Blaenavon Ironworks 1967 home : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel Blaenavon Ironworks 1967 home : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel
Blaenavon Ironworks 1790 home : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel Blaenavon Ironworks 1790 home : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel Blaenavon Ironworks 1840 home : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel Blaenavon Ironworks 1840 home : 2014, Blaenavon, Wales, historia, history, iron works, kesäloma, matka, rautasulatto, summer holiday, travel
Mumbles Houses A street view of a Victorian leisure town of Mumbles. : 2014, Swansea, The Mumbles, Wales, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, matka, summer holiday, travel Prince's Fountain It was decided to mark the marriage on 10 March 1863, of the then Prince of Wales (later to be King Edward VII) to Princess Alexandra of Denmark, in a way in which the village would benefit too. As clean drinking water was coming to be seen as an important priority in the battle for public health, a communal fountain was decided upon for a village that, as yet, had no proper water supplies. : 2014, Swansea, The Mumbles, Wales, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, matka, summer holiday, travel Notice to dogs A clever ad attached to a lamp post. : 2014, Swansea, The Mumbles, Wales, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, matka, summer holiday, travel Oystermouth Castle 12th -14th century Oystermouth Castle has long been a forgotten rotting historic monument which in its past has seen the likes of Kings, Lords and Ladies residing within its thick stone walls. Originally built as a stronghold. In 2010 extensive renovation started and the castle is now open for visitors. : 2014, Swansea, The Mumbles, Wales, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, matka, summer holiday, travel
Mumbles Head Lighthouse The Mumbles lighthouse dates back to 1791 when the Harbor Act provided authority and funding for a light to guide ships into Swansea Bay past the hazardous Mixon Shoal, half a mile to the south. It is located on the outer of two small islands, just off shore, known collectively as the "Mumbles Head". After some initial construction mishaps, the structure was completed and commissioned in 1794. It was designed by local architect William Jernegan. : 2014, Mumbles Head, Wales, kesäloma, lighthouse, majakka, matka, meri, sea, summer holiday, travel Mumbles Head Lighthouse The Mumbles lighthouse dates back to 1791 when the Harbor Act provided authority and funding for a light to guide ships into Swansea Bay past the hazardous Mixon Shoal, half a mile to the south. It is located on the outer of two small islands, just off shore, known collectively as the "Mumbles Head". After some initial construction mishaps, the structure was completed and commissioned in 1794. It was designed by local architect William Jernegan. : 2014, Mumbles Head, Wales, kesäloma, lighthouse, majakka, matka, meri, sea, summer holiday, travel Steady Well-suited for these kind of conditions. : 2014, Swansea, The Mumbles, Wales, city, kaupunki, kesäloma, matka, summer holiday, travel Dry Swansea Bay has one of the biggest tidal range in the world, 10 metres, so boats are bound to be left on the bottom when water escapes. : 2014, Mumbles Head, Wales, kesäloma, lighthouse, majakka, matka, meri, sea, summer holiday, travel