September 2019 – North Wales

We set off for Bala and our usual hotel, The White Lion Royal Hotel after Church on the second Sunday in September (key because schools had gone back and there would be fewer crowds around). We arrived late in the afternoon after visiting Berrington Hall enroute where we had a short walk and looked around a curved walled garden quite a rarity and only just opened to the public but with many years restoration work ahead.
Once in Bala we enjoyed what has become a daily walk along the banks of the River Treweryn and the northern end of Lake Bala. We saw a couple of herons but they were too far away for our camera to capture. We also came across two very small calves. That evening we payed the first of four visits to Bala Spice a wonderful curry house.

The next day was wet and cloudy when we set off to catch a train from Morfa Mawddach to Pwllheli and back. The Weather biightened up as we travelled along the Cambrian Coast line and we enjoyed some wonderful views. On our return to the wayside halt at Morfa Mawddach we enjoyed a pleasant walk including going part way across the estuary where we encountered a train just like the one we had travelled on! We meandered back to Bala via Aberganolwyn where we came across a train on the narrow gauge Talyllyn Railway. We travelled on that railway last year.

The following day with much better weather we headed to Bodnant Gardens near Conwy.
We have been there several times but there is always something different to see. This time it was the hint of autumn’s arrival as trees were starting to turn. Unfortunately, the photograph doesn’t really show the hints of autumnal gold and browns emerging.
However, there were still glorious flower beds to enjoy.

After Bodnant we drove across the Menai Straits to visit Beaumaris Castle on the Isle of Anglesy. The castle was as peaceful as ever and a fine example of a moated castle that once enjoyed direct access to the sea for boats to deliver cargo right to the castle.

The following day we decided to visit more castles and headed first for Harlech. The weather was damp and windy and the sea looked quite wild as we paused beside the railway line and sea wall.

By the time we got to Harlech Castle the weather was much brighter and the sun shone! Harlech Castle was magnificent and only spoiled by the metal structure built to give access!
Criccieth Castle, our next stop was more ruins yet managed to give the impression of what was once a very grand place.

The views from both castles were good but the views looking south and north from Criccieth were beautiful.

After Criccieth we headed for Beddgelert for a walk along the banks of the River Glaslyn. It was a quiet walk despite Beddgelert being busy with tourists. From Beddgelert we headed to Dolbadarn Castle at Llanberis. The Sat Nav took us up over the mountains on some very narrow roads with few passing places and often drops on either side. It was a hairy drive – next time we’ll go the long way round! Dolbadarn Castle was quite disappointing after the previous castles of the day but was quite a feat of civil engineering given its location high up on a cliff overlooking Lake Padern.

We drove back to Bala down the beautiful Llanberis Pass and then enjoyed another walk beside Bala Lake before supper.
We returned to Fairford the following day via mid Wales. Annie noticed that we would pass the National Trust’s Weir Garden at Swainshill near Hereford just as we were looking for somewhere to stop. The garden was quite long and narrow along the banks of the River Wye. We had a thoroughly pleasant walk around the garden.

And so ended yet another wonderful break in North Wales.