walestreasures

Day 1
Visit Bodelwyddan Castle for lunch. This is an outpost of the Tate Gallery; there will be time to explore the castle and gardens
that contain a maze and a network of WW1 Training trenches. Continue to Caernarfon.

Day 2
Visit the Segontium Roman Fort & Museum and stroll along the promenade under the old town walls, stopping off at the Black
Boy Inn for refreshments. There will be an option to take a steam train ride on the Welsh Highland Railway.

After lunch a short walk will take us to Caernarfon Castle, possibly the most famous of Wales’s many castles. Its sheer scale and
commanding presence easily set it apart from the rest and, to this day, still trumpet in no uncertain terms the intention of its
builder, Edward 1. Begun in 1283 as a definitive chapter in his conquest of Wales, Caernarfon was constructed not only as a
military stronghold, but as a seat of government and royal palace. Caernarfon’s symbolic status was emphasized when Edward
made sure that his son, the first English Prince of Wales, was born here in 1284. In 1969, the castle regained worldwide fame as the
setting for the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales.

Day 3
This morning, visit the Bodnant Gardens – one of Britain’s most spectacular gardens, situated above the River Conwy with
stunning views across Snowdonia. Begun in 1875, Bodnant is the creation of four generations of Aberconways and features huge
Italian terraces and formal lawns on its upper level, with a wooded valley, stream and wild garden below.

Continue to Conwy. See Thomas Telford's first iron suspension bridge, where both bridge and gatekeeper’s house have been
preserved. This bridge stands alongside Stevenson’s tubular railway bridge that is still in use. Both bridges were built in the first
half of the 19th Century and are linked to a castle built by King Edward 1st in the 13th Century! We will walk into the walled
town via the harbour and the smallest house in Britain. Included will be visits to Aberconwy House, the oldest house in Conwy,
and Plas Mawr, a medieval residence. End the tour with an interesting exploration of Conwy Castle.

Day 4
This morning, we will cross onto the island of Anglesey via George Stephenson’s famous Britannia Railway Bridge which
nowadays carries the railway and a road. Drive to Amlwch, the heritage port that once served the largest copper mine in the world.
Continue to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (Llanfair PG), for a photocall at the station with the
longest name in Britain. The name means “St Mary’s Church in the hollow of the White Hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the
Church of St. Tysilio near the Red Cave.”

Continue to Plas Newydd, home of the 7th Marquess of Anglesey situated on the banks of the Menai Straight. This elegant 18th
century house was built by James Wyatt and commands magnificent views of the beautiful mountains of Snowdonia. A highlight
is the wall mural painted by Rex Whistler, along with the small museum that explores his works and life. There is also a military
museum representing the first Marquess of Anglesey, who commanded the cavalry at the battle of Waterloo in 1815. There will be
time for lunch before we continue.

Leave Anglesea via Thomas Telford’s Menai Bridge and drive through Bangor to Penrhyn Castle. Built from the profits of Welsh
slate and Jamaican sugar, Penrhyn is an extravagant example of early 19th century neo-Norman architecture. Its architect was
Thomas Hooper, who also designed much of the furniture and filled the castle with intricate carvings, stained glass and handmade
wallpaper. Amongst the most interesting features is a one-ton slate bed made for Queen Victoria, the spectacular Grand Staircase
and the enormous Victorian kitchens. There is a lot more to see in this amazing castle, including an industrial railway museum, doll
museum and rotating art and photographic displays.

Day 5
This morning, drive to Llanberis. Ride the Snowdon Mountain rack railway to the summit of the highest mountain in Wales and
England, Mount Snowdon. We will spend 30 minutes at the summit before descending again.

Enjoy lunch in Llanderis before driving to the Slate Museum, located in the old workshops of the Dinorwic Slate Mine. See the
belt driven machine rooms, the giant water wheel that drives them, and the relocated miners cottages.

Visit the Electric Mountain center and take a tour into the heart of the mountain to see a gigantic power station that was built in an
old slate cavern to avoid disturbing the national park.

Day 6
Drive to the Ffestiniog Railway station at Porthmadog for a departure to Blaenau Ffestiniog. The line includes the only complete
railway spiral in Britain, as well as great scenery through the Tan-y-Bwlch National Park.

This afternoon, visit Portmeirion Village. Clough Williams-Ellis built Portmeirion from 1925 to 1975 on his own private peninsula
on the coast of Snowdonia in Wales. He wanted to show that 'the development of a naturally beautiful site need not lead to its
defilement'. His lifelong concern was with Architecture, Landscape Design, the protection of Rural Wales and Conservation
generally, and he strove at Portmeirion to give his ideas physical expression. The village also has several shops and restaurants and
is surrounded by the Gwyllt sub-tropical gardens and woodlands and miles of sandy beaches.

Day 7
Visit the National Library at Aberystwyth to view the exhibits, admire the view and building. Continue to the Promenade, where
we will ride the Cliff Railway to the top of Constitution Hill, the longest cliff railway in Britain. Visit the Victorian Camera
Obscura before continuing to the town museum, attractively located in an old music hall.

Drive to Welshpool.

Day 8
After breakfast, drive to Llanfair Caereinion, terminal of the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway. The 14.5-kilometer (9-mile) line
faces some of the steepest grades on any preserved line in the UK as it travels through the beautiful green hills of the Banwy
Valley.

Next, we will stop at the Old Station, Welshpool. This listed building was originally the station for both the mainline and narrow
gauge railways, but is now a shopping area that has retained its railway character. You can browse through the many shops with
their Welsh flavour, and enjoy lunch at the restaurant.

From the Old Station we will visit the nearby Powis Castle and Garden. The world famous garden, overhung with enormous
clipped yew trees, shelters rare and tender plants in colorful herbaceous borders. Laid out under the influence of Italian and French
styles, the garden retains its original lead statues and an orangery. In the eighteenth century an informal woodland wilderness was
created on the opposing ridge with fine views over the Severn Valley. Perched on a rock above the garden terraces, the medieval
Castle contains one of the finest collections of paintings and furniture in Wales. It was originally built as a fortress by Welsh
princes and was later adapted and enriched by generations of Herberts and Clives. The beautiful collection of treasures from India
displayed in the Clive Museum includes textiles, armor, bronze, jade, ivory and a magnificent tent.