Cardiff's "Big Weekend"

On our next visit to Cardiff the weather was considerably better. Cardiff's summer festival was in full swing in the city centre around the National Museum, with a funfare and live music as part of Cardiff's "Big Weekend".

We dipped in and out of the music on offer, went round Cardiff Castle, and sampled some excellent Hereford Pale Ale (Wye Valley Brewery) in the Rummer's Tavern (opposite the Castle).

We also found time to visit Cardiff's new stadium to see Cardiff City outclassed by Valencia

The Sound of Music on the Bay

Our first visit to Cardiff was the one day when it poured down all day long. We had already booked our tickets for "The Sound of Music" – at the Millennium Theatre in Cardiff Bay with Connie Fisher in the lead role – so we simply had to go.



Towards the end of the day it cleared up a bit which enabled us to explore bits of Cardiff Bay in relatively dry conditions.


We tried hard to find the entrance to Torchwood but without any luck ...

... I'm sure it's here somewhere but it may have fallen down the Time Rift!

This is why we came ...

... I was surprised that none of the audience dressed up as nuns!!

We can thoroughly recommend the Packet Hotel, on Cardiff Bay just by Mermaid Quay – it serves an excellent pint of Brains SA and has very reasonably priced meals.

Cycling in the Garw Valley

The Garw valley is a small ex-mining valley in Mid Glamorgan. It has changed very much in the last 30 years from an industrial mining village to a mainly commuter village for industry further down the valley.

The tumuli in the upper reaches of the valley are some 2000 years old. They were probably built by the Celtic tribes known as the Silureans - and I thought they were monsters in Doctor Who!!





Garw Valley once had 6 working coal mines and innumerable coal levels (drift mines). The collieries were: Lluest - working in 1880 and closed in 1902, Ffaldau - sunk in 1877 and closed in 1985, Darren - sunk in 1880s and closed in 1924, Glenafon - sunk in 1903 and closed in 1959, International - sunk in 1890-1893 and closed in 1967, Garw - sunk in 1883 and closed in 1985.




Reclamation of the area began in 1989, the slag heaps were removed, two small lakes now lie where the Garw Colliery once stood and a cycle path has now replaced the railway between Pontycymer and Blaengarw.


Work is in hand to restore some of the railway line by the Bridgend Valleys Railway Company. The aim is to restore, preserve and display railway locomotives, carriages, wagons and other artefacts and buildings of historical interest.

This buzzard was sitting on the railway fence as I approached. It took to the air just in front of me and I managed to get this slightly blurred photo of it in flight

More explorations in the Vale of Glamorgan

We found this wonderfully named shop in Cowbridge.

Cowbridge was a small town in Roman times and the current High Street runs along the line of the old Roman road. In the Middle Ages Cowbridge was a market town for the surrounding agricultural area. In the 18th century it became home to many of the Vale’s gentry. Some fine Georgian buildings date from this time. There is a Town Trail which takes you by many of the historic buildings and places in the town.

The main hall of the Town Hall is on the upper floor. The ground floor contains the Council Chamber, the Mayor's Parlour and the cells of the former correction centre (now housing Cowbridge Museum)

The Pavilion once was the site of a handball court and wheelwright's premises. It became a cinema and ballroom but is now an accountant's office.

Holy Cross church was first built in the 13th century. Its fortified tower may once have been capped by a spire.

Cowbridge Grammar School was founded in 1608 by the Stradlings of St Donats, and owned by Jesus College Oxford from 1685. Anthony Hopkins, the actor, is an "old boy". The school closed in the mid-1970s.

The Cowbridge Physic Garden is opposite the Grammar School. This is a public garden which aims to raise awareness of the curative properties of plants.

The Town Wall was built around the same time as the Church.

Then onto Ogmore ...

The legend of Ogmore Castle is that a local man was told of hidden treasure by the Lady of Ogmore. It was buried within the castle and she offered to share it with him. He agreed, but later overcome by selfish greed, he came back to the castle and took the treasure. Apparently the ghost of the dead Lady confronted him and accused him of stealing the treasure. She attacked him and left him badly injured. When he returned home he later suffered a mysterious illness from which he died. The illness has since been known as "The White Lady's Revenge".

The remains of Ogmore Castle

Heritage Coast Walk

We walked along part of the Heritage Coast Walk from Llantwit Major west to St Donats. We saw some wonderful butterflies - Gatekeeper, Peacock and Red Admiral - and a Five Spot Burnet moth as well as some views of the well worn cliffs.

Red Admiral

Five Spot Burnet

Peacock

Gatekeeper

A World War II pill box

St Donat's in the distance

St Donats is the home to the Atlantic College, an International 6th Form College founded in 1962. The 12th century St Donat's Castle is at the heart of the campus but was closed when we went there. Modern teaching and laboratory blocks, and staff and student accommodation are also located on campus.

In the 1920s, after seeing photographs of the castle in Country Life magazine, it was bought and revitalised by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst in 1925. Hearst, who at the time was having an affair with the actress Marion Davies, spent a fortune renovating the castle, bringing electricity not only to his residence but also to the surrounding area. Hearst spent much of his time entertaining influential people at his estates; guests included Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and a young John F. Kennedy. Hearst's newspaper empire fell on hard times; the castle was put up for sale but requisitioned for use by British and American troops during the war. Hearst died in 1951 and the castle was bought by Antonin Besse and given to the Governing Body of Atlantic College.

Old Watch Tower