Easter Saturday Walk

From the Court to the Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay and back. 

A short wait as the road lifted for a yacht to enter the lock.

Backpackering 1 - Dinas Bran Castle

At the start of the climb.

And what a climb it was, 1,000 feet above the valley floor reached on a 1 mile walk.

Good excuse to take a breather on the way, to take in the beautiful scenery.

Nearly there!

 Taking a rest,

before doing the rounds.

The Pontcysyllte aqueduct,

And Llangollen, from where we started the climb.

On the way down, a sculptor with a natural sculpture.

Backpackering 1 - Canal Trip

The couple were walking in step with the long boat. Looked really odd.

Keep right.

In the basin, about to cross the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

First to see in the valley below.

The crossing. Not for the faint hearted.

 

 Made it to the other side.

Backpackering 1 - Llangollen

 

 2024

 

 1930's

 Grandad's photograph from his visit to the town. 

 

  

 

Lunch at the Fouzi's Cafe.

 

 

Train spotting again.

Plas Newydd, is a stone built house converted into a gothic ‘fantasy’ by its most famous inhabitants – ‘The Ladies of Llangollen'.

The ladies ran away from the life they were expected to live in Ireland in 1778 to set up a new life and home in Wales.

 The inside is decorated with tudor period wood carvings taken from old chairs and stair  rails.

A lovely formal garden. Too rainy to do it justice with a photo outside.

Backpackering 1 - Canal Walk

 

A lot of rain, making a roaring River Dee.

The Canal much, much calmer.  Horse drawn long boat.

A Tree House

 

 

Passing the Chainbridge Hotel along the way,

The point where the Dee keeps the canal filled up at the Horseshoe  Falls.  Another Telford piece of engineering.

Backpackering 1 - Erddig House

 A 3 mile walk in the rain to the House with our full packs on our backs. Our baptism of fire, but

we made it there, no problemo.

The 1 mile walk out back to the bus stop  through the park was just as wet.

Backpackering 1 - Chester Gardens

These may look familiar, a copy of the 'supertrees' in Singapore on a Chester roundabout garden.

A walk in Grosvenor Garden down to the River.

Spring flowers on their way.

Backpackering 1 - Heritage

A typical building,

with the shop fronts on the Row.

Just a little  more up to date.

Backpackering 1 - River Cruise

The Jackie. 

A very high water level due to the spring tide.

Boat House.

Making a difference. 

Standard. 

Wind front moving up stream.

Backpackering 1 - Walking the Wall.

The Bonewaldersthorn's Tower.

Starting by climbing the wall at the North Gate and proceeding anti clockwise this is the first significant ruin you meet.

Race Course 

Then comes the horse track. 

Approaching the River Dee.

Just around the corner is a short section where the wall is missing, the only bit on the whole 2 mile treck.

The River Dee Weir.

A real surprise was the next day, when water was coming over the weir in the opposite direction. Our vist coincidenced with the spring high tide, the Dee normally flowing into the Irish sea 18 miles down stream. 

Roman Gardens

Home to fragments of Roman forts, and a good place to learn a bit of history.

Prepare for the arrows!

New Gate

Built over the city's ring road.

Roman Amphitheater 

East Gate 

Chester's iconic 1897 clock.

East Gate Street.

Chester  Cathedral 

A little further on, back to North Gate where we started.