No extended visit to the United Kingdom would be complete without traveling to the Welsh countryside. If you have never been before, you will probably be surprised by how different it is from the other English countries. This country is known as the Castle Capital of the World with more castles per square miles than anywhere else. Visitors have to pick and choose when they decide to tour Wales castles.
Anyone who does research before beginning their visit, will already know that Welsh castles are built in what is generally known as the Edwardian style, because many of them date back to the reign of Edward I. These types of structures have walls that ring the interior and multiple towers and turrets. They are more reminiscent of castles seen in movies and famous theme parks, than the motte and bailey design of many ancient fortifications found throughout the United Kingdom.
Once such castle, that looks like it was taken from the pages of Sleeping Beauty, is Hensol Castle. It is new construction by Welsh standards, having been erected in the nineteenth century. In the 1930s it was turned into a mental hospital and operated as such until the 2003. Television and film studios have transported casts and equipment to Hensol Castle in order to incorporate it into their projects.
Chirk Castle is an ancient structure having been built late in the 1200s by the First Earl of March. He was concerned that enemies could breach the entrance to Ceiroig Valley making it vulnerable to attack. Today the castle is open to the public. Guided tours take visitors through state rooms, up into the towers and turrets, and down into the dungeons. The gardens are famous and are an essential part of any visit.
A very popular tourist attraction in Cardiff is Cardiff Castle. The architecture is Victorian and Greek Revival. The City owns the structure and has loaned it out over the years for rock concerts and performances, including one featuring Tom Jones. The summer ball is held here every year as is the largest Mardi Gras event in this country.
In the fourteen hundreds the Humphreys built a manor house known as Bodelwyddan Castle. It was reconstructed during eighteen hundreds by the famous architect, Joseph Hansom. After World War I, wounded soldiers recuperated in this castle, which at one time was owned by a private girls school. The Royal Academy of Arts and National Portrait Gallery have housed artwork in it. Today a portion of the premises operates as a hotel.
Those interested in seeing an example of a castle that began as a motte and bailey design should travel to Gwynedd and take a walk around Caernarfon Castle. Edward I redesigned the original structure which served as the administrative center of the northern region of the country. The Prince of Wales was invested here.
Touring these castles and getting to know something about their history is a wonderful way to spend a vacation in the United Kingdom. Touring the grounds and interiors is a special experience. It is not difficult to imagine the men and women who inhabited them.
Anyone who does research before beginning their visit, will already know that Welsh castles are built in what is generally known as the Edwardian style, because many of them date back to the reign of Edward I. These types of structures have walls that ring the interior and multiple towers and turrets. They are more reminiscent of castles seen in movies and famous theme parks, than the motte and bailey design of many ancient fortifications found throughout the United Kingdom.
Once such castle, that looks like it was taken from the pages of Sleeping Beauty, is Hensol Castle. It is new construction by Welsh standards, having been erected in the nineteenth century. In the 1930s it was turned into a mental hospital and operated as such until the 2003. Television and film studios have transported casts and equipment to Hensol Castle in order to incorporate it into their projects.
Chirk Castle is an ancient structure having been built late in the 1200s by the First Earl of March. He was concerned that enemies could breach the entrance to Ceiroig Valley making it vulnerable to attack. Today the castle is open to the public. Guided tours take visitors through state rooms, up into the towers and turrets, and down into the dungeons. The gardens are famous and are an essential part of any visit.
A very popular tourist attraction in Cardiff is Cardiff Castle. The architecture is Victorian and Greek Revival. The City owns the structure and has loaned it out over the years for rock concerts and performances, including one featuring Tom Jones. The summer ball is held here every year as is the largest Mardi Gras event in this country.
In the fourteen hundreds the Humphreys built a manor house known as Bodelwyddan Castle. It was reconstructed during eighteen hundreds by the famous architect, Joseph Hansom. After World War I, wounded soldiers recuperated in this castle, which at one time was owned by a private girls school. The Royal Academy of Arts and National Portrait Gallery have housed artwork in it. Today a portion of the premises operates as a hotel.
Those interested in seeing an example of a castle that began as a motte and bailey design should travel to Gwynedd and take a walk around Caernarfon Castle. Edward I redesigned the original structure which served as the administrative center of the northern region of the country. The Prince of Wales was invested here.
Touring these castles and getting to know something about their history is a wonderful way to spend a vacation in the United Kingdom. Touring the grounds and interiors is a special experience. It is not difficult to imagine the men and women who inhabited them.
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