Castle of a different sort!

Wheels rolled at 9:00 a.m.  The trip has been mostly consistent with this time except on travel days.  Dinner is always at 7:00!  And usually lasts until 9 leaving not much free time even if it is labeled as such in the itinerary.



The morning seemed bright when we began it but quickly turned to spring rain.  I brought my boots with me but haven't worn them at all.  They are cute too, blue with yellow and white daisies that I got just for this trip.  I wished the sun hadn't fooled me this morning, and I wished I had read the information in advance.  I thought we were heading to another stone fortress but no.  Castell Henleys is an Iron Age HillFort.  Yep we climbed a steep embankment and waded across a mucky, grassy, wet field atop a high hill. 

Of course, Conway connected the dots for us.  Remember way back when we went to the Bronze Age Copper Mine?  Well, this site predates those primitive peoples!  This hillfort had two mounds encircling it that have lasted over two thousand years.  Once excavation began, iron implements such as axes, scythes, hoes, and cooking pots were discovered.  Also glass beads, spindles, and pottery were discovered.  Actually, relatively few iron pieces were found.  One of these, two of those maybe.  This indicated to the experts that not only was it difficult to make iron tools but that they were highly valued and not easily obtained or discarded.  Archeological work is ongoing in hopes of gaining even greater knowledge.

The largest thatched roof reconstruction is built based on the finding of the existing post holes for the outer supporting walls.  This is, of course, the chieftains house where he could demonstrate his wealth and power to lesser colonies nearby.Probably about 150 people lived in this community.  There was also found evidence of some limited farming on the exterior of the area which is only about one acre in size.  This site is far from the largest in Britain but did the most to demonstrate the life and times of an Iron Age conclave.

 These huts look like a "chinamans" hat to me!

 Adam recreates weapons and tools using a 3-D printer to get accurate patterns from photos taken at this site and others.  Originals are all in museums.

 WAs glad to have my warm sweater under my jacket but could have used my gloves as well!

And my boots!

 One of the most important finds was this deliberately placed bed of rocks  (seen from an end)

which would have extended completely encircling the hillfort.  

It is a cheveaux-de-frise.  Sort of iron age barbed wire defense system.

Horses, wagons, and people are not going to have an easy approach to attack.

Insiders have time to prepare to defend!

I was glad to get back on the bus for a short trip to Nevern right at the coast near Cardigan.  In the churchyard are 900 year old yew trees still green from the English (Welsh) spring rains.  The interior of the church was interesting, as are they all, but the most important things to see here are the 1000 year old Celtic High Cross still in its original place outside the walls of the country chapel.  It is too fragile to be moved to a museum.

 Conwy is demonstrating the inscription written 'round the corner' on this 'Rosetta stone' of Ogham and Latin.  Ogham is written as a series of lines.  Careful archheologist compared the line script to the Latin and can now understand early writings in the Gaelic language.  Here is the Ogham Alphabet borrowed from a Wiki article.  Only 20 letters and not a lot of vowels.  Celtic languages and even Welsh doesn't love the vowels.

 And so here, dear reader, you have caught me or at least my memory in an error!  When I told you the story of the un-careful carver I did not see the photo in that group but thought perhaps I had deleted it.  And here it is in Nevern!  I thought it was better to explain it than to edit the previous in case you had already read it.  As I say, and you can see, Wales has an awful lot of grey, stone, churches!

If you look carefully at this enlarged picture above, you may be able to make out where in line two the letter 'T' is added above to complete the word vault.  Further down the year 1719 becomes 1720 and the dear lady's age changes too.  And that was my other error.  She didn't do it for him but he for his beloved wife.In the second to the bottom line in the heavenly quotation, oops, add an 'E' because without it who would you follow?   Can you find other evidence of the stone carver needing to look for a new job? When the stone which is firmly a permanent part of the wall, was unveiled, we suspect the carver was no where to be found!

Also notice the Ogham inscription beneath the window!  This church is old!

On our way to Nevern we passed a quaint pub advertising Fish and Chips.  It was so nicely set and very home-towny that I had hoped we would eat there in Newport.  Names in Wales are pretty stright forward.  Newport was the New Port.  I t was used as the setting for Gregory Peck's Moby Dick.  It has been seen in many movies over time.

Guess what!  This little place is where we ate but it was a fixed menu which did not include fish & chips.  Inside we climbed the narrow, steep, wooden staircase to the second floor.  Low ceiling and slanty, broad beam floors.  Perfect.  Not so perfect is that they did not get the message that we were coming for lunch.  I am not sure if the hotel was to have called or someone from the Road Scholar home office.  Conway was just clear that he would have rather been the one to phone to make sure it all was right. 

Quickly it was arranged that as soon as the cook came back from driving her children to school whe would whip up lunch for fifteen unexpected guests.   None of us minded as Mark stepped into the breech and bought a round of drinks for everyone.  I took the opportunity to have a Chandy.  This is what ladies are supposed to drink in pubs.  It is a mix of beer and lemonade.  In Great Britain, lemonade is a Seven Up or Ginger Ale drink.  So now with the mix of it you have a light, fizzy , mild beer.

One of the choices was Shepherds Pie and it was quite good.  The individual casseroles contained a sloppy joe type beef mix topped by billowy, lightly browned mashed potatoes.  Chips were on the side!  And apparently no Welsh (or English) hot meal can be served without peas - mushy or otherwise!  The food was super hot and followed by, you guessed it, Eton Mess.  But each time we have it it is slightly different.  This was much more self contained.  More like a meringue sandwich and quite delicious!

The funny thing is that miles away there is another town called Newport, presumably it was also a new port.  And that is where the reservations were made!  But all in all, it was a fortuitous mistake!

Mark's new home is just a few minutes from here so he will soon have a nice place to let if you are interested.  They will stay in their ocean side home at Atlantic College until their daughter finishes school.  The new place is for weekend get-a-ways for now.

Onward we march - or ride- to St David's.  It is the smallest city in Great Britain.  There was a fuss awhile back because the right of cityhood was stripped but then returned.  To be declared a 'city' there must be a cathedral and St. David's Cathedral certainly is one and quite magnificent in its day to be sure.  But the Bishop was discontent and moved away.  Is it a cathedral if no Bishop is the pastor?   Well, in 1992 Elizabeth II returned it to city hood. 

St. David in Welsh is Dewi Sant.  He was a water drinking vegetarian missionary who became the Archbishop of Wales at LLandewi Brefi in 550.  Dewi means 'water drinker'.  Yep, the Welsh are not creative in naming things, are they?  He founded 12 very strict monasteries where they worked very hard.  The monks pulled the ploughs, kept bees, fed the poor and cared for their neighbors and themselves.

At the ripe old age of over 100 years he died in 589.   Buried at in a shrine but some 500 years later was ransacked by Vikings.  What were thought to be the remains were enshrined here at his cathedral near the main altar.  In 1540 Edmund Tudor's tomb was placed in front of the main altar.  What was thought to be the recovered bones of St. David were enshrined adjacent to the Tudor Grandfather.  But carbon dating later proved them not to be old enough to be his.  They should have left well enough alone, perhaps.

 I couldn't quite get it all in one shot and include the Bishops Palace beyond but attached.  

It was when the Bishop thought his residence was not grand enough that he left and 

sank St. David's into town-ness.

 The alabaster tomb and side altar is unusual.  Traditionally only kings, and knights, and clergy are buried in a cathedral.  Countess of Maidstone Jenkinson (d.1932), wanted to be buried here but was told no.  She felt entitled because she was the granddaughter of John Banks Jenkinson, Bishop of St David's (1825-1840).  After several opportunites to request this, she was always told no.  BUT the cathedral had fallen on hard times and needed much repair and renovation. She funded the re-roofing of the Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor, where she is buried.  The check was large enough to give her this priviledge and the tomb is exceptional.  Must have cost a pretty penny too!

 This side altar is made up of bits and pieces of other churches and slate paving.

 The inner courtyard.

 The Bishops 'too small' palace.

Restored window is just the frame resting in the rebuilt palace.

We took the long drive back to the hotel and cleaned up for a special dinner.  A friend of Conways, harpist Harriet Earis was to give a recital after dinner.  More importantly, to me, my cousin Lynda was coming for dinner and to stay the night.  Once again dinner took too long so by the time Kathy, traveling with us, asked Conway if the recital couldn't begin, the coffee had not been served.

We had a nice visit before dinner and looked at old photos and figured out who was who and when they were taken.  Lynda's Mum and Dad had visited mine along with Jack's Mom back in the 70's.  There was also a picture of my parents visiting in England with the family.  

 Lynda's interesting salad was served on slate.

The dinner was, once again, a pre-selected meal from a choice of chicken or fish.  Salmon this time.  I didn't like the 'starters' so had asked for fruit and had a nice mix including watermelon and strawberries.  Everything was good to eat and the entertainment was excellent.  Harriet played a variety of songs and sang in both Welsh and English.  I didn't know I would like a harp but the tones and melodies she achieved were delightful.  We got to handle gently the instruments afterwards and they are really surprising.

Here is a link to a sample of her music.  She also has a trio for performances and plays at weddings.  Oddly to me but not to a Welshman is that they also tap dance while playing!

After the recital most people went straight to their rooms.  I noticed that there were conotainers of coffee and tea that had been set out but since my back was to them I hadn't seen that tea was available.  But you know me.  Never too late in the day for tea and the cups were small so three seemed to do the trick.  While drinking them though, Lynda, Robert the bartender, and I had a nice long chat about things political and normal here and at home.  Healthcare was part of the topic.  They weren't sure why we ever messed with ours.

Lynda booked in here months ago because tomorrow morning was supposed to be free time but that has changed.  So we will meet for breakfast and set out together for a woolen mill.