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Showing posts from September, 2020

Ffestiniog: The world's oldest operating railway

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  Blaenau Ffestiniog Station, Wales This evening, I am posting information on the Ffestiniog Steam Railway which operates on a 13.5 mile route from Porthmadog on the coast of N.W. Wales in an easterly direction to the slate quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. Location is N.W. Wales, about 150 miles north of Cardiff, the Welsh capital. Summary facts and information: The track comprises a 23.5 inch narrow gauge line which passes through outstanding scenery of the Snowdonia National Park. Ranks as oldest railway company in the world which still operates trains. Age 200 years, Ffestiniog is the world’s oldest narrow gauge railway. Three of the original steam locomotives, age over 150 years, are still in use plus original carriages. The line climbs over 700 feet, from sea level into the mountains. The line is now patronised by tourists. A worthwhile trip for visitors, irrespective of level of interest in trains. Video clip of steam train on Ffestiniog Railway     Steam Locomotiv

One Day Tour of South Wales

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This evening, I am reprising a report on a one day tour of South Wales which encompassed an ancient abbey, the longest and fifth longest rivers in Britain, scenic landscapes and a large suspension bridge. We departed our Cheltenham lodgings and drove west to Tintern in Wales.Here, we spent time visiting the romantic ruin of Tintern Abbey on banks of the River Wye.Tintern was a Cistercian Abbey founded in 1131 by Walter fitz Richard of Clare. The Cistercian community relied on farming, an activity which prospered and facilitated growth in the religious complex at Tintern from an inital collection of wooden buildings to modest stone structures to a significant expansion in the early 13th century with the magnificent Gothic church as the centrepiece.     Despite ravages of war and the Black Death Tintern Abbey continued to prosper with further expansions implemented through to the early 16th century. Tintern’s demise came in 1536 when the monastery and its wealth was

Canal boat trip on the Llangollen Canal

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  Canal Boats at Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Wales This afternoon, I am posting information on a canal boat trip starting from Llangollen in N.E. Wales. Llangollen is a town with a population of 3658 located in Denbighshire. It is situated on the River Dee at the edge of the Berwyn range and the Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Britain retains an extensive canal network which dates from the 18th century at time of the Industrial revolution. Canals pre-date railways and were used to move industrial materials and people on what were the super-highways of the time. Canals are predominantly used for leisure activities today. Video clip of River Dee at Llangollen.   River Dee at Llangollen, Wales This post reprises a two-hour canal boat trip through the local scenery at a sedate pace with journey culminating in a crossing of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a stunning piece of engineering dating from 1795-1805 which transports the canal over the valley of the River Dee at a h

Tour of Northern Ireland's Causeway Coast

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This evening, I am reprising a tour of Ireland's  popular Causeway Coast which is well endowed with visitor sites Ballintoy Church This morning, we departed our lodgings near Ballycastle and drove to nearby Ballintoy to connect with guests’ Irish ancestry. We first spent some time in the burial ground at Ballintoy Church ( Church of Ireland) and then down to visit the picturesque Ballintoy Harbour which has been used for filming the Game of Thrones T.V. series. Ballintoy Harbour Ballintoy Harbour Next, we continued west stopping for a photograph of the ruined Dunseverick Castle and then on to the Giant’s Causeway, World Heritage Site which is, essentially, an extensive volcanic lava field dating back 60 million years which is mainly comprised of polygonal pillars. Dunsererick Castle Giant’s Causeway Next to Bushmills Distillery where guests undertook a tour of this famous whiskey production facility which has a history dating back to the 17th century. Bus

View from Fyrish Monument, Scotland

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This afternoon I am posting a video clip taken from the Fyrish Monument (1461 ft) in Ross & Cromarty, Scotland.  Notwithstanding relative modest height, the monument is way above the clouds which hide the Cromarty Firth ( a fjord) below.

Million Dollar View

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Here is a recent video clip of one of Scotland's top landscape sights, namely the 'Million Dollar View' of the Dornoch Firth in N.E. Scotland.

Foulis Castle, Scotland

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This evening, I am reporting on Foulis Castle which together with its occupants has a most intriguing history. Landscape view of Foulis Castle, viewed from the east. The castle is located near to the village of Evanton in the region of Ross & Cromarty in the Scottish Highlands. This is about eighteen miles north of Inverness. Foulis Castle has been a long-standing home to the Chief of Clan Munro. Today, the Chief and his wife reside in a property just a few hundred yards from the castle with the Chief's son and family having taken up residence in the castle. The Munros actually moved to Scotland around 1025 AD from the Londonderry region of Northern Ireland. The 'ro' element of the name is attributed to the River Roe in Londonderry. Unlike many British aristocrats, the family does not claim Norman-French descent. Over the course of around 1000 years the Munros have controlled large tracts of farming land in the Ross & Cromarty region. Whilst fortunes have waxed and

Black Rock Gorge

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Today, my wife and I undertook a four mile hike through Black Rock Gorge near Evanton in the Scottish Highlands. River Glass flowing through the gorge. Weather was perfect with bright sunshine throughout. This gorge, through which flows the River Glass, was created about 10,000 years ago when the water from melting glaciers exploited weaknesses in the rock resulting in a channel up to 131 feet in depth, just 16 feet in width and one mile in length. View of river in bottom of deep gorge.  Hiking taril Image of fungi Waterfall feed the river Navigating a path down the steep bank to the river. Fast flowing River Glass Heavy boulders in river bed. Riparian scene The gorge is home to such wildlife as red and roe deer, red squirrels, pine martens, natrive insects, amphibians and nesting birds including buzzards. Fungi are also present in the mild wet conditions. The spectacular scenery was used in the 2004 filming for 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'. The location was also used

Literary connections with the English Lake District

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Yesterday, I posted information on Beatrix Potter' s connection with Scotland. This afternoon, I am continuing the literary theme with images and information concerning literary connections with the English Lake District including Beatrix Potter. Ambleside is a good base to connect with the two literary sites.. First, drive a short distance to Grasmere where join a guided tour of Dove Cottage. Here the visitor can  gain a useful insight into the  life and living conditions of the (large) Wordsworth family. The tenor of the home is characterised by stone floors, dark panelled rooms, coal fires and artifacts and furniture belonging to the family.   Wordsworth portrait Dove Cottage interior Dove Cottage exterior Wordsworth ( 1770-1850) was a leading English romantic poet who helped launch the Romantic Age in English literature. He was closely assisted by his sister, Dorothy. Wordsworth wrote lyrical poems and  ballads and had a close affinity with the Lake District. Clo