Out-of-season tour of WALES
The colder months still offer lots of reasons to visit Cymru, as Liz Schaffer discovers
Cymruhideawayscastle
Mollie Davies has us dreaming of a fairytale escape with her choice of the best Welsh castles to stay in
When I was a little girl, my Grandma would say to me:
“To be born Welsh is to be born privileged. Not with a silver spoon in your mouth, but with music in your blood and poetry in your soul.” It’s a saying that’s found on many Welsh plaques and souvenirs, and it’s true. I feel incredibly lucky to be Welsh – not least because of our historic, magical and entirely spectacular castles.
The Roman and Saxon invasions of England pushed the original Britons to retreat into the region now known as Wales, which later gave birth to Britain’s most famous royal dynasty: The Tudors. Henry VII, the first Tudor king, who took the throne upon defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, was born in Wales at Pembroke Castle. His father, Edmund Tudor, was a member of the Tudor family of Penmynydd, and his grandmother, Catherine of Valois, Dowager Queen of England, connected this Welsh family to the crown.
Today, you’re never far from a majestic castle in Wales, and in many cases – particularly up north – you can even stay overnight in one of Wales’s repurposed fortresses, following in the footsteps of kings and queens of old. So read on for my pick of five of the best places to lay your head in Wales for a royally good night’s sleep.
Ruthin Castle
If you’re looking for somewhere to take a relaxing, magical retreat that’s steeped in history but with judicious use of modern touches, consider Ruthin Castle in North Wales’s Clwydian Range. The castle sits right in the heart of the medieval town of the same name, which is derived from the Welsh language words rhudd (red) and din (fort), and refers to red sandstone, which is abundant in the area.
A wooden fort is believed to have stood on the site originally, until the land was granted to Dafydd, the brother of Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, by Edward I. Fast forward to the Tudor era, and the castle was in the hands of Henry VII, and every monarch right through to Charles I.
Guests can taste a true Welsh breakfast, prepared with local and seasonal produce in the Tafarn Y Ddraig (Dragon Tavern), while the hotel’s spa sits in the former moat. When you’re ready to explore the area, you’re near both Snowdonia National Park and our cover star, Conwy Castle, one of Europe’s best preserved medieval fortresses. ruthincastle.co.uk
On the right track
Railway expert and author Julian Holland chooses his favourite train journeys in England, Wales and Scotland
SCOTLAND
Dingwall to Kyle of Lochalsh Distance 63 miles
Surviving several threats of closure, the single-track Kyle Line from Dingwall to Kyle of Lochalsh serves many remote stations and rates as one of the most scenic and dramatic railway journeys in Britain.
Reached by train from Inverness, Dingwall’s spacious station building and its wide platform awning have been tastefully restored and now house a popular tea shop. While Kyle Line trains head west from here, Dingwall is also the junction for the meandering and remote Far North Line to Wick and Thurso.
From the station the Kyle Line heads westward, climbing the long 1-in-50 to Raven Rock Summit. From here, it drops down to the shores of Loch Garve and the line’s first station, Garve. Continuing westwards on this winding, switchback route, trains follow the north shore of Loch Luichart to remote Lochluichart station before heading up Strath Bran alongside Loch a’ Chuilinn and Loch Achanalt to the equally remote Achanalt station.
Ever westwards through the wild landscape of Strath Bran, the line reaches lonely Achnasheen station where trains normally cross. From here, the railway takes a southwesterly course to Luib Summit (646ft above sea level) and then down through the forests of Glen Carron, passing Loch Gowan, Loch Sgamhain, tiny Achnashellach station and Loch Dhughaill en route before emerging in the lush valley of the River Carron at Strathcarron station.
From Strathcarron, the railway follows a highly scenic coastal route along the forested south shore of Loch Carron, offering passengers dramatic vistas that culminate in views across the Inner Sound to Skye and the Cuillins. Trains call at Attadale, Stromeferry, tiny Duncraig, Plockton and Duirinish before carving through solid rock to hug the coastline south to Kyle of Lochalsh’s terminus station, dramatically located on the shore opposite the Isle of Skye. kylestationmuseum.org/about/the-kyle-line
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Remember, remember the fifth of November, Gunpowder, treason and plot” runs the popular ditty we chant on Bonfire Night: the jolly tone of festivities rather at odds with the sinister episode itself...
In 1603 when James VI of Scotland succeeded Elizabeth I on the English throne as James I, many Catholics hoped he would bring an end to their persecution following the religious turmoil of the Reformation and Tudor rule. They were quickly disappointed and so 13 plotters, largely from the Midlands and York, set upon the “dangerous remedy” of blowing up James, his heir Henry Frederick, and Parliament on the day of its opening session, 5 November 1605. The intention was to make the king’s nine-year-old daughter Elizabeth a puppet queen and re-establish Catholicism.
Foiled when Guy Fawkes was discovered with gunpowder in a basement storeroom beneath the House of Lords, the plot resulted in a public backlash that made life for Catholics even worse. Today an effigy of the scapegoated Fawkes is burned atop most bonfires on the anniversary evening, accompanied by vibrant fireworks displays celebrating the thwarted plans.
Discover tales of plotting, betrayal and further dramatic details and events at these key places linked to the story.
Magical tourhistory
Diana Wright pinpoints the best places to remember, remember the details of the doomed Gunpowder Plot
1. City of York, Yorkshire
Guy Fawkes, the son of a lawyer and infamous as the historical scapegoat for the Gunpowder Plot, was born in 1570 in the heart of York where the Guy Fawkes Inn now stands. Baptised at St Michael le Belfrey Church (currently undergoing renovation), he attended St Peter’s School – as did two other plotters, brothers John and Christopher Wright.
Join a city tour or explore solo to find out more about Fawkes and the times in which he lived, in particular the persecution of Catholics. Hear stories of
the likes of Margaret Clitherow, who was crushed to death for her activities in 1586: her shrine is in the Shambles and her relic is in the chapel of The Bar Convent where an exhibition reveals tales of religious secrecy, spies, and an intriguing ‘Gunpowder crucifix’. Amid York’s turmoil, Fawkes converted from Protestantism to Catholicism, went abroad to fight for Catholic Spain and became skilled in handling gunpowder – ripe for recruitment to the 1605 plot. visityork.org; barconvent.co.uk ➤
8. Bonfire Night
Parliament passed a Thanksgiving Act in 1606, declaring 5 November a day of annual commemoration and, although the Act was repealed in 1859, we still recall “gunpowder, treason and plot” near then with bonfires topped with a “Guy” (St Peter’s School in York declines to burn a former pupil).
Famous events include Lewes in Sussex, where six Bonfire Societies take part in costumed processions on 5 November, and also in Sussex, Battel Bonfire Boyes, run by the oldest bonfire society in the world. lewesbonfirecelebrations.com; battelbonfire.co.uk
9. Coombe Abbey, Binley, Warwickshire
At the time of the plot, nine-year-old Princess Elizabeth was living under the guardianship of Lord and Lady Harington at their Warwickshire estate, enjoying fresh country air and an excellent education. As rumours of trouble brewed Lord Harington whisked his young charge away to greater safety in Coventry – though in the event, the plotters abandoned the kidnap attempt. Coombe Abbey, now a country house hotel, recalls its part in the 1605 plot at a Gunpowder Gala Banquet this autumn, featuring actors, feasting and fireworks on 7 and 8 November. n coombeabbey.com