The castle is lovely and grounds are absolutely stunning. Although the structure and landscaping…read moreare lovely, our tour guide felt the need to weave her strong political views into most topics. Examples would be regarding a pitcher/jug that is displayed in one of the glass cases. She said the pitcher "should not be here" and if she had her way "it would be returned" because it was "stolen from a masque." She also said when referring to Dr. Edward Jenner being the first to develop a successful vaccination for small pox that "it really is a question if he were the first." She said he barely beat Africa and Turkey in this world altering vaccine. To which doctors to whom was she referring to in Africa or Turkey? She made a comment of, " My grandfather always said, 'Whatever horrible acts done have been done have been done by the English first.' and I firmly believe this." She was also railing against the decisions of the monarchs before the addition of the parliament. Then she went on to say she wished she could get rid of the current government. A guide should concentrate on the facts and remove biases. It is quite distracting and unnecessary.

What can you say about one of the oldest inhabited castles in the world which is still owned by the…read moresame family from 900 years ago. You have to go. Its where Edward II was murdered with a red hot poker up his fundament .

What a marvel this abbey would be, were it still intact! One can almost hear the sound of monks in…read morethick robes shuffling quietly down vaulted corridors, the scratch of scribes' quill pens on parchment, and haunting choral melodies reverberating down the nave. Even in its current condition, Tintern Abbey, in its secluded valley along the banks of the Wye, provides a picturesque window into the daily life of the monks who once inhabited this place of quiet, humble seclusion and religious study. A highly recommended diversion (along with a tour of Chepstow Castle nearby to the south) for any road-tripper or history buff coming or going from Cardiff on the M4.

This was one of my favorite stops in my entire 3.5 week trip in Scotland & England. My mother and…read moreI made the trek up from Ironbridge Gorge to South Wales and it was rainy and foggy the whole time. When we arrived at Tintern Abbey, we stopped in The Ship for a drink and a snack before heading over to the Abbey. Aside from a dude dressed like a Morris dancer (he seemed very bitter at our arrival) - there was nobody else there. Just my mom, me and grumpy man - with many cows lowing at the nearby fence for dinner o'clock. The abbey is just gorgeous - and I feel really privileged that I got to enjoy it without a crowd or a crush of people that the parking lots and nearby restaurants seem to indicate often flow into the site. It was purely magic to walk through the abandoned abbey with a light misty fog draping the nearby hill tops, turning the trees into silhouettes, and darkening the stone of the building's ruined walls. Truly a magical place.

One of the better preserved castles I toured during my time in Wales, Chepstow Castle looms…read moreimposingly over the muddy, plodding, slithering River Wye that coils at its base. Continuing with the serpentine metaphors, Chepstow's outer rampart continues to snake up the hill behind the main fortification for several hundred feet, offering a spectacular view of the countryside (the Wye itself is a muddy brown, and not particularly exciting). There are several chambers and cellars still mostly intact, some of which (along the riverside) egress to narrow walkways along the cliff face. Unlike some manor houses and estates that identify as "castles" (instead of the glorified stone mansions that they are), Chepstow is the real deal - the vastness of its expanse and volume, the thickness of its walls, and its position atop a cliff, would have made it a bitch to siege.

The heart of the community. Beautiful place to walk around, people are friendly. It's a nice place…read moreto be

What a fantastic day out. This place offers a lot for family's…read more Great value for £8 per adult and £5 for children over two, under twos are free ! The grounds are fantastic lots of open space for the children to wonder and explore and also paths that follow through the trees and gardens. There's a big adventure playground full of lots to explore, zip wire, slide climbing frame etc. There were also blow up slides and a paddling pool. There was a separate area with Wendy houses, trampolines and a climbing frame for the smaller children which was in a really nice relaxing area. You can get up close with pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs and chickens in Pet's Corner. There is 66 acres of beautiful gardens and woodland walks, the views across the River Severn and Wales and spectacular ! There's also a cafe and shop. The cafe is really nice I had a caramel latte with a cheese and chutney sandwich came to £5.50 wich Is good value. Plenty of parking available. Overall a fantastic day out which was really enjoyed by all.

Old Down Country Park is not your typical stately home. It is a farm/zoo/park/house. Great for the…read morewhole family too. They have large lawn areas for picnics, a café for those who didn't pre-prepare food, and lots and ltos of animals. Expect to find your typical farm animals. Goats? Check. Pigs? Check. Sheep? Check. Ponies? Check. Wallabies????check!!! Entry is only a fiver and you can spend the whole day there (weather permitting) walking along the Victorian walls and cooing at all the cute animals.

'Y Garreg Siglo' in Welsh, a great place to visit, not far from Pontypridd Hospital and with a…read moremarvellous view over the town. The central stone is over 5 feet high and placed there in Neolithic times. It does indeed 'rock' slightly back and forth if you sit or stand on it and push a bit! The stone circle surrounding it is much more recent, having been arranged there only one or two hundred years ago (there appears to be some dispute about the exact date). There are various other stones dotted about the Common. There are several places to park nearby along the road side.

Such a nice estate. I went here for dog walk, but would also be great for kids day out, picnics, or…read morejust a nice walk. There loads of areas to roam, lots of fields, woodlands tracks and kids play areas. We took the dogs a walk through the fields, then through the woods up to the castle and back down to the house. The house is a really lovely venue aswell for a wedding. I attended a wedding ceronmy in the house a few years ago which was beautiful. They have Carpark onsite and coffee/snack shop selling hot & cold food. We also had a ice lolly from the ice cream van aswell before we left :) Me and dogs will be back again very soon!

Lovely big park for walks, dog walks and picnics. Good sized playground for kids. Plus the Manor…read moreHouse is a museum where you can learn about the history of the estate.

The ancient County Town of Somerset has a church worthy of its status and history, famous for its…read moresplendid tower, which is a landmark for miles around. The early history of the church is obscure: Taunton was the home of a great Augustinian Priory under the control of the Bishops of Winchester, who were also Lords of the Manor until the 19th century. The town that grew up alongside the castle and Priory looked to the Priory for many of its spiritual needs, but the townspeople probably had their own church on the present site from at least the 11th century onwards. However, the first recorded mention of the church is in the 13th century, and foundations of that age have been found during various archaeological excavations. In 1308 the church became independent of the Priory, and over the next two hundred years was rebuilt into the form we see to-day. From the outside and particularly from the perfect view between the Georgian houses of Hammet Street the dominant feature is its tower. Somerset is famed for its huge towers, built in the 15th and early 16th centuries on the wealth that came from the wool trade. They are divided into the Wells group, with vertical emphasis, and the Taunton group, with horizontal emphasis. Unsurprisingly, St Mary's belongs to the latter group, and is the grandest by far. At 163ft, (50m) it can be seen for miles. It is built in a striking red sandstone, with window openings and tracery in golden Ham stone. Constructed in 1514, the present tower is actually a copy (albeit an exact one using much of the original materials) completed in 1862, after the original became unsafe. The other external feature is the generous south porch, dating from 1508, and decorated with elaborate niches, although the statues are Victorian replacements for those destroyed in the Reformation. Indeed, much of the decoration in the church had to be replaced, following extensive damage during the Commonwealth period Taunton was a staunch Puritan town. The interior is splendid the plan is almost square, thanks to its generous double aisles, giving the impression of a forest of columns. The oldest elements are the arcade arches at the east end of the nave, which date from the late 13th century. Otherwise, most of the fabric dates from the 14th and 15th centuries. Of particular note is the 15th century carved wooden roof, with its gilded angels a Somerset tradition. There are more angels carved on the nave capitals and corbels. Although most of the furnishings are Victorian, there are some attractive memorials: on the north wall, an almost life-size statue of Robert Graye, (1570-1635), flanked by columns and topped with a arched pediment, recalls a famous son of Taunton and a generous benefactor, who built almshouses for the poor in East Street, which are still in use to-day. The windows in the north aisle contain fragments of brightly coloured mediaeval glass. Another benefactor was Richard Huish, (d. 1615), and his plainer but still attractive memorial is found on the South wall. At the west end of the inner aisle, is a stone memorial to Thomas More, (d. 1576), second owner of the Priory following the Dissolution. To-day it provides the backdrop to the small shop, selling cards and fairly traded items. Opposite, in the North Aisle, is a small but lively café, apparently catering to a regular group of pensioners. Finally, this church has a personal connection, which makes it especially interesting to me: my Great-Great-Great Grandfather and Grandmother were married here, in July 1828.

This is the largest church in Somerset, situated right in the centre of its county town, Taunton…read more I can thorougly recommend this as a place to get married! The church is really spacious and so you can have as many seated guests as you can wish. They will organise beautiful flowers for you and, of course, the photographs look great with such an amazing place in them. The vicar has changed since we got married and so I can't say what he is like but our day was really special.

Ystradfellte is the Brecon Beacon's Waterfall country and its also were I grew up so its a place I…read moreknow well and love very much. Its a place that a lot of people in Wales know of just because of the fall and the caving complexes. The most famous of the waters is Sgwd Y Eira. If you have seen the advertising posters for Brecon Water this is the waterfall in the picture. Its a fairly easy walk apart from the steps as you get near and its one of very few waterfalls that you can actually walk underneath, though do expect to get sprayed a bit. I personally prefer some of the walks around the other falls which are much quieter in the summer and offer refreshing pools to swim in or picnic by. In all my years of living here I have never got bored of walking the area, its different all the time. Just a note to vistors the two main car parks charge a daily fee and a national parks ranger goes between them. If you want to avoid the fee park in the village itself and walk a bit further, tempting as it may be to pull up on the verges near the car parks I have seen so many break in's that you really are risking it a bit.

Coity Castle is a magical place full of distant battle cries and that incredible sense that…read moreimportant things have happened there. Built in 1100 and then rebuilt after a siege by Owain Glyndwr, this is a castle often overlooked by visitors to Wales, despite its extremely important part in Welsh history. Although other castles, such as Cardiff Castle, Caerphilly Castle and Castell Coch, are more visited, I would argue that it's the lesser known relics which are more interesting. This Medieval castle is built up on a hill, with clear evidence of moats, and looks almost like a half-rotten tooth sticking up into the sky. It has just as much grandeur and fairy-tale quality as a person could ask for in a castle. This historic site is well worth a visit; sunset will reward you will specular photographs and views.

This is another of South Wales's impressive Norman Castles, standing in ruins near the town of…read moreBridgend in South Wales, not far from Cardiff. It was built by Sir Payn "the Demon" de Turberville, one of the legendary Twelve Knights of Glamorgan who are supposed to have conquered the area under the leadership of Robert FitzHamon, Lord of Gloucester. Although it was originally built soon after 1100, a lot of the castle actually dates from the fourteenth century and later. Parts of it were rebuilt following the siege by Owain Glyn Dr in 1404-05. Despite being in ruins, there are still plenty of interesting features to see - including the remains of the central octagonal pillar for the vaults of the castle. If you have OS map 170 the reference is SS 923815. Nearby you can also visit Newcastle and Ogmore Castles in a day trip.