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The National Trust Castle, House and Garden Tour Interesting, Unhurried, Friendly... Country Lane Tours is proud of their long association with The National Trust and this tour features some of their best gardens, castles and other properties, large and small, which are to be found in North and Central Wales. The National Trust also owns over 100 acres of countryside including Mount Snowdon – the highest mountain in Wales. A feast for all guests! Come and join us! Tour Dates: Spring 2008: April 25th and May 23rd. Dates don’t match your holiday schedule? Check out our Wales: Mountains and Lakes tour, the Deluxe Snowdonia tour and the Gardens of North Wales tour for more options touring North Wales. 2008 Prices: $2799 USD per person sharing twin/double room; $3099 USD single What's Included:
Excursions, Activities and Special features:
Not Included:
A great deal of our travels will take place within the Snowdonia National Park. Snowdonia is a precious place; it is unique, with its miles of ancient hedgerows and dry stone walls, traditional stone cottages, vernacular buildings, and diverse wildlife living in its 55,000 acres. This tour is designed for inveterate travelers who know the true character of a country is best found in its provinces, on its country lanes, in the village pub and on its 'village green'. Our unique tour focuses on Wales' lush well-kept countryside, picturesque villages, fine gardens, medieval castles, its rich culture and heritage but most of all we meet people who make their livelihood in the countryside. We travel in a very comfortable ‘mini-coach’ with a maximum of 12 passengers, taking us where the large coaches can’t. Our Home base is the mountain village of Betws y Coed, Welsh for “Chapel in the Woods”. The village was built almost entirely of stone and slate quarried from the mountains of Snowdonia and became a holiday destination with the arrival of the railway in 1868. The village is still a favorite haunt all year round for those who love the outdoor life. Naturalists, anglers, artists & photographers can be seen any day gathered at the village's heart, the famous Pont-y-pair (Bridge of the Cauldron). TENTATIVE TOUR ITINERARY: Day 1. Friday Evening Welcome dinner
Day 2. Saturday. _ Plas Newydd & Cemaes Heritage Coast Departing Betws traveling through the Ogwen Valley, crossing Thomas Teford’s famous suspension bride (b.1826) to the Isle of Anglesey to visit Plas Newydd. This is a handsome 18th century house built by James Wyatt (1746 -1813) on the banks of the Menai Straits. The house is well known for its association with Rex Whistler, whose largest wall-painting is here. There is also a small military museum containing campaign relics of the 1st Marquess of Anglesey and the Battle of Waterloo. The property has a fine spring garden, mature woodland with access to a marine walk. After lunch we travel to a stretch of coast at Cemaes, on the north of Anglesey, which is designated a Heritage Coast because of its’ unspoilt beauty. The lagoon at Cemlyn, with its winter wildfowl, is perfect for bird watchers. Return to our hotel for evening dinner.
Day 3. Sunday - Bodnant Garden & Male Voice Choir Concert Morning at leisure in the village. After lunch a visit to Bodnant, one of Britain’s most spectacular gardens, created in the early years of the 20th century by the 2nd Lord Aberconwy. The site covers an area of 80 acres and holds the national Collections of Rhododendrons, Magnolias and Eucryphias. Another of its’ attractions is the world famous laburnum Arch, an overwhelming mass of golden blooms forming a tunnel 36 meters long. After dinner an opportunity to attend a Male Voice Choir in concert at St Mary’s church in the village.
Day 4. Monday. - Penrhyn Castle and Cwm Idwal Departing Betws, we travel through the dramatic Llanberis Pass to visit Penrhyn Castle. This massive neo-Norman castle was built by Thomas Hopper (1776 – 1856) between 1820-1837 for the Pennant family, who made their fortune from the slate industry. The castle is surrounded by parkland, formal gardens and semi-wooded walks, with many exotic species in the Victorian walled garden. After lunch we journey up the Ffrancon valley to Cwm Idwal, which is one of the best places, and the most southerly British place, to see plants which were very common during the cold glacial periods. Arctic-alpine plants such as moss campion and saxifrages can be seen in the cracks and crevices of the north facing slopes.
Day 5. Tuesday . Taking the Steam Train to the Summit of Snowdon The National Trust launched an appeal in 2000 to raise £3.5 million to purchase Wales’ highest mountain. The ‘Save Snowdon’ appeal captured the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, including the appeal's president, actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, who dipped into his own pocket to the tune of £1m Today, we follow in the ‘tracks’ of holiday makers and steam train enthusiasts who, for more than 110 years, have appreciated the truly spectacular views as the train climbs through the atmospheric landscape of Snowdon, and be absorbed in the rich myth, legend and history Snowdonia has to offer.
Day 6 Wednesday – Ty Mawr Wybrnant & Aberconwy House. Not all National Trust properties are big; today we visit Ty Mawr in the secluded Wybrnant Valley, the birth place of Bishop William Morgan, translator of the entire Bible into Welsh. The house has been restored to its 16th-17th century appearance and houses a display of Bibles in several languages. The house is surrounded by open fields and woodlands. Dating from the 14th century, Aberconwy House is the only merchant house in the medieval Walled Town of Conwy, to have survived its’ turbulent past. Furnished rooms show daily life from different periods in history.
Day 7 Thursday - Powis Castle and Garden & Chirk Castle Powis Castle: Built in the c.12 by Welsh princes and perched dramatically on a rock above the magnificent gardens, this imposing castle has been adapted and embellished by successive generations of Herberts and Clives. The celebrated 17th-century garden was laid out under the influence of the Italian and French styles and is overhung by enormous clipped ewes. Chirk Castle: A magnificent Marcher fortress completed in 1310 , the castle’s austere exterior contrasts with the elegant rooms within and the dramatic dungeon is a reminder of its’ turbulent past.
Day 8. Friday Tour ends after breakfast.
Other choices of touring across Wales include: Village Life in Wales; Cardiff & Pembrokeshire Highlights; Walking the Pembroke Coastal Path; Walking and Wildlife; Wales, the Land of Song; Walking Snowdonia; Deluxe Snowdonia Short Tour.
This tour is operated by Country Lane Tours |
