Wandering Around Wales
- Kaitlen Elaine
- Oct 19, 2022
- 6 min read
Wales is a very small, but very beautiful country within the United Kingdom. When travelers talk about visiting the United Kingdom, I rarely hear the word 'Wales' escape their mouths. Although sometimes overlooked, I believe that Wales has so much beauty to offer! Wales is packed with national parks, medieval castles, and beaches—yes, beaches.
For today's journey, I will be starting day off in Cardiff, Wales to explore a few stunning castles and historic landscapes, and then I will be traveling to Pembroke Dock in Pembrokeshire, Wales to hop on an Irish ferry to begin my travels in Ireland! The ferry from Pembroke Dock in Wales to Rosslare Harbour in Ireland is roughly a four hour journey; therefore, I booked an evening ferry ride so that I could spend most of my day exploring a bit of Cardiff, the capital of Wales.
I had a lot of activities planned for the day that was ahead of me, so I decided that I should begin my day with a hearty breakfast from a nice, little coffee shop in Cardiff. After a few searches and clicks on Google, I found myself taking a stroll down Bridge Street to a little café called, 'Little Man Coffee.' What a name, huh? Names like this make me wonder how they decided on this specific name. Who is the little man behind this coffee? Regardless of my internal questions—there I was, trusting this mysterious Little Man to give me some good, strong coffee to help me make it through a long day.
Once I reached the doors, I was hit in the face with the smell of coffee (in the best way). The interior was nice and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. They had artwork hanging on the walls and a lot of "Little Man" branded coffee on the shelves around the café. Maybe the owner is a very short man? Or maybe a child? It felt like the perfect spot for getting some work done, especially with the 'all-day coffee deal' that they were offering. Apparently if you're working on your laptop for the day, you can pay £10 for all-day hot drinks—which I believe is a fantastic deal considering one coffee is typically £5-7 at most places! Little Man Coffee was truly a lovely cafe with a great design (with environmentally friendly cups)!
I ended up with a flat white, which was smooth and light—exactly how I like it, and I also ordered some eggs and toast—basic, I know. The atmosphere of the café was quiet with very relaxing music. It made for a nice place to chill out before running around Cardiff all day. The next time that I am in Cardiff, I will definitely be back to Little Man Coffee.
The first location that I wanted to see in Wales was the Cardiff Castle Grounds, which is Cardiff's capital castle, located right in the center of Cardiff! I was interested in the architecture more than anything—because the castle has Roman history, and much of this rich history is reflected in the construction of the castle. Due to the grounds being worked on multiple times throughout the centuries, there is a mixture of Gothic, Norman and Roman architecture.
The Cardiff Castle Grounds were incredible and when you visit, you get an incredible view of Cardiff from the top of the castle. It’s easy to spend a few hours walking around the site, as it is very spacious. You’re able to join in on guided tours of the grounds—which is very beneficial if you’re interested in the stories behind the extravagant interior and exterior. I genuinely don't believe that photos do justice for portraying the incredible history and architecture of Cardiff Castle—no wonder it's one of Wales most popular tourist attractions.
Cardiff Castle is intriguing because the whole castle was designed and decorated by one architect, William Burges. The Marquess of Bute appointed him to the job of creating a 'medieval dream-world' within the castle, which was constructed with pure elegance. Burges's designs included rich colors, elaborate wood carvings, marble details, murals, and stained glass—developing the ultimate Victorian medieval dream world for The Marquess of Bute. Today, the look is preserved and visitors are able to wander around the grounds and the castle to admire the years of dedication.
I hopped on a bus that would take me to my next location: Castell Coch and the medieval Caerphilly Castle. Castell Coch, or the Red Castle, is located above the village of Tongwynlais in South Wales. It is also known as the 'fairytale castle,' due to its tapered, or needle-shaped turrets and conical roof design—it sits perfectly inside of a wooded area that it looks like it came straight out of Sleeping Beauty. Castell Couch was built in the 1870s; however, it is has a very charming medieval style inside.
The story of Castell Coch is quite interesting, because it was never really used by anyone. There was basically just a lot of money put into the build of it, but it wasn't utilized regularly. The Marquess of Bute, who was extremely rich during his time, hired a Victorian architect to redesign the castle. The architect ended up creating and designing a fairytale palace for the Marquess of Bute, focusing on medieval representation—exactly like Cardiff Castle. Interestingly enough, the same architect that designed Castell Coch for The Marquess of Bute was the same architect that designed Cardiff Castle for him too—he had to be one of the best architects of the time!
Only 12 minutes away from Castell Coch is Caerphilly Castle. Caerphilly castle is Wales’ largest castle and, remarkably, is Britain’s second largest castle (behind Windsor, of course). The castle was built in the 13th century by Gilbert de Clare as a defense against Welsh attacks during the time. The castle is surrounded by water defenses as well, making it quite unique and much like those typical imaginary castes from storybooks that we read during our childhoods. Interestingly, what was once a strategical design is now a picturesque foreground.
Visiting historic sites, such as Caerphilly Castle, puts into perspective how old structures from the 13th century truly are. The exterior of the castle is covered with moss and it is quite discolored from age; however, the massive walls, towers and gatehouses still stand tall and strong against the forces of nature. What we view today as old and waning was once the most magnificent piece of architecture in the area—point of view is everything. Once you're able to open your mind to the perspectives of people from the 13th century—figuratively, of course—then you'll be able to understand the significance of such a place. This was once a place that people inhabited!
When in Wales, I recommend visiting Brecon Beacons National Park as well. Unfortunately, I did not have the time to travel to Brecon Beacons on this trip through Wales; regardless, the landscape is breath-taking! It's one of Wales’ three National Parks and it possess stunning scenery. The park can be driven through or hiked, whatever works for your lifestyle as it contains beautiful rolling hills in northern parts.
Along with Brecon Beacons National Park, while you're in the area I recommend visiting Brecon! Brecon is picturesque market town where you can spend time visiting the 12th century cathedral, or walking through the narrow streets and browsing the captivating local shops. Brecon also marks the start of the Monmouthshire & Brecon canal, so a peaceful walk alongside the canal is another option!
After a long day of castles and coffee, I decided that it was time to travel from Cardiff to Pembrokeshire to board my ferry that will take me to Ireland. It only takes around two hours to get from Cardiff to Pembroke Dock, which is plenty of time to listen to a podcast, or read, or nap—whatever you're into doing on long rides. The fastest way from Cardiff to Pembroke Dock is by bus (if you don't have a vehicle, like me). I don't particularly dislike long car rides/bus rides/train rides, though. It's quite relaxing to just sit back and look out the window—especially when you don't have to worry about anything; like driving yourself or gas. I'm able to watch the scenery change from lush green shrubbery to stone-brick homes and dark cobbled streets.
After a few hours, I finally arrived at my destination: Pembroke Dock in Pembrokeshire. I made it just in time to board my ferry. The ferry takes four hours to travel from one port to the next, so from Pembroke Dock in Wales to Rosslare in Ireland. The ferry was very nice and comfortable—and to my surprise, there were not a lot of people boarding. This meant that I would have plenty of room all to myself! It was an evening ferry ride, so just as I did on the bus, I found a comfortable area on the ferry and got settled in my "designated space" for the next four hours. I spent this time writing in my journal, gazing out the windows, writing this blog, and taking short cat naps.
Féach leat go luath, Éire!
(See you soon, Ireland)!
If you've been to Ireland, what are your favorite places that you've visited?
If you've never been, where would you like to visit?
Comment below!
Enjoyed Wales and seeing the castles