Heading to Snowdonia

Cilgerran Castle ruins

After our time in Pembrokeshire we started heading north, up the coast of Wales, to Snowdonia.  Now Wales really is a country of castles, after the Norman invasion they straight away started building their timber and earth mound fortifications.  Things really got going during Edward I's reign, Edward I is the grandson of the King John of Robin Hood stories.  It was Edward I who really set out to subjugate the Welsh, so building the castles and filling them with English people was his way of showing his domination over the local people.

Dave and the forest seen from the castle, plus a manor in the  distance

Walking around the wetlands

On the way up north we stopped at one of the 100 or so castles still standing.  Just outside Cardigan is Cilgerran castle, it's built overlooking the river Teifi and is surrounding by forest.  It is here that Nest, the so-called Helen of Wales, was supposedly abducted.  Nest was the daughter of one of the last (local) kings of Wales.  Her family also apparently owned Carew Castle, which was one of the castles we visited near Narberth.  This was built in the 1100's, so it's a pretty old one, mainly just a ruin now though.

What was most interesting is that the ticket vendor actually grew up in Coventry, and when he learned we were from Australia, he started to tell us all about Parkes, who is known as the Father of Federation in Australia.  Apparently this guy went to the same school as him, and grew up down the road from Parkes' old house.  He wrote down the address and everything for us.

Can you spot the otter hide?

Aberaeron's pretty harbour

Also in this little town there was a wildlife wetland centre, which promised an otter hide.  Not being able to resist the call of a possible otter sighting we headed out.  Unfortunately there were no otters to be seen.  It was the middle of the day, which is not known to be a busy wildlife time.  We did manage to see some sort of bird of prey, but without my binoculars or birding book I can't give a definitive name.  I was thinking golden eagle, but then I found out there are only about 10 pairs of those, and they all live in the highlands of Scotland, so I'm thinking it was actually something much more mundane.

The boats at low tide

There was one more stop we made on the way up north, and for anyone doing a drive through in 

Wales I would highly recommend this town.  It was Aberaeron, it's not like some place that I would say is a must-see, but if you are looking for a lunch spot, or somewhere to stretch your legs, then you can't go past this place.  It's got a pretty harbour lined with painted Georgian terraces.  Back in the 19th century it was quite wealthy, now it is much like the rest of Wales, but the pretty houses and orderly streets remain.  And the harbour is filled with holiday boats.