On arrival at Rosslare Port, Wales we pick up the story again of Sir William Marshal who founded Tintern Abbey in New Ross, Ireland.
Our first stop in Wales is Pembroke Castle and our guide Katrina is infectious with her passion for the individuals and events that have taken place since the castle was built in 1093. Sir William was responsible for the reconstruction of Pembroke Castle in stone in the late 12th/early 13th centuries.
Our guide really rates him as a man who didn’t simply follow the codes of behaviour and ethics, he set them. He was apparently much loved and respected.
The castle is famous as the place where Henry VII was born in 1457 reputedly in the tower now known as the Henry VII Tower. Our guide Katrina tells us about many other personalities connected with the castle.
On our way to our bed for the night, we call in at the very photogenic seaside town of Tenby, Pembrokeshire, once an important seaport, with its rows of pastel colored Victorian houses and expansive beach front.
Here stands a fine fifteenth century Tudor merchant’s house, the oldest house in Tenby, where inside the daily life of a Tudor merchant and his family is recreated. The merchant would have conducted his business on the ground floor, the family living quarters was on the second, and sleeping was on the third.
We arrive at Cliff House, Saundersfoot, and are delighted with our room with huge skylight windows overlooking the coastline, now at low tide.
After a breakfast the next morning of Welsh Rarebit and something strange called Laverbread Cake (made with oats and ‘green slime’ of the laver seaweed), we head south east on our way to Cornwall.
Tredegar House in Newport, Wales is definitely worth a stop with its 500 year history of the Morgan family. By all accounts they were a mixed bunch.
From the first owner William Morgan in medieval times, the next William who built the red brick section of the house in the 1600s, Sir William in the 1700s who was a lavish spender and lover of luxury, Sir Charles who helped develop Newport into an industrial town, to Godfrey in the 1800s known as a generous public benefactor, and lastly Evan infamous for his parties and interest in the dark arts. With Evan the family lost everything in 50 years that it had taken 350 years to build and acquire.
Evan was born with too much money, too little health and no practical sense at all.
Alan Pryce Jones, friend.
We continue the last leg of our drive fortunately skirting Cardiff and the huge build up of traffic, no doubt much of it for the Rugby World Cup match tonight between New Zealand and Georgia.
After checking in at our B&B at Dodington, Somerset we drive to the little village of Kilve, and take a sunset walk along the wild and handsome Quantock Jurassic coast.