Wales, Peoples' Landscape

14 May 2012

Having visited Wales many times I have found it a unique country, with a proud independent history dating back a thousand years.

Situated on the west of Great Britain overlooking the Irish Sea, Wales shares the Celtic culture of Ireland and Scotland with its own celtic based language and a love of music, storytelling and legends. Many of these legends involve dragons and castles which are dotted throughout Wales – all 400 of them. Locals point to symbols and relics of the adventures and exploits of King Arthur and Merlin. The annual National Eisteddfod Festival is the pinnacle of the Welsh cultural calendar. Held in the first week of August, this is a friendly vibrant festival of folk music, dance and drama celebrating the best of Wales and its culture.

Close to the England-Wales border is the pretty little market town of Hay on Wye which often called the “Book town” as it is home to over 30 major secondhand and antiquarian bookshops offering millions of books priced from a $ upwards. Bill Clinton visited the town during the famous Hay festival of Literature and Arts which is held in early June each year and is a must see for any book lover. 

After the pageantry of their Royal Wedding, Prince William and Kate, now Duke and Duchess of Cambridge set up home on the Isle of Anglesey in the north west Wales where they can often be spotted trying to lead a “normal“ life visiting local shops and restaurants.

Getting around Wales by rail takes you on breathtaking routes, through mountains and along sandy beaches and any rail enthusiast will love the “Great Little Trains of Wales” – a collection of heritage narrow gauge steam railways that wind up from the coastline into the mountains.There are direct rail and ferry links between Wales and Ireland which makes combining these two Celtic countries an attractive tour option.  

Andrew Grieve