A Trip to Caerleon

A couple of weeks ago we travelled over the Severn bridge into Wales for a day. It's not far for us being only about 50 miles or so. Our destination, the town of Caerleon. Ancient Roman military fortress of Isca and later believed by some, to be the legendary court of King Arthur. Of course having a love of all things Arthurian, it was time to tick this place off my list.
The day was mild, the sun shone and the place had a quiet sense of peace about it. Just a few other people were walking around on a Saturday. Our footsteps fell where Roman Gladiators fought and in the October stillness, the gulls and rooks hid any whispers of ghosts on the grassy mounds.  

Like many places in the uk, the amphitheatre is believed to be a possible site of the legendary round table. Since the middle ages it has been known locally as 'King Arthurs Round Table'  In Geoffrey of Monmouth's writing from 1133 he tells of King Arthur holding court at the 'City of the Legions' (Caerleon)

Just fiction, or home of Camelot? I think the mystery is what makes the story more enticing and I just love visiting all the places that are connected with the legend. To read more about Roman times and King Arthur and Caerleon have a look at Caerleon.net   

We had our lunch in the Hanbury Arms where Alfred Lord Tennyson lodged in 1856 whilst working on his long Arthurian poem Idylls of the King. 
It being so mild we sat outside beside the river Usk. It's swirling murky depths, sunlight on brown kept it's secrets hidden within it's currents of all that it has witnessed over time. Roman, Arthurian, Poet and another million stories of the Welsh riverbanks.

"The Usk murmurs at the window and I sit like King Arthur in Caerleon" 

~Tennyson

'King Arthur made new knights to fill the gap

Left by the Holy Quest; and as he sat

In hall at old Caerleon, the high doors

Were softly sundered, and through these a youth,

Pelleas, and the sweet smell of the fields

 Past, and the sunshine came along with him' 
~extract from Pelleas and Ettare

                                          
  

After lunch we browsed around the beautiful space of Ffwrrwm. A magical place filled with the most magnificent carvings. Characters depicted from the Welsh Mabinogion

And shops with Celtic inspired gifts, like a tiny slice of Glastonbury.

'Arthur and Mordred in battle'

'Ceridwen and Taliesin'

And the biggest welsh love spoon I've ever seen!

After a tea and a welsh cake in the lovely cafe here, I returned home with a couple of souvenirs and three fallen acorns picked up from beneath the oak overlooking the ancient remains.

Tomorrow is the last day of October, the veil is thin and I shall plant these to remember and help give life to new, from old. 

Happy Halloween x

* King Arthur painting, by Charles Ernest Butler

Across the River Severn to Wales for a Day.

It's been a mixed bag of weather this past week. Last Saturday felt like the warmest day so far this year. We walked along the canal and it was the first time that I took my coat off as the sun felt warm. It was hard to believe it was February but the masses of catkins reminded us.
Sunlight shone across the glassy water and there were shoals of little fishes with red fins. I think they may have been young Roach?

I spotted a wonderful Fungi growing on an old tree stump . 

Hoping the weather would stay fine, on Sunday we crossed over the Severn bridge into Wales to Cardiff. Only an hour away from here. A day of ticking off one of my 'to visit' places off my list.  Not Cardiff itself but St Fagan's National History Museum
It's similar to the Weald and Downland Museum in Chichester that I visited last year. Cottages and farm buildings that were threatened with demolition or falling into disrepair have been moved here and preserved.

The weather sadly didn't match the day before and instead it was grey and drizzly. That didn't matter  though, as it was cosy inside the cottages.

I love that feeling of stepping back in time, the smells so familiar seem etched in my memory from my ancestors?

There was lots to photograph, but the simple compositions caught my interest the most. An old sewing machine, an iron, shells in a window sill and the simplicity of the lime washed plaster and wall paper.

A wonderful old white washed church, enclosed within a white washed wall looked as if it belonged in a fairytale.
Before being moved to St Fagan's, St Teilo's church was originally from Landeilo Tal-y- Bont beside the river Loughor. It is believed to date back to the 12th century and is said that as recently as the 20th century, that some worshippers still reached the church by coracle on the river. It's a little sad that it had to be moved, but if it means preserving it then that's a good thing. Plus it did look so at home surrounded by the trees.

Inside was a beautiful space,  warm and filled with angels.
It has been been rebuilt and redecorated how it would have looked in around the year 1530. The original paintings that were uncovered have been preserved and kept by The National Museum of Wales.

It was a calm and very peaceful place to be.

In the gardens of St Fagan's I met some rather interesting folk made of stone. 

 I wonder if they wake up at night and wander the lawns by moonlight? 

I love the crouching young maiden and the young boy, with the look of sheer wonder on his face.

As it was February when we visited  unfortunately the main house was closed for winter work and cleaning, so I think I may have to return again one of these days. I love this house and seeing it and some of the other ones at the museum has inspired me to add some to future new paintings.

Thank you all for your kind comments left on my last post. It's still very quiet in the garden with out Robin Goodfellow. I've named the new little Robin 'Puck' and had a good chat with him today.
Have a good weekend whatever you are up to.