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

Return to Tintagel

In my last post I mentioned that I had recently taken a short trip to Cornwall.  So here I am back again to share some of the pictures...
We started off driving down via the north coast as I wanted to visit a favourite spot. Tintagel  The last trip was in 2011,  so it was definitely time to say hello again to this mythical, magical old rugged place.

It's always a good time to visit, but May has it's advantages. The wild and jutted jagged edges are  softened by bluebells, yellow tom thumb, purple thrift, sea campion and other coastal cliff flowers.
I picked a sprig of thrift to dry and keep. I shall keep it with my dried clover flower that I picked on top of the Tor, at Glastonbury.

High on top stands the new sculpture 'Gallos' by Rubin Eynon.  It means power in Cornish. An 8ft bronze sculpture inspired by the legend of King Arthur. I believe that some people are not happy about new additions here and feel that it is making Tintagel too commercial... I personally really liked it and thought it was a beautiful thing. Standing tall with the wild winds and stormy skies around him he looked so at home. I loved the way he faced inland. looking back home to his lands. I also love the way the artist has left parts of him as just gaps, as if he is only partially here. A ghost you can see through. Arthur stepping through the veil.

Another angle.

Magical.

Carrying on the Arthurian theme, we crossed Bodmin moor and passed Dozmary Pool.

Dozmary Pool is a fresh water natural lake. In local legend, it is believed to be the final resting place of Excalibur and the home to the Lady of the lake.  After Arthur was mortally wounded at the battle of Camlann, Sir Bedevere threw Excalibur into the lake, returning it to the Lady. 

I would have been happy to carry on visiting Arthurian sites, but there were other plans on the list too, so that will have to wait to another day. Instead we drove across to the southern coast and met a sea mist in Polperro.

Polperro was one place I had never been in Cornwall, so a visit was long overdue. It didn't disappoint and looked even more atmospheric in the grey and mist. 

For those of you that like me have never been. It is a place of winding narrow streets, white washed cottages and is filled with quirky corners 

The Shell House...

We browsed in the lovely little shops, visited the museum, in between dodging the rain showers and were enticed into cosy cafes by tempting treats. 

The next day the sun came out so we went in search of the wild and rugged places once more and walked some of the coastal path.

A lovely walk was had. 

We finished our short trip by returning via the northern side again and back to the more magical .  Many years back I visited the famous Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle.  After so many years I  thought it about time to make a re visit. Such an interesting museum filled to the brim with so many things to look at. Spells and talismans and all manner of magical tools and information about magic and witchcraft through the ages.  

It was a perfect end to a short break. :-)