Suggested itinerary wanted for Bath to South Wales....

We decided this year to focus on Bath (for the third time) and then
travelling over to South Wales this year. We will be driving from
London to Bath where we plan to stay for 3 nights. after that, we plan
to drive to Southern Wales since we were in North Wales last year.

There are 4 of us (mom, dad, 17 and 15 year olds).

We plan to drive so will have a car.

We like museums and especially castles (ruins or not) and abbeys.

Anyone have a suggested itinerary for leaving from Bath towards south
Wales for 6 days (places to spend the night, castles to see each day,
etc.)?

when returning from Wales towards London, a suggested route or return
via Bath?

any recommendations on castle tours in a suggested itinerary as well
as recommended B&Bs is greatly appreciated.

steve

Can't suggest a complete intinerary but take the OLD Severn Bridge
over to Wales and follow the signs for Monmouth you will travel along
the Wye valley and in Tintern is a ruined Abbey - thanks to Henry
VIII! Go into Monmouth have a look around this old market town. Take
the road to Raglan and wander around an enormous Castle.

A visit to the Welsh Folk Museum just outside Cardiff is well worth a
visit. Then perhaps on to Caerphilly castle - a real monster of a
castle.

http://www.visitwales.com/

Google for CADW to find all the castles and ruins.

For accommodation this is a good site.

http://www.smoothound.co.uk/

Can't suggest a complete intinerary but take the OLD Severn Bridge
over to Wales and follow the signs for Monmouth you will travel along
the Wye valley and in Tintern is a ruined Abbey - thanks to Henry
VIII! Go into Monmouth have a look around this old market town. Take
the road to Raglan and wander around an enormous Castle.

A visit to the Welsh Folk Museum just outside Cardiff is well worth a
visit. Then perhaps on to Caerphilly castle - a real monster of a
castle.

http://www.visitwales.com/

Google for CADW to find all the castles and ruins.

For accommodation this is a good site.

http://www.smoothound.co.uk/

Can't suggest a complete intinerary but take the OLD Severn Bridge
over to Wales and follow the signs for Monmouth you will travel along
the Wye valley and in Tintern is a ruined Abbey - thanks to Henry
VIII! Go into Monmouth have a look around this old market town. Take
the road to Raglan and wander around an enormous Castle.

A visit to the Welsh Folk Museum just outside Cardiff is well worth a
visit. Then perhaps on to Caerphilly castle - a real monster of a
castle.

http://www.visitwales.com/

Google for CADW to find all the castles and ruins.

For accommodation this is a good site.

http://www.smoothound.co.uk/

On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 00:12:11 -0600, Steve C
wrote:

We decided this year to focus on Bath (for the third time) and then
travelling over to South Wales this year. We will be driving from
London to Bath where we plan to stay for 3 nights. after that, we plan
to drive to Southern Wales since we were in North Wales last year.

There are 4 of us (mom, dad, 17 and 15 year olds).

We plan to drive so will have a car.

We like museums and especially castles (ruins or not) and abbeys.

Anyone have a suggested itinerary for leaving from Bath towards south
Wales for 6 days (places to spend the night, castles to see each day,
etc.)?

when returning from Wales towards London, a suggested route or return
via Bath?

any recommendations on castle tours in a suggested itinerary as well
as recommended B&Bs is greatly appreciated.

steve

We stayed here a couple of years ago:
Mendip House Hotel, Frome
http://www.wotif.com/Hotel.jsp?hotel=3196

It was inexpensive, clean, brilliant views (in the
countryside, town fringe) and an excellent full breakfast.
However, it definitely isn't 4*. I found Frome to be a good
central point to tour the Bath District.

We came via Shrewsbury, Abergavenny and Raglan, but no
hotels to recommend there. Make sure you see StoneHenge
en-route. And, of course, the Roman Baths and the Georgian
architecture.


Cheers, Alan, Australia

On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 00:12:11 -0600, Steve C
wrote:

We decided this year to focus on Bath (for the third time) and then
travelling over to South Wales this year. We will be driving from
London to Bath where we plan to stay for 3 nights. after that, we plan
to drive to Southern Wales since we were in North Wales last year.

There are 4 of us (mom, dad, 17 and 15 year olds).

We plan to drive so will have a car.

We like museums and especially castles (ruins or not) and abbeys.

Anyone have a suggested itinerary for leaving from Bath towards south
Wales for 6 days (places to spend the night, castles to see each day,
etc.)?

when returning from Wales towards London, a suggested route or return
via Bath?

any recommendations on castle tours in a suggested itinerary as well
as recommended B&Bs is greatly appreciated.

steve

We stayed here a couple of years ago:
Mendip House Hotel, Frome
http://www.wotif.com/Hotel.jsp?hotel=3196

It was inexpensive, clean, brilliant views (in the
countryside, town fringe) and an excellent full breakfast.
However, it definitely isn't 4*. I found Frome to be a good
central point to tour the Bath District.

We came via Shrewsbury, Abergavenny and Raglan, but no
hotels to recommend there. Make sure you see StoneHenge
en-route. And, of course, the Roman Baths and the Georgian
architecture.


Cheers, Alan, Australia

On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 00:12:11 -0600, Steve C
wrote:

We decided this year to focus on Bath (for the third time) and then
travelling over to South Wales this year. We will be driving from
London to Bath where we plan to stay for 3 nights. after that, we plan
to drive to Southern Wales since we were in North Wales last year.

There are 4 of us (mom, dad, 17 and 15 year olds).

We plan to drive so will have a car.

We like museums and especially castles (ruins or not) and abbeys.

Anyone have a suggested itinerary for leaving from Bath towards south
Wales for 6 days (places to spend the night, castles to see each day,
etc.)?

when returning from Wales towards London, a suggested route or return
via Bath?

any recommendations on castle tours in a suggested itinerary as well
as recommended B&Bs is greatly appreciated.

There are some terrific castles to see in South Wales.

Another poster has suggested using the old Severn Bridge (motorway M48
instead of the M4) and if you turn off immediately after crossing the
rivers Severn and Wye, the first castle you come to is Chepstow, the
keep of which dates from 1067 making it the oldest Norman stone
building in the UK. Chepstow's town walls are mostly stil in place

I'd say that Caerphill castle is a must and worth the detour - one of
the most impressive fortresses not only in the UK but in Europe.

For South Wales castles with views, I'd recommend White Castle near
Abergavenny, and nearby are Grosmont and Skenfrith castles - these
three castles were intended to work together as a defensive system.
White Castle still has water in its moat and is the one with the
view..

Carreg Cennen castle is much further west in Carmarthenshire, but is
perched up on top of a crag and has beautiful views all round.

http://www.castlewales.com/carreg.html

This "Castles Wales" website is worth spending time on - excellent
photos to give you some ideas while you are planning things.


Keith, Bristol, UK

DE-MUNG for email replies

On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 00:12:11 -0600, Steve C
wrote:

We decided this year to focus on Bath (for the third time) and then
travelling over to South Wales this year. We will be driving from
London to Bath where we plan to stay for 3 nights. after that, we plan
to drive to Southern Wales since we were in North Wales last year.

There are 4 of us (mom, dad, 17 and 15 year olds).

We plan to drive so will have a car.

We like museums and especially castles (ruins or not) and abbeys.

Anyone have a suggested itinerary for leaving from Bath towards south
Wales for 6 days (places to spend the night, castles to see each day,
etc.)?

when returning from Wales towards London, a suggested route or return
via Bath?

any recommendations on castle tours in a suggested itinerary as well
as recommended B&Bs is greatly appreciated.

There are some terrific castles to see in South Wales.

Another poster has suggested using the old Severn Bridge (motorway M48
instead of the M4) and if you turn off immediately after crossing the
rivers Severn and Wye, the first castle you come to is Chepstow, the
keep of which dates from 1067 making it the oldest Norman stone
building in the UK. Chepstow's town walls are mostly stil in place

I'd say that Caerphill castle is a must and worth the detour - one of
the most impressive fortresses not only in the UK but in Europe.

For South Wales castles with views, I'd recommend White Castle near
Abergavenny, and nearby are Grosmont and Skenfrith castles - these
three castles were intended to work together as a defensive system.
White Castle still has water in its moat and is the one with the
view..

Carreg Cennen castle is much further west in Carmarthenshire, but is
perched up on top of a crag and has beautiful views all round.

http://www.castlewales.com/carreg.html

This "Castles Wales" website is worth spending time on - excellent
photos to give you some ideas while you are planning things.


Keith, Bristol, UK

DE-MUNG for email replies

On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 12:40:00 +0200, nitram wrote:


Visit Tintern Abbey which is not far away.

Yes, the Wye Valley route to Monmouth is a good one.

If you're heading towards North Wales, there's a great route to take
from Abergavenny - take the Hereford oad, turn off at Llanvihangel
Crucorney and follow the signs to Llanthony Abbey, another romantic
ruin. The road continues through Capel-y-Ffin to Hay-on-Wye and is
single track with passing places (go slowly!!) and goes over the
Gospel Pass - highest motorable road in South Wales.

http://www.iseran.com/Photos/gospel.jpg



Keith, Bristol, UK

DE-MUNG for email replies

In article , Steve C
wrote:


any recommendations on castle tours in a suggested itinerary as well
as recommended B&Bs is greatly appreciated.

steve

In Bath I stayed at St. Leonard's, which is actually just south of Bath
on the A36. Very nice rooms, a little pricey (#55, #65 single). Great
place to start a trip to Somerset. Since you have a car you can drive
down the Pulteney Street and park there, cross the bridge, and you're
there.

http://www.bath.org/hotel/stleon.htm
http://www.stleonardsbath.co.uk/

A panorama from the back of the B&B looking ovr the Salisbury hill:

http://homepage.mac.com/stepheda/.Mo..._2003/Panos/Ba
thBBWindowView1.mov

Great Pulteney street - park at the far end of the far street.

http://homepage.mac.com/stepheda/.Mo..._2003/Panos/Gr
eatPultneyBath.mov

and then you're a short distance from the bridge. Cross it and you're
he

http://homepage.mac.com/stepheda/.Mo..._2003/Panos/Ba
th.mov

--
Dan Stephenson
Photos and movies from US Parks and all over Europe:
http://homepage.mac.com/stepheda