We had another full day in Wales before heading to Liverpool and York, England. Our last day in Wales proved to be a magical day of beauty and whimsy.

Let’s talk about Eryri National Park (Snowdonia) in north Wales. Covering a total of 823 square miles, Eryri is Wales’ largest National Park. Globally renowned geology, species of international importance and a rich history and heritage are just some of the things that make Eryri so special. Eryri is dotted with communities across the landscape where culture, language and history intertwine to create a unique and lively identity.

Fun facts about Eyrie National Park:
— 9 mountain ranges
— 74 miles of coastline
— 11,000 hectares of native woodland
— 1497 miles of route to explore
— As well as being the largest National Park in Wales, Eryri (Snowdonia) boasts the highest mountain in England and Wales.

And we only had part of one day! Ideally, we would have had several days, but we had planned for this UK/Ireland trip to be a total of 30ish days, and we weren’t spending a lot of time in any one place. If we ever return, we will spend more time in this beautiful park!

Since we were clearly going to see very little of the park, we decided to go to the top of Snowdon, the tallest peak. The Welsh name of this mountain is Yr Wyddfa. Although there are several mountains over 3,000 feet in the National Park, the popularity of this famous mountain is far and above the rest.

Here is a guide on how to pronounce Yr Wyddfa:

• “Yr” is pronounced “Uhr
• “Wydd” is pronounced “With”
• “Fa” is pronounced, “Va.”

Legend has it that Yr Wyddfa is the final resting place of Rhita Gawr. Rhita Gawr was a fearsome giant who wore a cloak made of men’s beards. He challenged King Arthur to combat, but Arthur defeated him and cut off his head. According to legend, the cairn on the summit of Yr Wyddfa marks the final resting place of Rhita Gawr’s head. Yr Wyddfa roughly translates to ‘tomb’ or ‘cairn.’

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Robin Hood is one of the world’s best loved folk heroes and Nottinghamshire is proud to be his home. The legend of Robin Hood dates back to medieval times, when he was said to have lived in Sherwood Forest with his band of loyal followers, fighting against the tyranny of the Sheriff of Nottingham and Prince John. But was he real? Yep! Although it seems that Maid Marion wasn’t. Feel fee to read a bit more here: https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Robin-Hood/

Despite the name “Nottingham Castle,” there is no castle. There was one at one time, but it was demolished in 1651. For six hundred years Nottingham Castle was one of the most important royal castles in England. Its position guarding the bridge on the River Trent made it both a convenient, and an important, base for royal power in the midlands used by monarchs regularly until the early sixteenth century. It is now a museum and art gallery.

From https://citydays.com/places/nottingham-castle/:

“In its infancy, Nottingham Castle was a classic Norman wooden motte and bailey fortification, strategically overlooking the bustling town of Nottingham. The 12th century ushered in a transformation under Henry II, who replaced the wooden structure with a formidable stone castle, enhancing its strategic and political significance.

The castle’s narrative is intertwined with iconic figures of English history. During the reign of King Richard I (Richard the Lionheart), his brother Prince John, later King John, held the castle. This period is famously linked with the tales of Robin Hood, where the Sheriff of Nottingham, operating from this very castle, became Robin Hood’s arch-nemesis in folklore.

The English Civil War in the 17th century marked one of the castle’s most dramatic episodes. As a pivotal Royalist stronghold, it witnessed fierce battles before falling into Parliamentarian hands in 1642. The war left the castle in ruins, leading to its eventual demolition.

The late 19th century breathed new life into the ruins. Reimagined as a museum and art gallery in 1878, Nottingham Castle became one of the United Kingdom’s first municipal museums, marking a shift from a symbol of power to a beacon of culture and history.

The Ducal Mansion, rising from the ashes of the medieval castle, adds a touch of 19th-century grandeur to the historic landscape. According to one newspaper report from 1831, a former dweller at the mansion included an ‘ancient lady of rank’ who had a ‘fondness for lap dogs and a large ape – her constant companion.’ “

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We spent the next three days visiting several towns in the Cotswolds. I have personal favorites, and those might just be the ones with the most pictures in this post. 😉 By the way, this is primarily a pictorial post.

I spent a fair amount of time reading about various villages to decide which ones to visit. I ended up being happy with the choices, although we skipped two due to timing (spending more time in the previous town, which was just fine!) and arrived in one too late because everything was closed.

We visited Castle Combe, Bibury, and Burford on the first day.

Castle Combe is one of the most photographed places in the Cotswolds. There have been no new buildings built in Castle Combe since the 17th century in a bid to keep its idyllic appearance. Notable TV and film productions have taken place in this village, including Downton Abbey, Stardust, Wolf Man, War Horse, and Doctor Doolittle. Honey-colored cottages surround a 14th Century market square and its church of St Andrews hosts a faceless clock – possibly the oldest clock in England.

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