| Welcome to Mysterious Wales. Join me on a journey through its ancient history. Visit its monuments, or stand on the battlements of its war torn castles. Spend a misty morning amongst its standing stones, where witchcraft still lives, or wander the mountains in search of prince’s, myths and legends. Why are the churches, monoliths and cromlechs surrounded by stories of ghosts, dragons and wandering monks? Please, pull up a comfy seat and stay awhile, lets take a walk that will lead you along its valleys, through wooded copses, and up steep slopes. Journeys that will help you understand my “Mysterious Wales”. |
To your left are the pages that you will need for your journey to begin. If you are curious about
Wales itself, how it and its people came to be, then the `History` button is for you. This leads
to the tale of the Celts first arrival, where they were from, and their journey to Wales.
Roman. The age of the Roman in Wales, and their attempts to rule
Norman. The same as Roman
Saxon. Yet more invaders to Wales.
Vikings. Will these invaders ever give up!
Castles` is where you go if you wish to wander the ramparts where once proud kings stood.
Who built them, and why? How much did they cost, and how long in their building?
Princes The rise and fall of the Princes.
Courts...Three sites of importance to the princess of Gwynedd were the Llysoedd (courts)
Aberffraw, Aber, Trefriw.
One of my favourite subjects, `Battles`. Wales has known warfare even before written records
began. Thanks to the Druids and the Bards we have a wealth of knowledge passed by song and
story on the lives of the tribes battling for supremacy throughout Wales, north and south, east
and west. Unfortunately for many written records we have to rely on the opinion of a not so
favourable nature. After all, why would the Romans write a good review of the land and
people they were trying to conquer?
The `Routes` button will take you through the lonelier valleys, where the ruined castles are all
that remain of once proud kings, and where betrayal often led to fortune or death, where
brother fought brother, and father’s ousted sons.
Travelling onward is the `Places` button, and this is where you will find places of historic
interest. By battle, deceit or the birthplace of a king.
Churches were built in Wales by the hundred. If a saint fell, build a church! If he found water,
build a church! And if you were `fortunate` enough to have one stay the night, lose the house
build a church! I think you get the idea. If not then `Holy` will explain just how influential a
saint could be.
Remember school? Remember how boring history used to be. Wouldn't it have been more fun
to have a teacher with a more `relaxed` attitude? Wouldn't we have paid more interest if
history were funny! `Horrible` is my attempt at taking history a little less serious.
Have you ever wondered why there are so many Llan`s in Wales, or what all those weird and
wonderful place names mean? Then wonder no more. Finally an explanation can be found
under the `Names` section.
U.S.A. Emigration to the Americas
Australia. Same as USA but the other way, usually by force.
Ooer! `Ghosts` and ghouls abound here. Visit the haunted houses, woods, roads and ruins that
number almost as many churches, I did say almost!
In days of old when knights were bold and telly weren't invented, people told stories. Lots of
`Story’s`. Makes you wander why they had so many kids.
A little like stories but with more of a magical theme, `Folklore` is about the fairy’s, goblins
and other mysterious creatures that wander the more remote parts of Wales.
For those who don’t believe in fairies and goblins, and would like to know the more down to
earth `Facts`, like how did the Red Dragon become the emblem of Wales? Why do we love the
leek? And why oh why do we adore the daffodil!
During my wanderings around Wales, I have come across a few `Mysteries` that I can find no
information on. Mounds of stones where there shouldn't be, a medieval village hidden away in
woods with no mark on a map. Or an ancient river crossing that has no name. These are some
of them, and my ponderings.
And finally about me and who I am? Where do I live? And why have I spent all my spare time
on this web site! That is my `Biography`.
New additions below:-
Salt
Fishing
Art, a little self indulgence
Please be aware while travelling my site, that although I have compressed the graphics used,
some pages through necessity are jpeg intensive and may take a while to load, you may also
notice that some comments I make are repeated on more than one page. This is because they fit
into different categories equally well. That said, please enjoy your journey, and please let me
know you called by signing my guestbook.
Click the back/forward arrow to move page by page, or select a link from the sidebar. All
pages can be reached from the sidebar.
Wales itself, how it and its people came to be, then the `History` button is for you. This leads
to the tale of the Celts first arrival, where they were from, and their journey to Wales.
Roman. The age of the Roman in Wales, and their attempts to rule
Norman. The same as Roman
Saxon. Yet more invaders to Wales.
Vikings. Will these invaders ever give up!
Castles` is where you go if you wish to wander the ramparts where once proud kings stood.
Who built them, and why? How much did they cost, and how long in their building?
Princes The rise and fall of the Princes.
Courts...Three sites of importance to the princess of Gwynedd were the Llysoedd (courts)
Aberffraw, Aber, Trefriw.
One of my favourite subjects, `Battles`. Wales has known warfare even before written records
began. Thanks to the Druids and the Bards we have a wealth of knowledge passed by song and
story on the lives of the tribes battling for supremacy throughout Wales, north and south, east
and west. Unfortunately for many written records we have to rely on the opinion of a not so
favourable nature. After all, why would the Romans write a good review of the land and
people they were trying to conquer?
The `Routes` button will take you through the lonelier valleys, where the ruined castles are all
that remain of once proud kings, and where betrayal often led to fortune or death, where
brother fought brother, and father’s ousted sons.
Travelling onward is the `Places` button, and this is where you will find places of historic
interest. By battle, deceit or the birthplace of a king.
Churches were built in Wales by the hundred. If a saint fell, build a church! If he found water,
build a church! And if you were `fortunate` enough to have one stay the night, lose the house
build a church! I think you get the idea. If not then `Holy` will explain just how influential a
saint could be.
Remember school? Remember how boring history used to be. Wouldn't it have been more fun
to have a teacher with a more `relaxed` attitude? Wouldn't we have paid more interest if
history were funny! `Horrible` is my attempt at taking history a little less serious.
Have you ever wondered why there are so many Llan`s in Wales, or what all those weird and
wonderful place names mean? Then wonder no more. Finally an explanation can be found
under the `Names` section.
U.S.A. Emigration to the Americas
Australia. Same as USA but the other way, usually by force.
Ooer! `Ghosts` and ghouls abound here. Visit the haunted houses, woods, roads and ruins that
number almost as many churches, I did say almost!
In days of old when knights were bold and telly weren't invented, people told stories. Lots of
`Story’s`. Makes you wander why they had so many kids.
A little like stories but with more of a magical theme, `Folklore` is about the fairy’s, goblins
and other mysterious creatures that wander the more remote parts of Wales.
For those who don’t believe in fairies and goblins, and would like to know the more down to
earth `Facts`, like how did the Red Dragon become the emblem of Wales? Why do we love the
leek? And why oh why do we adore the daffodil!
During my wanderings around Wales, I have come across a few `Mysteries` that I can find no
information on. Mounds of stones where there shouldn't be, a medieval village hidden away in
woods with no mark on a map. Or an ancient river crossing that has no name. These are some
of them, and my ponderings.
And finally about me and who I am? Where do I live? And why have I spent all my spare time
on this web site! That is my `Biography`.
New additions below:-
Salt
Fishing
Art, a little self indulgence
Please be aware while travelling my site, that although I have compressed the graphics used,
some pages through necessity are jpeg intensive and may take a while to load, you may also
notice that some comments I make are repeated on more than one page. This is because they fit
into different categories equally well. That said, please enjoy your journey, and please let me
know you called by signing my guestbook.
Click the back/forward arrow to move page by page, or select a link from the sidebar. All
pages can be reached from the sidebar.
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