To Caernarfon We Go!

We began the day by taking the scenic route to Caernarfon, stopping at various places along the way. First we stopped at the Shropshire Canal which is an aqueduct across a river valley that was originally used to transport coal and is now used for pleasure cruises and nature walks. The aqueduct was built by Thomas Telford.
                   
After stopping at the Shropshire Canal we journeyed onto Valle Crucis Abbey which was originally a Catholic Abbey where monks of the Cistercian Order lived in the early 1200's C.E. But the abbey was closed down in the 1500's C.E. when King Henry VIII dissolved monasteries across the UK. The abbey was then turned into a house and now lays in ruins surrounded by sheep. The grounds were absolutely stunning!

Our next detour on the way to Caernarfon was through Snowdonia National Park. We were blessed that a snow storm had just passed through so we got to see the beautiful scenery covered in snow! Something that stood out to me was the fact that villages and dwellings were spread throughout the park, unlike parks in the United States. The mountain in Snowdonia is the fourth largest mountain in the United Kingdom. I personally would have loved to stay in the park and explore rather than drive through, but there's always next time!

Once we arrived in Caernarfon, we toured Caernarfon Castle which was ordered to be built by Edward the first and never fully finished. The fact that the castle was never completed was something that our tour guide stressed throughout our tour of the grounds. Edward the first had Caernarfon and other castles in Wales built to secure his hold over the conquered land of Wales.

Something that struck me about the castle was how unique it was. According to our tour guide, Caernarfon had a very good military defensive system for it's time. Almost every arrow slit in the walls of the castle had more than one angle the archer could shoot from, creating crossfire, and people on the outside of the castle could only see one arrow slit.  

The current Prince of Wales, Charles, had his investiture here! 

This is where the Great Hall was. You can notice from the beam holes in the wall that they intended to someday build out the room with stone, but they could not afford it. This is just one example of why the castle is incomplete.  

As our last full day in Wales came to a close, we discussed as a group what we've learned from this leg of the trip, and an overarching theme was pride. We all admired just how much pride the Welsh feel for their culture and history and how they want to protect it and keep the memories alive, especially when it comes to language! With that I say nos da, which is Welsh for good night.