NEATH ABBEY

Visit Neath Abbey, founded in 1130 by the Norman Baron Richard de Granville and described as the "Fairest Abbey in all Wales" by Tudor historian John Leland.
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"the valleys have seen it all.......Roman soldiers, medieval castle builders and old king coal"


CAERPHILLY CASTLE
Vastly impressive, Caerphilly is Britain's second largest castle covering 30 acres and its water defenses are scarcely rivaled anywhere in Europe. A great day trip from our holiday cottages (approx 45 minute drive).


THE WELSH ROBIN HOOD
 Twm Shôn Catti was a 16th century highwayman who robbed the rich to give to the poor.  He hid from the Sheriff of Carmarthen in a cave near the source of the River Towy.  His cave still exists and may be found deep in the hills north of Llandovery on Dinas Hill.  Llandovery is a 30 minute drive from our holiday cottages.


The First Castle?
Experts believe that Britain's first stone castle was built at Chepstow. Begun just one year after the Norman Conquest of 1066, it marks a major transition in castle design - the end of the rough-and ready strongholds made from earth and timber, and the beginning of powerful, stone-built fortresses.


Wales derives from the Anglo-Saxon term waleas, meaning 'foreigner'.  The country's Welsh name, Cymru, derives from the Celtic word Cymry, meaning 'fellow-countrymen.'

THE LAST INVASION
 OF BRITAIN
In 1797, an ill-prepared force of French troops, led by an American general landed in Fishguard.  In what became a farcical affair, they were overcome by the locals.  Legend has it that one ferocious lady, Jemima Nichols, armed with a pitchfork, captured twelve Frenchmen!  The event is recorded on a tapestry in the town.  Fishguard is a 90 drive from our holiday cottages and makes a lovely day trip through the beautiful Pembrokeshire countryside.

"Visit Wales.....two hours and a million miles away"

World Records at Pendine Sands
Carmarthen Bay's Pendine Sands will forever be associated with the world record attempts.  The vast 6  mile (9.7km) beach was used for land speed record attempts in the 1920s.  Sir Malcolm Campbell broke the world record when he drove Blue Bird here at over 170 mph (274 kph).  There is now a Museum of Speed at Pendine.
The first non stop flight across the Atlantic (from Britain to the USA) was made from Pendine Sands by Amy Johnson and Jim Mollison in July 1933. It took 34 hours.

WELSH HOLIDAY COTTAGES
Luxury Self Catering Accommodation

COUNTRYSIDE COTTAGES IN WALES


History and Heritage

Visitors to our holiday cottages in the Swansea Valley will spoilt for choice when it comes to sites of historical interest and cultural heritage.
There are hundreds of castles in Wales - representing one of the highest concentrations of medieval fortifications in Europe.  In 2001, the small south Wales town of Blaenavon has become a member of an exclusive club, one of only fifteen Unesco World Heritage Sites.  It joins Hadrian's Wall, Stonehenge and Canterbury Cathedral on the strength of its outstanding industrial heritage - its old ironworks and coal mine are open to visitors.

Wales Tourist Board
Accredited Accommodation

The Museum of
Welsh Life
A branch of the excellent National Museum of Wales, The Museum of Welsh Life is a collection of buildings from all corners of Wales that have been carefully dismantled and rebuilt around St Fagans Castle, a country house built in 1580.  The 50 acre outdoor collection make it one of Europe's largest open-air museums.
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Blaenavon
World Heriatge Site
During the last century the Valleys formed an integral part of the British economy, and it is estimated that a third of all wealth created during the Industrial Revolution was created here in the coal mines and the iron and steel works.  In 1913, Cardiff became the world's busiest coal exporting port, dispatching over 10 million tons of 'black gold'.
At Blaenavon, you can see Western Europe's best preserved 18th century ironworks and experience a guided tour of Big Pit coal mine - 300ft below the surface!
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The South Wales Borderers Museum
The Zulu Room in the South Wales Borderers' Museum, Brecon, is packed full of memorabilia from the regiment's defense of Rorke's Drift in 1879, when it held out against 4,000 warriors.  The battle became the subject of Zulu, an early Michael Caine film.
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Caerleon Roman Fortress
A major military base in Roman Britain, equaled only by Chester and York.  It boasts baths and a hugely atmospheric 5,000 seat amphitheatre, the only one of its kind preserved in Britain.
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Dolaucothi Roman Gold Mines
These unique goldmines, a likely source of gold bullion for the Imperial Mints of Lyons and Rome, are set amid the wooded hillsides overlooking the beautiful Cothi Valley.
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The World's First Steam Train
Contrary to popular belief, George Stephenson's Rocket wasn't the world's first steam train. Invented by Richard Trevithick, the first ran 10 miles (16km) from Merthyr Tydfil to Abercynon in 1804, beating the Rocket by over twenty years.  At Pentrebach there is a tunnel which lies on the route taken by Trevithick's Steam Locomotive.  The event has been commemorated by a mosaic at the entrance to the tunnel.

Holiday in Wales at www.walescottages.com