Tag: Castle

LINDISFARNE – HOLY ISLAND II

Admiral Fitzroy’s Storm Barometer, Crown & Anchor Pub, The Market Place, Fenkle Street, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Gateway & Path to Village, The Heugh, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Navigation Beacons at North End of Ross Links, Middleton, Northumberland, England UK

The Beacons are called Guile Point (the easterly one) and Heugh Hill (westerly) or sometimes Guile Point East & West, Old Law, and are described as wooden interior, stone clad obelisks, established in 1826. They are 21m and 24m high respectively, solar powered lights were added in the early 1990’s and they mark safe passage for vessels approaching Holy Island Harbour.

Anglo-Saxon Archaeological Ruins & Lookout Tower, The Heugh, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Possibly the the remains of the oldest Anglo-Saxon church in Northumbria. The church is thought to date to between A.D. 630 and 1050, most likely on the earlier end of the span, and may have been built on the same site where St. Aidan raised a wooden church in A.D. 635.

War Memorial (Cenotaph), The Heugh, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

The great wave of memorial building after the First World War resulted in thousands of commemorative monuments being raised both at home and on the battlefield. Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens was the most outstanding designer to work in this field. This is one of 15 War Crosses designed by Lutyens, sharing a broadly similar design. The earliest to be erected was at Miserden, Gloucestershire, in 1920; the latest at Station Road, York, in 1925.

In 1902, Lutyens had been commissioned by Edward Hudson to convert the C16 Lindisfarne Castle into a residential property. It is assumed that the commission for the war memorial arose because of the work that Lutyens had undertaken for Hudson. Lutyens donated his services to the War Memorial Committee. The memorial was carved in Doddington stone by Mr Tully of Belford; Lutyens chose this stone to chime with the stone of Lindisfarne Priory. At a well-attended ecumenical service, on 4 June 1922, the memorial was unveiled by Major Morley Crossman DSO and dedicated by Rev WB Hall.

An inscription to commemorate those local servicemen who died fighting during the Second World War was added at a later date. Following storm damage which broke the shaft in the winter of 1983-4, the top of the memorial was replaced.

Sir Edwin Lutyens OM RA (1869-1944) was the leading English architect of his generation. Before the First World War his reputation rested on his country houses and his work at New Delhi, but during and after the war he became the pre-eminent architect for war memorials in England, France and the British Empire. While the Cenotaph in Whitehall (London) had the most influence on other war memorials, the Thiepval Arch was the most influential on other forms of architecture. He designed the Stone of Remembrance which was placed in all Imperial War Graves Commission cemeteries and some cemeteries in England, including some with which he was not otherwise associated.

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St Cuthbert’s Island from The Heugh, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

A tidal island that is accessible by foot at low tide. – The RNLI Museum is on the right,

Relic, The Heugh, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Ruins Adjacent to the Lookout Tower, The Heugh, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Lindisfarne Castle, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

16th century castle converted to a residence in 1902 by Sir Edwin Lutyens for Edward Hudson.

Images taken from inside the glassed-in lookout tower

Crown & Anchor Inn, Fenkle Street, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

The pub dates to 1827

Door, Crown & Anchor Inn, Fenkle Street, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Former GPO Marker, Market Place, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Not as old as it looks –  it used to mark where a telephone cable runs by displaying the distance in Feet using up to three interchangeable numbers.

Britannia Cottage, Crossgates Lane, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Mustard Close, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

RNLI Museum, Mustard Close, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Emblems, RNLI Museum, Mustard Close, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

The Old Lifeboat House was restored in 2015, 50 years after the last lifeboat was taken out of service on the island (there is now a volunteer Coastguard contingent on the island). It features an exhibition telling the story of the Lifeboats on the island, and is dedicated to the Lifeboat crews and islanders with a connection to the service.

The first lifeboat, the Grace Darling, a ten-oar boat, was introduced to Holy Island in 1865.

The last lifeboat (Gertrude) was launched for the last time on 4 October 1967, before she was transferred to Exmouth in Devon. Following the introduction of advanced navigation technology and the use of helicopters both for sea rescues and to evacuate casualties from the island, there was a decreased need for the lifeboat service, though the RNLI services from Seahouses and Berwick are still used.

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These plates are either side of the doorway to the museum.

A common use today for the service:

Window, Fenkle Street, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Rear Garden Gate, Fenkle Street, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Iron Rails Cottage, Front Street, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Sign Post, Front Street, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Rural Land behind the Coast Guard Station, 2 St Cuthberts Square, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Old Pumps, Coast Guard Station, St Cuthberts Square, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Broken & Abandoned, Lindisfarne Harbour, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Anchor Chain Links, Lindisfarne Harbour, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Boat Shed, The Ouse, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Herring Boats, Lindisfarne Harbour, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Old herring fishing boats no longer seaworthy, brought ashore and upturned to convert to storage shelters

The Ouse, Lindisfarne Harbour, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Lindisfarne Harbour Wall, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Crab-Lobster Pots, Lindisfarne Harbour, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Fishing Boats, Lindisfarne Harbour, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Fisherman’s Boat, Lindisfarne Harbour, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Fisherman’s Hut, Lindisfarne Harbour, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Coastal Rocks, Lindisfarne Harbour, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Osborne’s Fort, Lindisfarne Harbour, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Built in 1671 as fortifications to supplement Lindisfarne Castle and defend against Dutch Raids.

History:

Lindisfarne Castle across the Harbour, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Old Post Office House, Fenkle Street View, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Wall Lamp, Manor House Hotel, Church Lane, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Celtic Cross, Market Place, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

The cross was rebuilt in 1828 on the site of a medieval cross, and is Listed Grade II, including the railings.

Shipwrecked Mariners Society Charity Collection, Market Place, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

The Shipwrecked Fishermen & Mariners Royal Benevolent Society. 16 Wilfred Street, London SW1.

Founded 1839:

Sundial, Market Place, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Included in the listing with the cross

Rain Barrel, Crossgates Lane, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

RNLI Commemoration Plates, Crossgates Lane, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

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RNLI Plaque, Crossgates Lane, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Rosella Cottage, Church Lane, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Exhibit, Lindisfarne Priory Museum, Church Lane, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Derelict Shed, St Cuthbert’s Beach, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Stone Remnants, St Cuthbert’s Beach, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Steps to Gateway, St Cuthbert’s Beach, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Path & Gate to Mustard Close, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Flowers, Mustard Close, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Gate at Entrance to the Priory Ruins, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

In Memory, St Mary’s Churchyard, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Inscription:

Erected to the memory of eleven of the crew of the Holmrook S. S. who lost their lives through the vessel being wrecked on the False Emanuel Head, Holy Island 26th March 1892, of whom are buried here
W. B. Baines, Master
James Skinner
John James
A. Wilkinson
William Taylor
W. H. Robson
S. Haggerson
H. R. Guthrie
and another unidentified
John Nye

The story here:

Nesting Birds, St Mary’s Church, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

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Headstone, Henry Thomas McDonald, St Mary’s Church, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

In
Memory
Of
Henry Thomas McDonald
Who was first in the
32nd and afterwards
Capt. in the 53rd Regt
And served long
In India
Died August 25th 1856
Aged 73 years
Also 2 of his sons
Died in infancy

Memorial Plaques, St Mary’s Church, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

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St Mary the Virgin Church, Church Lane, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Lindisfarne’s parish church of St Mary’s is thought to stand on the site of the wooden church built by St Aidan in 635 AD. Dating from between 1180 and 1300, the parish church is the oldest building on the island (older than the ruined Norman priory), though a round headed arch in the chancel, and a strange high level doorway, are certainly Saxon in style. Mostly, the church now dates from the 12th century.

The long nave could indicate that this is one of the churches of the original monastery, or it could have been built by the Christianised Vikings, for whom this was an important place.

“The Journey”, St Mary’s Church, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Depiction of Monks carrying Cuthbert’s coffin away from Holy Island to protect it from Viking raiders.

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Headstone, John Morton, St Mary’s Church, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Headstone, George Murray, St Mary’s Church, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

Headstone, St Mary’s Church, Holy Island, Northumberland, England UK

WALES 2023 – III

Still in Caernarfon and wandering around the town and castle walls.

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Through a Rain Spattered Window, Caernarfon Castle, Pen Deitsh, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Pen Deitsh – Castle Ditch

Harbour Offices, Cei Llechi, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Cei Llechi – Slate Quay

Caernarfon from Black Tower, Caernarfon Castle, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Castle Exit, Caernarfon Castle, Pen Deitsh, Carnarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Drinks in Bar Bach, Tyn y Bont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

The Bar, Bar Bach, Tan y Bont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Bar Bach, Tafarn Lleiaf Cymru, Tan y Bont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Tafarn Lleiaf Cymru – The Smallest Pub in Wales

Historic Plaques, Porth Mawr, Stry y Porth Mawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

See Location Here! – plaques can be seen on the left in the tunnel.

Top:

Site of The Exchequer and Chancery of the Principality of North Wales Founded 1284.

Bottom:

This tower was raised twenty eight feet and a half and the clock was improved and filled up with transparent dials in the year of our Lord 1833.
The most Honourable the MARQUESS OF ANGLESEA, MAYOR
WILLIAM ROBERTS ESQ. Deputy Mayor.
DAVID ROWLANDS, GRIFFITH CAVIES – Bailiffs

Former Lloyds Bank Building, Stryd y Porth Mawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

A Grade II Listed Building

11 Stryd y Bont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

A Grade II Listed Building

Rhydalun House, Stryd y Porth Mawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

A Grade II Listed Building

Street Sign, Stryd Twll yn y Wal, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Stryd Twll yn y Wal – Hole in the Wall Street

Tŷ Dre Town House, Stryd Fawr, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Our room on the top floor!

Cofeb Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf, Stryd y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf (Llywelyn Our Last Leader) was killed in battle in 1282. His death led directly to the establishment of the bastide town of Caernarfon. Commissioned by Gwynedd County Council to commemorate 700th anniversary of Llywelyn’s death in 1282.

Cofeb Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf – in Memory of Llywelyn Our Last Leader

Stryd Y Jel, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Shirehall Street

Morgan Lloyd, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Sgwâr y Castell – Castle Square

A Grade II Listed Building

Sir Hugh Owen, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Statue, David Lloyd George, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

In 1890 Lloyd George narrowly won a Parliamentary by-election for Caernarvon Boroughs, the boroughs of Caernarfon, Bangor, Conwy, Criccieth, Nefyn and Pwllheli. He held the seat as a Liberal until two months before his death in 1945. The town’s former Liberal Club is a short distance north of here.

He held key Government posts: President of the Board of Trade (1905-1908); Chancellor of the Exchequer (1908-1915); Minister of Munitions (1915-1916); and Prime Minister (1916-1922).

He was a controversial figure, particularly for his stances on the Boer War, Palestine and Irish independence. Although mostly supporting votes for women, his fluctuating stance made him an enemy of the suffragette movement and his meetings were often disrupted. His personal life was sometimes a source of gossip but he is primarily remembered as the initiator of the welfare state and as Britain’s leader in the First World War.

He died at Llanystumdwy on 26 March 1945 and is buried beside the River Dwyfor. His daughter Megan was Wales’ first female MP. His son Gwilym was Minister for Food and Power in the Second World War and later Home Secretary.

Dedication Plaque, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Wynedd, Wales UK

This stone records the generous deed of a local subject Sir Charles Garden Assheton-Smith Baronet of Vaynol who gave three houses to be demolished in order that some thousands of his countrymen might witness the investiture of The Prince of Wales 13th July 1911. He also gave the ground whereon they stood to The Crown to be forever open to the public and free from building.

See image further down showing the location of the plaque.

Boats on Afon Seiont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Afon Seiont – Zion River

Pont yr Aber, Afon Seiont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Windows, Eagle Tower, Castle Walls, Caernarfon Castle, Bryn y Castelll, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Grade II Listed Building, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

This building is on the edge of the square where the David Lloyd George Statue is located

Eagle Tower to Queen’s Tower, Caernarfon Castle, Bryn y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Queen’s Gate, Caernarfon Castle, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Caernarfon Castle, Tan y Bont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Caernarfon Castle, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Doorway, Maes Glas, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

A Grade II Listed Building

y Castell, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

The Castle Hotel

Building Façade, Paternoster Buildings, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Grade II Listed Building

Castle Square Presbyterian Church, Sgwâr y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Grade II Listed Building built in 1883

Blind Justice, Old Courthouse, Pen Deitsh, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Old Town Walls Entrance, Pen Deitsh, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Bridge to Castle Entrance, Caernarfon Castle, Pen Deitsh, Caernarfon,Gwynedd, Wales UK

Castle Doorway, Caernarfon Castle, Pen Deitsh, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Eagle Tower, Castle Walls, Caernarfon Castle, Bryn y Castelll, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Town Walls, Tan y Bont, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Drinks at Dinner Time, Y Goran (The Crown), Cnr Stryd Fawr & Stryd Y Castell, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

WALES 2023 – II

This post is on the visit to Caernarfon Castle.

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Caernarfon Castle is a medieval fortress in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. The first fortification on the site was a motte-and-bailey castle built in the late 11th century, which King Edward I of England began to replace with the current stone structure in 1283 finishing in 1330. The castle and town established by Edward acted as the administrative centre of north Wales, and as a result the defences were built on a grand scale.

Caernarfon Castle is recognised around the world as one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages.

This fortress-palace on the banks of the River Seiont is grouped with Edward I’s other castles at Conwy, Beaumaris and Harlech as a World Heritage Site. But for sheer scale and architectural drama Caernarfon stands alone.

Here Edward and his military architect Master James of St George erected a castle, town walls and a quay all at the same time. This gigantic building project eventually took 47 years and cost a staggering £25,000. [£25.5 Million today]

The castle was born out of bitter war with Welsh princes. So of course its immense curtain walls and daunting King’s Gate were designed to withstand assault. But the polygonal towers, eagle statues and multi-coloured masonry sent a more subtle message.

There was a deliberate link with Caernarfon’s Roman past—nearby is the Roman fort of Segontium—and the castle’s walls are reminiscent of the Walls of Constantinople. They also recalled the Welsh myth of Macsen Wledig, who dreamed of a great fort at the mouth of a river – ‘the fairest that man ever saw’.

Although the castle appears mostly complete from the outside, the interior buildings no longer survive and many parts of the structure were never finished. In 1294 the town and castle were sacked and captured by Madog ap Llywelyn during his rebellion against the English, but were recaptured the following year. The castle was unsuccessfully besieged during the Glyndŵr Rising of 1400–1415. When the Tudor dynasty ascended to the English throne in 1485, tensions between the Welsh and English began to diminish and castles were considered less important. As a result, Caernarfon Castle was allowed to fall into a state of disrepair.

Despite its dilapidated condition, during the English Civil War Caernarfon Castle was held by Royalists and besieged three times by Parliamentarian forces. This was the last time the castle was used in war. The castle was neglected until the 19th century when the state funded repairs. The castle was used for the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1911 and again in 1969. The castle is managed by Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service. It is part of the World Heritage Site “Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd”.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caernarfon_Castle

Front Entrance, Caernarfon Castle, Castle Ditch, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

 

WALES 2023 – I

After spending the night in the wonderful Market Town of Hay-on-Wye, our next destination is for a few nights in Caernarfon on the shores of the Menai Strait. The drive through Snowdonia is full of scenery.

Clywedog Reservoir, Llanidloes, Powys, Wales UK

Bridge over Afon Croessor, Llanfrothen, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Riverside Vegetation, Afon Croessor, Llanfrothen, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Roadside Marker, Aberglaslyn Pass, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales UK

See street view here:-

Afon Glaslyn, Aberglaslyn Pass, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Road, Aberglaslyn Pass, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Gallt y Wenallt, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales UK

We arrive at Caernarfon and wander about.

Brewer’s Sign, Ind Coope & Allsopp, The Black Boy Inn, Stryd Pedwar a Chwech, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

An old metal plate inside the Black Boy Inn. A brewer dating back to 1740s. In 1935 Samuel Allsopp & Sons merged with Ind Coope Ltd to form Ind Coope and Allsopp Ltd. The Allsopp name was dropped in 1959 and in 1971 Ind Coope was incorporated into Allied Breweries.

Y Bachgen Du (Black Boy Inn), Stryd Pedwar a Chwech, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

One theory suggests that a boy was brought into Caernarfon on a ship, who later became known as ‘Jack Black’ in many local stories, and another suggests that the inn’s name simply refers to a navigational buoy which could be seen in the harbour.

The Black Boy Inn (or just Black Boy) is a hotel and public house in the Royal Town of Caernarfon in Gwynedd, Wales which is thought to date back to 1522, making it one of the oldest surviving inns in North Wales. It is within the medieval walls of Caernarfon, a few hundred yards from Caernarfon Castle.

Prior to 1828, the pub was known as the ‘Black Boy’. Though still referred to by its traditional name, it was officially altered to the ‘King’s Arms’ and, later, the ‘Fleur de Lys’, until a change of ownership led to the restoration of the old name and the creation of the “Black Boy Inn” as it is today. The Inn signs each show a ‘black buoy’ on one side and a ‘black boy’ on the other.

Old Town Walls, Stryd Pedwar a Chwech. Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Caernarfon’s town walls are a medieval defensive structure around the townn North Wales. The walls were constructed between 1283 and 1292 after the foundation of Caernarfon by Edward I, alongside the adjacent castle. The walls are 734 m (2,408 ft) long and include eight towers and two medieval gatehouses. The project was completed using large numbers of labourers brought in from England; the cost of building the walls came to around £3,500, a large sum for the period. The walls were significantly damaged during the rebellion of Madog ap Llywelyn in 1294, and had to be repaired at considerable expense. Political changes in the 16th century reduced the need to maintain such defences around the town. Today the walls form part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site

View to the Castle, Stryd y Plas (Palace Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Sign, The Market Hall, Stryd y Plas (Palace Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

The market building which opens onto Palace Street and Hole in the Wall Street was designed by local architect John Lloyd and built in 1832 as a corn market. The large cellars were used to store wine in Victorian times. The large cellars were a bonded warehouse, where imported goods were stored without customs payments being paid. Duties would be paid when the goods were distributed.

Four Alls, Stryd y Plas (Palace Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Armour Suite, Stryd y Plas (Palace Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

The Palace Vaults, Pen Deitsh (Castle Ditch), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Masonic Hall & Cyngor Gwynedd (Council), Stryd y Castell (Castle Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Originally an English Methodist Chapel on Castle Street, built in 1877 to replace the 1832 chapel on Pool Street. The chapel is built in the Gothic style of the gable entry type with a tower. By 1995 the chapel builing was in use as a Masonic Hall.

The Crown, Stryd y Farchnad (Market Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Granary Tower, Castle Walls, Pen Deitch (Castle Ditch), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Castle Entrance, Pen Deitch (Castle Ditch), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Derelict Tower of Old Town Walls, Lon Yr Eglwys, Penygroes, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Old Library Entrance, Stryd y Castell (Castle Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

The plate to the right of the arch reads:-

Llyfrgell Sirol Gyntaf Cymru
sefydlwyd yma 1918

The First County Library of Wales
founded here 1918

“Cartref”, 23 Stryd y Farchnad (Market Street), Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

This is in use as a guest house.

See street view here:

HMS Conway Anchor, Victoria Dock, Sowth o Ffrans, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Anchor from the HMS Conway at Victoria Dock, Caernarfon. First launched as the HMS Nile in 1839, it was renamed HMS Conway in 1875. The ship was brought to Bangor in 1941 and then to Plas Newydd, just north of Caernarfon, in 1949. The ship was wrecked in the Menai Strait in 1953, and this, one of 2 anchors, is displayed at Victoria Dock in Caernarfon.

Victoria Dock, Sowth o Ffrans, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales UK

Next up is the castle.

SPAIN 2023 – XI

 

Castillo Almonacid de Toledo, Almonacid, Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain

This castle was not far from Toledo on the outskirts of the town of Almonacid.

The first documentary reference on this castle dates from 848 and is of origin Muslim, when it served as a strategic point of surveillance of an old road to La Mancha.

In the 11th century became the property of Alfonso VI de León as part of the dowry his wife Zaida and daughter of the Moorish king. Later, in December 1086, it was donated by Alfonso VI to the Cathedral of Santa María de Toledo, being reformed in the 14th century by mandate of the archbishop of Toledo Pedro Tenorio. It was then used as a prison for. Alfonso Enriquez, Earl of Gijón and of Noreña and son bastard of Enrique II of Castilla, imprisoned by order of his brother Juan I of Castilla.

In the 18th century it became part of the properties of the counts of Mora and in 1809 it served as a refuge for the troops of the General Venegas in the fight against French in the Almonacid battle, although in vain, then finally, the castle was conquered by the French troops.

In 1839 the municipality's town hall, faced with the economic needs that existed, allowed the residents to take bricks from the fortress to put them up for sale, which meant a great deterioration of the structure.

Spain 2023 – Barcelona IV

 


Torre Jaume I, Port Vell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain


Monument a Joan Salvat-Papasseit, Moll de Bosch i Alsina, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Poet – b. 1894 – d. 1924

“Far Barcelona”, Port Vell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

The FAR Barcelona, a Norwegian jakt, was built in 1874 and restored at the EL FAR Consortium’s shipyard as part of a project to offer professional training in maritime trades. (Sail Training Ship)
Santa Eulàlia, Port Vell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Three-masted schooner, launched on Torrevieja beach in 1918. Originally named the Carmen Flores, it was motorized in 1930 and renamed the Puerto de Palma, and later the Cala San Vicenç. From 1975 onwards, it sailed under the name Sayremar Uno, working as an auxiliary vessel and carrying out tasks related to underwater work. In 1997, the Maritime Museum of Barcelona acquired the Santa Eulàlia in an auction and restored it to its original form, as a three-masted sailing ship. The craft sailed once again, and was used in numerous activities as the flagship of the Maritime Museum of Barcelona and the city.

Rambla de Mar, Port Vell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Marina, Port Vell, Barcelona, Catalonia, SpainLuxury Yachts, Marina Vela Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Derelict Sail Boat, Port Vell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Agència Tributària (Tax Office), Passeig Josep Carner, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

The white object is the foreground is one of two Miraestels – Stargazers – statutes that float in the harbour.

Warning Light, Port Vell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain


Ferrari on Display, Maremagnum, Moll d’Espanya, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Harbourside Eatery, Maremagnum, Moll d’Espanya, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Monument Ròmul Bosch i Alsina, Carrer de Circumvallacio Tram Dos, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Ròmul Bosch i Alsina, physician, deputy, senator and mayor of Barcelona, Chairman of the Port from 1900 to 1904 and from 1906 until his death. Major promoter of port reforms, businessman, founded a number of shipping companies trading with Cuba.

The old Wall Quay is the current Bosch i Alsina Quay, named in his honour.

Telefèric de Montjuïc (Cable Car), Carrer del Castell, Barcelona, Catalonia, SpainView of City, Telefèric de Montjuïc (Cable Car), Carrer del Castell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Montjuïc Communications Tower, Castell de Montjuïc, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Garden in the Moat, Castell de Montjuïc, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Old Cannon, Castell de Montjuïc, Barcelona, Catalonia, SpainNaval Gun, Castell de Montjuïc, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Entrance, Castell de Montjuïc, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Montjuïc Castle is an old military fortress, with roots dating back from 1640, built on top of Montjuïc hill in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. 
 Castell de Montjuïc, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Street Performer, Plaça de George Orwell, Barcelona, Catalonia, SpainStreet Busker, Plaça de George Orwell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Wine With Dinner, Restaurant Palosanto, Plaça de George Orwell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Greece 2019 Part XII – Methoni Castle

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Location of Methoni Castle

The Castle of Methoni is a medieval fortification in the port town of Methoni, Messenia, in southwestern Greece. The castle of Methoni occupies the whole area of the cape and the southwestern coast to the small islet that has also been fortified with an octagonal tower and is protected by the sea on its three sides. Its north part, the one that looks to land, is covered by a heavily fortified acropolis. A deep moat separates the castle from the land and communication was achieved by a wooden bridge. The Venetians built on the ancient battlements and added on and repaired it during both periods that they occupied the castle. There is visible evidence of the Venetians remaining with carved symbols and emblems on the castle walls.