Andante Travels

Introduction

The oldest anatomically modern British human yet discovered was carefully buried nearly 30,000 years ago in the Paviland Cave on the Gower peninsula, a vivid reminder of the longevity and wealth of archaeology in Wales.

We have designed a journey which takes us from these earliest beginnings, through the monument-building of the later prehistoric periods, the absorption of Wales into the Roman Empire, the early Welsh Kingdoms, their suppression by the Normans and conflict with the English, into a modern awareness of what it means to be Welsh. We venture too over the border to Chester and the Welsh Marches, as these give us an important perspective on what was happening in the western part of the British Isles.
The landscapes are wild and rugged, often scarred by the expoitation of natural resources by those needing to earn a living, but nearly always grand and beautiful.

Every day we follow a different theme, with a different Guide whose specialism, local knowledge and enthusiasm will greatly enhance the sites we visit. We see prehistory in wild and wonderful settings, on the Gower, on Anglesey and in the Clwydian range of hills. The presence of the Romans is followed from Caerleon and Caerwent, to Segontium, then to Chester and Wroxeter. The remarkable number of castles in Wales, the wealth of the natural resources and work which is currently being done to promote and preserve Welsh heritage all play an important part in the story.

Itinerary

Day One
Meet at our hotel in central Cardiff.
At 14.00 we depart together to take a short walk to the National Museum of Wales, where some of the Keepers will give us an introduction to the new Origins Gallery, and some short gallery talks about items of particular relevence to our visits over the coming week. Introductory evening lecture by John Davies, acclaimed author of 'A History of Wales' and 'The Making of Wales'.   

Day Two - Roman
Today we consider the story of the Romans in Wales with Richard Brewer, visiting the Legionary Fortress at Caerleon, one of the best-preserved in Britain. Visible remains include the baths, amphitheatre and barracks, and the finds are displayed in the site museum. Not far away are some of the most complete Roman town walls in Britain, which once protected the town of Venta Silurum -  Caerwent. Richard directed excavations on the forum-basilica, and this and other parts of the town are still visible as foundations.

Day Three - Prehistory
Drive west to the Gower Peninsula, rich in prehistory, where Elizabeth Walker will guide you around some of the most impressive of the early burial monuments and once-occupied caves. We start with the Severn-Cotswold chambered tomb at Parc le Breos, and the nearby Cat Hole Cave. A walk on Rhossili Down takes you past cairns and chambered tombs, including Sweyne’s Howe, and affords views over the coast toward Paviland Cave (now inaccessible). We finish at the burial chamber known as Arthur’s Stone. Continue to our hotel in Carmarthen.

Day Four - Castles
A day of castles in the south-west with John Kenyon. The subjugation of the old Welsh Kingdoms by new Norman rulers in the 11th and 12th centuries was consolidated by the construction of a line of castles from Chepstow to Pembroke, many of which became stately homes in the 16th and 17th centuries, falling into picturesque ruin as the fortunes of their owners waned. We visit Llansteffan, on a hill above the village, Laugharne (below) and Carew, where a beautiful circular walk takes you past a tidal mill, and the 11th century stone cross which has been used as the symbol for Cadw, Welsh heritage organisation. There will also be the opportunity to view Carmarthen Castle from the outside, as our hotel is close by.

Day Five - Natural resources
Drive north today, through some wild landscapes which are not only beautiful but rich in resources from the earth. We first visit the gold mines at Dolaucothi, where Professor Barry Burnham will tell us about the evidence for Roman activity, as well as explaining how the very yellow gold found here was exploited in later times. There is also the opportunity to go underground for a walk through the galleries (hats and head-torches provided).
Continue on through Snowdonia to the Llechwedd slate quarries at Blaenau Ffestiniog, where we stop briefly to consider this invaluable material and its impact on the landscape. Through the dramatic Llanberis Pass to our hotel just outside Caernarfon.

Day Six - Anglesey
A day on Anglesey, the ancient and sacred Island of Mon, and incredibly rich in archaeology of all periods. We spend the morning with prehistory and Frances Lynch, starting with the chambered tombs of Bryncelli Ddu and Barclodiad y Gawres, both with elaborately decorated stones. Brief stop at the site of the lake at Llyn Cerrig Bach, from which came the richest haul of Iron Age metalwork yet found in Wales. Then to the Ty Mawr hut circles of the Iron Age and Roman periods. Neil Johnstone will guide us this afternoon: his excavation site at Rhosyr, home of the Welsh Princes; the extensive copper mines at Parys Mountain, exploited since the Bronze Age, the hut circles at Din Lligwy, Penmon Priory and holy well. We will return to our hotel via the Roman site of Segontium on the mainland.

Day Seven - Iron Age Hillforts
The Clwydian hills of North Wales were defended in the Iron Age period by a remarkable chain of hillforts, along the ridge above the green river plain. This exceptional landscape has received lottery funding to preserve and promote it, and Fiona Gale of the Heather and Hillforts project will tell us more about this. Our guide for the hillforts will be Graeme Guilbert, whose excavations at Moel y Gaer Rhosesmor were the most extensive in the region. He will take us to Foel Fenlli, along the track above Moel y Gaer Llanbedr to the viewpoint of Moel Famu.

Day Eight - Chester
A day in Chester, fortress base of the Second Legion as it moved north in the progressive conquest of Britain, and prosperous Roman, medieval and later city. Visit the amphitheatre, the Grosvenor Museum, and city walls. Some free time to explore Chester on your own.

Day Nine
Travel south through the Welsh Marches, stopping at Wroxeter, where Dr Roger White will show us the remains of this important Roman town. Continue to Cardiff, and railway station.

Your Guides

	John Davies is a native of the Rhondda. He taught at the University Colleges of Swansea and Aberystwyth and his publications include A History of Wales, Broadcasting and the BBC in Wales, The Making of Wales, The Celts and Cardiff: a Pocket Guide. He has appeared in several TV documentaries, and is a familiar voice on BBC Wales in series such as The Story of Welsh and as the clue setter for History Hunters.
	Richard Brewer is Keeper of Archaeology & Numismatics at the National Museum of Wales, and directed excavations at Caerwent for 14 years.
	Elizabeth Walker is the Curator of Paleaolithic and Mesolithic Archaeology at the National Museum of Wales, and has worked on excavations on the Gower.
	John Kenyon is the Librarian of Amgueddfa Cymru - National Musuem Wales, and is one of the UK's leading experts in the field of castle studies. He is the author of three of guidebooks to Cadw's castles, and has also written books and papers in journals on the subject.
	Barry Burnham is Professor of Archaeology at Lampeter University and co-author of ‘Dolaucothi-Pumsaint: Survey and Excavations at a Roman Gold-Mining complex’.
	Frances Lynch is Honorary Research Fellow at Bangor University and author of ‘Prehistoric Anglesey’. She has directed many excavations in the region.
	Neil Johnstone is an archaeologist who lives and works on Anglesey, currently for Mentor Mon, which secures European and Lottery funding for heritage projects.
	Graeme Guilbert is an archaeologist who directed excavations at Moel y Gaer Rhosesmor and has worked on many other hillforts in Wales and the Welsh Marches.

 

Included

Travel Arrangements
Meet at our hotel in central Cardiff before 14.00 on Day 1
Disperse Day 9, from hotel in Chester in the morning, or from Shrewsbury railway station at 14.00, or from Cardiff at 17.00.

Local Travel
Private a/c coach.

Meals
All meals included (drinks are not) except lunch Days 1 & 4.

Entries & tips
Entry to all sites in programme; tips included.

Hotels

2 nights in a recently refurbished historic hotel in the centre of Cardiff, close to the National Museum;

2 nights in a comfortable and historic hotel in the centre of Carmarthen;

2 nights in a smart Manor House hotel at Llanrug, a short distance from Caernarfon;

2 nights in a newly extended and very stylish hotel in the centre of Chester, very close to the railway station.

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