Monday, July 16.

Headed off on our adventure towards Ireland, crossing the amazing Severn Bridge over the Severn Estuary, 1.6 kms long with the longest span 950 metres,

Taken by Su through the roof of Bess.

stopping at Raglan Castle, one of the las Medieval castles to be built in England and Wales. Although designed for comfort and luxury in mind it was pretty formidable too.

William Herbert, who built much of Raglan, was the first member of the Welsh Gentry to enter the English peerage when he was created Earl of Pembroke in 1468.

A young Henry Tudor, later Henry VII, was placed in the custody of William Herbert to be brought up at Raglan Castle.

This was amongst the grandest homes in Tudor and Stuart Britain with fabulous gardens, an orchard and deer park.

The size of this place was immense.

The was a difference between this castle and all the others we have seen. This one had the keep outside the castle surrounded by a moat and ditch.

Come on in boys.😉😉

Former residents.

Very advanced privy. Waste actually went into a sewerage system.

Views inside the courtyard.

Oven and kitchen for the plebs in the courtyard.

This is unreal. This is how they kept food warm. Candles heat is magnified by lenses which transfer heat to food being rotated.

Hired help coming up from the basement.

Great views from the top.

Looking back down on the castle from one of the towers.

Not a religious cris, but one for muskets. Not an inviting look for the enemy.

Think the most needs a flush.

From the keep tower looking down into the keep. You can see the different floor levels.

Are they smiles or three people gasping for air after climbing that spiral staircase.

This is the ground floor of the keep. Lovely stonework pattern. This keep us also unusual as it is hexagonal. Normally keeps are square. Obviously they thought outside the square.😉👍

The more books the richer you were.

Spreading oak tree in the castle gardens.

The castle from a distance shows just how big it is.

Farmhouse next door which also ran a restaurant, which we had to try.

These two signs were in the unisex toilets.

Headed off to Look at Castle Coch, a Disney style castle outside Cardiff, but it was closed when we arrived. Bother.

Money does not necessarily mean sense. Cut off by this McLaren on the motorway. We nearly turned it into a Volkswagen.

This tickled our fancy.

What does this guy do?

Then looked for a campground. Gaz chose one which went down country roads and lanes where the foliage was brushing Bess, and Lynda’s eyes were like dinner plates. Yes, she was in the front. Ended up on the south coast of Wales at Rhossili, looking over the Bristol Channel. Dinner in Bess tonight.