Aberystwyth to Welshpool

Another day, another decision to make as to where to head.  This time it was a bigger decision, as we could continue along the north west coast or veer towards the east.  As we wouldn't have time to do the west justice, we decided to veer east.  But where to?  Mick picked the name Welshpool on the map and off we set.

The first town we saw was the market town of Machynlleth.  The markets were even on.  The down side was that as soon as we hopped out of the car it started to rain quite heavily, so we didn't linger very long.

As we continued on our way the landscape changed dramatically, being more reminiscent of Scotland and northern England.

Next was Dolgellau, a pretty little town with a few antique shops to explore.

We had morning tea at a coffee shop with an interesting history.  It was built in 1606.

And was originally the gaol house downstairs with Courthouse upstairs.

As we travelled further inland the road became quite steep.  We love the way they display the gradient of the road over here.  Notice also, in Wales all signs are written in Welsh before English.  We find it confusing at times and wonder how people who don't speak English cope.

The weather was rather bleak again.

We discovered that there was a famous castle just outside Welshpool - Powis Castle and Gardens.  It is owned by the National Trust so no photos inside.

The gardens were spectacular, being terraced down the side of the hill.

There were four rows of apple trees.  I'd love to know how old they are, but they looked ancient and the trunks were really thick and gnarled.

Powis Castle had a much more modern feel to it compared to the previous ones we had visited, with their separate sections.  It was built in the 13th century.  We asked if it had ever been attacked, and yes, in the first Civil War it was.  However, they surrendered very quickly, as they weren't in any position to resist. This proved to be their saving grace, as any castles that put up much resistance, such as Montgomery Castle, just down the road, were demolished by order of the Parliament.

Powis Castle has been continuously occupied and modernised along the way.  The National Trust took ownership in the late 1950s.

We even saw some deer as we were returning to our car.

There was next to no accommodation in Welshpool, so we found a B & B in the nearby village of Guilsfield.  It turned out to be a lovely bonus.  Our hostess, Eve, was delightful, as was the accommodation and breakfast.

We went for a walk around the village and there were some very pretty gardens.

The church, St Aelhaiarn, dated from the 13th century.

Don't you love the inscription on the clock face.

The graveyard had some interesting headstones.

We finished off the day with a delicious meal at the local pub.  A nice way spend our last night in Wales.