1936 On the Continent

of people who’ve done so.
Caernarvon to Bardsey Island
    Now you must go to Caernarvon, for the Castle is beautifully restored and well worth a visit.
    From the historic window of Caernarvon Castle the English king promised to give the Welsh people a prince of their own who could not speak a word of English, and turning, brought out, cradled in his big shield, his new born baby son! (And ever since then, as the school children say, the Prince of Wales has always been born with feathers).
    Now you have a choice. If you’ve time I would like you to go wandering off down the long peninsula, right down to A BERDARON and then out to B ARDSEY I SLAND . Bardsey is one of those places where they have a king of their own, and that peninsula holds many exciting places. There is a farmhouse, built of jasper, by a bay of white sand, called Whistling Sands, for they squeak and whistle as you walk across them. It’s a pleasant spot on a hot day to lie and laze on the white sand and swim in the blue sea. Even the cows bathe in these parts, and you see them splash back through the pools.
Menai Straits
    Cross the Menai Suspension Bridge for the sake of the view. The Straits have a fierce and dangerous current—the small island below used to be renowned for cockle pie, but you may have to go to Anglesey to get it now. There was a very characteristic incident in building that bridge. When the great cable had to be wound to position on the capstans, it was very urgent that the capstans on both shores should be timed to turn simultaneously, so as to get an even lift. Realise this was built many years ago, when there were far less facilities than to-day, the capstans were turned by man power, sturdy Welshmen tramping round in a circle.
They were Welsh
, so Telford trained them to sing a chorus together, and after that split into two parties on either bank, the Welshmen could be trusted to keep perfect unison and time.
Anglesey
    At the other side of the bridge you go through the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll-llantysilio-gogogoch! The short cut for this village is Llanfair P.G. There’s no short cut for Anglesey—either do it properly or not at all. The main road straight to H OLYHEAD and round back through A MLWCH is deadly dull. On the small side roads you are bound to get lost, but it’s worth it.
    Out beyond Newborough are wonderful wide sands and bathing beaches, and villages where they still only speak Welsh (and that in a special dialect): they cut the rushes and marrum grass in the autumn, and there are small, drowned churches out at sea by Aberffrau.
    Holyhead Island and the lighthouse are open to visitors, you can see seals in the bay, and if you want to go to Ireland, now’s your chance.
    Then instead of the rather dull main road, sweep up over Parry’s Mountain (that was once the largest copper mine in the world), down to Amlwch, where of old the ships had to come in with copper, not iron, nails on account of that same copper industry. It is now a ruined town, full of ghosts (there are also Roman Baths), and beyond, right on the coast, by Llys-Dulas, stands one of the oldest and most perfect little Welsh churches, very well worth a visit.
To Harlech Castle and Plynlimon
    Again, turn inwards, to Pentraeth across the great marsh, and out along the coast road, with marvellous views of Snowdon to Penmon Priory.
    Penmon Priory is beautiful, and the dove-cote an architectural gem. You will barely leave time to enjoy Beaumaris Castle before returning to B ANGOR .
    I should avoid the north coast road—it is built up with popular seaside watering places, and come back down one of the beautiful Snowdon Passes, preferably Francon, to Capel Curig. Then follow the road west to B EDDGELERT —this will give you some of the finest mountain scenery, and cross the estuary to H ARLECH .
    Harlech Castle is worth a visit, if only from the view on the battlements, and now you may follow the coast road, sweeping right the way down through B ARMOUTH, A BERYSTWYTH —if you like, right down to C ARDIGAN , or you can turn inwards by a road that goes over P LYNLIMON and the source of the Severn, through R HAYADER , Radnor Forest. Anywhere here is good exploring country. If time presses, come back through Kington to Hereford (though if you can make a detour to Hay, do so), and thus through Gloucester back to London.
    Hotels and Road Houses in town, or near the routes, mentioned.
    M AIDENHEAD
    Bear and Crown
    O