Castell Caerdydd

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Cardiff Castle! Tuesday 20 May – a visit to the Welsh capital, and on this occasion, we’ll take a look at the castle. It’s quite a place! In particular the interior of the 3rd Marquess of Bute’s mansion, paid for by the south Wales miners and the sales of the coal they dug, is quite astonishing. Can’t help thinking that the lives of those human moles could have been improved if the wealth generated by the coal had been spread just a little more evenly. The castle is now owned and managed by Cardiff Council.

Castell Caerdydd
Cardiff Castle

Broomy Hill

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Sunday 25 May: Hereford – for the waterworks museum and miniature railway. The museum has “Steam Days”, twice a month during the season, coinciding with the public running days on the miniature railway. We’d thought about a visit for some time: today the time and weather seemed right.

The museum’s real fascination lies in its collection of water-pumping engines of several types, operating for demonstration purposes on steam days. The sight and sound of all these engines is mesmerising! The miniature railway operates on a satisfyingly complex layout (there’s a map on their website), with several trains running in a way that maximises that complexity. Great fun!

Waterworks Museum, Hereford
Hereford Society of Model Engineers

The riverbank and Colemore Green

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The sunshine is rather warm this afternoon. Some shade would be good: there’s not a lot of it along the riverside path, but it’s very pleasant down by the river, though we’re not alone. There are people in inflatable rubber boats making their way downstream, and there are ducks and geese in the water. There’s the odd cyclist (I probably mean “the occasional cyclist”) on the old railway track, where it’s shady and cool in the deep rock cutting. There’s no-one else on the path back up to Colemore Green – this is a quiet corner of the world.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=371620&Y=296675&A=Y&Z=120

Return to Aberdare…

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… and Merthyr, and a trip to Treherbert: Wednesday 7 May. Last time I rode on a trains from Cardiff to Aberdare, there was still coal traffic on the branch (it didn’t last much longer), and we travelled in one of the dreaded ‘Pacers’ (it wasn’t that bad – but it was rather basic).
The lines up the valleys have since been taken apart and put back together, more or less, since that trip just nine years ago. We travelled on new electric trains, running mostly ‘under the wires’ but at times on battery power, through some very fine new stations (and some older ones). Truly a quality experience (even if the Treorchy schoolchildren were rather noisy! We should have caught a later train from Treherbert)
A full(ish) illustrated account will appear on Geoff’s Rail Diaries in due course; meanwhile, here’s a taster:

From Shirlett to the Smithies

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An old favourite, perfect for a fine afternoon. There’s a cool breeze, though the trees provide some shelter and the sun is warm when it shines. There’s a bright yellow chicken in a old oak tree, the robins are singing ferociously and there’s a red kite wheeling in the distance, nicely caught in the sunlight.

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=366240&Y=297950&A=Y&Z=120

May: Seven Springs and Bannister’s

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Ne’er cast a clout…
…till May be out. Does it refer to the month or the hawthorn blossom? There’s plenty of the latter (a pleasant perfume in the air), and though the temperature is comfortable, it’s no more than that (and certainly cooler than the past two days). Wait until June, in other words!

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=361910&Y=302130&A=Y&Z=120

Cool in Comer Woods

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A day of still air and strong sunshine – it’s going to be warm this afternoon. Comer Woods should be ideal. It’s very pleasant here under under the trees and beside the pools, and it’s fairly quiet today. A cold drink at the cafe might have been a perfect end to our wanderings, but it closes at 3pm – abut a minute before we got there, in other words…
The car said the air temperature was 25C as we approached Bridgnorth, on our way home. It won’t last…

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=375015&Y=290080&A=Y&Z=120