Wales History Tour

The Cwmystwyth Mines, where lead, zinc and silver were mined since the bronze age, through roman and medieval times and into the 20th century.  When the mines processed lead it was recorded that the average age of a miner was just 32 years old, due to acute lead poisoning.  It is also the site where archeologists found the Banc Ty'nddol Sun disc, an ornamental gold disc 4000 years old, possibly from a mesolithic burial site found at the head of the valley.

A Celtic spring site recreation at Castell Henllys Iron age village.

Strumble Head lighthouse in the Sun! (was quite a bit stormier last time I was here!).  

The coast here is the site of the last invasion of Britain, when the French attempted to invade in 1797.  The plan was to land at Bristol, but bad weather forced them around into Wales, where despite flying the union flag they were spotted by a retired sailor off the Pembrokeshire coast, who sounded the alarm.  A pre-warned Fishguard port then repelled an attempt to land there and forced the four French ships to land their troops, from Napoleons Black Legion, on the coast.  

Unfortunately for the French their troops stumbled upon large stores of wine in the surrounding farms, scavenged from a Portugese ship that had wrecked off the coastline recently before.  The troops began to loot the stores and the invasion became disorganised and rebellious (ie. drunk!).  The British raised a force of sailors and local reservists and fooled the French into thinking they had a much superior force, to which they eventually surrendered to.  One heroine of the fighting was Jemima Nicholas, who captured 12 drunk French soldiers using her pitchfork and locked them in St Marys church, where she now has a memorial.  Two ships, La Resistance and La Constance were later engaged in the Irish sea and captured by Royal Navy ships after a half hour battle that saw many French sailors die.

Unfortunately this relatively blood free event was followed by an extremely bloody invasion of Ireland the following year at Castlebar.

St Brynachs church at Nevern.  Built on the site of a 6th Century religious settlement it has many old artifacts in its grounds.  The Vitalianus Stone dates from around 500AD and has carved Latin and Ogham inscriptions.  The window ledge inside the church also has Ogham inscriptions.  Ogham is a written language from Ireland consisting of a series of lines, possibly developed to pass secret messages without the Latin speaking Romans understanding them.

Also in the yard is the Nevern Cross, which is Wales largest Celtic cross, dating from the 10th Century and rows of 700 year old English Yew trees, one of which is known as the Bleeding Yew.  The tree bleeds an un-identifiable red liquid from a wound in it's trunk that has baffled scientists for years.  Legends say it that it has bled ever since an innocent man was hung from the tree or that it will continue to bleed until a Welshman sits upon the throne in Nevern castle again.