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Celtic Wales  .... is an
inspirational, culturally rich nation which shares the island of Great Britain with
Scotland and England. The border which separates Wales from England closely traces
"Offa's Dyke", a 149 mile trench construction established in the 8th Century.
The thriving culture of Wales follows in traditions which can be sourced to the Dark Ages
- some of the world's oldest customs were first practised here in ancient times by Welsh
druids. Many natives of Wales speak a mother tongue widely acknowledged as the oldest
surviving language in Europe - the celebrated Welsh language is a thousand years older
than English and can still be heard spoken in Welsh communities to this day. |
The
country of Wales has the highest concentration of medieval castles and ancient monuments
in the world, including the U.K.'s first stone built castle at Chepstow. Some of the most
magnificent castles in Britain - notably Caernarfon, Conwy, Pembroke, Harlech and Kidwelly
- were strategically constructed overlooking Welsh coasts and are therefore set in
spectacular land and seascapes. Caerphilly Castle, near Wales's capital city of Cardiff,
has a unique double moat and a tower which out-leans the tower of Pisa!
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Caerphilly Castle, Wales |
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Wales is a land of witchcraft and dragons, with a legacy of colourful
mythology and renowned supernatural mystery. Welsh culture and identity has been
characterised down the centuries by Celtic myth, legend and fantasy. Wales is the accepted
birthplace of Merlin (the legendary magician to King Arthur) and many scholars agree that
the ancient Celtic King held round table in Wales. He existed during the era historically
associated with Welsh folklore, which describes a lost magical kingdom when sleeping
dragons, trolls, Kings, knights and chivalry co-existed. Caerleon, one of the Welsh towns
associated with King Arthur's court, was in earlier times a very significant Roman
garrison, and includes remains from the largest Roman amphitheatre outside Italy. |
It was from south western Wales that the famous
Bluestones of Presseli were mysteriously transported - by the Welsh - to Stonehenge in
England! At this time the island of Great Britain was a wholly Celtic country. Near the
Presseli hills, the dramatic west Wales coastline of Pembrokeshire is the U.K.'s only sea
facing National Park. There are three internationally significant National Parks in Wales,
including spectacular Snowdonia which contains the highest mountain range in southern
Britain.
Swansea, on the southern coast
of Wales, blends a bayside maritime city concept with some of the most breathtaking
parklands and inspirational sea landscapes in Europe. This was the location of the world's
first passenger railroad service, birthplace of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas and where the
Gower peninsular became the U.K.'s first designated "Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty"; follow Swansea Bay and the Gower coastline leads you to a promised land of
timeless castles and awe inspiring ocean vistas!
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the Water Splash, Hendy, Gower |
Pennard Castle, Gower, Swansea, Wales |
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The people of Wales are by nature passionate, expressive and creative
- famous for singing, acting, storytelling, politics and poetry. Wales is renowned as
"the Land of Song" and is particularly famous for the finest massed choirs;
Wales has also given birth to vocalists Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and Charlotte Church.
Highly acclaimed Welsh screen actors the calibre of Anthony Hopkins, Richard Burton, Ray
Milland and Catherine Zeta Jones are justly world famous.
The Welsh have made an
historical contribution to the world in varying ways : |
The Captain of "The Mayflower" was born in Wales |
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The world's first working steam locomotive ran on a nine
mile stretch of track at Merthyr Tydfil, Wales in 1804. Richard Trevithick's four wheel
engine hauled ten tons of iron and 70 people before the track plates broke under the
weight ! |
St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland, was Welsh
by birth (according
to legend) ! |
( Patrick was born and was subsequently kidnapped from Banwen, Wales. -
our own Patron is St. David ) |
Mount
Everest was named after a Brecon man !
The first game of
lawn tennis was played in 1873 at Nantclwyd Hall, Clwyd,
north Wales !
A Welsh
mathematician, from Tenby, invented the "equals" sign =
The first place of
Christian worship in U.K. was Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and similarly the
first UK Cathedral was St. David's, Pembrokeshire, Wales
The Welsh invented the
longbow - the world's first armour piercing weapon
The northern hemisphere's longest place name is located at Anglesey,
northern Wales. |
The town is called: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch |
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With such a
profound sense of self-identity and a colourful, ancient heritage powered by some of the
world's oldest traditions, Wales is a nation soaked in a unique human spirit. Our nation
is partly independent, governed by the National Assembly for Wales, the first indigenous Welsh
Parliament since Prince Owain Glyndwr's administration of 1401, which has instilled a
rejuvenated self-confidence in the people of Wales.
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The red Welsh dragon "Y
Ddraig Goch" owes its origins to
folklore and Arthurian legend. Originating from a serpent representing the Welsh God Dewi,
Celtic King Arthur was said to have had a dream about a red dragon (symbolically
representing Wales) which slayed a white dragon (which represented the Saxon invaders). In
later times a crude red dragon design was adopted by Prince Llywelyn of Gwynedd in the 7th
Century and taken into battle by Welsh hero Prince Owain Glyndwr in conflicts with the
invading English. In later history, at the Battle of Bosworth, Welsh-born King Henry VII
(Henry Tudor, crowned 1485) unfurled the red dragon, which he in turn had adopted as his
own emblem. As such, the beloved red dragon has always represented the defiant Welsh
nation; iconising Wales's unique cultural and historic heritage as a proud and
ancient nation which has long survived external threat. The Welsh dragon is often
associated with the motto, "Y
Ddraig Goch a ddyry Gychwyn" - or "The red dragon will show the way". |
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