Britain Update

Welcome to the 100th issue of Britain Update,
March 1 is St David's Day, and in honour of the patron saint of Wales, this issue of Britain Update will have a bit of a Welsh flavour! Today we'll look at the life of St David, ptron saint of Wales, and profile As well, there's a nice selection of travel news and notes which should prove useful in your travel planning. Enjoy!

David Ross, Publisher

English Gardens Tour - New dates have been announced for our Autumn English Gardens Tour. From September 3-10 you can visit some of the finest gardens and countryside of the West Country gardens in the company of a gardening expert. Full tour details are online at
http://www.britainexpress.com/tours/gardens.htm

Destinations

Caerphilly Castle
Caerphilly, South Wales

Caerphilly is one of the greatest surviving medieval castles in Britain. With its massive gatehouses and water defences, its design heavily influenced the course of medieval architecture. The castle was begun in 1268 by the Norman noble, Earl Gilbert de Clare, in an attempt to curb the military actions of Llwelyn, the last native Prince of Wales. So successful did the design prove that it was later used as a model for Edward I's concentric castles in North Wales. Llwelyn seized Caerphilly when it was only partly finished, but it was retaken by the Normans. After Llwelyn's defeat and death, the Welsh threat substantially ended, and the castle became the administrative centre for de Clare's estates.

Edward II spent time at the castle, but when its military importance wained, Caerphilly was found to be too uncomfortable as a family residence. It eventually fell into disuse and decay. Stone was taken from the castle to build a nearby country house. Finally, during the Victorian period, the wealthy Bute family rescued and restored the castle. An informative Castles of Wales exhibition is located in one tower, and working replicas of siege engines are on displayed.

Caerphilly is managed by Cadw, and is located ¼ mile from Caerphilly via the A468, A469, B4263. Phone: (0) 1222 883143

Resources:
http://www.caerphillycastle.org/

Hotels near Caerphilly
Wales Tourist Information Centres
Caerphilly Tourist Information Centre email: tic@caerphilly.gov.uk

Heritage

St David of Wales

David is the patron saint of Wales, and the details of his life are now clouded by a mix of myth and legend that may obscure the truth of this remarkably influential Christian leader. Much of what we know about him was not set down in writing until the early medieval period.

It seems that David was born to the royal house of Ceredigion, some time around 530AD. Another version has him born at Henvynyw (Vetus-Menevia) in Cardiganshire. He became a monk and founded the monastery of Mynyw (Menevia) at what is now St. David's in Pembrokeshire. The current St.David's Cathedral was built on the traditional location of David's monastery.

Like many contemporary church leaders he was a bishop as well as an abbot. His monastery was a popular centre of learning, especially among Irish scholars.

A host of legends sprang up about David after his lifetime, and it can be hard to determine the truth amongst so much hyberbole. One of the tales credits David with responsibility for the traditional Welsh symbol of the leek. The tale goes that the Welsh were preparing to do battle with the Saxons. On the advice of St.David they all put leeks in their hats so they could easily distinguish themselves from their enemies in the heat of battle.

David was also woven into the fabric of Arthurian legend. Many medieval versions of his life say that he was Arthur's nephew, though Geoffrey of Monmouth - a writer not noted for his historical accuracy - calls him Arthur's uncle.

Some versions say that David was educated by Illtud at the monastery school of Llantwit Major. Given the wide influence and reputation of Illtud's school, this account at least seems plausible.

David was reluctantly persuaded to attend the Synod of Brewi, where a hill miraculously rose before him. He preached so loudly from the top of this hill that he converted Pelagian heretics from their folly. Subsequently David is said to have asked King Arthur to allow him to move his Bishop's see from Caerleon to Menevia. This granted, he ruled the church in Wales until his death at the ripe old age of 147 years.

It seems likely that David died around 589, a respected and influential leader of the early Christian church in Wales. It also seems likely that under David and his fellows, the Welsh undertook a certain amount of missionary work, though little of this was aimed at the neighbouring pagan English, but rather their fellow Celts in Cornwall, Ireland, and Brittany.

What to see:
St Davids, Pembrokeshire - site of a wonderful medieval cathedral dedicated to David. During the months of July and August there are regular tours of the Cathedral on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday starting at 2:30pm.

Travel Resources:
Hotels near St Davids
Wales Travel Guide
Wales Tourist Information Centres

Wesley Anniversary Events and Itinerary
The 300th anniversary of the birth of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, is being marked by a variety of events in 2003, including an international conference at the University of Manchester (Jun. 15-18) and an ecumenical celebration in historic Lincoln Cathedral (June 17). The wide-ranging programme, which features special services, lectures, celebrations, walks, a choral festival and exhibitions, will span much of the year, from March to October. The British Tourist Authority has published a useful itinerary that follows in Wesley's footsteps and takes in many of the places associated with his life. Website: www.visitbritain.com/

Titanic Exhibition in London
A major exhibition about the ill-fated transatlantic liner 'Titanic' will be on view at London's Science Museum from May 16 to September. "Titanic: the Artefact Exhibition" will take visitors on a chronological journey, from the design and construction of the vessel to its maiden voyage in 1912; and from its sinking after collision with an iceberg to the scientific recovery efforts made by RMS Titanic Inc. in the 1990s. These expeditions recovered 6,000 artefacts from the wreck, and hundreds of them - including jewellery, crockery, clothing and personal belongings - will be in the exhibition.

Visitors will be given the name of a passenger, and explore what it was like to be a first- or third-class passenger - and then discover if they were among the 1,523 who died, or the 705 who survived. Full-size recreations of some of Titanic's interior spaces, including a first-class cabin, also feature. The tragic story comes alive in the iceberg room, where visitors will learn what it was like to be in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic. Admission prices have yet to be announced - entry to the rest of the Science Museum is free. Tel: 020 7938 8000. Website: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk.

Burns Festival in Scotland
A festival celebrating Robert Burns, Scotland's greatest poet, will be staged in Ayrshire, the county where he was born in 1759. "Burns an' a' that" (May 3-11) follows an acclaimed pilot programme last year, and will be devoted to both traditional and contemporary Scottish culture.

The festival is centred on Ayr and nearby Alloway, where Burns was born in a thatched cottage which can still be seen today, but events will take place at a variety of other venues. It opens with a Holy Fair in the village of Mauchline, and includes a gala concert at Culzean Castle on May 9. There will be free open-air music stages in Ayr, a festival club, international street theatre and an extensive programme ranging from poetry and traditional and classical music to cabaret and pop. The final event is a firework display in the coastal resort of Ayr, 34 miles south-west of Glasgow. Website: http://www.burnsfestival.com

Peculiar Events in the West Country
North Devon and Exmoor – Lorna Doone country - in South West England is home to some of the country’s less well-known quirky events that have been taking place for centuries. Perhaps the most bizarre is the re-enactment of the Hunting of the Earl of Rone at Combe Martin over the late May public holiday weekend (May 23-26). It starts on the Friday evening, when villagers begin hunting for the ‘earl’, who is invariably captured on Monday and thrown into the sea. Much revelry takes place, with a parade of grenadiers, a hobby horse and a donkey – which the earl rides backwards.

If earl hunting seems a little cruel, the same weekend sees the Potwalloping Festival in the nearby seaside town of Westward Ho! (the only British town with an exclamation mark in its name). Participants throw pebbles from the beach on to a two-mile long pebble ridge, from where they have been washed down each winter. The event is celebrated by whole families, with produce stalls, crafts and entertainment accompaniment. Website: http://www.northdevon.com

Historic Houses to Open
Regular readers of Britain Update will remember me extolling the virtues of a membership in the Historic Houses Association. Now there are even more reasons to consider joining trhe HHA. Almost one hundred historic houses throughout Britain will open their doors to the public for the first time this year. In many, visitors will be able to take afternoon tea or other refreshments with the owners, whose families have often lived there for generations.

The newly open houses are among 273 member properties of the HHA, taking part in a scheme to welcome small, pre-booked groups when the houses are normally closed. Included are medieval moated manor houses, castles and Edwardian country houses with beautiful landscaped gardens. Many have fine collections of furniture and artwork. The newly accessible properties range from Welford Park, a red brick country house dating from 1652 near Newbury, Berkshire, to Island Hall, an 18th century riverside mansion at Godmanchester, Cambridge.

Details of the participating houses and the facilities they will provide are detailed on the HHA’s re-designed website: http://www.hha.org.uk

Original "Alice" Photos on Show in Oxford
Glass plate negatives taken by author Lewis Carroll of the girl who inspired “Alice in Wonderland” will be shown in Oxford this summer. The photographs of young Alice Liddell and her sisters were taken by Carroll when he was mathematics don – and a pioneering amateur photographer -- at Oxford in the mid 19th century. The negatives will be displayed at the same time as original illustrations from Carroll’s two “Alice” books, in an exhibition at the Museum of Oxford. Visitors to “Looking in Wonderland” (August 1 – September 28) will be able to:

The Museum of Oxford, St. Aldates, Oxford, is open daily except for Mondays, tel: 01865 252795. Website: http://www.aliceinoxford.net.

Wine Week
Vineyard tours and wine tastings are planned to mark English Wine Week this spring (May 24 – June 1). There are 379 vineyards and 115 wineries all over the country and English Wine Producers aims to promote wider interest in them. Website: http://www.englishwineproducers.com

That's all for now. Until next issue, let me remind you that laughter is contagious. Be a carrier.

		Where to go and what to see in the UK, from Britain Express, your UK travel and heritage guide