We started off with a large breakfast, and then headed off to Llechwedd Slate Mine in the hills of Wales. Great countryside on the way – some very classic Welsh countryside. We went on a tour of the mines called the “Deep Mine Tour”. We rode minecars deep into the mountain, then toured the caves, following lights and an audio narrative through the place. There were about 12 stops in all, and it even included an underwater lake. It was very cold and wet – hard hats were required.
From there we backtracked towards Conwy, but stopped at a castle along the way. It was called Dolwyddelan castle. It was a steep hike to the top but the views were definitely worth it. Lots of sheep shit all around as the property is owned by a sheep farmer, but really a cool castle. From there it was highway driving through Conwy, around Chester, past Liverpool, Manchester, Blackpool, and into Brampton, where we found our next B&B – another farm.
We had a nice chat with one of the workers – a very kind lady with a child who worked for the B&B owner. We went into town and ate at the pub (The Railway Inn) and had a great meal – chicken Kiev, lamb Piafra, and cheese and broccoli casserole. The town we were in, Low Row, was built right on a train line, and they have someone who manually opens and closes the traffic gates when the train comes through (every hour or so).
After dinner we walked the grounds, and visited a nearby cemetery and deserted (?) church. A great picture of the sun setting on the horizon over 300 year old tombstones – but I didn’t have my camera. I’ve got a good visual image of it though – it was spectacular. We came back and several barn cats greeted us. They were extremely friendly – they jumped from the ground up into your arms. Very friendly… or very hungry. We went to bed around 10:00 pm.
