Road Trip in North Wales - Llangollen, Pontcysylte Aqueduct & Valle Crucis Abbey
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I take a trip to North Wales from London, England. It starts with a train to Chester before meeting up with my new friend John from Boutique Tours and heading into Wales. There the road trip begins and we visit Hawarden Farm for lunch before visiting the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct along the Llangollen Canal, the city of Llangollen and finally the Valle Crucis Abbey on the way to Ruthin. Once in Ruthin we see the Ruthin Castle Hotel where I'm staying and that concludes the episode.
Above is the original blog post I wrote about the day.
Valle Crucis Abbey, Llangollen
The evocative ruins of Valle Crucis lie in green fields beneath Llangollen's steep sided mountains. In medieval times, this was a remote spot (ideal for austere Cistercian monks, who deliberately sought out wild and lonely places).
Their Abbey, founded in the 13th century and added to a century later, has fared better than many of its contemporaries against the ravages of time, history and neglect.
Many original features remain, including the glorious west front complete with an elaborate, richly carved doorway, beautiful rose window and 14th century inscription 'Abbot Adams carried out this work; may he rest in peace. Amen'.
Other well preserved features include the east end of the Abbey (which overlooks the monks' original fishpond) and lovely Chapter House with its striking rib-vaulted roof. But Valle Crucis is not just a lesson in medieval ecclesiastical architecture.
A visit to this fascinating site evokes the lives of the Cistercian monks - successful sheep farmers and enthusiastic supporters of Welsh culture as well as devout men of religion .
Interestingly, Valle Crucis also reveals a gradual relaxation in the strict regime of the Cistercians. By the late 15th century, the abbot decided to build for himself a fine new hall with a heated private apartment.
Valle Crucis, the 'Valley of the Cross', is named after Eliseg's Pillar, a 9th century Christian memorial cross which stands nearby.
Valle Crucis Abbey & Eliseg's Pillar, near Llangollen, North Wales
Valle Crucis Abbey was established at the start of the 13th Century. It's situated in the Dee Valley 3 km to the East of Llangollen, Denbughshire. Eliseg's Pillar was erected in the 9th Century in honour of Eliseg, the King of Powys.
DERELICT Valle Crucis Abbey (Celtic) and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Wales
My and my pal Gaz decided to take a road trip to Llangollen in Wales to check out Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Built in 1805, with eighteen arches, this took ten years to design and build and is now the oldest and longest navigable aqueduct in Great Britain and the highest in the world.
Then we decided to take the bike around the Horse Shoe Pass and came across the derelict ruins of Valle Crucis Abbey (Valley of the Cross). This Abbey was built in 1201 and was dissoved in the dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537, since then it has fell into serious disrepair.
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Filmed on the Gopro Hero 5 black and Nikon D3200
I do not recommend anyone exploring these abandoned places, they are very dangerous, we explore so you don't have to!
We do not break and enter, we do not steal and we do not vandalise. We take only pictures and leave only footprints.
Music:
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Prelude No. 14 by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (
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Track 2:
Agnus Dei X - Bitter Suite by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (
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Horseshoe Pass, Valle Crucis & Horseshoe Falls
On our way to Llangollen, we stopped off at the top of the Horseshoe pass to admire the view - Then, a little way down we came to Valle Crucis Abbey and the Eliseg's Pillar (The remains of a 9th Century stone cross from which the Valley of the Cross gets it's name.) The on to Llatysilio and the man-made Horsehoe Falls (made to divert water from the Dee to the canal system).
Places to see in ( Llangollen - UK )
Places to see in ( Llangollen - UK )
Llangollen is a small town and community in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn mountains. On the outskirts of the town is Plas Newydd (New Mansion or New Place), from 1780 the home of the Ladies of Llangollen, the Honourable Sarah Ponsonby, Lady Eleanor Butler and their maid Mary Caryll. The Pillar of Eliseg is another old monument.
The bridge at Llangollen was built across the Dee in the 16th century to replace a previous bridge built in about 1345 by John Trevor, of Trevor Hall (later Bishop of St Asaph), which replaced an even earlier bridge built in the reign of King Henry I. In the 1860s the present bridge was extended by adding an extra arch (to cross the new railway) and a two storey stone tower with a castellated parapet. This became a café before being demolished in the 1930s to improve traffic flow. The bridge was also widened in 1873 and again in 1968, using masonry which blended in with the older structure. It is a Grade I listed structure and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Valle Crucis Abbey was established at Llantysilio in about 1201, under the patronage of Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor of Castell Dinas Brân. Today Llangollen relies heavily on the tourist industry, but still gains substantial income from farming. Most of the farms in the hills around the town were sheep farms, and the domestic wool industry, both spinning and weaving, was important in the area for centuries. Several factories were later built along the banks of the River Dee, where both wool and cotton were processed. The water mill opposite Llangollen railway station is over 600 years old, and was originally used to grind flour for local farmers.
Llangollen was an important coaching stop for the mail coach on the old mail route, now the A5 road from London to Holyhead. GHA Coaches and their subsidiary Bryn Melyn are the primary providers of bus services in Llangollen . 10-mile stretch of the line has been restored between Llangollen and Corwen and operates as the Llangollen Railway, a tourist attraction. In 2002, the Rainhill locomotive trials were re-staged on the line.
( Llangollen - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Llangollen . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Llangollen - UK
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Abbey Grange Hotel, Llangollen, United Kingdom, Review HD
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Set on 8 acres of idyllic countryside, this charming country hotel offers free Wi-Fi and a large garden area. The market town of Llangollen is just 1.5 miles away.
Some of the rooms at Abbey Grange have luxurious four-poster beds. The hotel has a sun patio and children’s play area with a bouncy castle.
Guests can dine in the Eliseg Restaurant or enjoy a drink in the cozy Abbey Bar. The Oak Bar offers real ales.
Near the Horseshoe Pass, Abbey Grange enjoys magnificent mountain views. Llangollen has unique shops, a steam train and horse-drawn canal boats.
Abbey Farm
Short drone video of our recent visit to Abbey Farm Caravan Park - Ormskirk
Valle Crucis Abbey: Wales & Ireland 2016 - Episode 3
Valle Crucis Abbey was a Cistercian Abbey sponsored by the native welsh princes.
Several scenes from more than one series of my books take place here. It is in the nave where David and Anna meet Humphrey de Bohun in Crossroads in Time, and Taliesin descends into the crypt with Goronwy and Catrin in The Pendragon's Challenge.
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Exploring old monks monastery (valle crucis Abbey)
Dinas Brân LLANGOLLEN CASTELL
Dinas Brân is in what was once the ancient Kingdom of Powys. The last Prince of Powys Gruffydd Maelor died in 1191 and the kingdom was divided into Powys Fadog in the north and Powys Wenwynwyn in the south. His son, Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor was lord of Powys Fadog and founded the nearby Valle Crucis Abbey. Although no archaeological evidence has been found some records suggest he ruled from Dinas Brân. If a structure did exist it would have been a wooden fortification probably consisting of a wooden palisade surrounding a hall and other buildings. These early records further say it was destroyed by fire and then the new castle was built on the same site, therefore little prospect for finding any archaeological evidence of the early building remains. An even earlier structure has been suggested, belonging to Elisedd ap Gwylog from the 8th century (Ried 1973). It was this Elisedd who was responsible for the Pillar of Eliseg and is one of the founders of the kingdom of Powys, but again no physical evidence for any structure at Dinas Brân has been found.(Kightly, 2003)
CRUCIS ABBEY LLANGOLLEN m4v flv
The evocative ruins of Valle Crucis lie in green fields beneath Llangollen's steep sided mountains. In medieval times, this was a remote spot (ideal for austere Cistercian monks, who deliberately sought out wild and lonely places).
Their Abbey, founded in the 13th century and added to a century later, has fared better than many of its contemporaries against the ravages of time, history and neglect.
Many original features remain, including the glorious west front complete with an elaborate, richly carved doorway, beautiful rose window and 14th century inscription 'Abbot Adams carried out this work; may he rest in peace. Amen'.
Other well preserved features include the east end of the Abbey (which overlooks the monks' original fishpond) and lovely Chapter House with its striking rib-vaulted roof. But Valle Crucis is not just a lesson in medieval ecclesiastical architecture.
A visit to this fascinating site evokes the lives of the Cistercian monks - successful sheep farmers and enthusiastic supporters of Welsh culture as well as devout men of religion .
Interestingly, Valle Crucis also reveals a gradual relaxation in the strict regime of the Cistercians. By the late 15th century, the abbot decided to build for himself a fine new hall with a heated private apartment.
Valle Crucis, the 'Valley of the Cross', is named after Eliseg's Pillar, a 9th century Christian memorial cross which stands nearby.
________________________________________
1998 marked the 900th anniversary of the founding of the Cistercian Order at Citeaux in Burgundy. The white-robed Cistercians were the most successful of all the medieval religious orders. They arrived in Britain in 1128, searching out remote places in which to practice their austere religion. At Valle Crucis and elsewhere, they left a glorious architectural legacy which serves as a remarkable insight into their way of life.
Access: B5103 from the A5, west of Llangollen, or A542 from Ruthin.-
PLAS NEWYDD, LLANGOLLEN, WALES
Also known as the Ladies of Llangollen, the home of Lady Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby for nearly 50 years.
Dinas Brân LLANGOLLEN CASTELL flv
Dinas Brân is in what was once the ancient Kingdom of Powys. The last Prince of Powys Gruffydd Maelor died in 1191 and the kingdom was divided into Powys Fadog in the north and Powys Wenwynwyn in the south. His son, Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor was lord of Powys Fadog and founded the nearby Valle Crucis Abbey. Although no archaeological evidence has been found some records suggest he ruled from Dinas Brân. If a structure did exist it would have been a wooden fortification probably consisting of a wooden palisade surrounding a hall and other buildings. These early records further say it was destroyed by fire and then the new castle was built on the same site, therefore little prospect for finding any archaeological evidence of the early building remains. An even earlier structure has been suggested, belonging to Elisedd ap Gwylog from the 8th century (Ried 1973). It was this Elisedd who was responsible for the Pillar of Eliseg and is one of the founders of the kingdom of Powys, but again no physical evidence for any structure at Dinas Brân has been found.(Kightly, 2003)
Wales Special - Amazing Beautiful Llangollen
We take a trip to Llangollen in Wales. Sample the ice cream, Oggies, Ruins, Thomas the Tank Engine and the amazing Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
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Derelict valle crucis abbey (celtic) and pontcysyllte aqueduct wales.
Pontcysyllte aqueduct by narrowboat (don't look down) more dangerous than we thought.
We then walk over and under the pontcysyllte aqueduct built by thomas telford which offers spectacular views over the river dee valley in this very picturesque part of wales.
Here in this video i have shared my memories from snowdonia national park and pontcysyllte aqueduct.
Keep your options open and trust Divine Guidance (Valle Crucis Abbey, Wales)
Finding this remote yet magical location at Valle Crucis Abbey located in Llantysilio in Denbighshire, Wales as it was founded in 1201 and destroyed by King Henry the VIII in 1537. However, eight centuries later and the abbey is one of the best preserved in Wales. Even the monks’ fishpond is still full of water! :)
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Sherry Methling is an Empathic Energy Healer & Spiritual Intuitive who is traveling the world to heal, teach, learn, and explore ancient sacred sites around the world. The more she travels the more she’ll teach and heal here on her You Tube Channel, Ancient Healings Around the World, along with one-on-one healings session via Skype/Whats App; all while she moves around from country-to-country. Stay tuned to continue with Sherry along her journeys in the world in learning, healing, changing, transforming, evolving, and awakening your authentic energy, soul, truth and light.
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Wern Isaf Camping, Llangollen
North Wales-llangollen
LLangolen-North Wales
Llangollen Bike Ride
A cycle ride to Llangollen via the 'Horseshoe Pass'. Overnight stay in a 'Pod' at
Abbey Farm Caravan Parks. Highly recommended !
The Journey home took in the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
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