Day Thirteen – Friday, 25 May 2012

The Mumbles – Brecon

Weather – sunny 25 degrees

Accommodation – Borderers B&B, Brecon

It was a lovely drive out of The Mumbles as the weather was less hazy.  We could actually see Swansea over the water and the Mumbles pier.

It was an hour drive to Brecon which borders the Brecon Beacons National Park.  The information office gave us some clues to find accommodation and we quickly secured one as we had wanted to catch the 11.30 canal boat ride.  However, after all the rushing we discovered it wasn’t operating that day as they were making it wheelchair access friendly. 

Brecon has been inhabited for at least 4500 years so there is plenty of history in this area!  The town was named after the grandson (Brychan) of a 5^th century ruler.

It was time for a cuppa and off we strolled through delightful Brecon.  We sat next to two ladies discussing life in general.  We find the tables are closely packed so I eavesdropped on Clive’s dicky heart, the wife deciding he’s a big boy and he can make his own appointment, an ambulance outside Arthur’s house – only to discover it was his usual Tuesday pick-up.  Love village life….so much goes on and everybody knows all about it.

A cuppa, scone with jam and Rodda's clotted cream and a spot of eavesdropping!

It was a short walk to the Brecon Cathedral on the hill in the midday sun.  A memorial service was commencing in an hour so we timed our visit perfectly.   Every town has a church which has at the very least a Norman component, Saxon or nothing older than 14^th century.  This cathedral is no different and it has had a church on this site since Celtic times before the Norman Conquest.  The present church has been mostly built between 1301 and 1400.   It is beautifully preserved and a very busy part of the Brecon area being the cathedral for southern Wales.  The carved font is 1000 years old and is from the Norman church period.  It reveals the struggle between evil and good in the personification of angels and dragons.  Like all the churches we have visited we marvelled at the carved worn epitaphs on the floors and walls and the stained glass. One chapel, The Harvard Chapel, has been adopted by Royal Regiment of Wales and houses the Regimental colours including those carried in the Zulu wars.  Southern wales lost 5777 men during World War I and as so many have no known graves it was decided to dedicate this beautiful chapel (in 1922) to the left of the nave to the gallant men who gave their lives for King and Country.  All names are listed in a book on a lectern in beautiful writing in alphabetical order with their serial number.

I can read Welsh!  Bilingual signs are everywhere!

The moving tribute to Welsh soldiers.

The bells of the Cathedral ring once again over the town after restoration was completed in 1995….they had been silent for 177 years.  The first bells rang over Brecon in 1684 to herald the arrival of the Duke of Beaufort. 

Travel is exhausting and we decided to have a rest at our B&B – we awoke to find we had slept several hours and it was already nearing 5pm.  As it light until 9pm we set off for an evening drive through the Welsh countryside via Hay on Wye, crossing the border into England and visiting Leominster which is the area David’s family came from in the early 1900s.  It was a picture perfect drive through lush fields and green hedges. 

Leominster.

Herefordshire....a picture from the roadside.  Often we see beautiful scenery but the hedges and small lanes prevent us from stopping.

A very delicious dinner at a nearby B&B was a satisfying end to a lovely day in the country.