posted by sooyup
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Places we like
We pass through Llangollen every time we go to stay at Eva’s place, but this week we stayed there to celebrate Emma’s birthday. Surrounded by mountains, the exquisite town stands on the lowest and finest stretch of the Dee valley, known as the Vale of Llangollen. The river here flows swiftly over a rocky bed - hence the name of the town’s latest hotel: White Waters. Llangollen bridge, first built in 1131 and widened in 1346, is listed as one of the Seven Wonders of Wales. Above the town is Plas Newydd, the stately home of the Ladies of Llangollen - two eccentric gentle-women who ran away together in 1778 to set up home and scandalise society. They were the celebrities of their day and were visited by the likes of Browning, Tennyson, Sir Walter Scott, Wordsworth and the Duke of Wellington, all bearing gifts. The Shropshire Union Canal passes through Llangollen and is popular with visitors, as is the magnificent vintage steam railway. As if that were not enough, the International Eisteddfod is held in the town every July, attracting competitors from all over the world. That’s where Pavarotti first made his name.
We pass through Llangollen every time we go to stay at Eva’s place, but this week we stayed there to celebrate Emma’s birthday. Surrounded by mountains, the exquisite town stands on the lowest and finest stretch of the Dee valley, known as the Vale of Llangollen. The river here flows swiftly over a rocky bed - hence the name of the town’s latest hotel: White Waters. Llangollen bridge, first built in 1131 and widened in 1346, is listed as one of the Seven Wonders of Wales. Above the town is Plas Newydd, the stately home of the Ladies of Llangollen - two eccentric gentle-women who ran away together in 1778 to set up home and scandalise society. They were the celebrities of their day and were visited by the likes of Browning, Tennyson, Sir Walter Scott, Wordsworth and the Duke of Wellington, all bearing gifts. The Shropshire Union Canal passes through Llangollen and is popular with visitors, as is the magnificent vintage steam railway. As if that were not enough, the International Eisteddfod is held in the town every July, attracting competitors from all over the world. That’s where Pavarotti first made his name.
