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Red Dragon - South Wales

This superb, four-day, three-night tour of Wales will introduce you to the very best of South Wales.

DAY ONE - WEDNESDAY

Leaving London early, we shake off the city dust using the M40 freeway to speed our journey to wonderful Wales. Our route will give us a glimpse of the beautiful English Cotswolds as we head for the Royal Forest of Dean, bordering Wales, and the stunning Wye Valley, with a lunch stop beside the river Wye. What better introduction to Wales, "Land of Song", than the imposing 12th century Norman castle of Chepstow Chepstow Castle and the romantic Tintern Abbey (inspiration for one of William Wordsworth's loveliest poems)? If there's time we'll also see the fallen walls of the once mighty Roman city of Caerwent, reputed by some to be the home of the great King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Our accommodation is at a 17th century working Welsh Farmhouse, imposing country manor or vineyard depending on the time of year. (D)

DAY TWO - THURSDAY

The civic centre of the Welsh capital - Cardiff - is magnificent by world standards and will be the showpiece of a panoramic city tour. On then to the superb cathedral at Llandaff before arriving at the open-air Museum of Welsh Life in the nearby village of St Fagans. This fascinating mirror of hundreds of years of Welsh life embraces dozens of authentic buildings, removed from all corners of the country and painstakingly and faithfully rebuilt and refurbished here. Houses, churches and chapels, a mill, bakery, pubs and even a school have been wonderfully preserved. This afternoon we explore the verdant Vale of Glamorgan, choosing from the market town where Sir Anthony Hopkins went to school, the Valley of Kings where the wizard Merlin was schooled, rugged coastline where smugglers lured ships to the rocks, and we'll cross a river by 13th century stepping stones.(B + D)

DAY THREE - FRIDAY

According to our accommodation stop, today will either begin or end in the once grey and hard world of a Welsh mining valley, now transformed, but a time so memorably captured in the great novel of industrial Wales, 'How Green Was My Valley'. We'll climb the rim of the saucer of the coal-seam bearing, Rhigos Mountain to view the sole surviving deep Welsh coal mine and the breathtaking scenery of the Brecon Beacons, our next calling point. 'There'll be a welcome in these hillsides' sing the Welsh. The market town of Brecon could be our lunch stop (where there's an interesting military museum ), or perhaps Wales' oldest inn, used by the infamous 'Hanging Judge' Jefferies as a court room. We'll also view the remote and atmospheric ruins of Llanthony Priory and a historic 'hidden' rural church. (B + D)

DAY FOUR - SATURDAY

On our way back to London we'll visit the mysterious ancient standing stones of Avebury and the amazing Silbury Hill. But this will only be after a final memorable morning in Roman Wales. The now small village of Caerleon was named after the camp of the Roman Legions - perhaps up to 6000 Roman legionaries were based here almost 2000 years ago. The imposing remains of that camp remain and can be visited and include the barracks, the only complete amphitheatre in Britain, the Roman baths, and the remains of a Roman port. We'll take our leave of the land of the Red Dragon, crossing the river Severn in a most unusual fashion before heading east and experiencing a spectacular exit from Wales. Our drive back to London sees us passing through some of England's timeless West country scenery and we'll arrive back into London in the late afternoon. (B)

(D) = Dinner (B) = Breakfast

• Your accommodation for 3 nights while on the tour is included in your tour price and includes both full breakfasts and dinners;
• Your price also includes all entrance fees to attractions, transportation and the services of driver/guide-companion.

This tour is operated by Backroads Touring.

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