Every September we have what is called ‘Open Doors’. This gives free entry to places of interest - including some castles and gardens that you would normally pay for. Click link for more info on the Welsh sites - which I have listed here should you not click the Wales section of the Travel forum:>https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/whats-on/open-doors-events
Finding such a list for England is rather more problematic.
Thank you for the link James. One of our frequent travel couples have been talking about visiting Wales. I will keep this book marked to remember to visit in September. BTW, I don’t know if you are of Welsh decent or actually live there, but I am fascinated by the names of your towns, cities, etc and need to do some reading up on the language. It looks so interesting and intriguing.
Barbara - yes, I do live in Wales.
Around 20% of the population of Wales speak Welsh and the language is strongest in the western counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Gwynedd & Anglesey. The Welsh language is difficult to learn and many of the English only speakers resent having it being compulsory in schools until the age of 16 with around 1 hour per week. Some of the English only speakers are keen to learn the Welsh language. Some schools are totally Welsh for all subjects (except English or a European language lessons). Cardiff has 16 high schools and 3 of these are Welsh language schools.
Road signs vary with older ones having English on top but new ones having Welsh first. Announcements in rail stations in Wales are in Welsh first - much to the annoyance of the majority who do not speak Welsh. The Welsh speakers usually vote for the nationalist party called Plaid Cymru who would like to see the break up of the UK and have Wales as a separate state with nothing to do with rule from London. PC come third in the elections and generally win seats in the more sparsely populated aforementioned western counties. Wales has a Welsh Parliament (Senedd) with devolved powers from the London UK government. Many of the people living in Wales today are not pure bred Welsh but have come from other parts of the UK or abroad. The people vary from one part of Wales to another in terms of wealth, rural living, industrial areas, Welsh speaking or not.
Many visitors from other parts of the UK also have difficulty pronouncing the names of places. You could start with the most difficult one of all - which is normally shortened to LlanfairPG - which is a village on Anglesey. See [this Youtube video][1].
More about Wales:> https://www.visitwales.com
Heritage Open Days, as it is called in England, is partly organised by the National Trust who will have 50 properties open. Full details at the official webpages https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/
There are events all throughout Europe too.
James, thank you for that short history lesson, very interesting. Can’t wait to visit one day soon and hear it spoken. It would be tragic if the language died out, we need more diversity in this world, otherwise we would all be the same and how boring would that be.
Nigle, thank you for your link too. When we do get there it will have to be in September.
