Did you know these 10 interesting facts about Wales

Whether you’re looking for an end-of-year break or planning your staycations for 2025, Wales is one place many have on their ‘need to visit’ lists and for good reason. I feel very grateful to live in beautiful Wales as it has so much to offer and it's a place I love to share with my readers.  A land of folklore, dragons and stunning countryside, there is so much to discover in Wales. With this in mind, I wanted to bring you ten interesting facts about the land of the red dragon that you may not know. Whether you share these facts with your family during your road trip to one of the many activity holidays UK Wales offers, or you want to stun your friends with your random facts during a pub quiz, here are ten facts about Wales… 1. Did you know… Wales is home to seven cities? The capital is Cardiff, followed by Wrexham, Newport, Swansea, Bangor, St Asaph and finally, St David’s. 2. Did you know… there are estimated to be over three million people living in Wales. According to the 202......

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10 Free Castles to explore in South Wales

Did you know that Wales has more castles per square mile than anywhere in the world? While some have continuously been lived in for hundreds (in some cases thousands) of years, others are no more than a few overgrown ruins, hidden away off the beaten path, all with their own stories and history, waiting to be discovered.  So any trip to Wales should include a castle visit and with more than 600 castles there is no shortage of ones to pick from. However, some can be, very valid reasons, and expensive to visit, these are usually ones that offer more facilities, events and are usually the larger, more intact castles. However, if you are visiting South Wales there are quite a few that are completely free to explore and make for a great family day out.  So I thought I would share 10 of my favourite free Castles and ruins to explore in South Wales. 1. Coity Castle, Bridgend Coity Castle is an impressive ruin that has recently had a major renovation and is well worth a visit. You can......

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Exploring Coity Castle, Bridgend, Wales

Coity Castle , an impressive ruin standing in the centre of Coity village, close to the town of Bridgend, South Wales, is well worth a visit. After more than 2yrs of extensive repairs and undergoing major conservation works, it's looking better than ever.  What is the history of Coity Castle? This castle has a rather interesting history (as most Welsh castles do) which can be seen in its ruins of jumbled architectural styles. Having begun as an earthwork castle around AD 1100, although some historians think there may have been a Roman fort here before. The stone keep and curtain wall was then added later, sometime in the late 12th century, before being expanded even further in the 14th century and then again in the 15th century after Owain Glyndŵr laid siege.  The siege lasted nearly 2yrs and despite Owain's successes elsewhere, the owners of Coity managed to withstand his assault, this was the most historical event associated with Coity Castle and its 900yr existence. H......

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