Landscapes
The whole history of Wales is rooted in its geology. We've more than our fair share of mountains, woodland, rivers and coastline. So, whether you just enjoy drinking in the beauty of this great country or learning about how the people shaped the landscape and the landscape shaped the people - or all three, I've something for you. We can see them from a coach or on a country or mountain walk
Moorland - Heather
Heather In August and September the mountains and moorlands of Wales are painted purple with heather. It's an awesome site especially when splashed with yellow gorse too. An ancient Welsh saying warns of checking the vegetation when buying land "Beneath the gorse there's silver, beneath the bracken gold but under the heather lies only famine". Heather grows on very acid poor agricultural land. There are three main varieties seen in the welsh hills Common Heather (Erica Vulgaris) Bell Heather (Erica cinerea) and Cross-leaved Heather (Erica tetralix) with colours vary from almost white to vivid purple Types of Moorland : Cultivated - Rye Grass, Bent; Transitional - rushes and Fescue; Rough Grazing -Fescue, Bent, Cotton-Grass, Heather.  Slate quarries of Elidir Fawr
Mountains -Elidir Fawr
Elidir Fawr is one of the 14 peaks over 3,000 ft. that we have in Snowdonia.The mountain is named after an ancient Celtic chief who arrived in the area on a horse so big it could carry seven and a half people and other legends include a secret cave full of treasure! Elidir is formed of ancient Cambrian rocks - which were once the sands and shales of a sea bed. a. Man has long used these ancient shales for roofing slate but the heyday of the industry was in the 19th century. Mountain vegetation is typical of the acid upland of the area with fescue and bent grasses, bilberries, several mosses and a large range of lichen. Lower down there are foxgloves, starry saxifrage, ladies bedstraw and tormentil. The raven soars about and in summer the wheatear and meadow pipit dart around sharing the mountain with walkers, bikers, climbers, Para gliders. Other sites: Snowdon (go up by train), Carneddau, Cader Idris, Moelwynion, Rhinogydd |
 Llyn Padarn
Lakes
With over 250 lakes and pools in Snowdonia alone from deep reservoirs to high moorland pools there's plenty of beautiful water to look at and hear about. Cwm Idwal is a nature reserve with much to fascinate both botanists and glaciologists . It was in this Cwm that Darwin began the documentation that formed the basis of our understanding of how ice shaped our landscape and the area is home to many rare artic alpine plants. At a height of 1,223ft (m) and covering 28 acres, walkers and climbers delight in the views of this lake. The lake could be named after any of three legendary figures: a giant of that name - indeed one of the heaps of moraines bears the name Bedd y Cawr (Giants Grave) or another Idwal - the son of Cadwaladr one of the last kings of the British murdered there in the 8th century or yet another son of a prince named Idwal this time in the 12th century drowned there by his jealous cousin Nefydd. Take your choice! Woodland - Sessile Oak
Centuries ago the land was covered with ancient deciduous forests of alder swamps, rowan, hazel and oak. Fortunately remnants of this woodland remain. Sessile oak (Quercus patraea) is still the principal species often associated with ash and birch (Betula). The Welsh names for these trees Derwen and Gwern are everywhere in place names. The sessile oak can be distinguished from other types of oak by looking at the acorns which grow straight from the branch rather than hanging on a small stem |
Farmland - The Sheepdog
Snowdonia is dotted with clusters of small stone-built buildings and ribbons of ancient dry stone walls of the mountain farms. Here Welsh families tend their hardy Welsh Black cattle and flocks of hefted (cynefin) welsh ewes. These flocks have been bred over generations to take their lambs (usually only one per ewe) over the old sheep tracks. Shepherds work with their communities to gather and sort these flocks with the help of their loyal dogs trained to respond to the welsh commands. It's a great sight to watch how seemingly easily these men can clear a mountain side with these wonderful dogs. To see dogs at work: Hillfarm visits, sheepfog trials, Ewephoria - sheepdog centre. 
Coast
Wales is blessed with a magnificent coastline and whether you want photographic views, prehistoric or maritime history, tales of wreckers, wildlife or geology studies come and join us. The sea has played an important role in shaping Anglesey's history. Separated from the rest of Wales by the Menai Strait, Anglesey enjoyed easy contact with the more distant regions across the Irish Sea and is a rich source of ancient monuments many overlooking the crashing waves that beat upon the wonderful folded cliffs. We can wander the beaches seeing remnants of primeval forest half-buried in the sands and hear tales of great ships wrecked on the terrible rocks. Other coastal sites: Esturine-Mawddach, Resorts - Llandudno, Sand Dunes - Newborough, |