Friday 10 June 2011

Chirk Castle



On Wednesday Brother-who-blogs took Partner-who-loves-tea and I to Chirk Castle for the day. Highlight of the day for me was not directly to do with the castle or gardens – it was a new moth species – the Hummingbird Hawkmoth.


The magnificent wrought iron gates made in the 1710s.


The one part of the castle that GB and I recalled from earlier visits (before many of my readers were born) was the dungeon.


I must have been about seven when I went round with Mum and Dad on a guided tour. The Guide was telling us about the ghost when I piped up (in that sort of volume and pitch only a seven year old can achieve) “There aren't really ghosts are there, Mum?” Embarrassment all round and if GB was with us (as I imagine he would have been) he probably disowned me completely and stood as far away as possible for the rest of the tour!


We didn't avail ourselves of a guide this time.


There are big towers.


And little turrets.


Stairs up.


And stairs down.


Doorways in.


And doorways out.


Primitive rooms.


And servants' rooms


And magnificent rooms.


I shall probably do separate postings about the gardens and ceilings at some stage.

9 comments:

  1. Yes, please, do! That ceiling on the "magnificent room" alone would probably provide enough material for its own post, and the gardens are certainly worth a more thorough look.
    It looks like a great place to visit; I would have opted for going without the guided tour, too, although a good guide can really enhance one's visit to such a place quite a lot.

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  2. Wow, your series of pictures led up to quite a surprise with that "magnificent room" at the end just as I was beginning to get cold shivers from all those dungeouns and stone walls and stairs (and ghost stories) ;)

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  3. I have never seen a castle but hope to some day. thanks for the look around! love the fencing and gates around the garden.

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  4. This is so wonderful. What an amazing thing to go on a little trip and see a castle! It is in such good shape. I loved the rooms. Boy, I bet they were cold in the olden days.

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  5. Well that's saved me a job CJ! Me, disown my brother? Never!

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  6. What a great tour! You really make us feel as if we were there too. The iron gates painted white look like lace. So beautiful for something which was essentially a utilitarian object.
    BTW - what did your mother say about the existence of ghosts? There aren't any, are there? Or are there? There've been a few times when I've had my doubts!
    Take care and God bless,
    Canadian Chickadee

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  7. Amazing! I love to look at all all these things from so long ago. I find it incredible that all these years later, we can see and touch these ancient structures. Thanks for sharing.

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  8. I'm not sure what Mum said about ghosts, Canadian Chickladee. She certainly believed in them but I think the silence created by my outburst was such that no one spoke for a while!

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  9. I'm sure you could do a posting showing some entirely different views, GB. Even when we are together we so often seem to find a different slant on things.

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