ENGLAND 2014: FIRST STOP, CAERPHILLY, WALES!



 

Caerphilly Castle



My father, Rev. Fred Filer, grew up in the town of Caerphilly, Wales (Caerffili) and ever since my very first trip overseas in 1973, I have made it my first destination. When I first began visiting there my two old uncles, George and Reg, were still living in the family home on Windsor Street.  Every time I go to Caerphilly, I pass by the house where my father and his 6 brothers and 1 sister were raised.

Windsor Street



 I still have cousins living in Caerphilly and the nearby towns so it is a family reunion each time I'm there. These days I stay with my cousin Andrea and her husband Paul in their grand old mansion that was once a mining boss's house. Down the street from Andrea's house is St Martin's church where some of my relatives are buried in the church graveyard. Unfortunately Andrea's mom, Sheila suffered a major stroke a few years ago and is confined to a care facility.



 

St Martin's Church



Caerphilly has a long and interesting history. When dad grew up there it was mainly a mining town. Dad worked in the mines at nearby Bedwas from the time he was 14 yrs old until he was in his 20's. When the mining strikes began in late 1920's - 1930, he lost his mining card because he was a union organizer, so her immigrated to Canada as a farm worker. Later he became a Baptist minister.
The town is located in the Rhymney Valley and gave its name to Caerphilly cheese which originated in the area.

 

 

 



Around AD 75 the Romans built a fort there during their conquest of Britain. Following the Norman invasion of Wales in the late 11th century the area remained in welsh hands. In the 12th century the area was under control of the Welsh chieftain Ifor ap Meurig. His grandson Gruffyd ap Rhys was the last Welsh lord in the area. In 1266 the English nobleman Gilbert de Clare took the area and  began the construction of Caerphilly Castle on April 11, 1268.

 

 



I love this castle as I grew up hearing stories about it. My father used to play in the castle when he was a boy. So I call it "my castle" (which amuses my cousins), and every time I visit I make sure I take a tour there to check on things. Caerphilly Castle is the largest castle in Wales, second largest in Britain (after Windsor) and one of the best preserved. There is an interesting story about the castle. It is said to be haunted by 'the Green Lady', who was the unfortunate wife of Gilbert de Clare.  You can read about it here: http://www.europeupclose.com/article/the-green-lady-of-caerphilly-castle/

I love to explore the castle and imagine what it was like at the time of Gilbert de Clare. Every time I go there are new displays. It's certainly well worth a visit especially if you like castles!



 

 

Take a stroll around the moat and lake and visit the Druid stone circle.

 





Originally, Caerphilly was just a small settlement south of the castle. Now the town has grown, almost become a bedroom community of Cardiff to the south.  During the 1700s it was a market town. Today it's a bustling, pretty place, surrounding the castle. I always enjoy my walks through town and that breathtaking view you get of the castle.

 

 

 

 



 A good place to enjoy it is at the Old Courthouse Pub where you can sit out on the patio with a fabulous view while you eat your fish and chips and have a pint of beer or a glass of wine.



There are some good pubs around the town and I always get together with my cousins. This time there were just a few of us but we had fun, and I was able to sign a copy of my book for Nicola.



 

I'll be back again next year, if possible. Caerphilly is like a second home to me!

NEXT: Back to London for the Historical Fiction Writer's conference.

VISITING WALES & FINDING THE POET

Caerphilly Castle

After I leave London I plan to visit my father's town, Caerphilly Wales, and spend some time with my Welsh cousins. I've visited there many times before and last year when my sister, niece and I went, we were treated to a family reunion of a great many distant cousins we had never met before. So I vowed I'd return for a longer stay this year and spend some time getting to know everyone a bit better.

One of the features of Caerphilly is the wonderful, well-preserved Norman castle that has a wealth of history and legend. My dad used to play in there when he was a child. Now it is protected and well-kept and it gives you a real sense of what castle life must have been way back when. Caerphilly was mainly a mining town and my father and a great number of his family members worked in the mines. He had a fairly large family and they all lived in this house on Windsor Street. I was lucky enough to have visited there several times during when his two younger brothers still lived there. Now it is privately owned but I still go by and get my photo taken outside the door. Caerphilly was a place I heard about all through my childhood so it has a specific place in my heart, very much part of my family history

My sister Jean and I in front of our father's family home.

One of the things I've never done when I have visited Wales is to search out all the Dylan Thomas haunts. So this year I am determined to make a visit to Swansea to the boat house where the poet lived and wrote so many of his marvelous poems. The boathouse is at Laugharne. In Swansea there is a Dylan Thomas Centre as well as a pub and Kardomah Cafe where Dylan used to met with his friends. They were known as the Kardomah Gang and were a group of talented writers, artists and musicians, all Dylan's contemporaries.

While I'm in London, there is a pub near the Indian Y where Dylan Thomas used to hang out so I usually go in there and have a pint in his honour. I've also been to the bar in New York City where he collapsed on the sidewalk after downing an astonishing number of whiskies. He died not long after that, unfortunately.

So, to make this a really Welsh part of my holiday I am determined to track down the poet.
The other thing I want to do is find the grave sites of my great grandparents and grandparents. I think my cousins know where to find those. And if there is time, to make a trip up to Senghenydd again, to visit the place where my great grandfather died in a mining explosion. I've been there before, but a return pilgrimage is in order to make this truly a special Welsh visit.

Statue of Dylan Thomas in Swansea

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