#The Peacock Inn Shrewsbury

[i-traveller]

12 September 2019

After our Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling guests had departed in early September, we needed a break. After all, there is a limit to how many days in a row at our age we can get up early to make breakfast for four guests when virtually the rest of the year we are not used to such an early rise!

So, we decided to have a short UK break to an area we had not been to before and that did not involve much walking.

Little Moreton Hall

As what we had planned was not until the next day, it allowed us to take advantage of the National Trust properties in the North West of England and we settled on Little Moreton Hall just outside Congleton, Cheshire.

The Hall was built by the Moreton family in the 1500s and took over a hundred years to complete, improve and extend the property but you can see from the photos that it has a few structural issues but hopefully in the hands of the National Trust, these will not result in a collapse.

The inner courtyard

Behind the entrance gate (over the moat by way of a drawbridge) is a small courtyard off which are the downstairs rooms. Lots to see here including the pantry, a wonderful stone fireplace and some ancient wallpaper.

One part of the upstairs hall (The Long Gallery) was used in a recent art exhibition by letting used “Wimbledon” tennis balls roll down the uneven floor surface resulting in them all rolling to one side of the structure.

The resultant film is on a loop in the hall and you can have a go yourself – very interactive.

The camera was straight for this, it is the building that is crooked

As with many National trust buildings, volunteers help with interpretation, giving history lessons and practical commentary and this was no exception.

There were even dressing up clothes for children to use when they came a school parties.

The gardens outside are not extensive but are worth a stroll around and at the time of our visit, the archway probably could have done with a haircut. But there is water around which allows wildlife to thrive.

Archway to the gardens

It was now down to Shrewsbury for our overnight and at the recommendation of the hotel, a great evening meal at the Peackock Inn which is a short drive away.

I had booked our tickets on line before we left home and tried to pick them up at the station that evening to save time but there was only one person at the ticket desk and I had to buy Discount Railcards so couldn’t use the machine.

After a 25 minute wait whilst one person was being served, I gave up.

13 September 2019

Having arrived earlier at Shrewsbury Station than planned, I managed to get the Railcards and tickets without any delays and waited for our train to Swansea via Llanelli.

You couldn’t miss this house.

I had read that the train was now only a single coach so hopefully there would be enough seats as reservations were not possible on this service. If it is only a one coach is it a train or a coach ride?

The train arrives and many people get off including some with bikes. Fortunately there are enough seats, the carriage being probably three quarters to 7/8ths full. But are they all going the whole way which is 32 stations to Llanelli and another couple onwards to Swansea?

As we leave Shrewsbury, more or less on time, we vere off to the right and then see the MidWales line to Aberystwyth disapear to the right and we make our way South Westwards and quickly into Wales after Knighton, the 7th station on the line.

Welsh countryside

Whilst initially the views aren’t great as many trees obscure the views, some trees not being cut back far enough to avoid hitting the train, these soon disappear to reveal rolling hills, sheep, golf courses and in general, wonderful countryside.

Many of the stations on the line are request stops where the train has to slow down in case anyone wants to get on.

Some of these are very well used as locals go about their day-to-day business visiting friends or shopping in nearby larger villages. It is indeed a lifeline for many remote communities.

These passengers have already told the guard who has advised the driver that a stop is required.

Stops allow a few photographs to be taken from the train but trying to capture decent photographs from a train moving at about 40 – 50 mph is somewhat difficult.  the picture above of the yellow house is a case in point.

As most of the journey is single track, there has to be some passing places here and there to allow northbound trains to pass.

Llandrindod Wells Signal Box

One of these passing places is at Llandrindod Wells where we are told, the train has to wait for 20 minutes to allow the northbound train to pass.  Just time for a coffee the guard tells us but what he didn’t tell us is the awful taste of the coffee bought from the nearby shop – not to be recommended.

Not sure if the signal box is now used, as many lines are signalled using modern technology but certainly the exterior of the signal box needs some TLC.

We are off again past even more spectacular countryside and ever increasingly difficult station names such as Llangammarch, Llanwrtyd and Cynghordy.

I hope the locals know how to pronounce this

One station name is easy to pronounce and probably only exists now to allow walkers, cyclists and ramblers access to the magnificent countryside – Sugar Loaf.

It is named after the nearby hill and has a claim to fame as it was at one time the least used station in Wales.

In 2017, only 228 passengers used the station but by the following year this had risen to 1824 following some publicity on, amongst other media outlets, YouTube.

Unexpectedly, the train stops just before the junction with main line at Bynea and after a few minutes we are told of a points failure which is preventing us going forward.

Engineers are on their way we are told. I must say, during the 40 minute wait we were kept updated regularly but by the time we got to Llanelli the information had ceased.

Bridge over the River Towy

Eventually, we establish that the train was being terminated there instead of going on (well backwards actually) to Swansea & we had to cross the bridge to the other side and catch a train to Swansea where we arrive 70 minutes late and thus have little time to get refreshments and relax as our onward journey is due to leave in 20 minutes time and even then was subject to a very late platform change.

Our onward journey was on a separate ticket and back to Shrewsbury via Hereford and we were somewhat glad we had reserved seats as the train was crowded to standing room only as far as Newport although thinned out after Cwmbran with commuters from Cardiff returning home.

Cody does love the fish

Back to our hotel and we go back to the Peacock Inn for another evening meal, just as good as last night’s. It arrived speedily as well which is what we wanted as we were both somewhat tired after the day’s travel.

Off to see friends John & Deirdre tomorrow then to see Flic and Cody for a few hours. We met them at Henry Street Garden Centre just outside Reading where Cody loves to watch the fish.

For some reason (probably to do with the two tickets being photgraphed on one photo) Transport for Wales would only refund one of the tickets for the late arrival of our train but that is better than nothing.

Little Moreton Hall and the Central Wales Rail Line 12 September 2019 After our Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling guests had departed in early September, we needed a break.