Not at ALL what I had planned for today. Kinnersley Castle . . .

You know you are in sheep country here . . .

 Well, the day started badly.  I decided to have cheese on tomatoes on toast for breakfast.  Bad move - as the sliver of enamel on a molar with a very large filling, broke off . . .  I phoned the Dentist straight away - they could give me an emergency appointment in an hour.  I quickly changed into presentable clothes and was on my way - managing to forget my waterproof jacket so when I got to Llandovery and it rained, I got wet.  Toof quickly patched up - it may last, it may not, in which case it's either removal or crowning . . . think it will have to be the latter or I will start to look like  Gummy Jock (chap we used to see in town as teenagers in Southampton!)  It was £30.  They told me had I been a private patient, it would have been £310!!!  Anyway, I popped into the sewing shop, and they were still clearing their Rose & Hubble ditzy prints at £7 a metre, so I bought another metre of a print I bought last time I was at the dentist.

The castle . . . I was parked just below it.  I drove back, but got stuck behind someone intent on sticking to 30 in the 40 zone and no faster in between, breaking hard for each slight bend in the road and doubtless panicking when it was Z-bends.  I got fed up so pulled off below the Sugar Loaf and took some photos.  The new header was the best.

Carmarthenshire at your feet . . .

Then one of Tam's friends, who is a history and crafts buddy of mine, messaged me to ask did I know that Kinnersley Castle was open?  I checked it out.  It was a lovely day.  I dropped everything once I read that - just got in too.  Got in the car, grabbed a bottle of water and a soft "lunch" - "don't eat on that side - make sure it's soft foods only today".  Well, puff pastry is soft isn't it, and cream and apple puree?  That was my lunch :)  Oh, and I made Kedgeree for my tea, which doesn't need much chewing.

I arrived early, so parked up and went around the church again, which didn't fail to impress a 2nd time.  Will share that with you all tomorrow.

The front of the castle, with the later entrance. We went into a room used as a Library and had a short talk about the current family and when they arrived there, before going outside to walk around the building and seeing the changes in architecture.  It began life as a Norman castle but you can see where the Elizabethan windows were inserted later, as was the third floor.

There used to be a wing of the earlier castle jutting out from this end wall, but it was demolished (in a state) in 1880 and these windows added. 

The pillar on the left is one of the buttresses which became necessary to support weak walls.

Of course, there are no footings and the drainpipes empty out at the base of the house too, which is not ideal . . .

You may be able to see if you look closely, but the middle window on the right in the wing to the right of the tower, is really quite out of kilter - bending inwards . . .  In a Grade 2* house, this would not be a cheap fix.

The Servants' quarters.

A Huge 100 year old Gingko Biloba tree.  They sell the leaves to Neil's Yard Remedies.

There were two lovely double-cube type rooms, one above the other. The bottom one with panelling which had been covered over with painted canvas, which has kept the panelling from darkening over the years. A lovely fireplace too - though problems with the Jackdaws still trying to reclaim the chimney for their nests!  A beautiful ceiling which had been replaced in the Arts and Crafts period.  The room above it had its original ceiling, ornate with sinuous dragon-headed beasts, pomegranates (spotted those and thought Catherine of Aragon straight away), vines and flowers.  Around the top of the walls were various crests and dog-headed trailing sinuous snake like shapes.  Weird.  The intriguing part was the small  Green Man above one window . . . The Vaughans were staunch Catholics, but appear to have been hedging their bets!

It's open tomorrow, and next weekend too, for anyone who might read this and be in the area.  Kinnersley Castle Events  

I am glad to have done the typical Aries "drop everything" to go as it was really interesting and a lovely day out.