On the Trail Again!
In the late 1800s, this was a coal mining area. A colliery is a coal mine and all of its buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. The last coal was shipped to Ireland in 1959, but the Ayr Colliery did not officially close until 1996.
The headframe and winding wheel you see here used to stand above the Number 2 shaft at Point of Ayr colliery. It was primarily a ventilation shaft with a fan that circulated fresher air and flushed away any pockets of gas, but it could also act as an escape route. When the colliery closed in 1996, this stub head gear was taken to Greenfield Valley Heritage Park for safekeeping. Ffynnongroyw and District Mining and Village Heritage Group have been fundraising with the local community for several years to restore the headgear and return it to the area. In spring 2015, they realized their vision and the restored headgear was relocated beside the main road, where both locals and visitors can see it, a permanent reminder of the long history of coal mining in the local area. Such a heritage of generations of men working in the coal mines, much like Kentucky.
I walked some beautiful trails today. It was a harder 13.3-mile walk than you might think. I had about a mile and a half of soft sand early on. It tired my leg muscles, making the rest of the day torturous.
I loved these pretty pale yellow flowers.
Spring has sprung. Lots of babies. This mama had a white baby and a black baby. Hmmm. I don’t know about sheep, but cats can have a little by more than one Dad.
Pextended far out under the sea, around 1000ft below sea level. By 1953, the mine employed 738 men and produced 213,000 tons of coal each year. 35 pit ponies worked underground, pulling two tubs of coal at a time. Young apprentices quickly learned that the ponies only understood Welsh, the language used in the bit. Coal was brought to the surface and then washed and graded before being loaded on to ships bound for Ireland, the Isle of Man, and ports around Britain.
There was an entire fence made out of these clever sections.
The Dee Estuary was an important shipping route from Roman times, and by 1900 thére were almost 2000 vessels at work on the Dee, transporting 160,000 tonnes of cargo a year. Coal from the collieries, copper from Greenfield, lead from Bagillt, chemicals from Flint, and earthenware from Buckley were all transported by sea. In the early days, the boats were small, carrying 10 or 20 tonnes, but later, schooners were built to carry 250 or 500 tonnes. Tugs would guide 2 to 4 ships at a time in and out of the estuary. The steam tug Taliesin, owned by Coppack Brothers of Connah's Quay, worked Monday to Saturday and then ran passenger trips on Sundays.
A passenger ticket from 1883.
A monument to the men and the ponies who worked in the mines.
I loved the back detail with the coal shuttle.
On a little more modern note, this is the point of Ayr Gas Terminal with all kinds of wrnings around it.
Aye, Mate - A Jolly Roger Flag waving proudly.
OMG - n actual break for a Coca-Cola Zero. A first on this trail. I miss Spain with a bar around every corner.
I got the biggest chuckle out of the sign that says, “Our flowers are trying to quit smoking.”
Talacre is a sandy beach located near Prestatyn and houses a lighthouse dating back to 1776. It rises 60 feet out of the sand. The area around the beach and dunes is a Site of a special Scientific Interest with rare species including a collection of natterjack roads. Point of Ayr Lighthouse is said to be haunted, by the old lighthouse keeper who is said to still lookout over the beach today! He often identified as Raymond, who is seen standing on the balcony or in the lantern room. He supposedly passed away from either a fever or a broken heart.
One of the more interestin places that I passed by today was the biggest mobile home dealership I have ever seen they are called Caravans here.
I ate lunch on a picnic table outside the building with the welcome sign. I had good company. I fed this pair of seagulls the crusts of my leftover pizza. They would swoop down and catch it before it hit the ground.
There was more than a mile of these caravans, side by side and as far as the eye could see in any direction.
At last, I could see Rhyl. My feet were ready.
These are the first horses that I have seen. I always take photos of horses for Janet.
I walked right through this golf course. If you notice, it is a championship course.
As I was coming into Rhyl, I saw this camera. I was sure that I was not speeding, but if there was a Crime Against Feet Unit, I would certainly be locked up.
Dinner was a bit aggravating, but those annoying experiences sometimes turn out to be a blessing. This morning's taxi driver told me about a little hole-in-the-wall Indian restaurant that he swore by. I looked them up, chose what I wanted, and realized they delivered. The Taxi driver told me it had no atmosphere. Woohoo - I never order delivery, but I thought I could work on the blog and relax. I went downstairs at the appointed time and waited for 45 minutes - no Indian food. I was SOOO disappointed, I didn’t want to risk another 45 minutes. The hotel manager told me about an Italian restaurant she loved that was only two blocks away. I didn’t really want Italian, but there didn’t seem to be any other good idea nearby. The outside of the restaurant didn’t exactly inspire me when I was all set on Indian food.
Nothing on the menu jumped out at me. Kind of same ol’ same ol’ Italian that every U. S Italian Restaurant has on its menu. I ordered the Lasagne al Forno, which was described on the menu as "layers of pasta baked in the oven with meat, white sauce, and cheese.” Nothing too exciting about that description. Boy, was I in for a surprise. This was the best lasagne x10 I have ever tasted. Move over Italy - the Welsh have won the prize. The lasagne was sitting in a bowl of the best, richest, creamy tomato sauce imaginable. And the lasagne with al dente noodles was layered with a seasoned mixture of beef, veal, and pork. It was served with a little salad. I wish I had words to describe.
Now my hardest decision is which one of these do I want for dessert? I wish I could swear that I am only going to eat part of one, but I will probably polish off the whole thing. The other one I will save for tomorrow.
After such a glorious meal -
Good Night and God Bless.
No comments:
Post a Comment