Castell Morlais, Merthyr

“It's useful to go out of this world and see it from the perspective of another one.”
Terry Pratchett
My turn to chauffeur BobsBlips in search of photos around this neck of the woods, well Merthyr anyway. As ever we started the day with a cooked breakfast in nearby New Inn, a place Bob used to visit many years ago so something of a trip down memory lane to start the day. Don’t believe all you hear, I only had a few chips! Bob had found Castell Morlais, Morlais castle, the remains of a thirteenth century castle (probably never completed) overlooking the steep sided gorge of the Taf Fechan above Merthyr. Easy to understand why it was described as ‘too remote and exposed to serve as a residence’ – a rather bleak and inhospitable windswept rocky promontory with commanding views over the surrounding countryside, just the place for a castle! Also an ideal nesting spot for the Peregrine I saw stooping as we were hoofing it up the narrow track through the bracken. On top not much remains but overgrown piles of stone giving the rough outline of a castle standing on great slabs of weathered (or later quarried?) rock, but  the remains of the vaulted crypt give a hint of its former grandeur so with a bit of imagination its’ former statement as a seat of power is apparent. We managed our tour without falling off the steep cliff faces and headed to the river valley below, for shots of the nearby Pontsarn viaduct. Gave the viaduct at Cefn a miss for today in favour of coffee at Cyfarthfa Castle tea-rooms, with cake for me of course! No day out complete without my sugar top-up early afternoon – and the traffic on the way back was a bit of an unknown so we headed back, enough shots in the bag for one day.
Thanks Bob for another great day out, and even with the head start I had I bet you’ve got your photo posted before me!