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Tredegar House #50places2025

After enjoying my National Trust membership in 2023, I decided I would rejoin the Trust for 2025. 

I visited Tredegar House back in August 2016. Our visit was cut short because of some bees. 

I hadn’t been back since.

Tredegar House

Tredegar House is one of the architectural wonders of Wales and one of the most significant late 17th-century houses in the whole of the British Isles. Situated within 90 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland, this delightful red brick house provides an ideal setting for a fantastic day out. For more than 500 years the house was home to one of the greatest Welsh families, the Morgans, later Lords Tredegar. The Morgan family owned more than 40,000 acres in Monmouthshire, Breconshire and Glamorgan at the end of the 18th century. Their lives impacted on the population of south-east Wales socially, economically and politically and influenced the heritage of the area.

Current saving £28.20
One adult £13.00
Parking £6.00
Total saving £19.00
Cumulative saving £82.00
Membership cost £91.20
Net cumulative saving £9.20

It wasn’t quite open when I arrived, so I went to the tearoom and had a coffee and a cheese scone. It was a tasty scone, and I enjoyed my coffee. They had an interesting lunch menu as well, more varied than some other National Trust properties I have visited.

After finishing my coffee, I walked over to reception, got my membership card scanned and walked over to the house. It wasn’t open when I arrived, so I waited outside for a short while.

Had a good look around the house and chatted to some of the volunteers. There are lots of rooms, as well as the ground floor, you can see some of the bedrooms on the first floor before walking down to the kitchen in the basement. There are lots of rooms down there. The Servants Hall was open, and this is where the servants would eat, however it was also where they would have dances and servant balls. It was though originally the main hall of the Tudor part of the house.

After leaving the house I walked around the lake and park. This was a lovely walk, but it was a bit muddy.

Decided I would head back to the house and go around again. It was nice to walk around and I saw things I had missed on my first walk around the house.

Tredegar House doesn’t have a NT shop, though there are some craft shops. I did think about buying a cold drink, but decided I would head home and have one there.

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Then and Now – Tredegar House Orangery and Stables

This is a regular series of blogs about photographs of the same place taken years apart. I quite like those Then and Now comparison photographs that you see in books or on the Twitter or Facebook.  The first of the posts in this series was of a council building in Manchester.

I always thought I should give then and now photographs a go. However what I have started to notice is that I have been doing Then and Now photographs unintentionally over the years and have been taking photographs of the same thing or place from the same view or perspective years apart.

I was visiting Tredegar House, a National Trust property close to Newport. While I was there I took a range of photographs. Checking the date of my previous visit, I wasn’t too surprised to see some similar photographs.

I took this photograph in August 2016 of the Tredegar House Orangery and Stables with an iPhone 6s Plus.

This photograph was taken in March 2025 with a Canon EOS R100.

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Migrating Toads

I don’t know why, but this sign made me smile.

The local council have put out warning signs to drivers to avoid a country road (more of a lane) during the hours of darkness due to some migrating toads.

First time I have seen this kind of sign. Wondering if some toads complained or took legal action?

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Portishead Marina #50places2025

It was a wonderfully sunny day in February, so took the time to head to Portishead for a walk around the marina. Watching the yachts come through the lock. The weather was lovely, and we weren’t the only ones with the same idea. The marina was crowded with other people enjoying themselves, and the coffee places were packed.

After enjoying our walk around the marina we headed down the high street, where there are more places for coffee, and there were some free tables as well as they were less crowded. 

Really nice visit to Portishead.

Photographs from a previous visit to Portishead Marina.

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Suomenlinna #50places2025

Last week I was in Helsinki for work, attending a workshop. I was there for a couple of days, but did have some time to walk around and explore Helsinki. 

One place I saw on the map was the fortress island of Suomenlinna, which was just a short ferry ride away. Having arrived on the ferry, I walked around the island.

It was a beautiful island that was enhanced by the ice and snow. Across the islands were some beautiful buildings, sometimes I felt I was walking through a movie set. It was cold, around -6℃, but it was a crisp coldness and I was well wrapped up, so didn’t feel that chilly. I loved walking through the snow enjoyed the ice and bleakness of the island. I can imagine that in the heat of the summer it’s a very different place.

Built by Sweden in 1748 to deter Russian expansion, the Suomenlinna fortress was surrendered to Russia in 1808 during the Finnish War. This loss facilitated the Russian occupation of Finland in 1809. Following Finland’s declaration of independence in 1917, Russian forces withdrew. Finland’s Defence Department managed Suomenlinna until 1973, when control was largely transferred to civilian authorities. Suomenlinna is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Helsinki.

I stopped for a coffee before heading back to Helsinki to catch my flight home.

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Then and Now Take Two Again – Statue of Johan Ludvig Runeberg

his is a regular series of blogs about photographs of the same place taken years apart. The first of the posts in this series was of a council building in Manchester. I always thought I should give then and now photographs a go. However what I have started to notice is that I have been doing Then and Now photographs unintentionally over the years and have been taking photographs of the same thing or place from the same view or perspective years apart. Now this has come to my attention I have started to intentionally take photographs of the same place.

I visited Finland for a conference in Espoo back in July 2006. I had some time before my flight home, so took a bus to visit the centre of Helsinki.

Johan Ludvig Runeberg was a Finnish priest, lyric and epic poet. He wrote exclusively in Swedish. He is considered a national poet of Finland.

I took this photograph in July 2006 with a Sony DSC-P200 digital camera.

I took a similar photograph in February 2025 with a Canon EOS R100.

I was back in Helsinki for a workshop, so took the time to retake the photo. Not too much has changed over the last nineteen years, though the fact one was taken in summer and the other in winter.

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Helsinki #50places2025

Last week I was in Helsinki for work, attending a workshop. I was there for a couple of days, but did have some time to walk around and explore Helsinki.

I have been to Finland before, I was there for a conference in July 2006, nearly twenty years ago. Back then I was presenting at the EU e-Learning Conference in Espoo. It was a quick trip in 2006, flying out on Monday and then back home on the Wednesday. I flew from Bristol Airport and then there was a bit of a mad rush at Schiphol where I had to change to a flight to Helsinki. Schiphol is one huge airport…

Having arrived at Helsinki, I needed to get to Espoo and travelled by shared taxi to the hotel. I spent part of the evening walking around the area, before ending up in the hotel restaurant. It was lovely and sunny, and as being so far north, the sun never really set.

I spent the Tuesday at the conference. I had some time the following day before my flight to have a quick look around Helsinki. I caught a bus to the centre and back.

This time I flew direct to Helsinki from Heathrow. I arrived late afternoon, this time I took a train from the airport to the centre. I then walked to my hotel, so after checking in I did explore the area around the hotel. The following morning, I was up early so I went for a walk around the city centre. I then headed off to Espoo for my workshop, using the Metro to get there. The workshop was over two days.

I had an evening flight the following day. I woke up to 4cm of snow,  so after working at the hotel, after checking out I took a walk down to the harbour to catch a ferry to Suomenlinna.

Helsinki is an amazing city, and there is some incredible architecture and buildings. I was impressed with the public transport, there were trains, buses, trams, a metro, and even a ferry. I used the HSL app extensively for tickets.

It was nice to return to Helsinki and having a little more time to see something of the place, whereas back in 2006 it was very rushed.

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Lytes Cary Manor #50places2025

After enjoying my National Trust membership in 2023, I decided I would rejoin the Trust for 2025. 

I went to Lytes Cary Manor in September 2023 and it was nice to revisit the property.

Lytes Cary Manor

Lytes Cary Manor is an intimate medieval manor house with a beautiful Arts and Crafts-style garden where you can imagine living. Originally the family home of Henry Lyte, where he translated the unique Niewe Herball book on herbal remedies, Lytes Cary was then lovingly restored in the 20th century by Sir Walter Jenner. The garden rooms contain a magical collection of topiary and herbaceous borders, while tranquil walks on the estate take you along the River Cary.

Current saving £42.20
One adult £14.00
Parking free
Total saving £14.00
Cumulative saving £63.00
Membership cost £91.20
Net cumulative saving £28.20

I arrived at Lytes Cary Manor and parked the car. It was quite busy.

I headed to the house and had a look around. Last time I was there, due to a lack of volunteers the first floor was closed, this time it was open.

I then headed to the café to have some soup and a cheese scone. However, not only was there a queue, it was packed. If it had been warmer I might have eaten outside, but it was quite chilly, so decided to give the soup and scone a miss. Maybe next time.

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The Vyne #50places2025

After enjoying my National Trust membership in 2023, I decided I would rejoin the Trust for 2025. 

I went to The Vyne two years ago and it was nice to revisit the property.

The Vyne

A former Tudor powerhouse turned 17th century family home, set in gardens, woodlands, and wetlands.

Current saving -£57.20
One adult £15.00
Parking free
Total saving £15.00
Cumulative saving £49.00
Membership cost £91.20
Net cumulative saving -£42.20

The house was an interesting mix of medieval cellars, Tudor palace, and a 17th century family home. Unlike on my last visit the first floor was closed. I enjoyed walking around the house and the grounds.

This year I have planned to visit fifty places.

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Then and Now – Chepstow Castle

This is a regular series of blogs about photographs of the same place taken years apart. I quite like those Then and Now comparison photographs that you see in books or on the Twitter or Facebook.  The first of the posts in this series was of a council building in Manchester.

I always thought I should give then and now photographs a go. However what I have started to notice is that I have been doing Then and Now photographs unintentionally over the years and have been taking photographs of the same thing or place from the same view or perspective years apart.

I was looking at some old photographs from a couple of visits to Chepstow Castle. Not too surprising I found I had taken similar photographs of the castle.

This photograph was taken in August 2009 with a Canon EOS 400D.

Chepstow Castle

I took a very similar photograph four years later, in August 2013, again with the same Canon EOS 400D.

Not quite the same angle, but close enough.

I also took this photograph of the castle grounds in August 2009 with a Canon EOS 400D.

Chepstow Castle

I did a similar shot four years later.

Chepstow Castle is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain. Construction began in 1067, just after the Norman conquest by the Norman Lord William FitzOsbern.