{mosimage}Steeped in history, the walled town of Caernarfon, North Wales dates back to the time of the ancient Romans. The Roman name for the town was Segontium and the present name means “fort in Afron”. The famous Caernarfon Castle dominates the town from its location on the banks of the River Seiont. The castle was built by Edward the first in the twelfth century and has been the site of two Prince of Wales investitures, the latest being that of HRH Prince Charles in 1969.

Patrick McGoohan stared as Number Six, the leading role in the The Prisoner, and was also the creator and driving force behind the seventeen episode series. Even today, almost forty years after it first appeared, there are numerous fans. Even the Beatles were fans.
 

 But if you’re not a fan of the series, or maybe haven’t even heard of it, there are plenty of other reasons to visit Portmeirion. There are a number of shops and Portmeirion Pottery, established by Clough Williams-Ellis' daughter Susan and her husband Euan in 1960, offers original ceramic designs for sale. However, nowadays the pottery itself is produced in Stoke on Trent.
 

{mosimage}Take the opportunity to visit a World Heritage Site and imagine yourself back in the time of the ancient Roman world in Britain. The construction of the wall was ordered by the Emperor Hadrian in A.D. 122 to separate the land of the Britons from the land of the Picts. The wall stretched from the River Tyne to the River Solway and remnants of the wall still remain across the cliff on which it was built. The original wall was 73 miles long and 15 feet high. The remaining parts of the wall are only one metre high in some places, but you can still get the idea of the construction techniques of the period and marvel at how the work was accomplished.

{mosimage}Set in the beautiful rural Warwickshire countryside, on the banks of the river Avon, Stratford Upon Avon is one of the most important tourist destinations in the UK.
 
This is Shakespeare country – you can visit five houses in or near Stratford-upon-Avon connected with William Shakespeare and his family. Open all year round, these sixteenth-century houses feature rare period furnishings and domestic items. Tudor life is displayed in attractive gardens and grounds the properties offer a unique experience of the Stratford world in which the famous dramatist and poet was

The half-timbered house where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 is Stratford's most cherished and most frequently visited of all the tourist places. New Place, Shakespeare's home from 1597 until his death in 1616,was pulled down in the eighteenth century but its foundations and grounds can be seen, including a beautiful Elizabethan-style knot garden created eighty years ago.
 
The site is approached through Nash’s House, which contains furnishings of Shakespeare's period. Upstairs is an exhibition dealing with the history of Stratford-upon-Avon before and after Shakespeare
 
Halls Croft is where Shakespeare's eldest daughter lived with her husband. It is near to Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare is buried. On display are outstanding sixteenth and seventeenth-century furniture and paintings, and an exhibition about Dr Hall and the medicine of his time.
 
Anne Hathaway’s cottage, where Anne lived before marrying William Shakespeare in 1582 is extremely picturesque and the second favourite Shakespearian property. Part of the building dates from the mid-fifteenth century, and some of the furniture belonged to the Hathaways and their descendants.
 
Mary Arden's house is three and a half miles outside Stratford, A timbered Tudor farmhouse this is the house that Shakespeare's mother, Mary Arden, grew up in. It’s also home to the Shakespeare countryside museum, two farms, displays of farm implements, daily demonstrations by the Heart of England falconry, a blacksmith's forge and a duck pond.
 
Once you’ve had enough of Shakespeare, or if you decide on a longer stay, you could visit the Teddy Bear Museum, which holds the largest collection of teddies in the country.
 
Or there’s Europe's largest Butterfly Farm where you can enjoy some of the world's most spectacular and colourful butterflies flying around you. You can walk amongst hundreds of exotic butterflies in the rainforest environment, with tropical plants and waterfalls.
 
The Falstaffs Experience offers a glimpse into the pages of history, from the glorious to the ghastly, from the hilarious to the haunting, from the plague to the English Civil War. And, of course, there’s always the river Avon itself. You can take a trip on the old ferry, which takes you across the river to a waterside walk where you can visit the Butterfly Farm. You can also hire boats and go rowing on the Avon. Stratford also has much to offer in the way of food, with a wide variety of well-priced restaurants offering local and international cuisine. There’s also a good selection of bars and pubs. Plenty of local accommodation is available to suit all budgets.
 
 
Indicative websites
Stratford Upon Avon http://www.stratford-upon-avon.co.uk/
Teddy Bear Museum http://www.theteddybearmuseum.com/
The Falstaffs Experience http://www.falstaffsexperience.co.uk/index2.htm
Butterfly Farm http://www.butterflyfarm.co.uk/attraction/index.php
Something for all the family, but special appeal to Shakespeare buffs.