Betws-y-Coed, Wales UK

Betws-y-Coed is a charming village and community nestled

 in the Conwy valley within Conwy County Borough, Wales. 

Its name translates to “prayer-house in the woods” in Welsh.

 

Enjoy some shopping and lunch or refreshment as you wander 

about the village.

St. Mary’s Church in Betws-y-Coed, Wales, 

is a captivating Anglican parish church with a rich history.

 

The church was built between 1870 and 1873 to accommodate the growing number of summer visitors to the area. It replaced a medieval church dedicated to Saint Michael. The Lancaster partnership of Paley and Austin designed it, with the commission won by Hubert Austin. The principal benefactor was Liverpool businessman Charles Kurtz.

 

St. Mary’s features a cruciform plan with a tower at the crossing and an organ chamber to its south. The exterior is constructed in rubble stone with sandstone dressings, and it has slated roofs. The architectural style is Transitional Norman. Notable features include lancet windows, a five-light chancel window with plate tracery, and a rose window.

 

Inside, you’ll find arcades with pointed arches, a font in black and burgundy marble, and a sandstone pulpit in Early English style. The chancel floor is tiled, and the choir stalls and reading desks follow an Arts and Crafts design. The exquisite stained glass includes works by Shrigley and Hunt of Lancaster and others based on designs by Edward Burne-Jones.

Betws-y-Coed is a haven for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. 

With two rivers running through it, the village feels like something out of a fairytale. Explore the verdant forests, cascading waterfalls, and incredible walks in the area.

Pronunciation

An approximation of the way to say the town's name is 

   bet-ooze-uh-koid

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King's Cross Railway Station London England

King's Cross Railway Station, London
8 May 2016

King's Cross is a major London railway station for northbound trains to York, England, Scotland, and other northern stations. The station code is KGX.

Outdoor entertainers at King's Cross, 2024

King's Cross 2024

Inside, people wait for the board to reveal the platform for their journey.

 

King's Cross 15 Aug 2013

Panorama King's Cross

I often stop for a pasty.

Platform 9, King's Cross

Below street level, several underground train lines link King's Cross and nearby St. Pancras to the London Underground or Tube.

My journeys began on the Northern Line on which my grandad worked when it extended to his home neighbourhood of East Finchley.

Northern Line train at King's Cross
18 April 2017

Tube Image from 2016

The fictional story of Harry Potter claims platform 9 3/4. It's a favourite photo stop and shop for visitors from all over the world.

King's Cross Railway Station (also written without the apostrophe) is in the London Borough of Camden. The station was completed in 1852. The name comes from a monument to King George IV. King's Cross is also the name of the nearby neighbourhood and close to St Pancras International Railway Station where you can board the Eurostar to Europe.

The building was modernised in the early 2000s.

In 2024, there were 11 platforms for overground trains.

Combined with St Pancras, there are more underground lines here than anywhere else in London. Here's a list from 2024:

Circle

Hammersmith & City

Metropolitan

Northern

Piccadilly

Victoria

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Nearby

British Museum

British Library

St Pancras Railway Station

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Seven Dials London England

 

Seven Dials Monument, London, 2024
suttong.com

Seven Dials is a historic junction of seven roads marked by a central column, which has seven sundials a the top. The column is the 7th sundial.

Nearby are restaurants and shops. 

Houses that date to the 1600s are at 61 Monmouth St and 64 Neal St.

Seven Dials Market, 2024
suttong.com

The dials now (and their older names):

Earlham Street (Great Earl and Little Earl Streets)

Monmouth Street (Great and Little St Andrew's Streets)

Mercer Street (Great and Little White Lion Streets)

Shorts Gardens (Queen Street)

The current pillar dates to 1988-1989. It was officially unveiled by Beatrix of the Netherlands June 1989 recalling the local development during the period of William and Mary.

Location

Borough of Camden, close to Covent Garden

Notes

Some information comes from Wikipedia

The photos are mine and were taken in 2024.

Some of us got pizza, which is not like the hand-tossed varieties we are used to in the US.

The desserts on the main level were tasty and pricey.

A couple really enjoyed the Cheese bar on the ground floor.

Nearby, in Neal's Yard, we enjoyed doughnuts.

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More London Markets

Borough Market

Canary Wharf

Covent Garden

Portobello Road

Borough Market Southwark London

 

On a sunny summer's day, we visited Borough Market in search of lunch. The variety of eateries and food vendors is amazing.

According to boroughmarket.org, their story began 1,000 years ago at London Bridge. The current market site dates to 1756.

You'll find more than 100 eateries, shops, and restaurants.

We finally decided on empanadas and soft drinks.

Others in our group enjoyed the chocolate covered strawberries.

You could be spoilt for choice here.

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In 2024, the market was open everyday except Monday.

Location

8 Southwark St. London SE1 1TL

Near the London Bridge Underground station

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Kensington Palace

 

Kensington Palace 2024
Geoffrey W. Sutton/suttong.com

Kensington Palace, located in the heart of Kensington Gardens in London, England, is a historic royal residence with over 300 years of history.

Queen Victoria was born and spent her childhood here.

Queen Victoria Monument at Kensington Palace
2024 Geoffrey W. Sutton /suttong.com

On 1 July 2021, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex commissioned a statue honouring the memory of their mother, Princess Diana who lived at the palace for 15 years and enjoyed the restful picturesque Sunken Garden.

Inside the Palace

We toured the palace as part of our Royal Palaces membership in 2024. Organised self-guided tours follow different sequences of rooms for the Kings and Queens apartments.

King's Apartment

Queen Victoria's Bedroom in the Queen's Apartment
2024 /Geoffrey W. Sutton/ suttong.com

Queen's Bedroom, Kensington Palace
2024 /Geoffrey W. Sutton/ suttong.com

More photos of the palace-

A grand musical clock commands attention in the centre of the Cupola Room. Princess Augusta purchased the work created by clockmaker Charles Clay in 1743. 

Musical Clock/ Cupola Room/Kensington Palace
2024 /Geoffrey W. Sutton/ suttong.com

Stunning ceilings

A place for children

Today, Kensington Palace serves as the official London residence for several members of the royal family:

Prince and Princess of Wales

Duke and Duchess of Gloucester

Duke and Duchess of Kent

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent

Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank with their two sons.

The State Rooms are open to the public, managed by the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces.

The offices and private areas remain under the Royal Household’s responsibility.

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Places Nearby

Kensington Gardens and the Princess Diana Fountain

Hyde Park

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Notes from 2024

Photos: All of the photos were taken by Geoffrey W. Sutton in 2024 and are free to use by citing the source:

 https://suttontravels.blogspot.com/2024/07/kensington-palace.html 

There is a café

There is an admission fee unless you are a member.

WIFI and an audio guide are available at no extra charge.

There are accessible toilets and baby changing facilities.

There is no storage for luggage.

Location

Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, London W8 4PX

Learn more at :  https://www.hrp.org.uk

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Albert Bridge London England

 

The Albert Bridge is a road bridge spanning the River Thames in London.

It connects Chelsea (on the north bank) to Battersea (on the south bank).

Originally built in 1873 by Rowland Mason Ordish, it was an Ordish–Lefeuvre system modified cable-stayed bridge. Later, Sir Joseph Bazalgette incorporated elements of a suspension bridge, resulting in a unique hybrid design.

Facts

Total length: 710 feet (220 m)
Width: 41 feet (12 m)
Height: 66 feet (20 m)
Longest span: 384 feet 9 inches (117.27 m) before 1973, 185 feet (56 m) after 1973

Nickname: “The Trembling Lady” because it vibrates when people walk over it.


Notes:

Some text modified from Microsoft Copilot.

The photos were taken by Geoffrey W. Sutton [Website: suttong.com ]

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LONDON BRIDGES

Albert Bridge    Albert BridgeLINK

Battersea Bridge   BatterseaBridgeLink

  

A five-span historic bridge near Battersea Park.

Chelsea Bridge     ChelseaBridgeLINK

 An historic suspension bridge across the Thames

London Millennium Footbridge     MillenniumLink

  

The steel footbridge opened in 2000 located near St Paul's Cathedral

Tower Bridge    TowerBridgeLink

  London's iconic bridge often panned in movies about London.

Vauxhall Bridge     VauxhallLINK

    1906 arched bridge with 8 bronze sculptures

Westminster Bridge  WminsterBridgeLink

   A popular photo spot for pictures of Westminster Palace (Houses of Parliament) and the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) as well as the Thames River.

Google Map of Albert Bridge