A lively, informed, authoritative and entertaining account of what Wales
has to offer native and newcomer alike. PLANET
The question posed to the author once by a prospective visitor to
Wales - "What is there to see?" - is not susceptible of a short, or
quick, answer. For the delights of Wales are cumulative and understated:
a succession of small country churches rather than great city
cathedrals, a labyrinth of byways away from the few highways, details of
vernacular architecture rather than grand edifices, the
thirteenth-century Edwardian castles being the exception thatproves this
rule. A cultural tradition rooted in the austerity and erudition of the
Celtic saints, a tradition more confirmed than repudiated by the
Reformation, is best appreciated by lovers of small things.
Wales is a country where small is beautiful. For although the juggernaut
of globalisation may be threatening the Welsh way of life with
extinction, in the words of a contemporary Welsh folk anthem: "In spite
of everything, we're still here."
DAVID BARNES is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and teaches at
the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.