Abroad In Wales

Travels of Eustace and Eunice Alliott in Wales, including locations in South West Wales, Central Wales, on the Welsh western coast and North Wales.

Film record of a journey from the Cotswolds in central England to South West Wales and northwards through Wales, comprising shots of local beauty spots, visitor attractions and the activities of locals. Reel 1 includes a sequence recording details of the journey to Wales through Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds. Footage in this sequence includes Eunice Alliott inspecting the Rollright stones at Chipping Norton; Eunice at The Broadway hotel; beauty spots and historic buildings in Evesham, Great Malvern and Tewkesbury. The English sequence concludes with a shot of Eunice driving the Alliotts' car over Wilton Bridge. Shots include: Eunice getting out of the Alliotts' car at The Broadway Hotel; Eunice in the garden at the hotel; Eunice drinking tea by an open fire, Eunice ascending the stairs and a shot of the Alliotts' room, including its four poster bed. Shots of the journey through the Cotswolds in England on reel 1 also include the river Avon and swans at Evesham; exterior of Great Malvern priory and stained glass window; exterior and interior shots Tewkesbury Abbey. Reel 1 also includes footage of the Welsh landscape, coast and activities near and in Tenby. It records visits to the beach at Saundersfoot; to Tenby, Manorbier Bay, Carningle and the Henllan Falls. Shots include: children playing on the beach at Saundersfoot; pan shots of the coast, the landscape, the town, beach and harbour at Tenby; the exterior of Tenby Castle; the cliffs and coastline near the Stack Rocks; Eunice inspecting rocks at the Cromlech; a girl picking primroses, men with ponies and carts hauling sand; the exterior and interior of Manorbier Castle; Eustace Alliott scanning the Prescelly Hills, Dinas Head and Fishguard Bay with a pair of binoculars; waterfalls and rapids at the Henllan Falls. Reel 2 includes footage of the activities of locals and the landscape along the River Teifi and Cardigan Bay. It includes shots of the River Teifi and the bridge at Cenarth; Eunice Alliott climbing a bank near Cilgerran Castle; the exterior of the castle; views of the castle from the riverbank; a view of Gwbert from Cardigan Golf Course; the activities of fishermen on the Teifi Estuary; the coastline beyond Gwbert; sights from a boat trip around Cardigan Island; Eustace Alliott using binoculars to observe the coast and seals at sea off the Gwbert; harvest scenes; a visit to a farm. Shots of the Teifi at Cenarth include: anglers on the river bank, close to fast flowing water [see also ‘The Coracle Fishers’, Cat 4455]. Shots at Cardigan Golf Course include: a player teeing off with Cardigan Bay in the background [see also the film Golf and Tennis, Cat 4391]. Shots of the activities of fishermen at the Teifi Estuary include: men driving horse drawn carts along sand dunes and through narrow channels of water; men in boats; men arranging nets; men hauling a boat; a boat leasing its seine net while a man hauls the net on the opposite bank; the boat arrives on shore and its occupants haul the net to form a circle, the net is hauled to land with its small catch, one of the men washes the salmon while two others attend to the boat. Shots of the coast at Gwbert and the boat trip around Cardigan Island include: Oystercatches on a rock and birds in flight; birds on the island and on the sea; Eunice observing the scenery from the boat. Shots in the farmyard include: Eunice feeding chickens and ducks; pigs rubbing their skin against walls and pigs in a sty. Reel 3 records details of the Alliotts' trip along the west coast and through central Wales. The reel includes shots of men, women and children hauling a small sailing boat up the beach at Traeth; Eunice Alliott climbing a rock and looking at the coastal scenery; a waterfall at presumably Traeth; Eunice feeding a seagull; waves breaking against rocks and cliffs where the ‘Tudor Valley’ meets the sea; children playing along the harbour wall at New Quay; the Devil’s Bridge and the waterfalls at Mynach with two shots of Eunice walking through and observing the countryside; Eunice bathing her foot and rinsing her face and hands in a stream before climbing a bank to sit and pour a drink from a soda syphon; the Craig Goch dam with shots of Eunice observing the scenery. Reel 4 records details of a journey through Snowdonia. It includes shots of cattle on a beach at Aberdovey; shepherds corralling sheep on a road near Tal y Llyn to allow a car to pass; mountain landscapes at Cadair Idris, Dolgellau and Blaenau Ffestiniog; a man cutting grass with a scythe; [distant shot of] Snowdon; the Conway and Llugwy rivers and waterfalls; of the bridges at the Menai Straits; inland lakes (Llyn Ogwen and Llyn Gwynant) and Snowdon; agricultural workers harvesting and cutting grass in the Vale of Gwynant; Eustace Alliott using binoculars to observe Snowdon. The shots of the Menai Straits includes actuality footage of a car journey across the bridge.

Featured Buildings

Reel 1: Rollright stones The Broadway Hotel, Broadway Evesham church Great Malvern Priory, Malvern Tewkesbury Abbey, Tewkesbury Walton Bridge, Ross Walton church Tenby lifeboat house Tenby harbour Tenby pier Tenby castle Manorbier castle Reel 2: Bridge at Cennarth Cilgerran Castle Cardigan Golf Course [unidentified farm] Reel 3: Devil’s Bridge, near Aberystwyth Craig Goch Dam, Rhyader [Rhayader] Valley Reel 4: Tubular bridge, Menai Straits, Wales Suspension bridge, Menai Straits, Wales

Keywords

Amateur film; inter-war tourism; motor holidays; leisure; Wales; Historic buildings in Wales

Intertitles

On the way: We stopped to inspect the Rollright Stones near Chipping Norton. At the foot of the Cotswolds – Broadway. The Avon at Evesham. Our next halt was at Malvern. A brief stop at Tewkesbury. We crossed the Wye by Wilton Bridge near Ross. Saundersfoot – near Tenby. A peaceful shore where children play. Tenby. Near the Stack Rocks. The Cromlech: Manorbier Bay. A primrose bank. A famous old ruin: Manorbier Castle. From Carningle are seen fine panoramas of the Prescelly Hills, Dinas Head, & Fishguard Bay. A gem of Tivyside: Henllan Falls. End of Reel 1. The Teifi was in spate at Cennarth [Cenarth] Falls. Nearing Cardigan. Kilcerran [Cilgerran] Castle frowns over the Teifi. Here is Gwbert. All of it!: From Cardigan Golf Course. Near Gwbert. Sand has barred the Estuary of the Teifi. In the narrow channel seiners work hard & sometimes catch a salmon. The coast beyond Gwbert is wild & rocky. Hard to catch!: The Oystercatchers. A cruise round Cardigan Island. Seals abound near Gwbert. A little inland: Farm scenes. End of Reel 2. Traeth Saeth – “Shore of the Seven” – has a tradition of seven shipwrecked mariners. In Llandyssiliogogo [Llandysiliogogo]: Where Cwm Tydi. The “Tudor Valley” Meets the sea. Wales has it’s [its] New Quay. Here it is: Near Aberystwyth: Are the Devil’s Bridge & his Punchbowl. Nearby are the lovely Falls of Mynach. Rest & refreshment by a mountain stream. In Mid Wales – The Elan Valley near Rhyader [Rhayader] holds Birmingham’s mighty waterworks. End of Reel 3. We make a lightning survey of North Wales. Primitive sun bathers at Aberdovey. Near Tal y Llyn Cader [Cadair] Idris & scenes from Dolgelly [Dolgelley, Dolgellau] to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Distant Snowdon & later Moel Siabod from the Lledr Valley. At Bettws y Coed [Betws y Coed], River Conway, Conway Falls, & Llugwy River. The Swallow Falls. The fame of Brunel took us to the Menai Straits. The tubular bridge & the suspension bridge. The Nant Ffrancon Pass & Llyn Ogwen. Snowdon! from above Llyn Gwynant: & the Vale of Gwynant. Goodbye to Snowdon. The End

Other Places

Reel 1: Chipping Norton; Broadway; Evesham; Malvern; Tewkesbury; Wilton Bridge near Ross; Saundersfoot near Tenby; Tenby; Manorbier Bay; Carningle; Henllan Falls. Reel 2: Cennarth [Cenarth] Falls; Cilgerran Castle; Cardigan Golf Course; Cardigan Island; Gwbert. Reel 3: Tresaith; Llandysiliogogo; New Quay; Devil’s Bridge Falls, Aberystwyth; Mynach Falls, Aberystwyth; Craig Goch Dam, Rhayader, Elan Valley. Reel 4: Aberdovey [Aberdyfi]; Tal y Llyn; Cader Idris [Cadair Idris]; country scenes between Dolgellau [Dolgelly, Dolgelley] and Blaenau Ffestiniog; Lledr Valley; Betws y Coed; Llugwy River; Menai Straits; Nant Ffrancon Pass; Llyn Gwynant.