Monthly Archives: January 2025

Anglesey Road Trip Omnibus

Anglesey Road Trip 2022 Omnibus

Documentary, Events, Lockdown, Nostramus, Production, Steve-Spon

Way back in early 2022 we headed north to visit Anglesey for a short visit.
It was a windswept but bright and clear day as we headed through Eryri. Meanwhile on the airwaves, the dread of a new war breaking out in Ukraine and the implicated threat of an all-out conflict was very much on our minds. If these were to be our last days, we would dam well enjoy ourselves.

Part One “The Menai Suspension Bridge” Anglesy, Ynys Mon, is an island on the north west coast of Wales. Recently we headed up to Anglesey for a short visit. The day turned out to be really sunny although very windy. After driving through ‘Eryri’ which is the new name for Snowdonia, we crossed over to Anglesey via the Menai Suspension bridge. Anglesey is rich in ancient and not so ancient history! Over the next day we shall be visiting Iron age villages, medieval chapels and 19th century archetecturural inovations. Join us as we reveal interesting and mysterious landscape features. The Menai Suspension Bridge. We take a look at the historical context for one of Britain’s iconic technological innovations
Thanks and a shout to Dave McIntosh YT@davemcintoshyt277 for additional footage

Menai Suspension Bridge with the mountains of Eryri beyond

Tsylios Church Island & The Swellies Anglesey Road Trip pt2
A look at the Medieval Chapel on Ynys Tsylio (Church Island) Anglesey and the notorious Swellies; a sometimes dangerous stretch of water subject to occasional whirlpools (Swallows)~ And featuring the magnificent landscapes to be seen of Eryri (Snowdonia) as seldom seen in a magnificent golden hour.

Y Mawr Hut Circles. South Stack, Holyhead Mountain, Anglesey.
Our first day we visited an area of heather and gorse, West of Holyhead on Anglesey marked Cytiau’r Gwyddelod on the map. This Welsh name means “Irishmen’s Huts”, but only the stone foundations survive today. It was at Clwstwr Cytiau Mynydd Caergybi, the Irish Huts at the base of Holyhead Mountain, that we met the mayor of Anglesey walking his dog, we had a convivial chat and discovered the Tŷ Mawr Hut Circles. The Irish occupied parts of Anglesey after the Romans, but these huts date before this era. The hidden foundations of hut circles on Anglesey and North Wales rarely survive but Tŷ Mawr, a site up to 8 hectares scattered across the slopes of Holyhead Mountain, are well maintained. Cadw excavated this site and it is completely accessible.

Anglesey Road Trip Episode Four (4/5)
On this episode we visit the Din Lligwy Burial Chamber and the Din Lligwy Romano British settlement. One fascinating point I found in the research making this video is that There is a possible association between the Welsh word “Lligwy” and the Irish “Lug”. Both words are thought to derive from a Proto-Celtic root word meaning “bright” or “shining” So I guess “Din Lligwy” must mean “Lug” or “Lligwys” fortified settlement or stronghold.

Din Lligwy

Anglesey Road Trip Episode 5/5
On the final episode of our recent Anglesey Road Trip we visit the spooky “Hen Capel Lligwy” (Old Lligwy Chapel) This is a truly ancient Chapel, situated nearby to the Romano British settlement and to the 5,000 year old Burial Chamber. Its pure speculation but could there be links with the proto Tudor dynasty that originated from this area of north Wales? Could the name “Lligwy” be related to the Irish god ‘Lugh’? Not much is known about this fascinating set of ancient ruins situated high above the nearby coastline. With spectacular views across north Wales from the Eryri Mountains to the Great Orme with occasional views to the Isle Of Man. We end our short Anglesey Road Trip with this fascinating ruined Chapel, there is only so much you can do in less than a couple of days. there is so much more and we shall get back to view some more fascinating historical landscape features on the Isle of Anglesey some day soon.

Anglesey Road Trip Omnibus

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The White Castle looking north

The White Castle

Drone Movie, Multimedia, Production, Steve-Spon
The White Castle looking north

Steve Spon presents The White Castle– Legacy of the Norman English & the Marcher Lords Splendid views in 4k with Organ Recital

Castell Gwyn known in English as “The White Castle” was originally called Llantilio Crossenny.. The fortification was established by the Normans in the wake of the invasion of England in 1066, to protect the route from Wales to Hereford. Possibly commissioned by William fitz Osbern, the Earl of Hereford, it comprised three large earthworks with timber defences. In 1135, a major Welsh revolt took place and in response King Stephen brought together White Castle and its sister fortifications of Grosmont and Skenfrith to form a lordship known as the “Three Castles”, which continued to play a role in defending the region from Welsh attack for several centuries.

King John gave the castle to a powerful royal official, Hubert de Burgh, in 1201. Over the next few decades, it passed back and forth between several owners, as Hubert, the rival de Braose family, and the Crown took control of the property. During this period, White Castle was substantially rebuilt, with stone curtain walls, mural towers and gatehouses, forming what the historian Paul Remfry considers to be “a masterpiece of military engineering”.[2] In 1267 it was granted to Edmund, the Earl of Lancaster, and remained in the hands of the earldom, and later duchy, of Lancaster until 1825.

Edward I’s conquest of Wales in 1282 removed much of White Castle’s military utility, and by the 16th century it had fallen into disuse and ruin. The castle was placed into the care of the state in 1922, and is now managed by Cadw, the Welsh heritage agency. Wikipedia Commons

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Spectacular coastal scenery shot by drone in 4k Ultra HD with ambiosonic immersive sound. Best experienced on a large screen with Dolby Atmos.

This is a rare instance of me using someone else’s music. This organ piece in my opinion is up there with the finest gothic organ choral music ever written. It’s atmosphere perfectly conjures up the mood of the oppressive fortifications imposed here on the Welsh landscape. Luckily the day I visited was a fine bright sunny day, however imagine a different weather scenario of big skies full of threatening clouds and the arrival of a storm. The hackles on my back tingled as I sat there and listened to this live organ recital, it blew my head off. the thing with composer Bryan Kelly is that he is virtually unknown , it’s impossible to find his music outside of written score sheets.
Unfortunately, I could not find out the details of this piece of music before I posted it. I had hoped that the youtube algo might find it for me, but it didn’t. So here it is a first for you!
Enjoy!


Music Organ recital by Simon Williams from the Milton Organ performing Bryan Kelly’s “He Died For Us”, Tewkesbury Abbey.
Donate to Tewkesbury Abbeys Milton Organ restoration fund
https://www.tewkesburyabbey.org.uk/abbey-community/
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You can help me out by buying my sound creations here… https://nostramus.bandcamp.com/ Dronescaping Britain copyright Steve Spon 2024