After leaving the Lake District we headed south towards England. We spend a lovely 1/2 day completing the "speed tour" of the city Chester, which is a walled city, and we took a brief walk around the walls and through the streets before Doug and I spent the rest of our time at the Cathedral. It was originally built in 907, and the medieval church was completed in 1540. It still has the remains on one of the Norman arches.
After a take-a-way lunch in Chester we headed to Bodnant Gardens. The clever gentleman who owned this lovely estate figured out that if he donated his land to the government, he could avoid paying taxes on it. The family still live in the (large) house, and the gardens are excellently maintained. There are some formal gardens, but also lots of ponds and things that are more landscaped than gardened (if that makes any sense).
From Bodnant Gardens we drove to Portmerion which was our home for the next two nights. This bizarre Italianate village was created by Welsh architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. He built approximately 50 buildings surrounding a central courtyard in styles ranging from Oriental to Gothic. It is quite odd (and not very Welsh) but the accommodations and food were first rate. The village sits on a private peninsula in Cardigan Bay, and we were able to watch the tides roll in and out from our 3rd floor room. Portmerion also has its own china (floral patterns) and is the set for the British series The Prisoner.