As darkness closed in and yet another squall blew up, we slipped over the Welsh border and headed for Welshpool. We had hemmed and hawed up to the very last minute of departure: should we or shouldn’t we go; it could be muddy; the parking a nightmare; too many people; the prospect of getting soaked; nearly an hour’s drive on unlit winding country lanes. So many reasons not to go. And then we simply gave up the argument and set off.
It was not promising. The constant swish of wipers; rain that felt set-in; roads awash and headlights picking up flooded fields and burst river banks. But as we reached the outskirts of Welshpool the rain suddenly stopped, and ahead and high on its rocky promontory Powys Castle glowed like some fairy-tale bastion. And as it turned out, parking was easy; we were not mired in mud despite days of rain; and though there were plenty of visitors, we all soon lost ourselves in the castle grounds and it quickly became a big, magical adventure.
And not a little bonkers, I must admit – going round the steeply terraced castle gardens in the dark – the whole thing laid on by the National Trust as part of their season of festive celebrations at the castle. Anyway, here are a few other-worldly scenes from the night garden of this ancient Welsh borderland fortress.
Tish Farrell 
Beautiful and spooky at the same time
It was gently spooky.
Did you also get to go inside? First and third shots are gorgeous!
Indeed we did. But no photos allowed. Which is a shame because they had put on a full scale Victorian Christmas extravaganza in every room.
Very beautifully captured. So glad the rain stopped. 🙂
Thank you very much for sharing, Tish!
Thank you for the nice challenge, Amy.
I appreciate your support, Tish! 💖
oh wow how amazing, so glad you gave up the argument and went. What a wonderful experience. The Victorian’s certainly knew how to put on an extravaganza!
It truly was a treat. There was hot chocolate to be had at the bottom of the garden too.
much needed I suspect by the time you had got down there!
It certainly was.
Love that tree photo Tish!
Thanks, June.
Thanks for the evening tours, well done.
Thank you, Sally. It was a fun evening.
Oh, wonderfully atmospheric, Tish!
Thank you, Sue.
I wonder if a digital SLR with full frame sensor would have brought out more detail in the dark. But very atmospheric shots.
I dare say it would have, Ian. I was only using the ‘night scene’ setting on my point and shoot, which told me I should anwyay be using a tripod, which I wasn’t. All in all it was a bit of a ‘jua kali’ effort stumbling round in the semi-dark.
Driving along narrow unlit lanes in the dark and rain is not my idea of fun either, so thanks for showing us this.
We’re all convinced it’s so much darker earlier this year. Must be the brexit-effect.
How enchanting to see what glows in the dark. So glad you went to capture celebrations of the castle and lights.
It was a good bit of magic 🙂
What a fabulous event. Thanks for deciding to go, and sharing it. Shame about not allows photos indoors,but your outdoor shots really give a flovour of the night.
I have my sister Jo to thank for spurring us there. Left to our own devices I think we might have chickened out. But it just goes to show – travelling hopefully has a lot to say for it 🙂
Fabulous, Tish! So glad you made the effort 😃😃 xx
WOW Tish it certainly does look magical and otherworldly at night. I suppose you could almost imagine being back there in medieval times with of the modern things in the landscape blacked out by the evening. 🙂
It was certainly surreal. The woods that bordered the foot of the garden and picked up only the fringes the lights were truly magical, but beyond my photographic capacity. And then there were trees that were covered in swarming fireflies.
Swarming fireflies would have been amazing to see in that setting 😁
Love those lights.
Thanks, Marie.
Reblogged this on Hutt's New World Order.
Have a great Christmas from New Zealand.
Many thanks, and all the best to you.
Most assuredly worth the trip. 😀 … and hot chocolate to boot! 😀
Always the mark of a good outing – hot chocolate 🙂
Truly gorgeous at night. You captured it well. And the tree- wow!
Thanks, Jennie 🙂
You’re welcome, Tish!
What a dramatic atmosphere!
It was, Gilly 🙂
Very festive, and yes, a bit spooky!!
Thanks, Tina.