The eighth edition of the Rough Guide to Wales is the ultimate travel guide to this incredibly varied country, with stunning photography throughout. Whether you want to trek the Pembrokeshire Coast Path or let loose at Green Man festival, have a slap-up meal in foodie Abergavenny or chug through the Snowdonia mountains on the Ffestiniog Railway, you'll find all the practical details and inspiring ideas you'll need. Spanning the length and breadth of Wales, from tiny valley towns to bustling cities, this is the most comprehensive guide to the country. Plan your trip using our colour-coded maps and up-to-date listings on the best places to stay, eat and drink in every corner of Wales. Whether you want detailed background or a quick idea of the highlights of each region, The Rough Guide to Wales has it all. Make the most of your time on EarthTM with The Rough Guide to Wales.

This work is a fresh look at the Maps of the Wilderland in The Hobbit, leading to the discovery that Professor Tolkien drew the imaginary maps from the Map of Wales back to front, or in reverse. The maps of the Shire in The Lord of The Rings are drawn likewise, of England. ‘“They are on their way to visit the land of their fathers, away east beyond Mirkwood,” put in Gandalf...’ Gandalf’s talk of the ‘land of their fathers’ is, by translation of its national anthem, Professor J.R.R. Tolkien’s hidden clue to the geography of Wales, which we learn the Professor loved, including its language. The focal point of The Hobbit, the Lonely Mountain, is identified as Cadair Idris of North-West Wales. Many of the topographical features of the Mountain coincide. The volcano-mouth Lake of the Lonely Mountain so resembles Llyn Cau of Cadair Idris. The marvel is that the lake has been overlooked so long: not only by Smaug the Dragon, but also by most commentators on The Hobbit. Which reader remembers there is a lake at all? Stephen interprets many of the allusions borrowed by Tolkien in his fantastic tale, including Beorn at the Carrock, the herons of Wales at Lake Town, and dragon fire at the Withered Heath. The work is divided into nine parts, with three site groupings. His unique focus on Tolkien’s map-making methodology will make his book relevant not only to Tolkien fans worldwide, but those interested in geography too.

Maps not only show the world, they help it turn. On an average day, we will consult some form of map approximately a dozen times, often without even noticing: checking the A-Z, the road atlas or the Sat Nav, scanning the tube or bus map, a quick Google online or hours wasted flying over a virtual Earth, navigating a way around a shopping centre, watching the weather forecast, planning a walk or a trip, catching up on the news, booking a holiday or hotel. Maps pepper logos, advertisements, illustrations, books, web pages and newspaper and magazine articles: they are a cipher for every area of human existence. At a stroke, they convey precise information about topography, layout, history, politics and power. They are the unsung heroes of life: Map Addict sings their song. There are some fine, dry tomes out there about the history and development of cartography: this is not one of them. Map Addict mixes wry observation with hard fact and considerable research, unearthing the offbeat, the unusual and the downright pedantic in a celebrati on of all things maps.

A feast of extraordinary theories and personalities centred around the mysterious standing stones of antiquity. John Michell tells the incredible story of the amazing reactions, ancient and modern, to these prehistoric relics, whether astronomical, legendary, mystical or visionary.

Written and designed by outdoor experts, these authoritative guidebooks give long-distance and local walkers everything they need to enjoy the Wales Coast Path with confidence. With clear, expertly-written and numbered directions, enhanced Ordnance Survey mapping for the whole route, stunning professional photographs, and fascinating interpretation of points of interest along the way, these guides set a new standard in clarity and ease-of-use. The guide breaks the South Wales Coast section ¿ from Swansea to Chepstow on the Welsh/English border ¿ down in to nine handy day sections