A British Journey - Wales - 15 June 2004

Europa 2004 - Holidays

The third leg of 'A British Journey' takes us to the Principality of Wales. The first set was The Beauty of Scotland issue in 2003, and a set featuring the landscape of Northern Ireland was issued earlier this year. Royal Mail has used this set featuring the scenery of Wales as its contribution to the 2004 PostEurop (Europa) series, which has the theme of Tourism or Holidays, and brough in a historical element to celebrate the 600th anniversary of Wales's first independent parliament and its founder, the charismatic warrior leader Owain Glyndwr. Glyndwr, who united Wales at the turn of the fifteenth century, established the parliament of Machynlleth in 1404, where he was also crowned Prince of Wales. Two places with direct links to Glyndwr are included in this set: Hyddgen Valley, Plynlimon on the 1st Class stamp and Rhewl, Dee Valley on the 47p stamp.

The stamps in the set show:
2nd class - Barmouth, one of the most picturesque resorts on the Welsh coast, surrounded by the splendour of the Snowdonia National Park. The Grade II listed bridge which spans the estuary is shown being crossed by one of the passenger trains which travels between Pwllheli in the north and Machynlleth to the south.
1st class - The wild and desolate river valley of Hyddgen in the Cambrian Mountains. In the summer of 1401, Owain Glyndwr's 120 strong troop of volunteers mounted on Welsh mountain ponies, met and defeated a professional English and Flemish army reputedly of over 1,500 men. [Europa]
40p - The Brecon Beacons, the highest mountains in south Wales, are one of many spectacular features of the Brecon Beacons National Park, which covers an area of 520 square miles from Hay on Wye in the east to Llandeilo in the west.
43p - Pen-pych is one of the few flat-topped mountains in Europe. The three-sided mountain overlooks the village of Blaenrhonnda, which remains significant as the largest undefended Iron Age settlement in south east Wales.
47p - The small village of Rhew in the Dee valley is a short distance away from the four main towns of the Dee Valley: Llangollen, Corwen, Bala and Chirk, but is also close to Glyn Dyfrdwy where Owain Glyndwr grew up and from where he took his name.
68p - Marloes Sands is regarded as one of Pembrokeshire's most impressive beaches. The 410 million -year-old multi-coloured cliffs fringe the beach, and their strange Silurian rock formations have seen the area designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

2nd class - Barmouth Bridge Pont Abermaw	1st class - Hyddgen, Plynlimon Hyddgen, Pumlummon	40p - Brecon Beacons Bannau Brycheiniog
43p Pen-pych, Rhondda Valley Pen-Pych, Cwm Rhondda	47p Rhewl, Dee Valley Rhewl, Glyn Dyfrdwy Birthplace of Owain Glyndwr	68p Marloes Sands Traeth Marloes

Self-adhesive book

Technical details: .
The stamps are printed in gravure by De La Rue, perf 14.5, with PVA gum.
All images except FDCs are taken from Royal Mail's Philatelic Bulletin and Postmark Bulletin, and are Copyright 2004 by Royal Mail.

Norvic Exclusive First Day Cover

As with previous British Journey sets we produced an exclusive FDC for this issue showing a map with a route linking the locations on the stamps and this has been used for the set of 6, and the self adhesive booklet:

For all other enquiries please email us.

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The special postmarks which were available for the Day of Issue are shown here:

Ref W9157 Snowdonia, Barmouth, Gwynedd	Ref W9155 Machynlleth, Powys	Ref W9156 Brecon, Powys	Ref W9159 Blaenrhonnda, Glamorgan	Ref W9158 Llangollen, Clwyd	Ref W9160 Marloes, Pembrokeshire
Ref W9163 Brecon, Powys, Wales	Ref W9165 Portmeirion, Penrhyndeudraeth	Ref W9169 The Welsh Harp - Taffs Well Inn Public House/Inn	Ref W9167 Tenby, Dyfed	Ref W9166 Yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol / The National Trust, Apel Eryri / Snowdonia Appeal, Llanberis, Gwynedd	Ref W9168 Self Adhesives, Merthyr Tydfil
Ref FD419 Bureau Official Postmark	Ref FD420 Llanfairpwllgwyngyll- gogerychwyrndrobwll- llantysiliogogogoch	Ref FD420x Llanfairpwllgwyngyll- gogerychwyrndrobwll- llantysiliogogogoch	Ref L9128 Wales - A British Journey, Prince of Wales Road, London NW5	Ref W9171 Machynlleth, Powys	Ref W9170 Cymru - Wales, Caerdydd - Cardiff
	<<<< Ref L9151 Owens Way, London SE23		<<<< Ref M9153 Prince of Wales Lane, Birmingham		<<<< Ref W9164 Welsh 'Capital' ship, HMS Cardiff, Atlantic Patrol Ship South

This page updated 14 June 2004 [5.2.2005]

Any questions? please e-mail us.

2003	2004 stamp issues			2005
13 January Classic Steam Locomotives	30 January Hong Kong Stamp Expo 2004 Smilers Sheet	3 February Occasions/Greetings stamps and Smilers sheet	26 February Lord of the Rings	16 March Letters by Night Prestige Book (TPOs) A British Journey - Northern Ireland
1 April New definitives, including airmail postcard book of stamps	6 April Centenary of the Entente Cordiale	13 April Ocean Liners	11 May 40p Country definitives	25 May Royal Horticultural Society
15 June British Journey - Wales	29 July Rule Britannia Smilers Sheet	10 August Royal Society of Arts	16 September Woodland Animals	5 October Scottish Parliament Building
12 October Crimean War	2 November Father Christmas	HOME