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PEMBROKESHIRE COAST PATH
The most heavily populated part of Wales, and by far the most anglicized, is the south. This is a region of distinct character, whether in the resurgent seaport cities of Cardiff and Swansea, the mine-scarred Valleys or the dramatically beautiful Glamorgan and Pembrokeshire coasts. Monmouthshire, Wales’ easternmost county, abuts the English border and contains the bucolic charms of the River Wye and Tintern Abbey. To the west and north, although the coal mines no longer operate, the world-famous Valleys retain their tight-knit towns and a rich working-class heritage, and some excellent museums and colliery tours, including Big Pit at Blaenavon and the Rhondda Heritage Park in Trehafod.
The Valleys course down to the great ports of the coast, which once shipped Wales’ products all over the world. The greatest of them all was Cardiff, now Wales’ upbeat capital and an essential stop. Further west is Wales’ second city, Swansea – rougher, tougher and less anglicized than Cardiff, it sits on an impressive arc of coast that shelves round to the delightful Gower peninsula, replete with grand beaches, rocky headlands, bracken heaths and ruined castles.
Carmarthenshire, often missed out, is well worth visiting: of all the routes radiating from the county town of Carmarthen, the most glorious is the winding road to Llandeilo along the Tywi Valley, past ruined hilltop forts and two of the country’s finest gardens. Immediately east sits Wales’ most impressively sited castle at Carreg Cennen, high on a dizzy rock-plug on the edge of the Black Mountain. The wide sands fringing Carmarthen Bay stretch towards the popular seaside resort of Tenby, a major stop on the 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path. The rutted coastline of St Bride’s Bay is the most glorious part of the coastal walk, which leads north to brush past the impeccable mini-city of St Davids, whose exquisite cathedral shelters in a protective hollow. Nearby are plenty of opportunities for spectacular coast and hill walks, boat crossings to nearby islands, wildlife-watching and numerous outdoor activities.
getting around south wales
By car Southeast Wales is by far the easiest part of the country to travel around. Swift dual carriageways connect with the M4, bringing all corners of the region into close proximity.
By bus and train This is the only part of Wales with a half-decent train service, and most suburban and rural services interconnect with Cardiff, Newport or Swansea. Bus services fill in virtually all of the gaps, though often rather slowly, while Sun services are often dramatically reduced.
Official capital of Wales since only 1955, buoyant CARDIFF (Caerdydd) grew swiftly into its new role. A number of massive developments, not least the shiny Welsh National Assembly and Millennium Centre on the rejuvenated Cardiff Bay waterfront, and a fabulous city-centre sports stadium, give the city the feel of an international capital, if not always with a very Welsh flavour.
Diana Jarvis/Rough Guides
WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay A symphony of opposites – industry and art, grandeur and intimacy – the WMC is a bold and brilliant asset to the capital.
Blaenavon Industrial heritage at its finest, thanks to a thrilling deep-mine museum and the fascinating ironworks town.
National Waterfront Museum, Swansea A celebration of Welsh innovation and industry – one of the best museums in Wales.
The Gower Holding some of the country’s most inspirational coastal and rural scenery, culminating in the stunning Rhossili Bay.
Carreg Cennen The most magnificently sited castle in Wales, this fantasy fortress offers splendid views and endless possibilities for exploration.
The Pembrokeshire Coast Path A narrow ribbon of mainly cliff-top footpath that winds its way through some magnificent coastal scenery.
St Davids Inspirational city (little more than a village, in fact) with a splendid cathedral and heart-racing boat trips out to offshore islands.
HIGHLIGHTS ARE MARKED ON THE MAP
Cardiff’s sights are clustered in fairly small, distinct districts. The compact commercial centre is bounded by the River Taff, which flows past the tremendous Principality Stadium; in this rugby-mad city, the atmosphere in the pubs and streets when Wales have a home match – particularly against the old enemy, England – is charged with good-natured, beery fervour. Just upstream, the Taff is flanked by the wall of Cardiff’s extraordinary castle, an amalgam of Roman remains, Norman keep and Victorian fantasy. North of the castle is a series of white Edwardian buildings grouped around Cathays Park: the City Hall, Cardiff University and the superb National Museum. A mile south of the centre, Cardiff Bay, once a bustling port, now a classy waterside development, houses the stunning Welsh National Assembly and Millennium buildings, and a stack of bars and restaurants. A number of sights within striking distance of Cardiff warrant a visit: Llandaff Cathedral, with its strange clash of Norman and modern styles; the thirteenth-century fairy-tale castle of Castell Coch, on a hillside in the woods; the massive Caerphilly Castle; and the hugely popular National History Museum at St Fagans.
The second Marquess of Bute built Cardiff’s first dock in 1839, opening others in swift succession. The Butes owned massive swathes of the rapidly industrializing South Wales Valleys and insisted that all coal and iron exports use the family docks in Cardiff, which became one of the world’s busiest ports. The twentieth century saw varying fortunes: the dock trade slumped in the 1930s and the city suffered heavy bombing in World War II, but with the creation of Cardiff as capital in 1955, optimism and confidence in the city blossomed. Many government and media institutions have since moved here from London, and the development of the dock areas around the modern Assembly building in Cardiff Bay has given a largely positive boost to the cityscape.
Cardiff centre forms a rough square bounded by the castle, Queen Street and Central stations and the River Taff. Dominating the skyline is the magnificent Principality Stadium.
Westgate St, CF10 1NS • Guided tours only (starting from the WRU store): hourly Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm; 1hr • £12.50 • 
029 2082 2432, 
principalitystadium.wales
Dominating the city from all angles is the Principality Stadium, built as the Millennium Stadium for the 1999 Rugby World Cup and renamed in 2016. With its trademark retractable roof, and seating for 74,500 people, it has hosted sporting matches of every description – including the 2017 Champion’s League final – as well as an array of huge rock gigs and other spectaculars. The very worthwhile stadium tours take you into the press centre, dressing rooms, VIP areas, players’ tunnel and pitchside.
Secreted away between The Hayes and St Mary Street and High Street are some half a dozen renovated arcades, a series of Victorian and Edwardian galleries where you’ll find many alluring little independent shops and cafés. Particularly impressive are the High Street and Castle arcades, packed with great clothes shops, quirky gift stores, independent little coffeehouses and a range of esoteric emporia where you can pick up fliers for clubs and events. A few yards further down towards Central Station is the elegant Edwardian indoor market and further still the Royal and Morgan arcades, linking St Mary Street with the lower end of The Hayes.
The Hayes, CF10 1BH • Mon–Sat 10am–4pm • Free • 029 2034 6214, cardiffstory.com
At the top of the Hayes is the beautifully colonnaded frontage of the Old Library, home to the Cardiff Story. Using artefacts, hands-on gizmos and audiovisual displays, it’s an enlightening romp through the city’s colourful history, with emphasis on how Cardiff has been shaped by the docks and the local coal industry. Don’t miss the stunning tiled corridor; this was the original library entrance, its ornate floor-to-ceiling tiles produced by Maw & Co in 1882.
Castle St, CF10 3RB • Daily: March–Oct 9am–6pm; Nov–Feb 9am–5pm • £12.50 • House tours Same days, hourly on the hour; 50min • £3.25 • Clock tower tours April–Oct Sat & Sun hourly 11.30am–2.30pm; 30min • £4.25 • 029 2087 8100, cardiffcastle.com
The political, geographical and historical heart of the city is Cardiff Castle. An intriguing hotchpotch, the fortress hides inside a vast walled yard corresponding roughly to the outline of the original fort built by the Romans. The neat Norman motte and keep look down onto the turrets and towers of the Castle Apartments, which date in part from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, but were much extended in Tudor times, when residential needs began to overtake military priorities. In the late nineteenth century, the third Marquess of Bute lavished a fortune on upgrading his pile, commissioning architect and decorator William Burges to aid him. With their passion for the religious art and symbolism of the Middle Ages, they transformed the crumbling interiors into palaces of vivid colour and intricate design.
A self-guided tour of the house allows you to visit the library, whose richly stocked bookcases are carved with cheeky animal friezes (beavers, possums, platypuses), the Drawing Room, notable for its wall-length portraits of the Butes and, upstairs, the grand Banqueting Hall, originally from 1428, which was transformed by Bute and Burges with a riotously kitsch fireplace and a church-like ceiling. Two guided tours are available for an additional charge. The house tour includes all of the above, plus the fabulous Winter Smoking Room, the Nursery – with hand-painted tiles and silhouette lanterns depicting contemporary nursery rhymes – and, in the Bute Tower, Lord Bute’s bedroom, with a mirrored ceiling, and the Roof Garden, awash with Sicilian marble. The clocktower tour also takes in the Clock Chamber, Bachelor’s Bedroom and, above that, the Summer Smoking Room, the latter two decorated in rich patterns of gold, maroon and cobalt, with many of the images inspired from medieval myths and beliefs.
On the northern edge of the city centre is Cathays Park, a large rectangle of lawns and flowerbeds that forms the focus for the impressive buildings of the civic centre. Dating from the early twentieth century, the gleaming white buildings are arranged with pompous Edwardian precision, and speak volumes about Cardiff’s self-confidence a full half-century before it was officially declared capital of Wales. The dragon-topped, domed City Hall is the magnificent centrepiece, an exercise in every cliché of ostentatious civic self-glory, with a roll call of statues of male Welsh heroes including Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, St David, Giraldus Cambrensis and Owain Glyndŵr.
Cathays Park, CF10 3NP • Tues–Sun 10am–5pm • Free • 0300 111 2333, museum.wales/cardiff
The fine National Museum starts with the epic Evolution of Wales exhibition, a natural-history exhibition packed with high-tech gizmos and spectacular big-screen visuals. The most intriguing exhibit is the fossilized remains of a Jurassic-era dinosaur discovered at Lavernock Point near Penarth in 2014 following a rock fall; this remarkable specimen – parts recovered included the skull, claws, teeth and foot bones – was subsequently given the title Dracoraptor hanigani – the first part translating as “Dragon Robber”, the second part named in honour of the brothers who found the dinosaur.
The first floor is given over to the museum’s extraordinary art collection. Galleries one to ten feature a substantial number of works by the three great eighteenth-century Welsh artists – Richard Wilson, William Parry and Thomas Jones, Of the fine landscapes, look out for Wilson’s Caernarfon Castle and Dolbadarn Castle, and Jones’s A View from Radnorshire along with the memorable The Bard. There’s a nod to Wales’ mining heritage too, courtesy of Lowry’s evocative Six Bells Abertillery.
Galleries eleven to fifteen begin with nineteenth-century French art and include Millet (the haunting, unfinished Peasant Family and lovely, pastoral Goose Girl at Gruchy), Boudin and Manet. Gallery twelve concentrates on Art in Britain after 1930, with some terrific pieces by Welsh supremo Ceri Richards, and a typically raw and bizarre Study for Self Portrait by Francis Bacon. Gallery fourteen, Art in Europe after 1900, features Nature Morte au Poron by Picasso and Magritte’s The Empty Mask, while in gallery fifteen the emphasis is very much on British art around 1900, with the likes of Walter Sickert, Sylvia Gosse and Gwen John, and Harold Gilman’s colourful London scenes (Café Royal and Mornington Crescent).
Best of all, though, is gallery sixteen, which has a fabulous collection of Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. Dominating the room are several pieces by Monet, including a smog-bound Charing Cross Bridge, alongside Cézanne, Sisley (with his views of Penarth and Langland Bay), Pissarro and Renoir, whose coquettish La Parisienne is a standout. The centrepiece here, though, is Van Gogh’s magnificent Rain at Auvers, painted just weeks before his suicide. Look out, too, for the wonderful sculpture collection in the Rotunda, including many by the one-man Victorian Welsh statue industry, Goscombe John.
A thirty-minute stroll from the city centre, Cardiff Bay has become one of the world’s biggest regeneration projects, the downbeat dereliction of the old docks having been almost completely transformed into a designer heaven. In years gone by, when the docks were some of the busiest in the world, the area was better known by the evocative name of Tiger Bay, immortalized by local lass Shirley Bassey.
Ever-expanding, the bay area now comprises four distinct parts, situated either side of Roald Dahl’s Plass, the main square, named after the Cardiff-born children’s author: on the eastern side lie the swanky civic precincts around the glorious Wales Millennium Centre, while to the west is Mermaid Quay, an airy jumble of shops, bars and restaurants. South of here is the BBC Drama Village – where both Doctor Who and Casualty are shot – and finally, set back from the water’s edge in the north, the somewhat down-at-heel, but increasingly gentrified, Taff-side suburb of Butetown.
Bute Place, CF10 5AL • 029 2063 6464, wmc.org.uk
Dominating Cardiff Bay is the mesmerizing Wales Millennium Centre, a vibrant performance space for theatre and music, and home to many of Wales’ premier arts organizations. Likened by critics to a copper-plated armadillo or a great snail, the WMC soars gracefully over the rooftops, its exterior swathed in Welsh building materials, topped with a stainless-steel shell tinted with a bronze oxide to resist salty air. The grace and style continue throughout the interior, fashioned from materials that hark back to Wales’ mineral-extracting past, from the native oak, ash, beech, sycamore, alder, birch, chestnut and cherry woods to the riveted steel and coal-like pillars. The ground floor houses the main box office, music and souvenir shop, tourist office and the excellent ffresh bar and brasserie.
Cardiff Bay, CF10 4BZ • Daily 10.30am–4.30pm • Free • 0300 200 6565, pierhead.org
Down by the water’s edge is the magnificent red-brick Pierhead, a typically ornate neo-Gothic terracotta pile that was built for the Cardiff Railway Company, formerly the Bute Dock Company. It now houses an enjoyable exhibition documenting the rise and fall of the local coal-exporting industry, although its most striking exhibit is the binnacle from the Terra Nova, which set sail from the bay in June 1910 ahead of Captain Scott’s ill-fated polar expedition.
Cardiff Bay, CF10 4BZ • Mon–Fri 9.30am–4.30pm, Sat & Sun 10.30am–4.30pm; guided tours (1hr) daily 11am, 2pm & 3pm; plenary sessions in the debating chamber Tues & Wed 1.30pm • Free • 0300 200 6565, assembly.wales
Home of the Welsh National Assembly, the Senedd is distinguished by its wraparound glass facade and soaring wooden roof. Daily guided tours explain more about the building, which was constructed using traditional Welsh materials, notably slate and Welsh oak, and it’s possible to attend plenary sessions in the debating chamber. Otherwise, you can always pop in to the perky café, which affords marvellous views of the bay.
Harbour Drive, CF10 4PA • Daily 10.30am–4pm; hours can vary depending on events • 029 2087 7959, norwegianchurchcardiff.com
The lovely white, stumpy-spired Norwegian church is an old seamen’s chapel that once served the needs of thousands of Scandinavian sailors, though it’s better known as the place where Roald Dahl was christened (his parents were Norwegian). It’s now a convivial café and performance and exhibition space.
Cardiff Bay, CF10 4PA • Daily 7am–10pm • Free • 029 2087 7900, cardiffharbour.com • Waterbuses run between the waterfront and the southern end of the barrage daily 10.30am–4.30pm (£4 return)
Central to the whole Bay project is the Cardiff Bay Barrage, built right across the Ely and Taff estuaries, transforming a vast mud flat into a freshwater lake and creating eight miles of useful waterfront. It’s a fine bit of engineering, and it’s well worth a wander along the embankment to see the lock gates and sluices; there’s a great kids’ play area and skate park here too. For something more strenuous, you could tackle the 6.2-mile Bay Trail, a circular path for walkers and cyclists that wends its way around the bay and across to Penarth.
The area immediately inland from the bay is the salty old district of Butetown, whose inner-city dereliction still peeps through the rampant gentrification. James Street is the main commercial focus, while to its north are the old buildings around the Exchange Building, built in the 1880s as Britain’s central Coal Exchange, but which has been revamped into one of the city’s plushest hotels.
Cathedral Rd, Llandaff, 2 miles northwest of the city centre, CF5 2LA • Cathedral: Mon–Sat 9am–7pm, Sun 7am–7pm; walled garden daily 24hr • Free • 029 2056 4554, llandaffcathedral.org.uk • Bus #33 or #33A from Cardiff bus station (frequent; 15min)
The small, quiet suburb of Llandaff is home to a church that has now grown up to become the city’s cathedral. Believed to have been founded in the sixth century by St Teilo, it was rebuilt in Norman style in around 1120, and was used well into the thirteenth century. From the late fourteenth century it fell into an advanced state of disrepair, and one of the twin towers and the nave roof eventually collapsed. Restoration only began in earnest in the 1840s, when Pre-Raphaelite artists such as Edward Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Morris were commissioned to make colourful new windows and decorative panels. Their work is best seen in the south aisle.
The fusion of different styles and ages is evident from outside, especially in the mismatched western towers. Inside, the nave is dominated by Jacob Epstein’s overwhelming Christ in Majesty, a concrete parabola topped with a soaring Christ figure. At the west end of the north aisle, the St Illtyd Chapel features Rossetti’s cloying triptych The Seed of David. In the south presbytery is a tenth-century Celtic cross, the only survivor of the pre-Norman cathedral.
Tongwynlais, 4 miles north of Llandaff, CF15 7JS • March–June, Sept & Oct daily 9.30am–5pm; July & Aug daily 9.30am–6pm; Nov–Feb Mon–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun 11am–4pm • £6.50, including audio guide • 029 2081 0101, cadw.gov.wales/daysout/castell-coch • Bus #26 from Westgate St in Cardiff (every 30min; 25min)
Rising mysteriously out of a steep wooded hillside above the village of Tongwynlais is Castell Coch, a ruined thirteenth-century fortress rebuilt into a fantasy castle in the late 1870s by William Burges for the third Marquess of Bute. With its working portcullis and drawbridge, Castell Coch is pure medieval fantasy, and shares many similarities with Cardiff Castle, notably the lavish decor, culled from religious and moral fables.
An excellent audio guide leads you around, beginning in the banqueting hall, with its striking painted timber ceiling and Burges-designed furnishings. From here you enter the octagonal drawing room, its walls and domed ceiling decorated with murals depicting Aesop’s Fables. Above the winch room is Lord Bute’s bedroom, with a typically ostentatious bronze-plated bed, though this is relatively staid compared to Lady Bute’s bedroom, incorporating a mirrored, double-dome ceiling around which 28 panels depict frolicking monkeys.
Caerphilly: the big cheese
In addition to its castle, Caerphilly is also known for its crumbly white cheese, which has inspired the vibrant Big Cheese Festival (caerphilly.gov.uk/bigcheese), held over three days in late July in the shadow of the castle. It’s a hoot, with concerts, street theatre, historical re-enactments, a funfair, falconry and, naturally, a cheese race.
Castle St, Caerphilly, 7 miles north of Cardiff, CF83 1JD • March–June, Sept & Oct daily 9.30am–5pm; July & Aug daily 9.30am–6pm; Nov–Feb Mon–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun 11am–4pm • £7.95; CADW • 029 2088 3143, cadw.gov.wales/daysout/caerphilly-castle • Trains (every 15–20min; 20min) and buses (every 15–20min; 25min) depart from Cardiff; from the stations it is a 5min walk up Cardiff Rd to the centre of town and the castle
Now almost a suburb of Cardiff, the town of CAERPHILLY (Caerffili) has a particularly staggering town-centre castle, the first in Britain built concentrically, with an inner system of defences overlooking the outer ring. Looming out of its vast surrounding moat, the medieval fortress with its cock-eyed tower occupies more than thirty acres, presenting an awesome promise that the interior does not entirely fulfil. The castle was begun in 1268 by Gilbert de Clare as a defence against Llywelyn the Last. For the next few centuries Caerphilly was little more than a decaying toy, given at whim by kings to their favourites. By the turn of the twentieth century, it was in a sorry state, sitting amid a growing industrial town that saw fit to build in the then-dry moat and castle precincts. Houses and shops were demolished in order to allow the moat to be reflooded in 1958. The most interesting section of the castle is the massive eastern gatehouse, which includes an impressive upper hall and oratory and, to its left, the wholly restored and re-roofed Great Hall.
St Fagans, 4 miles west of Cardiff, CF5 6XB • Daily 10am–5pm • Free • 0300 111 2333, museum.wales/stfagans • Bus #32A (every 25min; 20min) from Westgate St in Cardiff
ST FAGANS (Sain Ffagan) has a rural feel that is only partly disturbed by the busloads of tourists rolling in to visit the excellent National History Museum, built around St Fagans Castle, a country house erected in 1580 and now furnished in early nineteenth-century style.
Beyond the castle lies the open-air museum, an outstanding assemblage of buildings from all corners of Wales that have been carefully dismantled and rebuilt on this site. The superb Rhyd-y-car ironworkers’ cottages, from Merthyr Tydfil, were originally built in around 1800; each of the six houses are furnished in the style of a different period, stretching from 1805 to 1985.
Arrival and departure cardiff
By plane Cardiff Airport (01446 711111, cardiff-airport.com) is 10 miles southwest of the city on the other side of Barry. The most direct way to reach the city centre is by Express bus #T9 (every 20–30min; 30min; £5). A taxi from the airport to the centre of Cardiff will cost around £30. Getting to the airport, buses currently leave from Custom House St; they also call in at Cardiff Bay, by the Red Dragon Centre.
By train Cardiff Central train station is served by all intercity services as well as many suburban and Valley Line services. Queen St station, at the eastern edge of the centre, is for local trains only.
Destinations from Cardiff Central Abergavenny (every 45min; 40min); Bristol (every 30min; 50min); Caerphilly (every 15min; 20min); Carmarthen (hourly; 1hr 45min); Chepstow (every 30min–1hr; 40min); Haverfordwest (9 daily; 2hr 30min); London Paddington (2 hourly; 2hr); Newport (every 15–30min; 15min); Swansea (every 30–45min; 1hr).
By bus Pending the (much delayed) construction of a new bus station in front of Cardiff Central train station, buses currently depart from all over the city – check cardiffbus.com for details. National Express buses currently leave from Bute Park.
Destinations Abergavenny (Mon–Sat hourly; 1hr 45min); Brecon (Mon–Sat 8 daily; 1hr 35min); Bristol (8 daily; 1hr 20min); Caerphilly (every 20min; 40min); Chepstow (Mon–Sat every 30min–1hr, Sun 5, 1 change; 1hr 20min); London (6 daily; 3hr 20min); Newport (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 40min); Swansea (hourly; 1hr 20min).
Cardiff is compact enough to walk around, and even Cardiff Bay is just a 30min stroll from Central station. Otherwise, you can take a train (every 20min) from Queen Street station to Cardiff Bay station, or Baycar bus #6.
By bus Cardiff Bus (Bws Caerdydd; cardiffbus.com) runs an extensive and reliable bus network, with buses generally operating between 5.30am and 11.30pm. A one-way fare anywhere in the city costs £1.80 (payable on the bus, exact money only). Various travel passes offer good savings: a “Day to Go” ticket (£3.60) gives unlimited bus travel around Cardiff and Penarth for a day, which can be extended to Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan with the “Day to Go Plus” ticket (£4.90). The Network Dayrider ticket (£8) covers all the above plus much of the rest of southeast Wales. All are available from the customer service centre in the library on the Hayes (Mon–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat 9am–4.30pm; 029 2066 6444), at Paypoint outlets throughout the city, or on board buses themselves; you can also buy the “Day to Go” tickets from the tourist office.
By waterbus A scenic waterbus service (hourly 10.30am–4.30pm; £4 one-way; 029 2034 5163, aquabus.co.uk) operates between Bute Park, near Cardiff Castle, to Mermaid Quay in the bay, though occasionally (depending on the river flow), the service will only run as far as Taff’s Mead Embankment, diagonally across from the Principality Stadium.
Tourist office There’s no tourist office in the city centre, but you can get lots of information, both on Cardiff and further afield, at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay (Mon–Sat 10am–6pm, Sun 10am–4pm; 029 2087 3573, visitcardiff.com). Buzz, a free monthly guide to arts and events in the city, is worth seeking out.
The Big Sleep Bute Terrace, CF10 2FE 029 2063 6363, thebigsleephotel.com; map. Snazzy, if somewhat soulless, budget(ish) option occupying a former 1960s office block turned retro designer hotel. The colourful rooms – doubles, triples and family – are well furnished, their dual-aspect windows affording panoramic city views. Breakfast £7.95. £70
Jolyon’s at No. 10 10 Cathedral Rd, CF11 9LJ 029 2009 1900, jolyons10.com; map. There’s no scrimping on style at this gorgeous boutique hotel, which accommodates 21 handsomely presented rooms (eight of which are larger suites; £129) with Italian-/French-inspired furnishings. £99
NosDa 53–59 Despenser St, CF11 6AG 029 2037 8866, nosda.co.uk; map. Hip hostel/budget hotel on the riverbank opposite the Principality Stadium, with singles, doubles (some en suite) and four- to ten-bed dorms, some with flip-down beds. There’s a kitchen and comfy lounge, though most folk just decamp to the popular Tafarn bar. Dorms £12.50, doubles £32
Riverhouse Backpackers 59 Fitzhamon Embankment, CF11 6AN 029 2039 9810, riverhousebackpackers.com; map. Cosy, contemporary backpackers’ hostel in a Victorian villa with mixed and female-only dorms and twin rooms, as well as a self-catering kitchen, a welcoming dining/lounge area and a sunny wraparound garden-terrace. Dorms £18, twins £40
Sandringham Hotel 21 St Mary St, CF10 1PL 029 2023 2161, sandringham-hotel.com; map. Pleasantly old-fashioned, family-run hotel – rooms may be careworn and bathrooms antiquated, but it is friendly, convenient and very cheap. Better still, it’s just a short stumble up the stairs from the excellent Café Jazz. £40
Sleeperz Station Approach, CF10 1RH 029 2047 8747, sleeperz.com; map. Cleverly utilizing the architectural space between the train line and two roads, this funky hotel has light-filled rooms (all doubles, all the same price) in white/orange and black/grey colour schemes. The corner cabin bunk rooms are particularly neat. Terrific value. Breakfast £9.45. £55
Cardiff has a great mix of places serving innovative Welsh cuisine and ethnic food, though the best restaurants are just outside the centre up in Pontcanna; you’ll also find a plethora of places down on Mermaid Quay in Cardiff Bay.
Bar Forty-Four 15–23 Westgate St, CF10 1DD 03333 444049, bar44.co.uk; map. From the colourful tiled entrance to the low-brick-vaulted ceiling, there’s an understated elegance about this glamorous tapas bar. Perch yourself on a high stool and peruse a lengthy menu featuring the likes of fabada Asturiana (white bean stew with chorizo and smoked morcilla), pulpo (octopus with capers and red wine) and exclusively Spanish wines. The express weekday lunch menu (three courses £11) is a good deal. Mon–Thurs 11.30am–11.30pm, Fri & Sat 11.30am–midnight.
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ST DAVIDS CATHEDRAL
Café Citta 4 Church St, CF10 1BG 029 2022 4040, cafecitta.com; map. A friendly, laidback pizzeria straight out of Italy, with a fine little log-burning oven knocking out freshly cooked pizzas (£9–10) using dough and sauces made on the premises, and locally sourced ingredients. Mon 4–11pm, Tues–Sat noon–11pm.
Fish at 85 85 Pontcanna St, CF11 9HS 029 2023 5666, fishat85.co.uk; map. Wholesalers, fishmongers and restaurant all in one, and quite brilliant it is too. The “catch menu” allows you to pick something from the counter, which could be, for example, brill, snapper or red mullet, along with a sauce, and then have it cooked just the way you like it. Alternatively, select something from the menu, perhaps roast monkfish with boulangère potatoes and creamy curried mussels (£22.50). Tues–Sat noon–2.30pm & 6–9pm.
The Little Man Coffee Company Ivor House, Bridge St, CF10 2EE 07933 844234, littlemancoffee.co.uk; map. This erstwhile post office and bank has been superbly repurposed into one of the city’s most stylish coffeehouses, whose easy-going retro vibe owes much to the stripped-back wooden flooring, 70s armchairs and pew-style seating – it’s the kind of place you could quite happily laze around in all afternoon. The staff really do know their beans and the beautifully crafted coffee (there are typically two espressos on the go each day) tastes superb, particularly with a slice of sticky homemade ginger cake. Mon–Fri 7am–9pm, Sat & Sun 8am–5pm.
Madame Fromage 21–25 Castle Arcade, CF10 1BU 029 2064 4888, madamefromage.co.uk; map. A small slice of Paris at this delightful corner café-cum-deli where cheese is king – the menu offers a lot more, however, from quiche to lamb cawl and charcuterie platters. Check out, too, the shop’s tempting stock of jams, pickles and chutneys. Mon–Fri 10am–5.30pm, Sat 9.30am–5.30pm.
The Plan 28–29 Morgan Arcade, CF10 1AF 029 2039 8764; map. This great-looking, two-storey artisan coffee bar has been around for ages and remains the place in Cardiff to come for a caffeine shot; it also offers a super range of light meals, including breakfasts, home-made burgers and quiches (£7–8), all made using locally sourced organic produce. Mon–Sat 8.45am–5pm, Sun 9.45am–5pm.
Potted Pig 27 High St, CF10 1PU 029 2022 4817, thepottedpig.com; map. This venue – in the reconditioned vaults of a former bank – is a terrific spot to tuck into all things porcine, from crispy pig’s ear with black pudding salad to roast belly of pork with pomme purée (£18). The wine list complements the food brilliantly. Tues–Sat noon–2pm & 7–10pm, Sun noon–2.30pm.
The pub scene is lively, with a number of wonderful Edwardian palaces of etched, smoky glass and deep red wood, where you’ll find Cardiff’s very own Brains bitter; some of the most enjoyable places to drink are on Cathedral Road.
Cayo Arms 36 Cathedral Rd, CF11 9LL 029 2039 1910, cayopub.co.uk; map. Within a six of the cricket ground, this large, busy and proudly Welsh pub, in two conjoined Victorian townhouses, offers Tomos Watkin beers, decent food and a happy crowd. Mon–Sat noon–11pm, Sun noon–10.30pm.
City Arms 10 Quay St, CF10 1EA 029 2064 1913; map. Near the Principality Stadium, this no-nonsense boozer is always popular, especially on international match days and before gigs at Clwb Ifor Bach around the corner. Brains beers and some choice guest ales. Mon–Thurs 11am–11pm, Fri & Sat 11am–2.30am, Sun noon–10.30pm.
Cricketers 66 Cathedral Rd, CF11 9LL 029 2034 5102, cricketerscardiff.co.uk; map. Set in a gorgeous Victorian townhouse, the beautiful-looking Cricketers combines a sunny interior with lively beer gardens front and back. The cask-conditioned Welsh beers are some of Cardiff’s best and the food is creditable. Daily noon–11pm.
Tiny Rebel 25 Westgate St, CF10 1DD 029 2039 9557, tinyrebel.co.uk; map. Cool craft beer bar owned by the Newport-based brewery of the same name. There’s a bewildering choice of cask and keg beers – mostly their own – so if deciding is too onerous, try a flight of thirds. Brilliant themed nights include Americana, Bring Your Own Vinyl and, on Mon, board games. Daily noon–2am.
Y Mochyn Du Sophia Close, off Cathedral Rd, CF11 9HW 029 2037 1599, ymochyndu.com; map. This old gatekeeper’s lodge is a fine place to sup a Welsh-brewed pint, either in the conservatory or outside among the greenery. Popular with Welsh-speakers. Mon–Fri noon–11pm, Sat noon–midnight, Sun noon–10.30pm.
Cardiff is renowned for its rumbustious nightlife, with one of the best live music scenes in the UK.
10 Feet Tall 11a Church St, CF10 1BG 029 2022 8883, 10feettall.co.uk; map. Perenially popular tapas-cum-cocktail bar. IT rocks hard most nights of the week, but the vibe is ramped up a notch when the basement Undertone club – hosting gigs and various themed nights – clicks into gear. Mon–Wed 3pm–midnight, Thurs, Fri & Sun 3pm–3am, Sat noon–3am.
Cardiff rocks
Welsh music has a fantastically strong pedigree, and Cardiff has spawned its fair share of great bands, not least the wonderful Super Furry Animals whose lead singer, Gruff Rhys, has also made several solo Welsh-language albums. Hailing from the nearby mining town of Blackwood, pop/rock champions the Manic Street Preachers have been making thrilling records for more than twenty years; more recently bands such as Los Campesinos! have taken up the baton. Great places to catch live music include the Tramshed (see below) and the inimitable Clwb Ifor Bach (see below), which has long been a bastion of Welsh-language bands. Cardiff is also home to the world’s oldest record shop, Spillers (Morgan’s Arcade; Mon–Sat 10am–6pm; spillersrecords.co.uk), founded in 1894; you could easily spend a couple of hours leafing through its hard-to-find records of all genres.
Café Jazz 21 St Mary St, CF10 1PL 029 2038 7026, cafejazzcardiff.com; map. Unassuming but popular venue, below the Sandringham Hotel, hosting a diverse range of concerts – electric blues, funk, swing, gypsy jazz and the like – nightly between Tues and Fri, with the house band on Sat. Entrance typically £4–6. Tues–Sat, times vary.
Clwb Ifor Bach Womanby St, CF10 1BR 029 2023 2199, clwb.net; map. Cardiff’s premier venue for Welsh-language bands (hence the “Welsh Club” moniker), this is a sweaty and enjoyable live music venue and club with nightly gigs and sessions. Mon–Wed & Sun 7–10.30pm, Thurs–Sat 7pm–4am.
Gwdihw 6 Guildford Crescent, CF10 2HJ 029 2039 7933, gwdihw.co.uk; map. Pronounced “goody-hoo” (meaning Owl), this is a wonderful little corner café/bar, its exterior painted bright orange and the interior decked out with stripped wood flooring, odd bits of furniture and retro bits and bobs. Daily happenings include alternative movies, poetry recitals, micro-festivals and regular bouts of live music on the dinky stage. Mon–Wed 3pm–midnight, Thurs–Sat noon–2am, Sun 4pm–midnight.
Tramshed Clare Rd, Grangetown, CF11 6QP 029 2023 5555, tramshedcardiff.com; map. Occupying Cardiff’s old red-brick tram depot in the southern suburb of Grangetown, this atmospheric one-thousand-capacity space fills the gap between the city’s smaller, niche venues and the behemoth that is the Motorpoint. Expect a top quality roster of gigs. Days and times vary.
Cardiff’s theatre scene encompasses everything from the radical and alternative at the smaller venues to big, blowsy productions and West End spectaculars at the Wales Millennium Centre. The WMC and St David’s Hall are the main venues for classical music.
Chapter Arts Centre Market Rd, Canton, CF5 1QE 029 2030 4400, chapter.org. Although best known for its arthouse movies, this superb multifunctional arts complex also hosts comedy, local and touring theatre and dance companies, and exhibitions; there’s invariably a strong Welsh theme to events.
St David’s Hall The Hayes, CF10 1AH 029 2087 8444, stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk. Part of the massive St David’s shopping centre, this large venue is home to visiting orchestras and musicians from jazz to opera to folk, and is frequently used by the excellent BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Sherman Theatre Senghennydd Rd, Cathays, CF24 4YE 029 2064 6900, shermantheatre.co.uk. Excellent two-auditorium rep theatre hosting a mixed bag of new and translated classic Welsh-language pieces, stand-up comedy, children’s entertainment, drama, music and dance.
Wales Millennium Centre Bute Place, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5AL 029 2063 6464, wmc.org.uk. Stunning performance space home to the Welsh National Opera (wno.org.uk), along with other music and dance companies. Also used for touring West End and other mega-productions.
The Wye Valley (visitwyevalley.com), along with the rest of Monmouthshire, was finally recognized as part of Wales in the local government reorganization of 1974. Before then, the county was officially included as part of neither England nor Wales, so that maps were frequently headlined “Wales and Monmouthshire”. Most of the rest of Monmouthshire is undoubtedly Welsh, but the woodlands and hills by the meandering River Wye have more in common with the landscape over the border. The two main centres are Chepstow, with its massive castle, and the spruce, old-fashioned town of Monmouth, sixteen miles upstream. Six miles north of Chepstow lie the atmospheric ruins of the Cistercian Tintern Abbey.
information wye valley
Tourist information The excellent Old Station visitor centre (daily: April–Sept 10.30am–5.30pm; Oct 10am–4pm; 01291 689566) is in the former Tintern station; two refurbished carriages house an exhibition on the valley, while you can pick up leaflets on local walks, including the surrounding wildflower meadows and cliff rambles above the river. For kids, there’s a play area and a miniature railway (generally Sat; £1). Bus #69 between Chepstow and Monmouth stops outside.
Of all the places that call themselves “the gateway to Wales”, CHEPSTOW (Cas-Gwent), sitting on the western bank of the River Wye, has probably the best claim. Although lacking the immediate charm of many other Welsh market towns, there is, nonetheless, an identifiably medieval street-plan hemmed in by the thirteenth-century Port Wall.
Bridge St, NP16 5EY • March–June, Sept & Oct daily 9.30am–5pm; July & Aug daily 9.30am–6pm; Nov–Feb Mon–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun 11am–4pm • £6.50; CADW • 01291 624065, cadw.gov.wales/daysout/chepstow-castle
Strategically sited within a tight loop of the River Wye, Chepstow Castle was the first stone castle to be built in Britain, with its first Norman incarnation, the Great Tower keep, rising in 1067. The largest of the three enclosures is the Lower Ward, where you’ll find the modest Great Hall and the colourful Earl’s chamber. Twelfth-century defences separate the Lower Ward from the Middle Ward, which is dominated by the imposing ruins of the Great Tower, an immense hall-like structure that still bears some fantastic ornamentation. Beyond this, the far narrower Upper Ward leads up to the Barbican watchtower from where there are superb views down to the estuary.
Bridge St, NP15 5EZ • Daily 11am–4pm • Free • 01291 625981
Housed in a handsome Georgian townhouse, Chepstow Museum contains a wealth of nostalgic photographs and paintings of the trades once supported by the River Wye, as well as records of the town’s brief life as a shipbuilding centre in the early twentieth century. Take a look, too, upstairs at the rather fine eighteenth-century topographical prints of Chepstow Castle.
Arrival and information chepstow
By train The train station is a 5min walk south of High St.
Destinations Cardiff (every 30min–1hr; 40min); Gloucester (every 30min–1hr; 30min); Newport (every 30min–1hr; 25min).
By bus The bus station is on Thomas St, just beyond the West Gate.
Destinations Bristol (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 5; 50min); Monmouth (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 5; 50min); Newport (Mon–Sat every 30min, Sun 5; 25min–1hr); Tintern (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 5; 20min).
Tourist office Castle car park, off Bridge St (daily: July & Aug 10am–5pm; Sept–June 10am–3pm; 01291 623772, visitmonmouthshire.com).
Castle View Hotel 16 Bridge St, NP16 5EZ 01291 620349, wyevalleyaccommodation.com. Bags of charm in this seventeenth-century building, with a grand oak spiral staircase leading off to thirteen cosy rooms featuring crooked floors, thick oak beams and exposed stone walls; some have Nespresso machines and castle views. £80
Greenman Backpackers 13 Beaufort St, NP16 5EP 01291 626773, chepstowbackpackers.com. A cut above your average hostel, this lovingly restored building on the main square has a handful of single-sex dorms (sleeping four or six) with wide bunks and chunky mattresses (bottom bunks have curtains too), plus en-suite twins. Guests gather around the farmyard-like table for continental breakfast (included), while there’s also a rather smart lounge bar (guests only). Dorms £22, twins £55
Queens Head 12 Moor St, NP16 5DD 07793 889613. You wouldn’t give this place a second glance from the outside, but step inside and you’ll find a minute single-room pub with a bar culled from an old church altar, locals chatting merrily on pew seating, and no TV, music or wi-fi in sight. Not only that, but the microbrewed ales and ciders are terrific; a flight of three thirds costs £3.20. Tues–Fri 5–11pm, Sat noon–11pm, Sun 2–8pm.
Riverside Wine Bar 18a The Back, NP16 5HH 01291 628300, theriversidewinebar.co.uk. Cracking location aside, this handsome riverside restaurant offers super tapas (green lip mussels, salt’n’pepper squid, stilton mushrooms, all around £4.95) and modern Mediterranean cuisine, such as paella (£12.95). Mon–Thurs & Sun noon–11pm, Fri & Sat noon–midnight.
Tiffin 8 St Mary’s St, NP15 5EW. This engaging vintage tearoom, with the requisite mix’n’match furnishings, floral formica tablecloths and bunting, is loved above all for its griddled crumpets, whether with lashings of butter or smoked salmon and cream cheese. Spanish omelettes, home-made cakes and much more, too. Mon–Sat 10am–4pm.
Six miles north of Chepstow, NP16 6SE • March–June, Sept & Oct daily 9.30am–5pm; July & Aug daily 9.30am–6pm; Nov–Feb Mon–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun 11am–4pm • £6.50; CADW • 01291 689251, cadw.gov.wales/daysout/tinternabbey • Bus #69 (Mon–Fri hourly, Sat 6, Sun 4) between Chepstow and Monmouth stops by the abbey
Spectacularly located on one of the most scenic stretches of the River Wye are the roofless ruins of Tintern Abbey. The abbey and its valley have inspired writers and painters for more than two centuries – Wordsworth and Turner among them. The abbey was founded in 1131 by Cistercian monks from Normandy, though most of the remaining buildings date from the massive rebuilding and expansion of the fourteenth century, when Tintern was at its mightiest. Its survival after the Dissolution is largely due to its remoteness, as there were no nearby villages ready to use the abbey stone for rebuilding.
The centrepiece of the complex is the magnificent Gothic church, whose remarkable tracery and intricate stonework remain intact. Around the church are the less substantial ruins of the monks’ domestic quarters and cloister, mostly reduced to one-storey rubble. The course of the abbey’s waste-disposal system can be seen in the Great Drain, an irregular channel that once linked kitchens, toilets and the infirmary with the nearby Wye. The Novices’ Hall lies handily close to the Warming House, which together with the kitchen and infirmary would have been the abbey’s only heated areas.
Enclosed on three sides by the rivers Wye and Monnow, MONMOUTH (Trefynwy), fifteen miles north of Chepstow, retains some of its quiet charm as an important border post and county town, and makes a good base for a drive – or a long hike – around the three castles of the pastoral border country to the north. The centre of town is Agincourt Square, a handsome open space at the top of the wide, shop-lined Monnow Street. The street narrows to squeeze through the 700-year-old Monnow Bridge, crowned with its hulking stone gate of 1262.
3 Agincourt Square, NP25 3DY • April–Sept daily 10am–4pm; Oct–March Mon–Sat 10am–4pm • Free • 01600 775257, shirehallmonmouth.org.uk
The arched, Georgian Shire Hall, built in 1724 as a law court, was where, in 1839, the three ringleaders of the Chartists – Frost, Williams and Jones – were sentenced to death (though this was later commuted to transportation). The Chartists were responsible for drafting the 1838 People’s Charter, which called for widespread political and social reform throughout the UK, and demanded, among other things, a vote for every man aged over 21 and secret ballots. The hall continued to function as a court until 1992, and you can still see the original courtrooms and the holding cells. Embedded in the facade is an eighteenth-century statue of the Monmouth-born King Henry V, victor of the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, and just in front is the pompous statue of another local, the Honourable Charles Stewart Rolls, co-founder of Rolls-Royce and, in 1910, the first man to pilot a double flight over the English Channel.
Priory St, NP25 3XA • 11am–4pm: March–Oct daily; Nov–Feb Mon, Tues & Thurs–Sun • Free • 01600 710630
The market hall complex is home to the Nelson Museum and Local History Centre, containing a voluminous display of Nelson memorabilia accumulated by Lady Llangattock (Charles Rolls’ mother), who was an ardent admirer of the admiral. Among the many personal artefacts are letters and medals, and his epaulette, book and bible; here, too, is the logbook from HMS Boreas, which he captained between 1784 and 1787, and the breakfast table that he dined at when visiting the town in 1802.
Arrival and information monmouth
By bus The bus station is at the bottom of Monnow St.
Destinations Abergavenny (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 4; 1hr); Chepstow (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 5; 50min); Raglan (Mon–Sat hourly, Sun 7; 25min); Tintern (Mon–Fri hourly, Sat 6, Sun 4; 35min).
Tourist office In the foyer of the Shire Hall (Mon–Sat 10am–4pm; 01600 775257, visitmonmouthshire.com).
#7 Church Street 7 Church St, NP25 3BX 01600 712600, numbersevenchurchstreet.co.uk. Eight individual, tightly packed rooms in a cosy B&B above the town’s finest restaurant, a sprightly bistro; Scandinavian wood furnishings, pastel-painted walls and anglepoise lamps are all standard, and there’s a resident’s lounge. Daily noon–2.30pm & 6.30–9.30pm. £90
Gate House Old Monnow Bridge, NP25 3EG 01600 713890, the-gate-house.com. Occupying an enviable spot by the medieval bridge, and with a veranda perched over the water, the Gate House is one of the best spots in town for a pint on a sunny day. Mon–Fri 11am–11pm, Sat & Sun 11am–midnight.
Monnow Bridge Campsite Drybridge St, NP25 5AD 01600 714004. Simple, clean and convenient town-centre site with no facilities other than toilets and showers; to get there, cross Monnow Bridge, turn right and it’s behind the Three Horseshoes pub. £11
Punch House 4 Agincourt Square, NP25 3BT 01600 713855, sabrain.com/punchhouse. The generous rooms above this popular, Tudor-looking tavern have grey-painted timber beams, contemporary furnishings and mirrored walls, with uneven floors and doors lending further character. Good for a morning coffee or an afternoon beer, too. Mon–Fri 8.30am–11pm, Fri & Sat 8.30am–midnight. £70
Castle Rd, Raglan, 7 miles west of Monmouth, NP15 2BT • March–June, Sept & Oct daily 9.30am–5pm; July & Aug daily 9.30am–6pm; Nov–Feb Mon–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun 11am–4pm • £6.50; CADW • 01291 690228, cadw.gov.wales/daysout/raglancastle • Bus #60 (every 45min; 20min) from Monmouth to Newport, via Usk
Unassuming RAGLAN (Rhaglan) is known for its glorious castle, whose fussy and comparatively intact style distinguishes it from so many other crumbling Welsh fortresses. The last medieval fortification built in Britain, designed to combine practical strength with ostentatious style, Raglan was begun by Sir William ap Thomas in 1435 on the site of a Norman motte. The gatehouse, still the main entrance, houses fantastic examples of the castle’s decoration in its heraldic shields, intricate stonework edging and gargoyles. In the mid-fifteenth century, ap Thomas’s grandson, William Herbert II, built two courts around the original gatehouse, hall and keep: the cobbled Pitched Stone Court – designed to house the kitchen and servants’ quarters – and to the left, the grass-covered Fountain Court, once surrounded by opulent residences that included grand apartments and state rooms. The most impressive element, though, is the moated yellow ashlar Great Tower (aka the Yellow Tower of Gwent), two sides of which were blown up by Cromwell’s henchman, Fairfax, after an eleven-week onslaught against the Royalist castle in 1646. Climbing its five floors gives you marvellous views of the complex and the three peaks of Blorenge, Skirrid Fawr and Sugar Loaf in the distance.
The three castles
The fertile, low-lying land between the Monnow and Usk rivers was important for easy access into the agricultural lands of South Wales, and in the eleventh century the Norman invaders built three castles here to protect their interests. In 1201, Skenfrith (nationaltrust.org.uk/skenfrith-castle), Grosmont (cadw.gov.wales/daysout/grosmontcastle) and White (cadw.gov.wales/daysout/whitecastle) castles were presented by King John to Hubert de Burgh, who employed sophisticated new ideas on castle design to replace the earlier, square-keeped structures. In 1260, the advancing army of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd began to threaten the king’s supremacy in South Wales, and the three castles were refortified in readiness. Gradually, the castles were adapted as living quarters and royal administration centres, and the only return to military usage came in 1404–05, when Owain Glyndŵr’s army pressed down to Grosmont, only to be defeated by the future King Henry V. The castles slipped into disrepair and were finally sold separately in 1902, the first time since 1138 that the three had fallen out of single ownership.
No other part of Wales is as instantly recognizable as the Valleys, a generic name for the strings of settlements packed into the narrow gashes in the mountainous terrain to the north of Newport and Cardiff. Each of the Valleys depended almost solely on coal mining which, although nearly defunct as an industry, has left its mark on the staunchly working-class towns: row upon row of brightly painted terraced housing, tipped along the slopes at incredible angles, are broken only by austere chapels, the occasional remaining pithead and the dignified memorials to those who died underground.
This may not be traditional tourist country, but it’s one of the most interesting and distinctive corners of Wales, with a rich social history. Some former mines have reopened as gutsy museums – Big Pit at Blaenavon and the Rhondda Heritage Park at Trehafod are the best – while other excellent civic museums include those at Aberdare and Pontypridd (which is probably the best place to base yourself in the region). There’s also a more traditional visitor attraction in the form of Llancaiach Fawr Manor.
Fourteen miles north of Newport, the valley of the Llwyd opens out at the airy iron and coal town of BLAENAVON, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A spirited and evocative place, its population today stands at around five thousand, a third of its size in the nineteenth century.
North St, NP4 9RQ • April–Oct daily 10am–5pm; Nov–March Thurs–Sat 10am–4pm • Free; CADW • 01495 792615, cadw.gov.wales/daysout/blaenavonironworks
The town’s boom kicked off at the Blaenavon ironworks, just off the Brynmawr road, founded in 1789. Limestone, coal and iron ore – ingredients for successful iron-smelting – were abundant locally, and the Blaenavon works was one of the largest in Britain until it closed in 1900. This remarkable site contains three of the five original Georgian blast furnaces, one with its cast house still attached, and the immense water-balance lift. Also here are the workers’ cottages, some unchanged and others converted into a museum offering a thorough picture of the process and the lifestyle that went with it.
Signposted on west side of town, off the B4246, NP4 9XP • Jan & Dec call for tour times; Feb–Nov daily 9.30am–5pm, hourly tours (1hr) 10am–3.30pm • Free • 0300 111 2333, museum.wales/bigpit • #30 bus (hourly; 40min) from Cwmbran stops outside the entrance
Guided tours at the evocative Big Pit National Mining Museum involve you being kitted out with a lamp, helmet and heavy battery pack, and then lowered 300ft into the labyrinth of shafts and coalfaces. The guides – mostly ex-miners – lead you through explanations and examples of the different types of coal mining, while streams of rust-coloured water flow by. The dank and chilly atmosphere must have terrified the small children who were once paid twopence for a six-day week pulling the coal wagons along the tracks. Back on the surface, the old pithead baths – one of the last remaining in the country – now holds a compelling, and very moving, museum documenting the lives and times of the miners and their families.
Arrival and information blaenavon
By bus Buses from Newport (every 15min; 1hr) stop at the top of High St, which runs parallel to Broad St, the main focus of activity (such as it is) in town.
Tourist information The Blaenavon Heritage Centre, Church Rd (Tues–Sun 10am–5pm; 01495 742333, visitblaenavon.co.uk), has an enlightening exhibition on the history of the town’s coal-mining and ironworking industries, as well as a café.
Coffi Bean 1860 76 Broad St, NP4 9NF 01495 790127. There are very few places to eat or drink in Blaenavon, but this charmingly staffed coffee shop more than compensates; park yourself at a stripped wooden table under the original green and cream tiling and enjoy a home-made pastry and a steaming cup of coffee. Tues–Sun 8am–3pm.
Lion Hotel 41 Broad St, NP4 9NH 01495 792516, thelionhotelblaenavon.co.uk. The town’s one hotel is a bright affair, its twelve deep-burgundy rooms boasting warm, fluffy carpets, cool fabrics and sparkling, marble-tiled bathrooms; perhaps surprisingly, there’s a sauna and steam room, too. £85
The River Taff flows into the Bristol Channel at Cardiff, after passing through a couple of dozen miles of industry and population. The first town in the Taff vale is Pontypridd, one of the cheeriest in the Valleys. Continuing north, valleys meet at Abercynon, where the River Cynon flows in from Aberdare, site of the excellent Cynon Valley Museum. Just outside Abercynon is the enjoyable sixteenth-century Llancaiach Fawr manor house.
PONTYPRIDD, twelve miles north of Cardiff, is built up around its quirky arched bridge. This was once the largest single-span stone bridge in Europe, built in 1775 by local amateur stonemason William Edwards. Wednesdays and Saturdays are good days to be here, with the old-fashioned market spilling out onto Market Street and the surrounding squares.
Ynysangharad Park, CF37 4PE • May–Sept daily 7.30am–7.15pm • £1; children free; booking advised • 0300 004 0000, rctcbc.gov.uk/EN/Resident/SportsandLeisure/Lido
On the far side of the river from the town centre is Ynysangharad Park, established after World War I as a memorial park, but now the town’s popular green space. The focal point here is the beautifully restored Ponty Lido, a grade II-listed building constructed in 1927 but which closed in 1991. Re-opened in 2015, it comprises three heated pools (main, activity and splash pools), heated changing facilities and a superb café.
Bridge St, CF37 4PE • Mon–Sat 10am–4.30pm • Free • 01443 490748, pontypriddmuseum.cymru
A lovingly restored church by the bridge houses the illuminating Pontypridd Museum, a treasure-trove of photographs, videos, models and exhibits that paints a warm picture of the town and its outlying valleys, as well as paying homage to the town’s famous sons, singer Tom Jones and opera star Sir Geraint Evans.
Arrival and information pontypridd
By train The train station is a 10min walk south of the old bridge on High St.
Destinations Abercynon (every 15min; 10min); Aberdare (every 30min; 35min); Cardiff (every 20–30min; 30min).
By bus The bus station is directly above the old bridge on the western bank.
Destinations Abercynon (every 15min; 10min); Aberdare (every 15min; 50min); Cardiff (every 15min; 35min).
Tourist office Pontypridd Museum, Bridge St (Mon–Sat 10am–4.30pm; 01443 490748).
Blueberry Inn Market St, CF37 2ST 01443 485331, blueberryinn-pontypridd.co.uk. An appropriately appealing name for this sparkling little hotel, whose nine rooms are fashioned in one of two styles: cool, crisp white-on-white, or classic French. Breakfast £11. £74
Bunch of Grapes Ynysangharad Rd, CF37 4DA 01443 402934, bunchofgrapes.org.uk. On a residential street beyond the park and A470 flyover, this is a terrific combination of restaurant/pub, whose imaginative menu (pan-fried guinea fowl with home-smoked new potato and caramelized pumpkin, say; £15) is the best for miles around. The beer’s great too, with typically more than half a dozen real ales on at any one time. Daily 11am–11pm; kitchen Mon–Sat noon–9.30pm, Sun noon–2.30pm.
Gelligaer Rd, Nelson, 7 miles northeast of Pontypridd, CF46 6ER • Tues–Sun 10am–5pm (last admission 4pm) • £8.50 • 01443 412248, your.caerphilly.gov.uk/lancaiachfawr • Bus #X38 from Pontypridd (Mon–Sat hourly; 15min)
Llancaiach Fawr Manor, a Tudor house built around 1530, has been transformed into a living-history museum. Set in 1645, the time of the Civil War, with guides dressed as house servants and speaking seventeenth-century English, it’s all very deftly done, with authentic period colour and many fascinating anecdotes. Special tours include seventeenth-century evenings, and, from October to March, candlelit and ghost tours.
Depot Rd, Aberdare, CF44 8DL • Wed–Sat 11am–4pm • Free • 01685 886729, cynonvalleymuseum.org
Eight miles northwest of Abercynon, towards the top of the Cynon Valley, is the spacious town of ABERDARE (Aberdâr), built on the local iron, brick and brewing industries. The main reason to come here is for the Cynon Valley Museum & Gallery, in an old tram depot next to the Tesco superstore. Exhibits portray the valley’s social history, from the appalling conditions of the mid-nineteenth century, when nearly half of all children born here died by the age of 5, to stirring memories of the 1926 General Strike and the 1984–85 miners’ strike. Alongside are some fun videos and exhibits on Victorian lantern slides, teenage life through the ages, the miners’ jazz bands and Aberdare’s role as a centre of early Welsh-language publishing. There’s also a bright art gallery and decent café.
Pointing northwest from Pontypridd, the Rhondda Fawr – sixteen miles long and never as much as a mile wide – is undoubtedly the most famous of all the Welsh Valleys, as well as being the heart of the massive South Wales coal industry. For many it immediately conjures up Richard Llewellyn’s 1939 book – and subsequent Oscar-winning weepie – How Green Was My Valley, although this was, strictly speaking, based on the author’s early life in nearby Gilfach Goch, outside the valley. Between 1841 and 1924 the Rhondda’s population grew from under a thousand to 167,000, squeezed into ranks of houses grouped around sixty or so pitheads. The Rhondda, more than any other of the Valleys, became a self-reliant, hard-living, chapel-going, poor and terrifically spirited breeding ground for radical religion and firebrand politics – for decades, the Communist Party ran the town of Maerdy (nicknamed “Little Moscow” by Fleet Street in the 1930s). The last pit in the Rhondda closed in 1990, but what was left behind was not some dispiriting ragbag of depressing towns, but a range of new attractions, cleaned-up hillsides and some of the friendliest pubs and communities to be found anywhere in Britain.
Coed Cae Rd, Trehafod, CF37 2NP • Tues–Sat 9am–4.30pm • Free • Tours Same days, hourly 9am–3pm; 1hr 15min • £5.95 • 01443 682036, rctcbc.gov.uk • Trehafod train station is a 5min walk from the Heritage Park; bus #130 (every 20–30min; 10min) runs here from Pontypridd
The best attraction hereabouts is the Rhondda Heritage Park at TREHAFOD. The site was opened in 1880 by William Lewis (later Lord Merthyr), and by 1900 some five thousand men were employed here, producing more than a million tonnes of coal a year. Wandering around the yard, you can see the 140ft-high chimney stack, which fronts two iconic latticed shafts, named Bertie and Trefor after Lewis’s sons. Guided tours take you through the engine-winding houses, lamp room and fan house, and give you a simulated “trip underground”, with stunning visuals and sound effects re-creating 1950s’ life through the eyes of colliers.
Upstairs in the main building, the illuminating Black Gold exhibition recalls the history of mining in the Rhondda, largely through informative wall panels, but there are some wonderful photos too, including a handful showing staff and miners working the last days of the Lewis Merthyr colliery. Inevitably, disaster looms large and the sad facts reveal that fatalities from pit explosions were an annual occurrence up until World War II – the worst disaster at the Lewis colliery was in 1956 when nine men perished; among the few exhibits on display is the pocket watch belonging to Gildas Jones, one of the victims.
Dylan Thomas called SWANSEA (Abertawe) – his birthplace – an “ugly, lovely town”, which fellow poet Paul Durcan updated to “pretty, shitty city”. Both ring true. Sprawling and boisterous, with around 200,000 people, Swansea may be only the second city of Wales, but it’s the undoubted Welsh capital of attitude, coated in a layer of chunky bling. The city centre was massively rebuilt after devastating bomb attacks in World War II, and a jumble of tower blocks now dot the horizon. But closer inspection reveals Swansea’s multifarious charms: some intact old corners of the city centre, the spacious and graceful suburb of Uplands, a wide seafront overlooking Swansea Bay and a bold marina development around the old docks. Spread throughout are some of the best-funded museums in the country, including the stunning National Waterfront Museum.
Swansea’s Welsh name, Abertawe, refers to the mouth of the River Tawe, a grimy ditch that is slowly recovering after centuries of abuse by heavy industry. The city itself dates back to 1099 when William the Conqueror’s troops built a castle here. A settlement grew around this, later exploiting its location between the coalfields and the sea to become a shipbuilding centre, and then, by 1700, the largest coal port in Wales. Copper smelting took over as the area’s dominant industry in the eighteenth century, and this attracted other metal trades, developing the region into one of the world’s most prolific metal-bashing centres.
Alexandra Rd, SA1 5DZ • Tues–Sun 10am–5pm • Free • 01792 516900, swansea.gov.uk/glynnvivian
The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is a delightful Edwardian venue named after the philanthropist. The main exhibition, on Vivian himself, is slated to run until 2019, though it may be extended beyond this date. In 1869 he embarked upon an epic two-year journey to the Far East, during which time he amassed a wealth of extraordinary items, including Chinese vases and Japanese fans. Vivian was also an inveterate collector of European porcelain, though most pieces here were produced locally.
The museum also houses an inspiring collection of Welsh art, which tends to rotate, but expect works by Gwen John, her brother Augustus (his mesmerizing portrait of Caitlin Thomas, Dylan’s wife, is a highlight), Kyffin Williams and Ceri Richards, Wales’ most respected twentieth-century painter.
Victoria Rd, SA1 1SN • Tues–Sun 10am–4.30pm • Free • 01792 653763, swanseamuseum.co.uk
The city’s old South Dock features the enticingly old-fashioned Swansea Museum, whose highlight is the Cabinet of Curiosities, a roomful of glass cases stuffed with everything from offbeat household items and memento mori – miniature shrines containing photos and models of the deceased – to intriguing local photos, including several of Winston Churchill during his visit to Swansea in World War II. There’s also a marble bust of a Gower boy, Edgar Evans, who perished with Scott in Antarctica in 1912.
Somerset Place, SA1 1RR • Daily 10am–4.30pm • Free • 01792 463980, dylanthomas.com
In the nineteenth-century former guildhall is the Dylan Thomas Centre, where a superb exhibition offers a compelling insight into the poet’s life and times. Unique archive material includes a love letter to his wife, Caitlin, written on a cheque stub, bar tabs, a tweed jacket borrowed from Jorge Fick during a stay at New York’s Chelsea Hotel in 1953, and the last photos of Thomas taken in a New York bar just days before his death. The original doors of the shed in which Thomas wrote at Laugharne front a mocked-up version here that contains original manuscripts, doodles and some of the books and poems that inspired him.
Oystermouth Rd, SA1 3RD • Daily 10am–5pm • Free • 0300 111 2333, museum.wales/swansea
Swansea’s superb National Waterfront Museum houses a breathtakingly varied set of exhibitions dealing with Wales’ history of innovation and industry. The museum is divided into fifteen zones, looking at topics such as energy, landscape, coal, genealogy, networks and money, and each section is bursting with interactive technology. Look out for the many superb heritage pieces, such as the 1907 Robin Goch (Redbreast) monoplane, one of the very few pre-World War I planes still in existence.
5 Cwmdonkin Drive, SA2 0RA • Daily 10.30am–4.30pm • £8 • 01792 472555, dylanthomasbirthplace.com
A thirty-minute walk from the city centre, leafy avenues rise past the sharp terraces of Cwmdonkin Park, at the centre of which is a memorial to Dylan Thomas inscribed with lines from Fern Hill, one of his best-known poems. On the eastern side of the park, a blue plaque at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive denotes this solid Victorian semi as Dylan Thomas’s birthplace. Born in 1914, Thomas lived here until he was twenty, and while nothing remains from his time, the house has been sympathetically restored to re-create the atmosphere of early twentieth-century Swansea. Guided tours of the surprisingly spacious interior include the grand lounge, his father’s study, the kitchen and Thomas’s boxy bedroom. There isn’t always someone in attendance, so it’s best to call in advance.
Arrival AND departure swansea
By train Swansea is the main interchange for trains out to the west of Wales, and for the slow line across to Shrewsbury in England. The station is at the top end of High St.
Destinations Cardiff (every 30min; 55min); Carmarthen (hourly; 50min); Haverfordwest (9 daily; 1hr 30min); Llandrindod Wells (4 daily; 2hr 20min); London (hourly; 3hr); Newport (every 30min; 1hr 20min); Pembroke (5 daily; 2hr 5min); Tenby (6 daily; 1hr 40min).
By bus Swansea’s enormous bus station is in the centre of the city next to The Quadrant shopping centre.
Destinations Brecon (Mon–Sat 7 daily, Sun 4; 1hr 45min); Cardiff (every 30min; 1hr); Carmarthen (Mon–Sat every 30min; 1hr 45min); Mumbles (every 10min; 15min); Oxwich (8 daily, 1 change; 1hr); Port Eynon (8 daily, 1 change; 1hr 15min); Rhossili (10 daily; 1hr).
For a reasonably large city, Swansea is not exactly bursting with great accommodation. That said, there are some inexpensive hotels and B&Bs lining the seafront Oystermouth Road, and it’s just a stone’s throw to the Gower, where there are more options. There are no hostels in Swansea, and the nearest campsite is west of the city towards Mumbles.
Dragon Kingsway Circle, SA1 5LS 01792 657100, dragon-hotel.co.uk; map. Despite its officious-looking facade, this landmark central hotel is an elegant and modern establishment with plush, a/c rooms coloured vivid red. Amenities include a gym, indoor pool, lounge and piano bar and restaurant. Book early for good rates. £75
Grand Hotel Ivey Place, High St, SA1 1NX 01792 645898, thegrandhotelswansea.co.uk; map. Accomplished yet pleasingly informal hotel next to the train station, with softly coloured, a/c rooms with large flatscreen TVs and sparkling bathrooms with fantastic showers. Convivial café/sports bar downstairs. £60
Mirador 14 Mirador Crescent, Uplands, SA2 0QX 01792 466976, themirador.co.uk; map. Swansea’s most enjoyable accommodation, a family-run townhouse in the Uplands area with seven fun rooms, each themed on a theme (African, Oriental, Egyptian, Roman and so on) and furnished accordingly. £89
Morgans Somerset Place, SA1 1RR 01792 484848, morganshotel.co.uk; map. Swansea’s showpiece boutique hotel, split between the sumptuously converted old Port Authority HQ and the beautiful Regency terrace townhouse opposite. The superbly appointed rooms boast hardwood flooring, polished wood fittings, Egyptian-cotton bed linen and goosedown duvets. £110
Gallini’s 3 Fishmarket Quay, SA1 1UP 01792 456285, gallinisrestaurant.co.uk; map. This somewhat ordinary-looking but cheery restaurant offers terrific flavour combinations such as venison steak in a gin and cranberry sauce (£15.95). The downstairs coffee shop is a relaxing spot to kick back with a cup of fresh coffee and take in the view across the marina. Great value two-course lunch menu £9.95. Daily: restaurant noon–2.30pm & 6pm–midnight; coffee shop 10am–5pm.
Mosaic 11 St Helen’s Rd, SA1 4AB 01792 655225, mosaicswanseauk.com; map. Modern industrial design and understated cool mark this café-cum-restaurant out as something a little different from most places in Swansea; the tapas-style menu comprises delicious light bites such as salt cod croquettes or chorizo with fig and goat’s cheese (£7.50) – a great accompaniment to the occasional live music. Wed–Fri 6–11pm, Sat noon–3pm & 6–11pm.
Rose Indienne 73–74 St Helen’s Rd, SA1 4BG 01792 467000, rose-indienne.co.uk; map. Comfortably the best of Swansea’s many Indian restaurants, the beautifully appointed Rose Indienne offers exciting and unusual dishes such as Goan duck curry (£12.95) and a spicy fish masala, in addition to a dozen or so lentil- and vegetable-based options. Charming staff, too. Mon–Thurs 5.30pm–midnight, Fri & Sat noon–2pm & 5.30pm–1am, Sun noon–midnight.
Slice 73–75 Everley Rd, Sketty, SA2 9DE 01792 290929, sliceswansea.co.uk; map. Out in the Sketty area, 2 miles west of the centre, the diminutive Slice – so named because of the quirkily shaped building – offers a level of cuisine unmatched anywhere in the city, with confident contemporary dishes such as wild boar loin with pickled red cabbage, celeriac fondant and apple. Two-course lunch menu £29, three-course evening menu £42. Booking essential. Thurs 6.15–10pm, Fri–Sun 12.30–2pm & 6.15–10pm.
Swansea has a proliferation of pubs and bars; most of the action centres on Wind Street – not a place for the faint-hearted on a Friday or Saturday evening – though the Uplands area, to the west of the city centre, has its fair share of good-time party places. The club scene is extremely diverse, and many places double up as live music venues, showcasing a varied and exciting range of bands and other entertainment.
Cinema & Co 17 Castle St, SA1 1JF 07982 626959, cinemaco.co.uk; map. Secreted away behind its cheery chipboard-designed coffee shop/bar is a brilliant cinema, with seating crafted from wheel-mounted pallets that can be removed to accommodate other events, such as live music and art exhibitions. Screenings – typically classics, independent movies and foreign films – are at 8pm and cost £8. Tues–Sun 6pm–midnight.
Copper 38–39 Castle St, SA1 1HZ 01792 456689; map. Groovy artisan coffeehouse/craft-beer bar serving superb locally roasted coffee alongside ales from its own Boss brewery. The decor’s great, with tables carved from pallets and stools culled from copper kegs. There’s also a free jukebox, but if it all gets too raucous upstairs (and it can), head downstairs for a game of ping-pong. Mon–Thurs & Sun 10am–10pm, Fri & Sat 10am–midnight.
The Garage 47 Uplands Square, SA2 0NP 01792 475147, whitez.co.uk; map. The city’s premier live music venue, by virtue of its quality (and wonderfully varied) acts and understatedly cool atmosphere; rock predominates, but there’s much else besides. It’s tricky to find; the entrance is through Whitez pool club. Mon, Tues & Sun 8.30am–8pm, Wed–Sat 8.30am–11pm.
Noah’s Yard 38 Uplands Crescent, SA2 0PG 01792 447360; map. Classy wine bar with big bay windows, bare brick walls, Art Deco lighting, Chesterfield sofas and trunks for tables, as well as lots of contemporary artwork including a piece by Banksy. Live jazz Mon 8.30pm (£3) and an ace pop-up kitchen on Wed at 6.30pm. Daily 2pm–midnight.
No Sign Bar 56 Wind St, SA1 1EG 01792 465300, nosignwinebar.com; map. If you deign/dare to visit one place on Wind St, make it No Sign, one of the oldest hostelries in town. A narrow frontage leads into a long, warm pub interior with bare brick walls, pale wood flooring and squishy sofas, while down in the vaulted cellar, you’ll catch live music most weekends. Mon–Thurs 11am–midnight, Fri & Sat 11am–1am, Sun noon–11pm.
Uplands Tavern 42 Uplands Crescent, SA2 0PG 01792 458242, uplandstavern-uplands.co.uk; map. Despite looking a little tired these days, this former haunt of Dylan Thomas – the walls of the Dylan snug corner are plastered with fabulous photos – remains a bastion of local live music, especially rock and blues, usually from Thurs to Sat. Open mic on Mon. Mon–Thurs & Sun 11am–11pm, Fri & Sat 11am–midnight.
Brangwyn Hall The Guildhall, Guildhall Rd South, SA1 4PE 01792 635432, swansea.gov.uk/brangwynhall. This vastly impressive music hall in the Art Deco civic centre hosts regular concerts by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and others.
Dylan Thomas Theatre Dylan Thomas Square, Maritime Quarter, SA1 1TY 01792 473238, dylanthomastheatre.org.uk. Thriving community operation staging reruns of Thomas’s classics, alongside modern works, in the Little Theatre.
Taliesin Arts Centre Swansea University, SA2 8PZ 01792 602060, taliesinartscentre.co.uk. Welsh, English and international visiting theatre, film, dance and music (jazz, world), including offbeat and alternative offerings.
A nineteen-mile-long finger of undulating sandstone and limestone, Gower (Gŵyr) is a world of its own, pointing into the Bristol Channel to the west of Swansea. The area is fringed by sweeping yellow bays and precipitous cliffs, with caves and blowholes to the south and wide, flat marshes and cockle beds to the north. Bracken heaths dotted with prehistoric remains and tiny villages lie between, and there are numerous castle ruins and curious churches. Out of season, the winding lanes afford wonderful opportunities for exploration, but in high summer – July and August especially – they can be horribly congested. Frequent buses from Swansea serve the whole peninsula.
Gower starts in Swansea’s western suburbs, following the curve of Swansea Bay to the pleasantly old-fashioned resort of Mumbles and finishing at Rhossili Bay. West of Port Eynon, the coast becomes a wild, frilly series of inlets and cliffs, topped by a five-mile path that stretches all the way to the peninsula’s glorious westernmost point, Worms Head. The northern coast merges into the tidal flats of the Loughor estuary.
At the far westernmost end of Swansea Bay and on the cusp of Gower, MUMBLES (Mwmbwls) is a lively and enjoyable alternative base to Swansea – the name is derived from the French word mamelles, or “breasts” (a reference to the twin islets off the end of Mumbles Head). The seafront, an unbroken curve of stylish B&Bs, cafés and restaurants, leads down to the refurbished pier and the rocky plug of Mumbles Head. Around the headland, reached either by the longer coast road or by a short walk over the hill, is the district of Langland Bay, whose sandy beach is popular with surfers.
Castle Ave, SA3 4BA • April–Sept daily 11am–5pm • £3.50 • swansea.gov.uk/oystermouthcastle
The hilltop above town is crowned by the ruins of Oystermouth Castle, founded as a Norman watchtower and strengthened to withstand attacks by the Welsh, before being converted for residential purposes during the fourteenth century. A sensitive long-term restoration project has now returned the castle to something like its former glory. The keep, hall and Great Chamber form the earliest part of the castle (roughly late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries), with the remainder (including the chapel block) later additions. Inside the chapel, stairs lead up to a glass bridge platform, from where you can see the superb traceried east window, which frames magnificent views of the bay. The ramparts, too, afford lush vistas over the Mumbles headland, Swansea and its sweeping bay.
arrival and departure mumbles
Frequent buses from Swansea (every 10min; 15min) stop at various points along the seafront.
Coast House 708 Mumbles Rd, SA3 4EH 01792 368702, thecoasthouse.co.uk. Welcoming seafront guesthouse with four fresh-looking rooms, two of which have glorious sea views. Closed Jan and Dec. £80
Langland Road B&B 17 Langland Rd, SA3 4ND 01792 361170, langlandroad.co.uk. LGBT-friendly bed and breakfast providing five smart rooms with DVD players and iPod docking stations. To get there, head to the top of Newton Rd and turn left by the church. £85
Tides Reach 388 Mumbles Rd, SA3 5TN 01792 404877, tidesreachguesthouse.com. Seven spacious and immaculate rooms in this elegant, cheerfully run guesthouse, where you can also enjoy the homely lounge and delightful courtyard garden bursting with roses and honeysuckle. £75
Café 93 93 Newton Rd, SA3 5TW 01792 368793, cafe93.co.uk. Cheery, two-floored pink-and-white café at the top of the road, with tea, coffee and cakes plus crisp pizzas and juicy burgers/veggie burgers. Mon 9am–5pm, Tues 9am–8pm, Wed–Sat 9am–11pm.
The Front Room 618 Mumbles Rd, SA3 4EA 01792 362140. Homely spot for a light lunch (Welsh cheddar and onion tartlet, perhaps; £5.20), afternoon high tea for two (£17) or, on the first Thurs evening of each month, a three-course menu (£20.95). It’s great for kids too, with a “munchkins” menu and boxes of toys to play with. Tues–Fri 10am–4.30pm, Sat & Sun 10am–5pm.
P.A.’s Wine Bar 95 Newton Rd, SA3 4BN 01792 367723. Mumbles’ most rewarding restaurant, whose myriad seafood possibilities (around £20) and meaty treats perfectly complement its outstanding repertoire of wines; there’s a big Sun lunch too. The vine-covered terrace is a fine spot in warmer weather. Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm & 6–11pm, Sun noon–2.30pm.
Verdi’s Knab Rock, SA3 4EE 01792 369135, verdis-café.co.uk. Overlooking the sea near the pier, this Welsh/Italian institution is well regarded for its superb pizzas and ice creams, sorbets and sundaes; the coffee’s not half bad, either. Mid-March to mid-Oct daily 10am–9pm; mid-Oct to mid-March Mon–Thurs 10am–6pm, Fri–Sun 10am–9pm.
The spectacularly located village of RHOSSILI (Rhosili), at the western end of Gower, is a centre for walkers and beach lovers alike. Dylan Thomas wrote of the “rubbery, gull-limed grass, the sheep-pilled stones, the pieces of bones and feathers” to the west of the village, and you can follow his footsteps to Worms Head, an isolated string of rocks, accessible for only five hours at low tide.
Below Rhossili, a great curve of white sand stretches into the distance, a dazzling coastline vast enough to absorb the crowds, especially if you are prepared to head north towards Burry Holms, an islet that is cut off at high tide. The northern end of the beach can also be reached by the small lane from Reynoldston, in the middle of the peninsula, to Llangennith, on the other side of the towering Rhossili Down (633ft).
arrival and information RHOSSILI and around
By bus Buses drop off in Rhossili by the car park near the Worm’s Head Hotel.
Tourist information The National Trust Centre, at the head of the road beyond Rhossili village, stocks plenty of literature, excellent local walking maps and a tide timetable (Jan & Feb Tues–Sun 10.30am–4pm; March–May & Sept–Dec daily 10.30am–4.30pm; June–Aug 10.30am–5pm; 01792 390707, nationaltrust.org.uk).
Blas Gwyr Llangennith, by the roundabout on the lane towards the beach, SA3 1HU 01792 386472, blasgwyr.co.uk. An old farmhouse with four cottagey-style rooms set away from each other around a little courtyard; stripped back stone walls, colourful Welsh fabrics and large wet rooms are standard, while Dafydd, the affable proprietor, will whip you up a cracking breakfast at the same time as regaling you with entertaining stories. £115
Hillend Near the hamlet of Hillend, SA3 1JD 01792 386204, hillendcamping.com. Large, fabulously located campsite behind the dunes and with direct access to the glorious beach. Two of the four fields are set aside for families and couples. Shop and on-site café/bar. Closed Nov–March. There’s a surfing school on site. £20
King Arthur Hotel Reynoldston, SA3 1AD 01792 390775, kingarthurhotel.co.uk. The village’s convivial pub has half a dozen comfortable en-suite rooms upstairs, though the annexe offers larger, more attractive options with French windows and cast-iron beds and tables (£105). £90
Surfing on Gower
Gower has some of the finest surf in Britain, the best of which is to be had around the bays and beaches of Langland, Caswell, Oxwich and Rhossili, though the most consistent is at Llangennith, which is also suitable for beginners. The website gowerlive.com has live webcams and tide times.
PJ’s Surfshop Llangennith 01792 386669, pjsurfshop.co.uk. The best place for equipment rental, with a wide range of surfboards (£11/day), boogie boards (£6/day) and wetsuits (£11/day). Daily 9am–5pm.
Sam’s Surf Shack Rhossili 01792 390519, rhossilileisure@hotmail.com. Equipment rental and lessons (£20/hr). Daily 9am–5pm, though erratic.
Welsh Surfing Federation’s Surf School Hillend campsite 01792 386426, surfschool.wsf.wales. The Welsh Surfing Federation’s Surf School runs half- and full-day courses (£25/£45) year-round.
King’s Head Llangennith, SA3 1HX 01792 386212, kingsheadgower.co.uk. The most prominent accommodation in the village is in this sixteenth-century pub, offering rooms of a fairly high standard (some with sea views) in the pub annexe and, better still, in a newer stone building across the car park. £99
YHA Port Eynon By the beach, SA3 1NN 0345 371 9135, yha.org.uk/hostel/port-eynon. In a tremendous beachside location, this Victorian-era lifeboat station has been converted into a super hostel, with four- to eight-bedded dorms and double rooms. Shared shower facilities, self-catering kitchen and lounge. Groups only Nov–March. Dorms £18, doubles £40
Bay Bistro Rhossili, SA3 1PP 01792 390519, thebaybistro.co.uk. Easy-going café serving light meals, including terrific burgers (Welsh wagyu £13.95) and home-made cakes; park yourself inside on one of the sunken armchairs or out on the windy terrace, where you can admire the glorious coastal views. Daily: June–Sept 10am–5pm & 7–9pm; Oct–May 10am–5pm.
King Arthur Hotel Reynoldston, SA3 1AD 01792 390775, kingarthurhotel.co.uk. The hotel’s restaurant is fine, but better is the lovely wood-lined bar, where you can chomp on succulent Welsh rump washed down with one of the superb guest ales; in fine weather, though, most locals head out to the green and drink among the sheep. Daily 10am–11pm; kitchen noon–2.30pm & 6–9pm.
Frequently overlooked in the stampede towards the resorts of Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire is a quiet part of the world. Dramatically set Kidwelly Castle is the only reason to stop before Carmarthen, which sadly fails to live up to its status as regional capital. Better to press on up the bucolic Tywi Valley, visiting the National Botanic Garden and the more intimate Aberglasney on the way to Llandeilo. The wonderfully sited Carreg Cennen castle is well worth a stop-off, while the delightful coastal village of Laugharne is a place of pilgrimage for Dylan Thomas devotees.
Just north of the town centre, SA17 5BQ • March–June, Sept & Oct daily 9.30am–5pm; July & Aug daily 9.30am–6pm; Nov–Feb Mon–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun 11am–4pm • £4; CADW • 01554 890104, cadw.gov.wales/daysout/kidwellycastle • Kidwelly train station, 0.5 mile west of the town centre down Station Rd, is on the main line between Swansea (15 daily; 30min) and Carmarthen (15 daily; 15min)
The sleepy little town of KIDWELLY (Cydweli) is dominated by its imposing castle, established around 1106 by Henry I’s minister Roger, Bishop of Salisbury.
Kidwelly Castle is strategically sited overlooking the River Gwendraeth and vast tracts of coast. Entering through the massive gatehouse, completed in 1422, you can still see portcullis slats and the murder holes through which noxious substances could be tipped onto intruders. This forms the centrepiece of the impressively intact outer ward walls, which give great views over the grassy courtyard and rectangular inner ward to the river.
In the early eighteenth century CARMARTHEN (Caerfyrddin) was Wales’ largest town and it remains the regional hub, a solid, if hardly thrilling, commercial centre best known as the supposed birthplace of the wizard Merlin.
The most picturesque part of town is around Nott Square, where the handsome eighteenth-century Guildhall sits at the base of Edward I’s uninspiring castle. The most picturesque eighteenth- and nineteenth-century part of town lies along King Street, heading northeast from Nott Square towards St Peter’s Church.
Abergwili, 2 miles east of Carmarthen, SA31 2JG • Tues–Sat 10am–4.30pm • Free • 01267 228696, carmarthenmuseum.org.uk • Served by Carmarthen–Llandeilo buses (6 daily; 12min from Carmarthen)
The severe grey Bishop’s Palace in Abergwili, the seat of the Bishop of St Davids between 1542 and 1974, now houses the Carmarthen County Museum. The interesting exhibitions include the history of Welsh translations of the New Testament and Book of Common Prayer – both first translated here, in 1567.
ARRIVAL AND information carmarthen
By train Trains between Swansea and Pembrokeshire stop at the station on the south side of the River Tywi.
Destinations Cardiff (20 daily; 1hr 45min–2hr); Fishguard (4 daily; 1hr); Haverfordwest (11 daily; 40min); Kidwelly (15 daily; 15min); Pembroke (9 daily; 1hr 10min); Swansea (26 daily; 50min); Tenby (9 daily; 50min).
By bus The bus station is on Blue St, north of the river.
Destinations Aberystwyth (hourly; 2hr 20min); Haverfordwest (3 daily; 1hr); Kidwelly (every 30min; 25min); Laugharne (5 daily; 30min); Llandeilo (10 daily; 40min); Swansea (every 30min; 1hr 20min); Tenby (1 daily; 1hr 10min).
Tourist office Castle House, between the castle’s ring walls (Mon-Sat 9.30am–4.30pm; 01267 231557).
Diablo’s on the Quay Coracle Way, SA31 3JP 01267 223000, diablos.co. Lively bar by the river that’s ideal for the two-course lunch (£15) or full meals (mains such as beef pie, steaks or pan-roasted sea-bass; mains £12.50–24). There’s an outside deck for cocktails. Daily noon–late; kitchen noon–3pm & 6–9pm.
Falcon Hotel 111 Lammas St, SA31 3AP 01267 234959, falconcarmarthen.co.uk. The best town-centre option, this well-established family-run hotel has fresh individually styled rooms, a good restaurant and attentive service. £75
Y Dderwen Fach 98 Priory St, SA31 1NB 01267 234193, ydderwenfach.co.uk. The best of the central budget B&Bs, in a simple seventeenth-century house. Some rooms have bathtubs; others have shared showers. £50
The Warren 11 Mansel St, SA31 1PX 01267 236079, warrenmanselst.co.uk. This café-bar promises craft beers and gins, interesting starters (£3.50–7) such as spicy dips or vegetable fritters, and mains (£11–16) from veggie burgers to lamb moussaka. Thurs–Sat 11am–3pm & 6–9.30pm, Sun 11am–3pm.
The River Tywi curves and darts its way east from Carmarthen through some of the most magical scenery in south Wales as well as passing a couple of fine gardens: the National Botanic Garden of Wales and the faithful reconstruction of the walled gardens around the long-abandoned house of Aberglasney. The twenty-mile trip to Llandeilo is punctuated by gentle, impossibly green hills topped with ruined castles, notably the wonderful Carreg Cennen: it’s not hard to see why the Merlin legend has taken such a hold in these parts.
Seven miles east of Carmarthen, SA32 8HN • Daily: April–Oct 10am–6pm; Nov-March 10am–4.30pm • April–Oct £9.55; Nov–March £8.86; half price for visitors arriving by bike • 01558 668768, gardenofwales.org.uk • Bus #279 runs daily from Carmarthen train station (25min)
Opened in 2000, the great glass “eye” of the National Botanic Garden of Wales quickly became the centrepiece of the Tywi Valley. Its central walkway leads past lakes, sculpture and geological outcrops from all over Wales, with walks down towards slate-bed plantings and wood and wetland habitats. A double-walled garden has been teased back to life (providing vegetables for the excellent café/restaurant), and enhanced with a small, exquisite Japanese garden, a tropical house and a bee garden that’s home to a million bees. At the top of the hill is Norman Foster’s stunning oval glasshouse, packed with endangered plants from South Africa, Chile, California and the Mediterranean. The whole complex is sustainably managed, and the surrounding land has been turned over to either organic farming or the restoration of typical Welsh habitat.
Five miles northeast of the National Botanic Garden of Wales, 0.5 mile south of the A40, SA32 8OH • Daily: April–Oct 10am–6pm; Nov–March 10.30am–4pm • £8 • 01558 668998, aberglasney.org
While a partly ruined manor house is the centrepiece of the Aberglasney estate, interest is focused on the stunning gardens where archeologists have peeled back half a century’s neglect to reveal interlinking walled gardens mostly constructed between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. A walkway leads around the top of what is thought to be Britain’s only secular cloister garden, giving access to a set of six Victorian aviaries from where there are great views over the Jacobean pool garden. Look out for the yew tunnel, planted around three hundred years ago. The house’s glassed-in atrium shelters subtropical plants.
Fifteen miles east of Carmarthen, the handsome market town of LLANDEILO is heading upmarket, with a growing group of chichi cafés and shops on and near the main Rhosmaen Street.
One mile west of Llandeilo, SA19 6RT • Dinefwr Park Daily 24hr • Free • Newton House Mid-March to Oct daily 10am–6pm; Nov to mid-March Fri–Sun 10am–4pm • £7.27; NT • nationaltrust.org.uk/dinefwr
There’s little to see in town, but to the west is the gorgeous Dinefwr Park, where the tumbledown shell of the largely thirteenth-century Dinefwr Castle sits on a wooded bluff above the Tywi. The owners, the Rhys family, aspired to something a little more luxurious, and in 1523 built a “new” castle, half a mile away, now named Newton House. Today the interiors are arranged just as they were a hundred years ago.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE llandeilo
By train Llandeilo train station, on the scenic Heart of Wales Line from Swansea to Shrewsbury, is just east of the centre.
Destinations Shrewsbury (4 daily; 2hr 50min); Swansea (5 daily; 1hr 10min).
By bus Buses stop on New Rd.
Destinations Carmarthen (8 daily; 40min); Swansea (6 daily; 90min).
Angel Hotel 62 Rhosmaen St, SA19 6EN 01558 822765, angelbistro.co.uk. Convivial pub serving real ales and great bar meals (mains £12–20), with a slightly more formal restaurant at the rear (£10 for one course, £14 for two, £16 for three). Mon–Sat 11.30am–3pm & 6–11pm; kitchen 11.30am–3pm & 6–9pm.
The Cawdor 70 Rhosmaen St, SA19 6EN 01558 823500, thecawdor.com. Llandeilo’s focal point, this former coaching inn has been given a modern makeover with delightful, simply decorated rooms (all different) and stunning attic suites (£200). £85
Ginhaus 1 Market St, SA19 6AH 01558 823030, ginhaus.co.uk. In addition to the best coffee, breads, cheese, charcuterie, antipasti and wines in town, this deli also offers baguettes and wraps, quiches and pies, and specials such as chilli con carne to take away or eat at the tables in front. Oh, and they stock 250 gins too. Mon–Thurs 8am–6pm, Fri & Sat 8am–10pm.
Plough Inn Rhosmean, SA19 6NP 01558 823431, ploughrhosmaen.com. Just a mile north of town, this well-established pub/restaurant has a modern extension with large, comfortable rooms, gym and sauna. £100
Four miles southeast of Llandeilo, SA19 6UA • Daily: April–Oct 9.30am–6pm; Nov–March 9.30am–5pm • £5.50; CADW • 01558 822291, carregcennencastle.com
Isolated in the rural hinterland, in the far western extremes of the Brecon Beacons National Park, Carreg Cennen Castle is one of the country’s most magnificently positioned castles. Urien, one of King Arthur’s knights, is said to have built his fortress on the fearsome rocky outcrop, although the first known construction dates from 1248. Carreg Cennen fell to the English King Edward I in 1277, and was largely destroyed in 1462 by the Earl of Pembroke for being a rebel base. The castle’s most astounding aspect is its commanding position, 300ft above a sheer drop down into the green valley of the River Cennen. After the views, the highlight of a visit is the long, damp descent into a pitch-black cave that served as a shelter in prehistoric times. Torches (which can be rented for £1.50 from the excellent tearoom near the car park) are essential; continue as far as possible and then turn them off to experience absolute darkness.
The village of LAUGHARNE (Talacharn) is a delightful spot, with its ragged castle looming over reeds and tidal flats, and narrow lanes snuggling in behind. Come in high season, though, and you’re immediately aware that Laugharne is increasingly being taken over by the legend of the poet Dylan Thomas. The village plays its Thomas connections with curiously disgruntled aplomb – nowhere more so than his old boozing hole, Brown’s Hotel, on the main street. The poet is buried in the graveyard of the parish church just north of the centre, his grave marked by a simple white cross.
Dylan’s Walk, SA33 4SD • Daily: April–Sept 10am–5pm; Oct–March 10.30am–3pm • £4.20 • 01994 427420, dylanthomasboathouse.com
Down a narrow lane (no cars) by the estuary is the Dylan Thomas Boathouse, the simple home of the Thomas family from 1949 until the writer’s death in 1953. It’s an enchanting museum, with views of the peaceful, ever-changing water and light of the estuary and its “heron-priested shore”. Along the narrow lane, you can peer into the green garage where he wrote: curled photographs of literary heroes, a pen collection and scrunched-up balls of paper suggest that he could return at any minute.
Wogan St, SA33 4SA • April–Oct daily 10am–5pm • £4; CADW • 01994 427906, cadw.gov.wales/daysout/laugharnecastle
At the bottom of the main street, the gloomy hulk of Laugharne Castle broods over the estuary. Built in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, most of the original buildings were obliterated in Tudor times when it was transformed into a splendid mansion, largely destroyed in the Civil War. The Inner Ward is dominated by two original towers, one of which you can climb for sublime views from the domed roof over the huddled town. This is now surrounded by an attractive formal garden with fine mature trees.
Arrival and information Laugharne
By bus Laugharne is a stop on the bus route from Carmarthen (Mon–Sat 5 daily; 30min) to Pendine.
Tourist information Corran Books, opposite Brown’s Hotel on King St (April–Oct Mon–Sat 10am–5pm; 01994 427444).
Tiny Laugharne has only limited accommodation, so book ahead in season.
Ants Hill Caravan Park A4066, 1 mile north, SA33 4QN 01994 427293, antshill.co.uk. The nearest campsite to Laugharne has an outdoor heated swimming pool (summer only). Closed Nov–Feb. £20
Boat House Inn 1 Gosport St, SA33 4SY 01994 427263, theboathousebnb.co.uk. Stylish, comfortable four-room B&B right in the centre. Great breakfasts might include vanilla waffles or smoked salmon. £85
Brown’s Hotel King St, SA33 4RY 01994 427688, browns.wales. Thomas’ old boozing hole, built in 1752, is now a “bar-with-rooms” – and the “genuine” Dylan Thomas dartboard has been reinstated. Rooms are in a retro 1950s style, but with modern gadgets. There’s a good breakfast and a basic menu for lunch and dinner, with a soup of the day (£6.50), toasties, pizzas and curries (£8–9). Daily 11am–11pm; kitchen noon–3pm & 6–8.30pm. £95
Arthur’s Bistro 6 Grist Square, SA33 4SS 01994 427422. This friendly café serves breakfasts (until 11.30am) then soups, sandwiches, rarebit, pizza, fish and chips. Four evenings a week there’s a choice of antipasti followed by fairly standard mains (£8–14). Mon & Wed 10am–3pm, Thurs–Sun 10am–3pm & 6.30–9pm.
New Three Mariners Victoria St, SA33 4SE 01994 427426, newthreemarinersinn.co.uk. Cheery pub that offers the best drinking in town, as well as bar meals and pizzas. Mon–Fri 3–11pm, Sat & Sun noon–11pm.
Anyone exploring the far southern reaches of Pembrokeshire will pass through Tenby, the quintessential British seaside resort built high on cliffs with views across to monastic Caldey Island. The coast zigzagging west from Tenby is a strange mix of caravan parks, Ministry of Defence shooting ranges, spectacularly beautiful bays and gull-covered cliffs. The coastal road passes idyllic coves, the lily ponds at Bosherston and the remarkable and ancient St Govan’s Chapel, squeezed into a rock cleft above the crashing waves. The ancient town of Pembroke really only warrants a visit to its impressive castle and the fine Bishop’s Palace in neighbouring Lamphey.
On a natural promontory of great strategic importance, beguilingly old-fashioned TENBY (Dinbych-y-Pysgod) is everything a seaside resort should be. Narrow streets wind down from the medieval centre past miniature gardens facing the afternoon sun, and steps lead down to dockside arches where fishmongers sell the morning’s catch.
First mentioned in a ninth-century bardic poem, Tenby grew under the twelfth-century Normans, who erected a castle on the headland in their attempt to colonize South Pembrokeshire and create a “Little England beyond Wales”. Three times in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the town was ransacked by the Welsh before the stout town walls – largely still intact – were built. Tenby prospered as a port between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, and although decline followed, the arrival of the railway renewed prosperity as the town became a fashionable resort.
Today, wandering the medieval streets is one of Tenby’s delights. The town is triangle-shaped, with two sides formed by the coast meeting at Castle Hill, and the third by the 20ft-high town walls, built in the late thirteenth century and massively strengthened by Jasper Tudor in 1457. The only town gate still standing is the Five Arches, a semicircular barbican that combined day-to-day practicality with hidden lookouts and angles acute enough to surprise invaders.
Between St George’s St and Tudor Square, SA70 8AP • Usually open • Free • 01834 845484
The centre’s focal point is the 152ft-high spire of the largely fifteenth-century St Mary’s church. Its pleasantly light interior shows the elaborate ceiling bosses in the chancel to good effect, and fifteenth-century tombs attest to Tenby’s mercantile tradition.
Quay Hill, SA70 7BX • 11am–5pm: Feb half-term & Aug daily; March, Nov & Dec Sat & Sun; April–Oct Mon & Wed–Sun • £5; NT • 01834 842279, nationaltrust.org.uk/tudor-merchants-house
Wedged in a corner of Quay Hill is the fifteenth-century Tudor Merchant’s House. A compact building on three floors, it has been filled with reproduction Tudor furniture that visitors are welcome to sit on. The rear herb garden gives a good view of the huge Flemish chimney.
Arrival and information tenby
By train Tenby’s station is just west of the town centre, at the foot of Warren St.
Destinations Carmarthen (9 daily; 50min); Pembroke (9 daily; 20min); Swansea (8 daily; 1hr 45min).
Caldey Island
Celtic monks first settled Caldey Island (Ynys Pyr), a couple of miles off Tenby, in the sixth century. This community may have been wiped out in Viking raids, but in 1136 a Benedictine priory was founded here. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, the island was bought and sold until 1906, when it returned to monastic use – it is now home to fifteen members of a Reformed Cistercian order.
A short woodland walk from the jetty leads to the main settlement: a tiny post office, the popular tea garden and a perfume shop selling fragrances distilled by the monks from Caldey’s herbs. The narrow road to the left leads past the abbey to the heavily restored chapel of St David, whose most impressive feature is the round-arched Norman door.
A lane leads south from the village to the old priory, and the remarkable, twelfth-century St Illtud’s church, where one of the most significant pre-Norman finds in Wales, the sandstone Ogham Cross, stands on the south side of the nave. It bears a sixth-century runic inscription, added to, in Latin, during the ninth. The lane continues to the gleaming white lighthouse, built in 1828.
Caldey Island is accessible by boat from Tenby Harbour, or Castle Beach when the tide is out (10am–5pm, every 20min: Easter–May & Oct Mon–Fri; May–Sept Mon–Sat; 20min each way; £12 return; 01834 844453, caldey-island.co.uk). Tickets are sold at the kiosk at the harbour.
By bus Some buses stop at South Parade, at the top of Trafalgar Rd, although most (including National Express coaches) call at the bus shelter on Upper Park Rd.
Destinations Carmarthen (1 daily; 1hr); Haverfordwest (hourly; 1hr); Manorbier (hourly; 20min); Pembroke (hourly; 45min).
Tourist office Upper Park Rd (June–Aug Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm; Sept–May Mon–Fri 9am–1pm & 1.45–5pm, Sat 10am–1pm & 1.45–5pm; 01437 775603).
Atlantic The Esplanade, SA70 7DU 01834 842881, atlantic-hotel.uk.com. The best hotel along the South Beach, with fine rooms (some with sea views), a decent restaurant and a pool and spa. Watch out for good off-season specials. £115
Langdon Villa Guest House 3 Warren St, SA70 7JU 01834 849467, langdonguesthousetenby.co.uk. Handy for the station, this four-star B&B has a range of double and twin rooms and puts on a hearty breakfast. £70
Meadow Farm Northcliffe, SA80 8AU 01834 844829, meadowfarmtenby.co.uk. Under a mile north of Tenby on the coastal path, this campsite in a grassy field has limited facilities but long views over the town towards Caldey Island. Closed Nov–March. Per person £9
Roch Villa 1 Harding Villas, SA70 7LL 01834 843096, rochvillabandb.com. Budget accommodation with three rooms with shared bathrooms and video or DVD player. Limited parking, but it’s near the train station . £50
YHA Manorbier Skrinkle Haven, SA70 7TT 0345 371 9031, yha.org.uk/hostel/manorbier. Modern hostel in an old MoD building overlooking the cliffs 5 miles west of Tenby, near the Manorbier bus route. Meals and camping facilities available. Closed Nov–Feb. Dorms £19, doubles £59
Caffè Vista 3 Crackwell St, SA70 7HA 01834 849636. Great little licensed Greek-/Australian-run café with excellent panini, espresso and cakes, plus a small selection of hot dishes such as beef or butterbean stew. Good harbour views from the terrace and free wi-fi. Summer school hols Mon–Wed & Sun 9am–5pm, Thurs–Sat 9am–10.30pm; rest of year daily 9am–5pm.
Coach and Horses Upper Frog St, SA70 7JD 01834 842704. Animated, wooden-beamed pub (said to be the oldest in Tenby) with good beer, well-prepared bar meals and tasty Thai dishes. Daily noon–11pm; kitchen daily noon–3pm & 6–9pm.
Lifeboat Tavern St Julian’s St, SA70 7AD 01834 844948. Popular and welcoming pub, with a young clientele and family-friendly food such as steaks, burgers and fish and chips; live music Tues and Sun. Daily noon–midnight, kitchen Mon–Fri noon–9pm, Sat & Sun noon–7pm.
The Plantagenet Quay Hill, SA70 7BX 01834 842350, plantagenettenby.co.uk. For a splurge, try this cosy and thoroughly enjoyable restaurant in one of Tenby’s oldest houses – ask for a table inside the massive tenth-century Flemish chimney. Dinner mains go for £21–27 (£16 for vegetarian), but lunch is cheaper (£8–13). Daily noon–2.30pm & 5–10pm.
The coastal path south and west of Tenby skirts the gorgeous long beach of Penally, then hugs the clifftop for a couple of miles to Lydstep Haven (fee charged for the sands). A mile further west is the cove of Skrinkle Haven, and above it the excellent Manorbier hostel (see above).
A couple of miles beyond Skrinkle Haven, the quaint village of MANORBIER (Maenorbŷr), pronounced “manner-beer”, was the birthplace in 1146 of the Welsh-Norman historian, writer and ecclesiastical reformist Giraldus Cambrensis (Gerald of Wales).
Off the B485, 1.2 miles south of Manorbier train station, SA70 7SY • Feb & Oct half-terms & April–Sept daily 10am–4pm • £5.50 • 01834 871394, manorbiercastle.co.uk • Buses run hourly to the village from Haverfordwest (1hr 15min), Lamphey (15min), Pembroke (20min) and Tenby (20min)
Founded in the early twelfth century, the baronial residence of Manorbier Castle sits above the village and its beach on a hill of wild gorse. Strong Norman walls surround gardens and a grassy courtyard in which the remains of chapel and staterooms jostle for position with the nineteenth-century domestic residence. Views from the ramparts are wonderful, taking in the corrugated coastline, bushy dunes, deep-green fields and smoking chimneys of the village houses. There’s a warren of dark passageways to explore, occasionally opening out into little cells populated by lacklustre wax figures, including Gerald himself.
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and Coast Path
The Pembrokeshire Coast is Britain’s only predominantly sea-based national park (pembrokeshirecoast.wales), hugging the rippled coast around the entire southwestern section of Wales. Established in 1952, the park is not one easily identifiable mass, rather a series of occasionally unconnected coastal and inland scenic patches.
Following almost every wriggle of the coastline, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path winds 186 miles from Amroth, just east of Tenby, to its northern terminus at St Dogmael’s near Cardigan. For the vast majority of the way, the path clings precariously to cliff-top routes, overlooking seal-basking rocks, craggy offshore islands, unexpected gashes of sand and shrieking clouds of seabirds. The most popular and ruggedly inspiring segments of the coast path are the stretch along the southern coast from the castle at Manorbier to the tiny cliff chapel at Bosherston; either side of St Bride’s Bay, around St David’s Head and the Marloes peninsula; and the generally quieter northern coast either side of Fishguard, past undulating contours, massive cliffs, bays and old ports.
For information, the national park’s free newspaper Coast to Coast details guided walks, boat trips and other events; published every spring, it can be found in local visitor centres. Check also the park’s general site and nt.pcnpa.org.uk.
The #387/#388 Coastal Cruiser bus (generally summer daily; rest of year Thurs & Sat only) makes various loops from Pembroke, calling at Bosherton (3 daily; 15min–1hr), Stackpole village (2 daily; 30–40min), Stackpole Quay (2 daily; 35–55min) and St Govan’s (1 daily, Sat or Sun only; 30min)
The tiny rocky harbour at Stackpole Quay, reached by a small lane lane from East Trewent and part of the National Trust’s Stackpole Estate, is a good starting point for walks along the breathtaking cliffs to the north. Another walk leads half a mile south to one of Wales’ finest beaches, Barafundle Bay, its soft sands fringed by wooded cliffs at either end. The path continues around the coast, through the dunes of Stackpole Warren, to Broadhaven South, where a pleasant little beach overlooks several rocky islets. Road access is through the village of BOSHERSTON where three beautifully landscaped fingers of water known as Bosherston Lakes (NT; free) were created in the late eighteenth century. The westernmost lake is the most scenic, especially in late spring and early summer when the lilies that carpet much of its surface are in full bloom.
A lane from Bosherston (often closed Mon–Fri, due to military use) dips south across the MoD training grounds to a spot overlooking the cliffs where tiny St Govan’s Chapel (daily; free) is wedged: it’s a remarkable building, at least eight hundred years old. Steps descend straight into the sandy-floored chapel, now empty save for the simple stone altar.
The old county town of PEMBROKE (Penfro) sits below its fearsome castle on the southern side of Pembroke River. It’s a restful place, with one long main street of attractive Georgian and Victorian houses and some intact stretches of medieval town wall, but little else to keep you.
Westgate Hill, SA71 4LA • Daily: March, Sept & Oct 10am–5pm; April–Aug 9.30am–5.30pm; Nov–Feb 10am–4pm • £6 • 01646 681510, pembrokecastle.co.uk
Pembroke’s history is inextricably bound up with that of its castle, founded by the Normans as the strongest link in their chain of fortresses across south Wales. During the Civil War, Pembroke was a Parliamentarian stronghold until its military governor suddenly switched allegiance to the king, whereupon Cromwell’s troops sacked it after a 48-day siege. Yet despite this battering, and centuries of subsequent neglect, the castle still inspires awe with its sheer, bloody-minded bulk. The soaring gatehouse, housing some excellent history displays, leads into the large, grassy courtyard around the vast Norman keep, 75ft high and with walls 18ft thick. Beyond this, steps lead far down into Wogan Cavern, a huge natural cave, dank and slimy, where light beams in through a barred hole in the wall facing out over the waterside path.
Arrival and information pembroke
By train Pembroke’s train station lies at the eastern end of Main St.
Destinations Lamphey (9 daily; 3min); Manorbier (9 daily; 12min); Pembroke Dock (9 daily; 10min); Swansea (8 daily; 2hr 10min); Tenby (9 daily; 20min).
By bus Buses stop near the castle on Main St. The Coastal Cruiser hikers’ bus takes a loop from Pembroke to Angle via Bosherston and Stackpole; journey times depend on whether you take the #387 (anticlockwise) or #388 (clockwise).
Destinations Bosherston (May–Sept 3 daily; Oct–April Mon, Thurs & Sat 2 daily; 35min–1hr); Haverfordwest (hourly; 55min); Manorbier (hourly; 20min); Pembroke Dock (every 20min; 10min); Stackpole (May–Sept 2 daily; Oct–April Mon, Thurs & Sat 2 daily; 30–55min); Tenby (hourly; 40min).
By ferry Irish Ferries (0870 517 1717, irishferries.com) sail twice daily from Rosslare in Ireland to Pembroke Dock, 2 miles northwest of Pembroke and starting point for trains to Carmarthen and Swansea.
Tourist office In the library, Commons Rd (Easter–Oct Mon–Wed, Fri & Sat 10am–1pm & 2–5pm, Thurs 10am–1pm & 2–7pm; Nov–Easter Tues–Sat 10am–1pm; 01646 776499).
Cornstore Café North Quay, SA71 4NG 01646 684290, thecornstore.com/cafe. Attached to the eclectic Cornstore furnishings shop, with riverside seating, this serves good espresso, light meals and fantastic home-made cakes. Mon–Sat 10am–5pm.
Food at Williams 18 Main St, SA71 4NP 01646 689990, foodatwilliams.co.uk. A stylish, licensed café, serving fine coffee and cakes, breakfasts till noon and light lunches such as Glamorgan sausages or mackerel pâté (£6.50), sandwiches and daily specials. Mon–Fri 9am–4.30pm, Sat 9am–4pm, Sun 10am–3pm.
Old King’s Arms 13 Main St, SA71 4JS 01646 683611, oldkingsarmshotel.co.uk. Good pub grub, tapas and more substantial restaurant dishes; they also have four decent en-suite rooms. Daily 11am–11pm; kitchen noon–2.15pm & 6.30–9.15pm. £80
Penfro 111 Main St, SA71 4DB 01646 682753, facebook.com/Penfro-BB-239277051946. Three large rooms in a fine Georgian townhouse, some without bathroom or TV; there’s a lovely spacious garden at the rear. £75
Tregenna 7 Upper Lamphey Rd, SA71 5JL 01646 621525, tregennapembroke.co.uk. If Penfro is full, try one of the four en-suite rooms here, about 900yd beyond the train station. £70
The pleasant village of LAMPHEY (Llandyfai), two miles east of Pembroke and accessible on buses and trains between Tenby and Pembroke, is best known for the ruined Bishop’s Palace, off a quiet lane to the north of the village. There’s also a handful of good places to stay nearby.
Off the A4139, SA71 5NT • Daily 10am–4pm • April–Oct £3.50; Nov–March free; CADW • 01646 672224, cadw.gov.wales/daysout/lampheybishopspalace
Once a country retreat for the bishops of St Davids, Lamphey’s Bishop’s Palace dates from around the thirteenth century, but was abandoned following the Reformation. Stout walls surround the scattered ruins and grassy banks under which other buildings have long been lost. Most impressive are the remains of the Great Hall, at the complex’s eastern end, topped by fourteenth-century arcaded parapets.
aRRIVAL AND DEPARTURE lamphey
By train The station is central, on Station Rd just off A4139.
Destinations Carmarthen (every 2hr; 1hr 10min); Pembroke (every 2hr; 5min); Pembroke Dock (every 2hr; 15min); Swansea (every 2hr; 2hr); Tenby (every 2hr; 20min).
By bus Buses stop at the church, south of the lane to the Bishop’s Palace.
Destinations Haverfordwest (hourly; 1hr); Pembroke (hourly; 8min); Tenby (hourly; 40min).
Lamphey Court Hotel & Spa Opposite Bishop’s Palace, SA71 5NT 01646 672273, lampheycourt.co.uk. Grand, if slightly over-the-top, accommodation, with spa, opposite the palace ruins. £98
Portclew House B&B 2 miles south, SA71 5LA 01646 672800, portclewhouse.co.uk. Just 0.5 mile from the superb beach of Freshwater East, this Grade II-listed Georgian house, in two acres of grounds, offers seven spacious rooms and good, hearty breakfasts. £98
Carew, SA70 8SL • Castle & mill April–Oct daily 10am–5pm; Nov–March castle only Mon–Fri 11am–3pm • April–Oct £5.50; Nov–March £4 • carewcastle.com • Buses from Pembroke (4 daily; 10min) and Tenby (9 daily; 30min)
Tiny CAREW, four miles northeast of Pembroke, is a pretty place beside the River Carew. By the main road just south of the river crossing stands a 13ft Celtic cross, the graceful taper of the shaft covered in fine tracery of ancient Welsh designs. Nearby, an Elizabethan walled garden houses the ticket office for Carew Castle and Tidal Mill. Little remains of the castle, a hybrid of defensive necessity (c.1100) and Elizabethan whimsy, but its large, impressive bare walls give a good sense of scale. A few hundred yards west is the Tidal Mill, used commercially until 1937 and now the only tide-powered mill in Wales. The impressive eighteenth-century exterior belies the pedestrian displays inside.
The most westerly point of Wales is one of the country’s most enchanting. Just ten miles or so north of Tenby is Narberth, with its charming shopping; another ten or so miles west the region’s chief town, Haverfordwest is rather soulless, but it’s the jumping-off point for stunning St Bride’s Bay. The coast here is broken into rocky outcrops, islands and broad, sweeping beaches curving between two headlands that sit like giant crab pincers facing out into the warm Gulf Stream. The southernmost headland winds around every conceivable angle, offering calm, east-facing sands at Dale and sunny expanses of south-facing beach at Marloes. At Martin’s Haven, boats depart for the offshore islands of Skomer, Skokholm and Grassholm. To the north, there’s spectacularly lacerated coast around St Davids peninsula, with towering cliffs interrupted only by occasional strips of sand. The tiny city of St Davids is a highlight: rooks and crows circle above the impressive ruins of the huge Bishop’s Palace and the delicate bulk of the cathedral, the most impressive in Wales.
The wild, rugged coast that forms the very southern tip of Cardigan Bay is breathtakingly beautiful, and noticeably less commercialized and far more Welsh than the shores of south and mid-Pembrokeshire. From the crags and cairns above St David’s Head, the coast path perches precariously on cliffs where only the thousands of seabirds have access. Hidden coves and secluded beaches slice into the rocky headlands, at their most magnificent around Strumble Head, where a picturesque lighthouse stands on a tiny islet. From here, there’s only wilderness to detain you en route to charming Newport – unless you’re heading for Fishguard and the Irish ferry.
According to legend, NARBERTH (Arberth) was the court of Pwyll, and its castle was probably home to the Welsh princes. Today, it is Pembrokeshire’s prime boutique shopping destination, with a dozen or so delis, galleries and independent shops along High Street, and a lively farmer’s market on Thursday afternoons.
arrival and getting around narberth
By train The train station is a mile east from High St; bus #381 (every hour or so; 4min) will take you to the centre.
Destinations Carmarthen (every 2hr; 30min); Pembroke (every 2hr; 45min); Swansea (every 2hr; 1hr 25min); Tenby (every 2hr; 30min).
By bus Buses stop at the top of High St.
Destinations Cardigan (3 daily; 1hr); Carmarthen (3 daily; 40min); Haverfordwest (hourly; 20min); Tenby (hourly; 45min).
Plas Hyfryd Country Hotel Moorfield Rd, SA67 7AB 01834 869006, plashyfrydhotel.com. Comfortable hotel at the top of town, in a former rectory with fourteen rooms (including family and executive suites), bar and restaurant, with terrace dining. £90
Ultracomida 7 High St, SA76 7AR 01834 861491, ultracomida.co.uk. Perfect for lunch, this little slice of Spain has hams hanging from the ceiling, large shared tables, delicious authentic tapas or larger raciones (£4–7), as well as salads and sandwiches, with Iberian wines or sherries to wash them down. Mon–Sat: deli & takeaway 10am–6pm; restaurant 10am–5pm.
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, HAVERFORDWEST (Hwlffordd), ten miles north of Pembroke, prospered as a port and trading centre. Today it is scarcely a place to linger, though as the main transport hub and shopping centre for western Pembrokeshire, you are likely to pass through.
ARRIVAL AND departure haverfordwest
By train Trains stop a 10min walk east of the Old Bridge.
Destinations Cardiff (7 daily; 2hr 25min); Carmarthen (10 daily; 40min); Swansea (7 daily; 1hr 30min).
By bus The bus station is at the end of the Old Bridge.
Destinations Broad Haven (6 daily; 20min); Cardigan (hourly; 1hr 20min); Carmarthen (3 daily; 1hr); Fishguard (hourly; 40min); Manorbier (hourly; 1hr 10min); Newport, Pembrokeshire (hourly; 1hr); Pembroke (hourly; 55min); St Davids (hourly; 45min); Tenby (hourly; 1hr).
Tourist office Dew St, behind the library (Mon, Wed & Fri 10am–5pm – also Thurs during summer holidays – Tues 10am–7pm, Sat 10am–1pm; 01437 775244).
By bike Mike’s Bikes, 17 Prendergast, a quarter of a mile northeast of the bus station (Mon–Sat 9am–5.30pm; 01437 760068, mikes-bikes.co.uk). The region’s best bike rental, supplying mountain bikes and hybrid tourers (both £12/day) with panniers, lock and helmet, and tag-alongs for kids.
Boulston Manor 3 miles southeast, SA62 4AQ 01437 764600, boulstonmanor.co.uk. On a stunning site overlooking the Western Cleddau, this top-end B&B has just three rooms, all furnished in Georgian style but with modern comforts. £75
College Guest House 93 Hill St, SA62 1QL 01437 763710, collegeguesthouse.com. One of several decent B&Bs near the Leisure Centre (free parking) at the top of Hill St. £80
The Creative Common 11 Goat St, SA61 1PX 01437 779397, thecreativecommon.co.uk. Linked to a co-working space, this attractive coffee shop has great coffee and tea (served with a timer), delicious cakes and enthusiastic staff. Mon–Fri 8am–2.30pm, Sat 10am–3pm.
The George’s 24 Market St, SA61 1NH 01437 766683, thegeorges.uk.com. A great option for lunch, taking a wholefood approach to delicious peasant dishes. You can eat in a lovely walled garden if the weather allows, or the cellar bistro if not. Tues–Sat 10am–5.30pm.
DALE, fourteen miles west of Haverfordwest, has a sheltered east-facing shore; it’s excellent for bathing and watersports, but it can be unbearably crowded in peak season. West Wales Wind, Surf and Sailing gives instruction in power-boating, windsurfing, surfing, sailing and kayaking (April–Oct; £35–70/half-day; 01646 636642, surfdale.co.uk), and rents gear.
ARRIVAL AND Departure dale
By bus There are various bus stops, including on the seafront (B4327). The village is served by buses from/to Haverfordwest (3 daily; 55min) and Milford Haven (3 daily; 30min).
Allenbrook Castle Way, SA62 3RN 01646 636254, allenbrook-dale.co.uk. A luxurious, charming, somewhat timewarped country house; all rooms have sea views across the lawns. No children. £80
Griffin Inn Waterfront, SA62 3RB 01646 636227, griffininndale.co.uk. This traditional waterfront pub, with a modern extension and open deck above, has built a strong reputation for its fish specials (mostly perfectly fresh and lightly steamed), but is also a real village pub where you can relax and chat freely. May–Sept daily noon–11pm; Oct–April Tues–Sun noon–11pm; kitchen same days noon–2.30pm & 6–8.30pm.
MARLOES, a mile north of Dale, is an unexciting little place, but the broad, deserted beach is magnificent, offering safe swimming as well as fine views of the island of Skokholm. The coast path and a narrow road continue for two miles to the National Trust-owned Deer Park, the grassy far tip of the southern peninsula of St Bride’s Bay – and Martin’s Haven, from where you can take a boat out to the islands of Skomer (where you can disembark), Skokholm and Grassholm (see below).
ARRIVAL AND Departure Marloes
The Puffin Shuttle bus runs from St Davids (May–Sept 3 daily; Oct–April 3 Thurs & 3 Sat; 1hr 30min).
ST DAVIDS (Tyddewi) is one of the most enchanting spots in Britain. This miniature city – really just a large village – sits at Wales’ very westernmost point in bleak, treeless countryside, above its purple- and gold-flecked cathedral, the country’s spiritual heart. Supposedly founded by the Welsh patron saint himself in 550 AD, the shrine of St David has drawn pilgrims for a millennium and a half – William the Conqueror included – and by 1120, Pope Calixtus II decreed that two journeys to St Davids were the spiritual equivalent of one to Rome. Today, with so many historical sites, outdoor-pursuit centres, surf beaches, good cafés, superb walks, bathing and climbing, St Davids and its peninsula are a must-visit.
Skomer, Skokholm and Grassholm islands
Weather permitting, Dale Sailing operates boats (April–Oct Tues–Sun & bank hols 10am, 11am & noon; £21; no booking required) from Martin’s Haven to Skomer, a 722-acre flat-topped island whose rich birdlife and spectacular carpets of wild flowers make it perfect for birdwatching and walking.
Though no landings are permitted, Dale also offers fast cruises that loop around Skokholm (daily 10.30am, 1pm, 3.30pm & 6.30pm; 2hr; £45; booking essential; 01646 603109, pembrokeshire-islands.co.uk), a couple of miles south of Skomer and far smaller, more rugged and remote, noted for its cliffs of warm red sandstone. Britain’s first bird observatory was founded here in 1933, and there are still huge numbers of petrels, gulls, puffins, oystercatchers and Manx shearwaters.
The same company also offers cruises out to the tiny outpost of Grassholm Island, five miles west of Skomer (daily 11.30pm; 2hr; £45; booking essential). Some eighty thousand or so screaming gannets nest here, and though you cannot land boats stop to watch the wildlife.
From the central Celtic cross, the main street runs under the thirteenth-century Tower Gate, forming the entrance to the serene Cathedral Close, backed by a windswept landscape of treeless heathland. The cathedral lies down to the right, hidden in a hollow by the River Alun. This apparent modesty is explained by reasons of defence, as a towering cathedral, visible from the sea on all sides, would have been vulnerable to attack. On the other side of the babbling Alun stand the ruins of the Bishop’s Palace.
The Close, SA62 6RD • Mon–Sat 8.30am–5.30pm, Sun 12.45–5.30pm • £3 donation requested • Guided tours (1hr) Aug Mon 11.30am & Fri 2.30pm, other times by appointment; arranged at the bookshop in the nave • £4 • 01437 720202, stdavidscathedral.org.uk
Entering St Davids Cathedral, you at once have a full view of its most striking feature, the intricate, latticed oak roof of the low, twelfth-century nave, added to hide emergency restoration work in the sixteenth century. The nave floor still has a pronounced slope and the support buttresses inserted in the northern aisle look incongruously new and temporary. The choir stalls include a unique monarch’s stall, complete with royal crest, for, unlike any other British cathedral, the Queen is an automatic member of the St Davids Cathedral Chapter. Separating choir and presbytery is an unusual parclose screen of finely traced woodwork; beyond this is the tomb of Edmund Tudor, father of King Henry VII. The back wall of the presbytery was once the eastern end of the cathedral, as can be seen from the two lines of windows. The upper row remains intact, while the lower three were filled with delicate gold mosaics in the nineteenth century. On the south side are two thirteenth-century bishops’ tombs, facing the disappointingly plain tomb of St David, largely destroyed in the Reformation. Behind the filled-in lancets at the back of the presbytery is Bishop Vaughan’s chapel, its exquisite fan tracery roof built in 1508–22. A peephole looks back into the presbytery, over a casket reputedly containing some of the intermingled bones of St David and his friend, St Justinian.
The Close, SA62 6PE • March–June, Sept & Oct daily 9.30am–5pm; July & Aug daily 9.30am–6pm; Nov–Feb Mon–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun 11am–4pm • £4; CADW • 01437 720517, cadw.gov.wales/daysout/stdavidsbishopspalace
The splendid fourteenth-century Bishop’s Palace has a huge central quadrangle fringed by a neat jigsaw of ruined buildings built in extraordinarily richly tinted stone. The arched parapets that run along the top of most of the walls were a favourite feature of Bishop Gower. Two ruined but still impressive halls – the Bishop’s Hall and the enormous Great Hall, with its glorious rose window – lie off the main quadrangle; beneath the Great Hall, dank vaults contain an interesting exhibition on the palace and the indulgent lifestyles of its occupants. The destruction of the palace is largely due to sixteenth-century Bishop Barlow, who supposedly stripped the buildings of their lead roofs to provide dowries for his five daughters’ marriages to bishops.
Outdoor activities around St Davids
Several local companies run boat trips to the outlying islands, and there are all manner of activities from biking to rock climbing.
Ma Simes Surf Hut 28 High St, St Davids, SA62 2SD 01437 720433, masimes.co.uk. The place to rent surfboards (£12/day) or book lessons (£35/half-day).
Preseli Venture 10 miles east of St Davids, near Mathry, SA62 5HN 01348 837709, preseliventure.co.uk. Coasteering, sea kayaking, surfing, walking and biking (all half-day £52; £98/day).
TYF 1 High St, SA62 6SA 01437 721611, tyf.com. TYF pioneered coasteering, an exhilarating combo that involves scrambling over rocks, jumping off cliffs and swimming across the narrow bays of St Davids peninsula. It’s possible for just about anyone (even non-swimmers) and is available all year, along with surfing, kayaking and rock climbing (all £58/half-day, £99/day). Also multiday sessions and courses.
National Park visitor centre, High St, SA62 6NW • Daily 10am–4pm • Free • 01437 720392, pembrokeshirecoast.org.uk
The Oriel y Parc Landscape Gallery features paintings by Graham Sutherland plus rotating loans from the National Museum of Wales. The thoughtfully curated displays aim to interpret the landscape and natural world of the National Park.
Arrival and information st davids
By bus From mid-April to Sept, the Celtic Coaster bus (#403) connects the Grove car park (by the tourist office) and the centre of St Davids with Whitesands Bay, St Justinians and Porth Clais. Buses from Haverfordwest stop on the High St; buses to and from Fishguard and Whitesands Bay stop on New St (when arriving) and Nun St (when leaving).
Destinations Broad Haven (3 daily; 45min); Fishguard (7 daily; 50min); Haverfordwest (hourly; 45min); Marloes (3 daily; 1hr 20min).
National Park visitor centre East end of the High St (daily; March–Oct 9.30am–5pm; Nov–Feb 10am–4.30pm; 01437 720392, stdavids.co.uk).
National Trust visitor centre Captain’s House, Cross Square (Mon–Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 9am–4pm; 01437 720385, nationaltrust.org.uk/st-davids-visitor-centre-and-shop).
Y Glennydd 51 Nun St, SA62 6NU 01438 870487 or 01437 720576, glennyddhotel.co.uk; map. Welcoming two-star hotel (built for coastguard officers in the 1880s) with eleven rooms (some with shared bathrooms) and a restaurant (£17 for two courses, £20 for three). £65
Cwtch* 22 High St 01437 720491, cwtchrestaurant.co.uk; map. Some of Pembrokeshire’s finest dining can be found at the award-winning Cwtch* (pronounced “cutsh”), an intimate and easy-going restaurant that’s all slate and wood and blackboard menus, featuring top-quality local ingredients. You’ll pay £27/£33 for two/three courses; £23/£27 if you arrive within 45min of opening. Booking recommended. Mid-Feb to Easter, Nov & Dec Wed–Sat 6–9.30pm (last orders), Sun noon–2.30pm; Feb half-term, Easter & Oct Mon–Sat 6–9.30pm, Sun noon–2.30pm; Easter–Sept daily 5/6pm–9.30pm.
The Refectory St Davids Cathedral, SA62 6PE 01437 721760; map. The beautiful St Mary’s Hall is a great spot for tea and cakes, classy sandwiches (£6) and mains such as burgers, faggots or fish skewers (all £10). Daily: Nov–Easter 11am–4pm; Easter–Nov 10.30am–4.30pm.
Farmers Arms Goat St, SA62 6RF 01437 721666, farmersstdavids.co.uk; map. Lively and very friendly local, with a terrace overlooking the cathedral – especially enjoyable on a summer’s evening. Decent pub grub also available (summer only). Easter–Sept daily 11am–midnight; Oct–Easter Mon–Thurs 4pm–midnight, Fri 3pm–midnight, Sat & Sun 11am–midnight; kitchen Easter–Sept daily noon–2.30pm & 6–9.30pm.
Surrounded on three sides by inlets, coves and rocky stacks, St Davids is an easy base for some excellent walking around St Davids peninsula. A mile south, the popular Caerfai Bay provides a sandy beach in the purple sandstone cliffs – rock which was used in the construction of the cathedral.
Immediately south of St Davids (reached by Goat St), the craggy indentation of St Non’s Bay is where St Non reputedly gave birth to St David during a tumultuous storm around 500 AD. The bay has received pilgrims for centuries, resulting in the foundation of a tiny, isolated chapel in the pre-Norman age; the ruins of the later thirteenth-century chapel now lie in a field near the sadly dingy well and coy shrine marking the birthplace of the nation’s patron saint.
Just west of St Non’s, Porth Clais is supposedly where St David was baptized by a bishop with the unlikely name of St Elvis. This was the city’s main harbour from Roman times, its remains still visible at the bottom of the turquoise creek. Today, commercial traffic has long gone, replaced by fishing boats and dinghies.
From St Justinians, two miles west of St Davids, the coast path leads north over another lowly headland to the magnificent Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr), a narrow arc of dune-backed sand that’s popular with both surfers and families alike, and is also accessible by road from St Davids. From here though, there’s no further road access to the coast for some distance, giving this section of the coast path a thoroughly untamed feel, and making it perfect for wildlife-watching.
accommodation st davids peninsula
Crug Glâs Abereiddi, 4 miles northeast of St Davids off the A487, SA62 6XX 01348 831302, crug-glas.co.uk. Luxurious country house on a working farm. Breakfasts are excellent (great bacon) and dinners are very classy, with starters such as Abercastle crab cake and mains such as cannon of lamb, plus a good long wine list. £150
Glan-Y-Mor Caerfai Rd, 0.5 mile south of St Davids, SA62 6QT 01437 721788, glan-y-mor.co.uk. The nearest campsite to town, with bookings and transfers offered for surfing lessons. Closed Oct–March. £14
Ramsey House Lower Moor, on the road from St Davids to Porth Clais, SA62 6RP 01437 720321, ramseyhouse.co.uk. Quality B&B with six boutique-style rooms and excellent breakfasts (featuring eggs from their own hens and ducks). They also have a bar. Closed Dec–Feb. £100
YHA St Davids Llaethdy, 2 miles northwest of St Davids near Whitesands Bay, SA62 6PR 0345 371 9141, yha.org.uk/hostel/st-davids. Large, renovated hostel in a former farmhouse. Daytime lockout and 11pm curfew. Closed Nov–March. Dorms £15, doubles £50
Grub Kitchen Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm, Lower Harglodd Farm, a mile northeast of St Davids, SA62 6BX 07986 698169, grubkitchen.co.uk. As flagship of the movement for entomophagy, or eating insects (as part of a drive to reduce the global environmental impact of producing more and more meat), this quirky restaurant serves dishes such as cricket-flour cookies and bug burgers, as well as more standard offerings – vegetarian, vegan and sustainable, local lamb and beef. There’s also a fun museum and bug zoo. Bookings required for dinner. School hols Mon–Thurs & Sun 10.30am–4.30pm, Fri & Sat 10.30am–4.30pm & 6–9.30pm; rest of year Sat & Sun 10.30am–4.30pm & 6–9.30pm.
ramsey island
The harbour at St Justinians has a ticket hut for the boats over to Ramsey Island. This enchanting dual-humped plateau, less than two miles long, has been under the RSPB’s able stewardship since 1992. Birds of prey circle above the island, but it’s better known for the tens of thousands of seabirds that noisily crowd the cliffs on its western side and the seals lazing sloppily about. Thousand Islands Expeditions boat trips (April–Oct daily; £18; 01437 721721, thousandislands.co.uk) allow up to six hours on Ramsey. During the springtime nesting season you actually see more from boats that circle the island but don’t land: try Voyages of Discovery (daily; £25; 01437 721911, ramseyisland.co.uk).
From St Davids peninsula the main road runs northeast, parallel to numerous small and less-commercialized bays, to the wild and windswept Strumble Head, perhaps the best place in Wales for watching seabirds. This protects FISHGUARD (Abergwaun), an attractive, hilltop town mainly of interest as the port for the ferries to and from Rosslare in Ireland. It’s often grouped into one community with neighbouring GOODWICK, where Fishguard Harbour ferry terminal is actually located.
In the centre of town is the Royal Oak Inn, where a bizarre Franco-Irish attempt to conquer Britain in 1797 at nearby Carregwastad Point is remembered. Having landed in the wrong place and then got hopelessly drunk, the hapless forces surrendered after two days. This was supposedly triggered by the sight of a hundred local women marching towards them. Due to their stovepipe hats and red flannel shawls they mistook them for British infantry and instantly capitulated. Even if this is not true, it is undisputed that 47-year-old cobbler’s wife Jemima Nicholas, the “Welsh Heroine”, single-handedly captured fourteen French soldiers with nothing but a pitchfork. Her grave can be seen next to the uninspiring Victorian church, St Mary’s, behind the pub. The fabulous Fishguard Tapestry, telling the story of this ramshackle invasion, hangs in the town hall across the road (April–Sept Mon–Wed & Fri 9.30am–5pm, Thurs 9.30am–6pm, Sat 9.30am–4pm; Oct–March closes 1pm on Sat; free).
Arrival and information fishguard
By train Trains call at Fishguard & Goodwick station on Station Hill in Goodwick and terminate at Fishguard Harbour on Quay Rd.
Destinations Cardiff (6 daily; 2hr 40min); Carmarthen (7 daily; 50min); Swansea (7 daily; 1hr 50min).
By bus Buses stop in the central Market Square, right outside Fishguard’s tourist office, and on Station Hill in Goodwick, 0.5 mile from the ferry terminal.
Destinations Cardigan (hourly; 40min); Haverfordwest (hourly; 40min); Newport, Pembrokeshire (hourly; 15min); St Davids (6–8 daily; 45min).
By ferry Fishguard Harbour, for ferries to Rosslare, Ireland (2 daily; 3hr 30min), is on Quay Rd in Goodwick.
Tourist office Town hall, Market Square (June–Aug Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 10am–4pm; Sept–May Mon–Fri 9am–1pm & 1.45–5pm; 01347 776636).
By bus Occasional buses to Fishguard (Mon–Sat) stop across the road from Fishguard & Goodwick station.
By taxi A taxi (01348 873075) into Fishguard costs about £4 from the harbour.
Cefn-y-Dre A mile south, along Hamilton St, SA65 9QS 01348 875663, cefnydre.co.uk. There’s a relaxed and understated elegance to this lovely country house. Just three rooms, attractive grounds, tasty breakfasts, and superb home-cooked meals (reserve in advance; not high season) prepared by wonderful hosts. £90
Hamilton Lodge 21–23 Hamilton St, SA65 9HL 01348 874797, hamiltonbackpackers.co.uk. Cosy, very central and well-set-up hostel with rooms for two, three and four (light breakfast included), a private double and self-catering for groups in the old chapel next door. Bed linen provided; towels can be rented. Dorms £20, double £49
Pepper’s aka Café Celf 16 West St, SA65 9AE 01348 873867, peppers-hub.co.uk. Arty café that’s great for tapas or a bistro meal. Mains (£15–18) might include lamb meatballs or chicken with saffron, almonds, raisins and spices. They offer popular music nights, too. Mon–Sat 10am–10.30pm.
Royal Oak Market Square, SA65 9HA 01348 872514, facebook.com/trofishguard. Historic pub with real ales and good pub lunches. There’s a long-established folk night on Tues – participants very welcome. Mon–Thurs & Sun 11am–12.30am, Fri & Sat 11am–1.30am; kitchen daily noon–4pm.
Ship Inn 3 Newport Rd, Lower Town, SA65 9ND 01348 874033. Eccentric, unmissable pub with interesting clutter all over the walls and ceiling, including black-and-white photos of the filming of Under Milk Wood and Moby Dick in Fishguard. Daily noon–midnight.
NEWPORT (Trefdraeth) is an ancient and proud little town set on a gentle slope leading down to the Nevern estuary. There’s little to do except stroll around, but you’d be hard pressed to find a better place to do it. The footpath that runs along the river either side of the bridge is marked as the Pilgrims’ Way; follow it east for a delightful riverbank stroll to Nevern, a couple of miles away. Another popular local walk is up to the craggy and magical peak of Carn Ingli, the Hill of Angels, behind the town.
Newport’s nearest beach, the Parrog, is complete with sandy stretches at low tide. On the other side of the estuary is the vast dune-backed Traeth Mawr beach. Newport also makes a good jumping-off point for Pentre Ifan, a couple of miles south, with its massive, 4000-year-old capstone.
Arrival and information newport
By bus Buses stop on Bridge St in the centre of town.
Destinations Cardigan (hourly; 20min); Fishguard (hourly; 15min); Haverfordwest (hourly; 1hr).
Tourist office The National Park tourist office is on Long St (01239 820912), but was closed at the time of research.
The Globe Upper St Mary St, SA42 0PS 01239 820296, theglobebedandbreakfast.co.uk. About the cheapest around, with shared bathroom and a pleasant garden; continental breakfast included. £73
Morawelon The Parrog, 300yd northwest of town, SA42 0RW 01239 820565, campsite-pembrokeshire.co.uk. Seaside campsite nicely set in pleasant gardens and with its own café overlooking the beach, and coin-op showers. Closed Nov–Feb. £18
YHA Newport Lower St Mary St, SA42 0TS 0345 371 9543, yha.org.uk/hostel/newport-pembrokeshire. This classily converted school has dorms and a couple of private rooms; self-catering only. Closed Oct–March. Dorms £15, doubles £78
Golden Lion East St, SA42 0SY 01239 820321, goldenlionpembrokeshire.co.uk. Nice old pub with bare stone walls and timber beams; along with real ales, they serve a superb menu of carefully prepared pub meals (£12) and fancier restaurant-style dishes (£13–22), either in the bar or more formally at the back. Daily noon–midnight; kitchen noon–2pm & 6–9pm.
Llys Meddyg East St, SA42 0SY 01239 820008, llysmeddyg.com. A Georgian dining room, a cellar bar and a partly walled kitchen garden (July & Aug) provide settings for exquisite dinners, which might start with crab with green apple and fennel (£9) followed by fish stew or local lamb with asparagus (£16). Lunches are no less appealing. April–Sept Tues–Sat noon–3pm & 6–9pm, Sun noon–3pm; Oct–March Wed–Sat noon–3pm & 6–9pm.
