More on Cardiff and Beyond

During our time in Wales, we took a day tour offered by Tours of Wales. We selected the Mythical West Wales tour which included stops at Pembroke Castle, Tenby South Beach and Laugharne Estuary for the Dylan Thomas Birthday Walk. We are not usually drawn to tours, but this small group tour, with just two other couples, and a guide who is extremely knowledgeable about Welsh history, was very appealing.

Our guide, Gareth, picked us all up at our respective hotels, and off we went to Pembroke. Along the way, he shared historical facts and clued us in on interesting details to look for at each stop. Once we arrived at our destination, we were free to explore on our own.

Pembroke Castle, our first stop, is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Wales. Construction began in 1189 and it was enlarged and strengthened over several centuries. By the late 1800s it had fallen into disrepair, but has been restored over the years. Click here to read about the castle’s history.

Located on Carmarthen Bay is the charming village of Tenby, our second stop. Dating back to the 9th century, its ideal location in a sheltered harbor made a good location for the settlement. The Normans invaded in the 12th century and it became a major seaport as their industries grew. Click here if you’re interested in learning more about the town’s history. Today, it is a quaint village to wander in with lots of shops, restaurants and nice views of the bay.

On October 27, 1944, Dylan Thomas’ 30th birthday, he wrote a poem titled Poem in October, about his beloved Laugharne. This 2 mile (3.2km) walk includes nice views of the estuary and castle. This was our third and final stop.

Laugharne Castle near the estuary, dates to the 12th century and is one of a group of costal castles built by the Normans to protect the interior of the country.

I highly recommend this tour if you visit Wales. The 9 hour tour runs about £90.00 per person.

Saint Fagans National Museum of History was recommended to us my many of the locals we chatted with during our stay. It is a fascinating place that includes crafts, demonstrations, a 16th century manor house, and the most amazing part, is the 40 historical buildings from all around Wales that have been moved here, piece by piece, reconstructed and are open to visitors.

These reconstructed homes and buildings show what life was like during the time period they represent. The pigsty shown above was built in 1800, its circular shape prevented the pigs from digging, which they love to do. As with all the reconstructed buildings, it was carefully taken apart, with each piece being numbered, then reconstructed at the park in 1977.

This house was the home of the Rogers family for many generations. Built in 1610, and moved to the park in 1955, the family of five most likely had a farm laborer and maid who also lived in the house. They painted it red believing the bright color would keep evil spirits away.

Also in the park is a beautiful manor house which I found particularly interesting. It is located in a tranquil setting with beautiful gardens. There is detailed information about the daily lives and chores of the servants including a daily schedule.

We found everything in the park to be very interesting and were quite amazed with the reconstructed buildings. Even more amazing – admission is free! Be sure to allow plenty of time to visit this open-air museum which covers over 100 acres (40.4 hectares). There is a restaurant on site as well as you’ll surely work up an appetite seeing all the highlights.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Wales and would happily visit again given the opportunity. If you’re curious about where we are at the moment, check out theTravelsketcher’s posts which reflect our current travels.

As always, I would love to hear from you and your thoughts on this post.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia