Tag: Dylan Thomas

Things to do in Pembrokeshire

We have recently returned from a short family holiday at Bluestone Wales which is located in Pembrokeshire, a stunning part of the world with beautiful, lush landscapes and pristine sandy beaches. It’s just gorgeous and we hope to go back again soon. I’ve pulled together a list of things to do in Pembrokeshire, or rather some of the things we did which are worth a look if you’re visiting Pembrokeshire or Bluestone Wales.

The Beaches
There are some simply stunning beaches in Pembrokeshire. They are renowned for being clean and having soft pale sand. We always feel that if the sun is shining there is no better place to spend an afternoon than on the beach building sandcastles, paddling in the sea, beach combing and looking for sea glass. Within 20 minutes drive from Bluestone Wales you can find the stunning beaches of Tenby and Saundersfoot. Both have harbours and a good selection of shops, cafes and restaurants.

I have to say that both South Beach at Tenby and Saundersfoot were the most accessible beaches I’ve ever found. As someone who struggles to walk on uneven surfaces these days, having a wooden path down to the shore was a godsend. Well done Pembrokeshire!

Things to do in Pembrokeshire

Just a few minutes drive, or half a mile walk from Saundersfoot is Wiseman’s Bridge where you can find the Wiseman’s Bridge pub which serves very good pub grub with an even better view. It’s a great place to while away a few hours over an evening drink and a nice meal, their kids menu is good too.

Dylan Thomas Boathouse
This was a bit of an unexpected find, but well worth it, I wrote a blog post about our visit to Dylan Thomas Boathouse in Laugharne. It’s a slightly longer drive from Bluestone Wales, but well worth it for the views alone.

dylan thomas boathouse

The Coastal Path
We both used to be keen walkers, so we had a small jaunt along the coastal path in Tenby, which is well signposted and beautiful, especially at this time of the year. We couldn’t walk for long because the small boy was tired and we were tired of carrying him, but a little was better than none at all.

The Blue Lagoon
Although this is located within the grounds of Bluestone Wales, it is open to the public each day, so if you’re staying nearby you can still enjoy this lovely pool. Sporting a wave machine and two water flumes, as well as an outdoor jacuzzi and a lazy river that meanders outside, plus a wet play area for little ones, there’s plenty to enjoy and it’s well worth a visit. The Blue Lagoon is the only pool the small boy has been upset to leave!

The Well Spa Retreat
Family holidays can sometimes err on the side of hectic rather than relaxing. I managed to spend a morning in the spa while the boys went swimming and enjoyed the playground. If you can manage to slip away for a few hours, then it’s well worth a visit to the Well Spa. I’ve blogged about my blissful morning there. Truly. Blissful.

Well Spa

So those are some of the things we did while we were in Pembrokeshire. There are tonnes of other attractions and things to do, but the sun was shining and the beach was calling, maybe we’ll get round to exploring a few more things next time we’re there!

Visiting the Dylan Thomas Boathouse

I had an incredible experience while we were holidaying this week at Bluestone in Wales. We were heading off to go on a steam train somewhere in the Welsh countryside, but we got horribly lost and it soon became apparent that we’d miss the train. Instead of getting stressed out, I told Hubs to keep driving and see where the road took us. At the next junction there was a sign pointing to “Dylan Thomas Boathouse” so I suggested we follow it.

The road weaved and climbed though the Welsh landscape, wending down through Laugharne and towards the wonderful Taf estuary. We parked at the back of a bakery and walked down the coastal path towards the house, we found his writing shed at the top, almost as he’d left it, the curtains open to afford a view of the sea and the coastline from his writing desk. It made me want a writing space half as special as that. A girl can dream.

dylan thomas boathouse

We followed the path down some more, leaning over the wall we could see the clean slate roof of his home near the shore of the estuary. We walked down the wooden steps and through his garden, shells littered the flower beds and an old shirt and pair of long johns hung jauntily on the washing line. It felt very intimate and quite special.

dylan thomas boathouse

Opening his front door we were met with a hubbub of chatter, the home felt warm and welcoming. We were damp from the rain and the small boy was hungry, so we walked down the steep staircase to the bottom and found an old parlour of sorts, we bustled in and found a table in the corner.

dylan thomas boathouse

A wonderful lady called Cheryl Beer (an award winning singer, song writer and musician) came over for a chat with the boy. She showed him some of her great selection of musical instruments and they were soon playing a variety of drums together, whilst I played with a singing bowl. Together we made some lovely music and it felt very, very special. The house felt almost spiritual and I can’t help but feel that something had drawn us there, especially when we were told that it was the very first International Dylan Thomas Day (on 14th May 2015).

dylan thomas boathouse

We had tea and cake (both excellent), popped to the gift shop and then lazily walked back up the path to our car. It was an intensely wonderful experience, on the way home we stopped to pay our respects at the grave of the great man at St Martins Church in Laugharne. His grave marked by a simple wooden cross and at its base the ground is scattered with seashells and pennies left by visitors.

dylan thomas boathouse

In the garden of the boathouse there is a bench with the words “The funny thing is, I find myself going back again and again”; and do you know what, I think I will.

You can find out more about Dylan Thomas boathouse on the website, if you’re in the area I urge you to visit.