Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and a little way along the river path you can peer through the windows of a shed
where he wrote
Under Milk Wood,
and which gives the impression that he's likely to
return from the pub at any moment. There is a neat little tearoom with homemade
cakes and estuary views. Admission is £3.75 for adults, £2.95 for seniors, £1.75 for
children 7 to 16, and free for children 6 and under. Hours are May to October, daily
10am to 5:30pm, and November to April, daily 10:30am to 3:30pm. Thomas is buried
at the
Parish Church of St. Martin,
on the road into town, his grave marked by a
wooden cross.
Laugharne Castle
(
&
01443/336000;
www.cadw.wales.gov.uk)
has a waterfront position; it's pleasing to walk among the ruins from Tudor times.
Tenby
is a proper seaside town in the nicest possible way. It juts out into the sea
with a quay in the middle and long beaches on either side: North Beach near the
quay, and South Beach backed by sand dunes. The medieval town with its 13th-
century walls, castle ruins, and narrow, winding streets rolls right down to the water.
Up above are dolled-up hotels and guesthouses, smart shops, and restaurants that
veer from the stylish to burger bars. By the quay there are stalls selling their catch,
and places for a cup of coffee.
Tenby Museum & Art Gallery,
Castle Hill (
&
01834/842809;
www.tenby
museum.org.uk), was founded in 1878 to display local naturalist and archeological
collections, but now also features work by Augustus and Gwen John, and other
prominent Welsh artists. It is open April to October, daily 10am to 5pm, and Novem-
ber to March, Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm. Admission costs £4 for adults, £2 for
children 5 to 15. The
Tudor Merchant's House,
Quay Hill (
&
01834/842279;
www.nationaltrust.org.uk), is a 15th-century home with Tudor furnishings. It's open
April to October, Sunday to Friday 11am to 5pm. Admission costs £3 for adults and
£1.50 for children 15 and under.
Boat trips leave the quay regularly for the 20-minute journey to
Caldy Island
,
settled by Celtic monks in the 6th century. Once there you are free to wander among
the trees and flowers or see the chapel, church, priory, and lighthouse. Children love
the wild feel of the place. There is island-made perfume, chocolate, and shortbread
to buy, and a Post Office selling specially franked covers. Relax in the tea gardens, or
take a picnic to the big beach in Priory Bay. Boats run from Easter to late October,
Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm, plus Saturdays from May to September. Round-trips
are £11 adults, £6 children 14 and under. Call
&
01834/844453,
or visit www.
caldey-island.co.uk for information.
Just east of Tenby is the pretty village of
Saundersfoot,
with its central quay and
beaches on either side, a lively place full of pubs and fish-and-chip shops. West of
Tenby are a couple of the country's most enchanting beaches.
Manorbier
was home
for a short time to playwright George Bernard Shaw, and novelist Virginia Woolf was
a regular visitor.
Manorbier Castle
(
&
01834/871394;
www.manorbier castle.
co.uk) provides a backdrop (part of it is a holiday rental), and a stream runs down
through the flat stones on the beach to the reddish sands.
Barafundle Bay,
south of Pembroke, is one of Wales's natural wonders, like
something out of
Pirates of the Caribbean,
a little beach backed by rocks and greenery,
and only accessible by steep steps down after a cliff-top walk from Stackpole Quay,
where there is a parking lot and cafe (
&
01646/661359;
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
stackpole).
Pembroke
is a county town with shops, restaurants, and inns along one main
charming street. It received its charter around 1090 and was built around
Pembroke
Castle
(
&
01646/681510;
www.pembrokecastle.co.uk), a fortress on a rocky spur
above town. The town walls formed the castle's outer ward, and the 14-mile system
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