Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CARMARTHENSHIRE (SIR
GAERFYRDDIN)
Castle-dotted Carmarthenshire has gentle valleys, deep-green woods and a small, partly
sandy coast. Caught between dramatic neighbours - Pembrokeshire to the west and the
Brecon Beacons to the east - it remains much quieter and less explored. Yet the appeal of
its tranquil countryside hasn't gone entirely unnoticed and charming places like Llandeilo
are starting to sprout upmarket eateries, galleries and shops. If your interests stretch to gar-
dens, stately homes and all things green, add this quiet county to your itinerary.
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Laugharne (Talacharn)
POP 1200
Handsome little Laugharne (pronounced 'larn') sits above the tide-washed shores of the Taf
Estuary, overlooked by a Norman castle. Dylan Thomas, one of Wales' greatest writers,
spent the last four years of his life here, during which he produced some of his most in-
spired work, including
Under Milk Wood;
the town is one of the inspirations for the play's
fictional village of Llareggub (spell it backwards and you will get the gist).
On Thomas' first visit to Laugharne he described it as the 'strangest town in Wales', but
returned repeatedly throughout his restless life. Many Thomas fans make a pilgrimage here
to see the Boathouse where he lived, the shed where he wrote and (drastically made-over)
Brown's Hotel where he drank - he used to give the pub telephone number as his contact
number.
Dylan and Caitlin Thomas are buried in a grave marked by a simple white, wooden cross
in the churchyard of St Martin's Church, on the northern edge of the town.
Dylan's Walk
is a
scenic 2-mile loop that continues north along the shore beyond the Boathouse, then turns
inland past a 17th-century farm and back via St Martin's Church. It's clearly signposted.
Sights
Dylan Thomas Boathouse
MUSEUM
