We headed further west along the Llyn Peninsula, through Pwllheli, stopping at Abersoch for lunch. At low tide the sand around the river estuary seem to go on for miles and the beach the other side of the town seemed to be an excellent place to lazy away a warm day (and the pizza was good too!).
After lunch we continued westward, along narrower and narrower roads, until we reached our campsite, Maes Gwersylla Dwyros, set on the hill above Aberdaron, at the end of the Llyn Peninsula. I don’t think we’ll get a better view than this:
On Friday (14th) we followed the coast through Barmouth, passing Harlech Castle, then turning west past Porthmadog, arriving at the Llanstumdwy CCC site just outside Cricieth. This was a well managed site but suffered from one major issue – it was impossible to level a motorhome on their sloping pitches, even with the big levelling blocks they seemed to be lending out to all the new arrivals. By the end of the first night we were very pleased not to have rolled out of bed! We moved to a slightly better pitch the second night but we will not be rushing back to this site.
I walked into the local village of Llanstumdwy, which has a major claim to fame as the childhood home (and retirement home) of David Lloyd George, the UK’s Prime Minister who successfully guided the country through the First World War, as well as introducing National Insurance as the foundation of the welfare state and supported the campaign to bring in votes for women. There is a museum dedicated to him next to his childhood home which has been well preserved with many original furnishings. Just down the road is his grave in a beautiful location overlooking the river.
The next day we took the bus into Cricieth, a small town with an impressive beach and the seemingly compulsory castle overlooking it!
As we were leaving New Quay to continue northwards we had an unexpected hitchhiker…..
Driving north we stopped off for a visit to the National Trust property at Llanerchaeron, an elegant Georgian villa, designed by architect John Nash in 1790 (he later went on to design many famous buildings including Buckingham Palace!). The building, essentially a very upmarket farmhouse, has remained largely unaltered for over 200 years. In the car park we ended up next to a motorhome clearly much better equipped for Welsh mountain climbing than ours!
We continued to Aberystwyth for some supermarket shopping and then on into the Snowdonia Nationa Park. We stopped for one night at the CMC’s Swn-y-nant CL, to the west of Dolgellau. This proved to be an excellent site to which would certainly like to return. The facilities, for a CL, are very good and include hardstanding, wifi and even TV hookup. A walk from the site led directly into the Abergwynant Woods, managed by the park authorities, and beyond that the Mawddach Trail, a very popular walking & cycling route along both sides of the Mawddach estuary which stretches from Barmouth to Dolgellau.
Today (12th) we drove north through Fishguard to New Quay, a charming small seaside resort, and then to our campsite for the night, Rhydhalen Farm CL. The main activities in New Quay seems to be eating Fish & Chips and spotting dolphins, either from a boat trip or from the end of the pier. We were very pleased to spot a few dolphins (actually Harbour Porpoises) in the bay.
The next afternoon (11th) I set off on a walk heading north from the campsite, around the Carn LLidi outcrop until I reached the Coast Path. I then followed the path westward around St Davids Head and then down to Whitesands Bay. The views from the clifftops were quite spectacular and included a few deserted beaches. Whitesands Bay beach is huge and a hub for watersports activities.
St Davids is the UK’s smallest city, situated on the most westery point of Wales. It’s main draw is the Cathedral, whose construction started in the 12th century although the site has been a place of worship since the 6th century, the time of St David himself (or Dewi Sant to the locals).
St Davids ShrineWelshcakes in the Cafe!Tomb of Lord Rhys
Next to the cathedral are the ruins of the Bishop’s Palace, built in the 14th century by Bishop Henry de Gower. As thousands were visiting the cathedral to see St Davids Shrine he felt justified in building one of the biggest and most impressive palaces in the country.
On Sunday (9th) we headed west from Llandelio and stopped at the National Botanic Garden of Wales which has a huge selection of plants laid out in some impressive displays. As well as a Tropical House containing some rather exotic plants, their most eye-catching attraction is the Great Glasshouse. The structure is the largest single-span glasshouse in the world. Inside are plants from various parts of the world which all enjoy a Mediterranean climate. From outside it looks a little like a spaceship has landed on a Welsh hilltop!
One of the displays, relating to the connection between plants and medicine, was an excellent recreation of an Edwardian pharmacy.
Yesterday (7th), we packed up and drove away from the Gower (via a Tesco Extra outside Swansea) inland to Llandeilo. The town has plenty of character with lots of repurposed Victorian buildings, art shops and delis. We are staying at the very attractive Brynhyfryd Campsite, just outside the town.
Today we spent the day on the National Trust site at Dinefwr. There are plenty of things to see here: 800 acres of parkland including a medieval Deer Park; the imposing 12th-century Dinefwr castle and Newton House, a 17th-century manor house. There is so much history tucked away in this park. The Rhys (or Rice) family were descendants of The Lord Rhys, the powerful Prince of the Welsh Kingdom of Deheubarth, who ruled from the now ruined Dinefwr Castle. By the 18th-century the estate was in the hands of George Rice and his wife Cecil who developed Newton House and the grounds into the impressive location it is today.
Today, I walked along a small section of the Wales Coast Path from the campsite in a southeasterly direction (away from Rhossili) and discovered some excellent photogenic views.
From the bottom of our campsite you can see down to Mewslade Bay which is at the western tip of the Gower.
In the morning, I ventured down a rather steep rocky path to the bay,crossing the Wales Coast Path on the way. It’s a very attractive isolated sandy beach, surrounded by rocky outcrops with fascinating erosion patterns at the base of the cliffs.
For lunch we walked to an excellent Cafe in Rhossili called The View. The view in question was over the enormous Rhossili Bay beach which is rated as one of the best beaches in the world! This beach and the surrounding coastline is managed by the National Trust and is quite spectacular.
