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Tel: 01554 890104 A fine castle, well worth a visit. Kidwelly castle is one of Wales' best-kept secrets. It is built on a steep bluff overlooking the River Gwendraeth and presents a vision of medieval times. It is remarkably well preserved and its soaring twin-towered gatehouse stands almost to full height. Once through the Gatehouse there are more massive walls and round towers protecting the central core. |
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 Kidwelly Castle by J.M.W. Turner |
The
first castle was built in 1106 by the Normans as an earth-and-timber
stronghold to consolidate their gains in south-west Wales. It was
a strategic site, built on a prominent ridge with access to the sea.
However in its early form, it was vulnerable to Welsh attack. In the
1270's it was rebuilt in stone as the fortress we see today. |
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The Castle is now in the care of CADW Welsh Historic
Monuments and is open to visitors virtually all year the year round.
Multi-lingual audio-cassettes available for visitors. |
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ST. MARY'S PRIORY AND PARISH CHURCH, KIDWELLY Built
in c1320 as a Benedictine Priory before the Reformation. The simple
tower with its graceful spire is deemed to be the most outstanding
architectural feature of the whole structure. An effigy of the Madonna
and the Infant Saviour fashioned from white alabaster was originally
sited in the niche behind the pulpit - a fine example of 14th. Century
art. In the late 19th. Century parishioners continued to genuflect
before their Patron Saint and this proved to annoy the incumbent
vicar. He promptly removed the effigy and disposed of it in secret
in the Churchyard. Public opinion however, compelled him to restore
it. It can now be seen on a corbel on the east wall of the church.
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Tel: 01554 891078 Situated
on the banks of the Gwendraeth Fach river, approximately a mile
north of the town. It stands on the site of the former Tinplate
Works established in 1737. It was founded mainly to preserve and
interpret Britain's sole surviving pack mill and act as a heritage
centre for Kidwelly and the surrounding area. Splendid mechanical
relics covering a wide range of subjects including coal, printing,
industrial transport and the history and development of the area.
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The
fortunes of the town declined in the 16th Century due mainly to
the silting up of the Gwendraeth Estuary. The 18th. Century brought
a revival with the export of coal from the Gwendraeth Valleys. Coalyards
and wharfs lined the riverbanks below the town and a shipbuilding
yard was established on the site of what is now the English Methodist
Chapel. |
 
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Now
a Welsh Congregational Chapel, was formerly a large town house known
as Rumsey House built in 1862. During World War I
the house was occupied by Harold Greenwood, a solicitor accused
of killing his wife by arsenical poisoning.The case provoked national
interest and Greenwood was ably defended by the famous Counsel Marshall
Hall and acquitted. |
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SUSTRANS CYCLE TRACK AND PUBLIC FOOTPATHS Kidwelly
offers over 10 miles of public footpaths including four planned
walks - The Kymers Quay Walk, The Cunedda Way, The Old Forge Walk
and The Mynyddygarreg Walk. The Sustrans Cycle track is available
to Kidwelly and is being extended to Pembrokeshire, West Wales.
Brochure available: Four Walks and Other Rights of Way. |
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Pembrey Country Park is situated approximately 3 miles from Kidwelly. It attracts over 300,000 visitors a year to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of Pembrey forest and the seven miles of Cefn Sidan beach. It is a superb seaside Country Park offering a magnificent beach, woodland picnic areas, a dry-ski slope, horse riding, land yachting, orienteering, parascending, mini-railway and putting green. There are also spacious car parking facilities, a Visitors Centre, a Shop and a restaurant. Pembrey Country Park is an extension of the 20 kilometers of coastline around Llanelli, which has been transformed by an attractive landscaping programme in recent years. There are panoramic views over the sandbanks and tidal waters to the beautiful Gower Peninsula. The Welsh Motor Sports Centre for Formula 3, autocross, go-carting and other motor sports lies on an adjacent site approximately a mile north of the Country Park. Again, a popular venue for visitors. Pembrey
Country Park: 01554 832160 |
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WILDFOWL AND WETLANDS TRUST CENTRE, PENCLACWYDD, LLANELLI The naturalist, the late Sir Peter Scott, founded the Trust in 1946 at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. The Penclacwydd Centre translated as "the hill of the gander" covers some 200 acres of salt marshes. Sections are designated zones of special scientific interest. Splendid facilities with planned walks, secluded hides, spectacular views of the estuary, a hatchery, a Visitors Centre and coffee shop. It is recognized to be of international importance for wading birds. Llanelli is some 10 miles from Kidwelly. Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre : 01554 778932 |
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THE NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN OF WALES, MIDDLETON HALL The
first major botanical garden to be created in the U.K. for over
a hundred years. It accommodates the largest single span glasshouse
in the world. The Botanic Garden is some 12 miles from Kidwelly.
The National Botanical Garden of Wales is dedicated to horticulture,
science, education, and conservation, leisure and the arts. It is
sited on a 568-acre parkland area at Middleton Hall in Llanarthne
- a regency building with walled gardens, lakes and waterfalls.
The great glasshouse is the centrepiece of this new innovative garden,
which combines the past and the present. It's heaven on earth! |
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DYLAN THOMAS' BOATHOUSE, LAUGHARNE Laugharne
is perhaps most famous for being the place that Dylan Thomas "got
off the bus and forgot to get on again." It was here in his "house
on stilts" - the Boathouse - that Dylan Thomas wrote his famous
Under Milk Wood. The Boathouse " sea-shaken on a breakneck of rocks"
and the unique character of Laugharne itself were considered to
be the catalysts for some of his most celebrated works. Dylan was
buried in the town's churchyard in 1953, aged just 39. A simple
white cross marks his grave. Dylan described Laugharne as a "timeless,
mild, beguiling island of a town". You can visit Dylan's former
home and enjoy the spectacular views over the estuary. Laugharne
is a thirty-minute drive from Kidwelly. |
 Dylan Thomas' Boat House: 01994 427420 |
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Spectacularly set in the beautiful Towy Valley in Carmarthenshire, the gardens have been an inspiration for poets since the 15th. Century. The gardens have first class aesthetic and horticultural qualities. It is known as the garden "steeped in time", a garden with a mysterious history. There are six different gardens within the 8-acre estate including an Elizabethan and Jacobean cloister garden. Explore the parapet walk and view the ornamental pond, then traverse the mysterious Yew Tunnel and enjoy the hauntingly beautiful landscape. Aberglasney is a 30-minute drive from Kidwelly. Aberglasney:
01558 668998. www.aberglasney.org |
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The tranquil fishing village of Ferryside is just three miles from Kidwelly. It nestles on the shores of the Towy estuary with spectacular views of the sweep of Carmarthen Bay. Ferryside grew on the site of a Ferryboat service, which operated across the estuary to neighbouring Llansteffan. Centuries ago pilgrims would have used this route to gain access to Pembrokeshire and St. Davids. Later, with the development of the railways, Ferryside became a popular resort for holidaymakers. Fishing and cockling were the main occupations of the villagers. Up until 1900 almost 650 tons of cockles were gathered annually by the famous Welsh cocklewomen of the neighbouring village of Llansaint. For bird lovers - the heron and oystercatchers are regular visitors to the calm coastal waters. The River Towy Yacht Club is based in Ferryside and the gentle sails on the coastal waters add serenity to the scenic beauty of the village. A local hotel offers a Health Suite with multi-gym, jacuzzi and large swimming pool. Well worth a visit. |
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In the summer 2000, Llanelli will take centre stage in the nations celebration of the new Millennium. The town's coastline, for so long blighted by dozens of Victorian steel mills and tinplate works, has been transformed. Occupying 22km of coastline on the Burry Estuuary and overlooking the Gower peninsula, the spectacular Millennium Coastal Park features an array of unique attractions linked together by a continuous traffic free cycle/footpath. The Park is expected to attract over one million people a year, making it one of the most popular visitor destinations in Britain, and a major centre for different cultural and leisure activities. |
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