The Laugharne Perambulation
The Laugharne Perambulation
“There is nowhere like it anywhere at all” Dylan Thomas
Laugharne
Laugharne is around a 40-minute drive from Tŷ Mawr Country Hotel and one of your must visit places. It has been such a favourite place for us we named one of our most beautiful rooms after it. For us it’s a very quiet, less discovered, more peaceful version of Dartmouth. Dylan Thomas is the famous Welsh Poet lived and worked for four years in Laugharne and is buried here so lot’s to learn about him.
Laugharne is a rather unique it dates back to 1290 when it was granted Royal Status. It is one of the only places in the UK that is a “Corporation” as is the “City of London” there are many interesting things to learn about including how it is led by a Portreeve and a group of Burgesses.
Every time the new Portreeve who is “in charge ” is elected they are draped in a gold chain of cockles and hoisted aloft on a wooden chair which is ceremoniously carried three times around the town hall. Then, in true Dylan Thomas style, it’s off to the pub – where the Portreeve is obliged to buy every burgess a pint, there are around 500 of them! This walk takes in Dylan Thomas’ famous Birthday Walk and then adds on a bit so you do a circular route back into Laugharne rather than turning and walking back the same way.
There is a car park on your left as you come into Laugharne and another smaller one by the Castle. You start you walk from the Castle Car Park, there are a number of signs around which show the Birthday Walk. Watch out for when the weather is stormy as the Castle Car Park does sometimes flood.
Dylan Thomas Birthday Walk
Start in the Castle Car Park. You will have the estuary view in front of you and the castle on your left. To start the walk to your go to your right along the side of the estuary, you will come to some woods after 5 minutes where the path will climb up, follow this path. It can be quite muddy so bring sturdy shoes if you can. The views and photo opportunities are wonderful as you overlook the estuary and the famous Dylan Thomas Boat House in the distance. There are a number of different plaques along the walk with information on Dylan Thomas, his walk and local history.
You then follow this path along until you will see it go steeply up away from the coast, you will go up some steps across a style. Follow this and you will go across a the fields then onto a lane, road then back into Laugharne. Effectively you do one big loop.
Places for Lunch in Laugharne
When you get back into Laugharne there are many lovely places to grab some lunch or drink. We have tried and love Poon’s Street food if you fancy some Thai, The Owl and the Pussy Cat for a number of home cooked delights, The Ferryman Deli where they do great sandwiches and if you fancy a steak then try Dexter’s at Brown’s Hotel, we are due to visit here one day soon. Oh and a fab chip shop called Castle View, we love grabbing some chips and taking in the view. It’s well worth also taking time to visit Dylan Thomas Boat House, there is a walk here which maybe you can do after lunch. If you still have time you could drive on to Pendine Sands which is just 10 mins away where in 1924 the famous Malcolm Campbell set the world land speed record with Bluebird on Pendine beach. We know lot’s of walks there too!
