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Post by lugg on Nov 1, 2021 17:35:15 GMT
We stayed in Laugharne, Wales in August this year and I really was captivated by it. Even at the height of a UK summer of staycations it was mostly peaceful. I can quite understand why the village and area was so beloved by Dylan Thomas and, of course ,the village celebrates their most famous resident in a number of ways. Here is just a little of what we saw…. The castle, Castell Talacharn … (it was a showery day when we visited so excuse any rain spots on the pics ) Referred to as ‘brown as owls’ by Thomas, it was originally built by the Normans in the 1100s, extended in the 13th century and added to by the creation of a Tudor mansion by Sir John Perrott , who was rumoured to half-brother of Elizabeth 1. The Tudor mansion was then destroyed in the Civil War and today only ruins remain. You enter through what was once the outer gatehouse, which dates from the thirteenth century although it replaced an earlier (probably timber) structure. The front of the gatehouse was destroyed by artillery fire during the 1644 siege. live.staticflickr.com/65535/51413640461_58e4b8ae00_c.jpgPresumably this is a much more modern addition live.staticflickr.com/65535/51378958150_6e9d2fed84_b.jpgRemnants of the Tudor mansion can still be seen, live.staticflickr.com/65535/51377182002_a115fd8356_b.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51414391629_e7db6c930a_b.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378182833_999b4a31ec_b.jpgThe Inner Gatehouse was originally built in the late thirteenth century but completely restyled in the 1580s. This included adding the large windows and entrance arch. live.staticflickr.com/65535/51378017866_a0fe740284_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378754214_978044cfa5_c.jpgA few more pics .. live.staticflickr.com/65535/51378755359_3fd9713bfd_b.jpgThe round towers date from the 13th century live.staticflickr.com/65535/51378017206_ff14bf26c9_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378756129_cb45654a29_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378755899_79e77ff2bd_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51377184752_d10d4f2c16_c.jpgThe castle is now surrounded by a small 18th century garden live.staticflickr.com/65535/51379026420_048885e031_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378017046_c0219e23a7_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378184678_625987e8a8_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378956470_4146c75522_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378683944_787c788161_c.jpgFrom the ramparts you can begin to understand the vantage points that this castle had in years gone by when the estuary was not silted and the river and ocean reached the base of the walls. live.staticflickr.com/65535/51414624875_6f147f17c8_b.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378184143_5be4cc0575_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378685359_71e5493ed1_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51413639521_34b70be47d_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51412895772_773f079ff1_c.jpgIn one of the buildings there is a nod to Thomas (and another author, Richard Hughes, who wrote from a room in one of the castle buildings, More about Hughes; biography.yourdictionary.com/richard-hugheslive.staticflickr.com/65535/51377185117_a6cc99f041_c.jpgI guess the view was inspiring live.staticflickr.com/65535/51413639076_719c9afe4c_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378684599_1ccb65152b_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51413905753_b9377621a4_c.jpgMore of the village and Thomas to follow
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 1, 2021 17:46:37 GMT
Those ruins are really impressive, but just imagine how they must have looked before "renovation," a mass of bushes and scrub and briars that could probably not even be approached. And then we can think of the mindset of people who lived nearby for 500 or 800 years and never gave a thought to them. Of course, this has been the case everywhere in the world. I guess it is an indication that parts of the world became rich enough in the 19th century to finally see the beauty and think of the history of them and do something about them.
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Post by mich64 on Nov 1, 2021 18:18:42 GMT
Beautiful surroundings for a staycation Lugg. The ruins and gardens are so well maintained. I can imagine having a picnic on the bench surrounding the tree hoping I would have brought a thermos of tea.
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Post by htmb on Nov 1, 2021 18:21:51 GMT
Lovely and interesting, Lugg! Looking forward to seeing more photos from your visit.
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Post by lugg on Nov 2, 2021 20:58:58 GMT
A few photos of Laugharne, Dylan Thomas, who lived in Laugharne from 1949 until his death in 1953, famously described it as a timeless, mild, beguiling island of a town. It is generally accepted as the inspiration for the fictional town of Llareggub in Under Milk Wood. live.staticflickr.com/65535/51377950296_1f9372c7d8_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51414395059_15025ed376_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51412897852_6b6633296c_c.jpgLaugharne is one of a very limited number of medieval corporations that have survived in England …the only other is the Borough of London. The Corporation is presided over by the Portreeve, wearing his traditional chain of gold cockle shells, (one added by each portreeve, with his name and date of tenure on the reverse), the Aldermen, and the body of Burgesses. The title of portreeve is conferred annually, with the Portreeve being sworn in on the first Monday after Michaelmas at the Big Court. The Corporation holds a court leet half-yearly formerly dealing with criminal cases, and a court baron every fortnight, dealing with civil suits within the lordship, especially in matters related to land, where administration of the common fields was dealt with. The Laugharne open-field system is one of only two surviving and still in use today in Britain.live.staticflickr.com/65535/51414395194_c87e01a8b9_b.jpgThis is a photo of Dylan with the portreeve of the time which was on the wall in the house I stayed in. The house is attached to Browns Hotel which Dylan frequented for the odd tipple or two and which is opposite his parents’ house from which he was buried. Thomas died in New York on November 9 1953 and his body was brought back via Southampton for burial in Laugharne on November 24. But the driver of the hearse - who was from West Wales and had never ventured further east than Newport before - got lost on the way back, leaving the waiting funeral cortege, which included Thomas’s wife Caitlin and the journalist and broadcaster Wynford Vaughan Thomas, stranded at the rendezvous point in Chepstow. Eventually the police were called and the hearse driver was found driving around Exeter and directed back to Chepstow. As he said later, he did not know that the country forked. The intervening 12 hours were not wasted, however, as the cortege spent the time as Thomas himself would have done: drinking heavily.
I read somewhere that when he did finally arrive the coffin was too big to fit through the door so a window had to be removed. He is buried in Laugharne, but I did not get to see his grave. live.staticflickr.com/65535/51378257698_cf913445e3_b.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378758864_2088bcbd41_b.jpgAs a hotel Browns has hosted many famous visitors, mostly those who came in homage to Dylan. I imagined Liz and Richard Burton staying in this bedroom and abluting in the bathroom seen in the pics below during their visit. (Of course many APs will know that they starred together in Under Milkwood) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_Milk_Wood_ (1972_film) live.staticflickr.com/65535/51379032460_1537c1edb8_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378258208_068951e9b2_b.jpgAnyway more of the village I believe that this pink building below was also a home to Dylan at one time, Castle House live.staticflickr.com/65535/51377180672_fa16da98ac_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378020201_b1f2954549_b.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378757159_85740d0f1a_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51377252277_a962df2db5_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378181983_22f5883b79_b.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51412898662_91b36e241d_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378185743_1d7168d311_c.jpgThomas also frequented this pub, live.staticflickr.com/65535/51377947046_1da4b11eef_c.jpgThe area is great for walking and one of the mapped out trails leads to the house that was bought for him and his family “ The Boathouse “ and where he spent the last 4 years of his life before dying at age 39. live.staticflickr.com/65535/51377238797_9aa2544e74_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378002476_b401f9e2ae_b.jpgOn the way to the house I passed this graveyard – as I wandered through it I wondered why he was not buried there it would seem more fitting overlooking the estuary as it does. live.staticflickr.com/65535/51379014635_f91eef0e08_b.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51377239112_328cc5159f_c.jpgAs I walked along I stopped to admire the views, which were really quite beautiful, live.staticflickr.com/65535/51378002811_fefde44c97_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51379013320_387ed95c66_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378238798_e2bc2e983e_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378002266_47a39c0154_c.jpgOn the hill above the house is an old garage, “The Shed” where he spent most of his time when writing. Both are now open as a museum and gallery but I did not go plan to go inside, instead I decided to view them one evening thinking that then all the tourists would have left. “The Boathouse “from above. live.staticflickr.com/65535/51377259077_0acafa66a7_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378001056_b3cc9894ca_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378000861_435ba3e422_b.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51377235387_4169e01eec_b.jpgIt seems I did not need to have been worried about the place being overrun by tourists, live.staticflickr.com/65535/51379010390_583a2efb8c_c.jpgAnd so to the shed, which of course has been spruced up for tourists live.staticflickr.com/65535/51378237638_5e31101fe1_b.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378738679_0482142f59_c.jpgPeering inside, it has been set up to recreate how it was during Dylan’s time there, live.staticflickr.com/65535/51378738519_5036bd9193_b.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378001656_849af011b4_b.jpgWalking back to the village I stopped to take a few more photos live.staticflickr.com/65535/51378235643_feaf9cb9d7_c.jpglive.staticflickr.com/65535/51378739129_94e6a3a82c_b.jpgSo that it is all for Laugharne – Before I end , I will just post a little about some of the much touristy places I visited in Pembrokeshire |
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 2, 2021 21:10:30 GMT
The soft pastels of the coastline are particularly magnificent.
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Post by mickthecactus on Nov 2, 2021 22:13:38 GMT
I love Dylan Thomas and for those who don’t know Llareggub needs to be read backwards.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 3, 2021 2:59:55 GMT
This is absolutely beautiful, Lugg. Not only were there romantic ruins, a jewel of a garden, and magnificent views, but Dylan Thomas, too.
Like Mick, I love Dylan Thomas but did not know that nugget about Llareggub.
The pictures of the boathouse reminded me that for a long time I had a treasured poster of Thomas in his little shed. It disappeared forty-some years ago, but I'm wishing for it right now.
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Post by fumobici on Nov 3, 2021 3:06:05 GMT
I love Dylan Thomas and for those who don’t know Llareggub needs to be read backwards.  My mother, a big Dylan Thomas fan, told me how much she enjoyed visiting this town (and this whole area of Wales). Now I can see why!
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Post by bjd on Nov 3, 2021 7:48:36 GMT
Such lovely countryside, Lugg. I knew about the Dylan Thomas town name but it seems like such a long time ago that a poet and writer would become famous and a tourist draw.
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Post by lugg on Nov 3, 2021 12:34:25 GMT
Thanks all , good to see there are some fellow Dylan fans on here, although I must admit I first started to enjoy his work tears after I was forced to study it at school.
Time to wrap this postcode up...
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Post by tod2 on Nov 3, 2021 12:41:13 GMT
Mick - thanks for 'buggerall' - It is a very used South African word! LoL.
Lugg- Wonderful introduction for me to the Wales you know so well.
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Post by lugg on Nov 3, 2021 12:46:11 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Nov 3, 2021 12:55:28 GMT
Superb Lugg! I have a strange memory of that red roofed, grey wall building on stilts on the beach....I've either seen it on an "Ünusual homes" kind of program or something to do with Lifeboat launching. Maybe both.
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 3, 2021 12:58:11 GMT
The town looks wonderful -- I can see why it is the tourist centre. I bet a lot of those houses down by the water receive a lot of spray in stormy weather.
Enzo looks like he was quite satisfied with the outing.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 3, 2021 13:54:35 GMT
Heck, bring on the touristy area ~ it's really beautiful! The views, the sea air, and the adorable company must have inspired you. Your photos are always excellent, and this is a delightful, bursting-from-the-monitor set.
I love Little Guy at the beach -- he just exudes enjoyment.
That round thing with the bushy yellow eyebrows is a penguin?! Good thing I wasn't asked to identify it.
Thanks for posting the link to your outstanding report on National Botanic gardens of Wales. It's a dazzling virtual visit that bears repeat looks.
And speaking of looks, Mr. Star Power is certainly giving you a great one in that wonderful closing shot.
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Post by fumobici on Nov 3, 2021 20:07:54 GMT
Thanks all , good to see there are some fellow Dylan fans on here, although I must admit I first started to enjoy his work tears after I was forced to study it at school. Time to wrap this postcode up... My mother named my brother Dylan after Dylan Thomas. Everyone assumed he was named after someone else!
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Post by lugg on Nov 6, 2021 18:30:56 GMT
Everyone assumed he was named after someone else! I can imagine. |
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