Porthgain, Pembrokeshire: An Industrious Harbour

Porthgain is a quiet little harbour hamlet found in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Sitting between St David’s and Goodwick it is a part of the Parish of Llanrhian. The onomastic evidence for the place name is debated, some have identified it as having been derived from the Welsh for ‘fair port’, but it is more likely to originate from …

The Church in the Valley: Cwm-yr-Eglwys

Cwm-yr-Eglwys meaning ‘Valley of the Church’ is a hamlet in a stunning cove on the eastern side of the Dinas Island Peninsula, so called because a stream separates it from the mainland. It features a sandy cove, with a stream running through the centre, providing tens of rock pools teeming with life. On the eastern side of the bay is …

Longshanks’ Coastal Castle: Aberystwyth

The poignant ruins of Aberystwyth Castle sit proudly on a promontory overlooking the harbour. These fragments are all that remains of a late 13th century castle constructed on the orders of Edward I of England in his efforts to conquer Wales. Throughout its history Aberystwyth was often at the centre of the conflict between the native Welsh and the invading …

The Last Invasion of Britain: The Battle of Fishguard

The peaceful town of Fishguard can be found on the coast of Pembrokeshire, Wales. With a population of approximately 3,500, Fishguard as it appears today has two main areas: Lower Fishguard and the “Main Town’. Lower Fishguard is recorded as the site of the medieval hamlet from which the region has grown out of in the centuries since. It sits …

Tresaith Beach: “The Place of Seven”

The gorgeous seaside village of Tresaith is a gem on the Ceredigion coast of Wales, with something to offer for everyone and only eight miles from the bustling markets of Cardigan. Tresaith boasts a blue flag beach, the wonderful Ceredigion Coastal Path which winds through the village and it hosts summer sailing events too! All this makes it a very …

The Miner, The Farmer and The Poet … The Stories of Tal-y-bont

The village of Tal-y-bont can be found about halfway between Aberystwyth and Machynlleth on the Ceredigion coast. With a population of under 1,000, Tal-y-bont is a small but cosy place surrounded by lush green farmland and is but a stone’s throw from the picturesque Dyfi estuary. Yet, its natural beauty is not the only worthy reason for exploring this little …

The Story of a TOP-SECRET Research Facility at Ynyslas

Ynyslas, Welsh for ‘the green island’, is a small coastal village north of Aberystwyth. It can be found wedged between the stretch of beach along Cardigan Bay and the shores of the Dyfi estuary. This spot is a part of the Ynyslas Sand Dunes, themselves a part of the Dyfi National Nature Reserve. As such the area is one of …