Postcard from Wales 2

So I will continue with my postcards from Wales with my mum.

 First a look at the pretty Georgian town of Aberaeron

 Then a look at one of our old haunts, We drove to see the village we used to have a caravan, in a little village called Gilfachreda.

Then onto Cei Bach. Here we noticed the old railway carriage which use to be used as holiday accommodation.

View of Llanina Point from Cei Bach beach

Llanina was an abandoned village when we use to roam around the ruins in the 1970's and 1980's. We use to wander around the old orchard of the Plas and eat the apples and soft fruit there. The only building that was still in use was the lovely little 19th century church of St Ina and it's lychgate.

Llanina November 1985 

Llanina 1885

Llanina 1985. This is the above cottage with a blue door!

Llanina  in 1985

Llanina  in1985 with the ruin of the Plas on the right

Llanina Plas today

The lychgate today

St Ina's Today

Llanina Point

This photo was taken in 1985 (yes that's me!)

Traethgwyn beach (also known as Llanina Beach)

Llanina woods today with some ruined cottages.

 Then we drove to Cwmtydu and Llangranog further down the coast.

Llangranog

 Then on to New Quay to watch the dolphins in the bay (sorry no photos as they were too quick jumping out of the water!)

Dylan Thomas loved the coast and countryside of west Wales. He found good pubs where he could enjoy the company of master mariners, farmers and workers for chat and banter, to collect stories, observe characters and swap lines of poetry with local poets. Dylan’s first visits to the area were for a holiday on a farm at St Dogmaels when he was 16, and to see relatives in New Quay in the 1930s. He came to live in New Quay in September 1944 - the start of the most productive period of his writing career

 Dylan made a start on his most famous work in New Quay. In December 1944 he recorded Quite Early One Morning, describing a walk into New Quay as the town was waking. This is considered the template from which Under Milk Wood developed. Much of the topography of Llareggub, the town of Under Milk Wood, is like that of New Quay the cliff - perched, toppling town... (Under Milk Wood).

Plas Llanina manor house was once at the heart of an estate which, along with at least two churches and their graveyards, got washed away by the sea. Dylan first visited with the artist Augustus John in the 1930s when Llanina was leased by Lord Howard de Walden. He allowed Dylan to use the ‘Apple House’ for writing, and a small watch-house overlooking the bay, previously used by Customs men.

Between Llanina and New Quay, Dylan, Caitlin and their children lived in a wood and asbestos shack called Majoda until July 1945. It has great views over to New Quay and its ‘hill of windows’, and overlooks Traethgwyn beach, where Caitlin enjoyed swimming in the sea.

On the outskirts of New Quay is Gilfachreda, home of folklorist Myra Evans. Dylan loved her tales of fairies, ghosts, mermaids and local characters. Here also is Plas y Wern where Dylan and Caitlin attended parties hosted by Alistair Graham. A lover of Evelyn Waugh at Oxford, Graham had retreated to New Quay and was a regular at the Dolau Inn.
You can find out about Dylan Thomas and his time in West Wales by following a trail published by www.discoverceredigion.co.uk. The Film, The Edge of Love (2008) told the story of Dylan Thomas at this time in his life and it was filmed in and around New Quay.

We also visited Cardigan.

 And the newly renovated Cardigan Castle.

 This beautiful quilt was hanging in the reception area.

 Inside the medieval walls is the beautifully restored Georgian mansion.

 Inside there was a GIANT Cardigan!

 http://www.cardigancastle.com/history/

Then we finished the day at Llanerchaeron 

The Llanerchaeron estate was the property of the Lewis family for over 300 years, until it finally passed to the National Trust in 1989, after the death of John Lewes. ... There are also a very extensive set of 'below stairs' rooms, used by the servants who helped make Llanerchaeron a self sufficient estate for so many years.

                 

 and finished the day with a lovely meal.....and a cocktail!

So we left Aberaeron the next day.....