Cath’s guidebook, Ty Hir barn cottage and local area
My favourite beaches
Llansteffan is only 5 minutes away, free parking, you can only swim at high tide when it is wonderful to walk round to Scots bay along the tree coastal path which leads you to a pink house. The bay is cut off at high tide and very beautiful with a strip of dry golden sand and only ever a handful of locals swimming. You have to be prepared to walk but can wait till the tide goes out to return to the car park along the beach more easily (the sand is very soft however!)
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Llansteffan
Llansteffan is only 5 minutes away, free parking, you can only swim at high tide when it is wonderful to walk round to Scots bay along the tree coastal path which leads you to a pink house. The bay is cut off at high tide and very beautiful with a strip of dry golden sand and only ever a handful of locals swimming. You have to be prepared to walk but can wait till the tide goes out to return to the car park along the beach more easily (the sand is very soft however!)
30 min drive away, lovely at low tide, sit on rocks when tide is high, pub on beach, free parking, ice cream stall, and toilets nearby along the river
57 íbúar mæla með
Wisemans Bridge
30 min drive away, lovely at low tide, sit on rocks when tide is high, pub on beach, free parking, ice cream stall, and toilets nearby along the river
35 mins away, small bay between Wiseman’s and Saundersfoot - you can walk here from Wismans through a tunnel and on to Saundersfoot via a second tunnel.
Refreshments and toilets at Coppet hall where you can pay to park - expensive for a whole day. You can also hire paddle boards. Visit Saundersfoot from here for lunch - fun and lively seaside village with several shops and eateries.
18 íbúar mæla með
Coppet Hall Beach
35 mins away, small bay between Wiseman’s and Saundersfoot - you can walk here from Wismans through a tunnel and on to Saundersfoot via a second tunnel.
Refreshments and toilets at Coppet hall where you can pay to park - expensive for a whole day. You can also hire paddle boards. Visit Saundersfoot from here for lunch - fun and lively seaside village with several shops and eateries.
Barafundle Bay Beach
Pembrokeshire Coast Path60 mins away - surfing paradise, cold water, tricky parking in mid summer, toilets but no cafe
111 íbúar mæla með
Freshwater West
60 mins away - surfing paradise, cold water, tricky parking in mid summer, toilets but no cafe
just over an hr away, but lovely day out walking from Little Haven to Broad Haven North
10 íbúar mæla með
Little Haven Beach
1 Grove Pljust over an hr away, but lovely day out walking from Little Haven to Broad Haven North
55 mins away, wonderful safe family beach, accessed via Broadhaven South carpark or from Bosherston carpark with incredible lily pond walk, NT with toilets
Things to do with kids
My daughter is all grown up so I am not very good at these recommendations, but hopefully something here will suit the kids: 1. Blue Lagoon Waterpark, Narberth 2. Trampoline park, Haverfordwest 3. Bike rides, Brekfa forest and coastal path from Burry Port to Kidwelly and back 4. Paddle boarding at Coppet Hall, near Saundersfoot 5. Coasteering or kayaking at Abereiddy, Muuk adventures, approx £40 / child 6. Kayaking from Tenby beach, approx £40 / child with supervision 7. Folly Farm, Narberth, animals for little kids and fabulous vintage fairground rides - expensive! 8. Skomer Island trip from Martin’s Haven to see penguins, seals and dolphins 9. Caldy Island boat trip from Tenby to see old monastery and beautiful beach - the town is a great day out too with fish and chips and 3 beaches to choose from and a pretty harbour to walk round 10. Picton Castle for woodland walk and owl display 11. Carmarthen Leisure Centre for indoor pool
58 íbúar mæla með
Lily Ponds
Pembrokeshire Coast Path55 mins away, wonderful safe family beach, accessed via Broadhaven South carpark or from Bosherston carpark with incredible lily pond walk, NT with toilets
Things to do with kids
My daughter is all grown up so I am not very good at these recommendations, but hopefully something here will suit the kids: 1. Blue Lagoon Waterpark, Narberth 2. Trampoline park, Haverfordwest 3. Bike rides, Brekfa forest and coastal path from Burry Port to Kidwelly and back 4. Paddle boarding at Coppet Hall, near Saundersfoot 5. Coasteering or kayaking at Abereiddy, Muuk adventures, approx £40 / child 6. Kayaking from Tenby beach, approx £40 / child with supervision 7. Folly Farm, Narberth, animals for little kids and fabulous vintage fairground rides - expensive! 8. Skomer Island trip from Martin’s Haven to see penguins, seals and dolphins 9. Caldy Island boat trip from Tenby to see old monastery and beautiful beach - the town is a great day out too with fish and chips and 3 beaches to choose from and a pretty harbour to walk round 10. Picton Castle for woodland walk and owl display 11. Carmarthen Leisure Centre for indoor pool
Cottage information when you arrive
Some things to know and a quirk or two about the cottage:
KITCHEN
. Washing machine washes and tumble drys, BUT the door has an issue: you have to turn it off at the main plug under the sink before the door clicks open anut 3 minutes later. If the machine is too hot from tumble drying it won’t open until it cools a little, so wait 30 mins having switched off at the plug.
. Lights switches are by the courtyard door and turn on 3 wall lights (not all 4), an outside courtyard light and sitting room lights. The fourth wall light switch is on the left of the patio door as you look out, and the switch above the draining board turns on patio lights outside.
BINS
. Blue bin bags are for recycling (paper, washed plastic, cardboard)
. Black bins are for everything else and black unrecyclable plastic BUT not food or glass
. Kitchen caddy is for all food waste
. Glass recycling needs rinsing and put in black rectangular bin under decking
Black and blue bin bags and food waste is collected by me Wednesday evening for the bin men on Thursday before 6am. Please put any full kitchen bags in either large black garden bin, and kitchen caddy bags into the compost waste caddy, under the decking by 6pm Wednesdays.
SITTING ROOM
. Use the TV main controls to turn TV on and select source HDMI (not TV or device etc)
. Use Apple TV to select software BBC iplayer /Netflix etc
BATHROOM
. Help yourself to bath towels and facecloths in the basket. You’re welcome to use the blue towels as beach towels when they are available.
. Turn on the electric bathroom heater at the plug (inside the window) ledge to dry towels. There is also an air-drying wrack stored in the boiler room.
. Open the bathroom mirror cupboard by pushing the right bottom corner of it - there is a shaving socket inside.
. The shower turns on-and-off and from cold-to-hot by swivelling the collars and using the buttons to switch from overhead shower to hand shower.
BOILER ROOM - please help yourself to BBQ briquettes and firelighters. Also the iron, ironing board and little hoover are stored here. You can borrow the wetsuits on the shelf but please leave in bathroom when you leave if used (so I can ensure they are stored dry)
When you leave please take a moment to strip the beds and place all sheets in a bundle on either sofa and leave damp towels in a pile in the bath. Check out time is 10am.
Llansteffan Rd, Johnstown, Carmarthen SA31, UK
KITCHEN
. Washing machine washes and tumble drys, BUT the door has an issue: you have to turn it off at the main plug under the sink before the door clicks open anut 3 minutes later. If the machine is too hot from tumble drying it won’t open until it cools a little, so wait 30 mins having switched off at the plug.
. Lights switches are by the courtyard door and turn on 3 wall lights (not all 4), an outside courtyard light and sitting room lights. The fourth wall light switch is on the left of the patio door as you look out, and the switch above the draining board turns on patio lights outside.
BINS
. Blue bin bags are for recycling (paper, washed plastic, cardboard)
. Black bins are for everything else and black unrecyclable plastic BUT not food or glass
. Kitchen caddy is for all food waste
. Glass recycling needs rinsing and put in black rectangular bin under decking
Black and blue bin bags and food waste is collected by me Wednesday evening for the bin men on Thursday before 6am. Please put any full kitchen bags in either large black garden bin, and kitchen caddy bags into the compost waste caddy, under the decking by 6pm Wednesdays.
SITTING ROOM
. Use the TV main controls to turn TV on and select source HDMI (not TV or device etc)
. Use Apple TV to select software BBC iplayer /Netflix etc
BATHROOM
. Help yourself to bath towels and facecloths in the basket. You’re welcome to use the blue towels as beach towels when they are available.
. Turn on the electric bathroom heater at the plug (inside the window) ledge to dry towels. There is also an air-drying wrack stored in the boiler room.
. Open the bathroom mirror cupboard by pushing the right bottom corner of it - there is a shaving socket inside.
. The shower turns on-and-off and from cold-to-hot by swivelling the collars and using the buttons to switch from overhead shower to hand shower.
BOILER ROOM - please help yourself to BBQ briquettes and firelighters. Also the iron, ironing board and little hoover are stored here. You can borrow the wetsuits on the shelf but please leave in bathroom when you leave if used (so I can ensure they are stored dry)
When you leave please take a moment to strip the beds and place all sheets in a bundle on either sofa and leave damp towels in a pile in the bath. Check out time is 10am.
Sightseeing
GARDENS TO VISIT
In order of my favs (and I am a keen gardener!):
. Aberglasney - magical small garden of several ‘rooms’: kitchen garden, cloister garden, rose garden, sunken garden etc… beautiful nypahrium
. Botanical Garden of Wales - lovely lakeside walk, impressive glass house, double walled kitchen garden turned into planting design per continent
. Picton Castle - incredible spring garden and woodland with lovely walled garden and tiny fernery, gunnera walkway for kids and owl flying display in summer
LAUGHARNE: Dylan Thomas outing to his boat house and writing shed and lovely walk along river, through fields and a lane to his graveside at church in Laugharne
100 íbúar mæla með
Aberglasney garðar
GARDENS TO VISIT
In order of my favs (and I am a keen gardener!):
. Aberglasney - magical small garden of several ‘rooms’: kitchen garden, cloister garden, rose garden, sunken garden etc… beautiful nypahrium
. Botanical Garden of Wales - lovely lakeside walk, impressive glass house, double walled kitchen garden turned into planting design per continent
. Picton Castle - incredible spring garden and woodland with lovely walled garden and tiny fernery, gunnera walkway for kids and owl flying display in summer
LAUGHARNE: Dylan Thomas outing to his boat house and writing shed and lovely walk along river, through fields and a lane to his graveside at church in Laugharne