Reconnecting in South West Wales
When we first bought our caravan, we knew it would open up the world of travel for us. Having our own perfectly accessible hotel-on-wheels would enable us to explore wild and remote places… but we never imagined it would provide a base for us to work from too. We absolutely love the versatility of it, but in recent months it’s definitely become more of the latter. So, after our fourth consecutive time solely using the caravan to attend exhibitions at the NEC, we needed to break free!
Reconnecting With Nature
Leaving the sterile environment of the NEC halls behind, we headed straight for the Welsh border, excited about using the caravan for its intended purpose once again. Our home for the next few days was The Marsh campsite – A Camping and Caravanning CS (certified site) located a 15 minute drive west of Carmarthen in South West Wales. After a very warm welcome from the owner, we pitched the caravan head-first to make the most of the view. Rolling hills and springtime greenery were a welcome sight! Nature was beginning to wake up after a seemingly never-ending winter, and we could finally sit outside without shivering. Watching the geese on the pond, we breathed in the fresh air and felt the warmth of sunshine on our skin for the first time this year. It may not last long (as our track record with Welsh weather would suggest), but we were determined to make the most of it.
Rain Won’t Stop Play
Our track record resumed the following morning, when we awoke to the pitter patter of rain on the roof, which didn’t appear to be going anywhere any time soon. But rain wasn’t going to stop play! One of our favourite activities for wet-weather days is taking a driving tour, and there are endless opportunities for that in this pretty little part of the world.
By the time we left, the rain had become horizontal, so I was intent on not leaving the car for our entire day – Which I did with great success! Tucked up in my cosy slippers and velvety-soft caravan blanket, we headed east to the Gower Peninsular. This popular tourist spot has so much to offer, even from the car. We began on the eastern coast, in a small headland called Mumbles. After cruising along the edge of the sandy beach, we found ourselves at Bracelet Bay, where we parked up and watched Mumbles Lighthouse being battered by the wind and rain — Something I’m sure it has become used to in its 200+ years.
The narrow, winding roads continued our journey along the coastline and through forests carpeted with wild garlic shoots, just waiting to flower. Soon, we made it to our next stop — National Trust Rhossili. Despite the weather, the views were spectacular! Rhossili Bay Beach stretched out for miles beneath us, the sea merging with the gloomy sky. Nestled on the hillside we spotted The Old Rectory. Built in the 1800’s, this lone cottage has a lot of history, and nowadays provides accommodation for holidaymakers, managed by the National Trust. It reminded us of the singular houses we’ve seen when touring the Scottish Highlands, surrounded by a vast expanse of nothingness, but undoubtedly providing its inhabitants with so much.
Had the weather been better, we would’ve enjoyed a stroll along the paved clifftop path, but Stephen braved the elements briefly before rushing back to the car with a “Yeah…no” look on his face. Meanwhile, I remained warm, dry and smug in my blanket!
Our magical mystery tour continued inland, where we discovered the viewpoint at King Arthur’s Stone. The elevation of the car park means that, on a clear day, you can enjoy 360º views around Gower and across the Bristol Channel to North Devon. As you can imagine, we could barely see beyond the windscreen, so we had to use some imagination!
On route back to the campsite, we couldn’t resist one last stop at the highly recommended GG’s Gelato in Pen-clawdd. After all, ice cream and wet weather seems to be becoming a tradition for us (as seen on our New Forest trip).
The variety of options at GG’s was immense, and after careful deliberation, we opted for the seasonally-appropriate Creme Egg ice cream. Like the rest of the day, it was enjoyed in the comfort of the car — One of the beauties of driving tours.
Another Day, Another Drive
Thankfully, later in the week the weather improved (slightly), so we were able to jump out of the car between the intermittent-but-heavy showers, during another magical mystery tour. This time we headed west, in the direction of Pembrokeshire.
A quick five minute drive took us to our first stop — Laugharne Castle (apparently pronounced “Larn”). Here, perched on the edge of the Taf estuary, sits the majestic remains of the medieval castle where famous writer and poet, Dylan Thomas, put pen to paper. Crossing the bridge over the rushing River Coran, we took a short stroll along the paved path to get a closer look. After all, you can’t visit Wales without admiring at least 1 of its 600+ castles! We could have easily wandered further along the estuary, but the strong, bitterly cold wind was pressing us to continue with the tour.
Heading west along the coast, we made it to Pendine Sands Beach. This 7 mile stretch of golden sand is known for the land speed record attempts that were made on it — And generally, if you can drive a car on it, you can drive a powerchair on it! Excited to put this theory to the test, we parked up conveniently close to the slipway and made our way down to the smooth, flat, hard-packed sand. It was perfect! Despite the now-gale-force winds trying to break a speed record of their own, we took a little stroll together, enjoying the emptiness of the vast beach.
Overlooking the beach is the Museum of Land Speed and a plethora of cafés. Had we allowed a bit more time, we would’ve explored these too, but we didn’t want to miss out on our final stop of the day — Tenby!
We’d heard so much about this colourful harbour town, so we were looking forward to seeing it for ourselves. Parking alongside North Beach, we waited for the heavy shower to pass before stepping out to soak up the calm atmosphere. The wind had washed away the rain clouds, revealing a vibrant blue sky and a rainbow which matched Tenby’s brightly coloured houses. Again, we went for a short wander as the late afternoon sunshine casted a warm glow on everything it touched.
Reconnecting With Friends
We were having a fantastic time exploring Wales, but the main (and most important) reason for our visit was to catch up with my good friend and ex caregiver, Stef. For context, she worked with me multiple days a week for over 6 years, so to say that we’d formed a close bond would be an understatement.
Unfortunately for us, a change of circumstances meant that she had to up and move to Wales last summer… and unfortunately for her, we tracked her down!
While our days were spent exploring or watching the fascinating gundog training on site, our evenings were spent with Stef. We’d either join her at her new home or she’d visit us in our caravan, where we enjoyed good food, playing games and reminiscing. It had been 8 months since we last saw each other (which feels like years when you’re used to being around each other multiple times a week), so it felt amazing to see her again!
Reconnecting…
Although our stay was only brief — and we really only scratched the surface of what this beautiful part of Wales has to offer — we had the best time! It was a brilliant way of reconnecting with both friends and nature after a long, cold winter, and we inadvertently reconnected with our love of caravanning for leisure. We already can’t wait to get away again!