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Laugharne

Over the past few years, this pretty rural town of Georgian houses on the estuary of the River Taf has become a shrine to the memory of its most famous resident, Dylan Thomas. The poet, together with his wife Caitlin and their three children spent the last four years of his life living at what is now named The Dylan Thomas Boathouse set in a cliff overlooking the Taf estuary. Discovering this small out-of-the-way place in the 1940s, Thomas famously “got off the bus and forgot to get on again”. Approached by a narrow lane, the boathouse is a remarkably evocative place, partly because of the many items associated with the poet, partly because of the serene views of the estuary and its “heron-priested shore”. In the family living room, a vintage wireless is tuned to the poet himself reading his own work. As well as the fascinating memorabilia on display here, there is also an interpretation centre, bookshop and tea room. It was while he was living at Laugharne that Thomas wrote some of his best works, including Under Milk Wood, a day in the life of his imaginary village of Llareggub (read the name backwards to find why it has this odd name). Thomas, notoriously prone to self-destructive drinking sprees, died in The White Horse Bar in New York while on a lecture tour in 1953, at only 39 years of age. He was buried at Laugharne’s parish church of St Martin where there is a replica of the plaque to his memory, which can be seen in POETS’ Corner, Westminster Abbey.

Laugharne is also home to one of the country’s most handsome castles, a “castle brown as owls” according to Dylan Thomas. Laugharne Castle (CADW) was built in stone around the 13th century and much of that fortification still remains. But it is the transformation undertaken by Sir John Perrot in the 16th century that make this a particularly special site. Granted Laugharne by Queen Elizabeth I, Perrot, an illegitimate son of Henry VIII, turned the castle into a comfortable mansion. In 1591 Perrot was found guilty of high treason and confined to the Tower of London where he died the following year. As soon as word of his death reached Laugharne, looters stripped the castle of much of its contents. Half a century later, during the Civil War, the fabric of the castle suffered severe damage, leaving the romantic ruins seen today.

However romantic the castle ruins may be, this is not all Laugharne Castle has to offer, as the Victorian garden has been splendidly restored. Both the castle ruins and the superb surroundings have provided inspiration for artists over the centuries and, in particular, they are the subject of a dramatic watercolour by JMW Turner.

Writers too have found inspiration here. Dylan Thomas wrote in a gazebo in the grounds, and Richard Hughes, author of A High Wind in Jamaica, stayed at the adjoining, rather dilapidated, Castle House from 1934 to 1942.

Located in King Street, Laugharne Pottery has been producing fine designs in traditional handcrafted stoneware since 1971. Also on sale here are individually crafted crystal paperweights, which can be decorated with a design of your choice in 24ct gold.