Coetan Arthur (or Arthur’s Quoit), according to legend, was thrown from nearby Carn Llidi by King Arthur. This is one of many ‘Arthur’s Quoits’ in Britain – one source identifies more than 30. It is the remains of a single-chambered Neolithic burial chamber, or Dolmen, between 4 and 6,000 years’ old; the capstone (the bit
St Davids Cathedral (no apostrophe) is the largest cathedral in Wales (298’ – 90 metres long), in Britain’s smallest city, St Davids. Dedicated to St Andrew and St David, it nestles in the compact valley of the River Alun. Next to it are the ruins of the largely 14th century Bishop’s Palace. St David, the
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It is claimed that Quay House, in Conwy, is the smallest house in Britain. It is 5 feet (1.5 m) wide, just over 10 feet (3 m) high and about 10 feet deep. Incredibly, it has a first floor and, apparently, enough room for a single bed, a fireplace and a coal bunker. It dates
Picton Castle was built in 1280 and has been owned by the Philipps family since 1491. It is now run by a charitable trust. Despite looking like a medieval castle, with towers and gatehouse, in the 18th century it was transformed into a stately home. The interior includes elegant rooms with magnificent fireplaces and good
Carn Menyn is a cluster of rocky outcrops, or tors, in the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire. It is an atmospheric environment, slightly lonely, with excellent views inland as well as over the sea, and several prehistoric remains in the area – such as Foel Trygarn and Bedd Arthur. In addition to the slightly strange arrangement
Valle Crucis Abbey, the evocative remains of a Cistercian monastery, dates from 1201, when it was founded by Prince Madog ap Gruffydd . Its name, the Valley of the Cross, is derived from the nearby ninth-century Pillar of Eliseg, erected for the glory of a Welsh chieftain. The abbey suffered during the wars with the
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The small town of Criccieth is dominated by its ruined castle, dramatically perched on a coastal headland, flanked by two beaches. Criccieth Castle was originally a Welsh fortification, begun by Llywelyn the Great in the 13th century, who constructed an enormous gatehouse with two D-shaped towers. His grandson, Llywelyn the Last – added the outer
Plas Brondanw is the former family home of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, creator of Portmeirion. The house is a small mansion built by John ap Hywel in about 1550. Clough Williams-Ellis inherited it in a run-down state from his father in 1908. He lived there with his wife, Amabel, from their marriage in 1915 until their
The multivallate Iron Age hillfort of Garn Fawr on the Pencaer/Strumble Head peninsula dominates the surrounding landscape, which is peppered with prehistoric remains. At 699 feet (213m), Garn Fawr is the highest point on the peninsula and there are spectacular views from the top – arguably the fort’s best feature. The craggy terrain was formed
Beyond some village cottages on a rocky promontory, overlooking the Teifi Gorge is Cilgerran Castle. It is a strategic position, fortified by at least 1108 by the Norman, Gerald of Windsor. It was captured by the Welsh in 1164, retaken by William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, in 1204, recaptured by the Welsh during Llywelyn the
Whitesands Bay is a rock-flanked wide, sandy, blue-flag beach popular with families, surfers, canoeists and body-boarders – particularly the northern end closest to St David’s Head. At very low tides, the remains of an ancient forest have been seen, and bones of deer, aurich and brown bear have been found. Traces of a 6th century
Castell Henllys is a reconstructed Iron Age village, or fort, but the only one in Britain built on an original Celtic site. So the idea is that you walk in the footsteps of the Demetae tribe that lived there 2,000 or so years ago. It is very much geared to schoolchildren, but it is fascinating
