travel
pic: PRUSAKOLEP
pic: SUE ELIAS
Tintern Abbey
pic: MARTIN CHADY
The Gower
Weobley Castle
THE GOLDEN GOWER
Sian Lewis samples the best of the Golden Gower (even on a drizzly wet day) and discovers a few hidden gems along the way with SeeWales, Cardiff’s sightseeing bus tour company
T
he Gower is a pretty special place. The golden sands, perfect beaches, majestic castles and sleepy villages, which line the coastline, make this corner of Wales the
perfect place to explore at any time of the year. How- ever, being car-free and reluctant to rely on trains or buses, my friend Lucy and I were a bit stuck as to how to get there and enjoy everything that the Gower peninsular had to offer. Despite the lack of a car, Cardiff-based sightseeing company SeeWales enticed us with its promise to drive to the best of the coastline and let us explore on our own. Booking our seats on their Golden Gower tour, we looked forward to exploring the Welsh countryside. Paul, our lovely Welsh driver, rocked up in his little white tour bus outside the National Museum Of Wales in Cardiff and we soon set off for our fi rst stop in Swansea. The weather decided to be typically Welsh – Paul attempted to point out Castel Coch on the way but we could hardly see the cars in the other lanes through the mist, let alone the view. Paul negotiated the motorway whilst keeping up a cheerful Welsh patter which we attempted to copy (queue much gargling and spitting – Welsh is hard) as well as little facts about the country – my personal favourite being that Wales is home to three million people and 15 million sheep. Our fi rst stop for the day was Swansea’s Dylan
BUZZ 54
Thomas museum, which celebrates the life and work of Wales’ most famous poet. But, not knowing much about Thomas, besides the biopic The Edge Of Love, I wasn’t hugely looking forward to spending an hour wandering around the museum. Despite this, the little exhibition turned out to be fantas- tic. Lots of Thomas’ poems were displayed on the walls along with a huge timeline of his fascinating life. Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller’s beautiful vintage costumes from The Edge Of Love were also on display, something which Lucy and I particularly appreciated.
The weather was starting to look a little less grey as we piled back into the bus and headed for the sea. Paul dropped us off at Langland Bay, at the beginning of a two-mile coastal walk that ended up at Caswell Bay, where we had a well deserved coffee in the charming Surf Side cafe overlooking the beach. After sitting by the fi re nursing our lattes for a while, Paul rounded us up and handed out Welsh cakes as rewards for completing the coastal walk. We then drove into what felt like proper Welsh coun- tryside – by which I mean there were a LOT of sheep – whilst Paul played tinkly Welsh harp music. After winding down tiny lanes we pulled into to Parkwood. A quiet, echoing little valley full of wild garlic, Park- wood is the site of a stunning ancient burial mound, dating back 5,000 years. Paul led us around the stone mound and made us stand in the recesses where
ancient Welsh people would have buried their dead – an incredibly eerie experience. After a few stops to coo over all the lambs in the fi elds, we drove up to Worms Head beach at Rhossili, which was, sadly, completely covered in mist. Lucy and I wandered down to the foot of the cliff but all we could see was the tufty grass and sheep poo a few metres in front of us. We walked back, defeated, and headed for the last stop, Weobley Castle. As we approached the castle the sun fi nally shone through the clouds. Weobley looks out over seem- ingly never-ending salt fl ats and was an incredibly peaceful place to end the trip, exploring the ruins and enjoying the view. Paul played modern Welsh pop music on the way home whilst Lucy read her new book of Dylan Thomas’ poetry. Tired and happy we were fi nally dropped off at Cardiff Castle. A See Wales bus tour turned out to be a charming and worry-free way to get around, and an excel- lent way to explore some of South Wales’ hidden gems. Paul was a friendly and relaxed guide and the highlights plentiful. Parc le Breos and Weobley Castle were both out-of-the-way hidden gems we’d never have found on our own and the tour overall was a great way to discover the golden Gower peninsula in one enjoyable day.
Info: 029 2022 7227 /
www.seewales.com
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