www.little-places.co.uk Poets and places


Wales is a land of words as well as song. Poetic traditions date back to the bards and the first Eisteddfod, held in Cardigan in 1176. Poets and writers are revered here, none more so than Hedd Wyn, the Welsh-language poet who died in World War One and was posthumously awarded the bard’s chair at the 1917 National Eisteddfod. Wales celebrates his centenary in 2017 when Yr Ysgwrn, his farmhouse home near Trawsfynydd, reopens after conservation work. You can now stay overnight in the grounds of Cardigan Castle and guests are invited to sit in the Eisteddfod Chair during their stay.


In South Wales, all eyes – and ears – are on Dylan Thomas, who uniquely infused his English language prose and poetry with Welsh melody and cadence. His milestones are scattered everywhere, from home-town Swansea to Newquay via his beloved Laugharne. Explore his literary heritage from one of his favourite watering holes, The Browns.


Football and food


Yes, we know that rugby is Wales’s national sport. But thanks in no small measure to the heroic efforts of the Welsh team in last year’s European Championships – a performance already seen as legendary – soccer is following hard on its heels. What’s more, Cardiff hosts the UEFA Champions League Final, billed as ‘the biggest sporting event in the world in 2017’. Accommodation is going to be at a premium, so book now – Newbridge on Usk – part of Celtic Manor Resort, Cathedral 73, and The Town House are all handily located.


Wales has legendary tastes too – like artisan farmhouse cheese (they’ve beaten the French in international competitions), Black beef, lamb and seafood. The ingredients might be traditional but they end up in dishes with a modern, sophisticated twist. Michelin-starred James Sommerin is one of Wales’s leading chefs. Stay at his new place, Restaurant James Sommerin in Penarth, for the feel-good combo of comfort and cuisine.


Festival time


Portmeirion hosts the bijou Festival No 6. Like many others in Wales, it takes its inspiration from the legends and landscapes that surround it. Others include the Hay Festival and Green Man (stay at The Bear in Hay or The Kestrel Inn in Crickhowell). In 2017 Wales’s National Eisteddfod takes place on the Isle of Anglesey, where there happens to be a restored Grade II listed 18th century country inn, Black Lion Inn in Llanfaethlu.


For more on the Year of Legends go to: www.visitwales.co.uk


Part of The Welsh Rarebits Collection 73


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