The small town of Laugharne (
pronounced 'Larn') lies on the estuary of the River Taf. Surrounded predominantly by farmland, Laugharne is rich in history but is probably best known as the home of Dylan Thomas. It lies one and a half hours drive west of Cardiff, and yesterday we decided to join my brother James, and sister-in-law Lynn, at their holiday home for the day....
The views are spectacular. Dylan Thomas' Boathouse lies just out of view on the above photo. The only sounds are birdsong, the gentle lapping sounds of the estuary and the distant bleating of sheep on the surrounding farms. For this city girl, it was a welcome slice of paradise. The streets are narrow, picturesque, colourful and mainly Georgian in it's architecture, my absolute favourite.
The green house above is on the market for a cool £350K ($550K). Dylan Thomas was a frequent visitor to the house as his parents lived there in the 1940s and 50s. Dylan's father died there in 1953, followed shortly after by Dylan who died in New York later that same year. Dylan's wake was held in the kitchen of the house. Georgain design, history and a great location. What more could you want. Directly opposite the house is Brown's Hotel ....
Over the last few years Brown's has gone through a few change of hands. After Welsh Assembly Government funding, the hotel has now been re-born into a boutique hotel and bar. Most notably, the bar has been refurbished to look exactly as it did when Dylan drank there, copiously!
Lots of cosy reading corners, a warm welcome, great company and inviting lunch menu. For those who know me it doesn't take much more than that to make me a very happy traveller. We are not the only ones who love this place. Notable visitors have been President Jimmy Carter, Katherine Hepburn, Richard Burton and Pierce Brosnan.
What a great day we had. Although it was grey and overcast, nothing could detract from how wonderful this rural haven is. Thanks for the invite guys!
