WELSH VISTAS
Tim Davey discovers hidden gems and spectacular views on a trip along the scenic West Wales coast
IAM not sure how or why we had missed visiting Aberporth on our various forays along the glorious West Wales coastline. We had stayed close by, very close, on previous visits but for some inexplicable reason had always driven in the opposite direction. It didn’t take us long, on finally booking ourselves into this seaside destination for a few days, to realise ours had been a serious omission. We took a real shine to Aberporth in a very short space of time, so much so that when it came to return home my wife and I had already laid claim to a favourite seat and vantage point from where we idled away our time gazing out to sea and felt slightly put out if anyone else was sitting there. From here we could check if the dolphins had paid Aberporth the compliment of making a quick visit at the entrance to the bay. And the sunsets over the headland were very special. We were staying in Penny Black, one of three five-star apartments created from a large property, The Old Post Office. Very comfortable, with its own car parking, it was in a great location. The beach was a road’s width away. Next door was Aberporth’s busy local pub, The Ship, with balcony views from its restaurant out across the same bay and beach. Actually, there are two beaches here. Both lovely. That, aside from a village shop, a Chinese takeaway, fish and chip shop, launderette and a beach shop/café was about it. Not forgetting lots of houses with sea views to die for. So, really, in Aberporth you don’t have to do anything but gaze. Unwind. And gaze. And unwind…and so on. The fasci- nation doesn’t wear off – while in between you can pop into The Ship pub and do a bit more gazing as well as grazing and guzzling. This stretch of the Ceredigion/cardiganshire coastline does have some seriously good views. They abound around every clifftop, while slotted into the various bays, harbours and beaches are some delightful places to visit. So, if an attack of wanderlust strikes, you can do one of two things: walk somewhere; or get in the car and drive. Walks abound. The coastal path runs through. Though in the middle of a June heatwave when Aberporth was up there amongst the hottest places in the UK our best-made plans to put in some serious footwork were hi-jacked by the risk of heat exhaustion. We therefore limited our strolling to visiting Tresaith, a smaller, yet equally charming destination, which lay over the cliffs along a path offering spectacular vistas. It’s also boasts an unusual feature, a waterfall supplied by the River Saith which pours over a cliff edge into the sea. It’s about a mile-and-a-half away on foot and for the most part the walk is flat and well surfaced. The views are awesome and the path is bordered on both sides by an array of foliage and wild flowers, including an abundance of honeysuckle in full aromatic bloom when we were there. On arrival in Tresaith, the sea waterfall was looking a tad drained, courtesy of that amazing June heatwave, but here was yet another cracking beach in a bay. Parking’s a bit limited, though. Tresaith has a pub, also called The Ship, again with a superb view out across the water. Further afield, this time in the car with the air-con full on, we headed for Aber-
aeron, a resort that’s exceedingly pretty in pink - or blue, red, yellow, in fact, you name any colour and it will probably have a period piece house or picture postcard cottage painted in one of them. The harbour area is lovely too, and we especially liked the blue and white Harbour Master hotel, bar and restaurant, though there’s a rather brutal bit of sea front storm defence architecture just around the corner which is crying out for a bit of a makeover. Onwards then to Llangrannog, another popular little seaside gem. It’s not for the faint-hearted driver, though; if you descend towards it from one direction as we did. You begin to worry as the approach gets narrower and narrower and begins to plunge down towards the sea front. On the edge of the village on this particular route it can be nightmarish for anyone who doesn’t relish reversing out of a tight spot. Fortunately, we didn’t have to. Though I was greatly indebted to a friendly local who showed me the much easier alternative route out of the village which allowed two vehicles to pass each other! So, it’s best to drive in this way, park at the top of the village and either walk down or take the courtesy bus, as it is steep. At the bottom is a very sheltered sandy beach and all the amenities you can wish for. Llanerchaeron House is about five miles inland from Aberaeron. National Trust owned, it is set in a fabulous location alongside a river which babbles its way through picturesque woodland packed with lovely walks. There’s a water lily-filled lake too, an ancient farm which still houses animals, a secondhand bookshop, walled garden, etc. Then there’s the main house itself designed by John Nash, the man who has created so many Georgian architectural delights, including the Royal Pavilion in Brighton and Buckingham Palace. He had a free hand here in Wales and worked wonders on transforming an older house into some fine and dandy gentleman’s residence – the stone needed being lugged all the way from quarries in Bath. It was in a bit of a state when the Trust took it over but there’s a remarkable story here about how they financed it all. Pamela Ward was a spinster living in the heart of London’s fashionable Chelsea who had no family to leave her estate to. Born into money, she was a stylish world traveller who ended up running an antiques shop and living above it. On her death all her possessions were auctioned and given to the Trust to save Llanerchaeron on condition some of her personal pieces were on permanent display there. Her wish was granted and she was buried in the little estate church, in sight of the house she saved.