Photography Blog
Photography Blog
TOUR OF SOUTH WALES
12/09/2020
Given that I hadn't been to South Wales for a couple of years I booked 3 nights at the Travelodge at St. Clears near Carmarthen. My carefully prepared plan had been to start in Waterfall Country near Merthyr Tydfil and then work my way round the Gower before checking in to St Clears. Unfortunately, but not too surprisingly, it was raining steadily as I reached my turn off from the Heads of the Valleys road so I changed plan and headed for the Gower. I was aiming for Worms Head but knowing that it was next to Rhossili Beach I put this into the satnav and duly arrived.....at a holiday park a the wrong end of Rhossili Beach. Twenty minutes later I was on Worms Head (NT) and the sun was out!
I walked towards Worms Head taking some images of Rhossili Beach and the shipwreck of the Helvetia on the way and then made my way down to the beach. Here I took probably my favourite image of the 3 days, a copper coloured rock amongst a sea of grey rocks on the beach. Two versions are in the Miscellaneous Seascapes Gallery.
From here I set off for Pennard (NT) and set off along the headland towards Three Cliffs Bay. I got as far as Pobbles Beach and took some images of the activity on the beach below and of the Three Cliffs, although not the classic view as this would be a step too far for me today! The images appear in the South Wales and Miscellaneous Seascapes Galleries. From here I made made my way to the Travelodge in St Clears.
Day 2: After forking out £7.10 for a coffee and sausage bap in the Strabucks next to the Travelodge I set of early for Tenby. I have been here once before and I knew that there was some free parking above the Castle Beach....but I couldn't find my way there but did find alternative free parking on The Croft above the North Beach; from here it was a short walk to the harbour and the centre of Tenby. I took several images around the harbour and Castle Beach and they appear in the South Wales and Miscellaneous Seascapes Galleries. From here I set off to explore the Pembrokeshire coast, stopping along the way to take an image of an interesting cloud formation. The image in the South Wales Gallery looks a bit worse than it really was courtesy of Snapseed. I was heading for The Green Bridge of Wales but the military had other ideas as the road was closed as they were firing. I eventually found my way to Broad Haven (NT) where I had a walk along the cliff top and took an image of some paddle-boarders which appears in the Miscellaneous Seascapes Gallery. Undeterred by the military I took a different route and managed to locate St. Govan's Chapel where I took some images which are in the South Wales Gallery. Unfortunately the Green Bridge of Wales was out of bounds although I have been there once before; it's not in the same league as Durdle Door! From here I travelled via Haverfordwest and St Non's Chapel to St Davids, the UK's smallest city, I had a look round the Cathedral and took some images although none made the gallery. From here I set off for my final destination; Strumble Head which involved some seriously narrow roads! Unfortunately the heather surrounding the lighthouse had lost most of its colour but I took various images and there are some in the South Wales Gallery. From here I set off back to St Clears, grabbing some chips in the town before returning to the Travelodge.
Day 3: Once bitten....twice shy! Having paid £7.10 for a sausage bap and coffee in Starbucks I established from the internet that the nearest Greggs, where coffee and a (better) sausage bap are £2.20, was in Carmarthen which could form part of the route tp my first destination, Cenarth Falls. This is an interesting location with waterfalls and a watermill next to a car park adjacent to the main road. I spent some time here although there is only one image in the South Wales Gallery, the reason for this will become clear later! From here I set of for Mwnt (NT) which was the catalyst for this visit as my parents' ashes are scattered here. I walked around the headland a couple of times before grabbing a coffee at the small kiosk next to the beach. From here I headed to Dinas Head stopping of to capture an image of some wild flowers on the roadside which appear in the South Wales Gallery. I was heading for a beach side car park at Pwllgwaelod so was not surprised when I was directed down a no through road. I was a bit surprised when it became so narrow between buildings that I had a job to squeeze through. Consulting with some locals confirmed that I was on the wrong road and there was no alternative but to reverse out through the gap that was barely wide enough to drive through! With the memory of a £240 bill to repair the damage incurred when having an argument with a wall on Exmoor I was extremely careful and managed to extricate myself although the beepers which indicate the close proximity of an obstacle were working overtime! A few minutes later I arrived at the beachside car park and took the last space. I set off around Dinas Island and completed the c4.5 mile walk in about 90 minutes. There is a picture of me at the summit kindly taken by a fellow walker in the South Wales Gallery.
From here I set of for Fishguard, stopping off by the side of the road to take some images of the harbour at Lower Town which again appear in the South Wales Gallery. I grabbed some sandwiches in Fishguard for a late lunch and then made my way back to St Clears.
The next day I travelled home (via Greggs at Carmarthen). The end of a very satisfactory few days.
One thing that is unusual is that all of the images in the galleries were taken on my Panasonic Lumix camera. The reason for this is simple; I erased the images on my Olympus camera thinking that I had downloaded them when, of course, I hadn't. This was not a disaster as most bases had been covered on the Panasonic, I only really lost some slow shutter speed images of the falls at Cenarth. As I've said before you live and learn, or perhaps I'll never learn! On the plus side this has allowed me to include several Snapseed edits in the galleries.
.
I walked towards Worms Head taking some images of Rhossili Beach and the shipwreck of the Helvetia on the way and then made my way down to the beach. Here I took probably my favourite image of the 3 days, a copper coloured rock amongst a sea of grey rocks on the beach. Two versions are in the Miscellaneous Seascapes Gallery.
From here I set off for Pennard (NT) and set off along the headland towards Three Cliffs Bay. I got as far as Pobbles Beach and took some images of the activity on the beach below and of the Three Cliffs, although not the classic view as this would be a step too far for me today! The images appear in the South Wales and Miscellaneous Seascapes Galleries. From here I made made my way to the Travelodge in St Clears.
Day 2: After forking out £7.10 for a coffee and sausage bap in the Strabucks next to the Travelodge I set of early for Tenby. I have been here once before and I knew that there was some free parking above the Castle Beach....but I couldn't find my way there but did find alternative free parking on The Croft above the North Beach; from here it was a short walk to the harbour and the centre of Tenby. I took several images around the harbour and Castle Beach and they appear in the South Wales and Miscellaneous Seascapes Galleries. From here I set off to explore the Pembrokeshire coast, stopping along the way to take an image of an interesting cloud formation. The image in the South Wales Gallery looks a bit worse than it really was courtesy of Snapseed. I was heading for The Green Bridge of Wales but the military had other ideas as the road was closed as they were firing. I eventually found my way to Broad Haven (NT) where I had a walk along the cliff top and took an image of some paddle-boarders which appears in the Miscellaneous Seascapes Gallery. Undeterred by the military I took a different route and managed to locate St. Govan's Chapel where I took some images which are in the South Wales Gallery. Unfortunately the Green Bridge of Wales was out of bounds although I have been there once before; it's not in the same league as Durdle Door! From here I travelled via Haverfordwest and St Non's Chapel to St Davids, the UK's smallest city, I had a look round the Cathedral and took some images although none made the gallery. From here I set off for my final destination; Strumble Head which involved some seriously narrow roads! Unfortunately the heather surrounding the lighthouse had lost most of its colour but I took various images and there are some in the South Wales Gallery. From here I set off back to St Clears, grabbing some chips in the town before returning to the Travelodge.
Day 3: Once bitten....twice shy! Having paid £7.10 for a sausage bap and coffee in Starbucks I established from the internet that the nearest Greggs, where coffee and a (better) sausage bap are £2.20, was in Carmarthen which could form part of the route tp my first destination, Cenarth Falls. This is an interesting location with waterfalls and a watermill next to a car park adjacent to the main road. I spent some time here although there is only one image in the South Wales Gallery, the reason for this will become clear later! From here I set of for Mwnt (NT) which was the catalyst for this visit as my parents' ashes are scattered here. I walked around the headland a couple of times before grabbing a coffee at the small kiosk next to the beach. From here I headed to Dinas Head stopping of to capture an image of some wild flowers on the roadside which appear in the South Wales Gallery. I was heading for a beach side car park at Pwllgwaelod so was not surprised when I was directed down a no through road. I was a bit surprised when it became so narrow between buildings that I had a job to squeeze through. Consulting with some locals confirmed that I was on the wrong road and there was no alternative but to reverse out through the gap that was barely wide enough to drive through! With the memory of a £240 bill to repair the damage incurred when having an argument with a wall on Exmoor I was extremely careful and managed to extricate myself although the beepers which indicate the close proximity of an obstacle were working overtime! A few minutes later I arrived at the beachside car park and took the last space. I set off around Dinas Island and completed the c4.5 mile walk in about 90 minutes. There is a picture of me at the summit kindly taken by a fellow walker in the South Wales Gallery.
From here I set of for Fishguard, stopping off by the side of the road to take some images of the harbour at Lower Town which again appear in the South Wales Gallery. I grabbed some sandwiches in Fishguard for a late lunch and then made my way back to St Clears.
The next day I travelled home (via Greggs at Carmarthen). The end of a very satisfactory few days.
One thing that is unusual is that all of the images in the galleries were taken on my Panasonic Lumix camera. The reason for this is simple; I erased the images on my Olympus camera thinking that I had downloaded them when, of course, I hadn't. This was not a disaster as most bases had been covered on the Panasonic, I only really lost some slow shutter speed images of the falls at Cenarth. As I've said before you live and learn, or perhaps I'll never learn! On the plus side this has allowed me to include several Snapseed edits in the galleries.
.
