Grongar Hill

 Grongar Hill is described as a "favourite Carmarthenshire picnic site with remarkable views," by William Spurrell in 1860. But its real claim to fame is a poem of the same name by John Dyer in 1726 and considered one of the better known poems of its day.

Grongar Hill from Cilsan Bridge.

"Grongar Hill invites my song,
Draw the landskip bright and strong;
Grongar, in whose mossy cells,     
Sweetly musing, Quiet dwells;
Grongar, in whose silent shade,
For the modest Muses made"





Today's reality however is not quite so poetic. A rather unkempt right of way leads most of the way up the hill, if you don't mind clambering over a few gates. But mud, fences and more locked gates make the last 100 yards or so far from inviting. Besides the hilltop has been left to go and is now covered with scrub and trees.

The Towy Valley from Grongaer Hill.

The view over the Tywi valley from near the top however is still as remarkable as Spurrell mentioned, and is there to be enjoyed. But no more so perhaps than the same view from the battlements of Dryslwyn Castle, a short way down the river, which has far easier access. Maybe John Dyer went there as well but couldn't find any words to rhyme.

Kymer's Quay and Canal, Kidwelly.

 Today, standing high above the Gwendraeth Fach, the stone ramparts of Kidwelly Quay resemble a medieval castle, proudly guarding the town against maritime invaders. Yet in the 1950s everything lay in ruins. The stonework had crumbled away, the dock had filled in and the canal emptied of water. The whole place was a  fly-tippers dream. Many came from miles around as it was their location of choice for dumping their old fridges, bedsteads and worn-out tyres. It seemed a tragic end to an enterprise that had such a long and proud history. It dated back to 1766 when Thomas Kymer wanted to find a more efficient way of bringing  coal to the coast from his collieries inland. It survived the tribulations of a silting river and competition from Pembrey, but the last ship docked here in 1920 and so began its long and ruinous decline.

Thankfully in the late 1980s, somebody realised its potential, and had the foresight to see and understand what could still be offered to the community and visitors alike.  The dock was cleared of rubbish, the walls of the Quay have been repaired, and the canal with its towpaths and bridges all tastefully restored.

Kidwelly Quay and Kymer's canal have been reincarnated as a premier wildlife haven, a tribute to Kidwelly's industrial past and one of the nicest waterside walks in Carmarthenshire.

The Bogwood Boardwalk at Dynevor Park.

Dynevor Castle stands on an outcrop overlooking the majesty of the Tywi valley and is deservedly one of the major tourist attractions in Carmarthenshire. Those visiting the castle however, should consider a slight diversion along the boardwalk at the lower end of the deer-park.

A section of the Bogwood Boardwalk.

A gate in the high stone wall on the route to the castle leads on to the boardwalk - a fine wooden walkway taking you across a large area of partly submerged trees and marshy plants, appropriately known as Bog Wood. It is not often that you can enjoy such a place without being up to your kness in body-groping mud.

Mill pond and ancient trees at Dynevor Park.

As you walk you will pass Castle Oak, a huge oak tree that must surely be a contender for Carmarthenshire's oldest oak tree.  Eventually the boardwalk will take you around the old estate mill pond with stunning views over the other ancient trees in the Deer-park - a spectacle that gets even better in the autumn. At the end of the boardwalk your water-world interlude will be over and you can exit through a gate and continue on with your visit to the castle.

Horeb Brickworks.

Horeb Brickwork's Chimney Stack, from a distance.

The impressive chimney stack of the old Horeb brickworks is 30 metres high and can be seen from miles around, high above the tree canopy like a Nelson's column standing above a raging sea. The Brickworks were opened in 1907 alongside the old  Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr railway line, (which is now the Swiss Valley Cycle track). It began as the Blackthorn Brick company, later becoming the Eclipse Brick Company and finally closing in 1967 when it was known as the Horeb Brick Company.

Since its closure nature has gradually taken back its own, covering the spoil heaps and piles of discarded ash and gradually merging the works back into the countryside. So much so that although the chimney can be see from far away, in the summer you can stand on the cycle track 10 metres away  and not know its there. Apart from the chimney, which is a listed monument, the site is also industrially important because of its Hoffman Kiln, used to bake the bricks.  This still survives almost intact and is thought to be the only example of such a kiln in Wales.

Inside the kiln. Horeb's own Caves of Mordor.

Visiting any deserted industrial site has evocative overtones, as you can image the general hustle and bustle that was a part of life there many years ago. Horeb Brickworks is no exception. The loading platform and its railway siding are more or less alongside the cycle track and there is a short improvised pathway from the cycle track into the site itself. It is not recommended to enter the kiln because of health and safety issues but if you did I've heard it is a surreal experience standing inside as the sunlight streams through its many entrances.

Pont Rhyd Felin.

There is a wonderful country road that leads from Pumpsaint, through Cwrt-y-cadno and eventually on to Cilycwm. It follows the course of the river up the Cothi valley high into a mountain wilderness, before crossing over to come down into the Tywi valley, not far from the river's source at Llyn Brianne.  The area is timeless and around every bend you can almost expect  a drover, complete with his corgis, to be driving his animals along the road towards you. Sometimes in winter this route may very well become impassable, but in summer, with the mountainsides green with leaves and purple with heather, it is an experience not to be missed.

Pont Rhyd Felin.

A highlight on this journey is Pont Rhy Felin. When driving across it seems like an ordinary sort of bridge, but if you take the time to stop and look around, you'll find it is one of the prettiest bridges in the whole of Carmarthenshire. A small stream, Nant Melyn, cascades down the mountainside, creating waterfalls on either side of the arch, before continuing its journey down a rocky wooded valley to join forces with the Gwenffrwd and a short distance later, the mighty Tywi itself.

Troserch Woods, Llangennech.

The Green Flag Community Award® is a national award that recognises high quality green spaces in the UK that are managed by voluntary and community groups. The Award is part of the Green Flag Award® scheme, the national standard for quality parks and green spaces.  Recently this award has been won by Troserch Woods in Llangennech, reflecting the hard work the volunteers of the local woodland society have put in, creating a wildlife haven and an amenity area full of trails and riverside walks for all to enjoy.

Bridge crossing the Morlais in Troserch Woods.

Slightly off the beaten track, Troserch Woods now lies quietly and peacefully in its rural landscape, side-stepped and almost forgotten in a busy world. Yet along its pathways, between the stands of oaks and conifers, lies evidence that previously the Wood may have been a busier part of the locality than it is today.

The Round-house under construction, now a central part of the wood.

Quarried cliffs overgrown with trees line the river and everywhere the hillsides are scarred with man's frantic search for an elusive fortune in coal.  The ruins of buildings, some only a pile of rubble covered in ivy are visible on either side of the valley and in autumn when the undergrowth subsides, wagon trails appear that cross and recross the river numerous times on their journey to who knows where?  Helpfully Troserch Woodlands Society have prepared a booklet entitled "A stroll through the history of Troserch Woods" which can be downloaded free and is an excellent accompaniment to a peaceful afternoon walk.

Wales' only remaining bascule bridge.

A Bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or "leaf", throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. Once a fairly common feature, with the demise of high-masted ships the need for bascule bridges diminished and now there are only twenty remaining in the UK, the most famous being Tower Bridge in London.

Bascule Bridge at Carmarthen.

In Wales there is now only one remaining - it carries the Paddington to Fishguard railway across the river Tywi at Carmarthen. Also known as The White Bridge, it was built in 1903 and came down for the last time in 1956.

Although it can clearly be seen from the road bridge that carries the A40 across the Tywi, to allow you to get a closer look there is now a cycle way come pathway that will take you right up to it and from here you can really appreciate its grandeur as well as get an idea of the engineering that made it all work.

Dam and floodgates at old tinplate works, Kidwelly.

The dam and floodgates at old tinplate works, Kidwelly.

There has been a tinplate works on the banks of the Gwendraeth Fach at Kidwelly since 1737, and, after a long and chequered history, the mills finally rolled for the last time in 1941. Before the advent of steam engines, a large waterwheel was used to power the rolling mills,and to give a reliable water supply a dam was built across the river, which is still very much in evidence today.

Gearing for flood gates at tinplate works, Kidwelly.

The difficulty in maintaining this water supply is shown in the complexity of the dam and its flood-gate arrangements and a walk along the path at the top of the dam will still show you the gearing mechanisms that were needed to operate the gates. Historical records show a separate lease for an area of land upstream was needed to allow for the formation of a lake, yet even so their were times when the works were closed in summer for lack of water. The Gwendraeth Fach was also liable to flood and the river is still tidal at this point so a combination of high rainfall and a spring tide could possibly have flooded the works itself.  A few years later however, with the invention of the steam engine, all this engineering became unnecessary.

Today the pool in front of the dam has been re-named Gwenllian Pool, in keeping with the marketing of  present day  Kidwelly. It is a place noted on many angling websites and no doubt also provides an irresistible temptation to the local youngsters on hot days, despite the "No Swimming" signs put up nearby.

An excellent account of the tinplate history of Kidwelly is given here.

Amelia Ernhart memorial in Burry Port.

Burry Port memorial to commemorate Amelia Ernhatr's flight in 1928.

In a square at the centre of Burry Port is this grade II listed memorial, erected to commemorate the day that Amelia Ernhart landed here in June 1928, after her record-breaking, non stop  flight across the Atlantic. The memorial is in its own iron-fenced flower garden and the top is adorned with an iron-work portrayal the seaplane "Friendship" that had brought her safely across.

Amelia was already a world-wide celebrity and very soon the world's press descended on Burry Port to cover the story. For one advantageous moment in time, Burry Port was on the world stage and there were many around the town who wanted that moment to last for as long as possible. Even today the story is still part of Burry Port's folk law, and in 2003 to mark the 75th anniversary of Amelia's triumph, an engraved commemorative stone was erected in the newly-restored harbour area.

Commemorative plaque near Burry Port harbour.

With all the publicity and the memorials you could be forgiven for believing that Amelia Ernhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and landed her plane here in 1928. She was however, only a passenger on the plane, or perhaps cabin crew serving drinks and selling the duty-free, or even to use her own description— “like a sack of potatoes.” The pilot was Wilmur Stultz and co-pilot was Louis Gordon and between them they did all the flying. But Burry Port and the press weren't interested in their exploits, it was Amelia who was the star of the show. Perhaps an example of that old adage: Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story.

We can take nothing away from Amelia Ernhart however, as she was an adventurer and a heroine in the truest sense of the word. A few years later she did become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic but she landed in Ireland. She died in 1937 in an attempt to circumnavigate the globe. 

Pontnewydd bridges and Mining Heritage Trail, near Trimsaran.

Pntnewydd Raod Bridge, near Trimsarn.

Pontnewydd near Trimsaran is a tiny Welsh hamlet of just a few homes, yet there are so many bridges here that it seems like a miniature spaghetti junction. Coming from Trimsaran you first approach a road bridge crossing the Gwendraeth Fawr river, which although it is very low to the river it is long enough to have its own road bend.

Road bridge crossing the old Kidwelly and Llanelly Canal at Pontnewydd.

A few yards further on you will come to a brick and steel bridge, which would seem to be the road crossing the remains of the old Kidwelly & Llanelly Canal.



 

Old Burryport and Gwendraeth Valley railway Bridge.

You can park a car on the roadside after the bridge above, and walk eastwards along a footpath which was the route of the old Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley railway line. Shortly you will arrive at two more bridges. The one you are walking on would presumably be, (but I could be wrong), the old railway line crossing the Gwendraeth Fawr river.

Old Kidwelly and Llanelly canal aqueduct.

Looking right from this bridge you will see the other bridge, which you can get to if you have a mind to hack through a bit of undergrowth, this is an old aqueduct which would have taken the old Kidwelly & Llanelly Canal across the Gwendraeth Fawr as well. All in all very confusing but also a tribute to the entrepreneurial spirit of the early 19th century.

After you've worked everything out you can continue eastwards along the old railway route, the footpath is called the Miners Heritage Trail,  or you can follow the trail in the other direction where you will be able to walk alongside what is still left of the old canal. And when you get home you will still be confused about what is on what level.

The Pilgrims Graves at St Michael's Church.

The pilgrim trail though Carmarthenshire and on to St. David's passes an old farmhouse on the banks of the river Cywyn below St. Clears, appropriately known as "Pilgrim's Rest". Fording the river would lead to the graveyard of the now ruined church of St. Michael's and to six, twelfth  century graves, reputedly belonging to travelers whose pilgrimage ended here, perhaps trying to cross the flooded river, and these are now evocatively known as the Pilgrim's Graves.

The Pilgrims Graves at St Michael's Church, near St. Clears.

The ruined church of St. Michael.

 St. Michael's church, Llanfihangel abercywyn, was abandoned in 1848 when it became isolated by the new A40 trunk road to St. Clears. A new St. Michael's church was then built 2 miles further north, alongside the new road. The original church however, is very old and was associated with the twelfth century Motte and Bailey castle that once stood nearby. The graves are likewise very old and are covered with early christian carvings and motifs. Although very important in their own right, it is now generally believed that the graves belonged to the great and good of the Norman castle rather than the more romantic notion of a tragedy on the pilgrim trail.

As a footnote, according to local tradition, should the graveyard ever be neglected, the parish would be visited by a plague of snakes. On a recent visit the graveyard was nicely trimmed so the parish should be OK for a while yet.

Black Mountain Lime Quarry.

Lime was an important product in agricultural Carmarthenshire - primarily to spread over farmland in the absence of modern day chemicals and fertilizers. The importance of lime has now diminished along with the industry that produced it, but if you want an idea of how substantial that industry was in its day, then a visit to the Black Mountain Lime Quarries will enlighten you.

A lime kiln and part of the Black Mountain Quarry complex.

Part of quarry machinery, with a view over Carmarthenshire.

To visit the quarry, also known as Herbert's Quarry, there are convenient car-parks near the summit of the road across the Black Mountain from Llangadog to Brynamman, and from there a short walk will take you to the old quarry workings - the extent of which will take your breathe away, as will the stunning panoramic views over Carmarthenshire.


 

Restored Lime kiln.

There has recently been an historical restoration of the site under the auspices of the CALCH partnership with visitor trails, restored lime kilns and information boards. The project is a credit to them and leaves you wanting to find out more. What can't be restored however are the atrocious working conditions - the noise, chocking dust and acrid smells that would have been a part of daily life here at the quarry in those days gone by.

Strange concrete dome in Pembrey.

A first sighting of this strange, Grade II listed building, nestling in  fields near the Pembrey Racing Circuit, usually prompts the question:
 " What's that then?"  An answer is then usually followed by another question:
 "How do they work then?"




It is in fact a Dome Gunnery Trainer and was erected on the old wartime airfield at Pembrey around 1941. It was used as a simulator to train air gunners in shooting down enemy fighters. The interior was originally whitewashed and lights projected on to the domed roof simulated aircraft lights, while a 'gun' was used to fire a light beam. A fore-runner perhaps of today's computer games.

CADW states:  During World War 2, Pembrey was an active RAF station and was host to the RAF's No 1 Air Gunnery School, training in excess of 3000 air gunners. After the conclusion of the war, its activities relaxed a little and it became an air crew holding unit for crews being de-mobbed.  The Gunnery Dome is sited within the boundaries of the Pembrey Airfield – a World War 2 airfield built in 1937 and active until 1957. 

It is one of only five remaining in the whole country and the only one in Wales. Today it is used to store farm machinery and a place where cows can shelter in bad weather.

Pont Spwdwr or Spudder's Bridge.

Pont Spwdwr or Spudder's Bridge. A view from the new bridge alongside.

With its many parish churches and Norman castles, Carmarthenshire may be considered well blessed with examples of medieval architecture. Outside of these however there are few examples that remain that aren't ruinous. An example that does exist however, is Spudder's bridge on the road between Trimsaran and Kidwelly. It is considered late medieval and was described by Edward Jervoise (1936) as: "by far the most ancient bridge remaining in South Wales".

Spudder's bridge showing the wings added by Thomas Kymer in 1870.

 It is quite easy to miss Spudder's bridge, because, having been replaced by the new road bridge now running alongside, it is beginning to disappear into the undergrowth. But pull over and you will still be able to appreciate its spectacular construction. In all there are 6 pointed arches; 2 crossing the river and the others crossing what would be the flood plain. The "wings" on the bridge were added by Thomas Kymer, of canal building fame, around 1870 although the main part is believed to have been constructed in the 15th century.

Spudder's Bridge viewed from the west.

There is uncertainty over the origin of the name Pont Spwdwr; some believe it has its origin in the name Pant yr Ysbrid Gwyn, the bridge of the White Ghost, referring to a medieval Romeo and Juliet type legend or another explanation is that it is linked to the the Knights Hopitallers with their association with Kidwelly.  Ironically the best view of the bridge today can be had by standing on its replacement, where you can also ponder the question of whether the aesthetics of bridge architecture has made any progress in the last 600 years.

Raby's Furnace, Llanelli.

When the rest of Britain was celebrating Wellington's victory at Waterloo, Alexander Raby

Ruin of Raby's Furnace in Llanelli.

was probably none too pleased. Around 1796, at the start of the Napoleonic War, he moved down from London to purchase an iron foundry near Llanelli, and began a successful business supplying cannonballs, canons and colonnades for the war effort. In 1804 the Cambrian Newspaper stated:   'four furnaces were at work night and day solely confined to the service of the Board of Ordnance'. When the war ended in 1815 however, the orders dried up and the foundry was closed later on that year.

Even so, the foundry is considered to be the birthplace of industrial Llanelli, giving rise to the copper and tinplate industries of later years. The foundry was also responsible for the very first public railway in Britain. So all in all a very important landmark in the history of Llanelli and indeed Carmarthenshire.  It is odd therefore that this Grade II listed building doesn't even warrant a sign to say what it is. Especially as everyone and their granny seems to warrant a blue plaque outside their former homes these days.

The ruin can be visible from the main road if you know where to look, although to actually get to it you will have to clamber down a slippery bank through a gap in the fence, so a decent set of steps  would be welcome as well!

Peace monument on Mynydd Llanfihangel rhos y corn.

The peace monument on Mynydd Llanfihangel rhos y corn.

Almost by definition trig-point pillars are located in some pretty impressive locations, and high above the village of Brechfa,  the pillar erected on  Mynydd Llanfihangel rhos-y-corn is no exception. If you enjoy isolation and the comforts of a far-distant horizon, you will certainly find them here. Alongside the trig-point however, and sharing the panoramic views across the Carmarthenshire countryside is another man-made structure, looking to all the world like an over-sized stone honeypot.

It is designated as a Peace Monument, created by Brian Denman and erected here in 2007. Inside, it has a time capsule placed there by local schoolchildren and around its rim its message has been chiseled in a number of different languages.

Although very few may question its sentiments, there will be those who will question its location - high on a windswept mountain, acting as a windbreak for the resident sheep, rather than in the midst of the urban populace. Opinions must vary, but with its naturally elegant stone structure it does enhance its surroundings and being so high up, like a beacon over Carmarthenshire, it certainly lends a quirky edge to its message. Perhaps rather than ask why here? we should ask why don't more trig point pillars have them as companions?

Mynydd Llangyndeyrn - Stone-age Central.

Pre-historic ring barrow on Mynydd Llangyndeyrn, with trig point in the distance.

Castell Twby standing stone.

If you enjoy the feel-good factor of being among prehistoric stone monuments and sharing a moment in time with our ancient ancestors, then a walk along the limestone outcrop on Mynydd Llangyndeyrn should be on your to-do list. Standing on the mountain top you will be surrounded by ring barrows, round barrows, cairns, standing stones and burial tombs. Indeed as you walk about, any stone placed on top of another would seem to hold a a special significance.

Yet this exuberance of stone building is not the effort of any particular group of ancient ancestors, because the time span from the  neolithic burial tombs, with their huge cap-stones, to the elegant iron-age standing-stone erected nearby, could be as long as 5 millennia. A sobering thought as you stand by the trig point pillar erected by the ordnance survey engineers in the 1930s.

Telpyn Point - Border Country.

Telpyn Point with Worm's Head in the far distance.

Following the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path eastwards from Amroth, or alternatively a short woodland walk from a conveniently-placed lay by, you will reach an unmanned border crossing - a wooden bridge over a small stream that constitutes the border between Carmathenshire and Pembrokeshire.

Keep walking for a short distance and you will reach Telpyn Point and enjoy one of the most spectacular coastal views in all of south Wales. On a clear day the panarama can stretch from Caldey Island to Worm's Head, with Tenby, Saundersfoot and Wiseman's Bridge all thrown in for good measure. It will also be one of your few chances to see cliff dwelling birds in Carmarthenshire.

The unmanned border crossing between Carmathenshire and Pembrokeshire.

The more adventurous can keep walking along the clifftops to Top Castle. This is an Iron-age hill fort built to take advantage of this commanding location and from where, perhaps some time in the dim and distant past, the local residents first stood and watched the sails of Roman ships ominously rounding Worm's Head before sailing up the Burry Estuary to their new-built fort at Loughor.

Cwmdu village.

Driving the back roads around Talley you may chance upon the tiny village of Cwmdu. Cwmdu is one of those places you can't just drive through - you have to stop because it is so unexpectedly pretty.

The village pub in Cwmdu.

It is heartening to see how a bit of care and attention and a coat of paint that isn't white, can make a place stand out among so many similar villages around Carmarthenshire. A place where parked cars look so incongruous, a place crying out for a horse and cart to clippity-clop along the high-street.

Cwmdu village.

Its vibrancy however goes a lot further than a coat of paint, as its local website testifies to a strong community spirit, centered around a village pub that is still open for business - a rarity now in many Carmarthenshire villages and making them all the poorer for it.

Morfa Bychan

Morfa Bychan is a small, secluded bay straddling the coastal path between Amroth and Pendine and owned by the National Trust. There is no habitation and the only vehicle access is down a single-track lane through a narrow wooded valley. Today there is nothing to disturb the natural tranquillity of the area, but in 1944, this sleepy inlet thundered and echoed to the crash of  artillery shells exploding onto its coastline, as the allies practiced for the D-Day landings. The reinforced concrete walls used as targets are still prominent in the valley, complete with their shell damage.

The bay at Morfa Bychan.

 
These concrete walls are not the only man-made structures in Morfa Bychan, as, in the photograph, the more observant of you may notice the pumping station owned by Welsh Water (Dwr Cymru) , discretely constructed to blend seamlessly into the magnificent landscape around it.

Neolithic burial tomb with vies over Pendine Beach.

More appealing however are a series of neolithic burial tombs high on the western slopes above the pumping station with magnificent views over Pendine Beach. It's the sort of place that I would like to spend eternity. In all there are three or four still visible  above the surrounding vegetation but sadly their huge capstones are no longer supported. If you are feeling energetic you can also walk to the hilltop on the opposite side of the bay and find the remains of an iron-age hillfort on the summit.

Tair Carn on the Black Mountain.

A Cairn at Tair Carn Isaf.

Prehistoric Burial Cairns are still much in evidence across the uplands of Carmarthenshire. But if your looking for the best return for your time and effort, then Tair Carn is probably the place to go. There are around 7 separate cairns to visit, all over a relatively small area.  From the road on the south side, a large cairn can be seen on the hilltop, and to reach it there is a gradual path leading up from a car-park. Once there the other cairns can be seen stretching out before you.

 
There are in fact two parts to the Tair Carn complex: Tair Carn Iasf (Lower) with 4 cairns and Tair Can Uchaf (Upper), with a further 3. The two parts are located on separate hilltops and there is a gently rising path leading from one to the other, and if you're lucky you may have dotterel, wheatears or golden plover for company. In all, the journey from the car-park to the furthest cairn and back again is about three miles.

The Trig point at Tair Carn Isaf with Tair Carn Uchaf in the distance.

The reality of a burial cairn is a pile of stones similar to those dumped by fly-tippers in lay-bys and various amenity sites. But being at Tair Carn they take on another dimension. It is hard not to be impressed with the historical ambience of the place and get a sense of the pageantry that must have played out here those many years ago. It was obviously the resting place of choice for the great and good among our early ancestors, and taking in the grandeur of the place and the magnificent views all around you, it is easy to see why.

Llandawke Church or the Church of St. Odoceus

Nestling in a hidden valley, down a side-track off a small country lane on the outskirts of Laugharne, when you finally come across Llandawke Church it is like finding a pearl in an oyster or somebody else's ten pound note on the pavement in front of you. Because somehow, as you enter the churchyard through a small wrought-iron gate,  you weren't expecting to see such a delightful place.

The 13th century church was made redundant many years ago but was saved from dereliction by the charity " Friends of Friendless Churches" plus a band of hard-working local supporters, and the excellent order of the church and grounds is to their credit.

The "elaborately not to say wildly carved" altar

Interesting features include a 14th century effigy of a figure thought to Margaret Marlos, an "elaborately not to say wildly carved" altar, and especially an early christian stone from the 5th/6th century with Ogham and Roman inscriptions - once used as a doorstep but now given pride of place within the church.

An early christian stone from the 5th/6th century with Ogham and Roman inscriptions

More info from "An Inventory of Ancient Monuments" can be found here.

Gwal-y-filiast Burial Chamber

Gwal-y-filiast Burial Chamber or Dolmen, near Llanboidy in Carmarthenshire.

We can all appreciate the antiquity of prehistoric monuments, and can understand their importance in the historical narrative of our country's past. However, sometimes when you visit them, they can be a disappointment. It could be that the location of a site will hold more drama than the monument itself. An ancient cairn will turn out to be the pile of stones left behind after building a nearby wall, a standing stone will have morphed back into the countryside surrounding it, or a bronze-age settlement will only be the discolouration of  grass in a farmer's field . All of which is understandable considering the centuries of wind, rain and human interference that have passed since they was first erected.

Gwal-y-filiast Burial Chamber. .

This is not the case with Gwal-y-filiast. It was built as a burial chamber for some local grandee in our dim and distant past, and today still looks very much like a burial chamber should. No doubt when it was first erected, on a hillside overlooking the river Taf, near Llanboidy, it would have been clearly seen by everybody, up and down the valley. But today it stands deep in a woodland clearing -  defiant like some small-scale Stonehenge.

Although it was built many centuries before the age of King Arthur, it still has all the hallmarks of Arthurian legend. When you  stand there with the sunlight streaming through the leafy canopy, throwing shadows across the clearing, it is all to easy to imagine the clash of swords, or hear the pounding  hoofs of mounted warriors riding along the woodland track towards you.

Paxton's Tower

Paxton's Tower, Carmarthenshire.

Like a beacon overlooking the Tywi Valley, the iconic silhouette of Paxton's Tower is one of Carmarthenshire's most recognisable landmarks. However, built as a vanity project by William Paxton in the early years of the nineteenth century, this impressive neo-gothic structure, which dominates the surrounding countryside, maybe lacks the candour of some of the other historical sites around Carmarthenshire.

When you visit the tower however, any debate as to its historical integrity seems irrelevant, because the reason the tower was built where it is, was to take advantage of the fantastic views up and down the Tywi Valley and this remains as true today as it did those many years ago. Even if you aren't into historical buildings, standing near Paxton's Tower will show you what a wonderful spectacle the Tywi Valley really is.

Pont Felin Gat

The man-made waterfall at the centre of Pont Felin Gat.

 It is a pleasure to visit Pont Felin Gat at any time of year, but it is especially impressive in the spring, when the area is carpeted with a mass of wood anemones, bluebells and other woodland flowers, or in the autumn when the leaves of the beech trees change colour.

An ornamental bridge spanning the stream at Pont Felin Gat.

In a former life Pont Felin Gat was a managed water-scape full of ornamental lakes, bridges and cascading waterfalls. There were cropped grassy banks and closely-trimmed shrubs, all created to impress the pompous and over-dressed visitors,who strolled  through the grounds of Middleton Hall on a sunny afternoon. But, as  with so many landed estates, those days of grandeur are long gone. Without the necessary attention, the paths had all but disappeared, walls had collapsed and many of the contrived water courses had been abandoned.

However becoming part of the National Botanic Garden of Wales has prevented Pont Felin Gat from becoming just another obscure and neglected wilderness. The overgrown woodland has been managed, the area stabilised and walkways created to link and enhance what was left of the original water features. The manicured lawns may have gone but the wildlife has returned, and to many people this is the best of both worlds.