Heritage Sites to Visit in West Wales

Kidwelly Castle

Kidwelly Castle, an imposing Norman castle now in the care of Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments, is very well-preserved. The Great Gatehouse, completed in 1422, still stands almost to its full height. Walk around the outside of the half-moon shaped outer walls to fully appreciate the dominating position the castle occupies above the town.

Dinefwr Park and Castle

Dinefwr Park and Castle is an important place in the history of Wales and is managed by the National Trust. The 12th century Dinefwr Castle looks out over the 10th century designed landscape which encloses a medieval deer park, home to over 100 fallow deer and to a small herd of White Park Cattle. The Castle also overlooks Newton House whose ground floor and basement are furnished based on the...

Colby Woodland Garden

Colby Woodland Garden is home to one of the best collections of rhododendrons and azaleas in Wales. It is an 8 acre garden set in a tranquil and secluded valley which offers a variety of walks along open and wooded pathways and down to a sandy beach. In addition to the beautiful woodland garden there is a walled garden, a shop, a gallery and a tea room. Check the website...

National Wool Museum

The National Wool Museum is housed in the former Cambrian Mills in the village of Dre-fach Felindre which used to be the centre of a thriving woollen industry. Visit the restored listed mill buildings and see the historic machinery. Families can have fun following the specially designed trail, ‘A Woolly Tale’, and create their own guide to making and using woollen cloth, trying their hand at carding, spinning and sewing...

Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber

Pentre Ifan is the most impressive and most visited megalith in Wales. This ancient Neolithic burial chamber occupies a hilltop site in a beautiful setting with stunning views over Fishguard Bay and the Preseli Mountains. Dating from around 4000 BC it consists of a tilted capstone, weighing 16 tons, perched on three uprights which together are the remains of a dolmen type chambered tomb which would have been used for...

St Davids Cathedral

St Davids is a beautiful 12th century cathedral set in Britain’s smallest city. It is built on the site of the monastery founded by Dewi Sant (St David), the patron saint of Wales. There are guided tours available or you may explore the cathedral by yourself. Check the website for special events and when you visit St Davids Cathedral you may also be able to enjoy a choral service, concert...

Tudor Merchant’s House

Step back in time 500 years to The Tudor Merchant’s House to recreate the atmosphere of family life in Tudor times. Located near the harbour within the historic walled town of Tenby. There are Tudor costumes for children to try on and a collection of toys typical of the Tudor period. There is also a small garden dedicated to plants and herbs used during Tudor times.

Llanerchaeron

An elegant 18th-century Welsh gentry estate built by John Nash which is now in the care of the National Trust. Set in the beautiful Aeron valley with extensive estate and parkland walks. It has many unaltered features including the dairy, laundry, brewery and salting house and a working organic farm and two restored walled gardens. There is a small shop selling local produce and Llanerchaeron farm produce and plants. Visit...

Carmarthen Castle

The castle at Carmarthen, on its rocky eminence overlooking the River Twyi, must have dominated the medieval town just as, a little way to the east, the Roman fort must have dominated the Roman town a thousand years before. The castle was converted into a prison in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the building of the Council offices has also not helped its appreciation as a military entity. However,...

Camera Obscura, Aberystwyth

Ride the Cliff Railway up Constitution Hill in Aberyswyth to reach the Camera Obscura. On a clear day you can see 26 Welsh mountain peaks including Snowdon, whilst the view of Cardigan Bay from the Llyn Peninsula to Strumble head extends for 60 miles. The Aberystwyth Electric Cliff Railway is the longest in Britain and the only one in Wales. Its 778 feet undulating track and tilted carriages opened in...