# The beautiful seaside town of Tenby, west Wales



## editor (Sep 12, 2012)

We visited this lovely seaside town a couple of weeks ago and I was blown away by its beauty. I'll be posting up a full photo report shortly, but here's a couple of pics so start with...





Anyone else been to Tenby?


----------



## cesare (Sep 12, 2012)

The beach at Tenby is amazing.


----------



## editor (Sep 12, 2012)

It is indeed. Huge and wide and wonderfully devoid of people when we took a stroll on a breezy September morning. 

Pics soon!


----------



## wayward bob (Sep 12, 2012)

tenby has 4 beaches


----------



## Belushi (Sep 12, 2012)

Used to love visiting as a kid, though it was the posher people who holidayed there; it was the miners holidays in a caravan in Trecco Bay for the likes of us


----------



## Belushi (Sep 12, 2012)

.


----------



## blossie33 (Sep 12, 2012)

Yes, I've been there, it's lovely.
Was last there in the late 90's with my parents, we actually stayed in a caravan on a site near Saundersfoot.
There's some beautiful countryside in the area


----------



## poisondwarf (Sep 12, 2012)

Belushi said:


> Used to love visiting as a kid, though it was the posher people who holidayed there; it was the miners holidays in a caravan in Trecco Bay for the likes of us


 

Shitter's ditch as we liked to call it


----------



## klang (Sep 12, 2012)

went there (walked through) about a month ago. really liked it. beautiful.


----------



## Gavin Bl (Sep 12, 2012)

haven't been for a long time, but it is a really nice town - gone a bit wild at night, IIRC - in the summer at least...they used to say that it was a place for Brummies to holiday, something to do with train connections I think.


----------



## ddraig (Sep 12, 2012)

camped there last weekend! first time i've been in ooooh, 20 yearrrrrs
beaches were amazing and good view from campsite which was only £14 for 2 per night

will get pics off phone


----------



## ddraig (Sep 12, 2012)

pic from other half


----------



## wayward bob (Sep 12, 2012)

were you way up the hill with a tiny toilet full of spiders and determined seagulls ddraig?

eta: not seagulls in the toilet


----------



## Mrs Magpie (Sep 12, 2012)

It's a great place to go in the winter...I spent a lovely week there with a mate in late November some years ago...


----------



## ddraig (Sep 12, 2012)

wayward bob said:


> were you way up the hill with a tiny toilet full of spiders and determined seagulls ddraig?
> 
> eta: not seagulls in the toilet


 oh yup!


----------



## wayward bob (Sep 13, 2012)

tenby seagulls nicked our tea  a whole unopened packet of hotdog sausages


----------



## el-ahrairah (Sep 13, 2012)

looks lovely.  i will go visit sometime


----------



## editor (Sep 13, 2012)

I've just posted up my first batch of photos, from a walk along the beaches.












http://www.urban75.org/blog/a-late-summer-stroll-along-the-splendid-beaches-of-tenby-west-wales/


----------



## ddraig (Sep 13, 2012)

really good photos ed


----------



## davesgcr (Sep 13, 2012)

Many times - a Georgian gem ! - (used to have the virtually last unrefurbished Woolworths) - great place - did you find some of the quality ice creams.)


----------



## Gavin Bl (Sep 14, 2012)

love the pic with the houses from the beach


----------



## s14n (Sep 15, 2012)

I Love Tenby, went there as a kid and stayed in kiln park caravan site, my brother and I crawled through what seemed like natural "tunnels" under gorse bushes to get to the beach every day as we preferred it to the path. The little zoo on top of the rock was still open at that time, quite a sad place really as the animals were in such small cages. 
Been a couple of times since for day trips, and still love the place.


----------



## Plumdaff (Sep 18, 2012)

We went there last week for our first holiday as a family. It is a truly stunning place, pretty much unique in having so many gorgeous beaches walking distance from a town centre. It's a paradise for young children, and we're already planning to go back next year. My favourite thing that we did was a seal safari round Caldey Island in glorious September sunshine, worth it for the views of the Island let alone the abundant wildlife. Oh, and I'll mention the Hope and Anchor on this thread too, best pub in the town, great food and real ales.


----------



## discokermit (Sep 18, 2012)

love it. and caldey island.


----------



## blossie33 (Sep 19, 2012)

The artist Augustus John was born in Tenby.
There is a lovely little museum with some of his work and that of his sister Gwen John I remember visiting, can't remember exactly where it is but it's on a hilly bit overlooking the beach.


----------



## 8ball (Sep 19, 2012)

Very cute place - just a few miles from where I grew up.  Was an isolated fishing town for a long time and developed its own slang among the fishermen - my Dad can speak it but it's impenetrable to me.

Place would have been rammed a month ago.


----------



## ddraig (Sep 19, 2012)

rammed the other day!
http://ironmanwales.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-14871111


----------



## William of Walworth (Oct 18, 2012)

Likely to be rammed again imminently, the weather prospects for this coming weekend and early next week look very unWestWales like ie GOOD! 

We went to Tenby early last November in a similarly unseasonal spell. LOVED the place  -- and our guest and mate Eva Luna (once a regular on here) was well impressed too ...


----------



## spacemonkey (Oct 22, 2012)

Spent a summer down there when I was 18. There was this big old hotel right next to the old wall that was due for demolition. The owner let a bunch of us live there for a few months. Amazing place.


----------



## mattie (Oct 22, 2012)

We go there 2 or 3 times a year, always out of season.  The Pembrokeshire coast is superb, and Tenby town has a lovely old-world, slightly dilapidated feel that I love.

Shame they're tearing down the old cinema though.

They're looking to develop the old Island fort, btw:
http://tenbyisland.co.uk/?page_id=317


----------



## Stanley Edwards (Oct 22, 2012)

Gavin Bl said:


> ...they used to say that it was a place for Brummies to holiday, something to do with train connections I think.


 
It was road connections back in the days when the motor industry was huge in Birmingham and mass produced cars were becomming more affordable to the masses. The A5 is still littered with very splendid 'road houses' where cars and coaches would pause.

Rail connections existed, but it was the booming motor industry that made places like Tenby, Barmouth, Borth and Aberystwyth popular holiday destinations with Brummies. Previously, they had remained very posh retreats for the priviledged few (along with Welsh spar towns).

They became too popular at peak holiday times. The A5 follows an old Roman route and has long straights followed by blind corners, or blind hills. With traffic jams from over congestion, accidents and notourious drink drive pile-ups after people paused too much at road houses, the resorts became a less attractive proposition to Southern Spain package deals. The weather was a factor also of course.

As a kid I much preferred Barmouth and Borth. Often used to bunk off college and take a day trip when I should have been sitting, or studying for A levels also. Good memories.


----------



## dooley (Oct 22, 2012)

why does this thread title remind me of a HMHB song?!


----------



## Stanley Edwards (Oct 22, 2012)

Stanley Edwards said:


> ...The A5 is still littered with very splendid 'road houses' where cars and coaches would pause...


 
I doubt it still exists, but the Springfield Arms on the junction of the A5 and A49 had the best display of urinals you could ever imagine. Two huge rooms full of very grand ceramics. Somewhere ITRO 50 urinals awaiting the hoards from coaches!

e2a; I'm getting mixed up. Tenby was down the A49.


----------



## Bingo (Jul 7, 2016)

Anyone been here recently? We're off for a few days a week on Monday... looking forward to it!!! Can't wait to have a wander round the old streets, wonder if that ace old bookshop is still there. Also wanna find a few wild places in the countryside nearby if anyone knows of any?

Coming down through mid Wales from Leeds so might stop off somewhere nice on way... maybe Builth Wells?!!?


----------



## planetgeli (Jul 7, 2016)

Bingo said:


> Anyone been here recently? We're off for a few days a week on Monday... looking forward to it!!! Can't wait to have a wander round the old streets, wonder if that ace old bookshop is still there. Also wanna find a few wild places in the countryside nearby if anyone knows of any?
> 
> Coming down through mid Wales from Leeds so might stop off somewhere nice on way... maybe Builth Wells?!!?



Are you camping? There's a beautiful campsite just outside Builth. 

Not sure what you mean by wild places. 25 miles short of Tenby you have Llansteffan with a (free) castle to die for looking over the sea. Just past Tenby you have the beautiful Manorbier, amazing beach and brilliant walks which ever way (left or right) you go from the beach. And just past Manorbier you have Stackpole and Bosherston, great walking, Bosherston a must. And keep going 2-3 miles past Bosherston and you come to the army firing range (er...) and St Govans chapel built into the cliff face, lovely cliff top walking. Tbh, there's a million great walks around Pembrokeshire but all those places are easily accessible from Tenby.


----------



## Bingo (Jul 7, 2016)

Staying in a guesthouse in Tenby. We're both into natural history so anything out of the way with cool flowers birds etc really.

Yeah I think I walked that way you mentioned last time, about ten years ago, remember a firing range. Think we had to get a taxi back!


----------



## planetgeli (Jul 7, 2016)

Home - Quayside lawrenny

You won't find a better place to eat lunch than here. It's address is Lawrenny, Tenby but don't be fooled, it's a good 15 miles (guessing here) from Tenby and a sat nav is almost essential. I'm absolutely serious about it being the best food in Wales and very affordable.

Natural history has to be Bosherston. 

Tbh, the firing range you remember could have been anywhere in Pembrokeshire. The army basically own Pembrokeshire, the firing range extends for something like 40-50 miles.


----------



## Bingo (Jul 7, 2016)

Wow that does look nice, maybe we can stop there for some grub.

What's in Bosherston?

Ever been as far as that point at Angle?


----------



## editor (Jul 7, 2016)

This is definitely worth a visit












A walk around the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Towy Valley, Carmarthenshire


----------



## planetgeli (Jul 7, 2016)

Bingo said:


> Wow that does look nice, maybe we can stop there for some grub.
> 
> What's in Bosherston?
> 
> Ever been as far as that point at Angle?



Bosherston you can probably Google. Lily pad ponds, lots of natural history. I was going to recommend the Botanical Gardens too that Editor has said but I thought it might be too commercial as you said wild.

Yeah, Angle is a weird one. It's usually empty because of its location, you look out on the beach and it's stunning - then you turn around and Milford Haven Oil Refinery is in your face. For the effort in getting there, Manorbier, with similar scenery minus oil refinery, beats it hands down.


----------



## Plumdaff (Jul 7, 2016)

Bingo said:


> Wow that does look nice, maybe we can stop there for some grub.
> 
> What's in Bosherston?
> 
> Ever been as far as that point at Angle?



Bosherston, Pembrokeshire | Lily ponds, lakes and accommodation

The walk around the lily ponds to Broad Haven South (one of my favourite Pemb beaches) is a glorious one. Nearby on the Stackpole Estate is Barafundle Bay, considered one of the finest beaches in the country and only accessible by foot. Outside the school holidays, you're often fairly alone on it.


----------



## davesgcr (Jul 9, 2016)

Tenby used to have an original Woolworths , very nice place where back in the day the Chapel outings went there


----------



## fucthest8 (Jun 3, 2018)

Not entirely sure what the rules are about bumping old threads but I don't fucking care. Starting a new one for my holiday pics has to be more cunty. Anyway, first visit to Tenby and on the most beautiful day of the year. Blinding. Lovely place, lovely people everywhere


----------



## fucthest8 (Jun 3, 2018)

FUCKING LOOK AT IT. I love Britain.


----------



## planetgeli (Jun 3, 2018)

fucthest8 said:


> FUCKING LOOK AT IT. I love Britain.



I live just down the road (but in Carmarthenshire). There are a few similar beaches. Pendine, where they do land speed record stuff (and you can drive a car on, though I'm not sure that's a good thing). Pembrey. Burry Port (which is a shite 'seaside' town but has even more beach than Tenby to die for, and is always empty). I love Wales. And Britain.


----------



## fucthest8 (Jun 3, 2018)

planetgeli said:


> I live just down the road (but in Carmarthenshire). There are a few similar beaches. Pendine, where they do land speed record stuff (and you can drive a car on, though I'm not sure that's a good thing). Pembrey. Burry Port (which is a shite 'seaside' town but has even more beach than Tenby to die for, and is always empty). I love Wales. And Britain.



There's loads, that's for sure. Just never been to Tenby before. Followed it with a visit to Wiseman's Bridge where two "local" loons got chatting to us. It was mental. She was actually local, he was as camp as a row of pink tents full of gay men on a Trade reunion weekend. They're married. Brilliant.


----------



## farmerbarleymow (Jun 4, 2018)

My parents took us on holiday in that area around 1980, staying in an awful chalet type thing with a lot of flies.  I remember the beach at Tenby, but otherwise my recollection is fairly hazy.  I do remember a tunnel cutting through a headland that you could walk through - not sure if that is in Tenby or somewhere else.  

I do remember my parents having an almighty row over my mam's map reading abilities, or lack thereof, as my dad got hopelessly lost on the backroads in the area trying to find the place we were staying at.


----------



## fucthest8 (Jun 4, 2018)

farmerbarleymow said:


> My parents took us on holiday in that area around 1980, staying in an awful chalet type thing with a lot of flies.  I remember the beach at Tenby, but otherwise my recollection is fairly hazy.  I do remember a tunnel cutting through a headland that you could walk through - not sure if that is in Tenby or somewhere else.
> 
> I do remember my parents having an almighty row over my mam's map reading abilities, or lack thereof, as my dad got hopelessly lost on the backroads in the area trying to find the place we were staying at.



Sounds like most of my childhood holidays  

That tunnel is between Wiseman's Bridge and Saundersfoot, as I was told just last night by the local loons.


----------



## existentialist (Jun 4, 2018)

fucthest8 said:


> Sounds like most of my childhood holidays
> 
> That tunnel is between Wiseman's Bridge and Saundersfoot, as I was told just last night by the local loons.


It was for an old tramway, taking coal from the mine at Stepaside down to Saundersfoot Harbour


----------



## blossie33 (Jun 4, 2018)

I love that part of Wales, stayed in Saundersfoot and Cresswell Quay and Solva - visited various places in the area, lovely.
Can't remember some of the names now - where's that place where there's the little Augustus John museum?
First time I drove a car was on Pendine Sands - my uncle let me have a go (still never learnt to drive though  )


----------



## existentialist (Jun 4, 2018)

Pembrokeshire is quite fascinating if you're interested in industrial archaeology. I'm only mildly interested, but there are little ports all around the coast that were, in the early days of the Industrial Revolution, actually quite major sites for export. Solva Harbour was one of the best harbours for this part of the coast, and sports limestone kilns for slaking lime for use in the ironmaking process; there was a lot of coal mining along the shores of the Cleddau (and, as at Landshipping, scene of a mining disaster when the Cleddau ended up in the mine), sometimes under it; between Saundersfoot and Stepaside is Pleasant Valley, which is most pleasant, but also the site of an early 19th century ironworks, etc., etc.


----------



## Gromit (Jun 4, 2018)

fucthest8 said:


> Not entirely sure what the rules are about bumping old threads but I don't fucking care. Starting a new one for my holiday pics has to be more cunty. Anyway, first visit to Tenby and on the most beautiful day of the year. Blinding. Lovely place, lovely people everywhere
> 
> View attachment 137108 View attachment 137109


That top pic brings back memories. 

As a child my folks and I would sail our yacht from Cardiff to Tenby and moor just off the beach just as in that pic. 

Spent many a time chasing hermit crabs around that beach. 

Once whilst moored there a force four gale hit. I slept through it whilst my parents were shitting themselves in fear. I obviously had no idea of the danger.


----------



## Gromit (Jun 5, 2018)

Old Welsh joke...

How do you get to Tenby?



Spoiler



Oneby
Twoby
Threeby
Fourby
Fiveby
Sixby
Sevenby
Eightby
Nineby
Tenby!

Ta!Da!


----------



## blossie33 (Jun 5, 2018)




----------

