Lovely Llangrannog

Cardiganshire’s prettiest stretch of coast . . .

- Neil McAllister

AN age ago, we had a family holiday in Llangrannog. I remember World Cup Willie, which dates the trip to 1966, but mostly I remember the wonderful beach, dominated by a huge rock.

In the intervening years, we’ve only paid a brief visit to this lovely part of Cardiganshire – Ceredigion, to use its Welsh name.

Time to spend a few days relaxing on the principality’s loveliest stretch of coast.

Arriving from the north, our early start brought us into New Quay just as the harbour side shops were preparing for the day’s visitors.

Spotting my camera, the windsurfing instructor advised us to wait for an hour or so for a bunch of picturesque guides to provide a foreground!

As I wandered amongst boats stranded by the receding tide, Hazel chatted to a newcomer who had made the town his home after moving from Southampton.

“I work from home doing IT,” he told her. “I try to start every day with a walk, as the harbour is lovely at this time of day.”

Even at this early hour, New Quay was becoming busy as people arrived to take boat trips or walk along the huge breakwater, cradling craft from Cardigan Bay storms.

I returned to find Hazel and her friend watching Marc Traynor at work. The tide had left a perfectly flat canvas for this sand artist to shape with his rake.

“This is for Dylan Day,” he told us. “It should take me an hour or so to finish.”

The connection with Wales’s thirstiest poet is commemorated in “Under Milk Wood”, believed by some to be based on New Quay. Hardly a pub in the area doesn’t claim a connection.

Instead of using the main road to Llangrannog, we took the little lanes which meandered between tiny settlements, but few were as mini as Penbontrhydyfothau.