Outings...

Wales

Mountains, castles, forests, history, romance & lovely friendly people - Wales has got it all, and lots of weather too... And it's all on a manageable scale. Please let me know of any free or good value outings you find...

In the meantime, here's the list so far...

•     From Alli Maskell: "Pembrey Country Park is a good value day out - pay for parking (about £5.50 in high season) but you can spend the whole day - Take a picnic and stay all day fantastic beaches , walks - train ride and ice creams extra of course - also a toboggan run where you can ride 3 rides for £3 - under 8's have to ride with an adult but go free !
  Llanstephan Castle is free - quite a walk up hill from the beach but the views are amazing - beach there lovely too - just watch the speed at which the water flows in and out - but wonderfully clear for paddling and jumping the waves. There is a small playpark by the beach too.
  Folly Farm (just off main road from Tenby to Carmarthen) excellant value for large families - I have four children and for the six of us entrance was about £25 ! Animals to see and feed, loads of play park areas - again only extras are ice creams and old fashioned fairground rides."

•     Deborah Renney recommends "A really good free day out in Wales is Big Pit National Mining Museum of Wales in Blaenafon (website) - it has lots to look at on top and if you are 5 years old or 1 metre tall you can go on an excellent underground trip into the mine. My boys loved it."

•     From Martin Forde - "Free days out in & around Cardiff: free entry into all Museums of Wales - all you need is a packed lunch & lots of drinks.
  1. Museum of Welsh Life, St Fagans - indoor & outdoor (excellent- lots to see & do)
  2. National Museums of Wales (City centre). Indoor.
  3. The Roman amphitheatre at Caerleon in Gwent & Roman Legionary Museum, Caerleon Gwent - indoor & outdoor (excellent - worth the trip)"

•     Beaches - The Gower peninsular is highly recommended by Geal & Paul Stanfield, & we love the Pembrokeshire coast - it's quite hard to be very far from a beautiful beach in Wales!

•     Castles - Wales is stuffed full of interesting castles, if yours are at the knights & princesses stage; Manorbier Castle in Pembrokeshire is a great favourite of ours, small & intimate with a lovely garden, on the scale that you could really imagine living there. Close to a lovely little beach with streams running onto it for damming etc. but beware, the rocks are very sharp. For lots of castles in varying states of repair within a small area, stay in or around the Brecon Beacons (Llangorse Lake is a very good location with things to do for children of all ages)- this is within easy striking distance of Cardiff, Swansea, the Gower, the Valleys & their heritage, and the Wye valley. Or Llanfairfechan in North Wales, close to all the vast & forbidding castles of the rugged North Wales coast, and the wild beauty of Snowdonia. Laura Porter, who has 3 small children, wholeheartedly recommends a B&B in Llandudno, "Crickleigh Isaf",37,Lloyd Street, Llandudno, Tel:(01492)870271.

•      I am reliably informed by the Carr family (4 boys) that the Centre for Alternative Technology near Machynlleth is a great day out - good value & thought-provoking.

  Check out these sites for more advice :-

  VisitWales.com - the official guide, exhaustive & informative...

  North Wales - lists of things to do & campsites etc. in North Wales.

  Llanfairfechan - official site for Llanfairfechan in N. Wales - if more places had sites like this this would be a whole lot easier!

  The Wilson Clan - good collection of informative links.

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