Visit Swansea Bay

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swansea bay Mumbles, Gower, Afan and The Vale of Neath

Inside: Swansea 48 hours in swansea Beaches, parks and gardens outdoor oscars Adrenalin sports on the waterfront For families live life

2009 05 | Mumbles

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It’s not that far from Swansea Bay to Hollywood. Locals Catherine Zeta Jones, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Richard Burton all made the big time there. And now they’re laying out the red carpet for our most recent superstar, Michael Sheen, photographed above at Margam Park.

He hasn’t forgotten his roots. He regularly returns to Port Talbot, where his mother and father live. ‘It was a good place to grow up and although nowadays I have Santa Monica beach and the Pacific on my “doorstep”, my first love is the sea I grew up with,’ says Michael. ‘During my return visits home, I enjoy walking along Aberavon Beach with its wonderful views, especially the setting of the sun in the west across Swansea Bay.’ Look out for Michael starring as David Frost in the new Frost/Nixon movie during 2009, based on the award-winning London and Broadway stage play. His other starring roles due for cinema release are Lucian in Underworld – The Rise of The Lycans and Brian Clough in The Damned United.

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16 20 welcome/croeso You mightn’t have visited us before. But you probably have an image of Swansea Bay and its surroundings.

It may include a bit of water, a grain or two of sand, the usual cityscape and not much else.

Here’s the real picture. Wales’s waterfront city has a modern maritime spirit and buzzy arts, foodie and shopping scene.

It’s next door to big (and small) sandy bays and beaches. And it all comes neatly packaged. From Swansea’s sophisticated Maritime Quarter it’s just a short hop to Gower’s inspirational ‘land’s end’. Go the other way and you’ll soon get lost amongst woods, waterfalls, hills and valleys.

Just imagine that.

Inside information: 02 Swansea 06 Going green 08 Beaches, parks and gardens 10 Waterfront activities 12 Adrenalin sports 13 Real food 14 Walking and golf 16 Arts and culture 18 For families 20 Hidden secrets 22 Festivals and events 23 Making plans 24 Travel information 26 Maps 28 Accommodation 40 Attractions and activities 44 Accommodation listing 48 More holiday areas 01 |

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Welsh Italian ice cream. We’re the experts. You can follow an ice cream eating trail around the Bay from Aberavon to Mumbles. But maybe not all in a day

48 hours in swansea We’re not about to give you a strict hour-by-hour diary of things to see and do. Our freewheeling city is not that kind of place. It’s a mix of city and seaside, a touch traditional in some parts, forward looking in others. Not the kind of place you can pin down easily, then. In various guises it has cropped up in books and poems by Dylan Thomas and Kingsley Amis, and TV series by its current ‘most famous son’, writer-of-the-moment Russell T Davies.

So, during your 48 hours, what can you pack in? In no particular order, we’d recommend the following. But if you asked us tomorrow, we’d probably come up with a completely different list…

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Follow in Dylan’s footsteps They’re mighty big boots to fill.

What’s more, he’s back in the news thanks to The Edge of Love, the recent biopic starring Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller and Matthew Rhys. So start at the waterfront Dylan Thomas Centre.

And end up at the ‘miles of yellow coldness going away into the distance of the sea’. That’s Dylan’s take on the vast west-facing beach along the edge of Gower.

Go surfing – sub-tropical and otherwise Chill out in Llangennith, the funky, sandy surf capital of Wales. It’s just as cool – though the temperature’s a bit warmer – at The LC, Swansea’s brand-new leisure complex where you can hang five on the revolutionary indoor BoardRider.

doesn’t stand a chance in this famously fresh, famously traditional food market.

Mooch around the marina We’re proud of our maritime past in Swansea. And what we’ve done to bring it back to life. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, for we were one of the first cities in Britain to redevelop its waterfront. Our Maritime Quarter has heaps of awards for its winning blend of lifestyle and leisure – and we’re not finished yet, for just across the way the exciting new SA1 Waterfront is up and running.

Bike it along the bay Swansea Bay is a delicious slice of seaside, curving all the way from the City Centre to the fashionable resort of Mumbles 5 miles away.

Soak up the salty air and scenery Taste the difference on a bike ride from the Marina to You’ll find Carol Watts at the Gower Mumbles Pier (calling in, as you Cockles stall in Swansea Market. must do, for a cappuccino or Call in for a cup of her fresh cockles. something cooler at one of our It’s a taste of the sea. And while legendary ice cream parlours en you’re at it, stock up on fish, crabs, route). No previous Tour de France bacon, fruit and veg, bread and experience or Yellow Jerseys home-made treats that are as fresh necessary. The traffic-free bike lane as they come. Jet-lagged produce is as flat as a pancake.

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Top: Bodysurfing with a roof over your head at The LC, Swansea Above: Cycling along the Bay – it’s a breeze Right: Swansea’s historic waterfront, reinvented as a stylish marina

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Waterfall country Cascades tumble down the Vale of Neath’s steep-sided woods and deep gorges. Nowhere else in Wales has such amazing waterfalls. And we mean proper falls, the kind you can walk behind. Without getting wet.

Go to Sgw^d yr Eira (‘The Spout of Snow’) and try it.

The right kind of horse power Although just a stone’s throw from the coast, Gower’s country pubs and villages seem remote and rural.

They’re surrounded by farms, fields, hills and moors. And keeping the bracken under control is Griffin the Horse. He’s also in keeping with Gower’s impeccable green credentials.

Salmon and self sufficiency Aberdulais Falls in the Neath Valley confounds all expectations. This pioneering industrial heritage site is a place of great beauty. Salmon and sewin (our name for sea trout) leap upriver through a special fish pass. And Europe’s largest electricity-generating waterwheel makes this unique National Trust property completely self sufficient.

Not to say very, very green.

real green Have you noticed? Everyone’s going green.

We don’t want to boast but we had a head start. When Britain’s first ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ was chosen way back in 1956 they picked the Gower Peninsula. The Afan Forest Park is part of Europe’s largest urban forest (perhaps that’s why it’s known as ‘Little Switzerland’). The Neath Valley is full of woods and waterfalls.

So in addition to all that sand and sea there’s more than a splash of green around.

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07 | Going green

Gower’s wild ponies love their surroundings.

Who wouldn’t? The Peninsula is also home to 67 ancient woodlands and 19 Nature Reserves. Berry Wood near Knelston is a bit of both. Fungi, lichen and fruits of the forest thrive amongst its timeless oaks. Come here in April for springtime flowers, or in October for a feast of mushrooms.

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outdoor oscars

Why are Gower’s beaches always winning awards? You wouldn’t need to ask if you stood on Rhossili’s endless sands. It’s the ‘King of Gower’ according to Country Life magazine, which ranks it amongst Britain’s Top 10 beaches. The Daily Telegraph likes it too, for its ‘regular sightings of basking sharks, grey seals and the odd bottlenose dolphin’.

Oxwich Bay, Port Eynon and ‘Michelinstarred’ Three Cliffs Bay (above) – the latter a big favourite with local girl Katherine Jenkins – also get in on the act.

And we suspect that Catherine Zeta-Jones is often homesick for Swansea Bay’s wide, open spaces and salty tang. Catherine and Katherine have lots to choose from.

08 | Beaches, parks and gardens

The sandcastles start just across the road from the City Centre and, give or take a headland or two, run all the way to the tip of Gower.

There are 50-odd bays, coves and beaches on Gower, so finding your own personal space is never a problem, even in summer. You won’t be bothered by tacky funfairs either.

We don’t go in for that sort of thing here (the nearest we get is the charming old pier at Mumbles, where you might be able to buy some candyfloss to go with your cappuccino).

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Our green spaces are award winners too. Swansea has always been a green city. It’s a way of life for us.

And, just to prove it, the Green Flag – the highest accolade for parks and gardens – flies over three gorgeous city oases: Victoria Park, Clyne Gardens and Singleton Botanical Gardens (below right).

Further afield, Margam Country Park (above right) and Neath’s Gnoll Estate also demonstrate how nature and nurture can work so well together.

09 | Beaches, parks and gardens

Award-winners For beaches that have won the Blue Flag, Seaside (like lovely Langland above) and Green Coast Awards please see the map on pages 26/27. The various schemes might use different criteria but they all add up to top quality.

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Surf’s up Want to get in touch with Gower’s surfing lore? Then go along to PJ’s ‘sand-on-the-floor’ Surfshop in Llangennith. It’s legendary. PJ – aka Peter John Jones – is Wales’s original Beach Boy. He started surfing in the 1960s. ‘How lovely it was,’ he recalls.

‘There were just 20 or 30 local guys in the water, and milk churns on the road.’ On a busy day Llangennith now

on the waterfront But where do we start? At Swansea’s swish new SA1 (that’s shorthand for our latest marina development)? Or on Gower amongst the dunes and surfing dudes at Llangennith?

That’s the problem. Our waterfront is as fluid as the seas that fringe it. One minute it’s sleek, hip and decidedly 21st century at SA1 and the Maritime Quarter. Then it turns into a perambulation along the Victorian prom and pier at Mumbles.

Across the bay the huge Blue Flag beach at Aberavon comes complete with an aqua splash pool and adventure playground. While along Gower you’ll just have to make do with little beach cafés and big doses of Mother Nature (that’s what comes of being an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty).

What to do along this waterfront? Again, it’s a case of taking your pick. Interact with history at the high-tech National Waterfront Museum. Build sandcastles at Caswell Bay. Go fishing off Mumbles Pier. Pack a picnic at Three Cliffs Bay. Gallop along the beach at Oxwich.

And if the waves and weather aren’t on your side, no worries. Make for Europe’s first indoor surf centre at the new LC leisure complex, Swansea.

Caswell Oct 07 Rhossili Jun 08

07 ach Aug e B n o v a r Abe

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Llangennith May 08

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sees hundreds riding the waves from all over the UK, and beyond. What’s the attraction? ‘It’s west-facing, so it gets the best surf’, explains Peter, ‘and because it’s so big there’s room for everyone. Beginners especially like a lot of space.’

‘I’ve been lucky,’ he admits, ‘I’m making a living out of my passion.’

Far left: Learners welcome: kayaking lesson at Oxwich Bay Left: Watersports of all kinds – including kitesurfing – are a local speciality Below: World-class mountain biking at Afan Forest Park

where’s the action?

Far right: Call in for a chat (and cockles) at Carol Watts’s stall, Swansea Market Right: Pub lunch, Gower – it tastes even better after all that fresh air It depends where you look. There’s an A-Z of adrenalin action on land and sea. Our forests are a maze of mountain-biking trails – not just any old singletracks, but some of the world’s finest. And offshore there’s a sensational surfing and watersports scene.

Action points Get muddy on a mountain bike.

The Afan Forest Park is world-class.

We didn’t say that. Mountain Bike Rider magazine did, when it rated it as ‘one of the top 10 places in the world to ride before you die’.

You don’t have to be a downhill hero at Afan – there are easy trails too. And bike hire.

Not to mention a fantastic café at the Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike Centre.

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Mumbles and Swansea Marina (winner of the prestigious Blue Flag) are perfect havens from which to explore the waters of South and West Wales.

And our speciality in surfing extends to kitesurfing, windsurfing and kitebuggying.

Coasteering, caving and climbing are also on our mixed menu. Try a few activities at an accredited multi-activity centre.

Here’s more from PJ, a former European surfing champion, whose shop is ‘run by surfers for surfers’ (see the previous page). There’s no doubting his favourite surfing beach – Llangennith, of course – but it’s by no means the only one: ‘I caught my first wave in Langland Bay. But there’s also Broughton, the southern end of Rhossili, Horton and Caswell Bay.’ visitswanseabay.com

miles better Food doesn’t travel well. It’s best eaten fresh, slow and local. We know this from experience. Long before provenance and local produce became the Next Big Thing, stallholders in Swansea’s traditional covered market were selling Gower vegetables and cockles, fish and crabs from Swansea Bay and home-baked goodies like welshcakes and bara brith.

Local foodie, writer and broadcaster Colin Pressdee reckons that he still sees ‘many of the same faces, characters and stalls that I knew 20 or 30 years ago’ when he visits our fabulous fresh foods market.

There’s a tasty foodie scene everywhere, from Gower’s country pubs and hotels to Swansea Bay’s bistros and restaurants (you’re especially spoilt for choice in Mumbles). Not forgetting lots of local produce and farmers’ markets at Swansea, Mumbles, Penclawdd, Llangennith and Pontarddulais (visitswanseabay.com/markets).

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Carol’s cockles Carol Watts has been here for over 30 years. ‘I started in the market as a little girl working for my parents and grandparents,’ she recalls. ‘I had to stand on a stool to be seen.’

Nowadays you can’t miss her. She runs one of the famous seafood stalls in the centre of the market. Her best sellers are cockles and laverbread from nearby Penclawdd. ‘People walk around the market with their cup of cockles. It’s a tradition in Swansea,’ she says. ‘And they like to chat – you don’t get that in the big stores.’

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We don’t really need to tell you that walking is another of our specialities. Just look at the forests and sea cliffs, bays and vales that fill our map. But you mightn’t be aware of the sheer diversity you’ll find underfoot for families and footsloggers. So here are a few entries from our walking blog.

Rhossili blew the cobwebs away The ultimate Big Experience walk. The RSPB Coastal Trail starts on a high – the cliff-backed shoulder of land overlooking a vast beach. Hang gliders like it here. So do oystercatchers, cormorants, kestrels and diving gannets. You set off towards Worm’s Head – that strange, spindly high-tide island – before heading inland across Rhossili Down and back home. It’s only 6 miles, but with such spectacular views you wouldn’t want to rush it. Bring binoculars and camera.

a small valley then climb through woods of birch, oak, ash and alder.

What a Way! The Gower Way tracks across the Peninsula for 35 miles. You don’t have to do it all. Choose whatever suits (there are handy marker stones every kilometre or so). And it’s split into three sections. So take your pick. And have a picnic at Arthur’s Stone (below) – the prehistoric tomb with a view – en route.

Take your breath away. If the gradient doesn’t, then the views from Gower’s coastal walks will.

We went down to the woods today To Afan Forest Park, to be precise. It’s unbelievable to think that this place was once a hive of industry. The 31/2 mile Argoed Walk is one of many waymarked paths through this lovely woodland. Mossy trails weave along

We caught the bus. Why not? It makes sense in more ways than one – go Walking by Bus. The awardwinning Gower Explorer service is green and convenient – just perfect for walkers (visitswanseabay.com/ walkingbybus).

Okay, we lost the last one. But the Ryder Cup is certainly putting Welsh golf on the world map. It comes to Wales in 2010, but already we’re feeling the benefits. Morriston Golf Club, a friendly parkland course in a tranquil location that challenges all handicaps, is typical of the great golf on offer in Wales. Michael Douglas has done the rounds – he’s played here with Catherine Zeta-Jones’s father (visitswanseabay.com/golf).

boots and blogs

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Pictures from an exhibition Some snapshots from our museums and galleries: • Monet and Pissarro make an appearance alongside exquisite Swansea china at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea • Indiana Jones would approve of the fossils and Egyptian mummies at Swansea Museum, Wales’s oldest museum • And the newest is the sleek National Waterfront Museum, where high-tech meets industrial heritage • The diversity of Britain’s old Empire is captured on canvas by the vast and vibrant Brangwyn Hall Panels, Swansea

dylan and the doctor Dylan Thomas and Swansea go together like Shakespeare and Stratford. Born and brought up overlooking Swansea Bay’s ‘long and splendidly curving shore’, he used his home patch as a canvas.

Childhood memories of Cwmdonkin Park, pubs in Mumbles, the savage, seductive beauty of Gower… these and other locations all crop up in his poems and stories.

The little theatre company where he trod the boards (he liked his acting too) is still going strong.

They stage his masterwork, Under Milk Wood, during our annual Dylan Thomas Festival (27 October-9 November). Call into the nearby Dylan Thomas Centre and you can hear recordings by Richard Burton.

And see the largest collection of Dylan memorabilia in the world.

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• Coalmining lives on at the South Wales Miners’ Museum, Afan Forest Park

Burton was a big fan. A new generation has been introduced to Dylan’s work through The Edge of Love, the recent film based on an episode from his life.

Thanks to writer Russell T Davies, Doctor Who is also wowing new audiences. Russell, Swansea’s current writing wunderkind, has breathed new life into the series.

And, in homage to his hometown, Plantasia in the City Centre has become Planet Messaline.

Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall and Gower have also seen visitations from the Time Lord.

Theatre plays an active role in our rich cultural mix. The grandest of all is… The Grand, a magnificent Victorian theatre that stages everything from opera to ballet, comedy to drama. visitswanseabay.com

live life We know what it’s like. Today’s families are rushed off their feet.

One of the great things about holidays is the chance to catch up and enjoy quality time. All together, as a family. It might be something as simple as building a sandcastle. Our pristine, picture-perfect beaches are, well… just perfect for that. Or you may want to stretch your legs or reach for the skies. If so, the new Go Ape! high-wire forest adventure at Margam Park will bring out the Tarzan(s) in you.

Five fun family experiences 1 Splash around at The LC, Swansea’s amazing new leisure complex. It has waterslides, a wave pool, ‘Lazy River’, ‘Master Blaster’ – even indoor surfing. Bet you didn’t know there were so many ways of getting wet?

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2 Watch puppets or throw pots at the Gower Heritage Centre, beautifully located at a medieval working corn mill. Lots of fun activities, with a family-friendly programme of events.

3 Go all Amazonian in Swansea City Centre.

Plantasia is a giant computer-controlled tropical hothouse with monkeys, banana and pineapple plants. Choose your climate: there are arid and humid zones too.

Guaranteed to please keen botanists and bored teenagers.

4 You will like to be beside the seaside at Aberavon, home of the all-action Aquadome. Kids can make for the water rides while Mum relaxes in the bubbling spa pool. And you simply must walk along Mumbles Pier.

It’s compulsory.

5 Press buttons at the National Waterfront Museum. It’s brimming with IT. It’s all about our industrial past.

It’s interactive. It’s an experience. It’s unlike any museum you’ve ever visited.

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sssh… it’s a secret

No one goes to north Gower. Actually, that’s not true.

What we mean to say is that south Gower’s sunny, sandy bays capture all the limelight. If you don’t venture north you’re missing out on one of Wales’s most atmospheric, alluring landscapes.

Stand amongst the 14th-century ruins of Weobley Castle on a crisp spring or misty autumn day and you’ll know what we mean. Weobley overlooks the eerie – almost unearthly – expanse of Llanrhidian Marsh, a stretch of saltmarsh grazed by sheep and cattle. Just around the corner there’s timeless Penclawdd, still making a living from the cockle beds in the low-tide saltings.

Giving away some other secrets Bypassed and forgotten, 12th-century Neath Abbey was once the ‘fairest in all Wales’. Wander the ruins and capture the former grandeur of a ghostly site – once used for copper smelting – that links religion to the Industrial Revolution.

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Once a major artery, now a tranquil waterway.

See more of the Vale of Neath’s feverish, fascinating industrial past – and the way in which beauty has returned – on a boat trip along the Neath and Tennant Canal.

Even Mumbles has its secrets. We all know about the pier, boats and cheery seaside ambience. But did you know that it’s also full of arty, crafty shops and galleries, trendy boutiques, bistros and Welsh-Italian cafés with coffee, cakes and ice cream to die for? And an amazingly well-preserved medieval castle, tucked away on the hill above the waterfront?

Okay, this isn’t top secret. But we think you’ll be surprised by what’s happening in Swansea’s City Centre. Like the waterfront, it’s receiving a major makeover with new shops and hotels. But don’t worry – our famously traditional indoor market and those small independent stores that give Swansea so much character aren’t about to be swept away. visitswanseabay.com

Above: Drifting along the Neath and Tennant Canal Middle: Weobley Castle, alone on Gower’s haunting north coast Right: Mumbles is an arty little seaside town

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making plans festivals and events diary We like to enjoy ourselves. And share what we have with others.

Here’s a run-down of some of the many things happening throughout the year. We’re always adding more. For the latest news please go to: visitswanseabay.com/events

January BBC NOW New Year’s Gala Concert (1st) Abertawe Festival for Young Musicians (22nd-27th) Russian Classical Ballet, ‘Coppelia’ (25th) and ‘Swan Lake’ (26th) Wales International Open Indoor Bowls (31st-6th Feb)

February Wales National Indoor Bowls Championship (2nd) Verdi’s ‘Aida’ (23rd) Bizet's ‘Carmen’ (24th)

March St David’s Day Celebrations (1st) Swansea Gospel Male Voice Choir (7th) Welsh Brass Band Championships (14th-15th)

April Welsh National Opera presents ‘The Elixir of Love’, ‘Salome’, and ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ (7th-11th) Morriston Orpheus Choir Annual Concert (11th)

May

September

Clyne in Bloom Come on in, the garden’s lovely.

Colourful azaleas and rhododendrons vie for your attention in a month long festival of flowers. And what could be better on a sleepy Sunday than a rousing brass band?

Admiral Mumbles Mostly Jazz and Blues Festival (1st-4th) Swansea Bay Film Festival (30th-6th Jun) Mumbles Navy Days

Neath September Fair (10th-12th) Bluegrass Festival (12th) ‘Regenerations’ Dr Who Convention (19th-20th) Admiral Swansea Bay 10k XTERRA UK Triathlon

June Gower Walking Festival (6th-21st) Escape into the Park (6th) South Wales Boat Show (12th-14th) Gower Folk Festival (12th-14th) National Transport Festival of Wales (20th-21st)

July Sea Swansea Festival Margam Festival (1st-31st) Gower Festival (18th-31st) Gower Rock Festival (18th)

October Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts (3rd-17th) Celebrating over 60 years of quality artistic programming in one Festival experience – this year including the Gabrieli Consort, St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Welsh National Opera and Dame Emma Kirkby.

Dunvant Male Choir Annual Concert (25th) Dylan Thomas Festival (27th-9th Nov)

On the previous pages we’ve hopefully given you plenty of ideas about what to see and do. So let’s get down to the nitty gritty.

Your first stop – for first-class information For help in planning your stay, contact our Tourist Information Centre.

Staff will assist with: • choosing and booking your accommodation (both locally and nationwide) • advice on how to get here and route planning • more information on places to visit, where to eat and local events And when you get here please pop in. We stock a wide range of books, maps, local souvenirs and gifts. Plus specialist guides including visitor and Ordnance Survey maps, walking guides, Dylan Thomas books and audio CDs. For a full list of saleable items please contact us or go to visitswanseabay.com/tic

November

Other Tourist Information Centres Mumbles 01792 361302 info@mumblestic.co.uk Open all year Aberdulais 01639 636674 aberdulaistic@nationaltrust. org.uk Open all year (weekdays only November-March) Ask for a free guide to our Attractions and Activities. They’re full of detailed information on what to see and do. Please call 01792 468321. Or order your copy from visitswanseabay.com – our website is also updated daily with news, offers and events.

‘Sparks in the Dark’ Fireworks Display (5th)

August Botanics in Bloom (1st-31st) Gower Show (2nd) Pontardawe Festival (21st-23rd) Swansea Bay Beer Festival (27th-29th) Outdoor Shakespeare at Oystermouth Castle World Party Weekend

Tourist Information Centre Plymouth Street Swansea SA1 3QG 01792 468321 01792 464602 tourism@swansea.gov.uk visitswanseabay.com Open all year

December Wales Rally GB Christmas in Swansea and Waterfront Winterland Craft and continental markets, concerts, Santa’s Parade, Christmas lights and Winterland’s big (and we mean really big) ferris wheel, ice skating (the proper cold stuff) and festive funfair.

Many of our operators are members of Tourism Swansea Bay, an association that works with the tourism industry to enhance the visitor experience.

Some events are still being finalised, but we have given dates where possible.

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travel information

By train Frequent trains run direct from London Paddington, Bristol, Manchester and Cardiff to the Swansea Bay area. There are also good connections from North-East, South and South-West England. For travellers arriving by air, there are fast rail/air links to Swansea Bay from London (Gatwick and Heathrow), Bristol and Cardiff International Airports. The scenic Heart of Wales line also runs direct to Swansea.

National Rail enquiries: 08457 484950 www.nationalrail.co.uk Heart of Wales line: www.heart-of-wales.co.uk By coach Express coaches run direct to Swansea Bay from Central London, Gatwick and Heathrow Airports; West and South Yorkshire; the West Midlands; and Cardiff.

National Express enquiry line: 08705 808080 www.nationalexpress.com

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By car The M4 motorway brings you directly to Swansea Bay from London and the South-East. The M6, M5, M42 and M50 link the area with the Midlands and the NorthWest, North-East and South-West of England.

By air Cardiff International Airport with its scheduled flights from many major European destinations is under an hour’s journey from Swansea Bay. Cardiff International Airport: 01446 711111 www.cardiffairportonline.com By sea Sailings operate between Rosslare and Fishguard or Pembroke Dock, both a 90-minute road journey away from Swansea Bay. Irish Ferries (Pembroke): 08705 171717 www.irishferries.com Stena Line (Fishguard): 08705 707070 www.stenaline.co.uk

Freedom of Wales Flexi Pass This offers unlimited travel on all train and most bus services in Wales, plus discounted admission to many of Wales’s tourist attractions and accommodation at Youth Hostels. Freedom of South Wales Flexi Rover tickets are also available.

0845 6061660 www.walesflexipass.co.uk Travelling around Swansea Bay Helicopters and personal jets aside, you’ll probably be travelling to Swansea Bay by car, train or coach.

We can take over from there, thanks to our super-convenient local bus services. Coming into Swansea for a day, for example, you can use one of three ‘park & ride’ sites to get to the City. They’re easy to use – and cheaper than city-centre parking.

Our buses will take you almost everywhere. The walks, waterfalls and hidden wonders in the valleys of Neath Port Talbot are easily reached by bus. Gower’s splendid beaches, coastal and country walks are just a short ride from Swansea using Gower Explorer. Try it – it’s one of Britain’s top rural bus networks. From Swansea, buses will also take you to the bays and beaches of Mumbles. Great-value all-day tickets are available, one for most of Gower and the other for Swansea, Mumbles, Neath and Port Talbot.

Traveline Cymru: 0871 200 2233 www.traveline-cymru.info

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swansea city centre map

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swansea bay Mumbles, Gower, Afan and the Vale of Neath Key to beach awards 7

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Scale of swansea bay map

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Serviced

choosing your accommodation On the following pages you’ll find a great choice of accommodation – from five-star luxury hotels to quality B&Bs and self-catering properties.

How to use our accommodation guide First of all make a cup of tea (or coffee, we don’t mind) and have a browse through the selection on offer. Once you have shortlisted your favourites, turn to the accommodation tables on pages 44-49 for more information on facilities and prices. For a key to symbols, awards and abbreviations please see the fold-out section of the back cover.

Serviced accommodation prices are for bed and breakfast (B&B), per person, per night based on two people sharing a twin or double room. Please note that a supplement may apply for single occupancy. Prices were correct at time of publication (December 2008).

Please mention this Swansea Bay Holiday Guide when booking.

A guide to Quality Assurance All accommodation grades in this guide have been based on a new set of common quality standards agreed by Visit Wales, Visit Britain, Visit Scotland and the AA. The star ratings reflect the facilities and overall quality of the experience.

Grades may therefore be different from previous years due to the new scheme’s requirements. However, a change does not mean that the quality is any different so customers should not compare the previous star grading with the stars given for 2008.

All the accommodation featured in this publication has been quality graded. Star grades mean that you can be sure of standards and choose the accommodation that’s just right for you.

Visit Wales/AA are the only checking agents in Wales, checking out over 5,000 places. Occasionally, it has not been possible to visit the accommodation prior to publication. In these instances, the property is marked as ‘Awaiting Grading’.

We want you to enjoy your visit – The Star Quality Grading Schemes so please check and confirm all details before booking or travelling. apply to all types of accommodation: serviced (hotels, guest houses, B&B, farm accommodation, hostel/hostel-type accommodation) and self-catering (cottages and apartments, caravan holiday homes and touring/ camping parks).

28 |

Here are the quality ratings: ★ Simple, practical, no frills ★★ Well presented and well run ★★★ Good level of quality and comfort ★★★★ Excellent standard throughout ★★★★★ Exceptional, with a degree of luxury Look out for that extra-special property that has been awarded Visit Wales’s Gold Award, given for exceptional standards of hospitality, comfort and food in serviced accommodation.

Further information on grading and awards can be found at www.visitwales.co.uk, or contact Visit Wales, Old Junior School, New Street, Machynlleth SY20 8AT. 0845 0108020 quality.tourism@wales.gsi.gov.uk All gradings and awards were correct at time of publication.

Grading assessments are on-going and improvements made by establishments may have resulted in a revision since publication.

Please check when booking.

visitswanseabay.com

29 | For key to symbols and abbreviations refer to inside back cover

visitswanseabay.com

Serviced

30 | Please quote this guide when booking

Serviced

visitswanseabay.com

31 | For key to symbols and abbreviations refer to inside back cover

visitswanseabay.com

Serviced

32 | Please quote this guide when booking

Serviced

visitswanseabay.com

33 | For key to symbols and abbreviations refer to inside back cover

visitswanseabay.com

Self catering

34 | Please quote this guide when booking

Self catering

visitswanseabay.com

35 | For key to symbols and abbreviations refer to inside back cover

visitswanseabay.com

Self catering

36 | Please quote this guide when booking

Self catering

visitswanseabay.com

37 | For key to symbols and abbreviations refer to inside back cover

visitswanseabay.com

Self catering

38 | Please quote this guide when booking

Self catering

visitswanseabay.com

39 | For key to symbols and abbreviations refer to inside back cover

visitswanseabay.com

Attractions & activities

40 | Please quote this guide when booking

Attractions & activities

visitswanseabay.com

41 | For key to symbols and abbreviations refer to inside back cover

visitswanseabay.com

Attractions & activities

42 | Please quote this guide when booking

Attractions & activities

visitswanseabay.com

43 | For key to symbols and abbreviations refer to inside back cover

visitswanseabay.com

Prices & full accommodation details

44 | Please quote this guide when booking

Prices & full accommodation details

visitswanseabay.com

45 | For key to symbols and abbreviations refer to inside back cover

visitswanseabay.com

Prices & full accommodation details

46 | Please quote this guide when booking

Prices & full accommodation details

visitswanseabay.com

47 | For key to symbols and abbreviations refer to inside back cover

visitswanseabay.com

Prices & full accommodation details

Prices & full accommodation details

more holiday areas 2

1

3

10 Wisdom and Walks in the Valleys of South Wales www.wisdomandwalks.co.uk

7 Pembrokeshire www.visitpembrokeshire.com

Swansea Bay is one of the 13 Holiday Areas within Wales. Each area has its own distinct character.

3 The North Wales Borderlands www.northwalesborderlands.co.uk

1 The Isle of Anglesey www.visitanglesey.co.uk

4 Snowdonia Mountains and Coast/Eryri Mynyddoedd a Môr www.visitsnowdonia.info

8 Carmarthenshire – the Garden of Wales www.visitcarmarthenshire.co.uk

11 Cardiff www.visitcardiff.com

12 The Glamorgan Heritage Coast and Countryside www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk www.visitbridgend.com 13 The Wye Valley and Vale of Usk www.visitwyevalley.com

4

5

6

7

8 9

13

10 12

2 Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Rhyl and Prestatyn www.visitllandudno.org.uk www.rhyl-prestatyn.co.uk

11

48 | Please quote this guide when booking

5 Mid Wales and the Brecon Beacons www.exploremidwales.com 6 Ceredigion – Cardigan Bay www.tourism.ceredigion.gov.uk

visitswanseabay.com

For FREE copies of any THREE Holiday Area brochures please tick the appropriate boxes and send to: Visit Wales, Dept E15, PO Box 1, Cardiff CF24 2XN Area 1

Area 2

Area 3

Area 4

Area 5

Area 6

Area 7

Area 8

Area 10

Area 11

Area 12

Area 13

Name (please print): Address (please print):

Post Code:

key

symbol guide

Ensuite rooms

Credit cards accepted

Licensed

Laundry facilities

Private parking

Meter charge for fuel

Totally non-smoking establishment

Linen provided

Short breaks available

Linen for hire

TV in rooms

Food/mobile shop

Pets by arrangement

Showers

Evening meals available

Electric hook ups

Tea/coffee in rooms

Evening entertainment

Indoor pool

Toilets

Outdoor pool

Children’s playground

Children welcome

Chemical toilet facilities

Lift

Gas cylinders

Restaurant Star Grading Abbreviations AG BB CA F GA GH H

Awaiting Grading Bed and Breakfast Campus Farm Guest Accommodation Guest House Hotel

HTC RR SH TC

Holiday, Touring and Camping Park Restaurant with Rooms Small Hotel Touring and Camping Park

★★★ Visit Wales grading ★★★ AA grading

Walkers and Cyclists Welcome Properties that provide amenities for walkers and/or cyclists, including drying facilities for wet clothes and boots, secure lockable areas for bikes, storage space for rucksacks and packed lunches.

Quality Assured Visitor Attraction Only attractions that have been assessed by Visit Wales, and meet the VAQAS Cymru standard, receive the quality marque.

Visit Wales Accredited Activity This scheme sets down strict guidelines for the management and operation of activities backed up by personal inspection by an appointed expert.

Adventure Activities Licensing Authority British Activity Holiday Association British Horse Society

Image Credits and Copyrights The following images are used with the kind permission of: John Fry: p01, Michael Sheen at Margam Park. Copyright © BBC: p02, Dr Who, Donna, Cater and Martha on Planet Messaline; p17, Dr Who, Martha and the Tardis. © Crown Copyright: Cover, Rhossili Bay; p01 & p21, Weobley Castle; p01 & p10, Llangennith; p01 & p16 detail, South Wales Miners Museum; p03, Dylan Thomas Statue, Mumbles café, Clyne Gardens, Mumbles Pier; p05, Swansea Marina; p06, Sgw^d yr Eira waterfall; p09, Margam Park, Singleton Park Botanical Gardens, Langland Bay; p12, mountain biking at Afan Forest Park, kitesurfing; p13, Gower pub lunch, Swansea Market; p20, ponies, Loughor Estuary; p24, picnic at Rhossili.

Orion Children’s Books, a division of the Orion Publishing Group: p16, A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas. Jeff Towns/Dylans Bookstore Collection, Swansea, www.dylans.com: p16, postcard of ‘Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man’. Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, City & County of Swansea: p17, ‘Bateaux en Hollande Pres De Zaandam’ by Claude Monet.

Brangwyn Hall, City & County of Swansea: p17, Brangwyn Hall Panels detail by Sir Frank Brangwyn. Euphoria Sailing/Watersports4all: p12, kayaking lesson. Enfis Ltd, photographer Neil Collier: p19, National Waterfront Museum.

British Surfing Association

S

Access Statements All properties graded by Visit Wales are required to produce an Access Statement to accurately describe the accessibility of their property.

All Access Statements are available to view in the accommodation section on: visitswanseabay.com/wheretostay Pets Many accommodation operators welcome pets, but please check with the accommodation before you visit. Dogs are welcome on many beaches, but some have seasonal dog bans from 1st May to 30th September. Contact the Tourist Information Centre (page 23) or go to visitswanseabay.com/pets for details.

Play safe Make sure that you have the proper equipment before you begin and check the tide tables prior to any coastal activity (the tide can turn very quickly, see visitswanseabay.com/weatherandtides).

Please do not attempt an activity without instruction if you are inexperienced.

Published by the City and County of Swansea © Copyright 2009.

Civil Aviation Authority

Royal Yachting Association

Standard disclaimers apply and are available from the Tourist Information Centre on 01792 468321.

Wales Trekking and Riding Association

Cover: Worm’s Head, Rhossili Bay

This Guide is available in alternative formats, please contact the Tourist Information Centre ( 01792 468321) for details.