Tenby and Kidwelly Castle

27/02/2018



Every year during the colder months since I was 37 weeks pregnant with my now 3yr old we have visited Tenby for a weekend break, just to get away from the city and enjoy what has got to be one of the best coastlines in the UK. The pretty pastel houses that line the harbour and overlook the beaches never fail to make me feel joyful not matter how wintery it may feel. West Wales in general just seems to have this element of slowness to it, it seems less rushed and I find it's a great place to just recalibrate and enjoy some quality time with the boys.

We have been lucky that each time we have gone the sun has always shined and even though the temperatures are low at this time of the year seeing the sunshine is always an added bonus and meant two full days outdoors, on the beach, climbing rocks, eating good food and even though its only around two hours from Cardiff it really feels much further away.






We arrived just in time to catch the sunset from the beach and take a night time walk through the town before getting something to eat and heading to bed especially as we knew we would have an action packed day the next morning. The next day after breakfast we decided to head out first thing to make the most of it.

There are plenty of cute coffeeshops and places to eat in Tenby, we stopped off at Loafley, a bakery which sells fantastic sourdough and we stocked up before heading down to the beach. After exploring some of the cave inlets we decided to climb the stairs up to the top of Castle hill which overlooks St Catherine's Fort and also has some of ruins of Tenby Castle, you get some fantastic views from the top plus its an easy walk for young kids.





What we also love about West Wales is that there is always something new to explore as it's an area thats rich in history and culture. We have checked quite a few castles of the list but not Kidwelly Castle which we wanted to make sure we stopped by on our way home. Both of my boys love knights and castles, especially my youngest who can often be seen wearing his knights suit around the house.

We have visited many castles in Wales over the years, some have just been the remains and ruins of great castles others have been restored or well kept and nearly complete, each time you never really know what to expect so we were presently surprise to see how big Kidwelly Castle was and how much there was to see.





From dungeons to high towers Kidwelly has it all although do keep in mind that one of the towers is very steep and all you really have to hold onto is rope and very narrow stairs but saying that there is plenty for kids to see and standing among such large tower ruins you really get an idea of the grand scale of this castle. One of the rooms has a money pit which you can thrown coins into, another has some armoury for kids to get up close too. I would recommend you wear sturdy shoes if you visit Kidwelly as if the stairs get wet it can be slippery and it's pretty rugged as castles go.





You could easily spend a few hours here especially on a warm day as the castles is set in a beautiful green area near a river with some walks so you could make a day of it. There is also a small gift shop just next to the castle and while we only drive through Kidwelly it looked a very sweet town and somewhere we will come back to explore again at a later date. As always West Wales was a joyful two days and the perfect place for a staycation no mater what time of the year.


20 comments:

  1. I've actually heard some really nice things about Tenby, though haven't come across this castle before. It looks and sounds like you and the family had a fantastic day out :) x

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    1. Tenby is lovely especially when the sun is out if feels like you are in mainland Europe. This castle is ace - we hadn't visit it before this trip

      Laura x

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  2. This place looks so beautiful - I love castles and the scenery just looks magical. What a great place to take your children too and teach them about our heritage!

    Lottie x

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    1. I feel really lucky to have lots of castle in Wales to take the kids too - always a great day out

      Laura x

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  3. What a beautiful getaway spot! I love exploring old castles. Kidwelly Castle looks like a fun one to visit! I love castles like that one that are mostly still standing, but not completely restored.

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    1. You would love this one - it hasn't been restored but simply made safe enough for people to explore

      Laura x

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  4. What a lovely castle! I'd love to get to Tenby one day. The beaches sound amazing and great to know there's a castle to explore too.

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    1. Tenby is such a wonderful place - highly recommend visiting

      Laura x

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  5. Tenby's somewhere I've never been, but I've heard great things about it. It looks lovely and very picturesque, with lots of interesting things to do. Think it has to be on my wishlist for this year!!!

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  6. Somewhere I will have to visit one day. We love castles and would love to see the ones that Wales has to offer #CountryKids

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  7. I love reading your visits to Tenby each year, I'm always jealous that you get such wonderful weather for your escapes. Kidwelly Castle looks like the perfect place for your youngest to explore, I love that he's got his little knights suit on. I love the seaside shots of Tenby too, so beautiful.

    Thanks for linking up with me on #CountryKids.

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  8. I've not been to Tenby since childhood and Kidwelly sounds like a great day out for the kids and you had sunshine too! #CountryKids

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  9. This is a lovely family tradition to go to the same scenic place every year. Both Tenby and the castle look fantastic, my gang would love a runaround those ruins.
    #CountryKids

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  10. Definitely feeling your "houselust" here - what a beautiful spot. And that beach!!! The castle looks pretty much perfect too - I find that the kids vastly prefer half-ruined castles over heavily restored tourist-focused places; you can see little knight and princess imaginations whirring in castles like Kidwelly. Great post! #CountryKids

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  11. Last time we visited Bluestone we stopped at Tenby, Castle Beach but that was in the summer! Still looks beautiful in the winter. We get house envy too! #CountryKids

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  12. Tenby looks like such a beautiful place to visit and you certainly had gorgeous weather for your visit. I love the look of Kidwelly Castle - what a wonderful place to explore. #countrykids

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  13. So beautiful, and such lovely sunshine. What a lovely tradition to have! Kidwelly Castle looks wonderful, I do love an old castle! #countrykids

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    ReplyDelete

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