These pages have been lurking in the depths of the site for several years but unless you knew where to look for them, would have been difficult to locate. They have now been reformatted for inclusion here but please bear in mind that some of the information regarding the attractions may not now be correct.

Ilkeston Cam On Holiday 2001 - South West Wales - Part 01
Saturday & Sunday - Saundersfoot & Tenby

All the photos on this page were taken in July 2001
In 1999 and 2000 we had spent some time in the Snowdonia area in North Wales but in July of 2001 we decided to explore Pembrokeshire at the opposite end of the Principality and travelled to the south west corner near the popular resort of Tenby. Our base was to be the excellent Jalna Hotel in the village of Saundersfoot and after booking in, unpacking and a little sustenance we walked to the sea front to begin our explorations. An overcast sky and a cool breeze did not promise an auspicious start to our holiday but we were away from the normal routine and that was all that mattered. These two views in opposite directions from almost the same position on Saturday evening show a clearing sky approaching from the direction of Tenby which was to be our first port of call the next day.



Twenty four hours later a pleasant evening sun shining on the boats in the harbour presented an entirely different perspective and provided a fitting end to a lovely day.



Click here to see a larger version of this image of the harbour (195kb).

Tenby is only three or four miles from Saundersfoot so we were there bright and early on Sunday morning.

So early in fact that the town was only just waking up and many of the shops that would be open later in the day for the tourist trade were still closed and shuttered.







In the window of a pottery shop, a cat that had spent the night locked in with his ornamental friends (above) was pawing the window in a vain attempt to get out.


And this (left) is the view he would have seen from just a little further up the road.
A nineteenth century description of Tenby stated "every view is picturesque in the extreme" and even in this day and age the description holds true. The Georgian harbour offers interesting views from many and varied vantage points.



The small hill on the far side of the harbour is the site of Tenby Castle but all that remains now are some stretches of broken wall and foundations that probably date from 1153. On the seaward side of the hill on a raised slipway is the lifeboat station. The brightly painted frontages of the Georgian houses are a feature of the harbour area and, as we found during our perambulation around this part of Wales, colourfully painted houses can also be seen in other towns and villages.

Moving away from the cliff top views, we found Tenby to be a town of narrow streets with an impressive 13th century town wall. Fears of a Spanish invasion in the 16th century led to the walls being strengthened and they are unique in Wales having two tiers of arrow-slits. The impressive West Gate is now known as Five Arches.



 

These Arches and Walls were preserved to the town by an injunction of the Court of Chancery obtained June 23rd in the year 1873 by the late George Chater F.R.C.S.





The Five Arches, at one time threatened with demolition, have undergone several architectural modifications over the years, three of the arches being made in recent times to allow the passage of traffic.

Passing through the Arches, the narrowness of the streets is immediately apparent. Despite being a popular seaside resort with all the paraphernalia that goes with it - including shops selling buckets, spades, kites and inflatables nestling side by side with ice cream parlours - the town has managed to retain its historic character.

 It was about this time that the cloud began to clear and the sun broke through as we made our way towards St Mary's Church. Many of the Tenby's streets are not really suitable for today's automobiles but this alternative that was waiting against the Church provided a much more sedate mode of transport around the old town.


 

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