New Quay and Laugharne Weatherman Walking

Sea views, picture-postcard towns

and landscapes that feed the imagination.

Dylan Thomas knew exactly what was needed for a great walk.

So, let's follow in his footsteps and go walking.

That's it for today, I'm off!

Dylan chose some wonderful Welsh locations to call home,

so this week, I'm taking in two coastal towns

with breathtaking views rich in history and local charm.

And both claim to be the inspiration for his classic, Under Milk Wood.

So, let battle commence.

Later, I'll be catching a boat to Laugharne to see the sights

dearest to Dylan and the source of some of his greatest inspiration.

But first, I'm at the seaside in New Quay to find out

why Dylan's time here resulted in a Hollywood blockbuster.

For many visitors, New Quay is better known as a holiday

destination than as somewhere Dylan Thomas lived.

So I'm hitting the town's Dylan Thomas Trail to find out

why his short time here played such a big part in his life.

And hopefully, we'll be back in time for some pysgod a sglodion,

fish and chips!

My guide here is book-seller and author Jeff Townes.

He's also known as the Dylan Thomas guy,

having spent four decades digging up everything he could on Dylan.

These days, he runs a mobile book shop,

but he's taken a day off to show me Dylan's New Quay.

-Hello, Jeff.

-Hello, Derek. Good to see you.

-Great to meet you.

-Welcome to New Quay.

This is one of the places that is supposed to be where

Dylan Thomas modelled the town of Llareggub in Under Milk Wood.

But there are other places that claim it.

When I stand here and look at that and this harbour,

this is what I imagine Llareggub to look like.

-Shall we go and have a closer look?

-Yeah. Come on. Let's get going.

New Quay is a popular seaside town on the Ceredigion coast.

Starting at the stone pier,

we walk up through town and down to the wild beach below.

It's then a beach walk all the way to Llanina Point,

before heading inland to visit Dylan's former home.

Our last leg takes us around the top of New Quay,

ending with a spectacular sea-cliff walk all the way back to town.

A total of just under six miles.

In summer, it will be packed here,

but the beach in winter has its own very special charm.

And it was in 1944, during one of the coldest winters on record, that

Dylan fled here from London with his wife, Caitlin, and their children.

So, why did Dylan and his family move to New Quay?

I think it was the war that did it.

The Blitz was escalating in London

and he just thought he had to get away.

A friend from Swansea, Vera Phillips, she lived over there

and she told him that the house next door was empty.

So they came down here.

We're just coming up to The Black Lion,

which is Dylan Thomas' favourite pub in town.

He said it waited for Saturday night like a jolly girl waits for sailors.

And it was recently used as a focal point

for a big Hollywood movie. You might have seen it.

-The Edge Of Love, starring Matthew Rhys.

-That's the one.

With Sienna Miller and Keira Knightley.

And one of the stars of the film is in here waiting to talk to us.

-It might be Matthew Rhys having a pint.

-It could be Sienna Miller.

'Not surprisingly, Sienna was busy,

'so I'm meeting movie star for a day Barbara Cassini.'

Hello, Barbara.

-Hello.

-Lovely to meet you.

-And you.

So, tell me, what was it like starring in the film,

Edge Of Love, when Hollywood came to New Quay?

It was memorable. There's never been a day quite like it.

-The whole village was alive.

-And what part did you play?

Well, I was a gossip, with another lady. I was a gossip.

-This is you as a gossip here?

-Yes. I hope you don't recognise me.

-You're the one on the left.

-Thank you!

What was it like meeting the big celebrities?

Oh, I thought Matthew Rhys was a very charming fellow. Small, but perfect.

Dylan said he looked like an unmade bed.

He looks like he's stepped off Savile Row, doesn't he?

-But he's a handsome man.

-He's a very nice-looking fellow.

-Did you get his number?

-No.

I adored him from afar.

Thank you very much for sharing your stories with us.

It's been very enjoyable. It's been lovely.

'Right, that's enough Hollywood gossip.

'Time to carry on with the walk.'

So, it looks like we're leaving the town

and heading down onto the beach.

-Should have brought my trunks.

-Not today, boy.

LAUGHTER

-It's a bit chilly.

-It would be.

If I say to you, "Derek, kiss me in Goosegog Lane,"

I don't mean anything other than I'm quoting Under Milk Wood.

Glad to hear it.

Because there's a lovely exchange between children.

"Kiss me in Goosegog Lane. What's your name? Billy."

-Oh, this is great, Jeff!

-Look at this!

-What an amazing beach.

-It's pretty rugged, isn't it?

And you can see right across Cardigan Bay,

towards the Llyn Peninsula.

'At high tide, Traethgwyn, that's White Beach,

'can be dangerous to cross,

'so make sure you check it's safe before setting off.'

So, what made you become interested in Dylan and his life?

It was the other Dylan. The first LP I ever bought was Bob Dylan's.

He'd actually been born Robert Zimmerman.

And he changed his name,

he said, as a homage to a Welsh poet called Dylan Thomas.

I never knew that.

I was very lucky because I had a Welsh mum

who knew a bit about poetry.

I was about 14 at the time.

And she told me about him and I started to read all of Dylan Thomas.

And when I washed up in Swansea,

and my wife and I opened a book shop...

it seemed to be obvious. Dylan's Bookstore.

-He's been part of your life since you were young.

-Yeah.

It wasn't a conscious decision, but it just happened that way.

'Our beach walk ends at Llanina Point,

'where the River Llethi meets the sea.

'Next stop is a private house which was owned by the wealthy

'Sir Howard de Walden, who was a fan of Dylan's

'and offered him a private place to write.'

Dylan Thomas lived just a stone's throw away

in this tiny little shack.

And he said it was like fleas jumping in a box.

His kids were all over him. And he needed somewhere to write.

'And De Walden had just the place -

'his apple house, which was like a little studio back then.'

What happened here is a second flowering.

He'd had a period where he wasn't producing poems

because he was too busy doing other things,

but when he got here, he found the sort of peace

and quiet to write half a dozen of his greatest poems.

'As a thank-you for having his own writer's retreat,

'Dylan repaid his patron in the only way he could, with a signed book.'

"To Lord Howard de Walden, from Dylan Thomas. November, 1944."

-So, this is an original copy?

-Yeah.

It's very special.

'This spot isn't open to the public,

'but we've had special permission to come in.

'And at the bottom of the garden,

'there's a possible clue for the Under Milk Wood debate.'

This is Dylan's view...of Llareggub.

When you show it to people from New Quay, they'll say,

"Oh, look, there's our terraces, there's our hill."

When you show it to the people at Laugharne, they say, "That's our town hall."

-It's a combination of the both, perhaps.

-It's from his imagination.

'Whatever you think, it's a gorgeous view.

'No wonder it sparked Dylan's imagination.'

So, here we are, Derek, Dylan's home while he was in New Quay.

It didn't look anything like this when he came here.

It was a wood and asbestos shack with no facilities,

an outside toilet.

It was while they were here that the Majoda incident occurred.

'The Majoda incident involved Dylan's neighbours,

'Vera and Captain William Killick.

'Killick had just returned to New Quay after a year

'fighting behind enemy lines in Greece.'

He came back and he was suffering, I think,

from what we would now call post-traumatic stress syndrome.

And after an altercation down in the town,

he thought Dylan and Caitlin and Vera were having too much fun

when he was away putting his life on the line.

He decided to give them a taste of war.

'And the events of this real-life drama

'were made into the movie, The Edge of Love.'

No! No! No! No!

Stop, please! Please, stop!

BABY WAILS

The incident ended, luckily, with nobody injured.

-It must have been terrifying.

-Well, it really scared him.

He said afterwards, "I go to bed under the bed now, not on it."

Like all films,

they altered the ending just slightly to give them their film.

You have to watch it and you have to read about the account

and make your own mind up.

'Killick was acquitted of attempted murder,

'but Dylan and his family left New Quay soon after.

'Next, we head down towards the sea

'through one of the town's holiday parks and find the Jubilee Trail,

'a lovely woodland walk, which is just magical.'

Now, look at that. Go for a surf.

'Fishing and seafaring have always been the lifeblood of this village.

'It's in the veins.

'Climbing through St Llwchaearn's Church,

'we pass the graves of local mariners.

'Some were lost at sea, but have graves here in their memories.'

See this one. John Williams, master mariner. Died at Malta.

That's the whole story of New Quay.

'No sign of Captain Cat from Under Milk Wood here, though.'

A bit of a sunken lane.

This is where the fun starts.

Squidgy.

The last thing that came up here had four legs, not two. Oh!

LAUGHTER

'And soon we're heading for Bird's Rock.

'In spring and early summer,

'this area is an important breeding ground for sea birds.

'And you might even spot the odd seal.'

So, that's the old coastguard station

that's used mainly now by bird-watchers.

-And dolphin watch, too.

-Dolphins indeed.

'We're on a section of the Wales Coast Path,

'and it's absolutely stunning.

'We've now come almost full circle.

'Looking over New Quay from the other side.'

We're probably exactly in a spot where Dylan Thomas stood.

And he wrote about it and it got published in this book.

And in it is Quite Early One Morning,

which is just a description of him waking up one morning

and wandering through New Quay as the people begin to wake up.

"I walked on to the cliff-top path again.

"The town behind and below waking up now so very slowly.

"I stopped and turned and looked.

"Smoke from one chimney."

-It's very descriptive, isn't it?

-And it's exactly...

-All there.

-I know. We couldn't be closer.

'Dylan went on to use Quite Early One Morning

'as a template for Under Milk Wood,

'for which he became known around the world.'

Why don't you keep that as a memento?

-Thanks very much. I'll treasure this.

-Excellent.

Well, what a walk we've had.

Dylan's time here may have been brief,

but it was certainly dramatic,

all set in a beautiful town next to the sea

with all the right ingredients for a wonderful walk.

Now it's all downhill, back to town for some fish and chips on the pier.

What could be better?

And if you fancy trying this or another one of our walks,

go to our website at bbc.co.uk/weathermanwalking.

It's got everything you need,

from detailed route information to walking maps you can print off.

There are also some photos we took along the way.

Next, I'm travelling south to Laugharne in Carmarthenshire

for my final Dylan Thomas walk.

And with stunning views over the Taf Estuary, what better way

to begin my walk than arriving just like Dylan did in 1934?

Dylan first came to Laugharne by boat

and this encounter led him to describe it as

the strangest town in Wales.

I'm off to explore why he kept coming back to this quirky Welsh town

and how this beautiful setting captured both his heart

and his imagination.

'From the day of his very first visit here,

'Dylan was captivated by Laugharne,

'so it's no surprise it was here he eventually settled with his family.

'I'm starting the walk at the Boathouse,

'where I'm meeting my very special guide for the day, Hannah Ellis.

'Hannah is Dylan Thomas's granddaughter.

'Her late mum, Aeronwy, spent her early childhood years

'at the Boathouse with Dylan, Caitlin and her two brothers.

'Even though Hannah grew up in London,

'Aeronwy would often bring her back to Wales.'

Thanks, Denzil.

-Hi, Hannah. Nice to meet you.

-Hi, Derek.

-Just look at that view.

It must have been heaven growing up here as a child.

Oh, it must have been.

If you come and look over here, the children would have

played on the balconies, swum in the estuary.

My grandmother must have sunbathed on the rocks

and my grandfather must have been incredibly inspired by these views.

'Well, there'll be plenty more of those,

'so time to set off and get walking.

'Laugharne overlooks the Taf Estuary.

'We start off at the Boathouse

'and the first loop of our figure of eight

'takes us past Laugharne Castle.

'We then walk up the side of the estuary

'before dropping down to the marshes,

'around Sir John's Hill, up through Broadway and back into town.

'Our second loop takes us through St Martin's Wood,

'glimpsing estuary views along the way,

'before we reach Dylan's final resting place.

'We then head back into town for a pint, Dylan style.

'Dylan fans flock to Laugharne, so it's a real treat for me

'to be shown around by someone whose heard all the stories first-hand.

'Our first stop is the shed

'where Dylan wrote some of his most famous work.'

Just over here is my grandfather's writing shed.

And this is where he used to go to work,

but also to escape from the chaos and commotion of the Boathouse.

He had a lot of family living around here, didn't he?

And Caitlin was known for her socialising.

I suppose he needed a bit of peace and quiet to get away from it all.

I think he would've liked some peace and quiet,

but my mum, who was about six at the time,

she would go back and forth on her bike

and she would make as much noise as possible.

And she was always pleased when her father came out red-faced,

shaking his fist and asking her to be quiet.

-After you.

-Fantastic.

This is really special, being in here, isn't it?

And that's where he sat and did all his writing.

'Inside, it looks as if Dylan has just popped out.

'It's normally off-limits to the public,

'so it's a delight to come in and look around.'

This is actually only my second time in the Writing Shed.

But you can really get a sense of the way he worked and really understand

just how the views inspired some of his most famous work.

'We now drop down to water level and walk towards the Grist,

'which used to be the site of an old corn mill.'

This is such an amazing place, especially on a day like this.

I quite agree. There's just nowhere quite like it.

-On the grass there, my mum used to have picnics with her mum.

-By here?

Yeah. Any chance of sun, really, my grandmother was out here sunbathing.

And they actually went into the sea for a little paddle

and my grandmother actually went skinny-dipping,

much to the despair of my mum.

-I don't think we'll be doing that today.

-I hope not!

'Soon we pass Laugharne Castle, described by Dylan as

"brown as owls."'

'It dates back to the 12th century

'and is one of a string of castles along the South Wales coast.

'Leaving the town, we head off to join the Dylan Thomas Birthday Walk,

'which celebrates a poem he wrote on his 30th birthday.'

My grandparents really loved walking.

There's this real image of them

just spending all their time in the pub, but they loved being outdoors.

And if you read my grandfather's work,

you'll just see that he's always describing the landscapes he saw.

In fact, he wrote about this walk we're on now, didn't he?

Yes, in Poem In October.

'In Poem In October, Dylan writes about spending time

'marvelling at the wildlife,

'the wonderful views and even the weather.'

And these are the views he saw.

-Aren't they stunning?

-Amazing. Beautiful.

We're here at the right time of year because it is October

and, as he says in his poem,

"The sun of October summery on the hill's shoulder."

My grandfather must have walked in so many different types of weather.

I'd just love it if you could have a go

at using some of those words in your weather forecast.

Well, I'll give it a go.

The outlook for tomorrow is pale rain wringing and wind blow cold.

-Oh, beautiful! Well done.

-Come on.

'Well, I reckon that had a pretty good ring to it, don't you?'

'Below us are the strange formations of the mud flats and salt marshes

'where cockle picking was once a booming industry.'

I think it was just down here that my mum went with her mum

and the local women to go and collect cockles.

I know Mum just loved scrambling around in all the mud down there.

And then she'd go home and soak all the cockles in water overnight.

It must've looked really different back then.

A hive of activity down there

and your mum right in the middle of it all.

In my grandfather's play, Under Milk Wood,

he described the webbed-foot cockle women.

Possibly he could've been talking about the women down there.

-He probably was.

-Who knows?!

'Well, it does look pretty muddy down there, so I'm very relieved

'Hannah doesn't fancy having cockles for supper, like Dylan used to.'

We've come now to the Laugharne Marshes.

And much of this land here was reclaimed in the Middle Ages.

You've got the lovely lush green farmland over there

and over that side, you've got the much lighter salty marshland.

Yes, I can just make out the retaining sea wall.

'The wall has an important job to do,

'protecting farmland and animals from the salty water.'

You mentioned the word marshes, but not these midges.

They've got big teeth, haven't they?

They are beginning to surround us a bit. Come on, we'd best get going.

Ouch!

'These salt marshes are the perfect habitat for midges,

'so it's no surprise they're everywhere.'

-You see that small gap between the trees up there?

-Yeah.

We're heading that way. But take care because it's a bit of a steep climb.

I'm sure I can cope with it.

'Now, what do they say about pride coming before a fall?'

Argh!

'Weatherman down. I blame the boots.

'With a rather bruised ego and sore knees,

'I swallow my pride and carry on.'

I tell you what, Hannah, I love this time of year,

walking through the leaves and hearing that scrunching sound.

Oh, it's beautiful.

I see what you mean by steep and narrow, Hannah.

Certainly is. It keeps you fit, though.

Fortunately, someone's been kind enough

to put some wooden steps in for us.

'As I found out, it can get very slippery here,

'so make sure you're wearing a sturdy pair of shoes.'

Slightly out of breath.

Just a bit.

'Finally, we reach the top,

'drop down towards Broadway

'and turn off by the caravan park to take the scenic route into town.'

You can smell autumn in the air, as well.

We're halfway through. How are you feeling, Derek?

I'm really enjoying it, Hannah.

There's so much to see and talk about.

Mind you, as Dylan wrote, the weather's turned around.

-There could be a few showers later on.

-Let's hope not.

'Whatever Jeff said about New Quay, I can feel a strong sense

'of Dylan's fictional town, Llareggub, here in Laugharne.'

Now, it's a bit of a hot potato.

Many people think Laugharne was the inspiration behind Under Milk Wood,

but I've just been to New Quay and they think the same there.

So, what do you think?

It's the mystery of where Llareggub is that makes it exciting.

But my grandfather travelled widely,

so I think he was probably inspired by many different places.

I do see some strong elements of Laugharne and New Quay.

So, he'd like to keep people guessing.

-All part of the fun, really.

-Absolutely.

'Our next stop is Seaview.

'This surprisingly grand house

'was one of Dylan and Caitlin's first homes in Laugharne.

'They were allowed to live here by a wealthy patron

'when they were newly married and expecting their first baby.

'Our second loop starts with a walk through the sunken lanes

'of St Martin's Wood, or should I say bog?'

Oh, blimey! It's a bit muddy up here, Hannah.

It certainly is. It's disgusting!

And smelly.

Oh! I should've brought my wellies.

-The sooner we get through here, the better.

-Yeah. Oh! Ugh-a-fi!

'These extraordinary sunken lanes

'have been worn down by centuries of use.

'They would've been the main routes for people

'and their animals to travel between villages

'and, as a result, the lane floors have eroded.'

-Well, it's nice to be out in the open air again.

-Not for long, Derek.

'We head back into the lanes again.

'And it's a good job we've got some cover

'because the skies are looking ominous.

'And it's not long before the heavens open.

# Raindrops keep falling on my head

# Just like the guy whose feet are too big for his... #

Now, I did say there'd be showers, but I wasn't expecting a monsoon.

# Raindrops keep falling on my head Keep on falling. #

'At least it doesn't last long.

'The cloud is clearing and we're soon back in business.

'We pass through Delacourse Farm,

'then it's a 15-minute walk before we arrive at St Martin's Church.

'This is Dylan and Caitlin's final resting place.'

So here we are at my grandparents' grave.

My grandmother was absolutely insistent

that my grandfather should be returned to Wales.

And then years later, she herself chose to be buried with him.

It's nice to know they're both together again

and that Laugharne is obviously a very special place for your family.

It is. It really is.

And what's the significance of the coins on the cross?

I think they're just put there as a token, really,

because my grandparents really had very little money

when they were alive, so just a little gift.

And are you surprised how popular Dylan is

so many years after his death?

I'm just hoping really that people recognise

the wealth of work he created and the legacy he's left.

'Back in town and with the light fading fast,

'there's one last memory of Dylan Hannah wants to share with me.'

So here we go, Derek, our final stop.

My grandfather's favourite pub in Laugharne, the Brown's Hotel.

-After you.

-Thank you.

'Dylan and Caitlin's drinking sprees are the stuff of legend,

'but, as I've discovered on my walks,

'there was so much more to Dylan Thomas than the legendary drinker.'

Walking in Dylan's footsteps has really shown me

a very different side to the man I thought I knew.

But most of all, I've enjoyed roaming around his Wales

and the places which left their mark not only on him,

but on the pages of some of his greatest works.

So, here's to you, Dylan, and our wonderful walks of discovery.

# O, let us see another day...#

And to end our journey, what could be more fitting

than Eli Jenkins' prayer from Under Milk Wood?

# And to the sun, we all will bow

# And say goodbye

# But just for now. #