Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Llanbedrog

The small village of Llanbedrog is one (we have many) of our favourite places to visit when we are in Wales.  It's a mixture of old and new.  Its former industrial landscape of quarries now a place of great beauty, of cool, woodland walks and long stretches of scrunchy, pebbly beach.

The interesting church of St Pedrog stands on an incline just off the main road between Pwllheli and Abersoch in front of the church  is a small garden with seats where you can sit quietly. 


The church is next door to 'the big house' which was part of the Madryn estate sold in 1896 to Solomon Andrews who opened a public art gallery there. 

 The Andrews family sold the estate in 1946 and the building remained closed to the public until 1976 when it was again opened as an art gallery by local artist Gwyneth ap Tomos and her husband Dafydd who set up a friends organisation. In 1996 Plas Glyn-y-Weddw was bought by a charitable trust set up by the friends organisation.



Plas Glyn y Weddw was built as a dower house in 1856 for Lady Elizabeth Love Jones-Parry of Madryn in the Victorian Gothic style.  It was also built to house her extensive art collection.


We have visited the gallery several times now, usually in time for afternoon tea in the cafe or out in the garden.  The house inside has some lovely features and also changing art exhibitions, events and a shop selling local craft work. Inside in the Andrews room there is a wonderful collection of Swansea and Nantgarw porcelain with some of the pieces painted by William Billingsley.  I always enjoy looking at this as we used to collect his work at one of the Museums I worked in many years ago; especially those pieces he decorated at Mansfield, Derby, Torksey and Nantgarw.

Above and below two of the sculptures to be found in the garden


From the gallery car park you can walk up the hill through the woodland to the viewing point and tin-man statue or from the main NT car park you can walk down the steps to the beach. 


 This time we chose to visit the beach.

 We walked for ages along the sea shore and back again

 I love this house on the beach  - it's called Fox Holes.


Llanbedrog beach is well known for its colourful beach huts.  You can hire one of the for about £12 - £15 a day depending on the time of year. 

 The building above is called the Boat House and now contains self-catering accommodation.

We left the beach and walked back to the art gallery where we sat and drank tea and ate cake in the garden whilst looking out beyond the houses and trees to the sea.

20 comments:

  1. I would love to be walking along that beach right now. It looks so cool and inviting!

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    1. Of course it was cooler when we did walk along it but it does look inviting:)

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  2. It looks lovely Rosie. I've never been there. I really fancy one of those beach huts, especially this week!
    Kathy x

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    1. I'd love to have a beach hut for a couple of days just to relive some childhood memories:)

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  3. Gorgeous - Ive popped it on my list of places that I "must" visit. It looks really lovely xxx

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    1. I think you'd love the gallery especially, the beach isn't as 'wild' as those on the north of the peninsula but very pretty:)

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  4. That looks a lovely, intimate little corner of wales. Interesting looking church - was it open?

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    1. Hello Sandy - we didn't try the door as we were getting towards the end of our visit and needed to get back but I've looked on the website for Llanbedrog and it appears they do guided tours so there must be lots of interest inside, We may do that next time we visit:)

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  5. There's certainly lots to see there for a small village!I love the house right on the beach, I can imagine walking out of the front door right on to the sea shore. The beach huts are wonderful, too. They look very well cared for.

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    1. It is a large area but small for the residential bit of it although there are lots of new homes appearing 'twixt art gallery grounds and the sea. Most look occupied and not holiday homes which is good. The beach huts are very cheerful:)

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  6. what a lovely day out! I love the look of Plas Glyn-y-Weddw and will have to remember that for the future. I've never been to that part of Wales. Those beach huts look great. I like the idea of hiring one for a day, but it'd be a waste of money as I couldn't spend a whole day sitting on the beach, I like to go exploring!

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    1. It is a fab art gallery and the cafe is good. Like you I can't sit for too long on a beach I can manage a morning or afternoon if I have a good book but not all day. Like you I have to explore everything and there is much to explore there - many walks and the coastal path passing by as well:)

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  7. What a great day out. Love the beach pictures:)

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    1. Thanks, it was one of the nicest days of our holiday:)

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  8. A wonderful place! I can imagine the anticipation of the beach awaiting at the end of the steps. You do have some lovely days out Rosie. x

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    1. Thanks, Simone! The steps down were quite enticing espeically with the bunting:)

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  9. I'm not familiar with the Welsh coast, so thank you for sharing photographs of your visit. I love the glimpses of the beach huts and that white cottage by the sea.

    Hope you are enjoying the summer ~ I hear it is a scorcher!

    Marie x

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  10. You had a nice long walk around Llanbedrog, Rosie. I enjoyed the tour finishing off with the view across to the beach, the sea and the beach huts in the distance. That part of the coast looks very attractive and it sounds like an interesting place to visit.

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    1. It is a fascinating place with so much to offer. We did do a lot of walking around parts of the costal path along the peninsula:)

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