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.