Dylan Thomas Centre & Boathouse

The Dylan Thomas Centre & Dylan Thomas Biography

The Dylan Thomas Centre won't disappoint fans. Refurbished in 1995, the centre offers an in-depth permanent exhibition on Dylan Thomas' life and poetry, with on-site shop stocking his complete works and various memorabilia. It's heaving in October and November during the annual Swansea Dylan Thomas Festival.

Inside the Dylan Thomas Centre there's a huge mural crammed with images of Thomas, wife Caitlin and some of his many friends. Rather a striking image as you enter. Poetry recordings and a huge Dylan Thomas archive is here including parts of his writing shed, letters, scripts, a typewriter and Dylan's publications. Also on-site is a restaurant and cafe and events, talks and workshops run throughout the year. Check the Dylan Thomas Centre weblink right for the on-line shop and more information. The little bookshop on-site stocks all of Dylan Thomas' work.

Born in Swansea on 27 October 1914, Dylan Thomas wrote most of his work here. His one time home, 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Swansea isn't open to the public but occasional visits can be arranged through the Dylan Thomas Centre. Much of Dylan's work was written here - he lived here until he was 20. Particular poems with obvious Swansea influences include 'The hunchback in the park' and the broadcast 'Return Journey'.

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Dylan Thomas & Caitlin Thomas at Laugharne - Dylan Thomas Boathouse

Situated on the waterfront at Laugharne (pronounced larn), Dylan Thomas and Caitlin Thomas' boathouse is a pilgrimage for Dylan Thomas fans. Dylan Thomas, with wife Caitlin (once lover of Augustus John) and their three children lived here towards the end of Dylan Thomas' life between 1949 to 1953. Although born in Swansea, Thomas had Carmarthenshire roots and the town, particularly the local Brown's Hotel where he knocked back a few, held a strong appeal to him.

Some of his best work, including Under Milk Wood, was written in the Boathouse - you can see his separate old writing shed with sublime views across the Taf estuary just above the boathouse. Inside the boathouse Dylan Thomas fans will be in their element! Photographs, recorded poetry readings and even his death mask are on show.

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National Museum & Gallery of Wales, Cardiff

There just happens to be one of Britains best art galleries and museums in Cardiff - The National Museum and Gallery of Wales.

Starting with the art gallery there's some choice collections here both on the ceramics and painting size. Expect a choice of prestigious artistic works by Joshua Reynolds (courtesy of the Williams-Wynn collection), and, from the Davies Sisters collection works by Vincent Van Gogh, Cezanne, Millet, Pissarro and Monet. The Davies Sisters, daughters of shipping and coal giant David Davies, were avid collectors of impressionist and post impressionist paintings, many of which they bequeathed to the museum (see the National Museum & Gallery of Wales' website right for full details on the collection). Particular works of note include a good choice of Cezanne (a favourite of the Davies), Matisse, Rain Auvers by Van Gogh, Renoir's 'Blue Lady', and 'The Kiss' plus more works by Manet and Pissarro.

Expect too an excellent selection of paintings by British artists - plenty of Turners here including 5 oil paintings by him, plus treat of treats look to Gallery 15 for LS Lowry's scene of Six Bells Colliery, Abertillery in Ebbw Fach Valley.

Lucien Freud, Stanley Spencer, and contemporary Welsh art by artists such as Rachel Whiteread are all here. Other exquisite collections include the De Winton collection of European porcelain. De Winton donated 2000 pieces of 18th and early 19th century continental porcelain to the National Museum of Wales.

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Augustus John and the Tenby Museum & Art Gallery

Highly recommended is Tenby's little museum and art gallery, with it's focus very much on local history - particularly maritime. The art galleries have some work on display by some prestigious Welsh artists, notably Augustus John who was born here in Tenby and become renowned for his uncompromising portraits (not all his subjects were happy with his portrails!).

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Mount Snowdon Poems, Snowdonia National Park

The Romantic poets have often been associated with Snowdonia with the views from the summit of Snowdon inspiring many poems. 18th century Wales seems to have been particularly inspirational and was the start of many "tours" of Snowdonia that broadened knowledge of the area beyond those who farmed its hills.

Wordsworth's 'Prelude' culminates with the poet gazing down at moonlit clouds from the peak of Snowdon, "Thus might we wear a midnight hour away, Ascending at loose distance each from each, And I, as chanced, the foremost of the band; When at my feet the ground appeared to brighten, And with a step or two seemed brighter still; Nor was time given to ask or learn the cause, For instantly a light upon the turf Fell like a flash, and lo! as I looked up, The Moon hung naked in a firmament Of azure without cloud, and at my feet Rested a silent sea of hoary mist."

David Thomas, (Dafydd Ddu Eryri, l759-l822): Black David of Snowdon , was a famous poet who established literary societies, teaching the traditional meters. He wrote many books and a famous song called Titrwm Tatrwm. Plas Tan-yr-Allt, a Regency villa in North Wales, was once home to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. It looks out over the Glaslyn Estuary on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park.

Hedd Wyn (Ellis Humphrey) was born in the Snowdonian village of Trawsfyndd in 1887. His poetry combines the oral tradition of the Welsh mountains with the rebellious romanticism of the early left-wing English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. At the National Eisteddfod, which has been recorded as being a cultural event since 1176, Ellis Humphrey won awards for his poetry in 1907, 1913, and 1915. His pen name Hedd Wyn (ray of light) was given to him at a poets' gathering in 1910. The farm cottage in which he was born Yr Ysgwrn , is now kept in its original condition and still contains the elaborately carved bardic chair he won at the 1917 Eisteddfod for his poem Yr Arwyr (The Hero). There s also a statue as a tribute to him in Trawsfyndd. Sir Thomas Herbert Parry-Williams, born at Rhyd-ddu, twice won the chair and crown at the National Eisteddfod, in 1912 and 1915 and is often described as the first Welsh-language modernist.

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J.W.Turner Paintings of Wales

Turner found numerous subjects in Wales for his paintings, notably castles. J.M.W. Turner certainly thought Criccieth romantic enough to include it as backdrop to his painting of storm wrecked mariners in 1836.

Other castles in Wales painted by Turner include Conwy Castle.

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