Fishguard guards the Western end of Wales. Trains arrive from the London direction in time to co-ordinate with the ferries sailing to Ireland. Early in the 1900s Fishguard was planned to be the main port for ships to sail to America. WWI put paid to that idea. Now ships sail from Southampton in England. But the ferries to Ireland are still running regularly. The Bay itself has been the setting for two major films, Moby Dick and Under Milk Wood.
Dylan Thomas, the Welsh poet, wrote Under Milk Wood. It was read by Richard Burton who stayed at the Fishguard Bay Hotel. Read all about the films in cuttings by the bar of the hotel.
The Fishguard By hotel on the headland looks over the bay. The dining room and most of the front bedrooms enjoy views over the sea. If you don't get a bedroom with a view you can sit outside on the front terrace. It's a popular spot for weddings.
I was woken at 5.30 a. m by what I thought was an alarm clock. It wasn't mine. Nobody turned it off. I wondered if it was a fire alarm.
When I got up and looked out of the window to try to track down the source of the noise, I realise it came from birds, seagulls.The big birds perch on top of the building and on the window ledges. You are warned not to go out leaving windows open. The black cat which tries to walk into the hotel's ground floor public rooms does not frighten off the seagulls. The birds are big and bold. So is the cat.
Other visitors recommended taking the walk along the cliffs. Up a staircase to the left of the hotel. You can also walk from the hotel downhill to a fish and chip the away shop. Drive or take a bus to the ton hall in Fishguard shopping area (very small) to see the 'Bayeux tapestry which celebrates the local visitors by aides in national dress who fooled invading sailors into thinking the Welsh women were soldiers. Watch the video first. The town hall exhibition is open to the public Monday to Thursday.
Food
The dining room food organised for our conference was copious. Although we had two course meals, we were never hungry. At dinner we enjoyed salmon, chicken with mustard, pork and apple, traditional vegetables and potatoes. A vegetarian option is available. For desserts, on one occasion I chose apple pie and custard - and cream; on another occasion I had cheesecake with fruit topping.
Breakfast included porridge, two sorts of eggs and sausages and grilled tomatoes and bacon and baked beans. Plus brown and white hot toast with butter and apricot jam, strawberry jam or marmalade.
Staff are very obliging and the women wear pretty blouses, especially when there's a wedding.
The wifi hotspots are near the receiving centre which is in reception. So in the seats opposite reception, on the landings up the stairs - quite usable if three or four of you are there, and in bedrooms at the reception end of the corridor.
Fishguard Bay Hotel
Quay Road
Fishguard
Pembrokeshire
Wales
www.fishguardbayhotel.co.uk
You can also read about the hotel on TripAdvisor and booking websites.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
Dylan Thomas, the Welsh poet, wrote Under Milk Wood. It was read by Richard Burton who stayed at the Fishguard Bay Hotel. Read all about the films in cuttings by the bar of the hotel.
The Fishguard By hotel on the headland looks over the bay. The dining room and most of the front bedrooms enjoy views over the sea. If you don't get a bedroom with a view you can sit outside on the front terrace. It's a popular spot for weddings.
I was woken at 5.30 a. m by what I thought was an alarm clock. It wasn't mine. Nobody turned it off. I wondered if it was a fire alarm.
When I got up and looked out of the window to try to track down the source of the noise, I realise it came from birds, seagulls.The big birds perch on top of the building and on the window ledges. You are warned not to go out leaving windows open. The black cat which tries to walk into the hotel's ground floor public rooms does not frighten off the seagulls. The birds are big and bold. So is the cat.
Other visitors recommended taking the walk along the cliffs. Up a staircase to the left of the hotel. You can also walk from the hotel downhill to a fish and chip the away shop. Drive or take a bus to the ton hall in Fishguard shopping area (very small) to see the 'Bayeux tapestry which celebrates the local visitors by aides in national dress who fooled invading sailors into thinking the Welsh women were soldiers. Watch the video first. The town hall exhibition is open to the public Monday to Thursday.
The dining room food organised for our conference was copious. Although we had two course meals, we were never hungry. At dinner we enjoyed salmon, chicken with mustard, pork and apple, traditional vegetables and potatoes. A vegetarian option is available. For desserts, on one occasion I chose apple pie and custard - and cream; on another occasion I had cheesecake with fruit topping.
Breakfast included porridge, two sorts of eggs and sausages and grilled tomatoes and bacon and baked beans. Plus brown and white hot toast with butter and apricot jam, strawberry jam or marmalade.
Staff are very obliging and the women wear pretty blouses, especially when there's a wedding.
The wifi hotspots are near the receiving centre which is in reception. So in the seats opposite reception, on the landings up the stairs - quite usable if three or four of you are there, and in bedrooms at the reception end of the corridor.
Fishguard Bay Hotel
Quay Road
Fishguard
Pembrokeshire
Wales
www.fishguardbayhotel.co.uk
You can also read about the hotel on TripAdvisor and booking websites.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
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