Sculpture of Fish on Lower Harbour, Fishguard, N Wales. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
Problem
I go to Fishguard every year to Writers' Holiday. From the Fishguard Bay Hotel on the top of the cliff at Goodwick you see the trains arriving below, bringing passengers from London and cars driving up to catch the ferry going off to Ireland.
If you stay in Fishguard at a b and b, three things you should do:
1 See the museum on the upper floor of the town hall (a green building on the central square), featuring the tapestry of how the indomitable Welsh women wearing red coats and tall black hats fought off and captured the French would-be invaders. A proud moment in history.
Fighting Welsh Women In The Tapestry
Creating the tapestry is a modern achievement - see the video of how they commissioned somebody to do the drawings. First, they had to research. It is not a myth but a true story, well documented. Who was the lady who led the Welsh women to march around and frighten the French?
Whether your interest is Wales, history, motivation and morale, art, embroidery, women's achievements, or project management, or negotiating prices, the story of the embroidery creation will interest you. The designer researched suitable scenes, the buildings still standing, checked characters and colours described in historical accounts.
Then each scene was drawn to size, with enough action or background to each scene in the entire square. The drawings were converted into stitches. They had to source the hessian backing, find matching embroidery silks at the right price, find embroiderers to do each section. Finally, stitch together all the scenes. Then mount the embroidery.
Later, of course, display lighting, preservation, security, opening ceremony, publicity, and finally making the video - which had either be filmed, started earlier, or involved going back to find the people and places.
Check museum opening times which vary seasonally. You have a library and town hall and a shop on the ground floor. If you can't see the tapestry, or if you can, allow time for the shop which has tourist literature as well as postcards and souvenirs of the tapestry.
Drive or Walk to Lower Fishguard
Around the edge of the bay you can walk past the old cottages and a tea room and shop to the sculpture at the end. Seagulls will follow you. If you stop to sit on a bench and admire the boarts in the bay, while you eat a sandwich, the birds will hop around your feet, watching, hoping for a crumb or two or more. Look up and see Fishguard Bay Hotel. Check the opening times of the bar and restaurant in Fishguard Bay Hotel.
Go up to have a drink or meal,or Welsh cake for tea, admire the view from the terrace at the front. Read about the movies of Moby Dick and Under Milk Wood by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (who visited and died in the USA) and about Liz Talyor and her husband (twice married to him) Welshman Richard Burton, who stayed at this hotel, and probably stood where you are standing, after they had filmed in the bay.
Fishguard Bay Hotel For Views and News Of History
2 Yes, go up to the Fishguard Bay hotel, where the terrace gives a lovely view on a fine day - longer hours of daylight in summer. From the bar or the tables by the window in the dining room you can look out over the bay. If you are in Fishguard just for one day or evening, go for a quick drink. If you are taking a holiday, go there for a birthday or celebration or first night or last night drink or meal.
Where do the passengers go? I've looked up Rosslare, and can't see much there.
Answer
I just spoke to a friend in London, whose family live in Cork. He said they used to drive regularly from London, along the M4 to Wales, up to Fishguard, stay overnight in a b and b. In the morning, they would catch the ferry across to Rosslare. They would not stop in Rosslare but drove straight across to Cork where they stayed at a b & b called Sea Breeze, nothing special about the decor, just friendly people who are their friends.
What is there to do in Cork? Mainly walks, rambles. The complete opposite to London.
You can imagine the walk around Cork. The crowds in Oxford Street in London. However, I must defend London. If you go to Cork and come back to London, looking for places for pleasant walks you will find them. The Japanese are impressed by London's parks. In the city centre, you have Green Park, Regents Park with the zoo and summer theatre in the park.
If you want to walk in London, there are many walks and the London Loop, which is signposted through parks and alleyways and pedestrian bridges and the old Grims's Dyke.
In Fishguard you can walk down from a car park to a promontory with ruins. See my previous posts on Fishguard for more information on places and more links.
Handy Websites
AA driving and routes
Ireland
Ferry
Wales
London
Britain
https://www.visitbritain.com/gb/en
Fishguard Bay hotel
tapestry
Writers Holiday
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
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