Kidwelly Voyage Tips and guide

Kidwelly (Welsh: Cydweli) is a small town in Carmarthenshire, South Wales in the United Kingdom. It has a population of 3500 people (in 2011), and its major attraction is a well-kept 12th-century castle.

Understand

Local information

Kidwelly Town Council website

Get in

51°44′10″N 4°18′22″W

Map of Kidwelly

By road follow M4 past Swansea to Hendy then A4138. Use A476 to swing around Llanelli then B4308 into the village.

Trains from Swansea run hourly, taking 45 min via Llanelli and Pembrey & Burry Port, and continue for another 20 min to Carmarthen. Some of these come from Manchester Piccadilly via Cardiff, heading for Fishguard (for ferries to Ireland) or Milford Haven.

51.7344-4.31741 Kidwelly station is stop-on-demand, you need to alert the conductor to be set down, and flag down approaching trains to be picked up. Neither requires frantic exertion, it's a routine occurrence for them. Kidwelly is a simple platform halt with no ticket office or machines, buy on board if your journey starts here. There is step-free access to both platforms.

Bus X11 runs hourly M-Sa from Swansea, taking 2 hours via Llanelli and Burry Port, continuing to Carmarthen. Bus 111 nowadays only runs as far as Llanelli. Boot & Shoe pub is the main bus stop, as shown on timetables. It's mid-village just north of the river bridge.

Get around

See

51.73961-4.3069791 Kidwelly Castle, ☏ +44 1554 890104. Kidwelly Castle is a twelfth century Norman fort overlooking the town. Although it has not been lived in since the seventeenth century, the castle is in good condition and visitors can climb up many of the towers and walk along the walls. The castle is about 1 and a half km from the station.
51.73677-4.306422 Parish Church. A typical example of a Norman parish church.

Do

Go to the races at 51.7311-4.239981 Ffos Las racecourse, Ffos Las Racecourse Trimsaran Carmarthenshire SA17 4DE, ☏ +44 1554 811092, [email protected]. Completed in 2009, this is a mixed (Flat and jumps) racecourse, near Kidwelly. Holding various events through the year, it was the first new National Hunt venue in the UK for 80 years. (updated Jan 2019)
51.74049-4.2414772 Glyn Abbey Golf Club, Trimsaran, ☏ +44 1554 810278. Trimsaran, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire. Features a 6202 year 18 hole par 70 main course for experienced players and a 9 hole par 3 course for beginners
Culla Park Paintball, Culla Rd, Trimsaran, ☏ +44 1554 811181.

Buy

There are no major retail stores in Kidwelly apart from an average sized Co-op, Spar convenience store and Travis Perkins. There is a local flower shop.

Eat

51.73695-4.3078721 Time for Tea, 7 Bridge Street, ☏ +44 1554 892908. tea rooms
51.733935-4.3155062 The Anthony's, 114 Hillfield Villas. public house.

Drink

51.740942-4.3069861 Mason Arms, 37 Water Street, ☏ +44 1554 892929. a thatched roof pub just a short walk away from Kidwelly Castle. The new, friendly owners insist the pub is over 700 years old and haunted with over two dozen friendly spirits. Enquire about Friday evening seances. Welsh ales by the Felinfoel brewery on draught and meals until 9PM.

Sleep

Llygad yr Haul, Llygad yr Haul, Meinciau, ☏ +44 771 889 7495. Beautiful luxury spacious bungalow with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Ten minutes from the Ffos Las racecourse. Sleeps eight. Sky and WI-FI internet.

Go next

This city travel guide to Kidwelly is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.