TENBY PORT GUIDE
Things to do
Caldey Island
is owned by Cistercian monks, and has
been inhabited since the Stone Age.
It’s a peaceful retreat from the hustle
and bustle of Tenby, with a pretty
village, monastery, tea rooms and a
network of paths winding through
woodland and cliff tops up to a
lighthouse. In the gift shop you can
buy shortbread baked in the monastery
and chocolate made on the island.
Only the licensed Caldey boats are
permitted to land on the island. Boat
trips run from Easter to October and
tickets are available from the kiosk at
the top of Tenby harbour.
http://www.caldey-island.co.ukTenby Museum and
Art Gallery
on Castle Hill is a ‘Tardis’ of local
history, geology and prehistory, and
the two galleries feature works by
Welsh artists Augustus John (who was
born in Tenby) and Kyffin Williams, aswell as many others. There’s dressing-
up for youngsters, plus quizzes and
trails. http://www.tenbymuseum.org.ukGhost walks and
smugglers’ tales
take place in Tudor Square as well as
old town tours, where you can learn
the history of the walls and the islands
of St Catherine’s and Caldey. From
here you can also book horse and
carriage rides.The Plantagenet
is Tenby’s oldest house, a delightful
13th Century building with a tearoom,
where former US president Jimmy
Carter is said to have eaten in the
1980s. http://www.plantagenettenby.co.ukSummer Spectacular
is a free family festival that takes place
every Sunday in the summer. There’s a
marquee, food, music and fireworks.Writers and artists
Tenby has attracted its fair share of
celebrities over the years. Former
residents include Robert Recorde, who
introduced the equals sign to
mathematics in the 16th century,
painters Gwen and Augustus John, and
author Dick Francis. Meanwhile,
notable visitors include Lord Nelsonand his mistress Emma Hamilton,
Henry Tudor and Oliver Cromwell.
Dylan Thomas lived half an hour away
in Laugharne, and gave his first Welsh
public reading of Under Milk Wood at
the Salad Bowl cafe, while authors
George Eliot, Beatrix Potter and Laurie
Lee all holidayed in the area. And Bill
Clinton visited during the 1990s.Harbour Brewery, where you can sample
the delights of Caldey Lollipop or North
Star ales to wash down your food from the
Tap Room restaurant upstairs.
We duck back through the walls into
Victorian Tenby and walk along the
promenade. The tide’s out now – ‘like
someone’s applied a fresh coat of paint,’
says Matt. We finish at crescent-shaped
North Beach, where Goscar Rock stands
sentinel. Augustus John, the Tenby-born
artist, knocked himself unconscious when
he dived off the rock aged 19 in the
summer of 1897, an incident that required
a lengthy convalescence and some say
stimulated his artistic development.
We’ve covered less than a mile, yet
between the narrow streets and vast
beaches, it feels like we’ve been exploring
for hours. There are so many adventures
to be had in Tenby that I’ve no doubt it will
draw tourists for centuries to come – and
hopefully a few more yachts, too.
Approach
If approaching Tenby from the east, a
rhumb line from Worms Head to Caldey
Island will keep you clear of the
Carmarthen Bay ranges, and you can
head for Tenby once past the yellow
Danger area buoy, DZ3. A straight line
from there to Castle Hill will keep you clear
of all the shallows, particularly Woolhouse
Rocks, which are marked by a south
cardinal buoy.
If coming from the west, be aware of the
Carmarthen and Manorbier ranges. The
ranges are closed at the weekend, at
which time passage from Milford Haven
is straightforward as long as you avoid
the overfalls at Linney Head and give
St Govan’s a wide berth.
As you approach Tenby, St Catherine’s
Island off Castle Hill will be become
obvious. Watch out for Sker Rock, just to
the east-southeast of it. The harbour lies
behind, with a breakwater extending
northwest from Castle Hill. Tenby
harbour dries completely at low water
and the beach extends beyond the
harbour wall.
Caldey Island is home to a
community of Cistercian monks –
a peaceful haven a short boat ride
away from the bustle of TenbyTake time to learn about Tenby’s pastThe town is abuzz with visitors in seasonAlamy