Gwili Railway this Christmas
Gwili Railway events this Christmas
Santas Magical Steam Trains are running from 6 December at weekends up to 24 December at Gwili Railway near Carmarthen this Christmas Take your children on a great Santas Magical Steam Train ride as you travel from Bronwydd Arms Station. Rides start at 10.00 in the morning! Visit Gwili Railway website for more information. Here you can also read about the planned extension to the railway for 2015!
Prices start at £5 for babies and £9.00 for children up to age 15. It is recommended that you book in advance as the rides are very popular at this time of year.
If staying at Old Oak Barn pictured above in December the railway is only half an hour maximum away and this year promises to be lots of fun – quality gifts for each child, sherry and mince pies for adults, goodie bags plus live entertainment and of course Santa will be in attendance too!
Walking Wales
Walking Wales
These three videos show some great local walks near Old Oak Barn in Carmarthenshire. We have ordnance survey maps to borrow and lots of good ideas of where to go to get off the beaten track.
The first is around Laugharne
The second around Stackpole in Pembrokeshire
The third from Wisemans Bridge to Saundersfoot and beyond.
So put your walking boots on and get walking! You can always pop into Carmarthen to the local Cotswold outdoor shop to buy new boots! It is a great stockist of everything you may need if you too like the Big Outdoors.
Anna’s Welsh Zoo nr Tenby
Anna’s Welsh Zoo
30 minutes from Old Oak Barn near Tenby is Anna’s Welsh Zoo which is also known as Manor House Wildlife Park. It offers a very hands on experience in four “Zoonique Animal Walkthroughs” where you can get right up close for example to wallabies and lemurs.
When we visited in July 2014 we found the animals to be very contented and calm and were struck with the well thought out environment. It’s not perfectly tidy but the animals like the piles of random wood which has been left for a purpose. We loved the baby wallabies which we could almost touch inside their mother’s pouches. The baby meerkats were very humourous larking about in their family groups. Set in 52 organic acres there is lots to see and do.
These two amazing emus will greet you on arrival!
This rhino is not real but stands guard all the same.; young children will love the green lawns where some much loved trikes were in demand and our 2 year old grandson adored the willow tunnel.
The meerkats are comical to watch and don’t seem to mind an audience!
So apart from the rhinos, apes, zebras, oryx, tapirs, emus.camels and lamas etc there is lots to see and do. Currently under construction is a big undercover play area.
Visit annaswelshzoo for more details.
Broad Haven photos January 2014 © copyright Linda Lashford
Photos near Broad Haven in Pembrokeshire
Linda Lashford has taken some fantastic photos while staying at Puffin House this winter and is happy for me to pop some of them into this blog.
All photos are © copyright and are not to be reproduced from this blog.
Please have a look at her website for more information – although some of her work is based on images from this country much is inspired by her travels abroad.
Visitors to Puffin House will recognise some of the beach photos and certainly the landmark rock of Broad Haven beach itself.
The photo above is of Ceibwr and takes in a spectacular walk that includes the famous ‘Witches Cauldron’ and the picturesque National Trust headland and ends in the small welcoming town of Newport.
If you want to explore this part of Pembrokeshire too why not stay at Puffin House in Broad Haven and walk the Wales Coast Path yourself!
Pembrokeshire Events in 2014
Pembrokeshire Events in 2014
Events in Pembrokeshire this coming Spring and Summer are very varied. Have a look at the wide range of different events and activities being organised in a whole host of different venues across the county.
If music is what appeals then why not book tickets to see Phil Beer on 13 Feb at Martletwy at Burnetts Hill
Phil Beer is well known as being 50% of Show of Hands – a great West Country band.
Tickets are only £10 for the evening which starts at 7.30pm.
Pembrokeshire Fish Week 2014
Pembrokeshire Fish Week Festival is run by the Food Development Team within the Regeneration Department at Pembrokeshire County Council. If you would like to be involved in Pembrokeshire Fish Week which this year is being held on 28 June right through until 6 July then Puffin House would be a good choice of accommodation because it is so centrally situated in the county!
At the time of writing that week is still available and is priced at £450 for 7 nights. This is always a busy week with many locals fully involved for the entire 10 days or so. Plenty of opportunities to catch fish, cook fish, eat fish and enjoy fish!
Pembrokeshire Womens Festival 8/9 March 2014
Two days of fun, celebration and inspiration for women in Pembrokeshire with some great craft and pampering workshops, stalls, information, demonstrations, cafe, arts and music.
Raffle Tickets £1 in advance for FREE entry to daytime events.
Sat 8th from 6pm is The Vagina Monologues, supported by All Spice Singers. £5 including nibbles. Wine and food also available to buy.
March 8th and 9th
New photos of Old Oak Barn self catering holiday let in Carmarthenshire – open this winter for short breaks!
We have some great new photos of Old Oak Barn taken in November on a crisp sunny afternoon. They complement the new Old Oak Barn 360Virtual Tour which was taken on the same day.
The first photo shows how sunny the south facing patio is at any time of the year. The highly scented white jasmine was still in leaf and will need a good trim soon!
The photo above of the kitchen shows how spacious this room is. With two windows and a stable door it is always light and airy.
The large main room is a wonderful space to relax and enjoy company of friends and family. The hand crafted alder floor was sawn from timber grown in the woods on the farm. Wifi is available in every room and so far has been very reliable and visitors appreciate the fact this is included in the price.
Two bedrooms are more than comfortable and both are simply furnished too. Both have veluxes and high ceilings but are warm and cosy all year round with underfloor heating from the biomass boiler which uses sustainable wood we produce ourselves from managed woodlands either here or in Carmarthenshire or Pembrokeshire.
The delightful bathroom overlooks the shrubbery and down to the little stream at the back. In May you can almost smell the bluebells if the window is open. Warm floor to hop on after a shower or a bath is lovely and there is plenty of space in this room for extra bits and bobs.
The views from every room are magnificent and give an indication of the lovely rural setting of Old Oak Barn.
Down at the bottom of your private garden is a patch of lawn with a washing line and two small swings suitable for little ones. 
We are open all year round for holidays and short breaks including long weekends out of the main season. Currently we have a few days available between Christmas and New Year for those wanting to get away and discover Carmarthenshire for themselves, 26 December until 30 December – please phone.
We are very child friendly and can promise there are lots of good books, toys, games and puzzles for all ages. A small selection of DVDs and CDs is also available.
Walk the Wales Coast Path in 2014!
Wales Coast Path
The Wales Coast Path is proving to be a great asset to the Welsh tourist industry and visitors to Wales have increased in numbers since it opened.
Wales Coast Path at Strumble Head in Pembs © Crown copyright (2012) Visit Wales
Both Old Oak Barn and Puffin House are well situated for those who want to walk the path. A few years ago we had visitors from England who stayed in each property while they undertook their mammoth walk around the entire coastline of the UK. Each day their planned route took them between 10 and 20 miles on the path before a bus ride back to base! This required some imagination and creative planning and of course oodles of patience.
Stay at Old Oak Barn or Puffin House to walk the coast path in 2014!
If you are wanting to holiday in Wales next year and are looking for a base from which to walk the Wales Coast Path then come and stay in one of our self catering holiday lets. We are open for short breaks now until Easter. Please phone 01994230716 for more information. If we don’t know the answer to your query we shall point you in the direction of someone who does!
Wales Coast Path TV series this Autumn features some of Pembrokeshire’s special places!
A new programme on tonight and every Thursday about the Pembs Coast Path
Click on the above to see what’s on in the new series which visitors to Puffin House in Broad Haven will be interested in no doubt!
The Wales Coast Path
You won’t ever get lost!
Why is it so special? Watch the programme to find out!
With its dazzling beaches and secret coves, the Pembrokeshire coastline is the programme reveals a recognised gem within the Welsh tourism industry and is rated as one of the top two coastal destinations in the world. Last year when the Wales Coast Path was officially opened a fresh wave of praise and appreciation came its way!
But for the many different people who live and work along the stunning coastline of Britain’s only coastal national park, life here is more than just about beach holidays and weekend breaks as this new BBC Wales series is about to reveal.
Little Haven in Pembrokeshire is popular with our visitors to Puffin House in Broadhaven and has a charm all of its own and is featured in the series!
5 top tourist attractions near Old Oak Barn in Carmarthenshire
Recommended tourist attractions in Carmarthenshire
Oakwood Theme Park
Oakwood Theme Park
Oakwood Theme Park
Stay at Old Oak Barn near St Clears or Puffin House in Broad Haven while you go to Oakwood – always a great day out in Wales!
Oakwood Theme Park is putting on some special Half Term events in October.
Sunday 27th October
to
Thursday 31st October
Including:
The Ghost of Skull Rock Show with Live Actors, Laser Show and more!
Spooky 3D LIVE!
Oakwood Theme Park is open throughout the year although limited in winter.