Talacharn - Laugharne Home of Dylan Thomas - WelshBloke Walking
Information about Talacharn/ Laugharne - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laugharne
The banks of this estuary of the Afon Taff lead us into the little town of Laugharne. Along the way is a little wooden resting point dedicated to Thomas's famous play "Under Milk Wood".
" .. You can hear the dew falling and the hushed town breathing. Only your eyes are unclosed to see the black and folded town fast and slow asleep and you alone can hear the darkest before dawn minutely dew grazed stir of the black dab filled sea where the Arethusa the Curlew and the Skylark, Zanzibar, Rhianon, the Rover, the Cormorant and the Star of Wales tilt and ride".
The play is set in the fictional Welsh town of Llareggub - a literary joke by Thomas, as spelled backward it reads "Bugger all". Most people believe that Llareggub was based on Laugharne, others say it was based on Cei Newydd (New Quay). It is worth noting that Llareggub and Laugharne share two things that Cei Newydd doesn't. An estuary, and a castle.
As we enter the town we pass an effigy of Laugharne's most famous son. His name is often mispronounced as "Dillon" instead of Dylan. Thomas said that when he first left Wales, he did try correcting people "for the first 5 or 600 times" before giving up.
As we walk up the tiny main street into town, we pass this singular building. Could this be the clocktower of Myfanwy Price's dreams?
I'm on my way to see where Dylan Thomas lived and worked and this little side street will take me there. This little shed used to be the garage belonging to the boathouse where Thomas lived. He adapted it to serve as his "writing shed", which remains very much as he left it.
Further down the lane is the boathouse itself. It's normally open to the public but unfortunately, it is at the moment, closed and access is gated off. The nearest we can get to it is peeking over the fence.
Now I'm making my way back to the High Street. If I follow the road to the outskirts of town, it will bring me to the church of St. Martins - Dylan's final resting place.
On our way, we pass this iconic pub - Browns Hotel - famous as one of Dylan's favourite watering holes. It's here that he spent many happy (if inebriated), hours with his wife and the love of his life, Caitlin.
Onward now to St. Martins. And here we are. The final resting place of Dylan Marlais Thomas. A simple wooden cross. And buried with him in the same grave is his wife and the love of his life, Caitlin.
" And death shall have no dominion.
Dead men naked they shall be one with the man in the wind and the west moon.
When bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone, they shall have stars at elbow and foot.
Though they go mad they shall be sane.
Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again.
Though lovers be lost love shall not.
And death shall have no dominion.
#dylanthomas #laugharne #wales #UnderMilkWood