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Opening times

10.00 am to 6.00pm in summer. (Period when clocks set to BST)

10.00am to sunset in winter. (Period when clocks set to GMT)

School Holidays we are open 7 days a week, except Dec 25th, 26th and Jan 1st.

Summer BST (outside school holidays) 6 days a week. Closed on Tuesdays.

Winter GMT (outside school holidays) 5 days a week. Closed on Sundays and Tuesdays.

Entry is FREE. Parking is FREE until further notice.

(Bad mistake that, because permanently FREE entry means that we cannot advertise in the County Council's discount brochure!) 

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If you would like to contact us for campsite/group bookings, enquiries, or any other reason, please contact us at the following:

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The following demonstrations and courses are offered as informal 'fun' activities. - In this context 'course' implies individuals or  groups of people sharing enjoyment of a common interest in a progressive way, rather then working towards a formal qualification. During the 'course' you will experience several aspects of the interest followed, and where relevant share in the use of our equipment. Advance booking is required for items 5 and 7,8 and 10-12. The quality of the course is likely to improve with the amount of warning we get, but we hope to be able to run enjoyable 'emergency' courses at 24 hrs notice in most subject areas.

 
 
* As likely 'students' will be on holiday, the length of a course will be tailored to the length of your stay in the area and your expectations of the course. It will also depend on the number of  participants. As this is the first year of courses, and as a rough guide, we are hoping to charge £20 an hour for our time regardless of numbers, but numbers will be limited by the availability of space and equipment. If there are 4 students each will pay £5.00 towards our time, plus any consumables. For some courses we may have to charge for preparation time, but we will let you know before we start.

^Advanced warning required. Normally at least 24 hrs, but beyond that the longer the warning the better the course - we hope!

Safety policies

We care about your safety and try to protect you from all hazards. Please tell us if you see problems which we have missed.

We produce risk assessments which are inspected  by the County Council.

Our fire procedures are displayed in the shop.

Our Kitchen is inspected by the County Council, and we have a Food Standards Agency bronze food hygiene award , which is the highest category available to an organisation of this size. 

As we do not employ staff we are not obliged to carry out COSSH assessments. However, with members of the public on site, and the prospect of work experience students etc. we have now assessed nearly all substances we use, both in public areas and elsewhere.  Having made the assessment we endeavour to replace chemicals seen as posing a risk with safer chemicals. The small scale of our operation means that most risks are negligible, though of course we are not  complacent and monitor changes in our own use, and also scientific developments which may identify risk from substances previously though to be safe.

Our wiring has been installed and inspected by qualified electricians, and portable equipment is  regularly PAT tested.

Our fire extinguishers are professionally serviced every year.  

We work with our vet to ensure the health and well being of our animals.

When we manufacture a new product and perceive a potential hazard we seek advice from Trading Standards as to whether we need to change the product, or use an appropriate form of labeling. Trading standards also periodically test our china for lead content.

Our campsite is inspected annually by the Camping and Caravan Club.

Safety Advice

Following well publicised cases in which visitors to other open farms have become ill after coming into contact with farm animals we must ask you NOT TO TOUCH THE ANIMALS here at Glyn-Coch.

You must wash your hands before eating, and as a sensible precaution you are advised also to wash your hands before leaving.

We make every effort to ensure that our animals are healthy, and to minimise the risk.

Please watch your children at all times as farms can be dangerous places.

Leaflets describing various features of Glyn-Coch are available (free) in the shop. Each leaflet includes a short safety advice section. There is also a Safety leaflet which includes the safety advice from each activity leaflet.

Please observe all safety signs or other advice given by us. We protect you from some hazards by roping them off, or by erecting hurdles etc.. Please do not move, or cross such barriers.

Please hold on to handrails when provided.

Please do not enter any of the red painted farm buildings without asking us first.

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This is the section where we will tell you news about Glyn-Coch and its products.

Date	News
6th August 2005	The New Improved Glyn-Coch Website is finally up and running after several months hard work! If you have any comments or queries on the layout or style of the website, please don't hesitate to Contact Us!
7th August 2005	Plans for a 'shopping basket' on the new website are announced. For more information, please don't hesitate to Contact Us!
Current...	Thelma and Huw are attending Welsh lessons, so if you visit us and are Welsh speaking, don't forget to test how good they are!!
Soon...	Thelma and Jean's new china design is announced!
10th August 2005	Plans for a dvd/video promoting Glyn-Coch and it's surrounding area are announced. For more information, Contact Us
11th August 2005	The Dragon's Corner Page has been added! Here you can see photos of dragons that have been painted by past visitors, see dragons you painted here, and even read stories about the Glyn-Coch Dragon Community!
3rd of September 2005	Sian and Brett met over four years ago now, and they get married today!
12th September 2005	Toys Page added. Plans for a members section of our website announced.
December 2005	Happy Christmas all!! And a happy new year!
1st January 2005	Happy New Year!!
2nd Febuary 2005	New stock in the shop! New Display cabinets and new designs of china announced.
Feb 2006
Feb 2007	Thelma and Wendy start producing Thelwen Art China. Fancy earthenware with super glazes. Ornaments in style of Moorcroft etc.
	Thelwen pendants, brooches etc
Feb 2008	Artificial fleece ponchos
August	10 years since contracts signed with our predecessors to plant trees on Woodland Walk
	Needle felting kits introduced
27th July 2008	Owain and Emily Married
January 2009	Woodcocks turned up in big freeze up. (Jean said they used to be common here, is present scarcity due to global warming?)
8th February 2009	New host and server. Repair broken links. Set up links to e-bay. Set up basic shop.
7th March 2009	First lamb born. A very small ewe lamb - only 2.5kg - so a bit of gentle intensive care required, but the lamb is very determined, and her mother is doing a good job.
9th March 2009	Mobile phone navigation page added to website.
	Thelma working with Wendy on a book on needle felting.
9th March 2009	Lamb beginning to skip around. Only protection from draughts, a heat lamp and generous bedding has been required so far. No additional feeding, or non routine medicines. A bit nerve racking at times, but lovely to see her so perky! The rest of the flock very pregnant now, and lying about most of the time between feeds, which can be quite dangerous for the shepherd, as all this lying about gives them plenty of energy to fight for their food!
10th March 2009	Oxslip and daughter! (b 7th March 09 Weight 2.5 kg) Sorry about the framing, she was skipping around too much! I'm turning off the heat lamp during the day, now, as the sun shines into that end of the barn. Last year lambing started later, and I had to put up sun shades as the ewes were overheating.
20th March 2009	Oxlip and daughter are thriving, they have now moved to a group pen where the lambs can play together, and learn to be a proper flock, with their mothers seeing fair play. We had an even smaller lamb the other day, and I was very pleased to get her through the first night. She was doing really well, but when I went to check on them the next night she was missing. I found her eventually in the water bucket. Apparently she had skipped just too high and fallen in and drowned. It seemed so unfair, and we all felt really miserable, but the rest of the flock keep us going. Her twin brother is fine though. Another ewe gave birth to triplets, and we are trying to help her to raise all three. Our vet has reported a higher then usual incidence of mastitis in the region, and also of foot rot. Both diseases are on the increase because of last year's cold wet summer, and are almost certainly a sign of the problems farmers will get as established climate patterns break down in the face of global warming. We are not immune from these disease trends, and have two ewes recovering from mastitis, while we struggle to keep their lambs going with round the clock bottle feeding. Hopefully the mums will recover well enough to resume their maternal duties soon. This will also mean that they can move on to the group pen, and release badly needed lambing pens. Lambing is hard work, especially in a small flock as we have to do everything ourselves. Ewes tend to lamb in daylight, but small lambs are most vulnerable at night, so we have to be up 24 hours a day for 6 weeks, with only snatches of sleep. (Makes me really glad I'm not a junior hospital doctor!) But in spite of the problems sheep always come up with surprises. I was in the lambing pens in the small hours last night when I heard a loud swishing noise - what could it be? I looked in the group pen - nothing doing, the ewes and lambs looked up at me with angelic expressions - so I went down to the pen where the yearling ewes are. They were obviously having a teenage party, charging round and round the pen, and jumping over each other, like some mad dance! The swishing noise was made by their hooves whizzing through the bedding. They were obviously enjoying themselves.
2nd April	Nearly a month, with no more then 3 hrs continuous sleep, and no more then 6 hours in 24 - the hospital job is beginning to sound more attractive! The good news is that the first lot of lambs (and their mothers) have just had their first trip out doors. And what a beautiful day they had. Bright warm sunshine all day. 6 lambs went out today, and we have 8 younger ones in the barn. Most of the ewes in old Hugh's group and those of one of the young rams have now lambed, but we are waiting for the group served by the other young ram. One of his has already lambed, and there are another two who are clearly on the way, but the others are keeping us guessing. But they can't go on for more then 2 weeks now. We hope he didn't miss any! Meanwhile, the improvements to our toilet block have made progress. A suitably qualified friend came down for a couple of days 'holiday' and helped install the shower and water heater. He's back home now, and I spent part of today assembling the shower cubicle. On the craft front, Thelma is off to Cardiff tomorrow to deliver a batch of china she has decorated for the Castle. She has also just collected her and Wendy's Needle Felting book from the printers. (If you are interested, it is A5 soft-back and contains full instructions for 6 different projects, complete with over 20 colour pictures and is available from Thelma for £4.95 + postage.)  The Castle contract had been discussed for about 3 years, but the recession means that the home tourist industry is expecting to win some custom back from the cut price airlines, so we got the Castle order among several others in January. We are getting quite a lot of bookings for our camp site, and we hear that hotels in Cornwall, and South Wales honey-pot villages are already booked up for the season. It is time that we had a good year, the last 2 or 3 have been pretty grim, with one local Business Chamber saying that last summer was the worst for 30 years, and even the National Parks complaining of declining visitor numbers. It is such a pity, as we have world class scenery, wonderful beaches and wildlife, a great variety of tourist attractions, and very friendly communities here.  Even the weather is a lot better then you might think from our wonderful weather forecasts. I think that they have decided that Wales only consists of land over 1000 feet facing west. At the moment we (in our Presceli Hills rain shadow) are in our usual spring and early summer drought. Last week the Met Office, the BBC, Weather Channel, and Metcheck all forecast heavy rain at 4.00pm one day for our post code, so I abandoned more important jobs and gave the mower a clean. As it had not rained, I then spend 2 hours cutting grass, and the only moisture was me sweating! There was some mist later on that night, but no heavy rain.
6th April	Still waiting for the other ewes to lamb, and I was wrong about having only a fortnight more to go. I've checked the records, and apparently 28th April is the last possible date.  Most of the lambs we have been feeding are now old enough for us to drop some of the feeds, so we can go back to three feeds a day. So the 4.00am visit to the barn will only be to check that lambs have not got into trouble, and that no ewes are lambing, and then back to bed after only about 30mins. Luxury!
9th April	Another ewe has lambed! Unfortunately she had three tiny and very frail looking triplets - so we may well be back to 5 feeds a day. However she is a healthy and well built ewe, and is doing  a very good job so far. The weather is going through an unseasonable wet spell, but even today the ewes with the older lambs were out for 4 hours rather week sunshine.
16th April	Progress has been made! The shower in the toilet block is now fully operational. Campers please note! On the craft side Thelma had a very successful day at a craft show in Carmarthen last Saturday. She and Wendy obviously made the right decision to make ceramic buttons, and they sold like hot cakes on their very first showing. Lambing still going on. The older group of lambs are now out every day, and we are just waiting for a mild dry night to let them stay out permanently. The younger lambs are getting too big for the individual pens and can't wait much longer for their cousins to vacate the large group pen! The newer triplets are still relying solely on their mother for feed, refusing to have anything to do with a bottle. It is fascinating to watch their mother managing them, ensuring that each gets the right amount of milk from only two teats. My problem is to adjust her feed to suit her changing needs, as the lambs make bigger demands on her.
18th April	Great news! The senior lamb group are out tonight for the very first time. They looked very confused when I fed them in the field, but I think they'll get over it. The grass is growing really well (thanks to some early fertilizer) for this time of year, so hopefully they will now get off to a really good start. The new triplets are still doing fine, and I'm starting to wean the older triplets - introducing solid food (in addition to hay, and what they steal from their mother) as a first step. Thelma is very busy assembling peg loom kits and felting sheep brooches ready for WonderWool Wales at the Royal Welsh Show Ground in Builth Wells next weekend, and the rest of us started washing down the caravan, which she and Wendy will be living in on the show ground. Yesterday we ran the first Children's pottery activity Birthday Party of the season, and the day before we were visited by the first coach party of the year. For more information on organising your own event here contact us.
25th April	Great news! Our last lamb was born today, and is a good sized, and healthy little ram. He brings the score up to a nice round 20 lambs this year. The three remaining ewes show no sign of lambing, and with only 3 days left of the normal gestation period, I don't think that they will lamb now, so have put them in a pen with the yearlings. They can now go onto a normal maintenance ration, which will probably improve their digestion - and our cash flow - while we try to work out what went wrong. Our management seems to have been OK this year as, in spite of a couple of small lambs, all have been healthy, so either these three ewes are barren, or the rams didn't perform.  WONDER WOOL WALES. What a fantastic show. Thelma and Wendy are having a wonderful time - everyone is very friendly and enthusiastic about sheep, wool and the associated crafts. Our peg looms are selling well, and among other things the bone china Welsh Lady Spinner mugs are really shifting. The best news is that the hand made buttons are going really well. We have even had some trade interest, which is really reassuring when we launch a new product. They would not be interested if we had got carried away with enthusiasm and our offering was less then perfect. If you want to get to our stand you had better hurry, tomorrow 26th April is the last day. So get to the Royal Welsh Showground at Builth Wells now! The Glyn-Coch stand is in Glamorgan Hall number J5  If you are unable to get to the show, we would be delighted to meet you here (we are open all year), or at the Crafts from Carmarthenshire shows. Or you could telephone or e-mail us. The Welsh Lady mugs are also on sale at the Cardiff Castle gift shop among other places.
8th May	Lamb triplets are always a problem as ewes only have two teats. In large flocks the smaller lamb is usually given to a ewe who has only one lamb, or who has lost a lamb, but this is only successful if carried out immediately after birth, and before the foster mother has counted her own lambs! In small flocks this is not usually possible. Normally one would take one lamb away and bottle feed it, but then the lamb would have no family when it went out to grass. I prefer to keep families together, even if it means bottle feeding all three, as happened with our older set of triplets this year because the mother also had a mild case of mastitis. As she was not really feeding the lambs I wondered whether she would  really look after them when they went out to grass, so it was nice to see her trotting after her lambs, and bleating just as anxiously as any human parent who's children were running riot in the supermarket, as the little blighters raced off across the field with their friends.
17th May	On the 6th one of our poplars fell against the railway fence so we had to cut it up and carry it away. It was 36ft tall, so it was a bit of job, especially as the ground is too wet to get a tractor anywhere near. For the last few days one of its neighbours has gradually been leaning further and further towards the fence, and this could cross onto railway land, so today (with the weather forecast wet and windy for the next few days) I decided that the time had come to bring it down. Another hand job, but this tree was only 33ft. Wouldn't be nice to have a team to help! The younger set of triplets are amongst the last group to go out to grass. Their mother 'Marsh Marigold' has been insisting on feeding them all herself, and it was fascinating to watch her making the two bigger lambs fight for the teat on one side, while letting the smaller one have the other teat to herself. After a few days she allowed a free for all, but now they are going out to grass for the day the bigger lambs are eating grass, while the little one is never more then a few feet from her.  This morning I checked how they were getting on, and she seems to have acquired a fourth lamb! What a mother! Thelma is busy reorganising the pottery, so that visitors can see the projects that they can do, more easily. It looks very neat, not at all like us! However it should make it much easier for me to explain to you lot when she is away!
3/6/09	Sorry, what a month! Bad weather early on meant that the smaller lambs (and their mothers) had to be walked backed to the barn every night for much longer then I had planned, and then just when everything had settled down we had that week of unusually heavy rain, so I had to put the trailer in the field to provide life saving shelter at night. Since then it has been so hot that the lambs continue to need the trailer for the shade. Bad news for visitors who have to cope with the pot-holes on the drive as I can't mend them 'till I have the trailer back. Still, cooler weather is forecast, so hopefully I will get the trailer back and can set to work on the potholes. It never rains, but it pours! We had the water bill today. Apparently there is a small leak on our water main - on our neighbour's land , but on our side of the water meter. It looks like a lot of diplomacy and heavy digging may be called for, if we are to save the family fortune. (Ha Ha) Good news though. We were invited to visit the Llanelli Tourist Information Centre early this week, and it appears that they will be stocking some of our felt sheep brooches and Welsh regional costume peg doll kits later this summer. They were also impressed by the china that we sold to Cardiff Castle, and may want to buy some of the twisted handle Welsh Spinner mugs. Some more good news. The china transfers of the  blue cockerel design have come back from the printers. In the 19th century cockerels featured in many china designs in France where the bird is the national emblem. In the early 20th century it was taken up in Wales, and a very famous version was produced by the Llanelli pottery. A decade ago the Pugh Brothers' Department Store in Llanelli commissioned Glyn-Coch Designs to produce a Jubilee(?) version. Since then both Pugh Brothers and Glyn-Coch Designs have closed, so when a well known china shop in LLanelli were asked for this china they asked us to produce a new version. We found about a dozen versions from all over Europe, including the Llanelli pottery and Glyn-Coch Designs versions, produced a list of features which were common to all of them, and then asked Jean to design a new version. Her paintings, as ever, were wonderful, and it's the transfers of her paintings which have now arrived. We are starting to decorate china with these designs now, and hope that they will be available to you very soon.  Train spotters might be interested to hear that Oliver Cromwell will be pulling the Pembrokeshire Coast Express past us on Sunday 28th of June this year. The train will be pulled backwards past us at about 30 miles and hour at lunch time (possibly between 1.00 and 1.30) and at tea time (possibly between 4.00 and 4.30) will return at 75 miles an hour - steam hauled. Some reasonable views can be had from our tea garden and from the Woodland Walk and all are welcome. For more information see www.railwaytouring.co.uk .or watch this space! I'm sorry that I can't be more specific about the times as the timetable is a little flexible, and we have to guess the time it takes to get here from wherever the nearest advertised stop is. However the wait for the train is always exciting, and can be quite a social occasion! If you find a quiet spot on the Woodland Walk it can also be a good time for observing the wildlife. The campsite has been doing well, though. One camper liked it so much that they came back the following week, and invited  friends to visit them. Both couples have booked to come later on. If you would like to join them we still have a few vacancies for most of the summer, But hurry up and let us know you are coming. This hot weather is always good for business! Anyway, now the summer is here why not come and see us, or send us an e-mail about anything you like!
8/7/9	Sorry to have been neglecting my duties for so long. However, as usual things have been hectic. Poor weather after turning the lambs out meant that they needed to be brought back into the barn on severe nights, and needed filed shelters that needed moving around to preserve the grass. A relatively minor job, but they all add to the routine Just when all that was over we had unusually hot weather, so sun shades and extra water had to be carted around. Hay making was an anxious time, as usual. We had to hoped to cut our own hay with the 50 year old Massey-Ferguson (enthusiasts will recognise the significance of the hyphen) finger bar mower. Although an old fashioned machine suited to traditional hay making this machine can be used on our very small tractor, and is easier to use in our small fields then those modern machines used by our neighbours. However we needed to replace part of the square section PTO shaft, but after an extensive search by our local dealer failed we reverted to neighbour power! After finding a 10 day clear forecast for the post code area we rang David. Just like last year the local (postcode) forecast changed the moment the hay was cut, with severe weather warnings within 5 days. Intensive turning was required, and the old Fella Centipede started off well. However, just after doing the headlands of the second field the number 3 star collapsed, which resulted in a rather unconventional technique being used for the remainder of the season.  After continuous turning the hay was just about ready on the evening of day 4 and I phoned David. No answer! Then someone heard a baler working in his direction - so I thought, great, I'll go over and see if he can do our few bales when he has finished. And then the rain started. Two days later the top of the hay looked brown, and rotten, but turning, very gently, revealed that quite a lot had survived. And for the next few days we turned once a day between the showers. Fortunately it was very hot, so in spite of heavy rain not too much damage was done. Eventually we had a completely dry day, turned twice, called David, and that evening hauled in about 230 bales. About 20 heavy headland bales were left out in small stacks,  and collected in over the next couple of days, having had the benefit of some more sun and wind.  The usual round of craft shows is keeping Thelma busy, Aberglassney being the current project. She is helping organise a display there including about a dozen other exhibitors from Crafts from Carmarthenshire for a fortnight. She is also revising her crocheting skills, with the idea of eventually producing some crochet kits for sale in our shop. Watch this space! On the china front, the cockerel design looks wonderful, and is now available at George Lewis's shop in Llanelli, as well as direct from us. But isn't it wonderful that after a hundred years this traditional design is still being sold in the town that it famous throughout the UK.
9/7/9	On 28th June the historic Britannia Class 70013 Oliver Cromwell pulled the Pembs. Coast Express past here. To see the event click here. For a preview of the new cockerel design china click here.
12/8/9	Since publishing the link to the steam loco video (above) I have had a very strange phone call from someone who seemed to think that the railway line went through the campsite! Can I reassure potential campers that it doesn't. And no camper has complained about railway noise since the site opened almost 9 years ago. Most extend their stay or come again. So as far as I can tell, they must  enjoy  their stays here. Last week we had a visit from someone who had seen the line on the map, and needed reassurance. They came, and said that they were enjoying their stay and had not been disturbed by the railway, which is in a shallow cutting about 1/4 mile from the campsite and masked by trees and buildings. I'd better change the subject before you start to think that I "protest too much"! In the spring we installed a shower in the toilet block because of demand from caravanners. Since its been there we have noticed an increase in the number of tents and trailer tents on the site, and their owners have been making use of the shower. Obviously with all new facilities we worry about whether we chose the right system etc. but it is nice to find that everyone asked seems to be enjoying its use.  Good news for those who have struggled up our 'well worn' drive recently. I have spent much of the last couple of weeks restoring the gulleys that take water off the road, so now, at least, further deterioration should be much slower. Yesterday I started concreting  the pot holes and will continue while the weather holds. On the craft side the Blue Cockerel design china is selling really well  A friend visited George Lewis's display in Llanelli, and we were flattered to hear that our china is displayed next to Portmeirion china. If you are in the area, go and have a look! Wholesale customers can come and see us at The South Wales Gift Show at Margam Park between Sunday 13th September and Tuesday 16 September. If you would like to sell our products give as a ring on 01994 23867 or e-mail us for details. (Entrance is by invitation only) This well established show includes many of the best UK gift wholesalers and manufacturers together with many specialist firms and craft businesses like ourselves. It is a very friendly show held in the beautiful Orangery, and in the breaks between commerce you can explore the ancient monastery, the deer parks, water features and grand house (if open) with its stunning views over Swansea Bay and the surrounding wooded hills. I will be creating a new page about our stand at the show, shortly. For the rest of you, we will be exhibiting at Wonderwool Wales at the Royal Welsh Showground in April.
	Hi. The weather has been terrible, but in spite of that the campsite has been fairly full. We haven't been able to cut the grass for a month, but have had good weather today and yesterday, and have been able to catch up a little. The site entrance and 2 of the hookup pitches are nearly back to normal, the rest of the site is occupied. The wildlife is doing Ok as well. The swallows in the Nissen hut have reared 2 broods this year, having failed last year. The butterflies have made up for lost time with a many species taking advantage of the buddleia that grows over the pottery wall. I've even managed to get a reasonable picture of a common blue! The crafts are doing well and some lovely pots have been made by visitors to the pottery. Thelma is taking the craft stall to a Garden Party at Llanybydder at the weekend. If you want to know where we'll be after that look at our  Exhibitions and shows page. Finally, you won't notice, but I've installed a Stats package on the website, so now I know what an international lot you are! Now I need to know whether this site is useful to you when you visit it from abroad. I don't think that it would be practical to provide translations of everything into all your home languages, but I'm sure that there will be some things that I can do to help. Please tell me what you think.
25/1/2010	Sorry not to have written for a while, but with an extremely wet autumn and the snow since Christmas we have had plenty to do. (We had to bring the sheep indoors just after Christmas as there was so much snow that I couldn't tell how much of the food I was giving then they were actually eating. So the poor things are getting fed up with a dry diet indoors while I am desperately hoping for a RELIABLE forecast of settled weather so that they can go out again. Needless to say the indoor routine is a lot more time consuming then when they are outdoors.) Thelma is madly preparing for the TRADE SHOW at Margam Park next weekend. The first day for trade buyers is Sunday and we pack up on Tuesday. I am sure that everyone will want to go to this wonderful show and if you contact us we will make sure that you get an invitation. Remember the South Wales Gift Show is a Trade Show, and is intended for business customers only. It covers most types of tourism  and typical buyers will be running hotels, Bed and Breakfast, Guest Houses,  Campsites, Tourist Attractions, Gift Shops, China shops etc. It covers everything from buckets and spades to specially commissioned  works of art. If you would like our new catalogue please phone 0994 231 867
16/2/2010	Well, as usual the Margam Park show was a magnificent event. We covered the cost of going, and renewed acquaintances with all our old friends. Thelma is madly packing up ceramic buttons, sheep earrings and pendants to fulfill the orders. And today we have received  a new display stand for us to display them at the local craft shows. Its not all good news though. Like everyone else, we are not immune to the recession, and that and the fact that we are reaching retirement age, means that we are reviewing our options. We are still a going concern, and at the moment we are valuing the business to see whether it is possible to grow our way through these troubled times. or whether we should move. Some of the valuations  suggest that perhaps we could buy a property more suited to our aching bones, and so we are thinking of selling. For details look at our Farm for Sale page. If we do move, we hope to take the museums with us, and to continue the craft making that we do now. e will, of course, still be interested in the wildlife, but sadly will probably not be able to keep the flock going........ though .....maybe...we could try one or two Shetlands, which are half the weight, but do have fine Merino type wool! Thinking of sheep, we hope to pick up a few freezer packs on Friday - so if you are interested please look at the Animals page or ring 01994 231867. Otherwise we will have enough lamb to keep us going for another decade!
17/2/2010	Latest                   Please scroll UP for previous entries. Comment Isn't life great? The day after creating the Farm for Sale  page we get a letter through the post inviting us to the Terrace of The House of Lords because we have been short listed for the Beautiful Farms award! You can read about the competition here, and see our entry here. We only had 36 hours to prepare the entry - so it just shows that leaping blindly really is a useful tactic! Don't forget that we will shortly have some beautiful Norfolk Horn Lamb for you to buy. Fresh on Friday and frozen thereafter.

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St Clears is on the main London to Dublin route which is formed by the M4 motorway, the A48, A40 and the Fishguard to Rosslaire ferry. Dual carriageway is continuous from London to St Clears.

Leave St Clears by-pass on the A40 towards Haverfordwest. After half a mile turn right at the brown Tourist Board sign ('Glyn-Coch') towards Pwll-Trap. As you head into the village turn left opposite the White Lion Public House. After 500yds turn left again and follow the road until it becomes a narrow lane. Go through the gate where the lane merges with our drive and continue straight on for another 500yds until you reach the farm house. 

Traveling from Haverfordwest on the A40  pass Narbeth and Whitland, and after about 2 miles pass the turning to Groveland Adventure World, and go on another half mile on the A40 before turning  left ( following signs to Pwll-Trap and the brown signs to Glyn-Coch)  half a mile before the St Clears roundabout.

If walking, cycling, or motoring  from St Clears follow the signs for Pwll-Trap and turn right opposite the White Lion. (This is shorter and avoids traveling along the A40.)

SAT/NAV should not be used for the last 2 miles of your journey. Please use the brown Tourist Board signs to Glyn-Coch Craft Centre instead.

The following web sites may be helpful To Travellers:-

http://www.theaa.com the route planner is excellent, and if you are coming here, will help you to find us on a map, so that you will know when to ignore your Sat/Nav. Most Sat/navs assume that the post code areas are of uniform size in urban and rural areas. Unfortunately that assumption is wrong, and we live in a very big rural post code area! You might also like to look at http://www.rac.co.uk. 

Remember to use our signs (starting 1/2 a mile west of the St Clears roundabout on the A40) once you get within 2 miles of here, and please IGNORE your Sat/Nav, which could lead you onto a manually operated level crossing on a main railway line where you get 13seconds notice of 2000 tonnes of petrol approaching at 70 miles an hour!

If you are coming from over the border a look at http://www.severnbridge.co.uk will keep you up to date with the tolls on either of the Severn crossings, and warn of engineering works or closures due to weather. Severn Bridge and Severn Crossing cost £5.40 (as at 1/1/09 - please check Severn Bridge website (above)) for private cars, payable when crossing from England into Wales. Disabled badge holders cross free.

Railway travelers should look at http://www.rail.co.uk      Our nearest railway stations are at Carmarthen and Whitland

Travel

• Stena Line, one of the world's leading ferry companies, offers low fares and a speedier ferry travel service to Ireland, Britain and Holland. With their extensive route network, Stena Line gives you more flexibility and choice. As well as a range of hotel breaks, self-catering, landbridge holidays and the option to travel by car, by rail, by coach or on foot, you will enjoy excellent service and value for money. Book early and online for our lowest fares! Fishguard Rosslaire. (But foot passengers should not  risk getting stuck in Rosslaire, as the ferry terminal is some distance from the village. Also note that if you are returning by the evening ferry the nearby town of Wexford closes down at 5.30pm. Dunns stays open, but it is one of the few branches which does not have a restaurant. Rather, plan to have your breaks further west or north. Ireland is a wonderful country, so don't be put off by the SE corner!) )
•The Ferries division of the Irish Continental Group comprises of Irish Ferries, the leading ferry operator to and from the Republic of Ireland, and the Group’s ship chartering activities. Irish Ferries operates four ferries on international routes between Ireland and the UK and between Ireland and France. Over the last few years, they have invested over €450 million in new fleet and port facilities. They now (1/1/09) have the most modern fleet in Europe including Ulysses, the World’s Largest Car Ferry, the Dublin Swift on the Dublin – Holyhead route and the Isle of Inishmore on the Pembroke - Rosslare route. In addition, we are very proud to have introduced a new addition to the fleet at the beginning of 2008 – the luxurious Oscar Wilde.

• National Rail Enquiries are the official information service for National Rail. National Rail is the collective name for the train companies who operate Britain's rail service. They provide impartial advice on rail travel, and their performance is strictly regulated by the Department for Transport. National Rail Enquiries' website provides the same up-to-the-minute advice on journey planning and train service updates as their telephone service. It uses the same data systems as the telephone service and is updated at the same time with latest changes and disruption information.
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thetrainline is the leading independent retailer of train tickets online. They sell tickets for all train companies on all national routes, with access to over 293 million fare and journey combinations.

UK RAILWAYS on the net (www.rail.co.uk) is a rail portal that links to journey planning web sites, train operating companies and rail associated businesses"

Network Rail owns and operates Britain’s rail infrastructure. They are working to provide Britain with a safe, reliable and efficient railway fit for the 21st century.

Network Rail's railway links page lists all sorts of railway museums, steam excursions and other ways to enjoy yourselves on the railway.

• American visitors to Britain may like to visit the Britrail website to plan their journeys and book tickets or travel passes before leaving home.

•Another site providing links to railway information is  http://www.rail.co.uk

How far are we from where you live?

Whether you are coming to stay on our campsite, or just calling in on your way to Fishguard (Pembroke, or Swansea) to catch the ferry for Ireland we hope that you will find the following table useful. If you're passing, just drop in for a snack in our tea room, or select a souvenir from the craft shop. If you're staying in the area, take a stroll round the woodland walk or look at our Rare Breed animals, or farm museum. Most of the information in the table was gleaned from internet route finders, or from distance triangles in printed atlases.

*^ Add time for rest breaks to times shown, we want you here in one piece!

Distance and time approximate. (We are aware that some "official" looking advice on journey times requires you do drive well above the legal speed limits, and although we would wish you to have a speedy journey, we do not want you to put either your lives, or your driving licence at risk. So please regard the above as minimum times, and allow at least 15% more to allow for delays, new or temporary speed limits etc.)

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This section will contains links that we think may be useful to you. (As usual we take no responsibility for anything at all, especially the content, performance or safety of anyone else's webs site! The links below all worked and provided what we consider to be useful information on 15/2/09) Most of the information given in text surrounding the links is extracted from the website's home page, but most of the information in italics is my own! I hope it helps! I should add that no one has paid for these links, and they are included solely because I personally liked the service offered. You are allowed to disagree with me. If you find problems with any of the links, please let me know.

Tourist Information

• We are members of the Carmarthenshire Tourist Association and their website will give you information about other attractions and places to stay in the county. A very pretty but cumbersome site, which is probably worth struggling with!

• The West and Wales Web is a network of pages to introduce you to the scenic splendour of Wales, and to tell you about some of the things you can do there, places where you can stay, and the products for which Wales is famous.

• Welcome to Wales. And welcome to the Visit Wales site. Have fun exploring it, find out more about our country and when you are ready to visit for real there's lots of help for planning and booking your trip, too.

• The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is Britain's only truly coastal National Park. It's a spectacular landscape of rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, wooded estuaries and wild inland hills, and a place of sanctuary for wildlife. People belong here, too. They have shaped the landscape over the centuries, leaving their mark in tombs and castles, crosses and cottages, quarries and quays. Today this is a living, working landscape where people and nature co-exist. The National Park Authority looks after it, helps the public to enjoy and understand it, and works with local communities towards a sustainable future. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path starts at Amroth, which is only a few miles from Glyn-Coch Craft Centre.

• If you are interested in finding out about particular towns in Wales you could try visiting Search Wales, which will assist you in finding information about all aspects of life in Wales covering tourism, historical buildings and information on businesses in the principality.

• Wales Holidays is one of the largest independent cottage holiday agencies in the UK and is the only one to let properties throughout all areas of Wales.

• Welcome to What’s On Wales, your essential guide to the best arts events in Wales.

•  Welcome to Pembrokeshire  This site aims to give information about Pembrokeshire - as we find it and as we find time to put it up ... and is always 'under construction'.

Places to Eat

In this section all comments are my own. OF COURSE the very best place to eat is our own Glyn-Coch Tea Room, but just in case you want a change I have listed some of the opposition!

The nearest place is the White Lion Public House (Tel 01994 230 370) in Pwll Trap. The White Lion is a very friendly local. The family cook bar meals, and they have a dining room if you want to eat away from the bar. Food is freshly cooked for you, and their three course Sunday dinner is a local legend and very economical! 

For a standard meal why not go to the Little Chef on the St Clears roundabout on the A40. Sorry, the link is to the Travellodge which is on the same site. The Little Chef website places the restaurant at the wrong end of the village, and cannot find details of it. Though when I last passed it, the restaurant was still open and run by Little Chef!

St Clears itself has several pubs selling food, of which the Black Lion (01994 231 700) and the Corvus (01994 230 965) seem to be the front runners. Recent (i.e., since I last had time to visit) changes of ownership cloud the picture a little, but we expect great things when the new owners settle in.

A little to the east of St Clears and fronting directly onto the A40 is the Forge Restaurant Tel: 01994 230300  SA33 4NA It is good for a family night out. It is a mid priced and quite comfortable building with nice food and friendly staff. Often used for business meetings etc.

A more luxurious  pub-type  meal can be had at the Fox and Hounds (01267 211 341) in Bancyfelin 5 miles East of St Clears, just off the A40.

About the same distance north of St Clears is The New Inn at Meidrim which serves French and Traditional Cuisine. Tel 01994 231 146

The greasy spoon restaurant in the middle of St Clears, previously called 'Truly Scrumptious' in Gwalia House sold excellent home cooked food, but again has recently changed hands. I am told that the new owners are maintaining the standard set by their predecessors.

St Clears have a selection of takeaways including Chinese, Indian, and a Pizza house all of which have good reputations. However Neil's fish and chip shop deserves a special mention, with fast and friendly service with well cooked and locally sourced fish and potatoes. Their pies are made by the local butcher. If the family can't make up their minds between Chinese and British cuisine we recommend trying the takeaway in Whitland which does both. During the day there is also an excellent burgher van parked in the car park near Whitland station.

For a posher meal at a restaurant that is easy to find try the Road House ( Tel 01994 241 193 ) which is situated on the Whitland roundabout about 7 miles west of St Clears. If you look at the website, don't be put off by the coach. It is no longer there! The new building really is very nice, and the owners are still putting in the effort by which they built the business from its very modest beginnings.

Very highly recommended for a family night out is the Lamb Inn in Llanboidy. The pub itself is nothing to write home about, but the welcome is. The dining room is lovely, and the home cooked food wonderful, and wont break the bank. As it is a small family business they do not cook every night, (though Thursday is curry night.) so it is a good idea to phone Mrs Murray on 01994 448 243 to book. On nights when they would not otherwise open the restaurant they will do so for groups of 6 or more - so why not arrange to go with some friends? To get there from St Clears drive westward to the Whitland roundabout turn right following the signs to Llanboidy. You reach the village in about 6 miles. The Lamb Inn is in the middle of the village. They have a fairly small menu, restricted to that which they can do very well indeed, but main courses , when last we visited included steak, gammon, scampi, ham and chicken. Their garlic mushroom starter is much admired and their meat is wonderfully succulent!

On the way to Llanboidy you will pass Jabajak's restaurant which is set back from the road. On a nice day this is really beautiful, and the catering is pretty wonderful as well. My daughter had her wedding reception there, and I cannot imagine a better place!

To the south of St Clears the nearby village of Laugharne (Dylan Thomas's inspiration for 'Under Milk Wood') has several fine restaurants and famous pubs, but if you really want to push the boat out, how about Hurst House, about a mile beyond the village, where an evening meal can cost a £100 and, I'm told, justifies the price. If you want to sample the cuisine at more affordable prices try going at midday.

The following link is by someone with more experience of the local pubs then I have, but most of what is said is consistent with what I have been told about the hostelries mentioned . The information is also useful for owners of dogs who like a drink! (On a point of caution, the Level Crossing s/he mentions is on the other branch of Ffynnongain lane from us. It is about 1/4 a mile away, or about 10 seconds away by the 2000 tonne petrol trains, that go at speeds approaching 75 miles an hour - so be VERY careful if you use this crossing. You only get 13 seconds warning. You wont be the first to have your car cut in half. The last victim was using SAT NAV and had been taken in completely the wrong direction. Part of her problem was that post code areas are much bigger in the countryside then in cities. So, if possible, feed map references into your SAT NAV rather then post codes. Ours is OS SN 259 175. 

Craft Websites and Lists

• we are members of Crafts from Carmarthenshire which is a group of crafts people living and working in the county. The group is backed by the County Council. Apart from finding information about individual studios, you will also find information about our own shows, and others that members will be attending.

  Buywelsh.biz A website containing lists of produce websites in Wales

Local websites

•(The Laugharne website was the best of all local websites I have ever seen, and all the creation of one man in his spare time. Sadly it lapsed, but now, by popular demand, is being recreated. I expect great things!)  Laugharne is a very special place, a unique treasure in these modern times, Georgian Houses with a Norman Church and Castle, Grand houses and ancient cottages- and of course the history of DylanThomas, Richard Hughes, and Kingsley Amis.  

Of course St Clears must have a Wikipedia entry - seems correct, although I didn't know about the telescope. Glyn-Coch might have a mention in it!

The views from the castle are quite beautiful, especially if you look in the same direction as the second picture, but while standing on the top of the mound. You then seen part of the layout of the old Norman village, without the dormer bungalows!

More information about Carmarthenshire towns including St Clears can be found here.

Local council website describes the town thus: -For those who yearn for a rural lifestyle with coastal connections but remain unable to step away from modern living then St Clears is the answer. Sited between the bustling town of Carmarthen and the sleepy, seaside resorts of Pembrokeshire, St Clears offers good facilities for residents as well as warm hospitality to its many visitors.

St Mary's Church has a fascinating history, and as the Castle Church, its very thick walls were obviously intended to form part of the castle's defences. At one time it was a Cluniac Priory and was associated with a similar house in Barnstaple. This is a typical arrangement in the small coastal villages around the Bristol Channel where the relative ease of transport by sea meant that villages on opposite sides of the channel were often more closely linked then they were to their inland neighbours. This is a very friendly community branch of The Church in Wales (associated with the Anglican Church.) Services are bilingual and traditional, 'low church.'

Camping

• Our campsite is licenced by the Camping and Caravan Club which is one of the oldest of such organisations, and a little less regimented then the rival Caravan Club. It is known as 'The Friendly Club', and backs this up with an active District Association (DA) and Special Interest Group (SIG) structure. There are  DAs all over the UK and they run regular informal weekend or holiday camps for local members. SIGs serve members with tents, motor or vintage caravans, lightweight campers, campers with boats, folk song and dance, etc etc.

All Seasons Camping and Leisure  Ltd

New firm in St Clears. Within walking distance (1 1/2 miles). Experienced tent campers who are keen to help campers of all descriptions. They asked us for a list of things caravanners might want, so we hope for great things! They are already stockists for several well known brands.  Click for more information.

For new or replacement caravans, trailer tents, ancillary equipment, service or repair try Ennis Caravans at Cross Hands. They cover most makes, and are the market leaders for Carms and Pembs.

• For a huge list of caravan related links try the following  Caravanning It is mainly about selling goods or services to you,  but also lists vintage caravan groups and specialist clubs and equipment suppliers. It also seems to be biased to businesses in England, but the webmasters indicate that this may change.

For general iron-mongery try Tooby and Williams. Their ironmongery department is absolutely brilliant. I can't praise it too highly! Miraculously they almost always have what you want, no matter how obscure, and they don't overcharge. You want a miracle - just ask the iron monger! 

For bottled gas, plumbing, Elisa Tinsley ironmongery, pet foods, rope, batteries, all weather clothing, etc try our local Farmer's Coop, just up the hill towards Laugharne from the traffic lights in St Clears. You do not have to be a member to buy, these days they except money from anyone! (Don't we all?). (They are much more useful then the rather modest website suggests!)

For vehicle problems try Lyndon George a Land Rover Enthusiast, now allowed by Land Rover to sell new vehicles, but takes on any vehicle - even a Rolls Royce at least once. Friendly, helpful, and even better technically then the website suggests. Prices are VERY competitive. 

Places to Stay

Llety Cynin Hotel and Leisure Centre

Opened in the Spring of 2008, Llety Cynin is a unique leisure and accommodation complex set in the stunning surroundings of the Carmarthenshire countryside.This newly converted coach house has been transformed and now comprises accommodation of the highest quality, including 8 beautiful en-suite bedrooms, decorated and maintained to the highest standard.We can cater for individual guests, couples, families or group bookings. Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll be happy to match your needs.

For business, we have the Llety Cynin Conference Suite, available for private hire. Our facilities are able to cater for day long meetings and team building events, and also for residential conferences. Our aim is to make your business event even more special.
To round off our superb facilities, we have the Llety Cynin Leisure club, comprising a 40 foot swimming pool with counter current, a spa, sauna and state-of-the-art gymnasium.

Llety Cynin offers luxury and relaxation with facilities of the highest quality, all set in the spectacular surroundings of the West Wales countryside.

Jabajaks

Jabajak Vineyard Restaurant with rooms offers you an affordable opportunity to stay in a small, yet perfectly formed, luxury hotel in Carmarthenshire, close to Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire. Continually awarded four star status by Visit Wales, and featured in Johansens, Jabajak has a lavish selection of double rooms some featuring four poster beds, a Honeymoon Suite and the farmhouse suite with a luxurious bathroom suite featuring a Jacuzzi bath. As a resident you will have access to the sumptuous guest lounge too. Whether you are looking for holiday accommodation or somewhere to stay when you come to West Wales on business, Jabajak is sure to delight you.

Garden Farm, Tufton, Pembrokeshire, Wales 
  Tucked away at the end of a lane filled with wildflowers, and below the upland beauty of the Preseli Hills, this Victorian stone farmhouse and its ancient stone stables and granary (both cleverly converted to make the most of glorious views) provide a delightful holiday location. Their idyllic setting is a working sheep and beef farm in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park,  affording easy access to lovely walking and splendid beaches for swimming and relaxed family fun. Within 10 miles, are a wealth of sporting activities and attractions from sailing and sea trips, to art and craft galleries and the man made excitements of Oakwood theme park. Set on a spectacular stretch of coastline, renowned for its abundant wildlife, the tiny cathedral city of St David's, is also well worth a visit. There are several good restaurants locally and the nearest pub is just ½ mile, whilst shops are 3 miles and Haverfordwest's comprehensive facilities are only 9 miles distant.

 West Wales Holiday Cottages provides high quality holiday accommodation in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. 

Beautiful cottages, comfortable accommodation, stunning locations, everything you need for a wonderful holiday.It is easy for you to book a holiday cottage through us: browse or search our database and book online, with no booking fee, at your leisure any time of day or night.

Wildflowers, wildlife, ecology and research

• The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales is one of 47 Wildlife Trusts across the UK. They are the fourth largest in area, covering from Cardiff and Caerphilly in the east to Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire in the west, and include 3 of the West Wales islands amongst our 90 or so nature reserves.

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The Countryside Council for Wales is the Government's statutory advisor on sustaining natural beauty, wildlife and the opportunity for outdoor enjoyment in Wales and its inshore waters. CCW champions the environment and landscapes of Wales and its coastal waters as sources of natural and cultural riches, as a foundation for economic and social activity, and as a place for leisure and learning opportunities. They aim to make the environment a valued part of everyone's life in Wales.

Rothamsted is the largest agricultural research centre in the United Kingdom and almost certainly the oldest agricultural research station in the world. Over its 160 year history, Rothamsted Research has built an enviable international reputation as a centre of excellence for science in support of sustainable land management and its environmental impact. Its scientific research ranges from studies of genetics, biochemistry, cell biology and soil processes to investigations at the ecosystem and landscape scale. The moth trap at Glyn-Coch Craft Centre is part of Rothamsted's Insect Survey, which was set up to help reduce the amount of insecticide sprayed on farms, by providing accurate information about pest outbreaks. The survey now also monitors the effect of climate change on native and invasive species, evolution, insect genetics and even string and chaos theory! (When I did my Farm Management course in the early 1970s almost every lecture included work done at Rothamsted. Later I was lucky enough to work there for 25 years and was involved with most of the plant based Agricultural Research you will ever have heard of.)

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The National Botanic Garden of Wales, is the first national botanic garden to be created in the new millennium. In just a few years they have developed into one of the most fascinating gardens in the UK. Already it is the most visited garden in Wales, and  were voted number 1 wonder of Wales by the Western Mail and are helping to conserve some of the rarest plants in the world

Farming

•The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society has played a leading role in the development of agriculture and a vibrant rural economy in Wales for over a century since its formation in 1904. Today our work includes providing support for business, social welfare and education in rural communities, and the organisation and staging of our ever-popular Society events; the Spring Festival, the Summer Show and the Winter Fair. 

The Royal Agricultural Society of England's  motto is ‘practice with science’. Since it was set up in 1840 the Society has aimed to support farming and the rural industries by spreading information about the best in research, development and practice. Today we still work to bring the best of British agriculture to the attention of our members and the wider rural industries through our shows, events, conferences and awards.

• Rothamsted (see also the Wildlife section above) is the largest agricultural research centre in the United Kingdom and almost certainly the oldest agricultural research station in the world. Over its 160 year history, Rothamsted Research has built an enviable international reputation as a centre of excellence for science in support of sustainable land management and its environmental impact. Its scientific research ranges from studies of genetics, biochemistry, cell biology and soil processes to investigations at the ecosystem and landscape scale. The moth trap at Glyn-Coch Craft Centre is part of Rothamsted's Insect Survey.

• The Farmers’ Union of Wales has one basic aim - to protect and advance the interests of those who derive an income from Welsh agriculture. The FUW is an independent Union which values the freedom to run its own affairs. It can advance the views of farmers in Wales without fear or favour, unfettered by sectional interests. Established in 1955, the FUW has been given the official right by the Government to represent and speak on behalf of Welsh farmers. The Union has done so at the highest level - at the National Assembly, Whitehall and Brussels. 

• The National Farmers' Union  champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its farmer and grower members

• Throughout the world one breed of farm animal becomes extinct every month. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust  RBST is working to make sure that this does not happen in the UK. 

For one version of the Norfolk Horn story click here.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is a  specialist organisation , dedicated to safeguarding the interests and future of sheep farmers throughout the UK. Originally established in 1892, NSA has seen tremendous growth over the past 30 years in both the pedigree and commercial sectors. Today the organisation is recognised by many, including Government, as a first port of call for the provision of sound, practical views on sheep industry issues. This is equally the case in Defra, SEERAD, The Welsh Assembly and DARD.

The Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) was established in 1875 to promote the technical, trade and commercial interests of British manufacturers and suppliers of agricultural machinery. Since then it has championed the cause of manufacturers of agricultural machinery and more recently outdoor power equipment. Today its members cover a broad spectrum of manufacturers of land based equipment from combine harvesters to secateurs and everything in between.

Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) is the Scheme Manager of UFAS, TASCC, FEMAS & FIAS providing assurance in the feed, food and fertiliser supply chains. The schemes were developed to help prevent major feed and food safety scares and ensure fertiliser security and also in response to consumer, industry, governments and stakeholder requirements

General Information

• The Clique was established in London in 1890 to publish specialist information for booksellers on the old, rare and secondhand booktrade in Britain. In the intervening 119 years we've expanded to offer a number of different services in other business areas:

•If you wish to search for information based on Welsh Towns try  Search Wales

• The Wales Calling site shows that we are separate country with a rich and colourful history, with our own language and culture. They give you lots of facts about us so you can enjoy a fantastic holiday here Relax and unwind with us, (they say) and enjoy our Welsh beaches, scenery and history there should be something for everybody wanting to visit us. They provide information on, tours, drives, castles, walks, pubs, golf, fishing and much more. Wales Calling

• If you are looking for a Welsh Search engine try Quality Welsh. It is a fairly straight search engine and finds us as 20th in a listing for St Clears, though it seem not to know the difference between St Clears and St Davids! Note that  adverts are paid for, but ordinary listings are not.

 
• This used to be a useful directory, but rather slow WWW.250000.co.uk directory . When I last looked, though, none of the links worked. Let me know what happens when you try!

• Beautiful rolling hills, a superb coastline, unique flowers and gardens, gold mines, some of Britain’s best fishing, even the place where Malcolm Campbell broke three land speed records. The south west Wales’ county of Carmarthenshire has it all, a tourist’s delight! I don't need to say any more! The home page is the most interesting . General information about Carmarthen (Carmarthen on line)

International links

•  he National Welsh American Foundation promotes and shares the history and cultural heritage of Welsh-Americans; coordinates cultural and educational activities of Welsh-Americans; encourages the exchange of artists and scholars between Wales and the United States to share the Welsh language, music, and culture with the world; provides financial assistance through scholarships, fellowships and study grants; assures a unified effective voice for Welsh-Americans; and supports Welsh-American groups in their relations with corporate, philanthropic and governmental organizations.  National Welsh-American Foundation

Weather

• I used to have links to local (post code) weather forecasts in this spot, but they are very rarely even remotely correct. The basic rule for predicting weather in the St Clears area is to listen to the forecast for London. If you want the weather that is forecast for this area you must go to the west side of a hill and climb up to about 500 to 1000 feet!  

I have tried looking at (among others) the following postcode forecasts. Met Office, Weather Channel, BBC, and Metcheck.. None of them are reliable, and often you can get 4 types of weather forecast for the same day. When this happens one of them might be right!

To be fair they do not have the resources to forecast in this area where rapidly changing coastal weather is modified as it passes across our small hills and valleys. To do so they would need a weather observatory in every village, and a supercomputer to do the modeling in each county. Holiday makers need to remember to keep to the east side of high ground if you want dry sunny weather, and to be aware that every hundred feet you climb up, or passing to the west of high ground doubles your chance of wet weather. The good news is that every hill has its dry sheltered side! 

Computer Related Links

• Dai King is a current Student in Trinity University College Carmarthen, Graduating Summer 2009. He has recently been working with a local magazine company upgrading and virus protecting their entire office and Desktop Publishing Department. He also works with a locally based events promoter on computer assisted design projects. In addition to this he is also working with a photography company as an I.T Solutions Manager. He  works with families in their home to repair computers as well as providing training to prevent further problems. He provides a flexible and affordable service direct to your door when needed and he is available to contact 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and endeavor to reply to all enquiries within six hours of receiving them.

Dai is too modest to say that he recently got a mention in Resurrection, the bulletin of the British Computer Conservation Society, for knowing the 6th in a sequence of numbers after only 5 minutes thought. The problem was set as :

110, 20, 12, 11, 10, ?

Can you complete this series? If you can, e-mail us and you will get a mention here (First few names only!). Be warned though, Dai's answer was the fastest in 35 years that the editor has set this question to computer professionals!  Because it is so difficult I'll give you a straight clue. The clue is that the last number (the one you are trying to find) is the same, no matter how far you extend the series!

British Computer Conservation Society Founded in 1989, the Computer Conservation Society is a joint venture between the British Computer Society, the Science Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. Our primary mission is to preserve historic computers, develop awareness of the history of computing, and encourage research. We run many specialised working groups, organise a public lecture series, and publish a regular bulletin.

The Legal Bit

Glyn-Coch cannot be held responsible for the content on external sites.

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We welcome groups of all kinds. As with individual visits there is no entry charge, and we do not insist on prior notice. However the more notice we have the more preparation we can do.

Capacities as in table below. 

When we have coach parties (of up to 53 people) we try to organize them into two or three groups (depending on the weather) with some in the shop, some in the tea room, and others exploring the pottery, display boards, museum areas, or woodland walk. 

As there are normally only two of us at Glyn-Coch we prefer to have enough notice to bring in reinforcements but are happy to run a restricted service at short notice. If we are given longer notice we can run pottery demonstrations, or guided walks etc. As you will see from our tearoom page our menu is fairly restricted, but for larger groups it is sometimes sensible to prepare food in advance, and we can then include extra items if required.   

Access to Glyn-Coch is via 500m of single track country lane, and 500m of our drive, but we have had few complaints from drivers of 53 seat coaches, or the delivery vehicles which supply us. When we moved in we had 3 very large furniture vans parked in our yard, but while this suggests that we could cope with more then one coach we would remind tour organizers that the there may not be enough room for more then about 53 people unless the weather is good enough for them to use the woodland walk. 

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Accessibility Statement

Welcome to Glyn-Coch

Glyn-Coch is a small family run craft centre. While our resources are limited we have over 20 years experience of working with people who have special requirements. If you would like to know more, or would like to tell us about your requirements please phone us on 01994 231 867 to discuss your visit. We hope that whatever your ability you will have an enjoyable experience when you visit us. If we fail you in any way please tell us so that we can get our act together before your next visit.

Drive.

Our 500m single track farm drive consists of two tarmac strips separated by mown grass. About 5000 vehicles (ranging from tiny Smart cars to 3 axle 20t 14m long HGVs and 53 seater coaches) use it every year without reporting any problems. However it does get pot holed after bad weather - so care is required. Maximum head room is 3.5m

Car parking

In the summer we use a grass car park about 50m from the main attractions. Critical areas are graveled whenever necessary, though we try to maintain it as a lawn. In winter and wet weather we encourage people to drive onto the farm yard, which has a stone surface and is even closer to the main attractions. 

If you have difficulty walking please attract our attention (blow your horn, or use your mobile to phone 01994 231 867) and we will ensure that you can move your car as close as necessary to the attraction you are interested in.

The toilets are between the car park and the main attractions.

Toilets

We have  ladies' and gents' WCs with wash basins. Narrow concrete paths approach both doors and there is no step. 

At present the gents is too small for wheel chair use, but it would only be one step from the wheel chair to the WC if a helper could remove the wheelchair and close the door. There is no room inside for a helper.

The ladies, though large enough for use with a helper cannot be described as wheel chair friendly. 

If people of either gender would find it easier to use the 'wrong' toilet we will ensure that this is possible.

We are trying to get grants to create a disabled toilet. Regardless of the success of our grant applications we are in the process of improving the toilets, and hope that by summer 2004 we will have a large and small unisex toilet. The larger toilet will be as accessible as we can manage on whatever funds we have.

When this job is completed it is intended that a dedicated disabled parking bay will be created between the toilets and the pottery. 

Pottery and Artist's Studio

Double doors allow access for most wheelchairs. About a metre inside a 10 cm step provides a hazard for solo wheelchair users, though we will help you over this. (It is planned to ramp over this.) Lighting (natural and artificial) is quite good in this building. The kiln and central heating boilers are in this building and care needs to be taken to avoid burns. (Visitors can avoid this by observing the pottery from the Art end of the building!) Asthma sufferers may be affected by fumes from the kiln, though as a sufferer myself I can reassure you that it is not usually too bad. Chairs are available to those who find standing difficult

Shop

This is on two levels separated by steep steps with a hand rail. Wheelchair users can see most parts of the shop by using outside doors (giving step-less access between the yard and shop) on both levels. 

We will  bring items to people who find access to them difficult. Chairs are available for those who find standing difficult. A slide show runs continuously and shows some items from the shop, and other attractions at Glyn-Coch.

Tea Room

Principal access is by a small door from the shop. However wheel chair access is available from the yard. The tea room has a small step in the middle. A variety of chairs and a large print menu are available.

Tea Garden

A fairly natural lawn with a gentle slope under trees. Access is via a step from the back door of the tea room. However mowing is by a small ride on lawn mower so it is accessible to wheelchairs using the longer route! 

Woodland Walk

3.5km mainly on mown grass paths. (We mow weekly during the summer.) Some parts would be very difficult for a normal wheelchair without a very fit band of helpers, though should be OK for a powered cross country machine preferably with a helper.  However parts of the walk are suitable for wheelchairs. The complete walk has been enjoyed by very frail elderly people relying on two sticks - though it should be pointed out that at one point the path rises about 20m in 100m so you need to take time.

Camp Site

The Camp Site is gently sloping, with short grass which we mow once a week in the season. Electricity and dustbins are close to each formal pitch. One level pitch is closer to drinking water and the chemical disposal point then the others, so please tell us if you need this pitch when you book. The shop and pottery are 120yds from this pitch on grass paths.

So far we have had one young camper with an electric 'pavement type' powered wheel chair, and she appeared to enjoy driving it round the site. 

Wheel Chair use

The drive, car park yard and woodland walk slope gently. Outside areas have rough surfaces and buildings have steps. (We are improving these as resources become available, the current project is to improve the toilets.) However a fit determined chair user should be able to get to most areas now by using alternative routes. From time to time members of the family have had to use wheelchairs and we are determined that you will have as good an experience when you come here as anyone else.

Sight Problems

Steps are colour contrast marked, and we are beginning to think about overhead obstacles etc. We provide a large print menu and many of our leaflets have large print versions. We understand that you will need to pick up items in the shop to examine them.

People with Learning Difficulties

Our son has Downs Syndrome, and we have been actively involved with Mencap. Thelma's job before coming here was teaching adults with learning difficulties. We all have a basic (very basic in some cases) knowledge of Makaton and B.S.L. sign languages. We also have some experience with Alzheimer's disease.

Asthma and Hay-fever Sufferers

Generally this is not a very challenging area for asthma sufferers. (We all use inhalers and are not aware of particular problems here!) However we would caution you about the pottery when the kiln is running (though we usually use it at night to keep the electricity charges down) and warn about some of the solvents used when decorating glass or china. The fields and woodland are small, and quite diverse so we do not expect massive amounts of single species of pollen, so Glyn-Coch should be low risk for hay fever sufferers as well. Local farms are mainly fairly traditional livestock farms without the large monocultures common elsewhere.

Other Conditions

If you have a condition other then those listed above, please ring us on 01994 231 867 and tell us about it. We will tell you about any specific hazards which may affect your visit, and try to make arrangements so that you will have a useful and enjoyable visit.

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