Wales’ HIDDEN GEM
Sandwiched between the crowd-pulling national parks of Pembrokeshire to the west and the Brecon Beacons to the east, Carmarthenshire tends to get overlooked. Dare to leave the A40, says Dianne Spencer, and you’ll find crumbling castles, sweeping estuary views and a wealth of local produce, from natural wines and quality coffee to artisanal cheese and silky air-dried ham. Oh, and did we mention the pies?
SHORE THING The seven-mile swathe of Pendine Sands
Wright’s food emporium
Pendine’s miles of sandy beach
a hearty bowl of Welsh ham cawl
the serene ruins of Llansteffan Castle
‘Carma’ hams at Albert Rees
pretty pastel colours in Llandeilo
Anthony Rees of gin distillery Jin Talog
local produce at Y Polyn
a more ethical brew from Coaltown Coffee
PHOTOGRAPHS: ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES, WRIGHT’S, ALED LLEWELLYN, VISIT WALES, SIMON WALTER
“Head to Albert Rees... Their air-dried ‘Carma’ ham is as good as any from Parma”