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The Dylan Thomas Trail
in New Quay, West Wales.
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The Author David Thomas,
in his recently published book 'Dylan Thomas, A Farm, Two Mansions
and a Bungalow', has put together a convincing case that New Quay is
the inspiration of Thomas's Llareggub (read it backwards!).
Details of the 'Dylan trail' in his book 'The Dylan Thomas
Trail' ( Published by Y Lolfa Cyf, Talybont, 2002, £6.95)
take the visitor to a number of locations identified as models for
locales in the fictional Llareggub.
Ceredigion Council
provides a leaflet entitled 'Dylan Thomas - New Quay' available from
the New Quay and Aberaeron Tourist Offices (below).
This page takes you to
the locations mentioned in New Quay
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1
The Trail starts at the New Quay
Tourist Office.
This modern building is built on the site of a former Lime
Kiln.
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| London House - opposite the
Tourist Office, was once the home and shop of Dylan Thomas' friend
Norman Evans. He was thought to be the inspiration for 'Under Milk
Wood's' 'Nogood Boyo'.
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2
Just up Chapel Street from the tourist Office
is the pub called the Dolau Inn. This was the favourite pub of
Caitlin, Dylan's wife. It was also frequented by Alistair Graham,
Evelyn Waugh's lover and nephew of the Duchess of Montrose. Graham
was Dylan's inspiration for 'Lord Cut-Glass' as well as the basis of
the character of Sebastian Flyte in 'Brideshead revisited'. The
actors Richard Burton and Paul Schofield also drank here when
visiting New Quay.
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3
The building that now houses the public
toilets was once the old lifeboat station. Retired sea captains
would meet here daily to gossip and it became known as Cnwc y Glap.
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Opposite is the 'Blue Bell',
once owned by Auntie Cat.
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4
The 'Hungry Trout' is a
Restaurant today with a fine view over Cardigan Bay. It used to be
the post office where Dylan Thomas posted his scripts to
London.
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5
The Black Lion Hotel was Dylan's favourite and
was owned by his friend Jack Pat (Patrick). The Dylan Restaurant in the
basement here has a large collection of Dylan Thomas
memorabilia - photos and articles, on the walls. Gomer House
across the road was the home of Captain Tom Polly, Dylan's
inspiration for Captain Cat.
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6
The Sea Horse used to be known as
the 'Commercial'. Prior to that it was known as the Sailor's Home
Arms - providing the name for 'Under Milk Wood's 'Sailor's
Arms.
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Across the car park from the Sea
Horse can be seen the Towyn Chapel. The Minister here in Dylan's
time was Orchwy Bowen - both a Poet and a Preacher as was Eli
Jenkins in 'Under Milk Wood'.
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7
'Wendowel' is on the left along
the road past the chapel. It was once the home of Elizabeth Williams
and Theodosia Legg, Dylan's Aunt and Cousin. He stayed here with
them in the 1930's.
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The 'Costcutter' shop is on the
site of the bakery once run Mr. John - 'Dai Bread'. There is
no suggestion that Mr. John had two wives!
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8
Manchester House was once a
drapers similar to that run by Mog Edwards in Llareggub. Now it is a
Fishing Tackle shop.
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9
Brongwyn Lane once ran all the way round the
coast to Dylan's home 'Majoda'. However, much of the coast here -
including Maesgwyn Farm - mentioned at the beginning of 'Under Milk
Wood' has
been washed away only to be deposited in New Quay harbour which can
no longer take large vessels.
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10
The Llanina Mansion -
Plas Llanina has been restored having almost fallen into ruin since
Dylan's time here. It was once owned by Lord Howard de Walden who
was a patron of Dylan Thomas. Dylan first came to Plas Llanina with
the painter Augustus John in 1938 / 1939. He wrote in the 'Apple
House' at the end of the garden - sadly now dilapidated.
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11
Dylan lived in the bungalow called
'Majoda' from September 1944 to July 1945. This was a fruitful
period in his writing career where he wrote many poems and scripts
including 'Quite early one morning'. He also started 'under Milk
Wood' while living here.
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12
'Ffynnonfeddyg' is just a short
distance from 'Majoda'. It was once the home of Dylan's friend's Vera
and William Killick. After an argument, Killick was involved in a
shooting incident at 'Majoda'. At the Lampeter Assizes he was
subsequently found not guilty, however Dylan and Caitlin soon moved
away from New Quay after this incident. The present Spanish style
house is much changed.
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In the poem 'Quite early one morning' Dylan
mentions the path along the cliffs to the south of New Quay: ' I walked on to the cliff path again, the town behind and below waking up now so very slowly; I stopped and turned and
looked....' .The path begins at the end of Lewis Terrace
and runs all the way to Cwm Tydu. We saw a number of Choughs along this path on the
wonderfully bright day of September 11, 2002 when all of the recent
photographs on this page were taken. |
| 'Smoke from
another chimney now. They were burning their last night's dreams. Up
from a chimney came a long-haired wraith like an old politician.
Someone had been dreaming of the Liberal Party. But no, the smoky
figure wove, attenuated, into a refined and precise grey comma.
Someone had been dreaming of reading Charles Morgan. Oh! the town
was waking now and I heard distinctly, insistent over the
slow-speaking sea, the voices of the town blown up to me. And some
of the voices said.............' |
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Click here for other
local walks
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And I walked
in the timeless morning past a row of white cottages almost
expecting that an ancient man with a great beard and an hour-glass
and a scythe under his night-dressed arm might lean from the window
and ask me the time. I would have told him: 'Arise old counter of
the heartbeats of albatrosses, and wake the cavernous sleepers of
the town to a dazzling new morning.'
Which is exactly what it was that
day!
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