Where to Stay in South Wales
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Map of Where to Stay in South Wales
Clyne Farm
Information about South Wales
South Wales is a region of striking contrasts and profound human story, encompassing the historic counties of Monmouthshire and Glamorgan in a landscape that moves from the gentle border country of the Wye Valley in the east to the dramatic Atlantic coastline of the Gower Peninsula in the west, with the valley communities of the coalfield, the pastoral Vale of Glamorgan and the capital city of Wales between them.
Cardiff, at the heart of the region, has grown into one of the most enjoyable and rewarding capital cities in the British Isles, its Victorian arcades, magnificent civic centre, regenerated waterfront at Cardiff Bay and world class sporting venues combining to create a city of genuine confidence and cultural ambition. The castle and the nearby Castell Coch, both transformed by the Victorian architect William Burges, are among the most extraordinary and flamboyant historic buildings in Wales, while the city’s independent restaurants, covered markets and creative neighbourhoods give it a vitality and a character that continues to develop and surprise.
The Wye Valley, forming the eastern boundary of the region along the Monmouthshire border with England, is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty of romantic and celebrated beauty, its wooded gorge and the magnificent ruins of Tintern Abbey drawing visitors since the earliest days of British tourism. The Brecon Beacons extend into the northern edge of the region, their dramatic sandstone ridges and open moorland providing a spectacular natural backdrop to the valley communities below.
The south Wales valleys, running southwards from the coalfield plateau to the coastal plain, carry the most powerful and distinctive human story in the region. The coal and iron industries that transformed this landscape in the nineteenth century created communities of extraordinary resilience, cultural richness and political significance, a legacy explored at Blaenavon and the Big Pit National Coal Museum. The Gower Peninsula, designated the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the British Isles, offers a magnificent contrast, its limestone headlands, surf beaches and sheltered bays culminating in the great sweep of Rhossili Bay, one of the finest beaches in the country.
Whether you are looking for a city break in Cardiff, a coastal retreat on the Gower, a walk in the Brecon Beacons, a journey through the industrial heritage of Blaenavon or a stay in the romantic Wye Valley, South Wales is a region of extraordinary variety and a depth of character that is unmistakably and proudly Welsh.
