Features

The dry and dusty landscapes of southern Africa might seem a million miles from the green, green grass of West Wales, but two Carmarthenshire dog trainers are playing a key role in protecting the animals that live on the veldt. Across Africa, poaching is a massive problem. According to recent reports, more than 100,000 African elephants were killed between 2014 and 2017 for ivory while around 1,000 rhinos are killed each year for their horns. The wholesale slaughter of elephants, rhinos, giraf...

Across the world, there are many examples of places that, for one reason or another, are separated by a north-south divide. Few, however, are as longstanding or as entrenched as the one in West Wales, particularly where it draws a line across the entire width of Pembrokeshire. The Landsker Line, which runs roughly west to east from the coast at Newgale through Wiston and on to Narberth before crossing the border into Carmarthenshire and continuing on to Laugharne, has existed since the first ha...

The last 16 months have been a difficult time for everyone. As well as understandable concerns surrounding health and wellbeing - plus the increased financial pressures faced by individuals and businesses, the strain associated with the national lockdown has seen a dramatic rise in the number of people suffering with mental health issues. Yet despite the gloom there have been some rays of light - not least a greater appreciation of the simple pleasures of life and the sense of emotional fulfil...

Anyone with even a passing interest in the history of west Wales will be aware of the links between the Preseli Hills and Stonehenge, the giant Stone Age monument that dominates both the Salisbury Plain of southern England and the entire history of the British Isles. For more than a century it has been acknowledged that the so-called bluestones - spotted dolerites - of Stonehenge were originally quarried from rocky outcrops in the north Pembrokeshire hills around 5,000 years ago. That discover...

“Murder most foul” screamed the front page of the Amman Valley Chronicle in letters three inches high. The shocking discovery of the body of shopkeeper Thomas Thomas in the Carmarthenshire mining village of Garnant exactly 100 years ago rocked west Wales, and the newspaper’s decision to take headline inspiration from Shakespeare was understandable: the Bible-quoting store manager had been stabbed repeatedly, suffered numerous skull fractures after being beaten around the head ...

West Wales is renowned throughout the world for its hospitality. The steady stream of tourists who make their way to the three counties has long been part and parcel of daily life for the locals, and we welcome visitors with open arms. Our stunning beaches and beautiful countryside are even known to encourage the rich and famous to venture out west, but it is quite rare for a guest to become a celebrity purely because of their visit. However, the most recent arrival to our shores has certainl...

House Historian Sara Fox examines the rich history of one of West Wales’ most famous country estates. Golden Grove is one of the most evocative Carmarthenshire landmarks that are scattered along the historic landscape of the Towy valley. At its peak, the Golden Grove Estate totalled fifty thousand acres, including five castles and 12 manors, making it the largest and most important estate in South West Wales. Two of the most influential local families held Golden Grove throughout the ce...

The traditional sounds of Christmas take many forms, but few are as joyous or distinctive as the ringing of church bells. Of course, church bells are also rung throughout the year in celebration of various feast days and public events, and in West Wales, the duties are carried out by the St David’s Diocesan Guild of Bell Ringers. The Guild recently marked the 75th anniversary of its formation, although current circumstances ensured there was little opportunity to celebrate the historic l...

Launching your own high-quality pet food range from a smallholding in Carmarthenshire while single-handedly raising two small children might seem like a crazy idea, but then crazy ideas are nothing new for Beth James. “I’ve never been one to think inside the box,” said Beth, founder of the award-winning TP Feeds. “I’ve never even been in the box – I’ve always been outside it.” Beth, 29, launched the company a little over three years ago after sti...

Alis Hawkins is a novelist on a mission – and she’s already fighting on two fronts. Alis is determined to put Welsh crime-writing on the map while also shining a light on a nation’s forgotten history, one grisly murder at a time.A founder member of the Crime Cymru collective, Alis has just launched the print edition of the latest title in her Teifi Valley Coroner series – the e-book edition was released earlier this summer, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced a delay in publ...

Look to the heavens almost anywhere in West Wales and there’s a very good chance that you’ll be treated to a breath-taking display of lazy, languid elegance. Drifting across the skies with a graceful majesty unrivalled by any of our other feathered residents is the monarch of our skies – the red kite. There is no sight more glorious on a summer afternoon than that of a red kite wheeling high across the wild blue yonder, rising on a thermal updraft, plummeting towards the eart...