The day after our walk along the Lloughar Estuary to Llanelli we pushed on for another 5 miles to Burry Port – but don’t forget the 5 miles back!. It wasn’t until we got home and I had a chance to really look at what this part of the coast once was, that I realised the extraordinary difference between now and 50 years previously. At Ione time Llanelli was nicknamed Tinopolis as a reflection of the steel and tin industry once upon a time. Little is evident of the that now. Llanelli now still has industry and Tata still has a large plant here, but who knows how lang it will remain to provide meaningful skilled employment? Llanelli is still known in Wales as the home of the Scarlets Rugby team, though for a crusty old man it is still a challenge to remember them as anything other than Llanelli RFC.
But just to emphasise the difference look at the first two photographs below. We started our walk at North Dock, Llanelli. This was once the site of the first floating dock in the UK, and was built to accommodate the increasing coal and steel trade that Llanelli is based upon.
Now look at how it appears now – the transformation is nothing short of miraculous. The industry has been replaced with high grade housing, wildlife ponds, and fantastic walking country.
The weather was perfect for a walk along the beach, and Burry Port looked great in the sunshine. Just like Llanelli, Burry Port, or North Tywyn in Welsh is based upon coal and mines. Though none of these exist any longer, and it in now a small marina and leisure port.
Although it was a long day, the weather made up for it. Lest’s hope for more weekend like this over the coming months.
We’ve been to Burry Port only once before a couple of years ago, and we had a fish and chips dinner on the jetty watching the sun set over the lighthouse. So I’ll leave you with this last photo here.
Travels With My Aunt 