Beautiful Pembrokeshire - perfect for a family trip

We absolutely loved our trip to beautiful Pembrokeshire in Wales, as there was so much to do and everyone was extremely friendly. We would 100 per cent recommend it for a family holiday. We didn't really want to come home - except to see Jess of course!

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Watch our video above for Robert's highlights

Where we stayed (by Robert):

[caption id="attachment_3978" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Our home for the week![/caption]

We stayed in one of the Talbenny Hall Cottages, called Sands Cottage, near Little Haven. Our cottage was comfortable, cosy, and warm and quiet, which was good. It had a bedroom with a double bed, a bedroom with a bunk bed, a bathroom with a shower, and a large living room/dining room with a kitchen. I liked the cottage but my room was quite small. I think that if Jess was in the room with me it wouldn't have been big enough to keep our stuff in!

I especially liked the hamper we were given on the first day, with cakes, fudge, biscuits, and more.

The cottage was very nice, but it wasn't close to many shops. This was fine, as we had a car.

Overall, I liked the cottage because it was homely.

Disclosure: We stayed in Sands Cottage, a Coastal Cottages property, which was great for a couple of family of three (Jessica wasn't with us!). We were given a complimentary stay, but Coastal Cottages had no input at all into this blog post. The prices for the cottage for half-term week at the end of May would normally be £629.

The beaches, by Sarah


[caption id="attachment_3979" align="alignnone" width="1200"] You can see Barafundle Bay just behind Robert![/caption]

One of the reasons I wanted to come to Pembrokeshire was because I had heard that it had the most glorious beaches. It was a very good reason – the beaches are wonderful. We spent a long time at two beaches in particular, Barafundle Bay and Marloes. They are both utterly beautiful and would wow anyone.

Barafundle was recently voted by Passport magazine as one of the top beaches in the world.It’s not the most accessible beach (but that’s part of its charm), although not good for visitors with very young children or in wheelchairs. You need to park at Stackpole Bay and walk over the cliffs – a fabulous walk – for around 15 minutes, before you come to the steps which lead down to the bay. When you first see the steps and the beach behind it, it will take your breath away. The sea is gorgeously blue and the expanse of sand is huge. Truly wonderful.Do note that there are no facilities at all on the beach, so bring your own food (and go to the loo beforehand!)

[caption id="attachment_3980" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Beautiful Marloes beach[/caption]

Marloes is also gorgeous, with lots of rock pools and a huge expanses of sand. Scenes from the Hollywood film Snow White and the Huntsman featuring Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewar were filmed here in 2011.

Heatherton World of Activities, by Brian

[caption id="attachment_3981" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Jumping through trees at Heatherton[/caption]

We came here mainly so Robert could go on the fantastic Tree Tops Adventure Trail, but Sarah and I also had a great time. The hedge maze was really fun – I completed it without cheating (unlike some other members of the family). We all loved the baseball/softball cages.  I tried baseball, and struggled to touch, never mind hit, the balls coming towards me at 60 mph. I then had a “water war” with Rob, and completely soaked him. We finished our day with a round of adventure golf. There was so much to do, and even though we had stayed over six hours, we really did not want to leave.

Read Robert’s detailed post on Heatherton here

Disclosure: Heatherton is free to enter, and you take part in activities by using credits. We were given a family book of credits to use while we were there, as well as a complimentary session of the Treetops Adventure Trail, which costs £27.50 and is for people aged 10 years upwards.There is also a junior course.

Pembroke Castle, by Brian

I have visited many different castles over my lifetime, but this one is probably the one that I have enjoyed the most. Gareth, a retired history teacher, was a fantastic guide and made the history come alive. The magnificent keep, the huge cave, and the dungeons were all incredible. There was a lot of walking up steps, but it was definitely worth it.

Read our detailed post on Pembroke Castle here.

A boat trip to see puffins, by Robert

[caption id="attachment_3983" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The boat which took us to see puffins and seals![/caption]

A part of the holiday which I really enjoyed was our puffin and seal boat trip which we took with Thousand Island Expeditions. This consisted of getting into a speed boat, sailing off into the sea, and spotting seals, puffins, and more. We also sailed up to Skomer Island which was very big and green. There were loads of birds and puffins - the most birds I'd ever seen in my life, which was really cool.

[caption id="attachment_3984" align="alignnone" width="1200"] It was amazing to see the puffins near Skomer Island[/caption]

It was really exciting going in the boat, and I loved going really fast. I especially loved when our boat seemed to jump above the water for a few seconds! The woman sailing the boat knew a lot about birds, and mum and dad found the facts she told us really interesting. We all really enjoyed it. I personally found the boat ride more exciting than the puffins, but I know that mum and dad would disagree...

St David’s, by Sarah

[caption id="attachment_3985" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Stunning St David's Cathedral[/caption]

We took the boat trip from the coast just by St David’s, which is the smallest city in the UK. It is chocolate box pretty and well worth a visit, even if it’s more like a village! The 12th century cathedral is a marvel – even if you don’t enter and walk around – and looks like something from a film set, while the Oriel y Parc Gallery often has beautiful displays. The main shopping throughfare gets very busy, but there is an abundance of small shops and eateries, including some really good ice-cream and chocolate shops. A short drive away you can take a boat to see puffins, seals and more.

Folly Farm

We all loved Folly Farm, which is a brilliant day out for families. Somehow it managed to appeal to the thrill-seeking Robert and also the nostalgia-seeking Sarah! Folly Farm calls itself an adventure park and zoo, and it has a lot of space for both. It’s clean and well set-up, with animals ranging from lions to penguins, meerkats to the most adorable sloth, as well as farm animals (which may appeal more to younger children, who will also like the soft play barn). There are also outside play areas and a range of old fashioned fairground rides, which we really loved (you need to pay for these by changing modern money into tokens). These have been painstakingly restored and are all under cover, which was lucky as it was raining when we arrived. I particularly loved the old fashioned arcade games, many of which are paid for by using 2ps and 10ps – we had to pull Robert away from trying again and again to win!



Folly Farm costs £13.95 for adults and £11.95 for kids. We were given free entry as arranged by Coastal Cottages as part of their wonderful concierge service. However, neither Coastal Cottages or Folly Farm had any input into this blog post.

An adrenaline rush at Heatherton world of activities

Robert, aged 12, writes:

I loved our Wales holiday and my favourite part of it was going to Heatherton World of Activities. There were so many fun things to do and we tried to cram in as many as possible.

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Firstly I tried Walking on Water (zorbing), which turned out to be one of the most exciting and cool, yet tiring things at Heatherton. After a long queue (this was a very popular activity), I got into a massive bubble that a staff-member filled with air. They then zipped me up inside and I was ready to go, so I rolled onto the water. For the next five-ish minutes I tried to stand up and walk about. Unfortunately I was in a spherical bubble on a pool of water which resulted in me falling down. It was hilarious and fun but also a hard challenge: to try and stand up for as long as possible. Personally, it was one of the best activities I’ve done all year and I didn’t want it to end.

[caption id="attachment_3960" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert loved zorbing![/caption]

Next I had a go on Bumper Boats. This was like dodgems just on water. You travelled round in a circuit, controlling your vehicle and crashing into anyone who got close. I loved twisting the steering wheel to one side and spinning around in circles. I enjoyed Bumper Boats but it did get quite boring after a few laps, I would recommend this for younger kids.

[caption id="attachment_3961" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Sarah was dreadful at the laser clay shooting![/caption]

After that, Mum and I had a go at Laser Clays. This is when a staff-member shoots a Frisbee in the air and you have to try and shoot them with a laser gun. It was awesome. There were three rounds, all with different ways of scoring points. Although I was shooting aimlessly most of the time, surprisingly I did quite well. I can’t say the same about Mum though! Laser Clays barely ever had a queue and I would recommend going as it was quick and fun.

After lunch I went on the Tree Tops Trail, tree climbing that lasted around two and a half hours. I went on the Adult extreme trail that consisted of four courses, the power fan and a bonus zip-wire. After learning how to stay safe and use our harness we went through the practice course before starting the big ones. There were times when you walked across a balance beam, swung on ropes and went through tunnels as well as times when you had to walk backwards, catapult yourself forward and jump from plank to plank. It was incredible. Sometimes you had a choice of which way to go, there were signs saying Easy, Difficult or Super Difficult, I always went the hardest way. Each course ended with a zip-wire, each one being longer than the last.

After the three courses in the woods, our small group (of three) travelled back into the heart of Heatherton for the highest course yet. This involved a giant Tarzan swing, two tunnels and see-saw planks. After the zip-wire we travelled back to the wooden structure and this time had a go on the power fan, also known as a 13m drop. It wasn’t scary or very fast so you should try it even if you don’t like heights. We then went back up again for the finale, a massive 165m zip-wire which was great. The whole thing was thrilling throughout and was probably the highlight of my holiday.

Next dad and I had a go at water wars. You could trade in a token for 10 water balloons, we got 20 but others had loads. Then, when it was your turn you filled them up with water from the taps and went into your own firing station. Dad and I both had 10 balloons which we tried to catapult at each other. You had to get the balloons to go through a hole in your station and then through another in your opponent’s station so sometimes you would end up hitting a wall and soaking yourself. Dad had a great aim and got nearly all of his balloons on target. I didn’t do as well and dad got off completely dry. I had a fantastic time and you don’t get very wet.

We then had a go at baseball/softball. I tried the latter. Firstly we put on a helmet and gloves then picked up a bat. A staff-member came along and turned the machine on which then started chucking balls at us which we tried to hit. It was fun although the helmets were far too big and sometimes covered our eyes.

I went on the giant pillows next which were massive trampolines. I didn’t enjoy them though as they were hard and not very bouncy.

The maze at Heatherton was one of the best mazes I’ve ever been in. This maze was made from 5,500 beech trees and was super difficult. As well as the classic dead-ends and break-off paths there were also one-way doors. This meant that if you went through and realised you had com the wrong way you could not turn back. Also there were question boards where each answer pointed to a different direction; this made it even more fun. I loved the maze and it felt great to get to the middle.

Finally we tried Pirates of the Caribbean Crazy Golf. There were 18 holes, all being quite difficult full of bunkers, rocks and pools of water. It was really fun but quite frustrating!

Overall I loved Heatherton. There were loads of things that we didn’t try but what we did try was great. Around Heatherton there were loads of quick activities that cost no tokens, like giant draughts or snakes and ladders. I would recommend this for all ages as there were so many things for young kids as well as loads of things for teenagers. I loved going to Heatherton.

Disclosure: Heatherton is free to enter, and you take part in activities by using credits (for example, the laser clays and zorbs cost one credit each and the adventure golf costs two each). You can buy books of credits or top up passes. We were given a family book of credits to use while we were there, as well as a complimentary session of the Treetops Adventure Trail, which costs £27.50 and is for people aged 10 years upwards.There is also a junior course.

Heatherton is situated near Tenby (where we ate a delicious supper afterwards!) - you can call on 01646 652000.

There's loads to do in Pembrokeshire - read about our trip to Pembroke Castle and see Visit Pembrokeshire for more information too.

Magnificent Pembroke Castle - a must see in Wales

[caption id="attachment_3949" align="alignnone" width="1200"] At the top of the keep[/caption]

I love a good castle and am delighted to tell you that Pembroke Castle in Wales is a very good castle indeed! In fact, it’s one of the best we’ve ever visited, and probably the only one which you come upon simply by walking along a High Street. Here’s why you should visit too.

Pembroke is a magnificently preserved medieval building. The first castle at the site was built way back in 1093, during the Norman invasion of Wales. A century later it was given to William Marshal, later to become one of the most powerful men in the kingdom, as a faithful supporter of Henry II, Richard I and John and adviser on the Magna Carta. If you haven’t heard of him before, you really should have!

We were told about Marshal by our wonderful guide, Gareth, a retired history teacher, who really brought history alive. He was absolutely fabulous and I would definitely recommend taking a guided tour if you visit the castle. We learnt so much – and everyone, of all ages, was enthralled.

Gareth told us all about the brilliant positioning of the castle, with water on three sides. This means it is much easier to defend than many other similar buildings. In addition, the gatehouse is a marvel, and invaders would find it almost impossible to get through – they’d have to survive the murder and spear holes first! The outer wall is also five metres thick.

It was William Marshal who turned the castle into such an impressive Norman stone building. The Earl Marshal was also responsible for the magnificent keep with its innovative stone roof (wooden roofs risked being set on fire). The keep is nearly 80 feet high and the walls are six metres thick at its base.

[caption id="attachment_3951" align="alignnone" width="900"] The keep[/caption]

Gareth told us so much about the castle’s history, about the dungeons and the cave, called Wogan's Cavern, which could be used for provisions, and which we visited, going down the 55 step spiral staircase.

[caption id="attachment_3952" align="alignnone" width="1200"] By the steps down to the cave[/caption]

The castle is lovely to walk around – you can amble along the ramparts or climb to the top of the keep and other parts of it too, enjoying some terrific views. It doesn’t look that big from the outside, but inside there is so much space

In one of the towers there is also a display recreating the birth of Henry Tudor, later to become Henry VII, in 1457. This was the man who founded one of the most famous of all dynasties. Gareth had a fascinating tale about all this, including his views on Henry’s mother, Margaret Beaufort, who he thinks may well have been responsible for the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower.

We would highly recommend a visit here, and especially a tour, but do be aware that, if you want to go up to the top of the keep, or down to the cave, you will encounter a lot of steep steps.

Pembroke Castle has so much to offer and we felt we could have spent longer there. We would have liked to have looked in detail at some of the exhibits on show and explored more, but there was so much to do on our trip to Pembrokeshire, that we just didn’t have time.....

Pembroke Castle is open daily. Tours take place three times a day during June, July and August, at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. During September and October, they are twice a day, at 11.30 and 1.45pm and during November, December, January and February once a day from noon.

Tours are included in the price of admission, which is £6.60 per adult, £5.50 per child (with under threes going free).

There is so much to do in the beautiful area of Pembrokeshire - take a look at Visit Pembrokeshire for more information and read our posts on:

Folly Farm and overview of our trip

More castles:

Lincoln Castle - Magna Carta, gorgeous views and the most unusual chapel

An awesome time at Hever Castle