From marvellous museums to beautiful beaches

 
26 May 2015

Capital to capital by rail in two hours flat: from London, the only possible destination is Cardiff. The Welsh capital is one of Britain’s great cities, packed with places to shop, sleep and play rugby (though not all at the same time). It also has a remarkable repertoire of heritage. Wander from Cardiff Central station through the heart of the city, and you reach the National Museum Cardiff. It’s a formidable structure, with an equally impressive collection – ranging from ancient creatures such as a mammoth to French Impressionists – including Renoir’s Parisienne, Rodin’s Kiss and Monet’s Water Lilies. It’s free, too.

Equally compelling is Cardiff Bay, a decrepit dockland district that has been transformed into a haven of excellence – and entertainment, including a Norwegian Church, a Welsh Assembly and about a million places to eat and drink as you watch the sun sink. Just along the coast in Penarth, you can look across to the islands of the Bristol Channel, the shore of Somerset and the newly restored pier. You could also visit a favourite “destination restaurant”, the Fig Tree; the executive chef, Mike Caplan, serves only the best of produce from the morning markets in Cardiff.

To escape to the great outdoors, go further west along the Great Western line to Port Talbot, then head a few miles north to Afan Forest Park. Hiking and biking are both spectacularly rewarding, on hills that tower above a dramatic valley full of industrial archaeology. You can cycle on a gentle former railway path, or tackle one of the five high adventure mountain-biking trails. Or just wander along one of 14 circular walking paths.

At the end of the main line from London is Swansea, whose illustrious history as the economic powerhouse of Wales is evident in the handsome architecture. I like to stay in Morgan’s in the Maritime Quarter – the former Port Authority HQ, now transformed into a boutique hotel. It is close to the Dylan Thomas Centre and this year, 27 October sees the 100th anniversary of his birth in the city.

Swansea also has an important place in railway history. The city was the location for the world’s first farepaying passenger railway service, a horse-drawn carriage which opened in 1807 from the city around Swansea Bay to the village of Oystermouth, also known as Mumbles. And although these days you’ll need to walk, bike or bus it, the village is the best place to appreciate Swansea Bay in all its glory – especially from the far end of Mumbles Pier and Lifeboat Station.

It’s also a very good place to begin a journey deeper into South Wales – for instance, the Gower Peninsula, which stretches for a dozen miles.

“As the day goes over the hill into the deep sea,” in the words of Dylan Thomas, you can choose to explore more – or head back to London at a very comfortable two miles a minute.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in