The long sandy beaches stretch for miles, but they are just a part of what this area has to offer (Image: Getty Images)
Snapped between Pembrokeshire and Gower's outstanding British beauty spots, there are hidden gems you shouldn't ignore. You may be able to forget its existence and zoom straight on it as you head west or east along the busy M4 and A48 to your more famous neighbor.
But quietly hidden on the shores of Carmarthenshire (probably better known for its gentle green hills than its coastline) is a huge area, one of the best places to visit anywhere in the country. With hundreds of acres of forest and one of the longest beaches in the UK, you can find your luggage to fill your time, whether it's a day or a week.
Cefn Sidan Sands is a blue-flag beach with eight miles of golden sand between Carmarthen Bay and hundreds of acres of woodland and the countryside of Pembree Country Park, just west of the town of Llanelli.
The beach is definitely a major attraction, but there's plenty to do here, including walks and trails, great adventure playgrounds for kids, mini golf, bike rentals, toboggans and dream skyslopes.
There are large campsites from March to October, making it perfect for resting after a day at the beach. Explore the huge park and fully licensed restaurants and bars offering salads, pizza and small meals for kids (there is also a new pirate ship outside the restaurant).
Sehunsidan Beach is a popular place for families during the summer, but there is a charming history under the sand (Image: Walesonline)
Sehun Shidan Beach
Without a doubt, Sehun Shidan Beach, a crown jewel in the Sea region, is eight miles of flat gold sand. It was the first in Wales to win a Blue Flag Award for bathing water. It's busy on hot summer days, but it's so big that there's room to set up for the day and there's lifeguards during the summer.
However, this region on the coast has a dark history, dating back to a time when it was the main shipping route that provided Wales' booming coal and tin industries. It is said that an astounding 300 ships have been destroyed under the sand of this beach. And while many of them became victims of the dangerous sandbars of the area, others were seduced by their fate by the relentless looters.
Coastal Park Ranger Emyr Richards said in 2019:
One such group of marauders was known as “Gwyr y Bwyell Bach” (meaning “men with small hatches”).
Paul is the largest remaining timber wreck found in Sehun Sidhan Sands of hundreds of ships recorded as being destroyed here. (Image: Getty Images)
Paul grounded Sehun Sidhan Sands in 1925. (Image: Creative Commons)
“The reason the hatchets were special is because they had a claw hammer and a little hatchet,” Richards said.
“And the main reason was to cut off the victim's fingers, remove the ring, take what they wanted, and infiltrate a barrel of brandy and fine wine.
In fact, shipwrecks are dotted throughout Wales coastline. A few miles east of CEFN Sidhan is a small island, a ship's cemetery. You can see the twisted metal corpses of the ship, still tense. Diver James Hedley Phillips explored over 30 shipwrecks off the coast of Wales. Once, I collected a batch of 100-year-old wine bottles from the wreck and collected freely drinking before discovering it was worth at least 1,500 pounds each.
Cefn Sidan is a huge beach and one of the longest places in the UK (Image: Getty Images)
In fact, there are only six “designated shipwrecks” in the waters of Welsh. These are given protected status under the Shipwreck Act of 1973. Anyone who visits, films or investigates these sunken ships must obtain a special license from the Welsh government.
In Cefn Sidan, the largest visible ruins are located at the western edge and belong to a large Windjammer called SV Paul nearly 100 years ago.
In 1925, the ship left Nova Scotia and was rushed into Severe Girl on October 30th, losing its sails and anchors, and eventually grounding the sand. When it was grounded it was carrying expensive tropical hardwood cargo.
“Fortunately, no one lost his life in the wreck, but that's a completely different story,” Richards told BBC Wales. “Many homes had very expensive tropical hardwoods and some very well-built garden sheds.”
Whiteford Point Lighthouse was built in 1865 and operated until 1937. (Image: Martin Edwards/Creative Commons)
The shipwreck of Cefn Sidan dates back to 1668. They include La Jeune Emma, who was heading to France from the West Indies when he was badly blown away from the course in 1828. After the tin industry in Llanelli fell, the ship stopped coming.
At the same coastal distance is the Whiteford Lighthouse, an extraordinary structure surrounded entirely by the sea when the tide is in. It is the only cast iron lighthouse in England “washed.” Surprisingly, it was occupied and anyone who lived there would have been surrounded by wind, waves and one of the world's most dangerous tide ranges. It was the job of the lighthouse keepers to keep it, and records from 1880 show that they paid £1 a week and stayed there for two weeks at a time.
Despite how few people see them, the lighthouse still has intricate Victorian features, like the railings surrounding it. It was abolished by the 1930s and has been corrupt ever since.
Country Park and its important role in the British war effort
Pembree's outstanding natural beauty shines, but there are also signs of the important role it played in the dark times of the British past. It was once the site of the Pembree Ammunition Factory, where thousands of women sacrificed their health, and often their lives, during World War I. The hair and skin of the women who worked there turned yellow due to the use of chemicals.
Pembury Country Park occupies the site of the former Royal Ordance Factory. (Image: John M/CC by-sa 2.0)
Pembree Country Park Forest (Image: Getty Images)
Women will suffer burns caused by acid. They are blinded by steam. They suffered from seizures and lost their lives. However, due to the secret nature of the work, their stories are not widely known, Walesonline reports.
The factory was built in 1882 by a new explosive company, but was taken over by the Nobel Explosive Company in 1886 or 1887 (established by a man named after the Peace Prize). At that peak, 200 tonnes of crude TNT were made there every week, with a total of 15,000 tonnes being produced during the war.
By the end of the war, 4,765 workers had been employed in the factories, most of which were women. There were so many secrets around the factory, with few records being found. However, the diary of Gloucester Sharvikal's daughter, named Gabriella West, can help shed some light. She joined the newly formed female police service, which began working as a sergeant in 1917, and said her job was to “control the female workers.” Excerpts from her diary paint the harsh pictures of what these women endure.
“The girls here are very rough, so are the conditions.
“Their language is awful at times! But they are also very impressive.
“The particles of acid land on your face, and you're almost mad – like a pin or needle.
“They wear your clothes and leave brown spots all over them.
“They also raise your nose and throat up, and in your eyes you're blind and speechless.”
Four men and two women were killed in the fatal explosion on July 14, 1917. The two women, ages 18 and 19, were named Mildred Owen and Mary Watson. Their funeral was a major relationship with thousands of people traveling to nearby Swansea to pay their respects. Their ffin was carried on a carriage covered with Union Jack. Sadly, it was not the only fatal explosion at the location – three young women died there in November 1918, days after the end of the war.
