Bethlehem in Wales

© Copyright Alan Bowring

Yes, we have a Bethlehem in Britain. It's a hamlet in south-west Wales and gets its name from the non-conformist chapel there. Not surprisingly it attracts a lot of tourists at Christmas time, all eager to get a Bethlehem postmark on their Christmas cards! Every year, a Christmas market is held in the hamlet.

Good walking country

The path up Carn Goch near Bethlehem
© Copyright Jeremy Bolwell

The terrain of the Welsh Bethlehem could not be more different from that of its Middle East counterpart. It lies in one of the remotest parts of the Brecon Beacons, a range of old red sandstone peaks to the south of Brecon (in Carmarthenshire). It's an area that is very popular with walkers. The hamlet itself is overlooked by Carn Goch, an iron-age hill fort, which sits on open access land and is therefore freely accessible to the public.

The Beacons Way, which starts in Bethlehem, runs west-east over the hill.

Click here for more information about Bethlehem and the Carn Goch Hill Fort.

The photographs used in this post are licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Posted by Louise Lambert

Blues Festival in Tenby, South West Wales

Tenby from the harbour
© Copyright David Lewis

Tenby is a walled seaside town in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales on the west side of Carmarthen Bay. Its notable features include 4 km of sandy beaches, the 13th century medieval town walls, the 15th century St. Mary's Church, the Tudor Merchant's House (owned by the National Trust), a museum with art gallery, and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, part of Wales' only coastal National Park. 

Cardiff Castle: An Extraordinary Ancient Castle

By Pushpitha Wijesinghe

Cardiff Castle from Bute Park
Q Copyright D Johnston

Cardiff Castle is an internationally acclaimed heritage site in Wales. With over 2000 years of history, this castle was once a Roman fort, a Norman monopoly and a Victorian Gothic architecture mansion.