Explore Wales from Stallion Valley Holiday Cottages

Wales, small is beautiful and spacious, nearly 3 times less crowded than England

Wales, small is beautiful and spacious

Wales is less than 9% of the total area of the UK, 170 miles long and 60 miles wide.

For a small country Wales has a varied and dramatic landscape.

It has 3 National Parks and 5 areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wales is mostly mountainous and it is claimed would be twice its size if all the folds which form the mountains, hills and valleys were flattened out.

The highest mountains are in Snowdonia, North and Mid Wales, and include Snowden, which, at 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) is the highest peak in Wales.

Wales has over 1,200 km (750 miles) of coastline with a host of award winning beaches and miles of unrivaled coastal footpaths.

Wales’s population is 2.9 million, (less than 5% of the UK), the main population and industrial areas are in South Wales, the coastal cities of Cardiff (pop. 321,000) Swansea and Newport and the South Wales Valleys to their north.

History, a proud and passionate nation

There is a strong sense of our history in Wales, perhaps as a result of so many invasions; - conquered by the Celts, the Romans, the Saxons and the Vikings, the making of a proud and resilient nation.

The remains of the past have been well looked after many of which can be seen for free in the Nation Museums of Wales www.museumwales.ac.uk. Wales has more than 600 castles, more per square mile than any other country see www.cadw.wales.gov.uk

Myths and Legends Tales of King Aurthur and Merlin the Magician are inspired by Wales's wonderful landscapes and seascapes. There are many places in South West Wales that are associated with the story of King Arthur and Excalibur. Merlin, the sorcerer, was reputedly born in Carmarthen (in Welsh, Caerfyrddin) meaning Merlin’s Fort or Town. Merlin’s Hill, near Carmarthen, is an Iron Age hill fort dating back to 400 BC. Somewhere near here was a cave that has vanished over the passage of time, once Merlin’s home.

The Welsh Flag The Red Dragon was granted official status in 1959, but the dragon itself has been associated with Wales for centuries. Some say it’s the oldest national flag still in use, and that it was the used by King Arthur and other ancient Celtic leaders.

Weather

Welsh weather is unpredictable. It rains that’s why the grass is so green. The proximity of the mountains and coast means that the weather can change quickly, and within very short distances. It could be raining in one village whilst the next one along has glorious sunshine.

South West Wales is less than 40 miles from Devon (it’s green there as well!) and enjoys a similar climate. Temperatures across Wales usually make it to the 20°Cs (70°Fs) in the summer months when the sandy, white beaches really come into their own.

Coastline & Beaches

With England to the east Wales has  three other sides of sea, with over 1,200km (750 miles) of coastline, Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Cardigan Bay  all have wonderful, clean beaches and some wonderful marine life dolphins, porpoises, basking sharks, Atlantic grey seals and leatherback turtles. Ceredigion is seen as an area of international importance for bottle nosed dolphins, and New Quay in Cardigan Bay has the only summer residence of bottle nosed dolphins in the UK.

Activities

Wales’ beautiful beaches, coastlines, countryside & mountains provide unrivalled opportunities for walking, cycling, climbing, golf and water sports far from the maddening crowds.

Pretty harbour towns, seaside resorts and market towns have a wide range of local food markets, tiny craft shops, designer outlets and galleries.

Visit our Local Activites section for more information