News
National Park in top 10 UK travel experiences
EXPLORING the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park has been named as one of Lonely Planet’s 10 best travel experiences in the UK.
Travel guide book publisher Lonely Planet has released the Ultimate United Kingdom Travelist, with the new book ranking the top 500 unmissable experiences and hidden gems across Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.
Ultimate United Kingdom Travelist is the regional follow-up to the bestselling Ultimate Travelist and a must-own book for both travellers to the UK and residents who want to discover their country’s most iconic sights and activities.
Filled with insightful commentary, photos and details of how to visit each place, this is your essential guide to exploring the very best of the British Isles – from tiny pubs and giant cathedrals to world-class coastal walks and rollicking music festivals.
Topping the list was the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, followed by the British Museum and the Giant’s Causeway, with the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park tenth on the list.
The Ultimate United Kingdom Travelist read: “If you haven’t been to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in the country’s ‘wild west’, you are missing a trick. Wholly deserving of its number 10 Travelist slot, this ravishing stretch of cliff-flanked coves, thrashing seas, wildflower-freckled moors and hedge-lined tracks leading to one-pub villages still feels like a great escape. Life around here moves in the slow lane.
“You’ve come for the beaches? Wise choice, you’re in for a treat. Tenby in the south offers a classic dose of ice-cream-licking, bucket-and-spade fun. But the further west you head, the wilder it gets, with the likes of crescent-shaped Barafundle Bay, reached on foot through the dunes, surf-hammered Freshwater, and tucked-away Marloes with its high sea cliffs, shipwreck and boats heading over to puffin island, Skomer.
“A terrific base for beach-hopping and coastal-hiking is St Davids. Britain’s smallest city is charm personified, with a whopping medieval cathedral, lanes staggering down to the sea, and a couple of highly stylish, architect-designed hotels, including art-slung former windmill Twr Y Felin and one-time Victorian convent Penrhiw.
“Break up drives by striking out on the 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path, which dips and rises over kissing gates and windy clifftops to smuggler’s coves, wooded hollows where brooks burble, and Neolithic burial chambers.
“To up the adventure, go coasteering with the pros at eco-lodge Preseli Venture. Or turn your focus inland to the lonely Preseli Hills, a windswept range of rocky outcrops, low-lying peaks capped with prehistoric standing stones, and moorland flecked with gorse and heather.”
A total of 47 Welsh locations and experiences featured, with Skomer Island 59th, coasteering in Pembrokeshire 79th, St Davids Cathedral 93rd, Tenby 148th and Barafundle Bay 185th on the list.
News
Closure of Tata Steel’s coke ovens sparks political and union backlash
THE recent announcement by Tata Steel to close the coke ovens at its Port Talbot plant in South Wales has ignited a firestorm of political and industrial action, highlighting the deepening crisis within the British steel industry and the challenges facing the transition to green steel.
Jo Stevens MP, the Shadow Welsh Secretary, expressed her concerns over the impact of the closure on the Welsh steel industry and the workers affected. Stevens emphasized the need for assurances about the workers’ immediate future and pledged that a UK Labour government would invest in the steel industry to support the transition to green steel, harnessing the skills, talent, and ambition of Welsh steelworkers.
The closure, slated for Wednesday due to concerns over the ovens’ “operational stability,” has been criticized by regional Senedd Members for South Wales West, Tom Giffard MS, and Dr. Altaf Hussain MS. They accused the Labour Welsh Government of neglecting its support for the Tata Steelworks in Port Talbot, highlighting a lack of financial assistance since 2019 and calling for a change in response to the current developments.
Unite, the UK’s leading union, has been vocal in its opposition to Tata’s decision, describing it as a shock and a “result of years of betrayal.” The union criticized Tata for not disclosing the imminent risk of closure during recent consultations and announced a ballot for industrial action among 1,500 Tata workers. Unite insists there should be no job losses at Port Talbot or Llanwern and that a blast furnace should remain operational.
Peter Hughes, Unite’s regional secretary for Wales, called for Tata to halt its closure plans in anticipation of Labour’s promised £3 billion investment to rejuvenate the UK steel industry. He accused Tata of managing the decline of UK steel while accepting government subsidies, describing the company’s actions as “deliberate industrial vandalism.”
The closure has not only raised concerns about the future of steel production in the UK but also spotlighted the political and economic strategies required to ensure the industry’s survival and transition towards more sustainable practices. The unfolding situation underscores the need for a collaborative approach between the government, industry stakeholders, and the workforce to navigate the complex challenges ahead.
News
Firefighters tackle blaze at block of garages in Monkton
ONE person was injured as a result of a sunday afternoon garage fire in a block of garages in Monkton.
A spokesperson for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service told The Pembrokeshire Herald said: “At 1.31pm on March 17, Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven crews were called to extinguish a fire in an alight central garage and were forced to use two breathing apparatus and two hose reels.
“The firefighters reportedly left the scene at 3.02pm after continuing to dampen the fire and check for fire spread.
“The casualty was treated by ambulance service personnel also in attendance.”
The police confirmed that a garage fire had been dealt with by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Welsh Ambulance Service attended.
News
Air ambulance called following incident at Aldi Pembroke Dock
THE WALES AIR AMBULANCE, along with the Welsh Ambulance Service and police were called on Monday morning to an incident at the Aldi supermarket car park in Pembroke Dock.
The Herald understands that the alarm was raised after a car hit a person in the car park after 9am.
We have been told that the incident involved a local taxi.
The emergency services have been asked for a comment.
MORE TO FOLLOW
-
Community5 days ago
Two Welsh codebreakers who helped shorten WWII celebrate their 100th birthdays
-
Community1 day ago
Residents hit back after YouTube video shows Milford ‘in decline’
-
Crime6 days ago
Local carer admits defrauding client by more than £7,000
-
Crime6 days ago
Dramatic arrest of three men after man hospitalised in assault
-
News13 hours ago
Air ambulance called following incident at Aldi Pembroke Dock
-
News5 days ago
Pembroke Dock grants scandal: A decade of deception unravelled
-
News5 days ago
Llŷr Davies, 16, was kind, funny and charming, says bereaved family
-
Crime7 days ago
Neyland motorist caught driving Mercedes four times over the limit