Latest news with #Harbourmaster
Wales Online
06-08-2025
- Wales Online
Colourful Welsh town is one of the best places in the UK for an ice cream by the sea
Colourful Welsh town is one of the best places in the UK for an ice cream by the sea We love a coastal town, especially one with colourful houses, a boutique hotel, and some of the best ice cream in Wales. We love a coastal town, especially one with colourful houses, a boutique hotel, and some of the best ice cream in Wales. (Image: Michael Roberts via Getty Images) We love a coastal town, especially one with colourful houses, a boutique hotel, and some of the best ice cream in Wales. Pretty Aberaeron on the Ceredigion coast is one of the loveliest seaside escapes in Wales, known for its colourful Georgian-style houses and boat-filled harbour. Aberaeron means "mouth of the Aeron" in Welsh, and the name has some serious bite. It comes from the Middle Welsh word aer, meaning 'slaughter.' Local lore says that it traces back to a Welsh god of war named Aeron, which gives the town an unexpectedly fierce origin story. Fast forward to the early 1800s, and this sleepy stretch of coastline was about to get a serious glow-up. Before 1800, there wasn't much here, no town, no harbour, no hustle. That all changed when the ambitious and forward-thinking Reverend Alban Thomas Jones Gwynne got to work in 1805, designing one of the very first planned towns in all of Wales. It's one of the first planned towns in all of Wales. (Image: Portia Jones ) He didn't just sketch out some streets and call it a day. He built a handsome harbour, one that quickly became the heart of the town. It buzzed with shipbuilding, trade, and industry throughout the 19th century. The harbour didn't just support commerce; it shaped the coastal community. A row of houses for the workmen and a school popped up along the northern edge, but both were eventually claimed by the sea, swept away by the same choppy waters that had made the town thrive. Even as steamships chugged up and down the coast into the 1920s, Aberaeron's harbour stayed busy. Today, it's a peaceful half-tide haven with a candy coloured strip of buildings where sailboats and little fishing vessels bob gently in the estuary. The small town recently had a national spotlight when its harbour front hotel, the Harbourmaster, was crowned hotel of the year 2025 by the Sunday Times for its 'old splash of style and substance" The deep blue landmark hotel is no stranger to accolades. It has won several awards, including the Good Hotel Guide's César Award for Best Hotel in Wales in 2024. First opened as a hotel in 2002, the independently owned hotel features 13 maritime-themed rooms spread over three historic harbour-side buildings, which were originally used as a home and office for the Harbourmaster. Seven original rooms in the former Harbourmaster's residence are accessed via a spiral staircase and command spectacular sea or harbour views with features including rolltop tubs or balconies. The top-floor suite is particularly sought after. Crowned Wales hotel of the year by the Sunday Times for its 'old splash of style and substance,' this striking boutique coastal hotel overlooks the Georgian quayside in Aberaeron. (Image: Portia Jones ) Along with coastal chic rooms, the on-site restaurant, described by the Sunday Times as offering "unfussy but bang-on flavours," is a real highlight. As you'd expect from a dining room within reach of the local fishing fleet, it strongly emphasises locally caught seafood dishes, such as Cardigan Bay shellfish, Welsh Beer-Battered Haddock, and Cardigan Bay Crab Linguine. There's also plenty of other local produce, including Welsh lamb and beef sirloin, Ammanford's Coaltown coffee and Welsh spirits, beers and wine from vines in the nearby Llaethliw vineyard. Charcuterie, served daily in the afternoon, is a must-try. It's loaded with cured meats, smoked salmon, Black Bomber cheese profiteroles, and olives. The Harbourmaster in Aberaeron (Image: Harbourmaster Hotel) Nearby, you'll find another spot praised by the Sunday Times, The Hive, named in The Times' list of the 41 best places for Ice Cream in the UK. The Orange-coloured Hive is also home to the legendary Honey Ice Cream, which is made on-site by master ice cream makers Kevin and Mateusz. This distinctive, creamy ice cream is hands down my favourite ice cream in all of Wales. One scoop, and you'll see why it has a cult following. The Hive is home to the legendary Honey Ice Cream (Image: Portia Jones ) Just across the harbour, Y Seler plates up big views and bold flavours. One of Aberaeron's top-rated spots, it's all about chilled vibes and standout seafood, Carmarthenshire mussels, pan-seared scallops, cod, shrimp, and sea bass all make a regular appearance. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here. There's plenty of walking to be done here, as the town is right on the Wales Coast Path and the Ceredigion Coast Path, one of the most rewarding sections of the 870-mile Wales Coast Path. Stretching for 60 glorious miles between Ynyslas and Cardigan, it offers some of the most varied terrain and scenery on the entire route, ranging from soft dunes and sandy coves to craggy cliffs and windswept headlands. This waymarked path can be walked in seven manageable sections, each ending in a village or town with accommodation and transport options. You can take on the full route over a week or choose shorter sections like New Quay to Aberaeron or the 11.7-mile stretch from Cardigan to Aberporth. For hiking, the Ceredigion Coast Path is one of the most rewarding sections of the 870-mile Wales Coast Path (Image: Portia Jones ) The section of the Ceredigion Coast Path between New Quay and Aberaeron is one of the most popular stretches and includes one of Dylan Thomas's favourite walks, along the beach between the town and his wartime home at Llanina. The 6.5-mile route offers epic sea views, opportunities to spot dolphins and other wildlife, and access to beaches and a cove. It passes by the Afon Drywi and its waterfall at Cwm Buwch, and a striking sculpture of a maiden blowing a kiss. Wildlife boat trips are another big draw in the area. Ceredigion's coast is well-known for abundant wildlife, including the famous Cardigan Bay bottlenose dolphin pods and Atlantic Grey seals. Seals on the Ceredigion coastline (Image: Portia Jones ) Just down the road, you can hop on a guided dolphin-watching boat trip, leaving from the picturesque fishing village of New Quay with Seamor dolphin watching trips. As you bounce along the waves, you can learn about the local history, geology and wildlife from the marine biologist guides and knowledgeable skippers who will also scan the shoreline for resident dolphins to point out. A further drive on are budget-friendly boat trips with local pros, 'A Bay to Remember'. Departing from St Dogmaels, this hour-long trip wizzes you around the shore on high-speed RHIBs, where your knowledgeable skipper will keep their eyes peeled for wildlife. On this fast boat trip, you'll likely spot dolphins and seabirds and be taken to secluded, pebbled bays where Atlantic grey seals lounge lazily on the rocks. The villa designed by John Nash in the 1790s at Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion, Wales. (Image: ©National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra) Nearby is Llanerchaeron Georgian villa and gardens, a gentry estate largely unchanged since the 18th century. Built by John Nash in the mid-1790s, Llanerchaeron is the most complete example of the architect's early work. Set in the beautiful Dyffryn Aeron, a few miles east of Aberaeron, the estate has survived virtually unaltered. Once a self-sufficient entity with its own dairy, laundry and brewery, it is owned by the National Trust and used as a working organic farm. The two original walled gardens with their early greenhouses and amazing underground heating have been restored and are now used to grow fruit and herbs. Extensive walks thread through the parkland and estate, where you can spot sheep, pigs, and Welsh black cattle or wander around artefacts left by the estate's last resident 25 years ago. Article continues below
1News
10-07-2025
- General
- 1News
British ship found at Canterbury river after grounding 160 years ago
A British ship which ran aground in Canterbury 160 years ago has been unearthed at the mouth of the Ashley River on the outskirts of Christchurch. The trading ship, called the Thames, was built in 1826 and met its end while delivering telegraph poles to north Canterbury in 1865. The discovery of the ship began in 2023 when the remains were flagged by a Canterbury Regional Council park ranger and then as a coastal hazard by a Harbourmaster team. Canterbury Heritage Consultants was brought in to identify the ship, with principal archaeologist Nick Cable saying the style of timber and chopping sheathing were key clues. "Samples confirmed the timber was English oak and elm — classic British shipbuilding materials — so that really sealed the deal for us in confirming the wreck to be the Thames." ADVERTISEMENT An artist's impression of the Thames. (Source: Supplied) The ship was mostly salvaged after it ran aground, with timber being used for homes and its bell serving as a fire bell, but the remaining timbers were swallowed by sand for more than a century. Canterbury Regional Council deputy chairperson Deon Swiggs said the discovery offered a "rare and compelling glimpse" into the area's maritime past. "Conservation efforts are now underway to stabilise the exposed section, with plans to eventually display it publicly."
