Tourists in Tenby

As a history-lover, I was excited to take a family trip to Tenby on a recent holiday in Pembrokeshire. This charming coastal town has a heritage stretching back to at least the 9th century, expansive beaches, and loads to see and do, and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring the town as a family.

The Medieval Town Walls

The Grade One Listed walls were built in the 13th Century, and surround the Old Town on Tenby. As we approached the town from the train station the walls loomed into view, and we followed them along to Five Arches Gate to enter the town. Oli enjoyed pointing out the arrow slits and crenelations as we walked, and it felt like we were stepping back in time as we passed under the arches onto the streets beyond.

Play on the Beaches

There are quite a few beaches in Tenby! When we arrived it was quite early in the morning, so we were sharing Harbour Beach with only a few dog-walkers, though there were a couple of brave swimmers chancing the waves along Tenby North Beach as we followed the breaking waves along the front. Later in the afternoon we spent time exploring the caves and caverns of Castle Beach, and we took a walk out to St Catherine's Island where Oli loved scrambling over rocks and through the cliffs, spotting giant medusa jellyfish and tiny molluscs.

Explore the Streets

Tenby is a shopping paradise! There are high street shops jostling for space alongside unique gift stores, local gems, and so many restaurants and cafes. Tenby is a bit of a foodie haven, so delicious smells were wafting all around us as we walked and we were spoiled for choice of where to eat, though we eventually settled on a delicious brunch at Morgan's, followed by chocolate-covered churros from the sweet shop on St George's Street. A favourite spot was Sergeants Lane - considered the most photographed street in Wales - which is packed with colourful shop fronts, flowers, unique art, and winding paths leading to hidden garden cafes and bars.

Visit The Tudor Merchant's House

As National Trust members, we often base our days out around their properties and places we can visit, sow e were thrilled to discover that there was a property in the heart of Tenby! The Tudor Merchant's House has a slightly turbulent history, before being lovingly restored by the Trust in the mid-20th Century. Oli loved poking about the rooms, trying to find the small peg-dolls that were hidden throughout the house, and playing traditional table games in the main hall.

Climb to the Castle

There has been a fortification on Castle Hill in Tenby since at least the mid 12th Century, though much of the remains there now date from the late 13th. It was the main defensive structure of the town until the walls were built, and has seen its fortunes rise and fall throughout the following centuries. The climb up the hill is quite steep and it was starting to rain as we climbed, so we unfortunately didn't make it to the top, but the views are spectacular even half way up, and Oli enjoyed running up and down the winding paths.

We'd love to return to Tenby in the summer to take full advantage of the beautiful beaches, and take a boat trip out to one of the nearby islands as these are now closed for the winter season. There's also plenty of things we didn't get chance to visit, such as museums and art galleries, and of course there are dozens of eateries we'd like to sample too!