Thistle in the Sand

Posted on 18/10/201318/10/2013 by Alastair

These thistles are naturally designed for this environment. More than that, they look as if they have been designed full stop! Their colour, pattern, shape, form, texture – all fit perfectly with other aspects of the area, particularly the spikiness of the grass and, of course, the contrast of the soft sand.

You wouldn’t want to sit down on one! Those spikes are mighty sharp and I guess this may be a hazard to be aware of during the Summer months in the Millennium Coastal Park at Llanelli. All photos taken on my iPhone.

You can use the new Donate button below to help StillWalks. Pay how much you want and receive a high quality download of this week’s featured StillWalks video. Click the image below to watch the video.

Llanelli Beach – Landscape and Architecture

Posted on 17/10/201317/10/2013 by Alastair

It seems evident from these photos, that the buildings along Llanelli sea front were not built using the material that can be found on the beach. The worn brick in the foreground of the first image is one example of the wide array of fascinating stone like materials that can be found (see yesterday’s post).

The apartments beside the Millennium Coastal Park Discovery Centre seem to me to be out on a bit of a limb from the rest of the town but the residents have an excellent view of the wider part of the Loughor Estuary and across to the Gower Peninsula and the old Victorian cast iron attraction of Whitford Lighthouse.

The Millennium Coastal Park is a popular place at the weekend and in fact, you will see people enjoying the walks there on any day of the week. People do not generally feature in the StillWalks videos I produce but that is not always the case and more coincidental than deliberate. However, if I am to produce a StillWalk of this area, I think I will need to include both sound and images of people if it is to reflect what the place honestly. That said, there will be fewer people there on a blustery Autumn day than on a beautiful Summers day but it is strange that the photos below have not one person in them as it was relatively busy on the day. All photos were taken on my iPhone.

Building Blocks on the Beach

Posted on 16/10/201316/10/2013 by Alastair

The beach at Llanelli is not all patterns in the sand (see yesterday), there are also many patterns in the stones.

Stones? I don’t think that is quite the correct description! Bricks, metal, clinker, copper and parts of walls would be a more accurate description.

Swansea, on the far side of the Gower Peninsula, used to be known as Copperopolis. In the early 1800s 90% of all the copper-smelting capacity of Britain was based within twenty miles of the city, and it seems there is still evidence of this on the beach in the Millennium Park at Llanelli.

There are more photos of these fascinating objects on the StillWalks Flickr Photostream – all taken on my iPhone.

Patterns and Prints

Posted on 15/10/201315/10/2013 by Alastair

What are these pimples in the sand? What is that strange cone shaped object in the sand?

We took a walk along the beach in the Millennium Park at Llanelli, Carmarthenshire last Sunday and not for the first time I thought “I have to do a StillWalk of this place!”

I’ll post some more reasons for this thought over the next couple of days. All photos taken on my phone because we went for a walk, not a photo shoot!

Autumn Rain

Posted on 14/10/201314/10/2013 by Alastair

As we move into Autumn and the rain returns, along with it comes a change of colour. This week’s featured StillWalks video is “Quarry Walk – Autumn Rain”. It features an old quarry in Carmarthenshire, South Wales.

Last week’s featured video will revert to a sample length low resolution video but you can still buy it through the website walk under the Autumn Walks page.

The Worm’s Head

Posted on 11/10/201311/10/2013 by Alastair

An Autumn evening looking out from the top of the cliffs at Rhosilli at the end of the Gower Peninsula. This is the penultimate image from the StillWalks video “Coastal Walk – Autumn”.

The Sea and the Stone

Posted on 10/10/201310/10/2013 by Alastair

More sights and sound from Rhosilli Bay. There is no doubt in my mind that the Oystercatchers enjoy flying across the water of Rhosilli Bay, though I am sure that Chris Packham would tell me there is some specific and logical reason behind it – I am also sure that he is right!

However, I get great pleasure from thinking that they are enjoying themselves in their activity and so, despite all reason, I will continue to believe they are.

Footsteps in the Sand

Posted on 09/10/201309/10/2013 by Alastair

Rhosilli Bay, at the end of the Gower Peninsula, is a great place to walk. The cliffs above the bay extend out to the Worm’s Head and can get busy on a weekend if the weather is good. The bay, however, like many of the large beaches on the South Wales coast, has the space to cope with a good number of visitors and not feel in the least crowded.

As with any beach, the patterns and textures in the sand change with different conditions and the shells, stones and rivulets underfoot create a range of sounds that all have the aural backdrop of the waves and the wind. The colourful rock of the cliffs (see yesterday’s post) reflect and amplify the sound of the sea but walking away from them allows the nuances of the crunch of tiny shells or the squish of soft wet sand to come through.

And above all that, the birds. Walking back up the cliff, even the smallest of birds can make themselves heard against the sound of the bay. You will need to watch the video at the end of this post to hear and see it all.

Category Archives: Travel