Julia Goodfellow-Smith loved her life in the Midlands, but it was missing one important thing; the sea. On arriving in Llanelli, she and her husband started exploring – and found unexpected treasures. In this book, she shares her love of the area and some of the best things she found.

Aberavon Whale Having a whale of a time | 10 Aberdarcy Public Library Only Two Can Play | 12 Abertawe Barrage Rising to the challenge | 14 The Admiral’s Tower A bird’s-eye view | 16 Amy Dillwyn’s Grave ‘A man of business’ | 18 Arthur’s Stone David vs. Goliath? | 20 Battle of Gower When the land ran red | 22 Beach House Restaurant From coal to cuisine | 24 The Big Apple A cider a day keeps the doctor away | 26 Bluepool Corner A rock-solid day out | 28 Brangwyn Hall Raising the roof | 30 Broad Pool Nature Reserve Scorpions and stick insects | 32 Brynteg Petting Farm A calming cwtch | 34 Cadle Heath A marvellous mosaic | 36 Captain Cat A beatific bronze | 38 Caribbean Flamingos In the pink | 40 Caswell Bay Surfability Surf ’s up – for every body | 42 Central Police Station ‘Ello, ‘ello, ‘ello! | 44 Ceri Richards’ Grave A brush with greatness | 46 Challenge Valley No teddy bears’ picnic | 48 Chicken Corner Birds of a feather | 50 Cinema & Co The only independent cinema in Swansea | 52 Clydach Aqueduct From industry to amenity | 54 Colliery Winch Rewinding time | 56 Confucius Statue Confucius said… | 58 Crwys Community Woodland A wheely great place | 60 Crymlyn Bog From woodland to wetland | 62 Cu Mumbles The legend lives on | 64 Cwmdonkin Park Where imagination runs free | 66 Cwmllwyd Wood Pips and pits | 68 Daniel James’ Tomb A pure heart | 70 Dunvant Brickworks Where orienteering meets industry | 72 Dylan Thomas’ Birthplace From plagiarism to poetry | 74 E&R Harding Nature Reserve Layers of time | 76 Egypt Centre Not your average lucky dip | 78 Elysium Gallery Paradise found? | 80 The Environment Centre Creating a brighter future | 82 Felinfoel Baptismal Pool A sober celebration | 84 Felinfoel Brewery A canny business | 86 Fendrod Lake From flooding to fitness | 88 Fishing Fleet Changing tides – from abundance to alarm | 90 The Flintstones Bus Raising the roof | 92 Formal Cascades Grand designs | 94 Fort Crox See You Later, Alligator | 96 Gower Brewery Tap Finding Gold | 98 Gower Castaway Adventure Into the wild | 100 Gower Fresh Lavender Purple Haze | 102 Gower Salt Marsh Feasting on the fringe | 104 The Gravity Centre Thrills and spills for everyone | 106 Hafod-Morfa Copperworks A tarnished legacy | 108 Hardings Down Hill Forts Three for the price of one | 110 Helwick Lightship A smashing rescue | 112 Ivor Allchurch Statue The golden boy of Welsh football | 114 Joe’s Ice Cream Parlour A cool legacy | 116 Kardomah Café Doctor Who? | 118 Kenfig Castle A foolish man builds his house on sand | 120 Kenfig Dunes Blooming sand-sational | 122 Kenfig Town Hall A not-so-new house | 124 Labyrinth A community pilgrimage | 126 Llanelli North Dock From mud flats to Blue Tits | 128 Llanelly House Wales’ Finest Georgian Building | 130 Lliw Reservoirs Accessible adventure | 132 Loughor Castle A bargain unleashed | 134 Machynys Monk’s Island Greener greens | 136 Mad Mouse Roller Coaster A wild ride | 138 Meridian Tower It’s lonely at the top | 140 Millennium Coastal Path Birds, beaches and sunsets | 142 Mission Gallery Prayer, punk and paintings | 144 Môr Hapus Happy Sea, Happy Me | 146 Mumbles Lighthouse A solar-powered sentinel | 148 Mumbles Pier The heroines of 1883 | 150 Neath Abbey The great land-grab | 152 Neath Abbey Ironworks Dragon’s breath forging history | 154 Neath Abbey Waterfall A powerful force in a peaceful valley | 156 North Dock Engine House A head for heights? | 158 Oystermouth Castle A ghost of angels | 160 Park Cwm Long Cairn Meat off the bone | 162 Parc Howard Museum Potty about Llanelly | 164 Parkmill Watermill Flour power | 166 Penderyn Distillery Bringing whisky home | 168 Penllergare Observatory Pioneering photography | 170 Penllergare Waterfalls A polymath’s paradise | 172 Pennard Castle Surrendered to sand | 174 Phil Bennett Statue A giant statue for a giant of a man | 176 Rhossili Sunflowers Nothing is quite as it seems | 178 Roman Bridge A tale of two halves | 180 Sauna on the Beach A portal to relaxation | 182 Singleton Boating Lake Leonardo’s pedaloes | 184 Singleton Botanical Gardens Hothouse Flowers | 186 Sjømanns Kirken From pit props to pulpit | 188 St Helen’s Ground First, fastest, finest | 190 St Mary Virgin, Rhossili The coolest stained-glass window | 192 Stradey Park Memorial Who beat the All Blacks? | 194 Swansea Arena Roof Garden A dazzling display | 196 Swansea Castle Quay to the city’s success | 198 Swansea Community Farm The only city farm in Wales | 200 Swansea Footgolf Bend it like Woosnam | 202 Swansea Jack Memorial Celebrating the Dog of the Century | 204 Swansea Little Theatre Small in name, grand in stature | 206 Swansea Museum Façade Keeping things in perspective | 208 Swansea Observatory Ready for blast-off | 210 Swiss Cottage Live so that you may live again | 212 Swiss Valley Reservoir Quenching Llanelli’s thirst | 214 Townhill Jewish Cemetery A congregation’s journey | 216 Ty’n-yr-Heol Depot Where locks came to life | 218 Vernon Watkins’ Workplace Bank clerk, code-breaker and poet | 220 Volcano Theatre An eruption of creativity | 222 Votes for Women ‘No Persons Here’ | 224 Weobley Castle A steward’s stronghold | 226 Whitford Point Lighthouse On the rocks | 228 Woodland Burial Ground A peaceful corner in Oystermouth Cemetery | 230