In 1934 and aged just 19 years old Dylan Thomas first arrived in Laugharne. He came with his friend, a fellow poet named Glyn Jones.

They travelled by ferry from the other side of the Taf estuary and would have alighted the ferry just behind the Boathouse. He instantly became fascinated with Laugharne. Four years later in the Spring of 1938, Dylan and his wife Caitlin moved to Laugharne Carmarthenshire.  

The Dylan Thomas Boathouse

The Boathouse having been purchased for £3,000 for Dylan Thomas by Margaret Taylor the first wife of the historian AJP Taylor. Dylan Thomas, his wife Caitlin and their three children lived in the  Boathouse and made it their home from 1949 until Dylans' passing in 1953.

After Dylan and Catlin's son, Colm was born in July 1949 a garage hut, elevated on props on the steep hillside above the sea, was to become Dylan's writing shed. Dylan continued to work on Under Milk Wood here along with many other of his poems.

What Did Dylan Thomas Write In The Boathouse

After he died in 1953, Margaret Taylor had the Boathouse put in trust for his widow Caitlin and their children. The Boathouse remained in the Thomas family until Caitlin sold it in 1973. It was in 1975 that The Boathouse was opened as a memorial to Dylan Thomas. The Boathouse museum attracts over 15,000 visitors every year. The interior of the Boathouse has returned to it's 1950's appearance. 

There are much of Dylan Thomas' memorabilia on display as well as his fathers writing desk. As you wander around the Boathouse, a recording of the voice of Dylan Thomas can be heard in the background. 

 The views from Dylan Thomas' writing shed have spectacular scenery, and you can see across the estuary is of Sir John's hill and the woodland, said to have inspired Thomas' famous play Under Milkwood.

There is a Dylan Thomas Birthday walk that will take in the footsteps of Dylan Thomas. You can visit Laugharne Castle, the view from Dylan's writing shed, the Boathouse and much more. The walk inspired by the walk Dylan Thomas took on his 30th birthday, where he was inspired to write Poem in October.

Dylan Thomas Biography

What Nationality is Dylan Thomas?

Dylan Marlais Thomas was born on October the 27th 1914, in Uplands a suburb of Swansea, South Wales, to parents David John ('DJ') Thomas and Florence Hannah Thomas (Williams). Dylan Thomas was the second of their two children. 

His sister Nancy was eight years his senior. His father, David, was a Senior English master at Swansea Grammar School. He would often recite Shakespeare to Dylan which undoubtedly fortified his love for the rhythmic ballads of the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, Gerard Manley Hopkins and W.B. Yeats. 

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Where did Dylan Thomas live in Wales?

Dylan Thomas was born and lived in Uplands, a suburb of Swansea South Wales. He lived here until 1934 when he moved to London. 

When Dylan Thomas met and married his wife, they both moved to Laugharne in 1938 and left for London in 1940, after moving from place to place he and his family eventually settled in the Boathouse in Laugharne in April 1949 until he died in 1953.

Reasons to Visit Carmarthenshire

Could Dylan Thomas Speak Welsh?

Both of Dylan Thomas' parents spoke fluent Welsh. They decided, however, to bring both their children up to speak only in English. 

Dylan's parents sent both him and his older sister Nancy to elocution lessons. In later life, Dylan Thomas attributed these elocution lessons for his beautiful cut-glass accent.

How did Dylan Thomas die?

In 1953 Dylan Thomas went to New York for the last time for a tour of talks and poetry reading. Before leaving for New York, he had complained of gout and chest pains, although there are no records that he received any medical treatment for either of these complaints before leaving. 

Dylan Thomas was reliant on an inhaler, and he was said to have suffered blackouts. Once in New York, he suffered even more with ill health and missed many appearances. 

On the 21st of October Dylan Thomas felt unwell and was said to look shaky and pale. By the time of his 39th birthday on October the 27th he was still feeling ill. He only stayed at his Birthday celebrations for an hour before returning to his hotel. From the 2nd of November, his health declined, His doctor administered injections of Morphine, and at midnight on the 5th of November Dylan Thomas's breathing became more complicated, and his face turned blue. 

He rushed by ambulance to the emergency ward at St Vincent's Hospital. Dylan Thomas was diagnosed with pneumonia when he was admitted to hospital in a coma. Dylan Thomas never regained consciousness and passed away on the 9th of November.

Although throughout his life, it was reported that Thomas was an excessive drinker of alcohol, and many people thought he had died through the effects of his excessive drinking. His death certificate states the cause of his death as a swelling of the brain caused by pneumonia and poor oxygen supply.

Where is Dylan Thomas Buried?

 After his death, Dylan Thomas' body was returned to his beloved Laugharne. His funeral and burial took place on the 24th of November at St Martin's Church in Laugharne. His coffin was carried to the church by six of his friends from the village. 

His wife Caitlin followed his coffin alongside Dylans' childhood friend Daniel Jones. The procession to St Martin's church was filmed, and after the service and burial, the wake for Dylan was held at the Brown's Hotel in Laugharne.

Dylan Thomas' wife could not bear to live in Laugharne after her husbands' death and left for Italy. Caitlin stayed in Italy until she moved to Catania, Sicily. Her passing in Catania on 31st July 1994 following a long illness, aged 80. Caitlins' body too was returned to Laugharne where she was buried next to her husband. 

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If you would like to find out more about Dylan Thomas and his boathouse in Laugharne, we welcome you to enjoy a stay in the local area.

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