Parks And Playgrounds In Carmarthenshire
- Posted by:
- Admin
- Tags:
- Posted date:
- 11-05-2022
Discover Carmarthenshire
Find the best parks and playgrounds in Carmarthenshire here. If you are planning a visit to Laugharne or Carmarthenshire, this guide will help you find the best areas to take your kids to play.
Fondly known as the "Garden of Wales", the beautiful Carmarthenshire county is located in the heart of South-West Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford, with the historical coastal town Laugharne also being a popular tourist hotspot.
Every destination in Carmarthenshire is bound to surprise you with stretching landscapes offering a new place to explore at every turn, from golden beaches to evergreen valleys.
The National Botanic Garden of Wales is also located in Llanarthney, Carmarthenshire, offering gorgeous wildlife walks for all the family. Lastly, not forget the amazing cultural hotspots with bustling local markets and award-winning eateries for you to take a break in after a long day of exploring. There's something for every family member, so check them out!
Parks And Playgrounds In Carmarthenshire
Looking for a beautiful place to take the kids but still want to enjoy your own day? Well in Carmarthenshire, there's a wide selection of parks and playgrounds for families of all ages. Take a look at the out list below to find the best place for your family to enjoy a day of play!
Llyn Llech Owain Country Park
Located near Cross Hands, you'll find Llyn Llech Owain Country Park spanning over 158 acres of lakes and woodlands.
With plenty to do for all the family, it's a great spot for the day. Why not follow the magical walk trails with accessible access, enjoy the wooden adventure play area or pop into the family-friendly cafe?
A forest track also provides a longer hike or bike ride around the country park, and there's a rough mountain bike trail for the more adventurous cyclists amongst you!
The legend surrounding the Llyn Lech Owain Lake located in the park is fascinating! In short, one day, whilst entrusted to watch 'Mynydd Mawr' (a well on the mountain), Owain Lawgoch forgot to place the stone slab cover back, which prevented water from escaping.
A cascade of water ensued, flowing down the mountain and resulting in the stunning lake, respectively named Llyn Lech Owain Lake, meaning 'the lake of Owain's slab'!
Pembrey Country Park
Looking for something different than the usual park day out? Well, Pembrey Country Park offers some unique and exciting activities, from an enormous dry ski slope to Wales' longest toboggan twisting!
For nature lovers, the park is bursting with natural wildlife and beautiful gardens, perfect for walking and catch a break from everyday life.
Dinefwr
Travel back in time to the medieval Dinedfwr estate in South Wales to learn some fascinating local folklore tales and experience Welsh history up close. Climb to the top of the castle and feel like a Queen or King looking over their kingdom!
For nature lovers to head to the ancient woods for an enchanting family walk, following in the footsteps of real-life medieval legends.
Or head to the tractor-trailer tours and meet the White Park Cattle, who has lived at Dinefwr for over 1000 years!!! Delve further into Dinefwr's local history by going on a hidden house tour at Newton House.
Colby Woodland Garden
Discover the secret garden at Colby bursting with flowers and wildlife, and enjoy a peaceful walk with your family. A stream runs through the garden, perfect for the kids to splash around in, and jump across the stepping stones!
Rest on the lush meadow next to the stream whilst the kids burn energy, or even inspire them to head into the woods to get crafty!
Building dens and having campfires are encouraged here, so don't forget the marshmallows! Colby Woodland Garden really is a great place to escape busy daily life with all the family.
The Welsh Wildlife Centre
Looking for a great place to take the whole family where everyone's entertained? Well, The Welsh Wildlife Centre provides various activities for all ages! From the outdoor playgrounds to the four guided nature trails, there's plenty to do outside.
Or inside there are Wildlife films, colouring activities, quizzes and more!Take a bike ride or hike through the untouched woodlands to experience the sounds of nature, from meeting owls and bird calls to the elusive bat sightings.
For a snack break, head to the Glasshouse Cafe, serving delicious food with stunning views across the reserve, or bring a picnic to have by the stream.
Singleton Park
Singleton Park is an adventurers' playground, filled to the brim with activities to enjoy during the day, from a museum to an expansive 18-hole crazy golf course. Or slow down and walk through the Singleton botanical gardens and by the stunning lake.
The lake also features swan and dragon pedalos and several fish species for avid anglers. For some fascinating history visit their Egypt Centre, homing various artefacts, artworks and other treasures from the ancient times. And with lots of hands-on activities, the kids shouldn't get bored easily.
Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Trail
Follow Pembrokeshire's amazing Coast Path National Trail to discover many kinds of maritime landscapes, from sheltered coves and rugged cliffs to wide-open golden beaches.
As the only coastal National Park (NP), Pembrokeshire Coast NP homes a huge variety of coastal flowers, wildlife and historical evidence of the Neolithic human era.
Along the trail, you'll see Norman Castles, Napoleonic forts and industrial structures like lime kilns and snail quays. So take in the fresh air and follow the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.
Clerkenhill Adventure Farm
Let your kids run free at Clerkenhill Adventure Farm, with a mix of indoor and outdoor play areas, two magical farmland trails and lots of farm animals for them to meet!
Not to mention the outdoor peddle go-karts, adventure castle, bouncy castle and the playgrounds with swings, slides and more!
There's definitely something for all ages, no matter the weather!
Gnoll Estate Country Park
Set on 240 acres of wide-open fields and lush woodland, you'll find Gnoll Estate Country Park! Look out for the two 18th century cascades (man-made waterfalls) near the Gazebo and Grotto for some local history, or feed the ducks at the four large ponds.
Even more, history is to be discovered at Gnoll Estates, like The Ivy Tower ruins, remnants of the formal garden, an ice house and classic 18th-century architecture like the 'ha-ha'.
Or for some simple fun, head to the two adventure play areas for older and younger kids, respectively; there's also a fun nine-hole golf course!
Afan Forest Park
Looking for a place to go on an epic bike ride? Well, Afan Forest Park offers a huge open space perfect for woodland adventures, hiking or mountain biking!
Pop into the visitor centre for information and as its the starting point for various trails, including 'Penhydd' and 'Y Wâl', as well as the orienteering courses and a fun family puzzle trial.
Some other unique activities you can enjoy include clay pigeon shooting, paintballing, quad biking and even a Forest Safari in a 4x4! The visitor centre also provides accessibility information and hygiene facilities.
Margam Country Park
Margam Country Park is home to lush countryside sprawling over 1000 acres with local deers, a stunning castle, orangery, lake, Fairytail Village, a Narrow-gauge train and more!Their castle-themed play area is for kids ages 6 to 12, with a fun sky run and elevated walkways, they'll feel like royalty for the day.
Follow the Farm Trail to see the sheep, cows, ponies and the other farm animals relaxing, or head to the Margam Activity Centre (over 7s) for an extensive catalogue of activities from Raft Building to Archery!A unique feature is the Fairytale Village, with child-sized cottages to play in.
Each cottage is based on a fairytale creature, from Pinocchio to Goldilocks; this is something your kids truly won't forget. After a long day of fun pop into the tearoom for a snack, or settle down for a family picnic.
Wiggley's Fun Farm
Wiggley's Farm offers all-weather fun, from large indoor and outdoor playgrounds to babies' barnyards to meet the cuddly farm animals.
For nature lovers, there's a stunning woodland trail along the duck pond, perfect to take a picnic break! The farm is open 363 days a year and offers party packages for special celebrations.
Parc Slip Nature Reserve
Parc Slip Nature Reserve is filled with different habitats homing diverse species, from butterfly populated grasslands to wetlands inhabited by a variety of birds!
This 300-acre wildlife site was previously restored from an old cast coal mine, with the Visitor Centre offering historical information about the site.
A traffic-free cycle track runs through the reserve for kids to learn how to ride their bikes safely, and for the parents, there's a Coffee shop to catch a moment in or buy a gift.
Throughout the year there are kids' Wildlife activities, like pond dipping and bug hunting, available every other Saturday (10am-12pm)
Bryngarw Country Park
With magical woodlands to explore and vast grasslands for picnics and games, Bryngarw Country Park is great for the whole family! Take a walk around the formal gardens to appreciate the flowers and wildlife, or look out for the water features like the river, lakes or ponds.
An outdoor wooden play area is a hotspot for the kids, with a Tower slide, rock wall and den building area!
A new exhibit; The Keepers of Bryngarw, gets you to follow a trail to discover miniature sculpted people who have parts in a musical mystery, perfect for the adventurous kids! For refreshments, head to the cafe, BBQ pits or find a relaxing picnic area.
Garwnant Visitor Centre
Garwnant Visitor Centre is one of South Wales' top recreation sites and a prized jewel of Natural Resources Wales'. The centre is known for its facilities, with changing places, vast disabled access, and award-winning restaurants making the fun accessible for all the family.
Outdoors they offer an adventure play area, an Animal Puzzle trail and a low ropes agility course for the kids, as well as Wern Walk and Willow Walk trails for some relaxation.
For a break, head into the award-winning restaurant for a selection of local food and fresh coffee. Regular events are held at the centre, including the revered Halloween Spooky night, which continues to sell out.
Dare Valley Country Park
This interactive park offers 500 acres of woodlands for all the family to enjoy.
Dare Valley have its own quest, the DVCP Quest, where you're tasked to save animals and trees from the evil Dewin Du in a magical story! Just grab a free map, and off you go!
Older kids may prefer the Combat Zone, one of the UK's largest outdoor laser tag sites!For some relaxation, follow the park's many trails, from standard walks to deep forest experiences.
Many are disabled-accessible but just confirm before heading off! The on-site Cwtch Café is perfect for a pit stop, offering lots of ice cream and snacks for the family.
Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery
On the edge of Brecon Beacons National Park, you'll find Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery.
With a small entry fee of £2 for adults and free admission for kids under 16, it's a great, budget-friendly day out! This site has various historical collections to explore in the museum, a grand castellate mansion and a castle set on 160 acres of parklands.
There's also a model railway, children's play area, lake and formal gardens to explore, and an on-site tearoom for refreshments for the family. Or take a seat outside to enjoy a picnic, if the weather's nice!
Cantref Adventure Farm
At Cantref Adventure Farm, there's plenty to do, from a large outside park to Europe's longest sledge ride to pig racing! Animal shows are going on every half hour, with ferret racing, pony rides and lots of animal handling for the inquisitive kids.
For pony rides, children must be over 93cm, with a small cost of £2.50 per ride, but you get a sweet red rosette as a memorable gift. The Farmhouse Café sells homemade local specials and is open every day, so pop in for a treat!
If you are planning a stay in Carmarthenshire we hope this page has offered some good reasons to come visit us. For accommodation in Carmarthenshire you can find no better location than Laugharne, the home of Dylan Thomas.
Contact Longshore House today to book your luxury holiday cottage in Laugharne.