Most people know of the famous boathouse in Laugharne where the poet Dylan Thomas worked. But what did Dylan Thomas write in the boathouse?
What Did Dylan Thomas Write In The Boathouse?
Poet, writer and broadcaster Dylan Thomas famously lived in "The Boathouse" in Laugharne in West Wales during the final years of his life.
Overlooking the Taf estuary, this was the location where Thomas wrote his final greatest work, "Under Milk Wood".
Today The Boathouse is home to a museum dedicated to Dylan Thomas, housing various original furniture, such as Dylan's father's desk and other memorabilia.
While Dylan Thomas and his family lived in The Boathouse as he continued to write, he never did any actual writing there.
Read more about Dylan Thomas In Laugharne
Instead, Thomas had a dedicated "Writing Shed" in which he worked, inspiring other writers, such as Roald Dahl, to work similarly.
This space originally acted as the garage for The Boathouse and is now preserved for visitors of The Boathouse museum.
Dylan Thomas had a famous writing routine within his Writing Shed that he stuck to every day.
He busied himself reading, writing letters, and completing the daily crossword during his mornings, often accompanied by his father David, who lived nearby opposite Brown's Hotel.
The afternoons gave way to some particularly heavy drinking in the pubs and bars of Laugharne, such as Brown's Hotel, The Corporation Arms or the Cross House.
Dylan's typical writing time was between two o'clock in the afternoon and seven o'clock in the evening. Dylan Thomas' writing shed was full of inspiration for him, such as cuttings from his favourite poets, such as Whitman, Byron and William Blake, as well as numerous photographs. There was also a small wood stove to keep him warm during the winter.
Dylan's daughter, Aeronwy, has also said that her father read his work aloud as he was writing it. This makes sense, given that poetry is meant to be read aloud, so Dylan was no doubt ensuring that the rhythms, rhymes and alliterative words he was using worked perfectly in his work.
Additionally, Dylan Thomas gave numerous live readings and radio broadcasts of his poetry, laying the foundations for poetry recitations today.
What is Under Milk Wood?
The BBC commissioned a radio drama from Dylan Thomas in 1953, and he produced "Under Mild Wood". This drama was later adapted into a stage play. Under Milk Wood was further adapted into a film in 1971 by Andrew Sinclair, starring Elizbeth Taylor, Peter O'Toole and Richard Burton.
The movie used the Pembrokeshire coast of West Wales as a primary location, which was the landscape that initially inspired Thomas when writing the drama.
The story involves a bodiless narrator who invites us to enter the dreams and deepest thoughts of members of the town of Llareggub (don't read it backwards!).
These people include Captain Cat, a former sailor reliving his seafaring past; Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard, who nags her duo of dead husbands; Organ Morgan, who is obsessed with the music he creates; and Polly Garter, who laments the loss of her dead lover.
Where is the Dylan Thomas Boathouse?
The Dylan Thomas Boathouse sits on an estuary of the River Taf in southwest Wales. The writer first saw the house one morning while waiting with his friend Glyn Jones for the ferry to cross the river to Laugharne.
Sitting on top of a cliff overlooking the water were two cottages; one belonged to the ferryman, and the other was The Boathouse.
Dylan Thomas would spend the last four years of his life in The Boathouse, from 1949 to 1953, with his wife Caitlin, who was once the muse of painter Augustus John, and their three children.
By this time, Thomas had led quite a life and had become famous for his writing, of which he had published four volumes of poems, a collection of short stories, alongside multiple screenplays, with Thomas' voice playing on many BBC broadcasts.
However, along with his success, Thomas could never finance himself and his family solely from his writing, leading to mounting debts. Additionally, he suffered from poor health, which his issues with alcohol did nothing to help.
It was from The Boathouse that Dylan Thomas left Laugharne on his final journey to give a series of talks in New York at the behest of his agent John Brinnin. After a destructive night of drinking, Dylan Thomas passed away in 1953 at the age of 39. You can visit his final resting place at St Martin's Churchyard in Laugharne.
When Did Thomas Live There?
Dylan Thomas and his family lived in The Boathouse from 1949 until 1953, but they never truly owned it. Like other properties the family lived in, such as Castle House or Pelican House, Thomas and his loved ones lived there by the grace of friends or rented.
The Boathouse was bought for the Dylan family by Margaret Taylor, wife of the historian AJP Taylor and wealthy Dylan Thomas fan. To thank her, Dylan wrote the following:
"This is it. The place, the house, the workroom, the time. All I shall write in this water and tree room on the cliff, every word will be my thanks to you. You have given me a life. And now I am going to live it."
While beggars can't be choosers, Dylan was never wholly satisfied with The Boathouse. He claimed it was "very small" , and to look at it, you would think a child designed it with its simplistic architecture. Additionally, when the pipes burst, the rats moved in, and the sea crashed in through the garden wall; Dylan and his wife Caitlin completely fell out of love with it.
What Is The Dylan Thomas Writing Shed?
On the cliff above The Boathouse, on Cliff Road, or "Dylan's Walk" as it is known today, is a wooden garage. However, when Dylan Thomas lived here, this space was transformed into his writing shed.
Originally housing the first ever motorcar in Laugharne, with the addition of a wood stove and a few windows, along with his inspirational photographs and clippings, Thomas created a cosy working space for himself.
Most famously, Thomas is known for writing works such as 'Do not go gentle into that good night', 'Fern Hill', and 'Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog'.
You can still visit the writing hut when you take a trip to The Boathouse museum. Unfortunately, Caitlin was forced to sell the original furnishings to pay debts after Dylan's death.
But today, the curators have recreated a realistic tableau of empty beer bottles, cigarettes butts, his favourite boiled sweets by his pencil pot and crumpled pages of work. Essentially, there is the woodstove, some old kitchen chairs, a table and a bookcase, with a lovely view of the estuary through the windows at the far end.
A board placed outside the shed next to the painted doors, which unfortunately also are not original, reads, "In this building, Dylan Thomas wrote many of his famous works seeking inspiration from the panoramic view of the estuary."
This indeed is where Dylan Thomas wrote some of his greatest and most definitive works, including Under Milk Wood. So it is worth a visit for any Dylan Thomas fan, any fan of Welsh literature, or simply those looking to find a little inspiration.
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.