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Saundersfoot Through the Ages!

Anita Lee — Mon, 23 May 2016 14:21:00 +0000

Saundersfoot Through the Ages! Anita Lee Mon, 05/23/2016 - 14:21

Just two and a half miles from the iconic seaside resort of Tenby lies the small coastal village of Saundersfoot. With a plentiful supply of restaurants, pubs, shops and accommodation not to forget the lovely sandy beaches. Although it hasn’t always been tourism that has kept the heart beating within this Pembrokeshire village.

The Strand today is a busy street within the Summer months, with an eclectic mix of clothes, souvenirs and card shops. There is an old fashioned sweet shop, a jewellers and several places to refuel and rehydrate. Many of the properties along The Strand open out onto the sandy beach where there are constantly changing scenes of fishing boats going to & fro from the harbour and children playing on the beach.

We do offer a superb collection of properties on The Strand ranging from our two ground floor apartments within the Strandways Court apartment block 2 Strandways and 3 Strandways to an apartment in Holmlea Sea Shells. If it’s a cottage you prefer then take a look at Ruby Cottage it is positioned on the opposite side of the road from the beach but from the upstairs window those beautiful views can still be seen. Need a larger property in this most sought after location then try Penrose and Beachway House both with the ability to sleep 10.

If you walk to the far reaches of The Strand, you will be greeted by a series of tunnels. The Strand didn’t always have such a grand name, it used to be called Railway Street, for the very fact that coal trams travelled through it. They were used not only to transport the coal to the harbour but also to take local workers, mainly the young men to work in Bonville’s Colliery in the centre of Saundersfoot. It was the main line connecting all the collieries at Stepaside, Kilgetty and Reynalton to Saundersfoot harbour where the coal would be shipped off around the world. However, the mines were sadly closed in the late 1930s after years of recession within this harsh industry.

Significantly in 1943 Saundersfoot was used as a training ground for the 1944 D day landings. A lot of the buildings in the village were taken over by the military and Winston Churchill visited to watch the army landing crafts on the beach in preparation. This in turn led to a boom in tourism as many of these military personnel travelled back with their families on holidays – this was a true testament of the attraction of Saundersfoot.

After WW2 the ownership of Saundersfoot harbour passed eventually to the Hean Castle Estate and in 1958 the Saundersfoot commissioners were created. A sailing club built its new headquarters on the harbour. This made way for tourism to breathe life back into the village.

Sea Anchor is a well-positioned spacious apartment centrally located overlooking the harbour and is ideal to walk to all the local amenities which Saundersfoot offers – you can park up the car in the Harbour Car Park (Harbour parking ticket supplied) and forget about it till it’s time to go back home. If you would like a bird’s eye view of The Strand, beach & harbour then Mussell Reach will certainly give you this outlook. A new apartment in the centre of the village is The Coach House - Cambrian Quay this was built on the old site of The Cambrian Hotel – an old coaching inn.

In 2016 Saundersfoot continues to redevelop. Plans for a Marine Centre of Excellence for coastal tourism, an academy for sail & power and a facility providing education for maritime engineering, maintenance and sea pursuits is firmly on the agenda. We have a fantastic portfolio of properties to suit all requirements so check out this great little village for yourself Saundersfoot properties.

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Introducing Powells New Website

Powells Holiday Team — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Introducing Powells New Website Powells Holiday Team Tue, 04/05/2016 - 00:00

As of 5th April 2016 Powells Cottage Holidays has launched itself a brand new website which is full of useful features to benefit both customers and homeowners.

Our new Powells Cottage Holidays responsive website

Everyone deserves a well-earned holiday and that’s why we’ve tried to make sure the process of booking one is as smooth as possible! It won’t take long to find your perfect holiday as the new booking system we use is quick, easy and proven to be successful on other websites.

If you know which area you’d like to explore simply select it from the drop down menu, and if not, all you need to do is press ‘find my holiday’ on the homepage and let the website do all the hard work for you.

Our sister agencies Cornish Horizons and Marsdens Devon Cottages have taken over the reigns for cottages in Cornwall and Devon respectively. This has created room for Powells to provide a specific, local focus on cottages in Pembrokeshire, the Gower and Vale of Glamorgan, all of which offer stunning coastal and countryside surroundings for an ideal holiday setting.

If you’re browsing for a holiday and a few different cottages take your fancy you can add them to your 'Wishlist' to compare later and even share them with your friends and family via social media to see what they think.

There are plenty of other useful features to help you choose the right holiday including easier viewing of previous customer reviews via Feefo, a drop down menu that provides inspiration into the most popular holiday types and sidebar options such as ‘wifi’ or ‘number of bedrooms’ which allow you to filter your property search.

We’re also proud of our Powells Owner Area which makes it easy for all you homeowners out there to view your property bookings, find useful documents and even make your own bookings.

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Pembrokeshire daily deals site set to launch

Powells Holiday Team — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 01:00:00 +0000

Pembrokeshire daily deals site set to launch Powells Holiday Team Tue, 03/31/2015 - 01:00

A new daily deals website that is exclusive to Pembrokeshire will be launching this coming Sunday. The site will offer exclusive discounts with local businesses, which could be a great chance for both local residents and those on holiday in Pembrokeshire to have fun and save some money at the same time.

The site, DailyLocalTreats.com, is set to launch on Sunday 5th April, when the first treat will be announced. Those wishing to receive the daily email newsletter can sign up now and be among the first to see what great deals are available with local businesses, with some offering as much as 50 per cent off.

As the website has not officially launched, it is not yet known which businesses are currently involved. However, judging from the range of great local businesses, restaurants and attractions there are in the local area, there is plenty of potential to get a great deal on a great time!

Follow DailyLocalTreats on Facebook and Twitter

Those who are interested in getting daily emails from DailyLocalTreats can sign up by visiting the website, but you can also follow them on Facebook here and Twitter here, where they will also be sharing details of these local deals.

The site was set up by local Pembrokeshire man Rhys Jelley, who said in this article from Pembrokeshire Tourism, “Daily deals websites are nothing new but major companies within the industry tend to focus on cities and large towns. DailyLocalTreats.com is different as we’ll be working with local, well-regarded businesses to offer discounts that are relevant to the people of Pembrokeshire.”

Whilst the deals from DailyLocalTreats will cover a variety of local business sectors such as health, beauty, fitness, entertainment and hospitality, you can also find more deals at local tourist attractions by taking a look at our Pembrokeshire discounts, deals and vouchers guide.

Image Credit: DailyLocalTreats

This content was written by Emily Bray. Please feel free to visit my Google+ profile to read more stories.

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Sinking Sat Nav in Tenby

Powells Holiday Team — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Sinking Sat Nav in Tenby Powells Holiday Team Tue, 03/03/2015 - 00:00

Two American tourists proved last week that nothing beats a good map and common sense as they got stuck in the sand at Tenby’s Castle Beach – in their car!

The two tourists were travelling in a rental car and, understandably, wanted to visit the iconic Caldey Island off of the coast of Tenby but failed to notice the wide expanse of sea that blocks passage by car, foot or anything other than boat! However, ridiculous this might sound to the regular visitor or local resident of Pembrokeshire it is surprisingly common, especially with the rise of the use of Sat Navs and popularity of coastal Tenby holidays in recent years.

‘Lovely kind folks of Tenby’

Rather than causing anger or frustration the incident was found funny by locals and the two tourists were returned to solid ground with the help of the ‘lovely king folks of Tenby’. The event was reported on the Tenby Island Facebook page with residents commenting seeing the funny side and commending the locals who helped these lost holidaymakers, as shown in the above quotation.

It may have taken ‘Three separate attempts to tow out, much digging and three hours later they managed to get back to the safety of the slipway courtesy of a local 4 x 4’ for the hire car to make it back to Tenby’s solid road but it’s all in a day’s work for Tenby locals who are more than welcoming and accommodating of their visiting holidaymakers.

A similar incident occurred just in 2009 when the same beach saw another car halted by the sand. On this occasion a tractor came to the rescue proving that while Sat Navs are a great help when visiting somewhere new, particularly on Pembrokeshire seaside holidays where there are so many interesting sights to see on the coastline, it is always worth keeping your eyes on the road.

The story started trending on Facebook and was published in national newspapers, but Tenby only wished the visitors well on their return journey back to LA and empathised with their embarrassment. The message appears to be, as ever, be respectful of the sea and always take a map!

Image Credit: Peter Burgess (flickr.com)

This content was written by Emily Bray. Please feel free to visit my Google+ profile to read more stories.

Beaches

Saundersfoot Harbour to be redeveloped

Powells Holiday Team — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Saundersfoot Harbour to be redeveloped Powells Holiday Team Wed, 01/14/2015 - 00:00

Pembrokeshire has secured over £600,000 worth of funding in a bid to redevelop the iconic Saundersfoot Harbour.

The funds, secured from European regional funds, are being awarded in a bid to boost tourism in the area and local jobs. The announcement came on 8th January as First Minister Carwyn Jones visited the harbour.

‘£4m scheme’

Those who visit the area on seaside Pembrokeshire cottage holidays will be keen to learn of the development plans, where this funding marks the first part of a ‘£4m scheme to boost tourism and jobs in the town’ according to this BBC article.

The first £463,000 has been awarded by European Regional Development Funding, with £200,000 set to come from the Tourism Infrastructure Support Scheme fund. The rest of the funding for the first phase of project, which is set to cost £900,000, is to come from the harbour commission, who will then put any profits made back into the harbour.

Plans for the funding include the building of almost half a kilometre of walkways that are intended to link new facilities and a dry racking area for storage. It is also hoped that a heritage trail will be established as a part of the development, in which families in child-friendly Saundersfoot cottages can enjoy learning about the local coastal history.

First Minister Jones told the Tenby Observer newspaper of the project, “I’m delighted to make this announcement and to see the plans that the Harbour Commission has for future development”. The final cost for redevelopment of the town and harbour are expected to total £4m, with completion of the Saundersfoot Harbour project expected in the spring of this year.

The project extends that of Visit Wales’ existing coastal tourism activity, which is funded via the EU Coastal Tourism Project, where it is hoped that the developments will improve Saundersfoot and further establish its status as an iconic tourism destination for South West Wales.

This content was written by Emily Bray. Please feel free to visit my Google+ profile to read more stories.

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Pembrokeshires Folly Farm gains a record-breaker

Powells Holiday Team — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Pembrokeshires Folly Farm gains a record-breaker Powells Holiday Team Fri, 07/04/2014 - 00:00

As Pembrokeshire’s famed Folly Farm animal park rounds the corner into its peak season, the park and visitors alike will be delighted to hear the news of one of their giraffes taking the title for the tallest giraffe in the UK. The adventure park and zoo has just announced that one of their male giraffes, Zulu, is officially the tallest giraffe in the UK, standing at a whopping 19 feet tall.

Folly Farm has been the attraction of choice for families enjoying a stay in summer Pembrokeshire holiday cottages for many years, with the giraffe enclosure home to a bachelor herd of males – Zulu, Rian, Taharqa and Sillan – being among the most popular sights.

A county of wild wildlife

The news of Zulu’s record-breaking height is not the only example of fantastic wild sights to see in the Welsh county as there have been many accounts of wildlife sightings breaking into the news of late. From 80-foot Fin Whales being spotted off of the coast to over 100 otter sightings being reported after an appeal, Pembrokeshire is establishing its reputation as the place to be to indulge your wild side.

There has even been a report of an escaped vulture wandering around the fields of Pembrokeshire after escaping from his home at the Pembrokeshire Falconry near Narberth – though readers shouldn’t be worried about coming across this impressive bird of prey around Saundersfoot beach cottages as the white-backed vulture from Spain has been found and returned safely to his perch in the Falconry for visitors to see in a controlled environment.

If Zulu and friends wasn’t enough wildlife to see in the county, Folly Farm is home to over 400 different species, including penguins, zebras, meerkats, ostriches and, of course, more giraffes. To see Zulu and his other tall friends, visitors can enjoy a great view from the park’s raised viewing platform so that guests can really appreciate just how tall they are.

Image Credit: magnetismus (flickr.com)

This content was written by Emily Bray. Please feel free to visit my Google+ profile to read more stories.

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Former school in Saundersfoot could house microbrewery

Anita Lee — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Former school in Saundersfoot could house microbrewery Anita Lee Tue, 02/25/2014 - 00:00

A microbrewery in Pembrokeshire has unveiled plans to use a former school in Saundersfoot as its new facility, potentially bringing a fantastic new attraction to the seaside resort as a result.

Having benefited from a rapid growth in popularity in recent years, the Pembrokeshire Brewing Company have now submitted plans to move to the old school building in Saundersfoot and open a microbrewery and visitor centre. As part of the plans, the state-of-the-art brewery and bottle plant room would be visible from the visitor centre through a glazed viewing screen; there will also be a bar where people can sample the full collection of produce from the brewery.

While news on the approval of the construction is yet to be announced, this could serve as a fantastic new attraction for those on their future cottage holidays in Saundersfoot and all across Pembrokeshire.

Image Credit: mfajardo (Flickr.com)

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UK benefits from record tourism levels in 2013

Anita Lee — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

UK benefits from record tourism levels in 2013 Anita Lee Fri, 02/14/2014 - 00:00

The Office for National Statistics has confirmed that the UK saw record numbers of visitors during 2013, highlighting the ever-growing popularity of the Great British holiday.

The results revealed that the amount of holiday visits made in Britain increased by 6 per cent compared to 2012 - fantastic news for businesses which are heavily reliant on the tourism industry. The figures showed increases in areas all over Britain, with South Wales among those continuing to benefit from the growing reputation of the UK staycation.

It is thought that overseas visitors spent a staggering £21 billion throughout the 12 months, with this 13 per cent increase on 2012’s returns meaning that that £20 billion benchmark was surpassed for the first time ever. The figures also revealed that there was a new record set in terms of overseas visits, with the 32.89 million recorded exceeding the 32.78 million set in 2007, while also increasing by 6 per cent against 2012.

If you are looking for a superb location to enjoy a getaway this summer, why not come and discover a cottage holiday in Pembrokeshire with your family?

Image Credit: Mike Charles (Shutterstock.com)

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Gordon Ramsey is to take part in Tenby Ironman

Anita Lee — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Gordon Ramsey is to take part in Tenby Ironman Anita Lee Tue, 02/11/2014 - 00:00

Top TV chef Gordon Ramsay will be putting down the ladle in favour of a pair of swimming trunks later this year, as rumours circulate that he will be taking part in the 2014 Ironman Wales. Taking place in Tenby on 14th September, the challenging 140.6-mile race takes the form of a swim, bike and run and will look to welcome thousands of competitors and spectators.

Having completed Ironman Hawaii last year, Ramsay is a keen fitness enthusiast and insinuated that he would be taking part in the Pembrokeshire edition of the event on Twitter, having replied to a fellow Ironman fan’s question of ‘what race are you training for now?’ with ‘IRONMAN WALES’.

Ironman Wales already draws many people to Pembrokeshire looking to make the most of the coastal holiday cottages in Tenby, but Ramsay’s participation should see even more venturing to the Welsh coastline this year. With 32 retweets and 49 favourites already, Ramsay’s Twitter following seems to be bringing even more attention to the gruelling contest that tests fitness and extreme endurance.

Image Credit: gordonramsaysubmissions (flickr.com)

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Pembrokeshire tourism campaign continues in February

Anita Lee — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Pembrokeshire tourism campaign continues in February Anita Lee Wed, 02/05/2014 - 00:00

The “Out and About” campaign from the tourism board in Pembrokeshire will continue throughout 2014 following the campaign’s success in 2013.

The campaign has members that own quality Pembrokeshire cottages and hotels and was initially set-up to provide regional businesses within the tourism sector an opportunity to ask the tourism board about their business and the visitor economy.

The campaign aims to improve businesses’ offering to visitors, which in turn improves the experience had by visitors to the area.

Maudie Hughes Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Tourism adds, “We have had some great feedback from our members who have attended the Out and About’s, whether they are networking with each other or receiving advice from the team, they have found them to be very beneficial. Whether it is assistance with grading or advice on marketing, we have been there to offer guidance on some of the major issues they face as a business”.

There to make a better Pembrokeshire

The Out and About scheme is aimed at improving businesses within the travel sector in Pembrokeshire and the campaign, which was launched in Autumn 2013, seems to have already had an impact as an end of year survey revealed that Pembrokeshire tourism firms had a hugely successful 2013.
The study found that 75% of Pembrokeshire Tourism members were happy with the performance of their business during 2013 with both bookings and visitor numbers increasing during peak holiday times.
This is believed to have occurred due to a better summer, but also as a result of better, more focused marketing from travel firms in Pembrokeshire – something which is taught by the Out and About campaign.
It is hoped that more visitors will come to Pembrokeshire in 2014 as a result of the Out and About campaign with more travel firms in the area presenting a more focused offering to visitors.

Image Credit: David Evans (flcikr.com)

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