Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea in 1914. He described Swansea as an ‘ugly lovely town’. The legendary Welsh poet, who’s signature play ‘Under Milk Wood’ is regularly performed during the annual Dylan Thomas Festival, is still fondly cherished in his home town. Here are a selection of must-see Dylan Thomas sites in Swansea.
The Dylan Thomas Centre
The centre produces a series of walking guides to Swansea and the wider region, allowing visitors to follow in his footsteps and soak up some of the sites that inspired him. It also houses a cafe and bookshop, Books and Bites. The annual Dylan Festival held in the autumn is based here.
Somerset Place, Maritime Quarter, Swansea.
01792 463980
www.dylanthomas.com
The Dylan Thomas Theatre
This is the home of the Swansea Little Theatre, of which Thomas was a member in the early 1930s and was an accomplished actor according to local newspaper reviews.
Dylan Thomas Square, The Marina, Swansea.
01792 473238.
www.dylanthomastheatre.org.uk
National Waterfront Museum
Costing £30 million, this museum is housed in a former warehouse with a sleek glass extension in the old docks area. It tells the story of Wales’ industrial past.
Maritime Quarter, Swansea.
01792 638950.
www.waterfrontmuseum.co.uk
The Queen’s Head
One of the few remaining traditional pubs in Swansea, the Queen’s Head was a favourite haunt for Thomas when he worked as a cub reporter at the South Wales Evening Post newspaper.
Gloucester Place, Swansea.
01792 521531.