Garth Newydd - Lampeter

Turista I.

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A wonderful week, immersed in Welsh all day and all evening. I probably had a few bits of Welsh in my dreams too!

Nia, the organiser, gave herself heart and soul into making this a special experience for the group of 9, hailing from England, Wales, Sweden and Australia.

We had interesting excursions and great experiences, visiting behind the scenes in a theatre, a pub quiz, Rugby Club, Choir rehearsal, crown green bowls, a Welsh chat group by the seaside, a school, cannot remember what else!

The activities will not be all the same each week, of course. Oh, I nearly forgot! A visit to the demonstration kitchen of TC chef Gareth Richards, where we whisked up some delicious cakes and puds.

All this in the friendly atmosphere of Garth Newydd, encourages by Nia, and spending time - and money - in the shops of Lampeter.

Will I be back for a second taste?

You bet!

Howard H.

I did a long weekend at Garth Newydd celebrating the New Year. Marcus and Nia put on an awesome weekend with many different activities, and of course all immersed in Welsh speaking. Gwilwm Rhys Bowen sang and talked us through various folk songs and assisted us with writing verses for Mari Lwyd, which we sang in Castle Green in the evening.

I have just finished studying Sylfaen online and this was a great opportunity to practise and gain confidence using my Welsh. I think I spoke more Welsh in the weekend than I had done in the previous year! And the experience got rid of my nerves about speaking Welsh - just do it! I am definitely going back and cannot recommend it highly enough.

Nigel S.

I took part in a week of learning (of Welsh/Cymraeg) aimed at those who are at Mynediad (Beginner) level, from Sunday 9th - 14th March, and staying in Garth Newydd, Lampeter.

A tutor, Virginia Steinkamp, was the tutor for the week, and we did lots of Welsh lessons, lots of chances to practice chats in Welsh and ask questions. Virginia handled all of this really well, with lots of structure, lots of games and lots of interaction with the local community.
We visited the Meetup group in Aberaeron, which is run by Nia Llywelyn, and had a lovely time chatting to Welsh-speaking locals in The Hive.
We visited the theatre at Felinfach and watched 2 short (45-minute) pantomimes, which were a lot of fun, even if we only understood a tiny percentage of the language.
We visited the Meetup group in Lampeter and had a lovely time chatting to Welsh-speaking locals in Lampeter Bowling Club.
Finally, we visited The Bank Vault in Aberystwyth, to watch the performances of Brigyn (2 brothers, Ynyr and Eurig Roberts, singing melodic, modern folk), supported by Linda Griffiths and Lisa Angharad (mother and daughter singing folk, with gorgeous harmonies).
An excellent week of activities, and lots of immersion in the local Welsh-speaking community. Obviously, we were not quite at the level for full-blown immersion, but exposure to lots of Welsh language was a massive boost to us all.
At some point, I would give the full-blown Welsh-immersion visits a go, but perhaps one more visit at this level and perhaps next year, I go for the immersion sessions.
The centre was very comfortable, and a pleasure to stay in. We all had separate rooms with big double beds all to ourselves. All the facilites were there for cooking and socialising, with a decent-sized kitchen with all the cooking facilities, and all the basics supplied for cooking (food and kitchenware). Plus plenty of toilet & shower facilities.
Lampeter is a lovely town in some lovely countryside, so I would highly recommend that you visit, if you enjoy your Welsh.
Garth Newydd is right in the middle of the town and plenty of places to get out and about.
We met the owner, Marcus Whitfield, and he was delightful and passionate about promoting the Welsh language and getting visitors to have an opportunity to meet like-minded souls in a very friendly and safe environment.
Seriously, give it a go.
My only word of caution is that you need some basic Welsh before you think of coming. I am doing Mynediad 2 (2nd year) and this was perfect for me. If you are well over halfway through the 2-year Mynediad course, then it is perfect. Or at a comparable level if your learning has taken a different path.
So please pay a visit - it comes highly recommended.

Karyn B.

I have been learning welsh on and off for years having fallen in love with the language every summer on holiday but you couldn’t learn Welsh at school in the midlands. During Covid I have used all the technology and classes available to increase my learning, but struggle to find places (yet as moved mid wales during Covid) to just chat in Welsh, especially as an adult who doesn’t have children. In learning welsh, you learn sentences or set blocks of phrases but rarely actually discourse. I can see why a lot of people give up around sylfaen level. To be able to immerse yourself in the language in an area you are also welcomed by the community has seen a massive growth in my confidence this weekend at Garth newydd. I now know what I need to go back to the books and apps to learn and can’t wait to go back and try again. The venue is great, the host gives you nudges and you become a little supportive group over the weekend. I’m sad to be home now and go back to not trying speaking welsh every minute but I will try harder with the gained confidence to find people to talk to. Thank you Marcus

Eileen T.

I’ve just enjoyed a fabulous weekend of craft at Garth Newydd in Lampeter. The rooms were clean and the bed very comfortable, bathrooms shared but this was not a problem. Expect to help out with meals and washing up but this is all part of using welsh in everyday situations. Everyone was so friendly, all at different levels on our journey in Cymraeg. Marcus went out of his way to organise everything, such as going to a book festival in Aberaeron and playing board games, yng nghymraeg wrth gwrs. I think a couple of us got a bit competitive 🤣. Emma was brillant with the craft, we made a pumpkin (sewing) and a scene with houses etc using wood and paper.
In the town, everyone was very welcoming and most, if not all the staff in the shops and cafes etc were happy to speak Welsh with us.
If you are thinking about this, don’t be afraid that your Welsh is not good enough, everyone is there to help you on your journey.
Diolch yn fawr iawn i Marcus ac Emma 😀😀😀

Peter E.

This is such and important and valuable resource. Marcus is wonderful at building confidence, making it fun and coming up with new and interesting things to do
- all in Welsh. You leave with confidence higher and new friends after a fun weekend in a beautiful part of the world! What more could you want? We even met and spoke in Cymraeg wjth the Mayor . Da iawn a diolch Marcus a Garth Newydd

Judith J.

I stayed at Garth Newydd last July for a long 'Welsh' weekend. It was great for improving my spoken Welsh, with total immersion in the language, and no pressure to be grammatically correct. I loved Llanbed, and going into shops and places, where I could converse in Welsh. The locals are all welcoming and encouraging. Sunday lunch at the Castle Green Inn was superb. Marcus was a great host, and arranged plenty of interesting things for the group to do together.

Thats T. T.

When you stay at Garth Newydd you are submerged in Welsh, speaking it from morning to night, but it is important to stress you are supported by everyone in a warm friendly environment. When I returned this time I said 'it is like coming home!' I was wrapped in a Welsh Blanket of Croeso. Diolch Marcus and Nia. x x x