A summer of coastal creativity awaits at Oriel y Parc
Visitors to the Pembrokeshire Coast can look forward to a season of creative workshops, seaside storytelling and imaginative adventures, as Oriel y Parc: National Park Discovery Centre in St Davids opens its summer line-up.
This year’s programme has been inspired by the sights, sounds and materials of the local landscape. With a focus on imagination, play, and hands-on discovery, it offers a mix of artist-led workshops, seaside crafts and seasonal trails – all designed to help visitors of all ages connect with the coast in new ways.
With the school holidays in full swing, Wednesdays at Oriel y Parc offer the chance to get crafty with a series of Make and Take workshops for children aged 5+. Highlights include cyanotype printing and gel plate monoprinting with Kate Evans, coastal weaving with Hannah Rounding, and drawing and mark-making with Kate Freeman. Inspired by the local environment and the current exhibition, Môrwelion/The Sea Horizon by Garry Fabian Miller, the sessions offer a creative way to engage with Pembrokeshire’s natural world. A full schedule and further information can be found at www.pembrokeshirecoast.wales/oriel-y-parc/events-at-oriel-y-parc/workshops.
There’s also plenty on offer for those with a love of local craftsmanship. Throughout the summer, the courtyard at Oriel y Parc will come alive with craft stalls and local produce at the Handmade Craft Fairs (every Tuesday to 26 August) and the Summer Craft Market on 9 August.
Families keen to delve into stories of the sea will find much to enjoy on 27 and 28 August, when Oriel y Parc hosts a special programme inspired by Pembrokeshire’s seabirds and coastal wildlife. A creative session led by zoologist and author Nicola Davies and philosopher Dr Beth Mackintosh offers children the chance to craft a whale zig zag book and a listening scroll.
The following day, RSPB site manager Greg Morgan will give a talk on the secret lives of Manx shearwaters, followed by storytelling with artist Bron Jones, whose evocative tale, Phantoms of the Sea, brings the eerie calls of the shearwaters to life.
Alongside its summer programme, Oriel y Parc: National Park Discovery Centre features regularly changing exhibitions, a gift shop, and a café serving creative dishes and delicious flavours. It’s also an ideal starting point for exploring the National Park, with knowledgeable staff on hand to offer suggestions for discovering the surrounding coast and countryside.
For full event listings and to plan your visit, go to www.orielyparc.co.uk.
