A look inside the childhood holiday home that inspired one of Dylan Thomas’ most famous poems

Amelia Jones

A video posted on social media offers a look at the childhood holiday home of renowned poet Dylan Thomas.

The Carmarthenshire farmhouse Fern Hill belonged to Thomas’s aunt, Ann Jones, and became a childhood refuge for the future poet, who spent countless holidays exploring its fields and surrounding countryside.

Those memories later inspired one of his most celebrated poems, which took the farm’s name as its title.

The poem is a celebration of youth and childhood innocence and the subsequent loss of these.

The video shows the house as it is now: overgrown and in disrepair. It tells the story of what the home meant to Thomas, as well as its darker history.

The video was posted by JC Explores, an account run by Welsh content creator, broadcaster and explorer Jay Curtis. He is known for: “bringing stories to life through immersive travel vlogs, heritage exploration and creative storytelling.”

In the video, he says: “This abandoned Welsh farmhouse was once home to a notorious executioner, but later became the childhood holiday paradise of the famous poet Dylan Thomas. Welcome to Fern Hill.

“Long before poetry fame, this place had a far darker reputation. Fern Hill was once the home of Robert Evans,  better known as Evans the Hangman, the Welsh-born executioner who reportedly carried out seven hangings, including the infamous triple execution of Mary Ann Barry, Edwin Bailey, and Edward Butt  in 1874.

“Stories suggest visitors to the farm would often find him drinking before putting them through a recreation of the entire hanging ritual.

“And local folklore even goes further, claiming the daughter Frances was once locked in the cellar after falling in love with a Hungarian doctor before eventually escaping.

“But then the same place became somewhere completely different. Years later, Fern Hill belonged to Ann Jones, Dylan Thomas’s aunt, and her husband Jim, who farmed here.

“And as a boy, Dylan Thomas spent his school holidays here, roaming fields, exploring the countryside, and creating memories that would stay with him forever. Those childhood moments inspired one of Wales’s most famous poems, Fern Hill, his reflection of youth, freedom, and innocence on this very farm. Dylan’s family gave up the farm in the 1920s, and Fern Hill passed through several owners.

“But by the 1970s, it had fallen into decline, and its condition has worsened ever since. A place of poetry, of memories, and darker times. If only these walls could talk.”

Many viewers of the video were angered by the state the house was in today. One commenter said: “Such a waste places like this should be sold off so they can be made into a family home.”

Another added: “What a waste of a beautiful property.”

The video comes ahead of the release of a new film starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Anthony Hopkins called ‘A Visit to Grandpa’s.’

The film is inspired by Dylan Thomas’ much-loved short story.

The movie’s synopsis reads: When a lonely boy is sent to spend the summer with his wildly eccentric grandfather in the countryside, he expects boredom but finds magic instead. Grandpa is nothing like he imagined: impulsive, outrageous, and full of mysterious stories that blur fact and fantasy. As the days stretch on, mischief turns to meaning, and their unexpected bond becomes a lifeline for them both. With Hopkins set to deliver a career- defining performance, this is a funny and deeply moving journey through memory, imagination and the strange magic of family. 

No release date has yet been set for the film, which is directed by DJ Caruso.

You can watch the full video here.