Welsh language learners to discover Cymru with guided tours

Welsh language learners will be able to discover Cymru on guided tours this year with the return of ‘Ar Droed’.

Over the next few months, the Mentrau Iaith and the National Centre for Learning Welsh will be organising two new series of ‘Ar Droed’ guided tours for Welsh learners and first language speakers alike to discover special places in Cymru.

Following the success of last year’s ‘Ar Droed’ (on foot) nature walks, this year there will be one series of guided tours in four significant buildings, and one series of tours in four gardens across Wales.

Local guides will be leading the walks, which will be held between February and July, and there will be a few well-known names joining in too.

Kick off for the series of language building tours was a guided tour through Senedd Cymru, the Welsh Parliament, on the 8th of February.

Visits

The Presiding Officer, Llywydd, Elin Jones, joined the group for a chat about the building, the Senedd’s work and her work as Llywydd.

Margaret White, a Welsh tutor said: “The group really enjoyed the tour. And Elin Jones and Huw (the guide) found the right level of speaking Cymraeg with their audience.”

The next guided tour will visit Owain Glyndŵr’s Parliament in Machynlleth on 22 February.

This will be followed by guided tours through the ancient hillfort Castell Henllys in Pembrokeshire and the National Library in Aberystwyth at the end of March.

In the spring and summer the series of guided garden walks will visit Portmeirion (29 April), the National Botanic Garden (13 May), the Physic Garden in Cowbridge (8 June) and Pont y Tŵr near Ruthin (28 June), where Sioned and Iwan Edwards work and live, who are well-known from the S4C programme “Garddio a Mwy” (gardening and more).

Together

Helen Prosser, Director of Teaching and Learning at the National Centre for Learning Welsh said: “Creating opportunities for our learners to enjoy using their Welsh outside the classroom is one of the National Centre’s key aims, and we’re delighted that the ‘Ar Droed’ walks will be offered again this year.

“As well as learning more of our rich and varied Welsh vocabulary, these walks will be a fantastic opportunity for learners to meet and socialise with other learners in their area.”

Members of the SIARAD are welcome to join the tours as the scheme aims to bring first language Welsh speakers and learners together to meet up and chat in social settings.

Daniela Schlick, Project Coordinator with Mentrau Iaith Cymru said: “The Mentrau Iaith all over Cymru are organising activities that give people the opportunity to enjoy speaking Cymraeg wherever they live.

“The tours are in Cymraeg and we’d like to invite everybody who can speak Cymraeg as learners and first language speakers as conversations are much easier while doing things like going for a walk and socialising.”

On each of the tours there will be tea and coffee available and more opportunities for a chat. Daniela Schlick added: “A panad/paned or a cuppa is perfect to relax and certainly creates an ideal atmosphere for a chat.”