A century ago, visitors to the village of Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, would have arrived by boat across the Towy estuary. They would have seen the tranquil folded countryside that would one day inspire local poet Dylan Thomas to start his poem Fern Hill with the words: “Now as I was young and easy under the apple boughs.” They would have seen the samphire beds by the fish-boat-bobbing sea and the ghostly ruins of a Norman castle rising from the woods.

And it’s all pretty much the same today, except people don’t arrive by boat: the ferry service was long ago discontinued, leaving Llansteffan somewhat marooned on a peninsula between two fine estuaries. It’s now accessed only by meandering roller coasters of country lanes that seem unwilling to lead visitors to this undiscovered gem. At the heart of the place, a short walk up from the beach, is the Inn at the Sticks. A pub since 1809, it had fallen derelict, but has now been brought cheerfully back to life by first-time hoteliers Ruth Stephens and Teej (Tracy) Down.

The exterior is rather dour, but don’t be put off: inside is something special. The dining room has the feel of an old Welsh farmhouse kitchen: tiled floor, scrubbed wooden tables and spindleback chairs. It is obviously popular with locals: most conversation was in Welsh on the night I stayed (this is a staunchly Welsh-speaking area – Ruth herself only learned English when she went to school).

The kitchen is supervised by Teej, with local produce firmly in predominance – the supplier list reads like a Who’s Who of top-quality ingredients to be found within an hour of the village. Lucky diners could get sewin (sea trout) with samphire and new spuds, all from within a few miles. I had sea bass with the same accompaniments, followed by delicate elderflower champagne sorbet.

Menus draw on deep wells of memory and local lore: cockles, for example, were once a mainstay of the local economy and Ruth is planning to bring them back. “My Dad used to have them every Sunday, fried in batter with bacon,” she says.

The cockle women, incidentally, were so formidable they would do what was, at the time, unthinkable: drink in the pubs of Llansteffan unaccompanied by men. Dylan Thomas was, no doubt, witness to such effrontery, having spent many hours in those pubs too, coming on visits to relatives or to catch the ferry.

The bar at the Inn is worth slipping into after dinner (and before as well) to sample Welsh whiskies and local beers. Ruth and Teej are big live music fans and successfully tempt the stars of Swansea across the Towy to perform at weekends. In fact Llansteffan has something of a history when it comes to merrymaking and celebration. The “Sticks” in the Inn’s name refers to the surrounding woods where ancient carousings went on. The conviviality still lingers, especially during fiesta week, when the town elects a mock mayor in a hugely irreverent ceremony that gives an inkling of the sense of fun that burbles away behind the village’s quiet facade.

Back inside the pub, five bedrooms have had the classic treatment: subdued natural colours, plenty of leather and polished hardwood, impressive beds and neat shower rooms. There are some extremely hefty roof beams and not always very high up: this must be one of the few hotels where announcing your height when booking (if over six feet) is definitely recommended. There are a few minor wrinkles to be ironed out, as in any new business, but the cheerful staff are more than up to the task.

In the morning I walked to the ruined castle: “Down the rivers of the windfall light”, as Thomas put it. The castle sums up the ambience of the area: no fuss, no signs, no entrance charge, just a lot of wildflowers and wind. Beyond are some lovely peninsula walks and a decent beach to explore, but for me it was back to the Inn for breakfast. This time poached eggs and laverbread on sourdough with bacon. A traditional Carmarthenshire start to the day. Wonderful.
• Accommodation was provided by the Inn at the Sticks (01267 241066, innatthesticks-llansteffan.com, open Tuesday to Sunday, rooms £90 B&B)

Ask a local

Liam Burgess, founder, Nom Nom chocolate company, Llanboidy

• See
The poet’s home for his last four years, Dylan Thomas’s boathouse in Laugharne is furnished as he knew it, with a film show about his remarkable life. It offers wonderful views of the Taf estuary and the tearoom has a locally sourced, menu.

• Eat
On Llansteffan High Street, Yr Hen Dafarn is a hidden restaurant in Big Bill’s front room, open Friday and Saturday only.

• Walk
At the eastern end of Pendine Sands, Ginst Point is a lovely shell-scattered sandy beach, mainly used by locals, though access is limited to weekends and after 4pm weekdays as it’s part of an MoD firing range. Turn off the A4066 west of Broadway village and follow the road for a mile to the gates. Turn left and continue for two more miles to the end of the road, where there are two small car parks on the left. The beach is about 100 metres away.